The Sun and its Dignities and Debilities

The sun in astrology derives its symbolic representation from Roman mythology. It is typically representative of the Roman god Sol (hence why they call sun energy "solar" energy). The Roman God Sol was the God of light and a deity of the sun. He would drive a chariot, carrying the sun across the sky. (Some experts also state that the god Apollo, the god of music, truth, prophecy, healing, light, plague, and poetry could also be affiliated with the sun and thus could also influence the sun's symbolic interpretations).

The sun, which is the biggest star in our solar system, is at the center of our solar system. All the planets surround the sun, as the sun's gravitational force pulls the planets in various directions. As a result, the sun has been giving natives of Earth light: a healthy energy and the source of human life both internally and physically. Can you imagine the world without the sun?

In astrology, the sun is considered a "luminary", typically because it shines light on our inner consciousness...or should I say how we see our world on a conscious level. (Some astrologers consider the sun one of the "inner personal planets" as well). The sun is representative of the ego. In this way the sun is also at the center of our "inner universe". By definition, the ego is the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity. In other words, it is representative of our self-esteem or self-imortance. In fact, everything involved with the sun is involving the "self"; our self-worth, our self-respect, as well as our self-image. It is the part of us that also wants others to pay attention to who we are and celebrate/worship who we are as individuals. With the sun we are always "winners" and we may even feel like showing off these abilities. It's about us and what is best for us. The sun can be developed from a strong resolve inside of ourselves to do whatever it is we want to do, thus the sun represents our will. It also represents areas of our life that we tend to highlight. It is seen as a masculine energy by some, representative of male pride, male ego, and ultimately male dominance. This is not to say that females do not also have this energy. It's just that males from various cultures embrace this energy more readily because of social expectations of males: to be leaders and to carry themselves with pride. When our sun energy is strong, we want to be happy no matter what. We are proud of what we do, no matter what other people say. With strong sun energy we don't feel the need to compete or compare because we are proud of ourselves for accomplishing. We become leaders that other people can only admire and respect. Its our time to shine and we are at center stage! If our ego is too strong, however, we can become self-centered, selfish even, and overconfident in our abilities. We may do things without consideration of others and "act out" when things don't go in our favor. When our ego is weak, we lack the confidence to see ourselves independently from others. We become uncomfortable in the spotlight, and insecure when alone. We often don't know who we are and only determine who we are through others. The weaker our ego, the more lifeless we feel. Nothing seems to matter because we don't feel "important". With blocked energy, we want so much deep respect from others that we constantly lose respect for ourselves.

So which sign in the zodiac does the sun have the strongest dignity and the strongest debility? Let's take a look!

THE SUN

And Its Dignities and Debilities

Sun in Leo-The Lion of the Sun

Sun+Leo=A FIRM EGO! Dignity(+5)

The lion is known as the "King of the Jungle". This is because they are the more dominant predators, able to prey upon their "food", no matter how small or big. They are identified by their "crown" or mane that they use to mark their "identity" or "territory" amongst other lions. They are also known for their ferocious roar which they use to bring attention to themselves. The male lion usually is the leader of the "pride", but when there is no male lion, lionesses know how to take the lead. Lionesses usually do all the hunting. Males lions in a pride don't normally do the hunting; instead they "patrol" their territory and make sure no other Lion can take his land. The lion has always been a symbol of regality and royalty in various cultures because they carry their heads high and are not easily rattled. They are also direct symbols of the sun because, to many, they resemble the sun in their appearance.

Wherever Leo is in the natal chart, it will always have a place for the sun. This is why Leo is ruled by the sun. When the sun is in Leo, the Sun is in Domicile. The sun (planet of ego) is naturally at home in the sign of Leo (sign of pride and drama). The sun is well fed because "the lion" will never let its pride in itself die. As a result of this strong position, the sun blesses people with sun in Leo to have a firm ego. They are confident and aware of themselves, able to express themselves fully. They can easily gain attention and feed their ego through the admiration they naturally gain from others. They know how to get respect because they respect themselves. And rather than being the best, they have to be at THEIR best. The sun represents the heart. Ironically, sun in Leo natives put their "heart" into everything that they do. They are proud of what they do, even if no one else is. Natives with this position make creative and strong-willed leaders. As leaders, if it's one thing they won't tolerate, it is disrespect. They want to be respected simply as a human being in this world.

The pitfall to this position is that they can be quite conceited, self-absorbed, and demanding for attention. They might even manipulate and decieve others through generous acts of kindness, when secretly they are hoping for some sort of admiration. (This of course depends on other aspects of the chart). They have so much pride, they may struggle to accept criticism. They always have the need to be a leader and they may struggle with "taking a back-seat" rather than being the most important part of a project or scene. They must learn to consider other people's point of view instead of developing the attitude that their point of view is "the best" point of view. They must learn to let others take the lead, especially if other people are more efficient at getting the job done. They are quite self-conscious and may want to maintain their dignity at all times. They must be careful of doing just about anything to get some sort of attention/admiration...otherwise they will lose the respect they may have been trying to gain.

This may also apply to you if you have sun (planet of ego) in the 5th house (house of romance, amusement, and creative self-expression). If you have planets in Libra or Aquarius in your chart, this may tame some of sun sign expression.

If you have poor aspects to the sun or the sun is accidentily debilitated by house placement, then you may have more setbacks to gaining sun energy.

Leo is a fixed sign (immovable) and a fire sign (energetic).

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Sun in Aries-The Ram of the Sun

Sun+Aries=A Powerful Ego! Dignity(+4)

The ram has always been a symbol of herosim, especially in ancient Greece and Rome. It is a courageous animal that thinks nothing of climbing up ragged mountains and even jumping off cliffs. They are very sure-footed animals and full of energy. Even the females, known as ewes, have no problem jumping around the edge of a high peek and are said to be highly independent. Usually the male ram is identified by their horns which serves to inspire fear in other opponents. (Some ewes also have horns, such as the bighorn ewes). Just like the lion, the ram always has their heads held high, ready for any challenge. Ram's are not "self-proclaimed" leaders: rams prove leadership through actions. The ram is not a predator, therefore is not necessarily a "king" of its terrain. But it is admired because of its ability to charge into areas or situations without hesitation.

When the sun is in Aries, the sun is Exalted. To some people who are observing the sun's energy in Aries from the outside, they might feel this is THE BEST kind of sun energy. It's understandable. The sun (planet of the ego) is positioned in the sign of Aries (the sign of self and action). The sun is not necessarily at home in this sign because the sign of Aries is not typically a sign concerned with "being admired or adored". However, "the ram" has abilities (from the influence of Mars: planet of energy and passion) that makes it easier than other signs for Aries to build upon solar energy. When the sun is in Aries it has the potential to be greater than "itself". The sun has more energy in Aries than it would in any other sign, even more than in Leo, and jumps on opportunities to express itself and get attention with assertiveness and aggression. As a result of this combination, the sun blesses sun in Aries natives with a powerful ego: an ego that is inspirational to others and capable of being courageous. Their enthusiam and need for action makes them highly admirable to others, and leadership opportunities come easily to them. The ego is not as proud as it would be in Leo, but it is definitely self-assured of who it is and what it wants to do. With a decisive position like this, natives have the potential to accomplish anything! And they can do this without falling into the same pitfalls as maybe a sun in Leo native. These natives make bold and courageous leaders. As leaders, they tend to have a lot of energy and fighting power to help them maintain their leadership positions. They want others to respect whatever it is they do.

But sun in Aries natives are by no means PERFECT, as we might like to envision them in this position. The pitfalls with this position comes from the fact that they have too much energy fostering towards the ego. They jump too impulsively on chances for attention, admiration, and leadership without considering the consequences or the responsibilities that come with this kind of ride. As a result, their enthusiam for these things fade behind the desire to be themselves. And trust me, they take more pride in being themselves than anything else. Because they put so much energy towards fostering their egos, they tend to be very selfish and self-centered. They sometimes struggle to think about the feelings of others if they don't have other caring energies in their natal chart. They may be competitive or they may spur on competion. They always have to be the best and be winners! They can be so aggressive when trying to get the spotlight, that they cause others to become resentful of them. They must learn to slow down and consider the feelings of others. They simply have to understand that they don't always have to be THE best as long as they are at THEIR best.

This may also apply if you have sun (planet of ego) in the 1st house (the house of self, individualization, and external self-expression). If you have planets in Libra or Aquarius in your natal chart, this will tame some parts of your sun sign expression.

If your Mars (which is Aries ruling planet) is in a debilitated sign placement such as a detriment/fall, sun/mars has poor aspects such as oppositions/squares; or you have planets in signs that mars "rejects" (Taurus, Libra, or Cancer), or sun/mars is accidentally debilitated by house placement, then you may have setbacks to gaining sun energy.

Aries is a cardinal sign (initiating) and a fire sign (energetic).

Tt you.

Sun in Libra-The Scale of The Sun

Sun+Libra=A Weak Ego Debility(-4)

The scale is a measuring tool used to determine the weight of things. In various cultures, the scale has been a symbol of balance, fairness, and justice. This is because the scale can give the most accurate results, regardless of our personal feelings or goals. In ancient days, the scale was built to weigh one object against another, and this was useful when trying to determine the value of something during a trade or barter. In modern times, we have technological scales that give us even more accurate results and help us determine how much something weighs (or someone) through digits and calculations. Not all scales are physcal objects: we can also create scales in our own minds to determine the "greatness" of something. The scale is quite a unique symbol in astrology because unlike majority of the zodiac signs (aside from Aquarius) it is not necessarily representative of a living entity. Its existence is based upon an "idea".

When the sun is in Libra, unfortunately it is falling, which means the sun lacks energy in this position and needs support from outsiders in order to remain confident. To many, this may SEEM like the worst position for the sun because the sign of Libra has the reputation of being about everything but the self. The sun, which is the planet of the ego seeks to find where it can shine and be the center of the universe. Libra is the sign of partnerships, harmony, love, and ultimately balance. This is where the uncomfortability comes into play. The sun wants to feed its ego and become more confident, but when it is in Libra the ego is reliant on others to build its sense of self-esteem. The ego begins to be weighed between its own need for an ego boost and the needs and feelings of others. How does this affect the native? As a result, a person with this position struggles to maintain self-esteem on their own, causing the natives to mishandle their energies. They are constantly concerned with others; how others feel or how others see them. They easily "lose" themselves when they are in a relationship, often identifying strongly with who their lovers or friends are. And yet, they might also struggle to see themselves as a part of their relationships and seem to take over relationships as if they are the "leader". In this way, gaining attention will be difficult for them because they don't give enough attention to themselves, and instead they rely too heavily on the approval of others. Ironically, their egos get "carried away" when they are in stable relationships or when they gain popularity. There may be vanity. The native has a strong need to feel successful socially, yet they may never feel that they are truly successful. They may always feel as if others don't believe in them or they do not get the praise and recognition they feel they deserve. Yet, they do not have the heart to demand it (unless they have other energies in their natal chart that motivates them). They may believe that the people around them are more important than they are. As leaders, they may be more easygoing than commanding, as they struggle to take charge. If they can learn to think more about themselves rather than others, they can gain more confidence to be leaders without needing a "second opinion". They must learn that they are just as important as other people. At times, focusing on oneself is actually beneficial. They may have a bad habit of forcing a smile, even when they have deep insecurities. They must learn to be honest with themselves.

The upside to this position is that unlike sun in Leo and sun in Aries, this energy is a humble and considerate one. The natives with this position don't get so caught up in their egos that they don't think about the feelings and "egos" of others. They understand that sometimes its better to tame their egos for the sake of other people, and in this way they make fair and considerate leaders. Even with an impulsive Mars position or moon position, they will still try to consider how others might feel if they expressed energies that could cause others to resent them. They are very creative and attractive, which are useful qualities when gaining recognition in their careers. They want to balance their personal energies within. They are more than likely to keep their composure when there are any problems in their lives because they want to be respected. As leaders, they are likeable and popular because of their love of peace. They may take up joint leadership roles, making them cooperative leaders as well. They want everyone to have respect for one another. They'd rather see everyone as winners. They respect what (or who) they love and respect themselves more when others respect them.

This may also apply if you have sun (planet of the ego) in the 7th house (house of partnerships). If you have planets in Aries or Leo in your chart, this can give your sun sign expression more energy.

If you have venus (Libra's ruling planet) in a dignified sign placement, positive aspects such as conjuncts, trines, and/or sextiles to the sun/venus; if you have planets in signs that venus recieves well (Taurus, Libra, or Pisces), or sun/venus is accidentally dignified by house placement, then you may find more benefits to help you gain sun energy.

Libra is cardinal sign (initiating) and an air sign (mental).

Sun in Aquarius-The Water-Bearers of The Sun

Sun+Aquarius=an unstable ego Debility(-5)

Aquarius is one of the most complicated signs in the zodiac in the fact that it is based solely on an idea and it is hard to identify what a "water-bearer" could represent. What people must understand first and foremost is what a "water-bearer" represented in ancient times and how that influenced the astrological interpretation of Aquarius. The symbol is based off the ancient Greek story of Ganymede, a beautiful young boy who was once taken by zeus to be a cupbearer for the gods, but then rebelled by pouring all of the gods wine and water, thus causing rainfall that lasted for many days. If we think about how the ancient Greeks viewed water bearers, we can see that in their eyes this was more than a symbol of a true "cup-bearer". In their eyes, this was the story of how the earth became flooded from the greatest "water-bearer" of all: the clouds. Therefore, storms, lightning, and clouds have all come to be affiliated with the sign of Aquarius in astrology.

Clouds are not necessarily living, neither are they objects of some sort. Typically, they are fragments of gases collected by the atmosphere. They float above the earth and act in unpredictable ways; going from calm one minute to stormy the next. The most popular clouds are the comulonimbus (clouds that look fluffy and have various shapes, but can cause dangerous storms) and stratus clouds (clouds that are thin, shapless, and gray, but not as dangerous). From the clouds we get percepitation and are able to have rainfall to replenish the earth. Note: There are also Cirrus clouds that are thin and wispy in appearance.

The sun is considered in detriment in the sign of Aquarius. Since Aquarius represents clouds and storms, we all know what happens when it's cloudy and storming outside: it blocks the sun. The energy coming from the sun in Aquarius is very much like a cloud; distant from the earth, unpredictable, and a little chilly in its expression (if not outright cold). The sun, which is the planet of the ego, is hidden behind Aquarius (the sign of humanitarianism, inventiveness, aloofness, and spontaneity). The sun is a planetary energy that seeks to get attention. And yet, the sign of Aquarius is a sign that most can never ignore. So why exactly is the sun in detriment here? The sun is warm, and is very much focused on itself and its identity. This is where the differences between the sun and Aquarius becomes more evident. Aquarius is a sign very focused on furthering humanity and would rather see things in the concept of WE rather than ME. Aquarius is traditionally ruled by Saturn and, in modern times, ruled by Uranus. These planets are more concerned with our duty to society rather than our own personal need for recognition, respect, and self-esteem. They are cold, while the sun is warm. So how does this combination affect the natives of this position? Thus, the native has conflicting natures, where the native craves attention but the native is aloof and objective. In certain instances, the native craves attention from others, but feels very uncomfortable when given too much attention. Or they may gain attention, only to recklessly and carelessly handle the attention they are being given. They may compensate for their lack of feeling "unique" by acting strange or doing things spontaneously just to get attention. Or they may focus on trying to feel important by doing important things in the world. Yet, feeling important on the inside without these things is very hard for them to feel. They tend to expect others to "accept" them no matter what they do to gain attention. They lose their dignity much easier because their egos are more motivated by the LACK of identity, rather than actually gaining one. And see, when they finally begin to discover who they "are", they get uncomfortable with "labeling" themselves (and others "labeling" them), and thus start to discard any sense of identity for a "looser" one. Even if they are confident, they feel uncomfortable being too "sure" and are constantly paranoid of someone trying to attack their ego. They don't put too much pride in things as a result, and act disinterested/aloof from people and situations (this could depend on other energies in the natal chart of this native). In fact, the nature of this position could set everyone as "unimportant" in the world, with no one being seen as above or below one another. As far as leadership goes, they have a good understanding of how to handle authority, but as far as being at the forefront of a situation or a group of people, they get very uncomfortable. They may feel confined as sole leader and would rather see themselves as a part of the group rather than the "leader" of the group. In fact, they would rather follow a group or be apart of a GROUP of leaders instead of following one leader. They are the ones that always seem to "rebel against the king", whatever form that "king" may be in. Now do you see why this can sometimes be the worse position for the sun? If Aquarius is not careful they can lose themselves behind their odd ideas, need for freedom, or their humanitarian causes. They must learn to channel their energies more positively by adjusting their attitude towards their ego and the egos of others. There's nothing wrong with one person running the show every once in a while, especially if that person has proven to be efficient. There's nothing wrong with putting your heart out there for others to see, especially because this will give you the attention deep down you know you need. Once they learn to accept their need to "feed their ego", attitude adjustments will be much easier.

After this description, it may not seem like this position has any positives...but it does. Natives with this position can be effective leaders to any cause they take on because they genuinely want to make a difference for humanity. There are many famous sun in Aquarius natives that are known for championing causes and making positive changes for humanity. They work very well in clubs, group organizations, as well as in government. While they are rebels, deep down they do have a need for order: an order that will guarentee liberty, fairness, and equality for all. And they can be highly generous, giving through various philanthropic avenues. The natives of this position are leaders who constantly focus on the good of others. They are usually spontaneous and may prefer to work with a "team", where they can show their "team spirit". They want to be respected for their open mind. To them, they are no different than any other human being, and they treat everyone the way they would treat themselves.

This may also apply if you have sun (the planet of the ego) in the 11th house (house of friendships, associations, hopes and dreams, as well as causes). If you have planets in Leo or Aries in your chart, this can give your sun sign expression more energy.

If you have Saturn/Uranus (Aquarius's ruling planets) in dignified sign positions, positive aspects such as trines, conjunctions, and sextiles to Saturn/Uranus/Sun, planets in signs that Saturn/Uranus recieves well (Capricorn, Aquarius Libra/Scorpio), or sun/Uranus/Saturn is accidentally dignified by house placement, then you may find more benefits to help you gain sun energy.

Aquarius is a fixed sign (immovable) and an air sign (mental).

My purpose for these decriptions is to discuss dignities/debilities according to the planets. This is why I have only focused particularly on the signs traditionl and modern astrologers have found to have affinity with the planets rather than the planets position in all the signs. However, through the dignities/debilities you might also learn about natures of the signs and what energies they may struggle or find ease integrating.