Sun Sign Lights Up Your Life

We often see people “light up” when we describe their Sun Signs. Like a match to a candle wick, they are sparked and come alive with enthusiasm. The Sun Signs show where the fire inside us lives, our spirit. Very important, right?

Now, let’s consider what a birth chart is. That “Sunny Spirit” of ours found a place in this world through birth, at a particular time and place, to a particular set of parents. In order to play a role on this planet, we need a body to assume our role, our character, like an actor getting up on stage. The spirit of the sun drives us, but our “part” in this play comes from our rising sign. Without your Rising Sign, your Sun Spirit cannot show up and express itself!

There are examples of individuals balancing spirit and role appear every day. A couple of outstanding examples happened during last election, when astrologers saw the charts of Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama and Vice-Presidential Nominee, Sarah Palin. With the birth times we obtained, we discovered that Barack Obama was a Leo with Aquarius rising, and Sarah Palin was an Aquarius with Leo rising. Leo, the natural, fiery charismatic leader was opposing Aquarius, the sign of representing, or diverging from, the “people,” and being open to new ideas. These were defining features in both of their charts!

Obama has a Leo Sun. He is a natural, charismatic leader who cares about children and the future. His spirit is his appeal beneath the more intellectual, idealistic image he has in the world. Watch how he carries himself as President. His natural charisma has the grace of Leo the Lion. With his Sun on the opposite side of the chart from his “New Age” Rising Sign, Aquarius, Obama has always needed to be aware of “others,” whether it be other individuals or other cultures. He also had to be aware that people considered him to be “different” (Aquarius rising). He had to learn to think about “the people” and their perceptions.

Sarah Palin was born an Aquarius with Leo rising. She was definitely born a “maverick,” per her self-description. Her spirit seeks change and freedom. With Leo Rising, we see images of her as the “Mother Lion” of her brood with actual photos of her as the “Huntress.” She has learned to present herself as a leader and a charismatic figure. No matter what your politics, both leaders show us the human experience, in a very public way, of balancing opposing energies of “spirit” and a “role” in life. Sarah Palin learned to develop and project a dynamic and attractive image to forward her “maverick” ideals, and Barack Obama learned to incorporate the needs of the people into his natural leadership qualities.

So what about your spirit and your role in life? If you have the same Sun and Rising Sign, or are they of the same element:

Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius – spiritual pursuits, passion
Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn – grounded, in touch with the planet
Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius – intellect and agility
Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces – sensitivity, emotion

Your spirit shines easily forth in your role in life. Your presentation will be easy and natural, and others in your life will tend to adapt to your presence.

If your Sun is the opposite of your Rising Sign (like Palin and Obama), or forms a square:

Aries/Cancer/Libra/Capricorn, Taurus/Leo/Scorpio/Aquarius, Gemini/Virgo/Sagittarius/Pisces;
Then you must integrate the different elements (fire/earth/air/water) of your Sun and Rising signs. While this sounds more challenging, it can give you the advantage of having to learn when you are young that there are expectations and others won’t always adapt to your spirit. Like Obama and Palin, success can come from the fact that you’ve experienced the challenges of “battling elements” within yourself and recognize the need to work with them in the world.

Let’s celebrate our Rising Signs, the characters we present to the world …”The show must go on!”

How do you determine your own Rising Sign? It is best to consult an astrologer to determine your Rising Sign, as there are many variables by date, time and location.