No matter how organized or self-assured we are, sometimes life has a way of throwing us for a loop. Perhaps you’ve been successfully working towards a big promotion – a life goal – only to find someone else has been given the position. Or maybe a new person in your life is making you reconsider the relationship you’ve been in for the last ten years.
These are all examples of potentially life-altering changes that can leave us feeling vulnerable and unsure of our next steps. It is at times like this we seek guidance – from friends, family and even the sun and the stars.
Sun sign astrology can be an exciting and accurate tool to help you better understand yourself and your journey in life by studying the positioning of the sun at birth. The position of the sun in your zodiac sign informs your personality, your struggles and your main themes in life.
By observing the current movements of the planets, astrologers follow the traditional rules of astrology to determine how the change in these movements can affect an individual’s position and journey in life.
A Simplified System of Astrology
If you have ever consulted your own birth chart online – or have taken it upon yourself to make your own – you will know that astrology is rather complex. It requires us to take different factors and the positioning of the planets and zodiacs into account for an accurate reading.
Birth and star charts are extremely detailed and tend to look at the big picture, whereas the horoscopes we find in magazines and newspapers are focused on the daily or weekly movements and focus only on the suns position within our star signs, rather than the galaxy as a whole.
This simplified system of astrology, referred to as sun sign astrology, was first introduced by the British astrologer, Richard Harold Naylor, in the mid to late 1930s. Following his prediction of the R101 crash in 1930, Sunday Express editor at the time, John Gordon, hired Naylor to provide a weekly column in the form of astrology forecasts.
This new approach to astrology, allowed Naylor – and subsequently other newspaper and magazine astrologers – to offer readers a condensed overview of what their stars had in store for them based on the positioning of the sun. This is how the horoscope we know today first became popularized.
A Closer Look at the Sun’s Effect on Our Zodiac Signs
The sun is said to be positioned within one of the twelve zodiac signs at any given time and strongly influences our stance in life. While the zodiac signs all speak of different personality traits – strengths as well as weaknesses – and purposes, the sun is like a parental figure that checks in on each signs’ development from time to time.
By studying the positioning of the sun in our zodiac signs, we can find guidance on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, whereas a more detailed examination of the sun at our exact time of birth will give us a lifetime overview of how it has – positively and negatively – affected the traits associated with our signs.
This means that, while the basic characteristics of each individual zodiac sign won’t change with the sun in their presence, it can intensify certain emotions and personality traits thanks to its undeniable energetic force.
The Aries, for example, is known for their impulsiveness and constant need for activity – both mentally and physically. People born with the sun in Aries, however, have a heightened sense of restlessness and impatience.
This sun sign, the first in the zodiac constellation, is extremely innovative and always looking to drive things forward. With the sun in Aries, this innate creativity and drive becomes more emphasized, adding to the childlike qualities this sign already possesses.
Geminis, who are famous for their ability to adapt to new people and situations quickly, are overcome with an even stronger need to self-express with the sun in their sign. Always working on twenty things at a time, their attention-span is minimal, and this restlessness is highlighted with the sun in Gemini.
One of the most regal zodiac signs is, of course, the Leo, and we like to picture him lazing around in the sun enjoying the good things in life. When the sun is indeed in Leo, chances are you will see them spring to action with surprising focus and determination.
Daily, Weekly & Yearly Sun Forecasts
Now that you have gained a better understanding of sun sign astrology, you can move beyond your daily or weekly forecasts and look into what the year ahead might bring you. Study your horoscope for the new year to set up a flexible plan that could help you overcome any obstacles that might come your way, and look into how to best achieve those milestones you are predicted to reach.