Astrology
- What's Your Sun Sign?
Part 1: ARIES
to VIRGO
by Patty A. Chapman
What's your Sun sign? When we ask this question what is it we hope to obtain from the answer? Probably a little insight into the personality of someone with whom we are interacting. It allows us to categorize people to a certain degree. How many of us however, really understand what the Sun sign is?
The Sun sign is derived by knowing what constellation the Sun is traveling through at the time of your birth. It moves at approximately one degree per day and makes a 360 degree sweep of the Zodiac in one year. The Zodiac is composed of twelve signs of 30 degrees each and each sign corresponds to one month of the year.
The following is a table of dates for the individual signs:
ARIES:
March 21-April 20
LIBRA: Sept. 23, 24-Oct. 22, 23
TAURUS: April 21-May 20, 21
SCORPIO: Oct. 23, 24-Nov.22
GEMINI: May 21, 22-June 21
SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 23-Dec. 21, 23
CANCER: June 22-July 22
CAPRICORN: Dec. 22, 24-Jan. 20
LEO: July 23-Aug. 22, 23
AQUARIUS: Jan. 21-Feb. 19
VIRGO: Aug. 23, 24-Sept. 22,23
PISCES: Feb. 20-March 20
(If you were born at the beginning of a sign or at the end, it is a good idea to know your birth time to find which sign your Sun is actually in. It may also be necessary to consult an ephemeris for exact information. An ephemeris is a table giving the location of the various planets of the Zodiac by day and month. An ephemeris usually covers a fifty or hundred year time span.)
Now that we have defined the Sun sign astronomically, we can examine it from a psychological point of view. First let us look at what the Sun stands for.
The Sun represents the 'ego', that part of our psychological make up which is conscious and most in control of thought, behavior and most in touch with external reality. The Sun is the central channel for all energies in the astrology chart just as the Sun in our solar system is the center.
The Sun relates to the goal we pursue in our lifetime. The Sun 'sign' indicates how we will achieve this goal. Good and bad do not exist within a sign just as there are no superior or inferior signs. They all represent a form of experience we require for our soul growth.
It is important to remember that the Sun, although very significant, is just one part of the astrology chart. There are nine planets, several asteroids, and various points, which all have an influence on our existence and journey. Understanding the Sun sign however, is a good first step to self-discovery.
What experience are you pursuing in this life? What lessons do you need to learn for personal growth and well being? The following are a few features of each of the twelve sun signs, which may help you understand where you are headed and what your task is.
If you are an ARIES, you are the first sign of the Zodiac. You are an initiator as being first implies. You require experiences, which contribute to the development of your will and your ability to assert yourself. Here the basic instinct of survival will be strong. The phrase, which describes Aries, is, 'I seek myself'.
Some keywords, which relate to Aries, are masculine, impulsive, active, creative, intuitive, impatient, daring, and energetic. Optimism can also be associated with the Aries type as they very often exhibit a joy for life, which can ignite the same in others. They maintain a childlike, impressionable attitude toward life as they forge ahead seeking new and exciting events.
As the Aries individual is occupied with establishing the self, they can be insensitive and suffer from egoism. Their ability to relate to 'others' has not yet been established. They, at times, can have difficulty understanding that others do have a point of view. If this opinion conflicts with their own, the Aries individual can become obstinate and unreasonable.
Wherever there exists a situation, which requires someone to go bravely where no one has gone before, chances are the one to go will be an Aries.
To reiterate, the experience ARIES requires for fulfillment is to establish the self, the individual within the physical environment. Aries is a journey of self-discovery.
TAURUS, the second sign of the Zodiac is concerned with security and establishing a base which was not necessary in the experience of the pioneering Aries. Searching for forms of secure existence is what has importance now. Its calling card says, 'I seek to have'.
Keywords for Taurus include patient, rooted, perceptive, artistic, money oriented, appreciative of fine sensory experience, deliberate, faithful and loving. Their desire for stability and their attachment to possessions can often make the Taurus type seem stodgy.
While their 'fixed' nature may prove tedious to some, Taurus individuals have what it takes to complete tasks which others would never finish. Just don't try to deter them from what they have their mind set on-they can be very stubborn!
Finances are often of major interest to Taurus people. After all, money does provide a good deal of security. For some, it may allow for the establishment of a sense of self worth, another factor that the Taurus person hopes to incorporate into their being.
Again, the experience for those with Sun in TAURUS is to provide the newly formed individual with a secure environment in which to interact and 'maintain'.
GEMINI is the third astrological sign and as Taurus has created secure conditions for the individual, the Gemini may now go out to experience with their mind, to gather information and to learn. Their catch phrase-'I seek to think'.
Gemini keywords are quick, curious, logical, versatile, communicative, sociable, flighty, inconstant, witty, and ingenious. The goal of the Gemini is to bring as many learning experiences as possible within the parameters of self. The image of the Gemini may be analogous to the bee as it flits from flower to flower collecting pollen. With such a short stay how much can one ingest?
In their plight to discover everything, the Gemini often ends up with a little bit of information about many things. Hence, their sometimes reputation of being superficial. They have, none the less, excellent verbal skills and are capable of making logical deductions based on observation-fact A as it relates to B, etc.
It is important to remember in the GEMINI phase of being, that man is for the first time involved with the outside world. Gaining confidence within this environment and being able to express ones opinions and concepts with assuredness is the experience required at this stage of development.
We now proceed to the sign of CANCER where the experience needed is an internal one, that of feeling and being in touch with the emotions. The phrase associated with Cancer; 'I seek to feel'.
The need to feel translates into a great sensitivity which Cancer people have naturally. They are very quick to pick up on other people's emotional energy. It is one reason why they remain very protective of themselves. They feel what is out there. It is different than intuition and perception. It has very little to do with the head. It comes from the heart.
Keywords for Cancer are private, impressionable, domestic, parental, imaginative, self-indulgent, affectionate, vulnerable. Because the exploration and understanding of emotions is of importance at this stage, the Cancer person may exhibit some emotions in extreme. Hysterics and self-pity can be a result. The tendency to use emotions to manipulate people can also be part of this learning process. At the opposite end of the emotional scale, Cancer types can be very nurturing and supportive with an overwhelming desire to comfort and care for. Lest we forget, the condition required in the CANCER stage of development is feeling and assimilating emotional experience, to further the positive growth of the individual.
With the self as a secure, intelligent, feeling being it is now necessary to take all of these attributes and show them to the world. We proceed to LEO! The 'I am here, see me' personality. Here the need for recognition is foremost. The appropriate phrase for Leo is 'I seek self-realization'.
The desire for self-realization is responsible for several different characteristics in Leo. The need to realize self within the context of a wider environment creates a very outgoing and sociable personality. Leos exude charm, generosity, and warmth as they claim their space in a crowd. They seldom go unnoticed.
Part of what constitutes self-realization is the ability to create on the physical plain. Leo people therefore, can be successful at whatever it is they choose to manifest whether it be a character in a play, a work of art, a new company or a child. Procreation is a fundamental necessity for some in the pursuit of self-realization.
Keywords for Leo are dramatic, expressive, authoritative, loyal, romantic, ostentatious, solid, playful, and confident. Leos know how to achieve the best effects, which sometimes can lead to an end in itself. In an attempt to gain notoriety and appreciation, they can overdo and become egotistical.
All of this, of course, is in an attempt to gain the experience of one's instinctive, mental and emotional self in a wider context. Again, the importance of the LEO phase is to move boldly forward and learn how the personality interacts with the outside world.
The sixth sign of the Zodiac is VIRGO and in this stage man is ready to examine himself, to recognize that action leads to consequence. Motives and desires come under analysis as the Virgo type learns to see his own faults. The phrase appropriate for Virgo is, 'I seek to examine'.
Another way to look at the Virgo goal is to see their tendency for self-examination, as the result of, the need to perfect the 'vehicle'- the body/mind/spirit. This needs to take place before the next stage of development where it is necessary to harmonize with others. In order to accomplish 'perfection', self-criticism must become part of the psychological process. With some Virgos though, this can become excessive. They appear to be overly critical with themselves, others, and their surroundings.
Health is also a concern of Virgo; as well being contributes to the perfection of the 'vehicle'. Keywords for Virgo are keenly aware, analytical, discriminating shy, practical, scientific, research oriented, investigative, cool. Efficiency is one of Virgos outstanding qualities. They are able to accomplish the greatest amount with the least amount of effort and make valuable employees.
Virgo people often feel vulnerable and somewhat insecure. This may be the result of thinking that there is something about the self that must be fixed or 'made right'.
Just to remind us, the objective for VIRGO is to experience self-criticism and self-perfection so that the individual can be better prepared to work in a balanced manner within a relationship.
