"Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak.” These words are said to be accredited to Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati.
But what is the soul? Does it even exist? If there is a word for it, then surely there must be some truth behind it… besides, can’t we all feel something inside, in the deepest spaces of our hearts, don’t we all know that there is something there?
Each planet is a mirror to the different levels of human experience. The movements of the planets in relation to one another from the perspective of Earth reflect how life plays out.
To understand the life of a person, we can collect the positions of the planets at their time and place of birth, and plot this data into an astrological birth chart. The 12 signs of the zodiac are also mapped into this chart, as well as the astrological houses which are a 12 fold division of local time or space. A planet can change its “behaviour”, so to speak, depending on its position within any of these variables.
To identify the first and foremost planet we should discuss, let’s go back to our opening question: “what is the soul”? Rudolph Tanzi and Deepak Chopra both refer to the soul as pure awareness. It is what lies at the very core of our being.
I believe one of the best ways to describe the soul is a fragment of intelligent energy that is inherently apart of the entire energy force of the universe. Naturally, energy can never be destroyed, it only moves from one place to the next.
So if I were to ask you what planet you think represents the soul, you would actually name a star. It lies at the centre of the solar system and is the creator of the zodiac itself. It’s the only body amongst the planets of our solar system that creates its own light and therefore, it represents the eternal light of the soul. It is of course, our beautiful Sun.
The condition of the Sun in one’s birth chart reveals the details of one’s true self. Now, bear in mind that there are still the rest of the planets and many other details of the chart to consider when interpreting the overall make up of a person’s life, but the Sun is a very important starting point.
In traditional astrology, the Sun also represents the life force energy within the person and their potential dignity and preferment.
The Sun also portrays one’s capacity to be noble and responsible. It is our source of self esteem and confidence in our individuality.
Wherever the Sun goes, it illuminates and brings a focus to a particular experience or area of life. A strong Sun will support the area of life related to the astrological house and sign it is placed and therefore a weak Sun will show difficulty. For example, the Sun in Leo in the 10th house gives a strong possibility for a successful or demanding career.
The strength of the Sun
How do we know if the Sun is so called strong or weak in the birth chart? It depends on several factors, but mainly it comes down to the zodiac sign and celestial house it is placed, plus its position relative to other planets.
Each planet has domicile and exaltation signs of the zodiac, and this is where a planet is at its most potent. In these signs, the planet can fully express its nature. The domicile and exaltation signs are infused with the qualities of each planet, but likewise the planets are infused with the qualities of their zodiac signs.
Leo
The domicile of the Sun could only be Leo, the sign that coincides with the hottest month of the year, at least for the majority of the Earth’s landmass. A person born with the Sun in Leo is typically stable, strong and confident. In traditional astrology, Leo is what is known as a fixed sign. It is unwavering, secure and stable, much like the Sun that never stops burning. Thus the element of Leo is fire. Leo is also a male sign, which gives it expressive and commanding qualities. The classical Indian text, Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra says that Leo dwells in the woods. You will also find Leo in parks, deserts, palaces and castles, anywhere secure and grand. According to the 10th century astrologer al-Qabīsī, Leo’s character is clever and cunning. In traditional astrology, Leo is said to rule the heart. In Indian astrology, Leo governs the abdominal cavity where the majority of the body’s organs are located. Therefore, people with an emphasis of Leo in their birth chart can have a round stature, or at least something large and grandiose about them.
Aries
The exaltation sign of the Sun is Aries, the very first sign of the zodiac. The Sun moving into Aries marks the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, which is accompanied by a burst of new life that breaks the slumber of winter. Just like Leo, Aries is a fire sign but its modality is cardinal. Out of the three modalities (cardinal, fixed and mutable), cardinal signs are initiative, creative and lead the way. Therefore, someone with the Sun in Aries is typically energetic, ambitious and driven. Aries moves in rocky places and areas where small livestock are kept, sandy and hilly ground and newly worked land. This sign is associated with the head, and according to the astrologer William Lilly, an emphasis of Aries shows an athletic build with dark eyebrows.
Let’s just take a brief moment to discuss the modalities. It’s a basic, but essential concept that is part of the founding qualities of each zodiac sign. In a cyclical order, each zodiac sign is assigned one of three modalities which are: cardinal, fixed and mutable. They can be described as the energetic principles of the universal three part life cycle: creation, preservation and destruction. Cardinal signs are creative and initiatory, Fixed signs are preservative and secure and Mutable signs are destructive and changeable.
So, going back to the Sun, according to traditional rules, it is strongest in Leo and Aries, and is considerably strong in Sagittarius. These are all fire signs. He then has some strength in Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio and Capricorn. He is neither strong nor weak in Taurus, Cancer, or Pisces, but considered weak in Libra and Aquarius. Don’t worry if your Sun is in Libra or Aquarius! It does not mean you lack life force energy, because we all clearly have life force within us. Besides, the Sun can be fortified in other ways in your birth chart. However, people with the Sun in Libra and Aquarius often go through experiences where they are required to develop their sense of true self. Likewise, just because you may have the Sun in Aries or Leo it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are full of vitality and totally self confident. We all have life and drive within us, it is more the case that Leo and Aries access this energy more easily.
Awake and Sleeping
In Jyotisha, which is the name for astrology in India, there are rather beautiful names to describe a planet’s strength. When a planet is in its domicile or exaltation, it is called Jagrat which means “awake”. When a planet is in a sign of debility, it is called Sushupti which means sleeping or slumbering. So if we take the words of Jyotisha, those people born with the sun sleeping have the opportunity to wake it up through personal development.
I believe that we all have strengths that we are free to enhance, and weaknesses that we are responsible for healing and improving upon.
Strengthening the Sun
If you would like to strengthen your solar energy, there are several effective options available, ranging from simple tasks to more advance techniques. First, you can bring more items into your life that are of a solar quality such as gold, ruby, saffron, frankincense and citrus trees. You can clothe yourself in royal colours such as golden yellow, red and even purple. You can wake up at sunrise on Sunday morning and go out to salute the Sun, even on a cloudy day. There is also the option of reciting mantras and prayers dedicated to the Sun, and you may even create a talisman that harnesses the Sun’s qualities.
Being still, meditating or sitting quietly alone gives you the opportunity to listen to the soul. To access your solar energy is to unlock the sense of true self within you.