Your Sun Sign and Your Dharma

When someone asks “What’s your sign?” what he really means is “What zodiac sign was the Sun positioned in at the time of your birth?” Most of us know our Sun signs, but what does this really mean?

The Sun, Moon, and planets all embody certain qualities, and each one influences certain facets of your life. These heavenly bodies continually move through the twelve signs of the zodiac (well, of course, the Sun doesn’t move, it only appears that way to us from our vantage point here on Earth). 

When an astrologer looks at your birth chart, she examines the placements of not only the Sun, but also the Moon, planets, and maybe some asteroids, stars, sensitive points, and other things as well. Most astrologers, however, consider the Sun the most important feature in your birth chart and its sign position reveals a great deal about you.

I like to think of the Sun as the symbol of the "present you," the person you are right now, in this lifetime. You could also view the Sun as representing your dharma, or your "role" in life. (Dharma is a Buddhist concept that means your divine duty.) Your Sun sign describes the essential and distinctly unique part of yourself that you aspire toward, the part you are striving to express and fulfill, the part for which you want to be recognized. It is your kernel of selfhood.

In fact, if someone were to ask you what you want to be  (not do) in life, or how you want others to view you, you might quickly describe yourself in terms of your Sun sign. An individual with the Sun in Leo, for example, might say he wants to be a leader, a figure who commands authority and respect. Someone with Sun in Pisces might say she wants to be a compassionate, caring, creative person. The Sun also shows the part of yourself that you generally like and accept––flaws and all.