How many horoscope signs are there?

The Horoscope and the Signs of the Zodiac -The Sun

The Sun represents our vital force, conscious purpose, and essential character. It is associated with the masculine yang principle and consciousness.

The Sun in the Signs

Reading the following descriptions of the twelve signs, you should bear in mind that they apply not only to the Sun sign, which denotes will and purpose, but also to the Rising Sign, which denotes personality and attitudes.

Sun in Aries—March 21 to April 20

I am.

Symbol: The Ram Planetary Ruler: Mars Element: Fire

Quality: Cardinal

Complementary Sign: Libra

Aries represents the birth of individual will, and as a result, persons born under this sign tend to be characterized by their initiative, fortitude, courage, virtuosity, curiosity, and originality. They tend to be warm and energetic, full of inspiration and incentive, with pronounced qualities of leadership and selfreliance. Here, too, we can perceive competitiveness, impulsiveness, lack of restraint, combativeness, self-centeredness, and narcissism.

Aries, the Ram, meets obstacles head-on, overcomes them, and moves on to explore new horizons. It is the sign of challenge and conquest. Arians base their actions on their strong intuitive sense and belief in themselves. They can be highly persuasive, but it is often necessary for them to develop tact, reserve, thoroughness, and receptivity to others in order to avoid the pitfalls of excessive self-confidence, forcefulness, and a lack of subtlety or diplomacy in their dealings with others. At the same time, more than any other sign, Arians must know how to take immediate and individual action in dealing with the personal crises they are bound to encounter.

In love, Aries wants foremost to be admired by his or her lover or mate. Some Aries individuals see love in terms of conquest and their ardent need for

self-actualization through both the lover and any children that result from the union.

Aries rules the head and face, eyes, brain, ears, nose, upper jaw, and the pituitary and pineal glands.

Sun in Taurus—April 21 to May 21

I have.

Symbol: The Bull Planetary Ruler: Venus Element: Earth Quality: Fixed

Complementary Sign: Scorpio

Taurus is the sign of the builder and the cultivator of crops, characterized by the practical utilization of the resources at hand. Consistency and thoroughness and ensuring that seeds are gathered for future planting are hallmarks of this sign in its most positive manifestations—hallmarks that are, in fact, essential to its nature and purpose. With steadfastness, perseverance, and an eye for the small but important details, Taurians are able to build that which endures and provides personal security and contentment. On the other hand, it is of vital strategic importance that those born under this fixed sign not jeopardize themselves by exhausting their personal resources, a situation that can prove to be especially dangerous to Taurus.

A common pitfall among Taurians can be a tendency to be overly concerned with the mundane and material world and to adopt a point of view that lacks flexibility and ignores the rewards of experience beyond the purely practical. A narrowminded selfishness and concern for material gain can be evident in the less developed of this sign, who can also exhibit a lack of emotional sensitivity and a distinct lack of humor when it comes to themselves. They can be

stubborn, dull, excessively conservative, impatient, and procrastinating. On the positive side, they are gifted with down-to-earth common sense, stamina, patience, and the ability to construct solid foundations and accumulate wealth.

Taurus is concerned with the practical aspects of marriage and the comforts and rewards it can provide that are constructive and supportive in increasing personal productivity.

Taurus rules the lower jaw, tongue, uvula, tonsils, throat and neck, pharynx, epiglottis, larynx, trachea, Eustachian tube, and the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

Sun in Gemini—May 22 to June 21

I think.

Symbol: The Twins Planetary Ruler: Mercury Element: Air

Quality: Mutable

Complementary Sign: Sagittarius

Gemini is the sign of communication and its various forms, the logical third step after Aries (self and will) and Taurus (the builder of the material foundations on which the self can endure). Persons born under this sign are excellent translators and conveyors of information, with the ability to consider two points of view at once. Geminis are highly adaptable and versatile, and their bipolar intellect can sometimes make them highly changeable, which explains Gemini’s symbol of the twins.

The position of Mercury in a Gemini’s chart is especially important, as Mercury’s position in the horoscope shows the particular outlet for intellectual energy, and Mercury is never more than 28 degrees away from the Sun.

Therefore, there can only be three types of Gemini or Gemini mentality: Gemini, Taurian, and Cancerian. Along with the house position of the Sun, Mercury’s position shows how the Gemini correlates information and then communicates it.

When negative, Geminis can be superficial and verbose, plagiaristic, inconsistent, and mercurial. The Gemini must develop a sense of pragmatism and self-confidence to succeed. This sign is at its best when it remains open, objective, and adaptable and uses its considerable talents of interpretation and communication to informally teach others.

In love, Gemini seeks communication and stimulating companionship. In some ways, this individual looks for a mate who is more like a brother or sister, searching for a “twin” or counterpart, who is also flexible and adaptable.

Gemini rules the bronchi and lungs, collarbone, shoulders, arms, hands, upper ribs, and nerves.

Sun in Cancer—June 22 to July 23

I feel.

Symbol: The Crab Planetary Ruler: The Moon Element: Water

Quality: Cardinal

Complementary Sign: Capricorn

Words directly associated with Cancer are the mother, the family, the home, nourishment, security, and protection. Cancer people are naturally skilled at acquiring the essentials of life, but these essentials can sometimes become confused with things that have inherently personal or sentimental value; hence their homes can appear cluttered with nonessentials. This exaggerated or neurotic need for security is a result of a distortion of the feminine instincts, as

Cancer is the most feminine and maternal of all the signs. Even Cancer men exhibit strong feminine characteristics—both positive and negative—under their often tough and burly exteriors. In this regard, the Cancer woman is of singular interest as a manifestation of the archetypal female.

There are two kinds of Cancer woman—the mother or the eternal girl, puella eterna; sometimes she is a mixture of both. Cancer is the epitome of enigmatic femaleness. Alluring and elusive, she is intuitive, instinctive, ruled by the Moon and the shifting tides of her moods. She is unpredictable, alternately loving and cruel, shrewd yet innocent and childlike, capable of surprising ruthlessness, driving ambition, and ultimately full of mystery. The maternal, domestic aspect of Cancer heals, nurtures, and supports. Her other aspect is wild, fierce, strong, full of emotional tempests, unforgiving, and essentially primitive, sometimes even perverse, like Mother Nature herself. This dark, primal, and archaic aspect of the Goddess fascinates, attracts, frightens, and repels.

Positive Cancer people all show a desire and capacity to nurture and protect others in some way. They have great powers of empathy and are likely to be champions of the underdog. They rely strongly on their feelings and impressions, which can be taken too far, making them overly subjective and lacking a realistic view of the matter or individual at hand. In its negative mode, Cancer can be insular, defensive, clinging, self-indulgent, chauvinistic, manipulative, slothful, and overly emotional and sentimental.

Cancer is a sign associated with the personal unconscious, especially as it is affected and formed by early childhood and environment. It is highly receptive to the impressions that arise from these deeper levels of consciousness and therefore can be prone to have a highly creative imagination.

In a mate or partner, Cancer looks for nourishment, empathy, and security. There is a need for a companion who is tolerant of Cancer’s moods and tendency to collect and store things.

Cancer rules the breasts, mammary glands, armpits, upper abdominal cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, and uterus.

Sun in Leo—July 24 to August 23

I will.

Symbol: The Lion Planetary Ruler: The Sun Element: Fire

Quality: Fixed

Complementary Sign: Aquarius

Leo is the sign of creative selfexpression and enterprise. Leo sets an example for others and gives them direction. Creation, recreation, and procreation are the three terms that describe the leonine purpose. Positive Leos promote the joy of being and a sense of justice and ethics in dealing with others. This is especially true in regard to their children. As lions, or lionesses, they have an acute and dignified sense of both the individual and the lion pride, that is, the family or group, and how the two work together and nurture each other. Leos are magnetic, warm, and outgoing individuals, gentle but firm, exuberant and bold, making them the epitome of the archetypal king or queen. The symbol of this sign is the lion, denoting majesty, power, and dignity. As Shakespeare has Henry V describe his ideal of himself as he walks in disguise among his troops on the eve of battle—“For forth he goes, a largesse, universal like the sun, his liberal eye doth give to everyone”—so is the point and satisfaction of being for a Leo.

Leos are strongly attracted to the opposite sex. It is often necessary for the passionate and dramatic nature of leonine love to be held in check, as heartache can be the result. The French as a nation are ruled by Leo.

Egocentricity, personal aggrandizement, insincerity, and domineering or manipulative behavior can be evident when Leo is in its negative mode. They can be pompous, bombastic, excessively dramatic, and show a pronounced lack of selfrestraint. They can become sullen, brooding, and petulant when slighted or things do not conform to their desires. If their fire is squelched, they can be like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz, acutely lacking in self-esteem and overly subservient and conformist to the ideas and conventions around them, while compensating with a ridiculous and empty show of pomposity, vanity, and personal adornment.

An almost childlike spontaneity, playfulness, and a sense of humor are positive and delightful expressions of the Leo personality. They are able to invigorate and entertain others and inspire them to action under their benevolent

and charismatic leadership. Both Napoleon and T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) are wonderful examples of a Leo in both its positive and negative expressions.

The poetic idea of the lion heart, the coeur du lion, is equated in English and French Medieval literature to a benign and noble sense of both the self and others under which all individuals flourish—the Sun in its rulership of the planets that revolve around it. Call it love as the primary principle and motive— Leo’s inner guiding light. The writer Iris Murdoch has written that, “Love is the perception of individuals . . . the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real.” It is the freedom from “the proliferation of blinding self-centered aims and images . . . that is the realism of compassion.”

This principle is essential to Leo consciousness. Leo rules the heart and is the sign of generosity and nobility of feeling. When the source of Leo’s power comes from deep in the heart and is freely expressed and demonstrated, the greater its influence is felt. When this light is darkened, and heart and benevolence are lacking, the Lion can take on the grim characteristics of a petulant, cruel, and petty tyrant. But in its most positive and radiant manifestation, the dispensing of good will, fairness, and most importantly, joy is an almost religious principle for those born under the sign of Leo.

Leos seek a willing audience in their partners with whom they can share their plans and designs. Some may simply want a playmate. Women born under this sign tend to dominate their marriages and will be like ferocious lionesses when it comes to defending their children. Children are an important part of marriage for many born under the sign of the Lion.

Leo rules the heart and aorta, the back, spinal cord and column, and the thymus.

Sun in Virgo—August 24 to September 23

I analyze.

Symbol: The Virgin Planetary Ruler: Mercury Element: Earth

Quality: Mutable

Complementary Sign: Pisces

Owing to its mutability, Virgo is considerably more adaptable and mobile than Taurus, a fixed sign and the first of the earth signs. It is associated with observation, critical analysis, practical application, craftsmanship, service and assistance, instruction (the “how to,” rather than the theory), and rules and doctrine. Virgos seek simplicity, pragmatism, and precision in their lives. Their task is the prevention of disorder and the maintenance and repair of all the individual parts of an organic whole. Their analytical skills make them highly suited to any job requiring sedulous attention to practical details. It is this discriminating and orderly sign that ensures the bountiful and usable crop sown by Taurus.

When negative, Virgos can be obsessive about unnecessary details and neurotic about order and hygiene. They can show a marked lack of warmth and sympathy for those who do not conform to their standards and be overly critical and analytical to the detriment of their personal and social relationships.

A Virgo’s role is to serve; it is that of the mechanic or engineer who quietly ensures that the machine keeps running. The Virgo should, however, be supremely aware of the value of his or her skills and craftsmanship and not enslave or prostitute them in the service of others.

In love and marriage, Virgos seek a working relationship in which order and common sense enable both parties to establish a smoothly running relationship. Some Virgos are more than happy to serve the aims of their partner.

Virgo rules the upper intestines and the spleen.

Sun in Libra—September 24 to October 23

I balance.

Symbol: The Scales Planetary Ruler: Venus Element: Air

Quality: Cardinal

Complementary Sign: Aries

Libra is the sign primarily concerned with relationships, marriage, partnerships, and cooperation, of the harmonious balance between self and other. The first air sign, Gemini, symbolized by the Twins, represents accidental or informal relationships, while Libra represents relationships that are more formal and contractual in nature, and in which roles, duties, and commitments are clearly proscribed.

Arbitration, justice, reason, comparison, mediation, negotiation, and agreement are words associated with this sign. Positive Librans exhibit an inherent detachment and ability to weigh, balance, and reasonably assess the merits of a situation. Libra is also associated with art and beauty, especially in terms of form and design. Librans seek harmonious unions with others to find the complement to their own qualities that will ensure and enhance their success. Cooperation, especially with a mate or partner, is of the utmost importance to them.

A typical pitfall of Libra in its negative mode can be indecisiveness and timidity brought on by its tendency to endlessly weigh things and to be fearful of others’ disapproval. When Librans are capable of acting decisively after carefully weighing things properly, they become potential leaders and counselors able to solve problems and end disputes and conflicts. The kind of alliances a Libra forms determine the kind of rewards he or she will reap. With their special need for union and companionship and strong concern for peace and harmony, it is of vital importance that Librans maintain a sense of their individuality in their relationships with others.

Venus imbues Libra with charm, sensuality, and graceful selfexpression, along with a strong desire for popularity. However, positive Librans will never compromise their principles to gain approval, as they are as equally aware of humiliation as they are approbation. As an air sign, they are prone to be intellectuals and active seekers of knowledge. All matters pertaining to human relationships  and  psychology  are  of  vital  interest  to  them,  and  they  are

especially adept at analyzing what is occurring in the society around them.

In a relationship or marriage, Libra seeks mutual appreciation and commitment. Cooperation is the basic aim toward which Libra directs its energies. Tactful and graceful concern for the partner needs to be balanced with respect for the Libran’s own personal aims and concerns.

Libra rules the lower abdominal cavity, the lumbar, lower ribs, kidneys, ureters, adrenal glands, ovaries, and oviducts.

Sun in Scorpio—October 24 to November 22

I desire.

Symbol: The Scorpion

Planetary Rulers: Mars and Pluto

Element: Water

Quality: Fixed

Complementary Sign: Taurus

Scorpio is the sign concerned with the sharing of wealth and resources, both physically and mentally. As the eighth sign directly following Libra, Scorpio’s primary concern should be the proper alignment of its talents and resources with those it is in communion with. It is, in its positive manifestation, the sign that enriches others. When Scorpio shares what it possesses with its partner, it is itself enriched.

More than any other sign, Scorpio deals with the processes of transformation and self-renewal, which can be manifested on a high or low level, depending on motivation. This sign is strongly driven by desire, including sex, and there is great emotional force behind all of its attachments. As a result, when negative, Scorpio can be possessive and jealous, and its vengeance can be lethal if it is crossed or scorned.

Like Cancer and Pisces—the other water signs—Scorpio is inclined to be

covert and secretive, intuitively connected to life’s mysteries and relying on its psychic powers and feelings. Indeed, Scorpios can be highly psychic without being aware of it, a power that can be dangerous or destructive when misdirected or not properly applied. To Scorpio, a fixed water sign, life can be seen as a glacier that one has to cross, avoiding the many emotional and sensual crevasses that present themselves along the way. A struggle with the passions can be, for Scorpio, a prelude to self-transformation and renewal. However, being a sign of will and desire, it is easy for the lower type to use its personal magnetism, astute insight, and hypnotic powers to gain personal advantage, which is the last thing a Scorpio should be concerned about.

The eagle, the highest manifestation of the Scorpio principle, uses its penetrating intelligence to regenerate and heal life’s defects. This can be especially true in relationships, in which Scorpios can be instrumental in alleviating the emotional and/or sexual problems of their partners. This is the sign associated with the surgeon, the biologist, the scientist, the depth psychologist, and others who study and comprehend the forces of life and death. They are compelled to investigate the hidden nature of things, and as a result tend to excel in work involving detection, research, science, and the occult. When spiritually developed, they derive great power from their innate abilities to tap into life’s fundamental creative and regenerative forces.

Scorpios never deal with life superficially, and no other sign has such a potent capacity for good or evil. Unlike Aries, the other sign ruled by Mars and Pluto, they have tremendous staying power (being a fixed sign) and will see any matter through to the bitter end, regardless of the effort and sacrifice required.

Physically, they tend to be robust and often possess hypnotically penetrating eyes and an alluring mystique (think of Picasso, in many ways a typical Scorpio).

Romantically, Scorpio seeks sexual union and fulfillment along with an equitable sharing of resources.

Scorpio rules the lower intestines, rectum, anus, sacral and pubic areas, buttocks, bladder, urethra, genitals, appendix, and sweat glands.

Sun in Sagittarius—November 23 to December 21

I see.

Symbol: The Archer Planetary Ruler: Jupiter Element: Fire

Quality: Mutable

Complementary Sign: Gemini

Truth and a deep love of liberty and freedom are, in many ways, the primary concerns of Sagittarius, the third of the fire signs. A high-minded idealism, frankness, swift yet precise judgment, and boldness of action are characteristic of those born under the sign of the Archer. Here is the serious philosophical thinker, concerned with ideas and the overall wellbeing of society and the ethics and laws that govern it. They are at home with abstract thoughts and concepts and possess a deep yearning for knowledge and experience. They are honest, generous, gregarious, and just, concerned with the approval and harmony of the society in which they live.

Idealism is a hallmark of Sagittarius, but this same zeal can become religious or political fanaticism or a blind adherence to dogmas and laws. They can become narrowminded and bigoted according to the biases of the social and moral standards to which they subscribe. In these cases, it is vital that the Sagittarian evolve mentally beyond such limitations and embrace more expansive concepts.

Sagittarians have an uncanny ability to see the future based on their perceptions of the current trends and events around them. Their visceral desire for knowledge and experience makes them highly adventurous, both mentally and physically, and in both realms they will travel far and wide.

The swiftness and accuracy of the Archer can also make them impulsive and prone to jump to conclusions without considering all the factors involved.

Sagittarians who shoot at their targets without the required discipline and skill can become hopelessly lost in the forest in which they hunt. They do, however, always speak the truth as to how they see it, and they can be unmerciful in dealing with their enemies.

For some, it may be necessary to develop a sense of logic to go along with their ideals, expansive enthusiasm, and grandiose plans. Overconfidence and excessive zeal can lead to taking reckless chances and making hasty judgments. The more knowledge and understanding the Sagittarian can acquire, the more he or she is able to accomplish.

The sharing of an ideal or idea, along with a spirit of mental and physical adventure that more often than not involves the willingness to travel, is at the heart of what Sagittarius seeks in a mate.

Sagittarius rules the thighs, hips, liver, and gall bladder.

Sun in Capricorn—December 22 to January 20

I use.

Symbol: The Goat Planetary Ruler: Saturn Element: Earth

Quality: Cardinal

Complementary Sign: Cancer

At its best, Capricorn symbolizes the paternal side of human nature, as Cancer, its complementary opposite, represents the maternal. Capricorn looks to the future based on the past, learning from humanity’s mistakes as well as its achievements, and is thus able to use and capitalize on things of quality and worth. In its quest for excellence and recognition, no task or detail is too tedious or mundane for the sure-footed goat as it cautiously makes it way along the

perilous trails leading to the mountain heights. Carelessness, lack of order, and ill-defined duties and goals can bring about the downfall of those driven by Saturn’s ambition.

Having great faith in their own power, and with their practical knowledge and capacity for hard work, they are never deterred by any obstacles that stand in their way and are extremely adept at finding solutions to difficult problems. In fact, just being a Capricorn means that there are obstacles or barriers that must be overcome or burdens to be carried. They are born with the ability to utilize everything they see, hear, or learn. For Capricorn, success means material security, and they will strive relentlessly to achieve it. Capricorns tend to be old when they are young, and young when they are old, making them long-lived and thus desirous of acquiring power and money as a way to forestall being dependent on anyone.

Although they will inevitably find themselves in a position of authority or power, Capricorns are always aware there is a higher authority to which they must answer. They are extremely conscious of the chain of command in their climb to the top. In outlook and attitude, they are basically traditional and conservative.

Besides giving in to ruthless ambition, negative Capricorns can harbor dark fears of hidden enemies and have overly stern, serious, and taciturn natures, which can, in fact, cause mistrust and resentment in those around them, thus creating a self-fulfilling prophesy. Melancholic brooding and brusqueness can also deprecate this sign in the eyes of others, especially subordinates.

Positive Capricorns, on the other hand, have great executive abilities and are able to dexterously handle any criticism, controversy, responsibility, or competition they may encounter. At its highest evolution, this is the most public of signs, and the best way for the Capricorn to achieve his or her goals is by maintaining integrity and clarity in all dealings.

In marriage, the Capricorn primarily seeks stability and a partner who can further, in some way, his or her career or social status. The partner must also be capable of accepting responsibility and making his or her own way. Here, loyalty and dedication may be more important than passion.

Capricorn rules the knees, joints, ligaments and bones in general, teeth, hair, and the epidermis.

Sun in Aquarius—January 21 to February 18

I know.

Symbol: The Water Bearer Planetary Ruler: Uranus Element: Air

Quality: Fixed

Complementary Sign: Leo

Traditionally known as the sign of hope and the sign of humanity, Aquarius, the Water-Bearer, symbolizes universal brotherhood, spiritual nourishment, objective truth, and social justice. Altruism motivates many Aquarians’ actions, and they seek alliances with like-minded groups and individuals. Rarely do Aquarians accomplish their aims by their own actions, and their success depends upon their influence and the quality of those with whom they are associated. Their interest in and sympathy for the human condition wins the respect and confidence of those around them. Ruled by Uranus, freedom is very important to Aquarians, and yet those they befriend benefit from the unswerving Aquarian loyalty.

Although a fixed sign, Aquarians can be eccentric as well as determined and stubborn. Bizarre behavior and eccentricity for its own sake are an arrested or retarded application of Aquarian consciousness. Egalitarian in outlook and nature, Aquarians tend to be intolerant of affectation, snobbery, and hypocrisy. They like to act as equals among equals. They derive an honest enjoyment in meeting new people and exchanging ideas. Aquarians relate to others on a mental level. Reason rather than emotion is their strength and means. They are good friends of both sexes, and see no reason for giving up a friendship, say, because of the possessive concerns of marriage. They represent, idealistically, the angels of the Zodiac, the spiritually and mentally androgynous individual who transcends the barriers of sex, race, creed, and culture. They are the true advocates of both platonic and universal love. It can be said that Aquarius’s heart belongs to the world.

Weaker Aquarians often have to learn how to assert themselves in a decisive manner and how to aid others while retaining their own individuality. When objective and ordered, Aquarius acquires the willpower to act with freedom and breadth. Originality enhanced by positive and creative relationships, along with a vision of the future, mark the brilliance of Aquarius at its shining best. Galileo, Charles Darwin, and Abraham Lincoln are among the finest examples of the Aquarian principle at work upon the world.

Aquarians’ outward appearance of calm and detachment can be deceptive. Inwardly, they are prone to levels of anxiety that can make them ill. They take their work extremely seriously and are often nervous and apprehensive. They work best in partnerships or with organizations that are attempting to realize some ideal in which their accumulated knowledge, excellent memories, love of freedom, and humanitarianism can find their outward expression.

Romantically, Aquarius seeks a partner who is as much a friend as a lover. Many Aquarians tend to be experimental when it comes to love and are frustrated and disappointed when their partner turns out to be too insular or inadaptable. The Water-Bearer places great value on intellectual rapport in a relationship.

Aquarius rules the lower legs, the calves and ankles, and blood circulation.

Sun in Pisces—February 19 to March 20

I believe.

Symbol: The Two Fishes

Planetary Rulers: Neptune and Jupiter

Element: Water

Quality: Mutable

Complementary Sign: Virgo

Pisces, the twelfth and last sign, is said to unconsciously possess the experience

and knowledge of the eleven other signs that have come before it. It is the final stage on the wheel before the beginning of the new cycle, which starts once again with Aries. In that sense, as was stated earlier, Pisces is both the end and the beginning. Pisces is able to understand, transmute, and transcend emotional and psychic problems. In Cancer, the first water sign, emotional and sexual problems are either contained in the subconscious or repressed. In the next water sign, Scorpio, the struggle is to face and release them from the instinctive control of the subconscious as an act of will. In Pisces, the challenge is to comprehend and transcend all the negative passions and emotions that are essentially unconscious in origin and that bind and limit us and cause problems in our relationships with others. Pisces only becomes the sign of suffering and bondage when it fails to do this. In the deep ocean in which Pisces dwells, the individual either sinks or swims. In Pisces we find both the weakest and strongest, often together in a conflicted duality, as symbolized by its sign of two fish swimming in opposite directions, clearly a Western or Middle Eastern depiction of the Chinese Taoist t’ai chi symbol, the circle divided into light and dark, yang and yin, the primal beginning of all things.

Nearly all Pisces individuals will experience personal suffering in life. This is part of the Pisces lesson, to be able to feel sympathy for others on a visceral as well as mental level. Pisces attains a broad understanding of the human condition along with the ability to aid and heal the less fortunate and is thus said to be the sign of compassion. The idea is that the Piscean purpose is to mitigate, bring relief, and help others. Some form of personal sacrifice or expression of humility for the benefit of the world seems to be required of nearly every Piscean.

Pisces is sensitive to the emotional nuances of others, and the more highly developed of this sign are able to identify and combat unconscious forces with great powers of penetration and perception.

Weaker Neptunians can be prone to too much secrecy, along with an exaggerated concern with intangible and imaginary forces as a means of escaping from the responsibilities of daily life. Some may turn to an overreliance on the occult, intoxicating substances, dishonest practices, overindulgence in food and sex, and other self-depreciating habits. In this negative mode, Pisces must overcome a morbid sense of fatalism or victimization and realize that they are not chained to a destiny that is not of their own making.

This same impulse to seek oblivion, to escape into a dream world, when positively directed and controlled, can lead to a rich and productive life of the

imagination, producing admirable artistic abilities. Many excellent writers, musicians, singers, painters, sculptors, and dancers are born under the sign of Pisces. On an esoteric or archetypal level, Pisces represents the high priest of the temple, the attendant of the Holy Grail who guards its secrets with his life.

Pisces rules the feet, traditionally associated with the understanding of man. In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, the feet of the newborn child of Laius and Jocasta are riveted together by an iron pin. The child, Oedipus, is then given to a hunter who is ordered to cast him out on a mountainside to die because of a prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. The hunter does not have the heart to abandon the child and delivers him to the queen of Corinth. Having reached young adulthood, Oedipus, traveling on foot toward Thebes, encounters the Sphinx and successfully answers its riddle (those who fail, die): What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two at midday, then three in the evening? The answer: Man. Intuition combined with reason thus brings about the destruction of the Sphinx, the female riddler. He then meets a belligerent stranger at a place where three roads meet (the sexual area of the body), whom he slays. This stranger, unbeknown to Oedipus, is his father, Laius. Upon reaching Thebes, he falls in love with and marries his mother. The play is a questioning of man’s fate versus free will, one of our most ancient and primordial dramas and an issue of great moral concern to the Hellenic Greeks and utterly Piscean in its questions and concerns. The name Oedipus comes from the Greek word meaning “swollen foot,” a result of his riveted ankles. Another potent example of Piscean symbolism is that of Mary Magdalene washing the feet of Christ and drying them with her hair.

Pisces are acutely sensitized to the whole of human suffering and possess the ability to see the truth behind symbol and ritual. This sign also stands for the marketplace to which traders, buyers, and pilgrims travel from all over the world.

In marriage, Pisces seeks loving support, a “soul mate” who understands the Piscean need for creative solitude or privacy, while matching the depth of emotion and passion that Pisces brings to its relationships. Trust and loyalty are very important to them, as they tend to be blind to the faults of those they love.

Pisces rules the feet, the lymphatic system, and fatty tissues. Read more about the roles of the sun here

The Sun in the Houses

The Sun in the houses represents the areas of life most strongly affected by expressions of individual power and will.

The Sun in the 1st House

The Sun in the 1st House indicates abundant vitality combined with a strong will and intense self-awareness. Initiative, leadership, ambition, and self- determination, the desire to follow one’s own course, are highly characteristic. These individuals possess great reserves of energy and strong recuperative powers that enable them to overcome physical afflictions and ailments of almost every kind. Distinction and esteem are of paramount importance to them, and they will work long and hard to achieve it. If the Sun is afflicted in the 1st House, the individual can suffer from excessive pride, egotism, compulsiveness, and the desire to dominate or rule others.

The Sun in the 2nd House

The Sun in the 2nd House indicates how the individual uses money and other material resources. Here, the proper management and utilization of money and property must be learned. The Sun sign position is a strong indicator of how income and resources are acquired and used.

If the Sun is afflicted in the 2nd House, there can be an exaggerated concern with wealth and material gains at the expense of other values. These persons may also frivolously squander their wealth in the name of self-aggrandizement and ego gratification.

The Sun in the 3rd House

Here we see a strong drive to achieve distinction through intellectual brilliance and accomplishments. A strong scientific bent may be indicated. Owing to their curiosity, these individuals have a strong desire to travel and are eager to

investigate anything new, especially when it is related to matters ruled by the Sun sign and their particular field of activity. Brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors mostly likely play major roles in their lives, and the ability to clearly express and communicate their ideas is very important to them. If the Sun is afflicted in the 3rd House, the individual may suffer from arrogance and intellectual snobbery, with a tendency to impose his or her ideas on others.

The Sun in the 4th House

A secure home and family is extremely important to the Sun in the 4th-House individual. They tend to be proud of their family heritage and wish for their homes to be the showpieces by which they are perceived and judged. The first part of their lives may often be a difficult struggle to obtain the property they desire, with increasing prosperity and security coming later in life. The Sun in the 4th House indicates a strong interest in real estate (land and houses), ecology, and natural resources.

When the Sun is afflicted in the 4th House, there may be excessive family pride, conflict with parents, and a desire to dominate and even tyrannize the domestic scene.

The Sun in the 5th House

Here we see a joyful love of life and a strong drive for creative selfexpression. These individuals are highly competitive, inclined toward sports and artistic pursuits. They seek pleasure and romance with others, have radiant dispositions, and tend to attract many friends. They wish to be noticed and appreciated. They can, however, sometimes appear as egocentric, overly dramatic, petulant, and childish—haughty prima donnas.

People with a 5th-House Sun are ardent lovers, and falling in love can be all- consuming for them. In spite of their highly amorous natures, they are very capable of being loyal to one person. They have a great love of children, although, if the Sun is in one of the fire signs, they may have few or none of their own.

The Sun in the 6th House

People with the Sun in the 6th House seek fulfillment and distinction through their work and service, in which they take great pride. Their self-esteem is related directly to their work. If their work is not outwardly recognized or appreciated, they can become resentful toward their employers. Employees with the Sun in this position will demand rights and privileges, while employers with

the Sun in the 6th House can be exacting and authoritarian.

The Sun in the 6th House tends to indicate delicate health, with the need to pay careful attention to diet and exercise. If the Sun is well aspected, the individual has an intuitive understanding of how to maintain his or her health. There may even be an interest in a health-related career such as nursing or medicine. Good employment is rarely a problem, unless the Sun is afflicted, in which case long periods of unemployment can be the result.

The Sun in the 7th House

The Sun in the 7th House indicates a strong capacity for close personal relationships. When the Sun is well aspected, the individual attracts strong and loyal friends. Marriage is of paramount importance and can add to greater success in life. When the Sun is afflicted, there can be a tendency to dominate or be dominated by one’s partner, with a need to learn cooperation and respect for others.

The Sun in the 8th House

The Sun in the 8th House points to an underlying interest in the mysteries of life, especially death, the transmigration of the soul, and other notions pertaining to the continuation of consciousness and the possibility of an afterlife. Spiritual growth and self-improvement come as a result of conscious will. In all likelihood, the individual will have direct personal experience of a deeper reality beyond material circumstances, making him or her fearless in the knowledge of life’s fundamental principles. Much can be required and much can be gained. On a more mundane level, there will be concerns with such material matters as taxes, insurance, inheritance, and the finances and assets of one’s partner. It can indicate inheritances and legacies or, if afflicted, troubles with these matters, including divorce settlements.

The Sun in the 9th House

The Sun’s position in the 9th House shows a dynamic interest in spiritual, religious, and philosophical pursuits. The intuitive intellect is developed, active, and capable of insights that can border on the prophetic. There is a keen interest in international affairs and foreign countries and their cultures, often accompanied by a strong desire to travel. If the Sun is in one of the fixed signs

—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius—the urge to travel may be greatly reduced. If Leo is on the 4th House cusp, the individual will most likely end up living far from his or her childhood home.

The Sun in the 10th House

The Sun here denotes strong ambition to attain positions of power and authority. Many politicians have the Sun in the 10th House. Along with the drive for power comes an enhanced sense of social responsibility. There is a strong desire for honor and recognition, and a capacity to work hard in order to achieve the desired success. Often, these individuals are born into families of high social standing and possess an acute sense of personal dignity and the importance of moral integrity. When the Sun is afflicted, the opposite is true; they can be ruthless and unscrupulous in their drive for power and subject to public disgrace.

The Sun in the 11th House

Here we find an interest and concern with friendships and group relationships and activities. There is a strong interest in scientific endeavors and inventions, as well as in matters related to the occult. When the Sun is well aspected, the individual will have many friends and be held in high esteem. Humanitarian feelings are strong, with a deeply rooted and impartial belief in individual dignity and human rights. If the Sun is afflicted, there can be a tendency to dominate others, often for selfish motives. The individual can also be easily deceived or led astray by others.

The Sun in the 12th House

Here the will is directed toward exploring and understanding one’s personal inner life, with a keen interest in psychology and psychic research. These individuals are often quiet and retiring, to the extent that they can be isolated and lonely. However, they can find fulfillment through service to others. If the Sun is afflicted in the 12th House, there can be excessive shyness, neurosis, and a desire to control others through secret or clandestine means. There may also be secret enemies lurking in the shadows. What are the roles of each house?

The Sun in Aspect

Aspects of the Sun all reflect in some way the fundamental self and the nature and use of willpower.

Sun Conjunctions

Sun conjunctions denote willpower, initiative, and creative abilities in regard to the affairs ruled by the planet or planets forming the conjunction and the signs and houses in which the conjunction is found. Whether this is positive or

negative depends on the other aspects made to the conjunction and the planets involved.

Sun Sextiles

Sextiles of the Sun represent opportunities for creative selfexpression and mental growth and development in regard to the affairs ruled by the Sun in its house and sign position, by the planet or planets forming the sextile, and the houses they occupy and rule.

Sun Squares

Sun squares indicate difficulties and obstacles in the wise and harmonious use of willpower. Difficulties and frustrations will be encountered in the affairs ruled by the planet or planets involved in the square and in the houses and signs the Sun and the planet(s) occupy and rule.

Sun Trines

Trines of the Sun point to good fortune in the affairs ruled by the Sun and the planet or planets forming the trine and the houses they rule and occupy. In general, Sun trines favor love relationships. Benefits come through all things related to the Sun, such as education, the arts, and children.

Sun Oppositions

Oppositions to the Sun indicate conflicts of will between the individual and those ruled by the planet or planets forming the opposition. The nature of these conflicts is determined by the signs and houses which the Sun and the opposing planet(s) rule and occupy.

Included are extracts from Damian Sharp

Astrology is both a science and an art. It is a symbolic representation of all of the elements:

that exist in the universe and come together in diverse combinations that account for individual human beings and the forces that shape and act upon them. We are microcosms manifesting the macrocosm, an ancient concept set forth in the Bible as Man made in the image of God. Astrological interpretation relies heavily on an informed intuition and a familiarity, gained from practice and time, with the complex and multilayered meanings underlying its seemingly simple symbology.

Interpreting a horoscope is partly science, partly intuitive discipline, and ultimately a synthesis of both.

The particular reading will reflect the personality and outlook of the astrologer in much the same way as a psychologist’s analysis is also colored by his or her personal views.

Astrology tells us that as individuals we are peculiar and particular, while at the same time a direct manifestation of a cosmic whole to which we are inexorably linked. It reminds us that we are bound to the karmic wheel, that we come into the world with special gifts as well as certain burdens and travails. On the surface it can appear to tell us that our fortunes and our personalities are preordained, that our fates are completely in the hands of the gods. But a man’s character is his fate, the Greek philosopher Heracleitus tells us, and in the end there is no disguising or excusing who we are.

Correctly understood and applied, a horoscope is a precise instrument based on real forces, events, and relationships occurring in nature. It is, most importantly, a diagram of an individual’s purpose in life and a symbolic language that describes how different factors—signs, planets, and houses—are combined to produce a meaningful whole.

Each horoscope is a complex combination of factors, a graphic depiction of a particular determining and synchronistic moment in time and space when the bodies of the solar system form a unique pattern. The art of astrological analysis lies in intuitively synthesizing all the relationships in the horoscope to create a complete and integrated picture or profile.

In reading any horoscope, it is important to remember that the energies symbolized by the planets and signs represent birth potentials that the individual may or may not choose to actualize in the manner described.

Astrology does not preclude personal willpower, self determination, and dynamic action upon those very forces that seem to have cosmically preordained who we are and what we are to become. What it presents us with are the lessons we need to learn within this particular turn of the Great Wheel, along with our innate potential, in order to become and ultimately be. How well we learn these lessons and gain from them is up to us as individuals. We are all, in a sense, Odysseus using all of his courage, guile, strength, and wits to defy Poseidon (the god of the sea), of whom he’d made an enemy, in order to simply get home.

How well the lessons are learned is not the responsibility of the teacher, who simply presents them for what they are and moves on.

It relies solely on the intelligence, receptivity, perception, and tenacity of the pupil.

Constructing a Horoscope or Astrological Chart

You may find it useful to obtain a horoscope for your time and place of birth so you can learn the principles presented in this book by studying your own natal, or birth, chart. Constructing an individual horoscope is a fairly complex process, involving precise calculations, the exact time, date, and place of birth, latitude and longitude, an ephemeris, a table of the houses, a list of time changes, and other tools. In this day and age, however, there are many Internet sites and computer software programs for casting astrological charts.

Several options with detailed readings are available if you choose not to research yourself, among them are Calculate your Cosmic Chemistry, & Astrology with your date of birth.

The Origins of Astrology

In our earliest art, that of the Upper Paleolithic, between 32,000 to 12,000 years ago, depictions of the heavens, of the Sun, Moon, and the stars, are totally absent. Our remote Cro-Magnon ancestors were not stargazers beyond an awareness of the moon and its phases, depicted, perhaps, in bas-relief cave carvings of women holding bison horns with thirteen incisions and as marks on antlers and bones found on the cave floors.

These people were basically earthbound in their preoccupations, concerned with their immediate and animistic world. For them, magic and power resided not in the sky above, but in the earth, in deep caves in which these ancient artists chose to render, by the meager light of crude lamps and small fires, remarkably beautiful, sophisticated, and accurately detailed depictions of the fauna that both sustained and threatened their existence:

The symbolic meaning beyond their naturalistic representations spoke of the creatures’ inherent personalities and attributes, as well as a host of abstract ideas associated with them (like speed, agility, courage, strength, nurturing, fierceness, cunning).

Chinese astrology is in part based on this kind of observation.

What did these creatures represent to our ancestors, who knew and observed them so intimately?

It does seem that the images on the cave walls are not just the beginning of art, but the beginnings of written language, visual symbols drawn from nature conveying meanings beyond their simple and mundane representations.

The deep cave is the realm of the shaman, of the vision quest, of the underworld where nature’s mysterious power, the miracle of existence itself— birth, being, death, and regeneration— reside. It was the role of the shaman- artist to penetrate this dark realm of the invisible and make contact with and capture this power, conjuring the animals and their attributes from out of the living rock in which their spirit-essence dwelled and snaring them as though art was the hunter’s trap. The creation of these magnificent works of art was usually part of a form of ritualistic magic.

Damian talks further about the changes of man from the Ice Age, hunter-gatherer and how he evolved into the philosophically minded where they began to observe and ponder the glowing bodies in the twinkling in the heavens and their cyclic movements across the sky, changing significantly with the seasons and other earthly events.

Using the patterns of the stars and the planets movements and how this changed according to the seasons of the year, created the relationship determined a significant key to understanding the nature of all beings in time and space. It was the role of astrologer-priests the then determine the meaning of the influence of the stars and planets and how it affected the day to day lives of the priesthood and royalty of which they served.

Casting of personal birth charts.

With three major phases becoming evident in its evolution it is believed that this was the basis for the Chinese assigning a zodiacal animal sign to each year, and then developed further into the Zodiac Signs we know of today and the casting of the personal birth charts reading where the planets sit at a particular time (Your birth time & date).

Theorists believe that the birthplace of astrology as it is now defined was pharaonic Egypt. Damian quotes “In 1375 B.C.E., the pharaoh Akhenaton established monotheistic sun worship, only to be overthrown by the priesthood and the army, which feared that this monumental change in the established order of Egyptian society made Egypt vulnerable to a Hittite invasion armed with a new weapon, the iron sword. That the Egyptians were accomplished astronomers we have no doubt. The accurate alignment of the pyramids and other temples to certain fixed stars clearly attests to this. But it is a later Egypt, one influenced by Babylonian ideas brought first by the Persians and then by the Greeks, that became the primary source of horoscopic astrology.

The Egyptian texts referred to in later astrological literature were written in Greek. When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and Egypt and penetrated into northwestern India, Greek became the dominant language from North Africa to the far reaches of Central Asia. Even the Bactrian peoples of what is today Afghanistan and Pakistan had Greek-speaking rulers into the early centuries of the Common Era. Ancient statues of Buddha draped in Greek togas (known as “Hellenic Buddhas”) are still relatively common (or were, as many were destroyed as pagan idols by the Taliban in Afghanistan). As a result, the Babylonian beliefs embodied in Egyptian astrology traveled easily to India.

In the West, astrology reached a high point with the Greeks and the Romans. Around 10 C.E., the poetastrologer Manilius wrote his Astronomicon, the first major Greek work on astrology, and astrology was embraced by several of the Mediterranean mystery religions, some of which had come from the East. In 140 C.E., Ptolemy of Alexandria published his Tetrabiblos, the first major textbook on astrology. In the fourth century C.E. after Rome’s conversion to Christianity, St. Augustine led an early Christian attack on astrology. It experienced a resurrection under the reign of the emperor Constantine after Julius Firmicus Maternus published his Mathesis supporting astrological theories and beliefs. The fall of the Roman Empire saw the decline of astrology in the West.” As each birth cycle occurred the reigniting of the beliefs become more popular it is now used in many circles of life. Some believing wholely in its ability to determine the paths we lead and others using it to develop strengths within their personalities to overcome many of lifes challenges.”

Positions of the planets.

No matter how you view Astrology, it is the development from just simple observations to what we have now, with the charting of births and positions of each planet and how they are determined to be the House of each persons personality has certainly been a long evolutionary process. It is noted in any book or reference you read that the development of astrology, its symbols and what they are preclaimed to mean really remains one of the great mysteries of humanity.

Much like the path of most of our existing formulas it really is just something that has developed into a global phenomonon and is broadly used by most cultures today in some form or other to develop humanity’s knowledge, including religion, mythology, agriculture, philosophy, medicine, navigation, and of course, modern psychology – being the answer to many for life’s path whether it be a simple or complexed question.

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