Most of us know our Sun sign. Most of us have seen the memes. Most of us have read the horoscopes.

Astrology is a huge subject. Yet understanding the significance of your Sun sign a great place to start! It’s already familiar and relatable. However, there’s much more to your Sun sign than meets the eye!

So, get yourself a cuppa, and let’s get straight into this week’s topic!

~

Hey everyone! Welcome back, or if you’re here for the first time, nice to meet you! My name is Ebonie and this blog (and the YouTube channel) is here to help you manifest in the real world! If you’re interested in all things self-development and mindset, I hope you’ll enjoy today’s blog post (and/or watch the video), and consider subscribing to my YouTube channel linked above!

Last week I shared the resources that I’ve found to be really helpful in learning about astrology. Today I want to simply focus on Sun signs, and what they actually represent. As I mentioned in last week’s post, I’ll be referring to Madeline Gerwick’s book, 'Astrology: An Enlightening Primer for Starry-Eyed Beginners’ and as always, I’ll list more resources and recommendations at the end of this page. Everything will be linked below!

~

So, what exactly is a Sun sign, and why is it so significant?

Your Sun sign is the strongest representation of who you are and your identity. It represents who you are at your core, your personality, your willpower, and your creativity. Your Sun sign is determined by which of the twelve zodiac signs was on the calendar on your birthday.

Your day of birth is usually the only information you need to work out your Sun sign, and you likely already know what yours is.

However, it’s worth noting that if your day of birth is right is in the middle of two signs, you may need to look up your astrological birth chart in order to determine exactly what your Sun sign is. Your chart will use your time of birth to know exactly where the Sun was when you were born.

In last week’s post, I talked you through how to get your birth chart in more detail – you can click here to check that out if you like!

All that being said, how are Sun signs figured out?

I’ll be a typical Gemini and share some curious information I discovered in Madeline Gerwick’s book!

Sun signs were discovered by ancient sky-mapping astronomers who “determined that the Sun went through certain constellations at certain times of the year, and that people born at that time of year seemed to share certain characteristics.” (Gerwick)

Of course, the constellations have shifted out of the positions that were first documented by these early astronomers.

“A very long time ago, the constellations of the signs were in the area of the sky that was named after them. But because of the Earth’s wobble and the fact that the Earth shifts a tiny bit in space over a long period of time, the constellations have shifted out of those positions. So, Western astrology uses the seasons, which don’t change over time, as its basis for Sun signs and has kept the names the same.” (Gerwick)

~

Energies, Qualities, and Elements

Beyond the constellations, each of the 12 zodiac signs can be described by certain energies, qualities, and elements.

For starters, each of the 12 zodiac signs is categorized as having either Yin (indirect, internal) energy or Yang (direct, external) energy. These can also be referred to as feminine and masculine energies.

Each of the signs also has either cardinal, fixed, or mutable qualities. “Cardinal signs begin each season, so they represent beginnings; fixed signs, in the middle of each season, are preservers, which keep things as they are; and mutable signs occur as the season is changing and are associated with transitions.” (Gerwick)

And finally, each sign is also represented by an Element – Fire, Earth, Air, or Water. “The four Elements describe the basic nature of the signs and of life”. (Gerwick)

“People born in signs with the same energy, quality, or Element have certain things in common. For example, people born in signs with a cardinal (or first) quality are likely to be leaders; people in signs with an Air Element might always seem to be thinking or communicating.

Now, each combination of energy, quality, and Element appears in only one sign. Aries, for example, has yang energy, a cardinal quality, and the Element of Fire. This means that when you understand what each of these characteristics represents, you can also begin to understand certain aspects of an Aries personality.” (Gerwick, Pg. 20-21)

The combination of these different energies, qualities, and elements creates the 12 very unique signs of the zodiac. Learning about each of these characteristics allows you to understand the differences and similarities between each of the signs.

Each sign is also ruled by a particular planet (or two, in some instances), is attributed with certain gems and crystals, connected with a certain part of the human body, and even has a particular color that represents it. In Tarot, each suit is represented by an Element too, and every sign has a specific card in the Major Arcana.

For example, let’s take a look at the First Zodiac Sign, Aries – the Ram.

Aries is a Fire sign, with a Cardinal quality, and Yang (direct) energy.  It’s ruled by Mars and Pluto, represented by the color red, diamonds, and the Fool card in the Major Arcana of Tarot. The keywords for Aries include early adopter, leader, new beginnings, and adventure.

Another Fire sign with Yang (direct) energy is Leo. So, there will be similarities between Leo and Aries, as they share the same Fire Element and Yang energy. However, Leo is a fixed quality sign, rather than having a Cardinal quality like Aries. The keywords for Leos include willpower, creativity, and expressing the heart.

No two signs are the same, and when you start delving into the rest of your astrological birth chart, you’ll come to see that understanding your Sun sign is just the tip of the iceberg. Yet I believe that learning more about each of the 12 zodiac signs provides a great foundation for studying astrology. It’s not just about your Sun sign, and how you can relate to it personally. Though memes and horoscopes definitely help on that front! It’s also how you can take your knowledge of all the Zodiac signs and use it to interpret the different elements of your birth chart.

Our Sun sign represents who we are when we shine our brightest, when we are completely in our element and expressing our true, individual self. Yet we are so much more than our Sun signs – there’s the Moon, 8 planets, and the North and South Nodes to consider. Not to mention the 12 houses and how all of these different aspects connect and combine!

There’s so much more to talk about! Astrology is kind of the perfect subject for a curious Gemini!

~

So, now I’d love to know – what’s your sun sign? I hope you enjoyed this short overview of what Sun signs represent, and I hope you’re as excited as I am to keep talking about astrology!

If you’d like to learn more, you’ll find everything I mentioned linked below, along with more info, resources, and recommendations — simply scroll to the bottom of this page!

As always, please let me know in the comments, if you have any questions or requests, or find me over on Instagram @eboniehyland, I’d love to see you there too!

I truly hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s blog post and video. Thank you so much for reading this blog and supporting my YouTube channel, it really means the absolute world to me!

I create spiritual and self-development videos and blog posts here, every Thursday. So, if you’re curious, please consider subscribing to the channel, and be sure to ring the little bell to turn on notifications, so you never miss a video!

I hope you’re having a wonderful day, wherever you are in the world, and I can’t wait to see you here again next week!

So much love,

Ebonie xx

 Resources and Recommendations

Astrology Resources:

✧ 'Astrology: An Enlightening Primer for Starry-Eyed Beginners' by Madeline Gerwick — Available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fc59BP

✧ Websites & Apps I Recommend — https://www.eboniehyland.com/blog/astrologyresources

*Disclaimer: Please note that any recommended products from Amazon may be affiliate links. If any purchases are made through these links, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!