Astrology is most than just sun signs. Planets play a powerful role in determining horoscopes and understanding western astrology. One of the most important "planets" is the Sun. Though not a planet in the traditional sense, the Sun is classified as a planet for the purposes of understanding astrology.
The symbol of the sun shows a dot in the center of the circle representing the spirit. This is associated with not only our unique existance but also our ego. The Sun represents the notion that we are all at the center of our personal universe, just as the Sun is the center of our solar system.
The Sun, being the most important of the planets, is associated with ruling others by making order out of chaos. The Sun's heat and light gives life, and so the Sun represents fatherhood in a warm, giving, illuminating sense. It is identified with a father who gives life to his offspring and enjoys watching them live their own unique lives. This father believes in the abilities of his children and it proud of them, no matter what. The Sun is always willing to create, to take a chance. This is both the Sun's sport and its purpose. The Sun is the ruler of the heart.
Some of the qualities associated with the Sun are: ego, being the center of attention, feeling important, pride, heat, light, a warm or sunny place, fatherhood, children, taking a chance, creativity, desire, belief, visualization, lighting the way, purpose, ruling, and establishing order.
Those born between February 20th and March 20th are ruled by the sign of Pisces, whose astrological symbol is two fish, one swimming upstream while the other swims down. The symbol for Pisces reminds us of the point where one year is dying while another is being born. the ideals of Aquarius are tempered by the sad realities of Pisces. It can be an emotional time, and it certainly was in the time of our ancestors. It was a time to discover how dependable your friends were when you needed them. It was the end of winter and supplies were at their lowest point. The strong and the compassionate were required to do without so that the children, the elderly, and the less fortunate could survive. Sometimes people even gave their lives so that others would live. The reason for the survival of our race from ancient times until now may be our capacity for self-denial, sometimes even martyrdom.
Pisces rules the negation of the individual ego and this can happen by positive means like self-sacrifice, philanthropy, and faith in an all-powerful force. It may also be through negative ego-denial such as escapism, drugs, and alcohol. Other example of this ego-denial include large institutions that deny the importance of the individual ego, such as prisons, hospitals, the military, government agencies, and even some religions. Pisces is also associated with the ideas of extrasensory perception (ESP) and other psychic gifts. The part of the body ruled by Pisces is the feet, for they connect us to the earth.
Those born under the sign of Pisces function best when they feel that they are connected to the earth and all there is in this world and the next.
Those born between January 21st and February 19th are ruled by the sign of Aquarius, whose astrological signs are the water-bearer and water whipped into waves by the wind. But the time the sun entered the sign of Aquarius, our ancestors were beginning to feel confined. Those that weren't snowed in would only bother to visit their closest friends or other neighbors with whom they had agreed to band together to help each other survive the winter. With their friends they could escape the monotony of the winter days by sharing their wildest hopes and wishes for the future. Inspired by the acceptance of their friends, it was possible to foresee a whole world of friends, each pouring out nourishing ideas and inventions. These ideas could have been thought crazy by those who didn't allow themselves to creatively dream about the future, and so those with Aquarian tendencies had to learn to detach themselves from the comments of less understanding members of the community they desired to serve. This made some of them rebels, desiring freedom at all costs.
Aquarians came to be associated with ideas for the good of humanity, hence the water-bearer pours his water onto the earth for all humanity to drink from. Aquarius is also connection to friends, hopes, wishes, community, eccentricity, genius, invention, emotional detachment, rebelliousness, and a desire for unrestricted freedom. The parts of the body ruled by Aquarius are the ankles and the wrists, as these are the most unrestricted joints of the body.
People born under the sign of Aquarius function best when they have an outlet for their desire to change the world and express their own innate creativity.
Those born between December 22nd and January 20th are ruled by the sign of Capricorn, whose astrological symbol is a mountain goat with the tail of a fish. The day the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn marks the time of year of the winter solstice, the shortest and bleakest day of the year. But the very next day, the sun begins its northward climb and with each new day the earth moves closer to the rebirth of spring. Capricorn represents the manifestation of a dream (the fish tail) into a real and tangible thing by the application of hard work (the mountain goat) built on a solid structure (the mountain). Our ancestors knew that they could get through the deprivations of a hard winter only by being disciplined and conservative in the truest sense of the word.
Capricorn rules crystallization, such as snow flakes, and all that is apparently solid and permanent in this world of change. It is also associated with the conservative, disciplined climb to the top and keeping our passions in check. The parts of the body ruled by Capricorn are bones, teeth, skin, and nails because they are the solid structures which keep us together. Capricorn also rules the knees because they must be rigid to hold us erect.
People born under the sign of Capricorn function best when they can apply a dedicated, focused approach to the achievement of a goal whose value is recognized by society.
