If you don’t believe in astrology, chances are it’s because you  don’t identify with your Sun sign. This is the sign that is commonly  known as your “star sign” and that you know from a horoscope reading.  You’ve probably encountered your horoscope somewhere, read the  description, and wondered: “Why don’t I relate to my star sign?”, or you  thought: “Astrology isn’t real if everyone has a similar star sign.”  And even if you do feel like a total Virgo or typical Aquarius, other  people with the same sign might not seem like their Sun sign at all.  This is because in many cases, the sign of your Sun is not your most  important placement.⁣⁣

In fact, in astrology, none of the zodiac signs are as important as  the planets that inhabit them. The planets symbolise different parts of  ourselves (e.g. Mars shows our drive, Venus represents love and values)  and bring the potential and power in our birth chart. Everything else  (houses, signs, aspects) is there to help understand the unique version  of a planet in the chart. ⁣⁣And though the Sun is definitely an  important planet in the birth chart, especially if you were born during  daytime, for most people it is not their most important and personal  planet. On top of that, there could be other reasons why you don’t  identify with your Sun sign.

Your ruling planet is the planet that represents you

While many people may be born with the same Sun sign as you, more  unique to you is the sign that was rising on the exact moment you were  born. This sign is called the ascendant or rising sign.  Your ascendant is determined by the exact time and location of your  birth, and sets up the houses for the rest of your chart, making it your  most personal and decisive placement. It is therefore very likely that  you identify more with your ascendant than with your Sun sign.

And while the sign on your ascendant tells you something about your  unique path in life, it’s the ruling planet of the ascendant that is  deciding how you walk that path. If your birth chart is a ship, the  ascendant represents the direction you are heading and the ascendant’s  ruler is your helmsman, or captain. In that way, the ascendant ruler is  the planet that represents “you” in the chart. It also represents your  physical body and overall health. The essential dignity (= relative  strength), aspects and house placement tell you more about how your  captain is doing and what resources they have to steer the ship.⁣⁣

Your Sun could be overshadowed by a stellium in another sign

One obvious reason  why it’s possible that you don’t identify with your Sun Sign is that you  have a stellium in another sign. If your Sun is flying solo in one part  of the chart, but there’s a stellium of 3, 4, or more planets in  another sign, it makes sense that that stellium will be very prominent  and somewhat loud in your chart. For example, if your Sun is in Scorpio,  but you have four other planets in Sagittarius, it’s very likely you  feel more like a freedom loving Sag than a secretive Scorpio. Your Sun  could still be important in your chart in other ways, but having such a  strong focus on another sign in your chart could overshadow the  connection you may feel with your Sun sign. And as such, you may not  relate to your Sun sign at all.

Sect determines whether you are a solar or lunar person

It’s also possible that you don’t resonate with your Sun sign because  you were born at night. In this case you would have a night chart,  which is an idea that comes from the Hellenistic concept called “sect”.  Sect is a Hellenistic technique that divides the seven traditional  planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn) into a  “Day Team” and a “Night Team”. The Sun is the leader of the Day Team,  which also includes the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The Moon is the  leader of the Night Team, which also includes Venus and Mars. Mercury is  neutral and can play for both teams depending on its position in  relation to the Sun.

An easy way to determine whether you have a day or night chart is by  looking at where the Sun is in relation to the ascendant-descendant  axis. If the Sun is above the horizon (meaning in the 12th, 11th, 10th,  9th, 8th or, depending on the ascendant degree, 7th or 1st houses), you  were born during the daytime and have a day chart. This makes the Sun  your sect light, or guiding luminary. Depending on other factors in your  chart, you might identify more with solar qualities such as a focus on  logic, goals and concrete results.

If the Sun is below the horizon (meaning in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,  6th or, depending on the ascendant degree, 7th or 1st houses), you were  born during the nighttime and have a night chart. In this case the Moon  is your sect light and guiding luminary. This means that you might feel  more in touch with your Moon placement. You might also identify more  with lunar qualities such as a focus on feeling and intuition,process  and exploring the range of experiences in life.

You have your Sun in of the “dark houses”

Another reason you don’t connect with your Sun sign could be that it  is placed in one of the “dark” houses (2nd, 6th, 8th and 12th). The  concept of “dark” houses comes from the idea that light enters your  birth chart (and therefore life) via the ascendant, and is then guided  towards particular places in the chart: the astrological houses. The  houses represent divisions in the sky and are connected to topics we  deal with in everyday life. In addition to knowing the topics each house  represents, we can also assess the potency of each of the astrological  houses by determening its position relative to the ascendant. What  matters here is whether the house forms a sign-based, ptolemaic aspect  (conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition) to the ascendant.  This usually indicates that there is a level of support from and to the  ascendant, and therefore the lifeforce of the chart. The most active and  potent houses in the birth chart are the 1st, 10th, 7th, 4th, 11th and  5th houses (in that order). The 3rd and 9th house are considered to be  semi active given that they are cadent (“falling away” from the angular  houses), but still form a helpful aspect to the ascendant.

If there is no ptolemaic aspect with the ascendant, this house is  considered to be weaker: less supportive and more invisible. This is the  case for the 2nd, 6th, 8th and 12th house. This doesn’t mean that  having planets in any of these houses is bad or terrifying! It only  means that planets here might be a bit less visible and take longer to  manifest in your life. If you have your Sun or your ruling planet in one  of these houses, you might struggle to identify with these planets and  find that getting to know yourself is a lifelong journey, not an instant  given.

You have no aspects between the ruling planet and your Sun

Lastly, if you want to get more technical, look to the aspects  between the ascendant ruling planet (typically describing “you”) and  your Sun. Hard aspects can create tensions, which sometimes manifest as  delays, blockages or frustrations. This can mean that you struggle  relating to your Sun sign, because it represents a part of you that is  difficult or annoying to you.

If there is no major aspect between your ascendant ruling planet and  your Sun, they are in “aversion” to each other. This means the planet  that signifies “you” literally can’t see your Sun, which results in the  Sun being a blind spot. ⁣If this is the case, you might not relate to  your Sun sign altogether. Keep in mind that here, you’re also looking at  sign-based aspects and not just a degree-based one. For example, your  ruling planet is in Gemini, and your Sun sign is in Scorpio, then there  is no sign-based aspect between them and they are in aversion to each  other. If your ruling planet is at 26 degrees Capricorn and your Sun  sign at 4 degrees Virgo, there may not be a degree-based aspect (unless  you use a very wide orb), but both signs do have a natural affinity with  each other (being earth signs) and therefore they are able to see each  other even if they don’t form an exact trine.

Of course, every astrologer may have different rules about this, but  these are some of the things I would look at in a chart. Are you curious  about exploring why you may not resonate with your Sun sign? Book a consultation with me!