Unlike Western or Tropical astrology, Jyotish-–or the Sidereal approach to astrology—does not place the most importance on the Sun sign.

The rising sign is actually considered the most important piece of the overall chart, as it organizes the placement of the all the planets, the karmas, and the intimate details of the chart as a whole. Jyotish is actually soli-lunar based, meaning that equal importance is given to the Sun and the Moon. (Read about your Moon sign in this article.)

In Jyotish, the Sun represents father and masculine energy. His attributes are likened to the king. He shares rank and position, power and authority, as well as respect and ruler-ship. The Sun will give us our dharma, the proper path to follow for our enlightenment. Traditionally, the father is supposed to help guide the child on their path of dharma.

It is the father who is responsible for instilling self-esteem and ultimately gives the spark of life via his sperm.

The Sun is also responsible for illuminating the Moon, as well as the other planets. The Moon directly reflects the Sun’s light and shares this filtered light- which is nourishing, supportive and doesn’t burn. In fact the glow of the Moon is said to offer soma, or divine, healing nectar. Together, Sun and Moon represent God and Goddess, who together create life and our experience of reality. Read more about the importance of the Sun.

The Sun is our father energy, the part of our being and our karma that was given to us from our father and his lineage. This of course plays a vital role in our human experience as well as how we use our power in life. The masculine is the container that supports the expansiveness of the feminine. We need the power of the masculine to take action, to be seen for our gifts and to share our gifts with others. Our father energy plays a very important role in how we shine and share ourselves with the world.

How do you shine?

How do you show up for yourself and others? Do you allow yourself to be seen? In what ways? Your jyotish chart is a powerful resource for exploring your Sun energy, your masculine self, as well as uncovering the birth karma you acquired from your father.

The Sun sign shares how your light is able to shine and what its purpose is for shining. Remember that the Sun sign shares the gifts of your father—for better or worse. Ultimately, the challenges we face are also resources, so thank the positives and negatives!

Your Sun sign is a powerful resource for unlocking the mystery of your inner power. Let’s take a deeper look at your father energy and the light of the soul shining within you.

Step #1: Identify Your Sun.

First, notice where the Sun is located in your chart. The abbreviation is likely SU. What sign is it in? Learn more about reading your jyotish chart.

Step #2: Who Rules Over Your Sun?

The planetary influence upon the sign is a vital piece of information. What is the planetary ruler of your Sun sign? Mars acts very differently than Saturn. What can you determine about your Sun sign based on its planetary ruler? Read more about planetary rulers.

Step #3. Where Does Your Sun Light Shine?

Next, determine what house (or bhava in Sanskrit) your Sun is placed in. The house of your Sun shows how it will share its solar energy- and in what capacity. Each house has very specific meanings, so use this to refine your understanding of how your light shines and what is important for you to share with the world in this lifetime.

• 1st House: Sense of self, worldly house, being seen, ego, appearance, intelligence.
• 2nd House: Nourishment, wealth, support, gems, speaking, voice.
• 3rd House: Communication, writing, courage, the arts, creativity, self expression, using the hands.
• 4th House: Home, land, mother, emotions, spirituality and moksha.
• 5th House: Children, creativity, romance, intuition, knowledge.
• 6th House: Enemies, bad habits, healing, disease, legal issues, competition, debt.
• 7th House: Relationships, others, partner, sexuality, desire, travel, trade.
• 8th House: Death, disease, transformation, transcendence, vulnerability, mysticism.
• 9th House: Dharma, guru, wisdom, education, foreign travels, fortune, religion.
• 10th House: Career, achievement, success, father, action, fame, social status.
• 11th House: Gains, wealth, income, friends, desires, fulfillment of desire.
• 12th House: Endings, loss, liberation, marriage, retreat, foreign lands, alone time.

Step #4. Putting it all together.

It’s time to combine all the layers now and derive some meaning from it all. What can you determine about your Sun sign based on the previous steps? How does your light shine? What parts of your father support this self expression? What power are you here to share? Where do you need more power and strength?

Use the resources below to further explore these questions in relation to your Sun sign.

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Read more about your Sun Sign.

Ready to learn more? Join me for my August Jyotish Basics Classes!

Don’t have a copy of your chart? Get one here.

* This Article is relevant for reading a North Indian Style chart only.

Author: Saraswati J. 

Editor: Renée Picard

Image: via the author