Sun Signs and Horoscopes

This is a quick and easy guide to understand the basic psychological mechanisms underlying each sign along with the planet(s) that ruler of each sign and their modality. 

Aries – Fire and Cardinal, Ruled by Venus

The fate of Aries is to go in the direction that allows them to do their own thing. It may be different than what family expects of them, they may not be understood why they would turn away from a chosen path and strike out on their own, therefore called risk taking. The Aries sign is a fire sign, think of fire and how it will die out if not fed fuel. Aries needs new fuel to be motivated, which is why they can appear to jump from one thing to another. They will need something in their life to challenge them, and if they do not have that then they will be bored and cantankerous and can pick an argument just to stir up the energy to feel alive.

Aries is ruled by the warrior planet Mars Aries is a fire sign and is outward going in its energy. Think of the element of fire, it needs fuel to stay alive and heat is given off from fire. That is one reason why Aries always needs something new to do or a new challenge, it is the fuel to keep the fire alive.

One key word you may find with Aries attribute is brave, yet the lesson of Aries is to find courage and do something even though they are afraid to do it. Get close to an Aries and you will find what it is that they are fearful of. This is one of their life challenges, to go beyond what is fearful and master the emotion of fear and courage. It could be a phobia, fear of confined spaces such as elevators or fear of not being able to support ones children. What the fear is does not matter; it is facing the fear, and moving through it.

Aries purpose is to show others that it is important to do what one wants, the importance of healthy selfishness. The flip side is that one life lesson is to learn to see and feel from another person point of view. There is a joy of being your own person that follows by following your bliss, your life path, this will allow others in your life to benefit through your happiness and give them permission to do what makes them happy. Ultimately when one lives their life according to their own inner knowing and compass, they are open and have room for compassion and giving towards others, it comes full circle.

Taurus – Earth, Fixed, ruled by Venus

Part of the lesson in Taurus life is to learn to say enough is enough and move on. Many times the Taurus works in a job they do not like or does not pay well for years. Yet they continue to put in time and energy towards the job either through inertia or normally through an inner belief that if they just try harder, give it time, that eventually the seed they planted will bear fruit.

What they don’t realize until enough time passes is they are busy watering and watching the seed, (showing up at a job and doing the work) but the seed that was planted is rotten and will never bear the fruit that they want. Or they wait years for the fruit of their labor only to find out the time and effort expended they ended up with a lemon tree and had always expected a sweet juicy fruit.

One crises a Taurus will confront at one time in life will be about their worth. Taurus views the world around her through what is it worth? Sometimes translated into how much does it cost? It is natural for a Taurus to drive down a street and wonder what the value of a property cost, or notice price tags or sales plastered on bill boards. This tendency to think about or ask about money gives them the reputation of always having money on their mind; however it is an innate quality of assessing value.

Gemini – Air, Mutable, ruled by Mercury

One of the main dilemmas in a Gemini life is choosing. The Gemini is not an ambivalent person; on the contrary they can see the alluring qualities in several options.

When the Gemini is faced with options, unless she is totally off the mark of what she wants in her life, she can sit on the fence for a long time. She can want to wait until she has or knows the answer. This sitting on the fence has given Gemini the reputation of commitment phobic.

It is not that the Gemini does not want something deeper; they just do not want to hurt someone or be made wrong, if they have a change of mind down the road. If the Gemini is ready for marriage and knows that is what they want then there is no problem for commitment. In fact they argue and debate their point quite well.

Gemini will have a happier life when they understand that their mind will always be the devils advocate about anything they decide to do. And that not making a choice is a choice. Otherwise they can spend their life waiting for an unanswered response. They want to know that what they are doing is with out any doubts the thing to do. They could wait for years and years and then the concern or question will no longer be an issue.

Cancer- Water, Cardinal ruled by the Moon

One of the main karmic lessons for Cancer is learning when to let go. That can be a tough and painful experience for the Cancer person as they will need a space of trust and sharing in order to be close to you. It is the nature of Cancer to nurture and put effort and energy towards someone they care about. This effort and energy put forth can be in a job, a friend, a lover or even a rescued pet. There can be an expectation that if I love and nurture you, or if I show up at work and do a good job, then you will return to me something where I feel taken care of.

This does not always happen and the first instinct can be to give the job or relationship a more effort in expectation that the care they want will eventually return to them. It can be a vicious cycle as more and more time and effort is expended leading to I have spent so much time already I cant give up now. Yet it is the destiny of the Cancer person to be able to say, this isn’t ever going to give me what I need, let go, and move on.

Another astrology indicator for the Cancer person revolves around family. The Cancer is more attuned or sensitive to the concept of family than others. This does not mean that they have the perfect family, or they grew up in the perfect family, but that there is an issue about what does family mean? What is family? The growth for Cancer comes when she feels safe in the world around her, that the inner foundation is secure and she does not fear being abandoned.

Leo- Fire, Fixed, ruled by the Sun

Leos path in life is to find their center and to follow their heart.

The crises in the life of Leo will be around pride, courage, love, being acknowledged and being approved of. Usually these are all combined together with a story or drama that unfolds. Leo needs drama in life. They need to feel and express life. However if they are not conscious of their inner needs then the drama can unfold whereas they are so wrapped up into the play they take it very seriously and can become entrenched in a drama of epic stature.

Many times the young Leo had an event happen in their lives where they either got attention and approval or was hoping for the attention and approval of a respected and loved adult, usually a parent. An emotional charge was set up, either that they did something, a little show perhaps for the adults, and felt loved and adored with attention. That event set up a pattern of I need to play a part, put on a show in order to get approval, love and attention. Or sometimes the Leo child wants love and attention and feels ignored and keeps upping the ante in acting out or seeking someway to get mommy and daddy’s attention, such as by getting sick, provoking a sibling, etc.

This emotional set up can continue in adult life where the Leo feels that need to accomplish more and more to have approval. The approval and love that was wanted or reinforced at childhood now becomes an ambiguous approval from the world. If I am the best sales person at the office then somehow life will be better and this can go on until an emotional crisis occurs with the underlying question of “why am I not happy”? 

It is important for the Leo in their spiritual path to ponder whether or not they are taking an action for approval. Again this is a hidden feeling or driving force under the surface of day to day activities. Therefore self examination is very important. One way to discover whether or not what you are doing is genuine is to ask whether or not you feel someone in your life will “approve” of what you are doing. Think of people you care about or those you want to care about you. Next ask yourself if in addition to (as an example) going to a particular workshop if you think so and so would admire you for doing that. This can be an access to whether there is a hint of wanting approval. If so, then ask yourself if you go to someplace or do something even if there was no admiration or even if there was disapproval.

This is one way Leo can find their heart and life path. Having the courage to follow it is the next step.  It takes courage to consciously step on a path you want but you know others who are important to you in your life do not approve of. The Leo must seek the truth in their heart, is the path you want the best for your highest good? Is it pure without being tainted with doing it as a result of hurt pride or ego? Are you willing to risk losing others in order to have what your heart wants? Once you examine the truth in your heart courageously set out on your own adventure.

Virgo- Earth, Mutable, ruled by Mercury

The quest of Virgo is service, to do something that they know they are good at and to be able to help others along the way. They do not need to be perfect, it is only in the path of Virgo that they can limit themselves in taking a risk in something that they may not feel they have all the qualifications for that they are not quite “perfect” enough to interview for a job that they do not think they qualify for.

Somewhere along the way in life the Virgo child had an event where they felt they did not do something good enough or that they were not good enough. The Virgo child adopted a belief that they were not “perfect” or “good enough” in the eyes of a respected adult, whether it was a parent teacher or other significant adult figure. This belief goes underground, so to speak, operating unseen or unknown as a driving force that can hold back the talents and gifts of the Virgo person as they are always waiting until they are “good enough” to reach the next dream or goal they set. In the critical Virgo this event triggered anger and resistance where silently they became resentful at being told or taught they were not good enough in whatever way and began to look at the world as wrong, in essence criticizing people and things around them to thwart the rejection and pain of being criticized.

The flip side of Virgo is the critical Virgo, always finding what is wrong. Instead of directing the negative not good enough inward, it is directed outward to others and the world. Astrology charts have many components and the difference between the outward critical demeaning Virgo and the inward self effacing Virgo is seen through the rest of their respective chart combinations. In essence however the mechanism is similar, that the critical Virgo sees the world through: Many things in the world are not right, it is not good enough and I can be better by pointing that out to you.

When the Virgo person becomes comfortable with who they are, and feel that what they have to offer is good enough for now, and understand that life is an evolution and they continue to grow whether or not the inner voice is chiding them that where they are in the moment is somehow wrong or not enough they become free and happy.

Finding peace and happiness is difficult for the critical or introverted Virgo if he or she is giving power away. Whether the powerlessness comes from not believing they can not change the outside world or the change themselves from within. However the solution is the same, finding peace with what is and not resisting what is allows for life to flow. See the perfection in the imperfections of life.

Libra- Air, Cardinal, ruled by Venus

Part of the Libra identity is connected with looking good, being fair, and having the world be fair and peaceful around you. This is not to say that you will have it, just that it will be a theme in your life, you will be wired to notice when circumstances around you are not fair, are not peaceful and you will be prodded, willing or not, to find balance when there is none. The astrology behind the Libra identity reveals so much more.

Many times these concerns are not thought about as they are on a subconscious level, living below the surface of day to day existence. A woman who has her sun in Libra became aware that beauty was important in some people’s eyes early in life. She will either embrace that looking good will be helpful, or be frustrated at the unfairness that pretty people seem to be able to get things easier or are admired more than the ordinary. It is not that other people are not aware of this; it is a problem and concern in our society it is that Libra individuals are attuned to it in a deeper way.

Libra’s have been emotionally taught at a young age that someone was prettier, or that they were attractive, or that attractive people will go farther and have an easier time in life. This is of course not universally true, it may be true for some but for others they will have another believe system that they work on, such as the “dumb blonde” belief. Or that looks don’t last forever, personality and charm will get you what you want”. Or “there may be people who are attractive and have lots of people that like them but being an intellectual genius is where it is at and those people have nothing over me”

One of the challenges of being a Libra will be to recognize your way of operating in the world, and whether or not you are making compromises to who you really are or what you really want for the sake of not wanting others not to like you. Many times as a child the Libra person was told to “be nice” don’t make a fuss and was manipulated by someone else with a strong personality that molded the Libra child into making someone else happy, doing what they wanted, so as not to upset the adult. Therefore the adult Libra can find themselves saying I want to do what you want, not out of not having an opinion, but from a long ago programming that taught them when they asserted themselves anger was present or love was removed.

The Libra Sun is here to share the joy that kindness and peace bring. Yet the lesson for the Libra is to be able to stand up for what they want even if it creates discord and ultimately make sure that you create your world where there is harmony and peace around you. It is time to have around you on day to day basis people who value fairness and harmony. Disengage from individuals or circumstances where you feel manipulated or controlled through emotional blackmail. Read more on astrology or ask your astrologer for other insights into your chart.

Scorpio- Water, Fixed, co ruled by Mars and Pluto

Scorpio deals with trust issues. A reoccurring theme revolves around whether or not a person is trustworthy.

In most Scorpio’s lives something happened when they were young where they learned that when they opened up and revealed the truth they were punished. Sometimes it is a benign question from a trusted adult, “Sweetheart, you can tell Mommy, did you play with Mommies watch?” and then be punished for playing with the watch. Other times it is more serious, such as telling an adult that an uncle, grandfather, or step father made sexual advances then having that accusation turned against them or not believed.  Therefore they adopt a cautious attitude and they need to know that what they reveal will not be used against them.

Another characteristic adopted with the Scorpio is intensity and passion. The Scorpio needs to have something in her life to be passionate about. It is an innate quality of focus. Gone awry it can turn into an obsession, continuing to focus on a relationship with an obsessive streak when it hasn’t been resolved or come to closure. The astrology remedy for this is to have something positive to obsess over. As an astrologer I recommend to anyone with strong Scorpio to have a hobby that they can channel their passion into. The energy needs to go somewhere so choose to put it towards an action that is good for you.

Sex is usually associated with Scorpio; it goes hand in hand with the intensity and passion of the sign. Yet the astrology behind Scorpio and sex is the desire to connect and bond with another in a deep and meaningful way. However the Scorpio individual realizes early in life that sex is a mysterious commodity and sexual energy can be used to entice and manipulate.

The Scorpio person will find credit and proper use of credit to be an issue at one point in their life. The fate of Scorpio is to learn how much to share with others, what to expect from others, including using money from others, even when the other is a bank, credit card company, or mortgage company. Therefore it is important to recognize not to get too deep into debt, as being controlled by money is never comfortable but especially not comfortable to a Scorpio.

Control issues are another characteristic of Scorpio. The Scorpio person learns in life what they can control and what is outside of their control. The earlier they learn that lesson the happier they will be. That is one reason why death is connected with Scorpio, death is something we have very little control over, other people die that we care about and we do not have the power or control to change that. Many times Scorpio learns the lessons of control after someone they are close to dies.

Sagittarius-  Fire, Mutable, ruled by Jupiter

For Sagittarius honesty is a priority.  The Sagittarius wants you to tell them the truth whatever that may be. In fact the major quest in the Sagittarians life is the quest for truth and the need to know. There are different paths that other astrology signs follow to find their own truth, but the Sagittarian wants the direct path. They adopt an outgoing and inquisitive attitude from a young age which can endear them to teachers early on only to create problems in young adult hood as a know it all.

One question always present in the back of the Sagittarius mind will be: “Can I believe you? Are telling the truth? Do you know something I don’t know?” The astrology for the Sagittarian tells us that they are destined to question belief systems, whether it is a religious belief system, a social belief system, or the belief structure that they grew up with. “What do I believe” is another underlying question that propels them on their personal journey in life.

The need to know can be a burden the Sagittarius unconsciously carries, it drives them to find out knowledge which is a good quality, however when they encounter a situation in life when they do not have the answers, or do not know what to do next it is very uncomfortable for them.

The conditioning for truth and knowledge is usually laid at a very young age. Many times the Sagittarius was lied to even under the guise for their own good, but when they found out what the “real” answer was such as there really isn’t a Santa Claus, then an indignation can occur that will lead them to want to know or needing to know.

They learn that the truth can be powerful, and when they have the answer they can be either accepted, such as a good student answering questions, or made wrong, such as when they were a preschooler and they found out that Santa Claus was not real and they told the other children.

This making wrong leads them to be very sensitive to being judged. The Sagittarius person destiny is to understand the role of judgment, they can be very sensitive to what they believe is right, or their version of the truth, and judge others. Many times the Sagittarian does not realize that he or she is judging on a constant basis. This is part of human nature but more intense with Sagittarius. The judgment comes from the underlying need to have the answer, therefore is examining the world through what is right or wrong and sizing people and situations up against a preconceived opinion.

When they find a better solution or better answer they are willing to move on and adopt a new belief or philosophy. The gift that the Sagittarian has to bring to the world is to explore for the answers then share what they know with others. This can lead them into problems in romantic relationships if the relationship was first established with a teacher student feeling, as it will become old.

Sagittarius will find at a point in their life troubled with a law suit. This seems to be a fated circumstance as the lesson of the law suit is to not only fight for what they believe in but also to learn to know when what they want to believe to be right or just and what the law says can be two different things.

It is important for the Sagittarius individual to be free to follow where their quest takes them. If you are a Sagittarius do not get tied down with an over abundance of obligations or your spirit will be stifled. The pursuit of financial wealth for the Sagittarius is usually connected with wanting to be free. Freedom to travel or the freedom of not being restricted to a budget feels natural. This leads the Sagittarius to take financial risk at times; in essence to gamble for the big payoff which may or may not work out as anticipated.

Capricorn- Earth, Cardinal, ruled by Saturn

One of the issues a Capricorn will face sometime in their life is the concern around their reputation, what they think they ‘should” do or are “supposed” to accomplish, and the ensuing commitments, regrets and resentments. Just as other signs have a fated aspect to their astrology chart, one of the fated aspects for Capricorn is a concern of not appearing as a fool and being respected by people they engage with in their lives. The fear of being caught in a situation they can’t handle can translate into not wanting to take risks to avoid any potential shame or embarrassment.

Astrologers assign to Capricorns the planet Saturn, the planet of duty, responsibilities, and hard work. Many times the Capricorn will have embedded within their belief system that success that comes easy isn’t success; that one must work hard for success and go through society’s standards of what determines success. This can translate into getting a degree from a well respected school. If the Capricorn can not afford the ivy league school or is not accepted into top rated schools they may feel frustrated and notice others who have degrees from the Ivy Leagues appear to have an unfair advantage.

Since Capricorns are attuned to time better than the rest of us they can be good at planning for their future, if they are not in a position to set aside money for their future they will have a tendency to worry about it. This leads to the bag lady syndrome, what if I end up at the end of my life with nothing, like the old lady on the street corner hauling her bags? Because of the inner conditioning and worry element that is so natural for Capricorn I believe it is imperative that they just cover the bases to give them the feeling of security they crave. This can be done through well accepted avenues such as setting up retirement accounts and having insurance policies for any possible disasters they could worry about so they can set aside those concerns and concentrate on the present.

Capricorn rocks when she is focused on a plan of action and working step by step towards her goal. The crises in a Capricorns life will be when they reach the top of the proverbial mountain they have been climbing and look around and discover it was someone else’s mountain they worked so hard to get to the top of. Many times the Capricorn adopts the standards and ideals of the society around them when they are young; what mom and dad think they would be good at, what the school counselor tells them they should do, or what appears to be most respected profession from the media. When this happens a crises of faith occurs when they reexamine just whose life they are living.

The inner parent is a constant companion for the Capricorn, what they should or should not be doing. When the Capricorn begins to really listen to their inner voice on a conscious level they will hear a parental voice telling them everything they “should” be doing. It is important for Capricorn to question that inner voice and talk back; why should I? Who are you to tell me what I should and should not do? Many times the answer is an outdated lecture heard over and over from an authority figure from years before.

As a Capricorn commitments take on a whole new meaning, if a commitment is accepted out of duty or obligation then resentment can follow. Regrets and resentments can eat away at the Capricorn who has not examined their life and made sure it was one of their choosing and not one that adopted because it was what was expected of them. A happy Capricorn is one who can look at the timeline of life, past, and future, yet be grounded in the present with no regrets or resentments.

Aquarius- Air, Fixed, co ruled by Saturn and Uranus

One of the questions in the mind of Aquarius is where do I belong?  Who do I belong with? This quest along with the internal desire to be their own person, who is apart and unique from the masses, will propel them on a journey to live and experience life outside of the zone of where they grew up. It is their fate to seek out people that will bring them different experiences than what they would have if they married the boy next door and moved into a home 6 blocks from the high school they attended. 

Another question the Aquarius will be faced with is: Are you really my friend? And what does it mean to be a friend? This concern can begin at a young age, do not dismiss your Aquarian child feelings if they are hurt or upset over a friend from preschool or school. A breach in trust from friends can begin from a young age and carry into adult hood. That said the Aquarian has a way of collecting different groups of friends that may or may not always mix with each other, but what fun that can be.

Aquarius is a fixed air sign, this means that the intellect is very important to them, they will identify with what they know and have discovered to be truth. Somewhere in life the Aquarius was not respected or was ignored for what they knew and he or she will be offended if you dismiss their ideas. They are strong minded but willing to be open and engage in discussion if you are intelligent and have new knowledge to offer.

Astrology traditionally connects Aquarius to being independent and not wanting to make a commitment. While that may be true for some, as a long time astrologer I find that many Aquarius’s are very happy in committed relationships and do not have problems with commitment as long as they do not feel coerced or forced into a relationship or situation. If the commitment is from an ultimatum and they do not feel it is of their own choosing, watch out, it will backfire.

If you are an Aquarius you will be happier if you have space and freedom to do as you please in a work situation, being micro managed does not make for an environment for you to be the best you can be. Having the luxury of doing the job the way you see fit will work out best for you and the company you work for.

The Aquarian learned early in life to detach from situations that were too volatile or emotionally charged. Sometimes it was from a family environment where there was confusion or fighting, and they learned to emotional disconnect in order to be protected. Other times it was expected of them to be intellectual about an emotional decision, they were taught that identifying with the intellect will be better for them than being overly emotional. This intellectual component does not mean the Aquarian does not have emotions, not at all. It means that they will be intellectual about the emotions and may debate their position on a topic they are very passionate about with a stack of facts and reasons.

Pisces- Water, Mutable, co ruled by Jupiter and Neptune

Pisces is ruled by Jupiter (and Neptune) and Jupiter also rules Sagittarius. The similarities of seeking truth and wisdom are pertinent to Pisces and Sagittarius yet the outcome is very different. Whereas Sagittarius is fated to find knowledge and teach others, Pisces is fated to be the knowledge, not just say what it is but have their life be a walking demonstration of what is right and just. In an unwelcome way this can attract situations into the Pisces life that calls for service and sacrifice that is above and beyond the normal human call of duty.

Pisces will find themselves confronted with a situation where they will have to sacrifice something of their personal life to hold true to their ideals about what is the right thing to do. Many times the unfair circumstance has to do with health issues, their own, their children or parents. Such as caring for an aging parent when there are no siblings, or that the siblings refuse to help out. They take on the responsibility of being the caretaker and sacrificing what they would rather be doing with their lives. Another circumstance would be having a child with disabilities or having a debilitating disease. 

Other situations arise from work or love. In the work place they can be the scapegoat for a problem with the company and are the one to take the fall. Or they are the one that is laid off when someone else who seemingly has less qualifications or seniority stays on. Romantically they can be the one who is waiting for love to be the ideal they know it could be once some problem is resolved. 

Many times when the Pisces child is growing up they were taught to disappear and they learned to become invisible, or that it was in their best interest not to be noticed. Sometimes when they were noticed they again where the one who was blamed for something. This can have an undesired impact in adult life when they are passed over for promotion or blend into the background at a party.

The destiny of Pisces is at some point in their life they will face the question “why me” and depending on how they answer that question their life can be full of pain or bliss. For the Pisces asking the why me question brings heartache and pain, as they may have no answer to why they have to carry a bigger burden than someone else and feel victimized by others, God, or the unseen universe. They didn’t do anything wrong, why me? Why did I get into this accident, I didn’t deserve this. Correlating an unwanted burden or situation with whether or not one deserves something brings pain and no resolution.

When the Pisces can answer the “why me” question with I don’t understand dear lord, why you put this burden on me, but I don’t need to understand it, I will do your will and do the best I can. When the Pisces believes that a higher power knows something that they do not and accepts that there is a meaning and purpose to the unfair circumstance then the drama ends. When they accept the challenge and believe that with grace and love to live their life true to high principles and serve a higher purpose they are happy and fulfilled.

One of the lessons of Pisces is to set boundaries so not to be taken advantage of. Freeing any inner guilt or obligation to always help someone else out is critical. Many times the Pisces feels that it is their duty and obligation to save someone, yet until they consciously understand why they think this way they can constantly be on call for friends and family that need favors. Choosing when to say they can and can’t is critical, and without feeling upset that someone asks them for a favor or guilty that they said no. It is essential that they learn to say no without feeling the need to explain or justify why they can’t fulfill the request.