The Sun ruler ship and life purpose

All living beings on earth need the Sun. The Sun is what warms our spirits and nurtures our souls. Without it, nothing could live or grow. Many of us don’t question why the Sun is there, we just accept it. When it goes in we complain and when it comes out we feel enriched and uplifted. People have studied the Sun for years, some feel incredibly drawn to it and have discovered many interesting scientific facts, whilst others just feel spiritually connected and use the Sun as their main source of inspiration. Have you ever caught a glimpse of the Sun on a summers evening and felt the beams sparkle in your eyes? All of a sudden it makes you feel beautiful, even if you weren't feeling it in the first place. The Sun just has a magical way of making us feel like we belong.

But, what does the Sun mean to you? Is it a question you've ever asked yourself? How do you feel when the Sun is out? Does it make you feel spiritual? Does it make you feel happy? Perhaps it makes you feel more creative? If it does make you feel happy then have you ever asked yourself why? It's actually quite a difficult question to answer.. But, if we look deep within ourselves then there is sure to be many logical answers. For example, Serotonin, the neurotransmitter plays an important role in the production of sleep and depression and these levels are somewhat increased when you are exposed to bright light so you automatically feel uplifted. The Sun also provides us with Vitamin E and makes us feel nourished and alive in spirit so when it closes in for Winter, it is no wonder that we begin to feel a little low in spirit, but what is also interesting is that there are many spiritual factors as to why the Sun can make you feel so good.

For example, the Sun has been used as an expression of happiness for many, many years. Famous poets and singer/songwriters often refer to the Sun in their writings and music. Many of us also feel incredibly spiritual when we are in touch with such a divine light. When the Sun's golden beams finally emerge and warm your face on a dismal day it’s almost impossible to escape from the overall feeling of contentment that it offers. When the Sun is out, everyone feels happy and we go about our day to day activities feeling revitalised. The Sun is also a natural healer for psychological illnesses such as depression and some people have even spoken about 'feeling God' through the warm, sunny rays of light. Many people that claim to have seen God often describe the experience as being 'beyond words'; as if a sudden light just appears out of nowhere, all fear diminishes and there is a feeling of completeness, wholeness. It therefore may be a reason why some people see the Sun as actually being God himself, as the Sun denotes all these things that people often talk about through spiritual experiences. It could be then, that through the Sun and through certain stars and the unknown that we are able to experience little glimmers of enlightenment to get closer to the real thing – God. For example, the pioneering psychoanalyst – Carl Jung made two journeys that together shaped his philosophy on spirituality and the Sun. On his visit to the Pueblo Indians of Taos, New Mexico, the forty nine year old traveller found himself in deep conversation with one of the tribe’s elders. As they sat together on the roof of his house, the old man pointed to the Sun blazing overhead; “Is he who not moves there our Father? How can there be another God? “Nothing can be without Sun”. Jung then enquired whether or not the Sun might not instead be a fiery ball shaped by a invincible god. His reply was “the Sun is God – everyone can see that”.

The scientific factors of the Sun are also extremely intriguing and automatically lead you to ask more questions as to how and why it stays up in the sky:

It is known that the Sun does not stand still, or even move in a simple pattern. At different times, and under different examinations, it may appear a solid orb, a ball of fire, or a constantly discharging source of winds, flares, spirals and radioactive particles. Its latitudes rotate at different speeds, and its whole surface surges up and down about four kilometres every hundred and sixty minutes - although even to talk about the Sun’s “surface” is misleading since, being largely a collection of gases, it has none. Seen from other planets, it is larger or smaller that when viewed from the Earth; and its atmospheric effects are different on the planet Mercury, say, or than on the torrid mists of Venus, and different again on our planet.

It is actually known to be an ordinary and rather nondescript star situated on the outskirts of an average galaxy. The Sun is basically our source of life on Earth. It warms up our world and gives light during our day time. Initially it was thought that the Sun was just one giant ball of fire, burning much like a candle. But this theory is not really justifiable, because if the Sun were actually burning like a candle, it would have been exhausted years ago! Other theories have suggested that the Sun’s huge gravitational pull, the results of its large mass was being converted into energy but this still does not account for the age of the Sun, which is estimated to be more than 4.6 billion years old. It was the German –born Jewish physicist, Albert Einstein that finally provided the answer: He stated that the mass and energy were interchangeable, E=mc2 , where E is energy, m is mass and c is the speed of light. The Sun is central to everything, it’s the main source of energy on earth and is head of the food chain, as plants need to grow. It also causes rivers to flow. The electricity that we use is also generated by burning fossil fuels; coal, oil and also natural gas, we need the sunlight in order to keep things ticking over, so without Sun there would be nothing.

The Sun in Astrology and Tarot

What is also interesting about the Sun is that many spiritualists use the Sun to read into people’s life purposes. For example: The Sun is known to represent our conscious mind and egos in our astrology chart, it is known as “the boss” and talks about what drives us in life and what it is that we are learning to be. Many people find that they eventually just grow into their Sun sign and the Sun really does speak about where we shine. The Sun in astrology is the ruler of Leo situated in the fifth house which talks about our relationships and our creativity. Leo’s are often leaders and are known to be bossy, domineering, confident and creative and often thrive on the presence of audiences; many Leos in fact are actors/actresses as they love to be centre stage in life. It is no wonder then, that the Sun rules Leo!

It is easy to find out your Sun sign. You will know your Sun sign by the date of your birthday and most people are familiar with their horoscope:

Aries - March 21 - April 20
Taurus - April 21 - May 21
Gemini - May 22 - June 21
Cancer - June 22 - July 22
Leo - July 23 -August 21
Virgo - August 22 - September 23
Libra - September 24 - October 23
Scorpio - October 24 - November 22
Sagittarius - November 23 - December 22
Capricorn - December 23 - January 20
Aquarius - January 21 - February 19
Pisces - February 20- March 20

Many astrologers believe that our life purpose comes from the Sun itself as the Sun is the giver of life. Your Sun sign will speak a lot about your life path and although the moon and other aspects in your chart influence the way you approach life, the Sun is ultimately the driving force behind everything you do and also speaks about the reasons why you are drawn to specific things in life.
For example if your Sun is in Scorpio then you may well have a natural curiosity about the afterlife as the energy Scorpio rules is death and transformation. Many have curious minds and wish to investigate everything, therefore a Scorpio career path will would lead into things where they are digging a little deeper. For example, many doctors and crime investigators have strong Scorpio elements in their charts.
Here is an easy way to indentify with the energy of each star sign, so whichever sign is in your Sun, will have the most impact on your chart:

• Aries, ruled by Mars, likes to take risks and tells it how it is
• Pisces, ruled by Neptune are dreamy and artistic and feel everything
• Taurus, ruled by Venus is full of beauty and harmony - stays at home
• Gemini’s, ruled my Mercury is a messenger and they are often in two minds
• Cancer, ruled by the Moon is motherly and like to nurture
• Leo, ruled by the Sun wants and craves attention
• Virgo, ruled by Mercury are said to be perfectionists and can nitpick
• Libra ruled by Venus like relationships and balance
• Scorpio, ruled by Pluto reveals what others don't wish to know
• Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter is philosophical and keeps you optimistic
• Capricorn ruled by Saturn is stable, grounded and controlling
• Aquarius ruled by Uranus is revolutionary and likes to see ahead

The Sun in the tarot deck is also used as a symbolic sign that things are going to "turn out ok". For example A. E. Waite (Rider-Waite tarot deck) suggested that The Sun card is associated with attained knowledge. An infant rides a white horse under the anthropomorphized sun, with sunflowers in the background. The child of life holds a red flag, representing the blood of renewal while a smiling sun shines down on him, representing accomplishment. The conscious mind prevails over the fears and illusions of the unconscious. Innocence is renewed through discovery, bringing hope for the future. The Sun card in the tarot deck can also used for meditative purposes in the sense that one is channeling in positive energy. When The Sun card appears in a reading we automatically feel relieved and happy.

Overall the Sun is an extremely powerful energy, so powerful that, sometimes it is seen as an overwhelming threat that it must in some way be tamed.
In ancient Chinese mythology, for instance, the goddess Xihi gives birth to ten Suns, which rise simultaneously into the heavens, burning the harvests and all plant life. The Sun’s heat can result in bushfires, burnt skin and painful sores and can even cause skin cancer. Moderation is essential when it comes to the Sun’s heat but essentially it is a wondrous, vibrant energy that keeps us alive, keeps us happy and keeps us healthy in mind, body and spirit!

Max Müller – the nineteenth Century Oxford professor who transformed the study of the solar mythology wrote:

“I look upon the sunrise and sunset, on the daily return of the day and night, on the battle between light and darkness, on the whole solar drama in all its details that is acted everyday, every month, every year, in heaven and in earth, as the principle subject of early mythology”.



REFS:

Chasing the Sun – Richard Cohen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun_(Tarot_card)
A Concise Guide to the Stars and Planets – Duncan John
Chasing the Sun – Richard Cohen/Jung, Carl Gustav, memories, dreams, reflections, New York; Pantheon 1961. pp 250-1