“The Sun’s symbol reveals mans’ divine origin and shows him the unlimited possibility of growth which can be achieved through the conscious attunement to the dot of divinity within each being.”
Alan Oken
The Sun! We can’t miss it. It’s bright, it burns wildly and demands attention. Everything in our solar system revolves around it. If we’re not careful, it can burn us, or even blind us. These are just some of the abstract analogies that can also be made about a person’s ego. In the natal chart, the Sun represents two main themes:
- Our ego function and how we go about strengthening it in order to stay sane and live our individual lives
- Our deeper, primary goal in this lifetime, which is connected to individuation and ultimately our path to enlightenment
Both are important, but we get into difficulties when all we do is strengthen our ego and ignore the higher, more lofty goals that our Sun sign, house and aspects have mapped out for us.
Having conducted hundreds of readings, and studying the charts of people I knew, I began to notice that there was usually a certain way in which a person bolstered their ego. I noticed that the house position of their Sun seemed highly relevant and was a reasonably good way to tap into the area of life where they most wanted to assert themselves, and where they were most hurt if things went wrong.
First, a little bit about houses. Whereas the signs represent underlying motivations and inner drives, and the aspects represent challenges and tools that can used to achieve those drives, the houses simply represent the outer arena of life. They are the theatrical stage where ‘stuff happens’. And, after all, what ‘happens’ is extremely important when it comes to reaching our goals. The house position of a person’s Sun can point to really helpful clues as to where that person may get unknowingly ‘trapped’ into turning up the volume on their ego function, at the expense of following more lofty goals. In a way, the houses represent our 3D reality – materiality, time and place – and they are easy to get caught up in!
We are caught up in an illusion that we have a separate identity. We do, but that identity is only temporary, just like an actor playing a role in a movie. It’s true at the time, but once the show is over, poof – there goes that identity and all its stories! The ego is very attached to this temporary identity, and acts in the best interest of preserving it at all costs. The house position of someone’s Sun can give us clues as to how and where in life they preserve themselves. But look a little more deeply, this is also where they can awaken, and evolve. The Sun in truth, is the true source of divinity within us – our true ‘identity’ is as God. However, the ego can get a little confused and believe our true identity is – our identity! It thinks our identity is all the stories we can tell about ourselves, like our eye colour, our job, our dreams and memories. Like the actor in a movie, all these things are only ever temporary.
“Most humans do not live up to the potential of their Sun, for they are only dimly aware of their essence and they identify with various projected images. If a person were in complete harmony with their Sun, they would be able to use their various images and talents for whatever purpose they desired.”
Alan Oken
Now onto the Sun through the houses…
Below are some suggestions for how a person may collude with their ego and strengthen its belief in its own identity. And, some thoughts on the higher intention of the Soul to awaken to its true identity as divine. Please use them as kicking off points and add your own reflections and ideas! Remember – the main motivation of the ego is to feel safe and happy and non-threatened. As ever, all these descriptions should be refined with the sign, and any aspects.
1st House: With the Sun in the first house, a person might collude with their ego through cultivating a very strong identity. What was discussed about the ego needing to carve out an identity filled with stories is extra relevant here, as this may become a strong focus for a first house Sun. The person may seek ever more ways to express themselves as a unique individual. This person likes to lead, and be out front – as long as the sign agrees of course. The first house Sun person may feel hurt if their unique identity is criticised or challenged, or if they’re not given a say or a voice or allowed to lead their own way.
The higher goal of Sun in the first house is no less than discovering their true identity! There is in inner need to shine, to sense their own specialness, but what they’re ultimately sensing is their God self. If this is recognised, and it’s acknowledged that every single person is God, they can realise their own true nature through an ever deepening search for their identity and who they are.
2nd House: With the Sun in the second House, the person is afflicted with low confidence and self-esteem and seeks to find ways to improve this. When colluding with the ego, they seek this through money, material belongings or collecting certificates. The ego may constantly remind the person of their lowly worth, ever pressurising them to have more, and be better. This person pushes themselves to improve, so they can feel more worthy, yet they don’t see their inherent true inner worth they already have. Criticism of worth, and loss of material stability hurts this person.
The higher goal of the Sun in the second house is to find stability and security through realising their true worth as God. When they see that they are divine at their core, their sense of worth flourishes, and they can offer others this same sense of true stability through sharing their resources. Their resources being – their own values! The ego may seek safety through securing resources, but ultimately this person is here to discover their already ever-present safety through being divine, and that God is present in every form of materiality.
3rd House: With the Sun in the third house, the person can be trapped inside their limited perceptions and opinions. They can collude with the ego through thinking that the more they know, the greater or safer they will be. They are hurt by people disagreeing with their ideas or making them feel stupid. The ego can convince them that ‘I am what I know’.
The higher goal of the Sun in the third house is to wipe clean the lens through which they look. To look through new eyes in every moment, ever curious. The Soul simply wants to experience, without holding onto any stories or arriving at any conclusions. In this way, the person sees that life is essentially a game of perspectives. They are here to be the cosmic synthesisers of higher knowledge.
4th House: With the Sun in the fourth house, the person colludes with their ego by believing in its intense emotions and seeking safety in bondage to people and things. Emotional attachments [to people or possessions] arise and take over the personality and the person is swayed by them instead of staying centred. This can play out as close family bonds, even if they’re not healthy and a desire to keep these bonds at all costs, even if it means sacrificing their own needs. The ego says ‘to stay safe I must stay bonded to people’. Feelings and emotions that seem hard to shake keep the person ‘safe’ by not totally trusting life or others. This person is hurt by acts of betrayal.
The higher purpose of Sun in the fourth house is to go deep inside and discover their true roots or foundations. The emotions act as an anchor, pulling the person down inside themselves so they can ultimately discover where they are truly from. Their true bond, and anchor is to their divinity and safety will come when they see who they truly are and where they’re from. They are learning to trust that ‘life’ holds them safely, and to cultivate immense compassion for themselves and all others.
5th House: With the Sun in the fifth house, the ego is literally lit up, as this is its natural home. This person colludes with the ego by an intense need to be unique and special, and to be seen and heard fully. The ego sends the message ‘shine’, ‘gather an audience’ so it can feel important and special. Safety is sought through the approval and admiration of others. This person is hurt if they are suddenly not the centre of attention.
The higher purpose of Sun in the fifth house is to discover that creative expression, and pure joy are the natural, already existing states of the Soul. They can tune in to the highest creative force available – divinity, and feel the urge to create and express without ever needing an audience or approval at all. They are here to spread love, and all its expressions, not in placing themselves at the centre, but in placing everyone at the centre.
6th House: With the Sun in the sixth house, the person colludes with their ego through a drive to be ever useful, and always good at what they do. There is an orientation towards helpfulness, regardless of whether they truly want to do it or not. The ego says ‘if I’m useful to others then I’ll be accepted.’ The person may constantly criticise things and seek to improve them, because the ego sends the message that ‘perfection is required if I’m to be good enough and liked’. This often plays out at work, doing any job, even if it’s not their true passion, just to be of use. And within that rushed choice of service, they must be the best at it. The ego seeks safety through what it ‘does’ and is hurt by doing things wrong or badly and being criticised.
The higher purpose of Sun in the sixth is to engage in service to others as a pure act of love. They are learning that divinity isn’t just found in perfect people, it’s found in all those who are supposedly ‘useless’ or ‘flawed’ in some way. Their higher path is to meet reality exactly as it is, and that a person doesn’t need to ‘do’ anything in order to be accepted by God or divinity.
7th House: When the Sun is in the seventh house, the person may collude with their ego by endlessly attaching themselves to significant relationships. The ego sends the message that to survive, it must depend on others. Falling in love often becomes the ego’s way of side-tracking the Soul, and they may have or stay in relationships just for the sake of them. The ego is seeking safety through having others mirror back who they are, as it cannot seem to do this for itself. These people are hurt if they experience rejection from others.
The higher purpose of Sun in the seventh is to unify all people. The Soul is on the path of seeing that if we all work together, in harmony, then we can all taste the divine. This is the end of selfishness and separatism, and building totally balanced relationships [of all kinds] is the way in which this person contributes to the divine plan. The Soul is seeking to become the cosmic mediator.
8th House: With the Sun in the eighth house, the person colludes with the ego by believing it is either powerful, or powerless. This is very much an internal, hidden place that doesn’t usually express itself outwardly on the stage of life. The ego sends the message that survival depends on being powerful and in control, or on always relinquishing power to others so it cannot be annihilated. Sometimes this expresses itself through money, hidden knowledge, holding secrets or sex as all these things hold power. This person is hurt by anything deeply hidden about themselves being suddenly revealed or discovered, as that reduces their power. Or, by an circumstance whereby some of their power is taken from them.
The higher purpose of Sun in the eighth is a tough one! This is the house of deep transformation and the secret workings of our subconscious selves. The purpose here is to dissolve the pull of the ego and lower drives of the personality and deeply transform into a higher version of themselves. They are here to be the cosmic alchemists of life. They must look darkness right in the eye, and turn lead into gold.
9th House: With the Sun in the ninth house, the person colludes with the ego through a constant search for meaning, truth and wisdom. Though the activities of life ‘seem’ to be getting higher now, the ego is very sneaky, and can even use a desire to enlighten through spiritual practice as a means to survive. Here we see seekers and searchers. The ego says that in order to stay safe and survive, I must become enlightened! These people are hurt by their cherished beliefs/religions being thwarted or discredited.
The higher purpose of the Sun in the ninth house is to release all attachments to beliefs, and discover that no one truth can ever be the ultimate truth! They are here to gain higher wisdom, and part of that wisdom is that truth is an impossible ideal. Instead of preaching their beliefs, they must release them and instead intuitively ‘feel’ truth. They are here to expand their consciousness – but be careful, the ego can jump in the driving seat and try to expand its consciousness in order to stay safe!
10th House: With the Sun in the tenth house, the person colludes with their ego by ‘becoming’ someone important in the world. The ego believes it has to be important, in order to stay safe. This importance can be through being the boss, achieving fame, or being an ‘enlightened one’. It doesn’t matter how it plays out, if the person feels they are somehow more important than others, the ego is in control. The ego says in order to survive, I need a big mission. These people are hurt by anything that shakes their belief in their own importance. Inferiority is painful.
The higher purpose of the Sun in the tenth is simply to achieve their mission. What is that mission? It is none other than full self-realisation, or enlightenment. Fame is often associated with the Sun here, but fame is just yet another face of importance. In the tenth, you don’t become an authority ‘over’ others, but you become a true authority on yourself, totally congruent inside and out.
11th House: With the Sun in the eleventh house, the person may collude with their ego by changing the world, or at least aspiring to! Here are the ‘do-gooders’ who want to make a difference. The ego says that in order to be safe, I must do good, serve and make a difference in the world. They might gather large groups of people together for good causes, a lofty admirable activity – but, is the ego looking for safety and its rightful place through this? These people are hurt by idealistic visions being cut off or dismissed. If I cannot fulfil my dream of making a difference, then who am I?
The higher purpose of the Sun in the eleventh house is to unite people together, but instead of smaller groups as in the 7th, in masses, through the outpouring of higher wisdom. What they learned through houses or signs 1-10th is to be generously shared with others in the spirit of pure service and love.
12th House: With the Sun in the twelfth house, the person may collude with the ego by either becoming a victim in some way, or by martyring themselves out in the name of compassion. They can also believe it’s safer to stay alone, away from others, so that pain cannot be inflicted upon them. The ego says that in order to stay safe, I must play victim so that my needs are always met. Or, that in draining themselves to serve others with compassion, they can somehow be deserving of what they need to survive. They are hurt by having their needs abandoned, but likely wouldn’t complain about it. The message is, that if I sabotage myself, it’ll protect me, because then others cannot sabotage me!
The higher purpose of the Sun in the twelfth house is indeed to sabotage the self. But, not quite like we just described. The purpose is to finally let go of the sense of self, and allow divine conscious to flood through. The aim here is not to sacrifice the self in the name of pity and self-sabotage, but to sacrifice the lower personality in the name of serving divinity and God’s plan. They become saviours, not as martyrs, but as truly self-actualised, radiant beings.
Let me know in the comments below, where your Sun is placed!
