Why It's Important To Go Beyond Your Sun Sign

If you're the slightest bit interested in astrology and have ever engaged someone in conversation about it you've probably heard one or more of the following: 

"I'm a Taurus, and we're the best!" or "Oh my god, I cannot stand Geminis!" or "You're a Libra? What are they supposed to be about?" or "Well, all I know is that I'm a Pisces." 

Thanks to popular astrology it's safe to assume that nearly everyone is familiar with their Sun sign--BUT--what if I told you that you had a complete birth chart where nine other main cosmic bodies (in more than one sign) work in tandem with your Sun placement, to provide a framework of the the talents you were born with? For example, did you know that you have a Rising sign (public persona), a Moon sign (emotions), a Venus sign (love and wealth), a Mars sign (sex drive and aggression), and even a Mercury sign (thought process and communication style) that all come together in your chart to help you to express your uniqueness?

If you were to look at my chart, you would see that in addition to my Sagittarius Sun I also have my Mars in Leo and my Mercury in Capricorn. In loose terms this means I act like a star and think like a businesswoman ( ha! I smell a book deal!). Or how about my Aries sun daughter with a Mars in Taurus which makes her shall we say, EXTRA persistent when it comes to getting what she wants. (I'm almost certain this kid works for the Mafia. Ha! Kidding. Sort of.)

sample birth chart.

Anyway, as per the birth chart; quite simply it's a snapshot of the sky at the exact time and place you were born. At that time the stars, planets, and asteroids were transiting through at least 5 different zodiac signs creating your special astro-blend. Each of those planets then "fall" in different areas of your chart known as Houses. These houses (one for each zodiac sign) correspond to different areas of your life; the sign that rules each house will show how those areas or houses are maintained.

This is why when we focus solely on our Sun signs or keep ourselves closed off from other signs, we run the risk of severely limiting our awareness of ourselves and others. 

At its core, astrology helps us to recognize the human being as a complete, multidimensional entity; to understand humanness in all of its complexity, contradiction, and beauty.  When we allow room for complexity, we allow each other room to be who we are.

So, who are you?

Listen to this while you think it over: