For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun transits the zodiac sign of Leo at the height of the summer season. Everything is about the light! Nature seems to have no end of bounty to bestow upon us, the little humans who enjoy her gifts. And so, it is more than fitting that the ancients who first began to recognize the relationship between the Sky and the Earth designated that the glorious Sun should become the ‘ruler’ of LEO since this is the Zodiac sign that co-relates to the July/August monthly time period.
In terms of the role that this celestial body plays within the human psyche, it’s all about holding to center. It is by virtue of the sheer power of the magnetism of the solar force that all the elements of the persona are united. In the horoscope, the Sun can be said to be the BEST representation of who you are (not always attained, by any measure!); it can be called the driving engine or ‘horse’ of the chart (this from the Shamanic School of Astrology); it could be equated to the LIGHT of the persona, as opposed to the 
SHADOW, (this in psychological terms); I think of it as the integrative energy that holds all else in perfect harmony. Just as the Sun is the magnetic center of the solar system, so is the archetypical Sun the magnetic force that all else refers to in the persona.
In a sense, the Sun represents the PHD thesis that you came here to pursue. Whatever the sign it is in, it is imperative to understand the call to action that is described by that sign. We all want to exemplify the majesty of the SUN. We want to shine. We want to give that which is within us to those around us, just as the Sun of the solar system provides the energy required for life to exist.
So, very, very, very briefly, here is a list of key thoughts for the Sun through the signs. This list is meant to be a trigger that you can use to create more key thoughts. And, of course, there are countless articles, books & podcasts out there that explore the nature of the Sun. They are all useful as well.
The SUN in:
ARIES
The call for Leadership
TAURUS
The call for Security
GEMINI
The call for Intellectual Diversity
CANCER
The call for Supportive Nurturement
LEO
The call for Creative Self-expression
VIRGO
The call for Analytical Understanding
LIBRA
The call for Balance & Cooperation
SCORPIO
The call for Self-empowerment
SAGITTARIUS
The call for the Search for Truth
CAPRICORN
The call for Personal Autonomy
AQUARIUS
The call for Vision
PISCES
The call for Compassion
Now, get yourself a piece of paper & brainstorm other thoughts for the Sun through the signs that resonate with you. Start with your own Sun Sign & turn this into a bit of a soul-searching exercise.
It is also necessary to understand how the house, or at the very least the quadrant where you find the Sun in the natal horoscope figures into the journey into self-actualization. The houses of the horoscope demonstrate the various areas of life where we play out our personal dramas. With the Sun located in a particular house, this will be a strong driver within the psyche in terms of setting goals, creating intentions & framing the boundaries of the reality. Where your Sun is, there you will find your heart’s desire! Remember, The Sun co-relates to the HEART anatomically. More and more we discover how critical a role the Sun plays in the structuring of our daily lives, both physically & emotionally. If the heart is troubled, the body is not well.
Another exercise you can do is to go through the 12 houses & brainstorm what it means when the Sun is located in each one. As previously recommended, it’s useful to begin with your own chart, find where the Sun is located & get going.
The Sun in house:
1: Me First
2: What I Desire
3: I Question & Explore
4: I Protect & Nurture
5: I Express & Create
6: I Serve & Heal
7: I Create Commonality & Peace
8: I Stand in my Power
9: I Search for Meaning & Truth
10: I Manage & Keep Order
11: I Imagine & Envision
12: I Connect to That Which is Beyond Me
The next step is to put the two descriptions into something that makes sense TO YOU. For instance, if you have a Virgo Sun in the 1st House, you might make the following amalgamated phrase:
I create the rules for the kind of Service that I am prepared to offer to others.
Notice the emphasis on ‘I’ & being the boss of the process.
Here’s another one for the Sun in Sagittarius in the 10th House:
I am in control of my spiritual condition.
By extracting the essence of both of the descriptions, you can then develop them into one statement.
It’s a lot of fun to play around with the Sun in this way. It is useful to do it with charts of folks that you know. You may even get dramatic insights into the nature & action of the Sun through the signs & houses as you do this highly personal exercise. You may find a hidden element that no astrological cookbook could ever give you by looking at real-life people in real life situations.
There is SO much more that could be explored about the Sun & the role that he plays within the psyche! But, at the very least, the previously mentioned little exercises can get you going on the journey into a deeper level of awareness about this very important planetary archetype.
May the SUN always shine upon your path
May you be blessed…