Real Solar Power

Reflections on the Sun and the Sign of Leo: Reclaiming your Sovereignty and Leadership through Solitude

This article is “astrology beginner” friendly. In this writing, I’ll briefly explore the astrological significance of the Sun and the sign of Leo, and how effective leadership requires quiet contemplation. Go to the end of the article to discover what your natal Sun placement means in general for your path in life.

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Recently I read an email having to do with the power of solitude. I enjoyed reading it because I had just finished writing out some ideas about the power of sensitivity. (A whole other topic, but no less enthralling!)

In the email, two authors, Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin, were quoted from their book called Lead Yourself First. This is what it said:

“Solitude is a state of mind, a space where you can focus on your own thoughts without distraction, with a power to bring mind and soul together in clear-eyed conviction. Like a great wave that saturates everything in its path, however, handheld devices and other media now leave us awash with the thoughts of others. We are losing solitude without even realizing it.”

The basic idea is that good leaders have always used solitude to lead effectively. When it comes to making bigger decisions, wise leaders take into consideration the advice and opinions of their trusted advisors, but then they go off to a place where they can be left alone in deep contemplation. Their end-result may include their advisor’s recommendations or not at all. It’s in solitude where the juiciness of outstanding decision-making is made. That’s where clarity lives.

When the authors describe solitude as a state of mind, and bringing mind and soul together… well, that’s yoga (union). That’s what goes on in meditation even though that wasn’t named in this quote.

I haven’t read the book, although I might. And this isn’t necessarily a recommendation for the book, but I liked the quote. As soon as I read the word “solitude” and how they paired it with “leadership,” I immediately connected their topic to the astrological sign of Leo and the archetypal energy of the Sun.

Artwork from Sydney Goodwill

Leo and the Sun

All of the planets and signs and houses in astrology are representations of what actually occurs in your life. They’re like 2D picture drawings that give an outline or a map of what your 3D (and other dimensional) experiences are producing.

Think of Leo as the template or field in which you experience events and circumstances that relate to Leonine things. Think of your inner archetypal Sun as the one who’s creating Sun-like actions.

Leo is the kingdom of your life. It’s the place where you have your own unique creative expression of the Greater Consciousness. It’s the ‘royal’ part of you that is a space for you to lead your life like a king or a queen. Leo is your sovereign space. In order to make clear and healthy decisions, you have to step away from the court advisors and jesters that you surround yourself with, and be on your quiet mountaintop of contemplation.

Leo is all about creativity, committing to something greater than yourself, and making appropriate sacrifices for that greater aspiration. It’s where discernment is paramount in making the hard decisions.

It’s your inner Lion at the top of the food chain who has courage and conviction. There’s no waffling around taking on other people’s thoughts as your own, or getting caught in the mire of too many ideas. There’s sovereignty in this part of you that makes choices for dharmic reasons, defends what’s right and goes after greatness.

Leo is the sign of the Sun. I love visualizing our (physical) golden Sun with all of its miniature planets swirling around it, being out in its own magnificent patch of the Galaxy just blazing away. The Sun, in its solitary glory, is the solid foundation of Life As We Know It holding court for the rest of us to build our lives on.

Here are some words to describe the Sun in Vedic Astrology: Leadership. Inspiration. Intelligence. Power. Confidence. Consistency. Vision.

Yeah! Feel it!

Both Leo and the Sun attune you to your own kingdom, whether ‘kingdom’ means your home, your family, your employees or what goes on in your own mind. Leo is the stronghold of your mind. How well are you defending it?

You’re the sovereign of this kingdom called ‘You.’ You’re the Sun that certain people and your own thought-forms revolve around. You are the foundation of your life experience.

How’s your inner foundation, by the way? Solid?

Lately I’ve been working on this Sunny archetypal energy within myself— to be more consistent and inspired. To objectively see which things I need to sacrifice in my life in order for other things that I deem more important to thrive. To become an adept master in something worth being knowledgable of, and then to pass that knowledge onto others.

To be more public with my presence and consistent like the Sun is a fantastic challenge for me. When I commit to something outside of the home, it’s something that I know I can do… and even then, it’s a practice to know that. My tendency is to not show up on a consistent basis. All kinds of excuses come flooding in when I’m not empowering myself to arrive like I said I would. My ‘default’ setting is to not be consistent or even confident that I can be consistent. Again, I’m working on it.

Artwork by Ellen Vaman

Some people are just naturally bright with their inner Sun. In fact, you can see it in them: they look like lions! Or they radiate an authority that’s so natural that it’s easy to want to follow their lead. They show up when they say they will just like the Sun always shines on our Earth every morning. You see their commitment and it’s inspiring. Over time they earn your trust.

For those of us who don’t have that innate brightness and steadfastness—and it might be an edge to show up consistently or with power and leadership—there’s still hope. We’re all born with a ‘default’ blueprint that creates who we are. Fortunately, you also have free will and can start making decisions at any moment to shift the trajectory of who you’re becoming day after day.

Your Unique Solar Power

What astrological sign is your Sun in? What house is it in for you?

Depending on the sign and placement of your natal Sun from your Ascendant sign, that will show how you innately follow your inspiration.

In Vedic Astrology, we use the whole-sign system. This means that the first house belongs entirely to the sign of the Ascendant. Every degree from 0 to 29:59 in a house is the entirety of the sign. This is much different than Western Astrology that splits calculations into intercepted signs. The sign, like Leo, is the general “support” of the house. The house, such as your 5th house, is the specific area of your life.

To find where your natal Sun is, you’ll need your birth date, time and location. Once you have that information, you can find your natal Sun’s position here for free at my teacher’s teacher’s Tropical Astrology website.

General Mapping of the Sun in You

I emphasize the word general here:

If your Sun is in your Ascendant (1st house), 4th, 7th or 10th house from your Ascendant, then you’ll probably be taking more action and initiative with your Sun qualities.

If your Sun is placed in the 5th house or 9th house, then it’s more likely that you’ll have grace and ease with expressing your Solar Power.

If your Sun is in your 2nd house, you may find that you need to take on more responsibilities with your ability to lead. You might also be called to manage your wealth more intelligently.

If your Sun sits in your 6th house, you may find that there are delays to your leadership expressing itself. Or you may find yourself being more in service to others.

If your Sun is in your 8th house, sudden breaks and changes can occur within your ability to lead or stay committed to something greater than yourself.

If your Sun is in your 11th house, you may find that you’re more goal-oriented than a lot of people around you.

If your Sun is in the 12th house, as a leader or an inspired person, you may find that there is greater sacrifice and loss in this area of your life.

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How you deal with any of these positions depends on how strong your Sun is and how well-supported it is. For example, if your Sun is your 8th house, do you actually deal well with the breaks and changes that occur in your commitments? If it’s in the 12th house, are the sacrifices you make beneficial to you and those around you? Not all sacrifices are bad.

Of course, all of these house placements are generalities. How your Sun is supported or challenged by other planets is unique to your own makeup. The same goes for the field of Leo in your life.

Vedic Astrological Remedies for a Challenged Inner Sun

Whether or not you know your astrological chart, do you feel like your inner Sun and Leo could use a boost? Try one or all of these remedies:

• Wear the color gold or royal purple more often

• Wear gold jewelry

• Sunbathe with the intention of honoring the Sun archetype within yourself

• Chant a mantra to the Sun (“Om Soom Surya-ya Namaha”) 108 times

• Create a positive affirmation for yourself to repeat daily. Something like, “I am inspirational. I have a vision. I am confident in my ability to lead.” Or, “Consistency is my middle name!” Get creative with whatever is most applicable to your personal situation.

• Find daily consistency with small things that improve your life

For Your Solar Contemplation (Alone in Your Glorious Patch of the Galaxy)

When you think about the sign of Leo in your own chart, what area of life does it overlap for you? How does that impact your ability to be sovereign?

Is there an area of your life that could use some more empowerment through solitude and meditation?

How often are you walking away from your handheld device or your smartwatch, and letting the ‘court advisors and jesters’ fade off into the distance while you take ahold of the reins of your kingdom?

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Thank you for reading. Wishing you a bright, contemplative and visionary day!