Discover the element, modality and ruling planet of your sun sign, and how they make you unique

Your sun sign, also known as your star sign, represents the sign of the zodiac the Sun was moving through at your birth. As the main light source, the Sun provides heat, warmth and inspiration. The Sun is one of your most important planets and describes significant features of your personality.

Your sun sign shows how you light up life. It also defines the archetypal ways in which others see you. Via links to elements and modalities, your sun sign provides insight to the inner workings of your personality. As it’s the most powerful of all stellar bodies, your sun sign symbolises the underlying energy that fuels all you do.

Sun Signs: Ancient wisdom for modern life

Even though the modern use of sun sign astrology is often attributed to RH Naylor, whose horoscope profile of Princess Margaret appeared in the Sunday Express shortly after her birth in 1930, its origins are as old as astrology itself. In her book Flirting with the Zodiac, astrologer Kim Farnell discusses how in the 13th Century BCE the Hittites, who invaded Babylon, determined a child’s fate by “the month of its birth” – showing the origins of our modern monthly horoscope forecasts to be around 3300 years old!

Today sun sign astrology typically takes one of two forms. You can either read a personality profile based on your sun sign or read about your day, week, month or year ahead based on the influence of current planetary movements on your birth sign or solar chart. The sun sign horoscopes in this magazine take the latter form.

Your element and modality shows what motivates you, and how you get things done.

Your Ascendant (your public mask) and moon sign (your emotional, instinctive self) are as important as your sun sign, along with the Moon phase at the time you were born. Together, the sun, moon and Ascendant signs make up your basic astrological profile. If you know your moon and Ascendant sign, it is worth reading the horoscopes for those signs too.

Elements and modalities The 12 zodiac signs are divided and divided again to create a unique mix of energy. The first division is by element. There are four elements: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. There are three zodiac signs to each element.

The second division is by modality. There are three modalities: Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. There are four zodiac signs to each modality. This means each zodiac sign is a unique combination of element and modality.

The most powerful of all stellar bodies, your sun sign symbolises the underlying energy that fuels all you do.

Ruling planets

There are 10 planets in the astrological pantheon: seven that are visible to the naked eye and have been used since antiquity, plus three modern inclusions. The Sun and the Moon are included as planets by astrologers.

Knowing your ruling planet provides you with extra information about both your personality and your own cycles. If your patron planet is under pressure, you too will feel the pinch. On the flip side, when your ruling planet is receiving blessings, this also has a flow-on effect.