Discover your primary planet personality

The Sun is associated with identity. You may be most familiar with your star or, more accurately, your Sun sign. This is determined by placement of the Sun in the various zodiac signs and ties your birthdate to a particular period of the year.

Your Sun sign is just one piece of your astrological makeup. There are nine other planets, five of which are considered especially potent. These five planets — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto — have unique traits, which, if they are in aspect, or connection to, your Sun, will influence your personality.

Aspects & influences

Planets affect each other through links known as aspects. An aspect is like a line of energy. It reflects the geometric pattern between two planets and acts to connect them, so the influence of one planet modifies the expression of the other and vice versa.

Not all planets form aspects. When planets do form aspects, the energy of the aspect becomes a dominant factor around how you experience key topics and issues. For instance, aspects to the Moon flavour your home and family life, while aspects to Venus influence relationships. Aspects to the Sun colour your personality and can reveal your unique traits, including strengths and weaknesses.

Astrologers use five traditional aspects. These include the conjunction, the sextile, the square, the trine and the opposition. Each aspect has its own manifestation, but the most important factor to consider is the nature of the two planets in aspect and how they might combine. This is the magic — and uniqueness — of astrology.

If you relate mostly to the positive or conscious qualities of any profile below, you most likely have that planet in aspect to your Sun by conjunction, sextile or trine. If you relate most to the more challenging qualities of a profile, you are more likely to have that planet in aspect to your Sun by square or opposition.

Not everyone has a planet in aspect to the Sun: some people have more than one. Whatever your sign, your nature is modified by any planets that aspect your Sun. This planet combines with the Sun to describe your authentic self. Read the planet profiles below to learn more about your individuality.

Sun/Jupiter: The adventurer & gypsy

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Many of Jupiter’s qualities have to do with size and abundance, or a personality that’s larger than life. This includes famous faces like Elvis Presley (Sun sextile Jupiter), Frank Sinatra (Sun square Jupiter) and Eddie Izzard (Sun conjunct Jupiter).

Whatever your sign, your nature is modified by any planets that aspect your Sun.

If you have Jupiter in aspect to your Sun, you are on a quest for truth. Life is about the search for meaning and you may constantly question your purpose. Acting in ways that honour your beliefs is important. Fulfilment will be more important than success.

Jupiter is associated with truth, justice and faith. You may fight for what’s right, stand up for inequalities or simply make choices grounded in your moral code. You may be disheartened by cynicism.

Jupiter’s generous spirit flows through you and you may provide support and encouragement to help those around you live their dreams. Travel and learning can be important, as you seek a variety of experiences and have an affinity with foreign cultures and locations. Aussie TV presenter Catriona Rowntree, a host on Getaway, has the Sun trine Jupiter.

Your open-minded nature means you almost never rule out anything, instead preferring to keep your options open. This may lead to issues with commitment or stability, as you constantly seek the next great adventure. You will value experience over accumulation.

Jupiter is a planet associated with big ideas, publishing and general sharing of concepts. Poets, publishers and literary types like TS Eliot (Sun sextile Jupiter), Dorothy Parker (Sun square Jupiter), William Butler Yates (Sun opposite Jupiter), Maya Angelou (Sun conjunct Jupiter) and Hugh Hefner (Sun sextile Jupiter) all share a Sun/Jupiter aspect.

Sun/Saturn: The wise, old soul

Saturn occupies a special place in the solar system, representing the limit of what you can see with the naked eye. Historically, Saturn has been a boundary marker, and if you’re born with Saturn in aspect to your Sun you likely prefer to operate within clear boundaries.

Saturn’s links to wisdom and ageing mean you may come into your best years as you get older, like a fine wine. Some Sun/Saturn people are very serious as children but lighten up as they age. In addition, you may have a mature or responsible tone to your personality. Friends and family may love how reliable you are. Saturn is like a rock that endures, through thick and thin. You may be shy or reserved, but loved ones — and even colleagues — can count on you to keep your promises and follow through.

Saturn loves structure and you may thrive in an environment where there are clear expectations and a well-defined hierarchy. You are naturally patient and willing to work through necessary steps to achieve your goals. You appreciate that each life stage has something to offer and don’t want to miss out on something that may provide a foundation or security for the future.

These Saturn qualities suggest leadership and an enduring energy, which can be seen in the lives of such Sun/Saturn luminaries as John Howard (Sun square Saturn), Elizabeth I (Sun sextile Saturn), Rupert Murdoch (Sun sextile Saturn), Oprah Winfrey (Sun square Saturn), Jane Fonda (Sun square Saturn), Al Pacino (Sun conjunct Saturn) and Meryl Streep (Sun sextile Saturn).

Sun/Uranus: The quirky individual

As the first of the modern planets to be discovered (in 1781), Uranus represents a groundbreaking, innovative energy. It was only with the aid of technology that Uranus was spotted but, once discovered, the existence of Uranus radically reshaped the solar system. This energy of change and disruption is Uranus’s calling card.

If you’re a Sun/Uranus person you’re a catalyst for change. You may have an alternative perspective or think outside the box. You’re not bound by tradition or convention; instead, you’d rather experiment or invent something new. You have a forward-thinking energy, which may mean you are sometimes misunderstood, as if you’re ahead of the pack and the rest of us haven’t yet evolved to see the value in your ideas or inventions.

Uranus has an eclectic quality that encourages freedom and individuality. Being your own person, no matter how it sets you apart, is important. You’re here to preview alternative ways of living so consider yourself a groundbreaker or a pioneer. When you face a crossroads or major choice, dare to choose what’s right for you rather than what’s safe or the norm. You may have a spontaneous or unpredictable edge to your personality — you prefer change and excitement over stability or routine.

You’re here to preview alternative ways of living so consider yourself a groundbreaker or a pioneer.

Uranus/Sun aspects show up in the charts of people such as philanthropist and financier John D Rockefeller Jr (Sun opposite Uranus), wild-child basketball player Dennis Rodman (Sun square Uranus), singer George Michael, who has attracted controversy outside the music arena (Sun sextile Uranus), one-of-a-kind writer Stephen King (Sun square Uranus), misfit ex-princess Sara Ferguson (Sun sextile Uranus) and the father of modern psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (Sun conjunct Uranus).

Sun/Neptune: The inspired creative

Neptune is associated with spirituality and creativity. If you have Neptune in aspect to your Sun you may be a sensitive or intuitive individual. You may be acutely aware of energy and emotion. I often describe Sun/Neptune people as having “psychic antennae”. That is, you are able to pick up on feelings or the mood of people and places, without anything having been said.

Your heightened intuitive or energetic senses can be a double-edged sword — just because you can feel or sense something doesn’t mean it’s your responsibility to fix or manage it. Compassion can be your strength and your weakness; you give to those in need, but sometimes so much so that it’s to your own detriment.

Neptune’s sensitive nature may mean you have difficulty setting or maintaining boundaries or adopt excessive qualities. You may have to learn when to stop or say no. Neptune’s links to the fairytale-like fantasy life mean you may struggle with day-to-day practicalities. The desire to escape the mundane will ideally lead you into a spiritual or service path, but along the way you may spend time escaping reality through avoidance or overeating or drinking. It’s important to let go of people or situations that drain or deplete you. Learning to manage your energy is essential.

From the spirituality evident in the life of the Dalai Lama (Sun sextile Neptune) to the living-in-a-dream-world aspect of Marie Antoinette (Sun square Neptune), to creative talents such as Paul McCartney (Sun square Neptune), Bette Midler (Sun sextile Neptune) and k.d. lang (Sun conjunct Neptune), to the seemingly fairytale-like experiences and struggle with reality in the lives of Princess Diana (Sun trine Neptune) and Elizabeth Taylor (Sun opposite Neptune) to the focus on dreams and the unconscious of Carl Jung (Sun square Neptune), Sun/Neptune aspects can manifest in a variety of ways.

Sun/Pluto: The intense mysterious soul

Pluto is the most distant planet astrologer’s use. It is associated with experiences that are deep, dark and personal.

If you have a Sun/Pluto aspect you demand truth and honesty and can’t abide superficial frivolity. You may prefer to get to the heart of the matter and skip over social pleasantries. Intimacy and trust can be hot topics. You may take your time trusting someone new but, once you do, you’d take a bullet for them. If, however, someone breaks your trust or betrays you there are no second chances — Pluto’s influence means you can be extremely black and white in your views, especially regarding loyalty.

Pluto’s touch can add a naturally investigative quality to your personality, which may mean you often ask “Why?” or wonder what’s really going on in a situation. You rarely accept things at face value and can have a healthy level of suspicion or scepticism.

Pluto’s need for secrecy can mean you play your cards close to your chest, preferring to keep your feelings, thoughts and ideas to yourself until the last moment. Revealing vulnerability can be difficult as you may believe this means you lose power. Maintaining a sense of control is important, though you also need to be aware of controlling or manipulative behaviours.

You can have an intense focus, almost to the point of being obsessive, which can help you succeed or specialise. Pluto’s influence can inspire seemingly superhuman efforts, which can help your overcome extreme challenges or radically reshape your circumstances. You may express a quiet yet focused force of will that, when accessed, can help you move mountains.

With Pluto in aspect to your Sun, you may spend a period of time in Pluto’s realm, the underworld, dealing with dark subjects or demons, either your own or those of loved ones. You are also aware that there’s truly nothing to be afraid of other than fear itself. Pluto may also gift you a mesmerising, alluring quality.

Sun/Pluto aspects can be found in the charts of people such as Bert Newton (Sun conjunct Pluto), Pat Rafter (Sun square Pluto), Monica Lewinsky (Sun sextile Pluto), Rupert Murdoch (Sun trine Pluto), Sophia Loren (Sun sextile Pluto), Steffi Graf (Sun square Pluto) and Leonardo Da Vinci (Sun square Pluto), all of whom captured the collective consciousness for their extreme experiences.

Discovering and expressing your core self is the work of your soul in this lifetime. May these primary planet profiles inspire you to follow the advice of Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself: everybody else is already taken.”

Planetary personality

Below are keywords and important ages for each planet in aspect to the Sun.