According to Hellenistic tradition, the Seven Wanderers were known as the five visible planets and the two luminaries, which include the Sun and the Moon. In this section, we will be focusing on the Sun and its celestial impact on our human experience.
The all-seeing Sun, or Helios, consisting of fiery and intelligent light, is the instrument of perception of the soul (Brennan, 2017). The Sun is probably one of the more illuminating symbols in astrology. It is literally the brightest light that exists in our physical reality, rising and setting as the Earth rotates around it. Many moons ago, we believed that the Earth was the center of our galaxy and modern science has demonstrated that the Sun is actually at the center and we rotate around it.
In a paper about storytelling, Deborah Scherrer writes about how in almost every story either written or orated by man, the Sun appears as the central theme. Scherrer states that most cultures have recognized the significance of the Sun as prime controller of life on Earth.
She also goes on to state that "the Sumerians (c 3000 BC to 1400 BC) were some of the very first Sun worshipers in recorded history (though many cultures no doubt worshipped the Sun before that). Sumerians were living in the region of Mesopotamia that corresponds to the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In Sumerian culture, every divinity (god) is imagined as a celestial being."
In the Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis, there is a passage that discusses the creation of the Earth. The following is said passage:
In the beginning Elohim, God(s), created the heavens and the Earth. Now the Earth was without form and void; darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
The passage then continues to state,
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.
From these two passages, or bible psalms, it can be deduced that the symbolism behind these words points to the Sun. According to Brennan, the Sun in a nativity signifies kingship, authority, and form. In the first passage above, it states "now the Earth was without form and void"; the Sun here symbolizes "form".
In astrology, the Sun symbolizes the ego, the father, royalty, loyalty, masculinity, nobility and notable figures. It is the ruler of the zodiac sign, Leo and it is said to be exalted, meaning elevated, in the zodiac sign of Aries. It is said to rule over the head, the right eye, the heart, and the life-breath. Its corresponding substance is gold; color is yellow; and it is of diurnal sect.
Credit:
Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan, 2017.
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