Just as the Sun is central to our solar system, so too is the Sun central to our psyche. As above, so below, as they say. In your birth chart, the Sun represents the core of who you are and why you’re here. Like a bullseye, it gives focus and direction. A set of underlying values, motivations, and behaviors. Strengths and challenges, too.
To honor the Sun is to feel alive. It’s the secret to sanity. Central and integral, it’s the journey of becoming the highest and best expression of you in this life.
That said, the Sun does not operate alone. Other planets revolve around it and are very much a part of your birth chart, too. This is why there are not simply 12 “types” of people in this world and why Sun sign astrology often fails. Yes, two people with the same Sun sign may find similarities between themselves, but that is only the beginning. In other words, a Capricorn Sun with a Cancer Moon is very different than a Capricorn Sun with an Aries moon. Add 8 other planets on top of that and you’ve got yourself a true kaleidoscope of possibility.
And yet, the Sun truly is a good place to start. When you know who you (really) are and act accordingly, life feels so much more meaningful.
The Sun in business
If you’ve been with me for awhile, you know that I’m a brand designer and astrologer, often mixing the two. Which means that I talk a lot about business and entrepreneurship and how our birth charts are a blueprint for how we work best.
So what does the Sun have to do with that?
If your ascendant represents the energy that shows up when you first connect with a potential client or customer, the Sun represents the energy that these people experience when they are actively engaging with you beyond first impressions.
Just as I am central to my own Universe, so too are you. And when you work with someone in a 1:1 capacity, these two worlds collide. By implementing your core values into your brand identity and messaging, people know what to expect from you.
But perhaps more importantly is the reminder that the Sun is the secret to our sanity. If you are looking to run a business from a place of true alignment, joy, and ease, there is no better place to look than the Sun. Without it, your shine fades and authenticity wanes. You cannot be someone you’re not. At least, not for long.
Interpretations:
I’m going to assume that most everyone knows their Sun sign, but hey, maybe you don’t. If not, welcome. You can plug in your birth details here. For the purpose of this post, it’s okay if you don’t know your birth time. Just the date is fine.
While I’m only going to dive a little into each sign my hope is that you can use these interpretations as a point of reflection into your own values and energy and how all of that is or is not showing up in your brand. Just remember that in terms of visuals, the Sun is only one ingredient. With clients, I always look at the whole chart, with special focus on the Ascendant (full post already written), Moon, and Midheaven as well.
ARIES
Central focus: You are here to develop courage in this life, through overcoming fears, standing true in who you are, and going after what you want.
Core values: Tolerance for risk. Acknowledging fear, but going for it anyway. Act now, think later. Bravery. Fight to win, gracious in defeat. Standing up for your right. Assertiveness. Decisiveness. Honesty. Fierce loyalty. Passion. Independence.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of boldness. This could be as literal as a bold font or all caps lettering. Maybe you even choose something that feels a bit more unique or loud and proud. Fiery colors would be a straightforward choice, but again, anything that feels bold is fair game. For imagery, it’s all about energy. Think: a person standing firm in who they are, staring directly at the camera. Bold illustrations. Fire, sparks, literal movement. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Full visual post on Aries available.
Low expression: Anger, aggression, fear.
TAURUS
Central focus: You are here to cultivate serenity in this life, through building a strong foundation of stability and security so that you have the space needed to calm down, tune into your body, and live simply.
Core values: Security and safety. Self confidence. Keeping it simple. Tranquility. Embodiment. Connecting with the senses; human touch, a hug, working with your hands, enjoying a nourishing meal, music, good smells, silence, nature.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of serenity. Natural beauty. This could be a font that is more subdued and beautiful. A simple serif or sans serif. Nothing that is trying to shout at its audience. For color, a palette inspired by nature is perfect. This could be as straight forward as a few hues of green or as robust as a garden palette, with Taurus being the epitome of a field of lush spring blooms. For imagery / illustration, anything natural and / or peaceful comes to mind. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Just make sure that your brand maintains an overall appearance of simplicity. Full visual post on Taurus available.
Low expression: Stubborn, unwilling to leave what is known.
The Taurus in this brand comes through natural + earth based imagery, traditional typography, and earthy neutrals.
GEMINI
Central focus: You are here to maintain a sense of open minded, continual curiosity in this life, through the collecting of all sorts of learning and data and experience and connection.
Core values: Curiosity. Open mind. New information. Learning, reading, writing, sharing, teaching. Trying on new hats. Picking people’s brains. Being social. Flexibility. Adaptability. Humor and wit. A quick mind, intelligence, language skills.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of being on the pulse. Up to date. Even trendy. This could be an energetic, fresh / fun font or literally anything design related that seems to be popular in the moment. Seriously, though. Hop on Pinterest, notice what comes up a lot, and don’t be afraid to give it a try if it’s something you’re into. This is the one energy that can get away with changing up their brand more often. I know that I’m sharing less specifics here in comparison to other signs, but that’s intentional. Gemini can truly be everything and anything. So get creative and don’t worry if you need to adapt. Gemini’s good at that. Full visual post on Gemini available.
Low expression: Rigid opinion, untamed stressful / buzzy energy.
CANCER
Central focus: You are here to open your heart in this life, through taking care of your emotional wellbeing, feeling your feelings, nurturing, and healing.
Core values: A safe physical place in this world, often “home.” Acknowledging feelings. Sensitivity as a superpower. Emotional intelligence. Healing and self care. Something to nurture. Compassion. Gentleness. Chosen family.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of feeling at “home.” This could be a font that feels welcoming, like a lowercase serif or flowy script. Nothing that feels in your face or chaotic. For color, anything that feels calm and healing is fair game. This is hard to explain, but think creams, watery blues, light purples, and dreamy pinks. For imagery / illustration, it’s all about cozy comfort. Picture a person lounging on a couch filled with pillows and blankets. Bodies of water. Sunset or the night sky. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Full visual post on Cancer available.
Low expression: Staying inside your shell.
LEO
Central focus: You are here to sincerely express yourself in this life, through sharing some part of your heart with the right receptive audience, big or small, so that you can reclaim confidence and joy.
Core values: Self expression. Vulnerability. Allowing yourself to shine (you’re meant to). Feedback as encouragement and the motivation to keep going. Your form of creativity. Fun. Joy.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of pizazz. Shine. This could be a font that feels highly unique and spotlight worthy. Anything that feels a bit special. For color, a palette that is bright and fun. Poppy. Perhaps using yellow. For imagery / illustration, it’s all about capturing your form of creative self expression. Think: a person wearing a look at me kind of outfit. Bold illustrations. That summer feeling. Nothing too delicate. Use this as a starting point and get creative. This is not a boring brand. Full visual post on Leo available.
Low expression: Abusing the spotlight, inauthentic self expression.
The Leo in this brand comes through poppy additions of yellow, bold typography, and child like imagery.
VIRGO
Central focus: You are here to achieve perfection in this life. An impossible task. So really, it’s more about radical self acceptance of who you currently are and how you can be of meaningful service to others as you diligently work towards your ideal self. This is not a bad thing. It’s honorable to take the path of personal growth.
Core values: Being of service. Competency. Lineage. Mentorship. Meaningful work. Doing a good job. Personal growth as a superpower. Health and wellness. Organization and efficiency. Making things better.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of precision. Simplicity. More often than not, this ends up being an overall brand that is clear and concise and absolutely not chaotic. For type, this could be a clean and crisp sans serif font with plenty of breathing room. For color, the palette could be as straight forward as neutrals or inspired by a few hues from nature. Virgo is an earth sign, after all. For imagery / illustration, it’s more of the same. Think: a picture of a well organized room. A simple backdrop. Nature. Minimalist iconography. Careful line-work and clean detailing. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Full visual post on Virgo available.
Low expression: Perfectionism, criticism.
LIBRA
Central focus: You are here to cultivate peace and harmony in this life, through genuine and respectful relationships with others, your form of art and beauty, and consistently engaging in whatever helps calm you down.
Core values: Building a bridge of rapport with others. Connection. Relationship, not just romantic. A tolerance for paradox. Seeing other sides. Peace and harmony. Calming down. Art and beauty. Aesthetics. Equality. Justice. Respect.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of peace and harmony. This could a font that feels balanced and beautiful to you. Perhaps it even comes across as elegant. For color, think Venus, the ruling planet of Libra. What colors would the goddess of love and earthy delights choose? Romantic colors, probably, or maybe influences from nature. For imagery / illustration, it’s all about what feels good to the eyes. A sunset. A garden. An illustration of flowers. Pictures of beautifully designed interiors. Fashion. Ultimately, this is a brand that NEEDS to look put together. So, no metaphorical sweats here. Full visual post on Libra available.
Low expression: People pleasing, co-dependence.
The Libra in this brand comes through in delicate, refined typography, romantic colors, and imagery that feels calm and beautiful.
SCORPIO
Central focus: You are here to cultivate radical honesty in this life, through diving deep into the unconscious mind, acknowledging the truth of whatever you might find, and doing the work to transform and heal so that you can live life fully free, with nothing left buried.
Core values: Honesty. Looking at that which most people don’t want to look at. “The Shadow.” Depth. Psychology. Making the unconscious conscious. Inner healing and the wisdom that comes from it. Deeply trusted relationships. A reverence for death; a reminder to live life.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of intensity. Intrigue. Depth. Most fonts can work, as long as they aren’t too light or airy. Some Scorpio heavy people may even go for spooky vibes because this is the season of the underworld. Samhain, Dia De Los Muertos, Halloween. For color, black is an obvious start. Or, darker colors in general. For imagery / illustration, it’s all about what feels real. Think: a picture of you staring directly at the camera, an intensity in your eyes. It says “this is who I am, take it or leave it.” Illustrations that evoke magic and mystery. Charm. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Full visual post on Scorpio available.
Low expression: Letting darkness take over, psychological warfare on others.
SAGITTARIUS
Central focus: You are here to have wide experience in this life, as the traveler who seeks out more of the world, the student who digs into their fascinations, and the philosopher who begins to make sense of it all. This is life as an endless quest towards understanding.
Core values: Getting outside of the box. Adventure. Freedom. Searching for capital T truths. Student of life. Teaching. Travel. Philosophy. Optimism. Honesty. The big picture. Fun. The belief that life is worth living.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of expansiveness. Freedom. This could be a font that incorporates playful elements. Or maybe a font that feels literally large. Big and / or bold. All caps. Wide. Tall. For color, let it be fun. Blues, oranges, yellows, and purples come to mind, but there is no limit. Not for Sagittarius. For imagery / illustration, it may be as literal as anything having to do with travel and culture. Or, as abstract as pictures that feel expansive and full of life. Think: big smiles, running through a field, the sky, wide open spaces, wildness, etc. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Full visual post on Sag available.
Low expression: Irresponsibility, inflated confidence, dogmatism.
The Sag in this brand comes through in the business name itself, travel inspired illustrations + typography, and bright, expansive colors.
CAPRICORN
Central focus: You are here to achieve something that is important to you in this life, through maintaining integrity in your values, incredible self discipline, and quietly chipping away at whatever goals serve your higher mission. To climb the right mountain is to feel content.
Core values: Doing the work. Self discipline. Self control. Focus. Resilience. Not cutting corners. Patience. Solitude. Common sense. Logic. Commitment. Intentions over emotions. Upholding values.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of structure. Excellence. This could be a font that feels classic and refined, like a serif typeface. Or maybe it’s all caps, a metaphorical take on the steadiness that is Capricorn. For color, a deep green (or any naturally inspired green) is always an obvious start, as we’re talking about another earth sign. But strong, wintery colors like black, navy, burgundy, and brown work as well. For imagery / illustration, the word sturdy comes to mind. Think: a person sitting at their desk, working diligently on an worthy task. They probably look more serious than not. Focused. And then there’s nature. A mountain. Trees majestically reaching towards the sky. Birds soaring above. Where are they going? I don’t know. But it’s important, that’s for sure. Use this as a starting point and get creative. Full visual post on Cap available.
Low expression: Burnout, working on things that are not important.
AQUARIUS
Central focus: You are here to develop individualism in this life, through stripping away familial and / or cultural expectations and values that don’t feel right, embracing like-minded community, and standing absolutely steadfast in the truth of who you are.
Core values: Authenticity. Following your own path. Innovation. Forward thinking. Like-minded community. Supporting others who feel “outcast.”
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of whatever feels cutting edge and authentic to you. This could be a font that’s counter to whatever is currently trendy. Or maybe it’s simply conceptually out of the box with unique details, flourishes, etc. It’s not that your choices have to scream “look at me.” They just need to honor the truth of who you are. For color, it’s common for Aquarius to skew brighter. Yellow, teal, pink, purple. The rainbow. For imagery / illustration, the word futuristic comes to mind. So does community. Think: a group of like-minded souls hugging. Expressive fashion. Illustration of sparkles, stars, lightening. The world. A peace sign. Anything tech related. Perhaps even AI generated imagery. Use this as a starting point and get creative.
Low expression: Eccentricity for the sake of eccentricity. Fitting in.
PISCES
Central focus: You are here to experience something bigger than yourself in this life, through your form of spirituality (be it religion, creativity, meditation, etc.), opening your compassionate heart to other beings, and coming to understand the interconnectedness of everything.
Core values: Your form of spirituality. Sensitivity as a superpower. Imagination. Dreams. Compassion. Empathy. Kindness. Faith and trust in the unknown. Surrendering.
Brand inspiration: Your branding incorporates some element of flow. Magic. Dreaminess. This could be as literal as a font that feels organic and curvy, like a script. Or maybe something that has creative, dreamy details. Delicate lines. Whimsical flourishes. For color, the word ethereal comes to mind. Hues that seems too perfect for this world. Pastels are a great example of this. It’s more of the same for imagery / illustration. Think: pink or purple clouds. A person wearing a long, billowy dress. The sun hitting the water just right, it sparkles. The most beautiful, intricate flowers. Use this as a starting point and get creative.
Low expression: Escapism, loss of self.
The Pisces in this brand comes through in delicate, hand drawn curvy lettering, imagery of plants, and soft pinks.
As always, please remember that astrology is not a set of fixed personality traits. Each placement has a vast array of expressions and room for growth. On top of this, other planets may be connected to your sun sign as well, giving it even more depth and nuance.
It can get complicated very fast, so for now, use what you see here as a starting point for self inquiry. Here are some prompts if you’d like to go a bit deeper:
🌻 How do I see the “central focus” of my Sun sign reflected in both my everyday life and the work I’ve chosen to do?
✌🏻 What are my core values? How have I woven them into my business messaging?
🌈 How does my Sun sign come across in my current brand visuals?
If you’d like to share your own placement along with any insights you have, please do! I love the idea of us all learning from one another. ♥
As a Pisces art director/designer this was spot on for me!! Sometimes I kick myself for feeling like I'm a "one note" designer... always favoring flowy, organic feeling designs (too perfect isn't my nature) and you totally validated that as something to embrace instead of resist!
“To climb the right mountain is to feel content” (Capricorn) — yes!!!!