Understanding the Sun in Aries: Courage, Action, and Identity

Though Sun Sign Astrology is vehemently misleading, it rescued the practice from near extinction.  During a lull period of Astrology, newspaper editors stammering to fill blank pages in their weekly editorials.  In the 1930s, Horoscopes, albeit diluted, ended up in newspaper columns worldwide.  People eagerly thumbed through the pages, anticipating what their star sign disclosed.  This introduced the misconception that we are our Sun sign.  Our Sun Sign is rather what we are to become, rather than who we inherently are.

Jackie Chan, Robert Downey Jr., and Lady Gaga share an Aries Sun.

In this age, people obviously couldn’t enter a few data points and generate an accurate birth chart within seconds.  Drawing a chart before the technological boom was a tedious task that few mastered. A brief glimpse at a paragraph in a periodical is a gross oversimplification of our beloved divine art.  If anything, a brief descriptor of your Rising sign would have proved more accurate than solely relying on a Sun Sign.  Due to technological limitations of that era,  knowledge of Ascendants was far less widespread.

While the primary focus of this article is to enlighten you about having your Sun in Aires.  My ulterior motive is to educate the difference between your rising sign vs. your Sun sign.  Your Ascendant is how you’re perceived at first glance.  Rather than your overarching personality, which resonates more with your Sun. Your Ascendant is your path to fulfilling your Sun.  Therefore, that daily horoscope received in your email inbox can be misleading.  For a deeper understanding of your natal chart click here to book your personalized reading with me today.

 Briefly, I introduced what the Sun signifies in astrology.  It’s what you need to become–  the reason you exist.  It shows how you’re meant to shine in the world, through self-expression.  With the Sun in Aries, the key is to be yourself unapologetically.  Aries might be the least complicated of all astrological energies.  Ruled by conflict-driven Mars, Aries represents primal instinct.  Symbolized by the ram,  Aries lowers its head and charges without forethought.  Asserting itself,  Aries acts now and questions later.  Propelled by courage, an Aries Sun demands that you face fears relentlessly.

The fiery energies distinguish necessity for an Aries Sun to become an authority.  Bravery isn’t about the absence of fear, but rather facing it.  Though formidable,  having a Sun in Aries has downfalls.  Quick to act,  a solar Aries’ pride comes before the fall.  With a take-no-prisoners attitude,  Aries is more about tactics than strategy.  Failure to plan acts as an Achilles heel to this passionate placement.  

Like a falling star, an Aries Sun dissipates in a flash only to hurl towards the Earth.  Patience is not a virtue for Arians, proving impulsivity quite problematic. Excellent on the front lines, Aries can struggle to step back and assess situations. They benefit from analyzing scenarios before charging ahead. Tenacity is a key strength, but sometimes subtlety is even more powerful.

Rather than ramble off generic traits of an Aries Sun, Let’s break down how it translates for the rich and famous.   In order to understand a Sun Sign, the Ascendant must be considered.  The Sun rarely stands alone, and often aspects other planets and points. House placement provides additional context for the Sun.  Let’s start with Iron Man himself– Robert Downey Jr.

Iron Man in space.

 The Aires Sun of Robert Downey Jr.

Surrounded by a Mercury-Venus Conjunction, Downey’s Aries Sun lays 14 degrees in the adventurous 9th House.  Venus and Mercury demonstrate the urge to speak and form relationships. Controversial by today’s standards (but what isn’t,) Downey portrayed a black man in the 2008 classic Tropic Thunder.  Sensitive souls scrutinized Downey’s Black-faced performance, but in true Arian nature, an apology was aptly refused.  With Mercury Retrograde, Downey refrains from verbal confrontation, however standing his ground felt warranted.

Downey’s Leo Rising adds more fire to the mix, blazing his path to his Aries Sun.  The Sun,

Robert Downey Jr's Sun is at 14 degrees Aries in the 9th House making a conjunction to Mercury and Venus

ruling Leo, is of course in Aries.  This fiery concoction provides Downey a direct path to ignite his Sun with fervor.  In addition, Downey’s Leo Ascendant conventionally forms a trine to his Sun.  This charismatic combination isn’t without its faults. Downey’s Troublesome South Node resides in the hedonistic 5th house in Sagittarius, completing a Grand Trine.

Well known for a stint with substance abuse– it’s not surprising to see why.  Downey has no shortage of fire energy.  Having a South Node in Sagittarius adds fuel to the flame.  Unlike many other celebrities– including Donald Trump whose chart you can read here Robert actually saw the inside of a prison cell for his crimes.  In 1996, Downey was arrested for cocaine, heroin, and possession of a gun, which resulted in probation.  After repeatedly violating several probation and parole violations, Downey did end up serving time. With his charisma and drive backfiring, the grand trine between his Leo Ascendant, Sun, and South Node intensified these indulgent tendencies. 

Lady Gaga’s Aries Sun

In contrast to Robert Downey Jr., Lady Gaga’s Aries Sun is placed in the group-oriented 11th house.  Downey faced scrutiny for his role in Tropic Thunder, which eventually led the left crying out in disgust.   Identifying as bisexual, Lady Gaga has been a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community.   Gaga’s vocal talents thrust her in the limelight, giving her Aries Sun an avenue for advocacy. With Gemini Rising, this shouldn’t come as a surprise she reinvites herself to stay relevant to today’s fleeting attention spans. 

Though retrograde, the Ruler of her chart, Mercury, lies in the 10th house in idealistic Pisces.  This emphasis on Mercurial and Piscean energies further demonstrates a need to echo social justice.  Lady Gaga might feel victimized herself seeing Chiron is in Gemini in the 12th House. Sextiling her aggressive Sun, Chiron is an unhealed wound seeping into her psyche, After discovering her voice, Lady Gaga, bearing her Chironic scar, now lends her fame and message to those afflicted by a similar wound.  

Lady Gaga's Sun sits in Aries in the 11th House at 7 degrees.

In her 7th house, we find Mars and Neptune in Capricorn forming a conjunction with her Sagittarian Descendant.  Understandably, this contrast stirs confusion, and sexual diversity, relating to her bisexuality.  Neptune creates this mystifying, feminine illusion surrounding relationships. With Mars’ sexually-driven nature conjunct with an already fiery Sagittarius Descendant, this creates a concoction of infused ambiguous energy. This cocktail of seductive hope squares her Sun, challenging her to assert her views publicly.  Wearing her sexual orientation on her sleeve, Lady Gaga is a champion– defending her fiery, yet dreamy descendant.  The fire energy propels her Neptunian ideals into the psychical realm, making her a defender of sorts.  Coming out of left field, our next subject has striking astrological similarities to Lady Gaga. Expressed in a different fashion, we will see a strong example of how culture and diversity play a role in how similar energies manifest. 

Jackie Chan’s Aries Sun.

Let's peek at the Aries Sun of the action-oriented Jackie Chan. Similar to Lady Gaga, Chan’s Aries Sun resides in the 11th house, complete with Gemini Rising.  Chan’s stacked Geminian 1st house includes an analytical Moon conjunct the Ascendant. Expanding what it touches, Jupiter also resides here, enforcing the need for glitz and glamor. This 1st house combo ruling media, Chan had aspirations of seeing his face on the big screen early on.  This need for fame drove Chan to strive towards the liberation demanded by his Aries Sun.

Displaying tremendous drive and dedication, Chan infused martial arts to make his Aries Sun shine bright.  Through creativity and dedication, Chan won over the hearts of millions through daring and dangerous antics.  This kept moviegoers on the edge of their seats for decades. Chan’s Sun also sextiles his Aquarian MC, further stimulating the need for unconventional public recognition.  Chan’s grandiose Jupiter forms a sextile with his Sun, creating a bombastic, daring ego.

Jackie Chan's Aries Sun is in the 11th House like Lady Gaga's positioned at16 degrees

Unlike Lady Gaga, who used her celebrity to advocate, Jackie Chan has a disagreeable reputation.  With perfectionistic tendencies, Chan blazed the trail for Kung Fu Movies with an Arian Fist and radiant confidence. In further detail, we see that Chan has his South Node in Cancer in the 2nd house, forming a tight conjunction with Uranus. Fused with the unpredictability of Uranus, this may create emotional volatility and stringent values.  This configuration squares his Sun– speculating a “skipped step” in past incarnations. The egotism doesn’t end there; Chan’s South Node ruler, the Moon, conjuncts the attention seeking Gemini Ascendant.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this article and got a definitive understanding of how the Sun manifests in Aries.  These real life examples willfully provide something with more sustenance.  If you haven’t yet, please watch the video on this subject here.  Until next time, thanks for reading.