The sun is, in kabbalistic terms, the planet capable of generating the greatest amount of negativity. You may be surprised at this statement, but the Sun, negatively speaking, signifies one’s ego, which, according to the kabbalist is the source of all darkness in the world. The word kabbalah means “to receive,” and it is the ego which wishes to receive for the self alone – hence generating all the strive, negativity, and discord that has ever been or ever will be in the world. The key to aligning oneself with spiritual energy is to give what one receives – to give time, energy, love, compassion, concern. In this way, we become like God.
So the Sun is also a source of good – it is life-giving, warm, illuminating. In the natal chart it signifies true meaning and purpose. This is what we need to strive to live up to, rather than allowing our demon, which is our ego, to stagnate in the addiction of it’s greed, which can never ultimately be satisfied anyway.
Specifically it is the point in the zodiac exactly opposite the Sun that is the place where the earth is casting its shadow on the zodiac. In the natal chart this is the point where we are anchored in earth energy – a place where we need release and redemption so that we move forward in our evolution. This earth point represents the darkness of the self, that is 180 degrees – as far as one can get – from the light of the sun. If we can redeem and liberate the energies of this earth point, it frees our Sun to shine spiritual light into the world.
Another way of looking at this is to know that wherever your Earth Point is that is where you have been hanging out in past lifetimes, and so where karma needs to be cleared to free you up in this current life.
Sun in First House: When the Sun is in the first house, the earth point is in the seventh, signifiying that we need to overcome habitual patterns of relating – patterns that feed our need to feel important and prevent us from growing. Sun in first house is capable of being very egotistical, and the Earth Point being in the seventh house means that this person will draw to themself relationships that feed their strong, self-centered self image.
The Sun in First House is capable of clear definitions of whatever it encounters. As the first house rules identity, Sun in first at best radiates a spiritual identity untarnished and unshadowed by anything lesser, and helps others to also find this spiritual identity in themselves.
The first house is capable, at worst, of great superficiality, and so Sun in First House can signify a person who place primary importance (Sun) on outward appearances. They can at times have a larger-than-life quality, or come across over-blown or histrionic. They can have a strong craving for attention. On a higher level of evolution this will become a craving to point out what is truly and spiritually important to others, the light of the Sun shining through the surface appearances of the first house.
Sun in Second House: With the Earth Point in the 8th house we have been limited too much by others expectations and demands, and by their energies in general. What we have is all-important to us, and to truly see what it is, what our talents, gifts, and abilities are, we need to let go of the limits imposed by the values of other people.
There is so much around us that is of worth, that has incredible value and potential, but whose value we don’t see or recognize. Sun in the Second House is here to shine light upon what is valuable. At worst, the second house is poverty and loss. The Sun here carries the message that wealth and abundance are all around us. What we need to do is recognize this, and then to use this wealth in ways that cultivate and protect it, so that it can be shared and used as a means to help us toward our goal of enlightenment.
Sun in Third House: Here the person realizes the importance of the every-day and the mundane as a potential expression of spirituality. The Japanese culture loves to turn everything around itself into art – to infuse the mundane with vibrancy and meaning. The Japanese psyche probably has Sun in Third House.
The immediate world around us is magical, vibrant, and full of life, and Sun in Third House can see that and communicate it to others.
If Sun in Third House is to be a mere expression of ego then we find a person who wants to call all the shots in terms of how things are done and who tries to rule the immediate environment around him/herself. Also one who may communicate in a self-important manner.
The Earth Shadow in Ninth House signifies the need to overcome a rigid or negatively biased world view and to clear away the self-imposed limits of our understanding.
At best this placement awakens communication, and helps it to be more meaningful and purposeful.
Sun in Fourth House: With the Earth Point in the Tenth House we may feel we are “above it all” or at least want to be there, so we can avoid having to deal with the earthly realm. We may also have had status in the past, or been sure of our place in a hierarchy, and this felt safe and secure, though it is now limiting – a shadow that needs to be dispersed. We now need to involve ourselves in limited human patterns. Its time to let ourselves sink into what is simple and basic, and to become a part of the world, for the world needs our light.
There can be a lot of joy coming from being within limitations – knowing that those limitations are not real, and are only temporary. So make yourself at home in the density of matter here – allow your gifts to be shared in a common, basic way – which will have a powerfully healing effect on others.
This person has the power to bring the past to live and to find meaning in it. they might be a historian. They also have the ability to bring a sense of unity and purpose to any family or group of which they are a part.
Sun in Fifth House: In past lives we got used to being one with everybody and to joining forces with others. In this life we need to be more individual and to express ourselves, without allowing that to be dampened or restricted by what the group thinks, or the input of our friends. Also, we need to experiment and not worry about the outcome.
Sun in Fifth House signifies the importance of play. In the world of today, play is something that us usually highly superficial and little more than a wasting of time and energy. Sun in Fifth innately knows that high-quality play is the source of creativity, vitality, and healing joy.
This individual derives her/her vitality from creative activity and experimentation. At worst they are egotistical about their children and other products of their creativity, and make bad parents because they are so self-involved, which, of course, can produce children with ego problems. At best they see each of their children as individuals and respect and attempt to foster that individuality.
Sun in Sixth House: In past lives we have been caught in the rapids of experience, carried along in a great sweep of energy that seems against our will. Now there is a need to rise above chaos and create a laboratory in which one can work and produce. With Sun in Sixth, we need a clearly defined context in which to exert ourselves and solve problems. We place a lot of importance on being productive and finding ways to overcome problems.
As long as the person can let go of egotism they can work with others in a meaningful and purposeful manner. They have the ability to bring hidden problems to light, and to more clearly elucidate problems already known.
Sun in Seventh House: This person needs meaningful relationships, not just ones engaged in for pleasure or superficial companionship. They also need relationships through which they can explore their depths, and will ultimately feel unfulfilled by mere surface relating. Because of Earth Shadow in First House we may be stuck in old ways of seeing ourselves which in turn can limit the possibilities of our vitally relating to others. We need to let go of those stuck places, let go of any biases we have concerning our identity so that we can find ourselves more fully and deeply through our relationships.
The Seventh House signifies opportunity. Sun in Seventh can be more aware of opportunities than other people, and help others to see new opportunities.
Sun in Eighth House: Patterns are something we have and with the Earth Shadow in the Second House, we may have patterns that feel safe, but which hold us to a limiting and restrictive track. We take for granted that these patterns are valuable, but they aren’t – they’re burdens, and we need to come into the awareness (Sun) that we need to let them die (Eighth House).
Sun in Eighth House yearns for meaningful change, vitalizing change, and constant renewal. As we allow ourselves to die to the old and embrace the new we are taking into places we never expected. To do this we need to overcome the fear of loss (Earth Shadow in Second House).
Sun in Ninth House: With Earth Shadow in Third House there may be a tendency to aimlessly run around from thing to thing, collecting information but never synthesizing it or drawing conclusions. Sun in ninth has the ability to see the whole picture more clearly, to get an overview, and to understand life in depth. This can be done if we can come out from under the baggage of random thoughts and jumbled input of the third house.
At worst one’s egotism manifests in one’s beliefs – thinking that one’s religion, for instance, is the only right and true one. Or being moralistic in a judgemental way so that one can feel one is better than others.
Ninth house Sun has the ability to see and explain the meaning of life, and through doing so to expand the knowledge and perceptions of other people
Sun in Tenth House: To live fully and vitally the individual must overcome the weight of the past and past karmas (Earth Shadow in Fourth House). Earthly life can be experienced as a burden that limits and constricts in a killing, suffocating way. It does no good to conflict with all of this – the only way out of it is to drop it, just let it go, so that we can be a clear vessel for the channeling of spiritual energy.
In the story of “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy throws the bucket of water on the witch and she melts, we witness the negative authority – the witch, who is the “boss” (Tenth House) suddenly dissolved. Then Dorothy becomes the boss, the leader. She has disburdened herself of the Earth Shadow in Fourth House.
Eleventh House: We have the ability to uplift the energy of groups, to make their activities more vital and meaningful. We can help them to find purpose, and/or to deepen their purpose, and help them to see more clearly the direction in which they need to move. We may become the leader of a group, or at least can be a strong guiding force for others. We naturally shine a beacon that illuminates the future, which helps to dissipate all fears and feeling of gloom concerning what is to come.
To allow all of this to happen we need to overcome the fear of taking risks (Earth Shadow in Fifth House), and allow ourselves to go out on a limb and make sacrifices to fulfill our dreams. Also, we need to get beyond our personal ego so that we are more able to dynamically connect with others.
Twelfth House: With Earth Shadow in Sixth House we may be too mechanistic in our approach to working and solving problems, and if this is so it is because we fear our depths, fear being swamped, inundated, drowned by them. If we are too focused on utilitarian considerations we may neglect or ignore what our intuition is trying to tell us – which is exactly what we should be focusing on. If we aren’t sure of what we’re doing we’re probably on track, because it is not our dharma to hide in predictability and “life as usual.”
We have a powerful ability to help others, often in ways that we and they don’t expect, probably because they are beyond our conscious ken and are coming from deep psychic impulses. The more we can surrender to our instinct and dedicate ourselves to listening to spirit, the more we will be guided by the evolutionary currents that desire so much to work through us.