Those born with Sun Rising often possess leadership ability, and they need to strive for some kind of significance in life; to begin something new and execute it with confidence, self-reliance and assurance. Astrologically the Sun relates to the father and he may have had a powerful influence over the individual’s life. Aspects formed to the Sun describe how the individual perceives the father and his influence over them. Sometimes the father is a very dominating influence in the child’s first months of life. 

Often those with Sun rising are pressured to succeed, and to stand-out and be individual in some way. In many ways, they do need to set themselves apart from others and to follow their own path in life. The native has a need to “shine” in the field of area that interests them. More introverted personalities will not enjoy being “on show” all of the time, and Sun ascendants have the most difficult job of trying to hide. It can result in the person being very self-confident and sure of themselves, but it may also make them to feel self-conscious, and overly identified with their self-image in the eyes of others.

The sign rising will be strongly evident in the personality and so the sign traits should be greatly amplified in a reading. The aspects formed to the Sun should also be carefully analysed to see how the person is at ease with themselves and how easy they find it to radiate the inner person to the outer environment. If the Sun is in the 12th house the individual may have felt overlooked in childhood, but at some time in their life there is the task of making themselves known and stamping their identity onto their persona. Sun rising people need, more than any other planetary configuration, to make an impact on the environment through personal style and originality. 

The individual may want to lead in some capacity, start their own business venture, or achieve recognition in their chosen sphere. The best way to know what your particular challenge involves - is to understand the myths surrounding your Sun sign. The Sun sign will reveal to you in greater detail the type of struggle you personally face. Yet, the Sun always needs a challenge to develop its core identity, and we get nowhere without heading towards the Sun. For example, the myth of Aries involves believing in one’s vision and being true to themselves, and this ultimately involves some kind of challenge from authority or other oppressive forces. The myth for Virgo involves developing some kind of skill, expertise, technical knowledge, and competency in some specialised area. They are usually adept at using their hands to create or fix things. These people love to organize and categorize everything. One of the challenges in the myth for Virgo’s is striking a balance in their relationships vs. work and independence, and sometimes a period of life must be spent alone. A part of Virgo's life must be sacrificed so that they can work on these innate potentials.

The Sun in Sagittarius is a gambler at heart, and they need to discover and explore new worlds. They will need travel and movement in their lives, intellectual growth. They often travel many different paths before settling on one career. Sometimes they feel thrown off their course and trapped in a jealous marriage or tied to a job that does not allow them the freedom they need to explore all their abundant potential. These restrictions on their freedom are part of their path, but painful lessons in life are usually viewed as an opportunity for growth and expansion and they move on.

Extra reading: Sun in 1st House and Rising Planets.