The Sun and Rising Sign(also known as the Ascendant) are considered by most astrologers to be the two most important parts of the birth chart, upon which most "horoscope" predictions are made.

The Sun is your inner central spiritual soul self which is not always visible to others, while the Ascendant(which stands for the Earth) is your physical, mental self which is very visible to others.

Unless your Sun and Ascendant are in the same sign, element, or gender, what you project to others will be very different from what you really feel inside, and can cause serious misunderstandings with others or unwanted life situations.

Half of us have incompatible or conflicting Suns and Ascendants and are therefore living generally unhappy or unfulfilling lives. We attract all the wrong people, jobs, and life situations, yet we have chosen this conflict for one reason or another.

The vast majority of us(I would say around 80 per cent) follow our Ascendant paths which is our world path and line of least resistance. The Ascendant or Rising sign is what feels normal or natural to you so you do it, even if it doesn't really make you happy in the long-term.. It's your immediate or short-term satisfaction.

Your Sun sign, on the other hand, is your long-term desire or happiness. It is what you are striving for. If your Ascendant is what you are now, the Sun is what you are trying to become in the future. In esoteric lore, if you honor your Sun sign in this life, it will become your Ascendant in the next life.

So which path should you follow, your Sun or Ascendant? If both are in the same or compatible signs, your path is clear. You are what you appear to be and there is little or no conflict, but for the other fifty per cent, there will be a struggle. It will take courage and effort to let your Sun shine through, but this is the only way to true happiness and fulfillment . You can still enjoy the temporary pleasures of your worldly Ascendant but your main focus should be your Sun sign goals and ideals. The other planets can support or take away from this.

The Ascendant is what you are born with and what you must use to achieve your Sun sign goals and ideals. The Sun is like the King seated on his throne watching his executor(the Ascendant) making all the decisions, but the Sun has the final say, and that is the way it should be.

Some Sun signs are stronger than others and can therefore easily override the Ascendant influence, but it still takes effort since the Ascendant activates or draws to you certain individuals or situations without you having much control over it. The Ascendant is what happens TO you, whereas the Sun is what YOU make happen through your own will. So you will always attract or be attracted to a certain type of person or situation(according to your Ascendant) but you can consciously accept or refuse this and make your own choices(according to your Sun). That is the struggle and dilemma.

Ideally, the Sun and Ascendant should be in sextile relationship(by sign), natally. I base this on the fact that the Sun rules Leo and the presumption that the Earth/Ascendant rules Libra, but that is my own observation or conclusion. If so, this should apply in synastry as well. I've often thought of calling the Ascendant your Lucifer sign since this entity once ruled(and still does) the Earth. The Sun would obviously be Christ.

As children, we naturally express our Sun sign qualities more readily or easily, but as we age, the Ascendant qualities gain more weight or power. Remember, your Ascendant or Rising sign is your Earth or Gaia sign and the longer we stay here on Earth, the more this world gains power over us through our earthly habits and addictions.

In conclusion, it's best to follow your heart or Sun sign path which leads to real happiness and fulfillment, although for most, it will be easier to follow their lower worldly Ascendant path. It's one of the big choices each of us must make during the course of our lives.