Most of us feel that our spiritual development is a deeply personal part of our lives. We may be working within the structure of what we were taught by family, religion, and society. We may also be struggling against those influences, feeling that those beliefs don't fit anymore.

Astrology is a wonderful tool for helping you identify the wrinkles in your spiritual "attire." You can replace the accessories that don't suit your taste. You can find the shoes you need for walking your unique spiritual path.

For example, by using your Sun sign, you can find your own best approach to spirituality. You can consider how this fits with what you have been taught. You can then be more creative in how you approach spiritual issues in your life. As you change your spiritual values, you will find that many areas of life are affected, usually for the better.

Remember, the Sun is only one point in your birth chart. You can learn from any of the planets and their relationships in your chart—they indicate what is unique in your personal spiritual life. But the Sun indicates how you approach life—your typical mental style. Here are some suggestions for using your style in connection with your spiritual development.

The Sun Through the Signs

• Aries: Because you are generally confident and assertive, you express the will to freedom in your spiritual life. You may argue against established spiritual or religious values. You also have the capacity for compassion in your dealings with others.
• Taurus: You are persistent in your pursuit of ideas, spiritual or otherwise. You work through what you have been taught, keeping those principles that suit you, and discarding ones that make no sense. You can be devoted to spiritual causes.
• Gemini: You talk a lot about spiritual subjects. This is backed up with considerable thought. You are willing to consider different possibilities, and elements of many spiritual teachings fit into your broad perspective. Only a few of these become profound beliefs for you.
• Cancer: You can be touchy about your beliefs. You don't want other people forcing ides on you. On the other hand, you can be quite imaginative when describing the nature of your spiritual path. It's helpful not to put all your money into spiritual activities.
• Leo: You appear to believe that you have the last word on spiritual subjects. Your ideas will meet with a better reception if you invite others to consider them instead of forcing acceptance. You can become a spiritual leader later in life.
• Virgo: While you find the details intriguing, you will see that others may not share your interests. To avoid the pitfall of mindless agreement with new ideas, examine them carefully, but also seek to understand the broader perspective from which the ideas come.
• Libra: Because balance is important in your life, it is necessary to review new ideas carefully and fit them into your present belief system, rather than jump into something new and becoming dependent on the ideas or the teacher.
• Scorpio: You can pursue beliefs to excess—violent acts in support of your beliefs, cruel putdowns of others' ideas, and distrust of motives. Focus on yourself instead. You are better advised to see the transcendent qualities in spiritual systems, and apply those to your own core beliefs.
• Sagittarius: Once you have accepted a belief, you can be dogmatic about it. Then you find another belief and repeat the cycle. Spiritual growth is about you, not the rest of the world. Take a philosophical attitude to sharing your ideas. Less force equals greater acceptance.
• Capricorn: You tend to keep your spiritual thoughts to yourself. By doing so, you keep people at arm's length. Have faith in others, and be open enough so they may have faith in you. Learn to be practical about spiritual endeavors, and avoid pessimism.
• Aquarius: There is a fine line between exploitation and humanitarian acts. Know where it lies. As you study new spiritual ideas, make sure they have practical application to your life. Listen to your intuition. Then go down the path that suits your unique nature.
• Pisces: You are capable of learning on many levels of consciousness, and you have a compassionate nature. Because you are open psychically, you need to find practical means to understand spiritual concepts and their importance (or lack of same) to you.