I do a lesson with my astrology students where I ask them to track transits of the Sun to major, ongoing transits in the chart. For example, the 
transiting Sun aspecting a long term conjunction of Venus and Neptune, in either the natal or progressed charts. These long term transits from outer planets are usually fretted over for the duration of the aspect, and cause a lot of stress for the new astrologer who is always waiting for the bad shoe to fall. The students usually come back to me surprised, and with a new found respect for the Sun’s consolidating energy, because they see the ‘story’ of the contact unfolding as the Sun transits around the chart, making its series of aspects to the temporary conjunction. We normally don’t pay too much attention to what the Sun is doing; like the Moon, it moves around too quickly for us to bother with it. But if you observe the movements of the Sun within the greater scheme of the chart, what it reveals is very impressive. If you apply this observation to any aspect, any point or any angle, the Sun will reveal the inherent meaning of the contact. Suddenly, it will ‘make sense’ in a way it never has before.
The position and movement of the progressed Sun is even more powerful, a subject too complicated to get into here. But if the Sun represents the creative energy behind our lives, then the progressed Sun pinpoints where that energy is focused right now. When the progressed Sun tightly aspects anything in the progressed or natal charts, particularly by hard aspect, it is often accompanied by life-altering events. The progressed Sun can trigger seemingly innocent aspects that we would normally not think much about. For example, I once watched fame come to someone whose progressed Sun opposed a wide natal Jupiter/Neptune conjunction that had also become exact by progression. The progressed Sun was exact to the progressed conjunction within only a couple of minutes when the initial project was broadcast, bringing him to the attention of the public in a massive way. Of course, there were other aspects to consider, but the progressed Sun aspect dominated. No aspect made by the progressed Sun should go unremarked.
Significant times for the progressed Sun are those times when it changes signs or natal houses. The usual ‘cushion’ for measuring progressions involves a one degree margin on either side of exact. This may feel true for planets, but I’ve found that the Sun’s influence is felt sooner and remains longer. The Sun moves at roughly one degree per year, therefore spending up to 3o years in one sign. Its crossing is a major life phase, a shift from one way of being to the next. As it moves through the late degrees of a sign, it sums up, it ties up loose ends and begins looking to the future. There is 
usually a very strong shift of energy or focus that is hard for the person to define. They’ve changed, but they can’t put their finger on how or why. They will try to go about doing things in a different way. Somewhat like the energy of a progressed new Moon, it’s a new beginning, and fraught with the dangers of all beginnings. The Sun knows what it’s doing, but our old lunar habits may drag us down until we can find a new way forward. As the Sun progresses through a sign and makes new aspects, we find new avenues for its energy. We are ‘lit up’ in a new way, by new adventures.
Tapping into the Sun’s great power will provide us with both the guidance and the energy to create a purposeful life. There is a tradition in meditation which tells us that we each have a Watcher inside of us, a higher version of ourselves, all knowing and all understanding, whispering to us, leading the way. This is the Sun speaking to us. If we follow just a few of his urgings, we’ll end up, content and fulfilled, in places we never expected.
Please read the first four parts of this series before this one. Some fundamental concepts are developed which must be understood before moving on to this post. The Mystery of Solar Fire (part 4).
Dear Dawn,
does this mean an aquarius becomes a pisces after some time? i am a 27 degree sun aquarius and i am twenty seven years old. sorry Dawn, if that is so i cannot agreee with this concept although i am not a professional astrologer.
No, Arun, you’ve missed the point. Your natal chart is your core being. Nothing alters that. But as we grow with life experience, as we move forward through the cycles of life, we change. Progressed positions show us how and why the changes are taking place–they’re a map of our development. They show us what’s important to learn right now, at this time in our spiritual journey. We go down new roads and learn new things, and new things about ourselves. But nothing changes the natal chart, and the progressed chart always must be read in relation to the natal. It can’t be read on its own.
Dear Dawn,
After go through all of your enlightening concepts and articles which i loved, this concept of progressions have derailed the train. i always looked at astrology in terms of defining identity which the natal chart would offer and thus is personal. So my ascendant, the sun and other positions are meaningless exept to calculate the progressed chart? i synastry and in transits which chart do one use? I always looked used the natal chart for this (like using the ‘anets in Transit’of Robert Hand). other than calculating progressions, do the natal chart have any value at all in seeing the effect of transit and synastry? or did i completely misunderstant this concept? Please answer.
Yous Sincerely,
Arun
Dear Dawn,
sorry for posting in bits and pieces but i am posting as the new thought comes to my mind. when you said to look at MC/IC and aspects in long term relationships to it were you mentioning the natal chart or the progressed chart?
Thank You
PS. what is the importance of solistice points an synastry and astrology in general?
sorry Dawn some more. if the progressed sun changes sign then do i need to look the next sign in the sun sign books. i was brn in late aquarius (sun) so am i showing sun sign pisces charecteristics? Please Clarify.
Thank You.
Until now my progressed Sun went only over my Jupiter. (I had indirect progressions before, but I didn’t watch them, because I knew nothing about them.) This did neither clarify anything to me about my progressed Sun nor about my Jupiter. Possibly because my Jupiter is weak or possibly because Jupiter is the dispositor of my Sun. I somehow have the feeling that an improvement was prepared, but didn’t happen yet. Perhaps progressions prepare for something and have then to wait for appropriate transits in order to trigger it. If there isn’t a transit on time, then the progression is so to say wasted.
Perhaps my next (secondary) progression of the Sun will explain more to me. It will be a conjunction with my lunar North Node. It’ll be rather soon, depending on the orb. About this I’m not sure. But I’m sure that my progressed Sun is currently conjunct to transiting Pluto. I feel (not concluding from the constellation, but really feeling it) that I should make a significant change in my life soon or my life is in serious danger. Could I only predict the success of certain decisions…
As I have said before, it’s very complicated reading a progressed chart. A course of study is necessary, because the rules are different.
I learn from studying my life and my natal chart. So just discovered: my progressed Sun changed already house and sign. Into the Tenth house and then sign change inside the Tenth house. Both made me change orientation careerwise. My progressed Sun is now at the cusp of my Eleventh house and my progressed Moon is already conjunct my North Node. Can’t see a result of that yet. Transiting Pluto also about leaving my Tenth house. Looks to me like the promise of an improvement…