Sun remedies

• self-confidence and willpower
• authority, government and recognition
• the father and father figures
• vitality; traditionally the eyes and the heart

Often one or more of these, especially in Sun’s own period or when it is weak in the birth chart:

• self-doubt, or pride that alienates people
• friction with bosses, officials or the father
• recognition that never seems to come
• low energy and an irregular routine

Free, and the strongest remedies of all, because they change the habit the planet shows up through.

• Get up before sunrise and spend a few minutes in the early sunlight.
• Offer water to the rising Sun (arghya) from a copper vessel.
• Practise Surya Namaskar, even a few rounds each morning.
• Show respect to your father and to elders in authority; keep your word at work.

Say it 108 times (one round of a mala), in the morning, facing east if you can. Start on a Sunday and keep the same time each day; a steady small practice counts for more than a long one done once.

Deity: Surya; the Aditya Hridayam hymn is traditionally recited for the Sun.

Fasting: A Sunday fast, or a simple meal without salt on Sundays.

Charity: wheat, jaggery or a copper vessel, on a Sunday. Why: giving what the Sun rules turns its pride into generosity. Give to someone who needs it, and only what you can easily afford.

Ruby is strong: only when the Sun is a good planet for your ascendant.

Metal:

gold (or copper)

Finger:

ring finger

First worn:

a Sunday morning, after saying the mantra 108 times

Substitute:

red garnet is sometimes used as a lighter substitute

The stone should touch the skin. Buy a natural, untreated stone from a reputable gemologist, wear it on trial first, and take it off if anything feels wrong. More in Gemstones: rules before you wear one.