A typical remark often made to astrologers goes something like this: "I'm a Capricorn, but when I read those descriptions of Capricorn, they don't describe me very accurately."

Remember, the Sun sign is just the start of your portrait, the broad strokes. You also have a Moon in your birth chart, and it's probably in a different sign from the one the Sun is in. You have planets in your birth chart, and each may be in a different sign.

You are a complex and unique combination, unlike anyone else. Any attempt to give an accurate description from only a Sun sign falls in to a kind of error H.I. Mencken was referring to when he remarked that "for every complicated problem, there is a solution that is short, simple and wrong."

Only by studying the entire birth chart can an astrologer begin to get a complex picture of a personality. Even then, there is a certain latitude for error simply because human beings are not carved in stone. They change a little every day and with every person they meet. Love, tragedy, success--each circumstance of life--alters them. However, the essential person remains the same. And the Sun sign is the outline of that essence.

Astrology is a fascinating tool for the study of human nature. When you first meet someone, that person is a mystery. You see the color of eyes and hair, the mode of dress, whether he or she is tall or short. You must wait for further information to know anything more. If you know the person's Sun sign, you can put a few pieces of the puzzle together. But, just as when you are beginning a complex jigsaw puzzle, too many pieces are missing. The Sun sign merely gives you an edge, an extra insight which you would not otherwise possess.

Of course, a knowledge of Sun signs is not only useful in casual social meetings. It is invaluable in close relationships. If your Cancer husband nags and criticizes, you'll know it's just his way of showing how much he cares about you. If your ten-year-old Virgo daughter acts like a prematurely old maid, fussing about putting everything exactly where she wants it, you'll understand why she needs to have her possessions neatly arranged. Knowing how scattered and forgetful a Gemini can be, you will find it easier to forgive your Gemini lover when your birthday present shows up two days late.

Most important of all, an understanding of your own Sun sign will give you an added measure of self knowledge, a deeper insight into the stranger that is yourself.