Sun in 8th House
The 8th house is the house of: death, disease, mortality, decay, abuse, crime, shadow, fear, sex, lust, power, disempowerment and control. It’s the place where the topics that society has cast into the shadow live and thrive. It represents our experiences as profoundly spiritual beings living in human bodies, which have human functions, frailty and desires. It’s a very primal intense energy.
The 8th house doesn’t represent the processes of the body, those lay in the 6th house, the 8th house represents the impact and transformation that occur through those processes. Thus, the 8th house is not about the physicality of death or sex it’s about the emotional and spiritual dynamics that are related to those experiences.
So with the sun in the 8th house you define yourself by your most transformative (and often uncomfortable) experiences. The result is that with this placement, you may well feel misunderstood or feel resistance from others. Because the parts of you that you feel defined by are the parts of life that we are taught not to talk about. You may be perceived by others as intense and serious or even a bit dark or morbid.
With this placement you may well have a fascination with death, disease and decay. You find yourself deeply relating to your own mortality and the fleetingness of life itself. You may well define yourself by that mortality or perhaps by your aging process or disease. Perhaps you define yourself by your illness and your emotional experience with your physical body. You may see your experience of these uncomfortable parts of life as having shaped you in some way. You might also define yourself by the death of someone close to you. Perhaps you feel that you were shaped by the loss of a parent or a close friend. This can be a physical death but it can also be loss of other kinds.
The 8th house is often seen as the house of sex, this is true but it is not about the physical processes of sex it is about the transformative nature of this kind of intimacy. It is that kind of primal connection to another that blends all of the different parts of ourselves: sexual, emotional and spiritual and weaves them together in the most profoundly intimate form of relationship or longing. These are the kinds of relationship where you have powerful chemistry (a physical response when you see them and touch them). These relationships represent an unconscious karmic spiritual connection that is undeniable even if you are unable to act on it.
8th house relationships are powerful and uncomfortable and they dig into you relentlessly. Whether you act on them or not they live within you because they involve more then just your conscious mind. So with the sun in the 8th house you define yourself by those kinds of relationships and your success at navigating them and maintaining them. Even if you are not able to act on 8th house feelings you likely still gain your sense of self from them.
This is true whether these feelings are acted upon or not. You might find that you see yourself as someone who loves someone that you cannot have; struggling to move on to someone that is available. You may find yourself addicted to these kinds of connections and as a result find it difficult to let them go, even when they are untenable. There are other factors in the chart that influence your relationship style but looking strictly at the 8th house if you gain your sense of self through this kind of deep and intense intimacy then anything else can feel deeply unsatisfying.
In order to forge this kind of relationship with another you need them to exhibit the qualities of the sun (in astrology): presence, warmth, power, self awareness, magnetism and someone who is the centre of their own experience. Additionally, in your most important relationship you will crave a level of intensity, fearless honesty, shared vulnerability and exposed shadow.
Sun in the 8th House
You have a great urge to go farther or deeper into life every step of the way. You want to experience more, and your desires are both powerful and intense. It is hard for you to find satisfaction in common experiences, and you have magnetic power if you choose to use it wisely. You are fascinated with what lies under the surface, and at some point in your life, self-improvement is a big interest. You are attracted to unexplored or taboo areas of life, and you avoid all things superficial.
Alternate Interpretation: Your feelings run deep so there is a need for attunement with your inner self. You may sometimes feel that you are destiny’s plaything and will try to discover hidden parts of yourself through investigating "the mysteries" or take an interest in occult or metaphysical studies. As you increase your knowledge, you will recognize a compelling demand for constant change to promote your spiritual growth. This is often presented by material lessons to which you must adjust. In conforming, be prepared to relinquish some part of your life so that you may experience a rebirth on a higher level.