The global sun was the answer. I increased the azimuth quite a bit and added transparency to the sheet. I will have to play with the settings a bit more but you've got me going down the right path Remy. The change in azimuth does affect the houses somewhat but is is a worthwhile compromise I think.

WeathermanSweden, it wasn't the shadows that were my problem but the actual shading of the symbols themselves. Thanks for the input though!

Sue, I'm using SS5 for the map. Here's a quickie example of how it looks. The dark shading just doesn't look right with the pale colors of this style. It's okay. Not every symbol set works with every style. I'll just go back to my original plans for this map.

It worked perfectly this time Ralf. Thank you!

Well then, Yay to Ralf too! ?

I always love seeing maps from this style and this one is lovely. My only recommendation might be to add some shading to the ocean.