Astrology 101: The Planets
Welcome to the second installment of the Astrology 101 series, where we break down each of the ten planets/luminaries and their meanings, significations, and how they apply to the zodiac signs we discussed in part one!
The planets are arguably the most important part of understanding astrology and interpreting charts, but it’s also one of the most overlooked components as popular astrology tends to focus on zodiac signs. The planets actually rule the zodiac signs, meaning that they are the archetypes that manifest in each of the signs’ personalities. They provide another layer of significations and understandings to the signs. We touched on planetary rulerships a bit in part one, here will dive deep into the meanings of each planet and their role in the chart and sky.
At the end of each segment, I list out which signs the planet is in dignity, exaltation, detriment, and fall. We will examine this in further detail in the next blog post, but I encourage you to think about how the dignified and exalted signs have similar significations to the planet, while the detriment and fallen signs differ from the planet’s energies.
The Seven Visible Planets
Ancient astrology is based on the seven visible planets (five planets and two luminaries, Sun and Moon). These planets can be seen on a clear night without the help of a telescope and the ancients tracked them in the sky. The seven planets were named the “wandering stars” because when they watched them at night, the majority of the stars stayed in fixed placements while the planets moved slowly and seemed to wander about the sky.
This is an important distinction because as technology and astronomy develops, more planets and asteroids are being discovered with their own implications to astrology. However, the core seven, directly visible from Earth, hold an important position in our lives because of the visibility and influence they had on us for over two thousand years.
These visible planets became known as the inner planets, or personal planets. They move relatively quickly around the earth (remember we use a geocentric view with astrology) and impact our lives on more personal and individual levels. In our birth chart, they can tell us details about ourselves, how we communicate, relate to each other, express emotions, and take action.
The seven wandering stars include the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
The Sun – Helios ☉
The revival of astrology in modern times is directly related to the Sun and the zodiac sign it’s placed in. This is because the Sun has an incredibly consistent rotation and movement through the tropical zodiac. The only information needed is your birthday, and a quick google search will tell you your “sign”, which is really just your Sun sign, or the sign your Sun is placed in. This ease of access to finding your Sun sign helped popularize astrology and began to make it known through horoscopic columns and more.
The success of this revitalization is partly due to the fact that the Sun is a very significant planet and piece of our chart. Think about the role of the Sun in our solar system as the core, the part of the system that is the center gravity and the piece that holds everything together. The Sun plays a similar role in our birth chart and ourselves.
In our charts, the Sun represents our core and soul power, our will and desire to exist and shine. It’s our spirit, our passion that lights a fire in our life and motivates us to do the things we want to do. It represents the parts of ourselves that are the most visible and enlightened, our self-expression and identity, how we perceive who we are and who we want to be. It rules our mind, intellect, and mindset.
Overall, the Sun can show what is our core motivation for existing and our core essence of life. The sign the Sun is located in describes the flavor or personality of which we see and express ourselves. The Sun rules Leo, is exalted in Aries, detriment in Aquarius, and fall in Libra.
The Moon – Selene ☾
While the Sun emits light, the Moon reflects it. The Sun often is how we present and see ourselves externally, and in contrast the Moon reflects and connects how we feel internally, our emotions, our feelings, our body and its abilities or stagnations.
The Moon is the fastest planet (technically a luminary but the ancients placed the two together) and will complete an entire cycle around the zodiac in about 28.5 days while the Sun will take a full year. Because of its speed, an accurate birthtime is generally needed to find what the sign the Moon is in on a given day, but sometimes a rough estimate can be used.
The Moon represents our body, and in our earliest period of life it represents our Mother or the one who raised us, nurtured us, and sustained us when we weren’t able to. Our Moon can tell us a lot about our childhood and how that helped shaped who we are today. Similarly, it represents how we process events or situations emotionally, who we are and what we need when we are alone and by ourselves. It rules how we are comforted, how we seek comfort and give it. It also represents our daily rituals and practices we have – simple things that bring us joy and allow us to feel loved.
Additionally, the Moon in our chart can show where we feel the most comfortable emotionally and where we can get our needs met. It shows how we grow and process information intuitively, and how easy that inner knowledge is to access. The Moon phase we were born under (New, Crescent, Quarter, Full, Gibbous, Balsamic) can represent how we seek to grow and explore our soul in this lifetime. The Moon rules Cancer, is exalted in Taurus, detriment in Capricorn, and fall in Scorpio.
Mercury – Hermes, The Twinkling One ☿
Mercury is the next fastest moving planet behind the Moon, and in turn represents our mind, intellect, knowledge, how we gather information, and communicate. It rules writing, speaking, numbers, logical reasoning, deep studies, and relaying of information. Mercury is witty, can be a trickster and fun, and asks us to think critically about the world around us. People with strong Mercury placements can be a vessel of “useless knowledge,” quick learner, and great at trivia, quizzes, and situations involving quick thinking.
In our personal chart, Mercury can show how we process information, learn, and communicate. It can give us hints about our writing style, how we speak or articulate thoughts, and how easy it is to communicate messages from our spirit (Sun) or body (Moon). The sign Mercury is in can show the style of which we communicate or learn, like a Mercury in Cancer may be focused on communicating messages from the body or more intuitively, whereas a Mercury in Gemini is focused on logic and reasoning.
Because we use astrology in a heliocentric view, Mercury appears to move backwards in the sky about three times a year. This is known as Mercury retrograde, where Mercury retraces its degrees in the zodiac to review, restudy, and reexamine the information it has been taking in or the conversations that have been had. Since Mercury moves fast, this period is a chance for us to review everything and make sure it’s in alignment with our intentions. As Mercury rules information, and also technology, this is where the notion of losing data or emails can be found during Mercury retrogrades.
Mercury is a very unique planet as it’s neither nocturnal or diurnal, benefic or malefic, and its elliptic straddles the inner and outer planets. In mythology, Mercury was often seen as the messenger to the underworld – it was the only God that was able to go down to the underworld and return as needed. This gives Mercury a unique ability to be both, everything, and none at all. Mercury rules Virgo and Gemini, is exalted in Virgo, detriment in Sagittarius, and fall in Pisces.
Venus – Aphrodite, The Light-Bringer ♀
The planet of love and relationships belongs to Venus. Venus is the first of the benefic planets, meaning its primary purpose is to bring things together, manifest “good” events or situations, and create ease or alignment within our lives. For Venus, this is often focused on relationships – both friendships and romantic. Venus rules connections we create with others in our lives, but also the physical things that bring us pleasure and joy.
Venus represents all things that are beautiful and harmonious, including aesthetics and art, crafts, and creative processes. Creative endeavors, such as music, singing, dance, painting, art, acting, expressive activities fall under Venus’ domain. This includes decorating our home and other spaces, and also how we adorn ourselves with jewelry or clothes. Relationship properties such as marriage, union, and long-term friendships or groups of people seeking the same fun and joy also represents what Venus attempts to bring in our lives.
In our personal charts, Venus can characterize what we seek to have in relationships, which relationships feel fulfilling to us, and how we can create pleasure in our lives. The sign Venus is in can reflect the style of those relationships or what we find beautiful. For example, a Venus in Scorpio may be drawn to the darker aesthetics, or things that are more haunting and unique.
This planet is sometimes associated with money, but ultimately Venus is about our desires, how we can obtain them, and what we need to feel peaceful, beautiful, and loved. Some Venus placements seek to have more “things” and others seek to maintain an image or more relationships. The prominence of Venus in a natal chart can show how important those things are to you. Venus rules Taurus and Libra, is exalted in Pisces, detriment in Scorpio and Venus, and fall in Virgo.
Mars – Ares, The Fiery One ♂
The contrasting planet to Venus is Mars, the first of the malefic planets. Malefic planets are focused on separating, taking apart ideas or situations, highlighting the work or actions that we need to take, and forces us to deal with conflicts or problem-solve. Mars in particular represents conflict, fights, disagreements, war, loss of relationships or things, and deception. It also represents the actions that we have to take to achieve growth or work through issues, our physical activity, and creating with our hands or fire.
Mars is often found in military leaders, those who lead or create wars, and also athletes, those who find movement in their bodies, who have or seek excessive strength, endurance, and energy. Mars also rules sex, the way we desire sex but also what turns us on sexually and physically. Internally, it’s our fiery passion, what motivates us to pursue or achieve things, what is our reason for taking action in areas of our life.
Individually, Mars is the way we take initiation and go after what we want. Malefic planets are not strictly about giving bad experiences – if everything was Venusian and just focused on pleasure, we would never be able to grow or adapt in life. Just as Mars rules the process of heating and sculpting iron and metals into weapons or tools, Mars heats us up and forces us to separate our desires so that we seek the necessary action and drive to make them possible.
The area of our chart that Mars rules represents where in our life we are driven to take action, where we have an insatiable desire for growth, and where we may experience more conflict as a result. The sign Mars is placed in is the style of which we take action, deal with conflict, and how our action is sustained or diminished. Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, is exalted in Capricorn, detriment in Libra and Taurus, and fall in Cancer.
Jupiter – Zeus, The Radiant One ♃
The larger benefic planet is Jupiter, who represents similar pleasures as Venus, but on a larger and grander scale. Jupiter rules abundance, such as wealth and profits but also food, joy, personal growth, and expansion. There is a strong association with optimism, faith and trust, as Jupiter rules our spiritual beliefs and trust in the universe or divine interventions. Strong Jupiterian energies are often found in religious groups and leaders, those that are abundant with knowledge, information, and power to help create alliances with large groups of people.
Jupiter is very much how we create luxury in our lives, whether with money and objects of pleasures, or with joyful relationships. This also includes the desire to study philosophy, seek higher education, or find a mentor. It rules over our personal growth, how we approach it, our mindset, and the resources we need. It governs freedom, both physical and mental, from attachments and things that constrain our expansion. Jupiter is represented by advisors or leaders that we look towards.
In our personal charts, Jupiter can show us where we are more naturally able to create abundance and personal growth for ourselves. It represents where we have a gift or talent to manifest things and events into being. It can also show us what our relationship to growth or achieving abundance is like, whether it can be attained more naturally or perhaps is an area we need a little more time and effort. Jupiter also shows how we connect spiritually or religiously, if that is an area of ease or disconnect in our life.
Jupiter provides us with freedom and knowledge, the ability to choose and seek growth in areas that are joyful and promising, and helps connect us with universal law of energy and spiritual growth. Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces, is exalted in Cancer, detriment in Gemini and Virgo, and fall in Capricorn.
Saturn – Kronos, The Shining One ♄
Contrasting with Jupiter, the larger malefic planet is Saturn. As the last of the inner planets, it sets a border between the more personal planets and outer, generational ones. Saturn is known for its large icy and rocky rings around the celestial body, which in turn helps to define the main signification of the planet – boundaries. Saturn rules restrictions, limits, and time as it is the slowest moving inner planet, taking about 29 years to complete one cycle around the zodiac. Saturn also represents structures, especially those that make up societies, rules, laws, and authority that keeps people within its bounds.
Saturn is very much about our responsibilities and work we have to do in this lifetime. This can be our physical material work but also personal work, as it highlights our deficiencies and where we tend to need more rigidity or strictness in our life. It can be more pessimistic, as Saturn moves so slow, it may bring scenarios as which there seems to be no end in sight. Saturn rules growth, but in a different way than Jupiter. Saturnian growth is the notion that good, solid foundations take time, hard effort, and hard work. What you put in is what you get out, and there are no shortcuts.
Individually, Saturn in our natal charts can show us where in our lives we need to put in more work and attention. It may show where we struggle with something in the beginning but develop and grow stronger, and even succeed, with it in the longer term. It can show us how we deal with boundaries, and where we might need more of them. Saturn returns, where Saturn returns to the degree it was when you are born, represent a 2-3 year period of personal and external growth and development, sometimes through hardships or periods of grind.
Without boundaries, our over enthusiastic growth and expansion with Jupiter may lack form and structure. Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius, is exalted in Libra, detriment in Cancer and Leo, fall in Aries.
The Three Generational Planets
The invention of the telescope and ability to see our solar system beyond the naked eye, along with more knowledge and understanding of astronomy, allowed for new planetary discoveries resulting in the three outer planets: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The discovery of these new planets forced astrologers to find archetypes and meanings for them, as well as discerning how they fit into the original, traditional framework.
Ultimately, the three outer planets helped develop a split in the astrology practices between traditional and modern astrologers, which will we cover in the next blog post about the Thema Mundi. But the overarching meanings and delineations about the planets are generally agreed upon.
These outer planets are often known as generational planets, because they move so slowly and are usually in the same zodiac sign for everyone within a generation. Studying the historical transits of these celestial bodies shows how they impact our societal structures, and the placements of them in our natal charts can help us understand the role we play within the larger whole.
Uranus – The Disrupting Innovator ♅
The first of the outer planets was discovered in 1781 by the astronomer and musician William Herschel. Archetypes and principles were established for these planets partly by a retrospective and historical viewpoint, but also by looking at the circumstances of which the planets were founded. Therefore, Uranus has been shown to represent technology, including technological change, breakthroughs, and experiments.
Uranus displays a rebellious spirit, one that pushes and breakdowns the boundaries of society and structure (Saturn), and pursues freedom, liberation, and ultimately drastic change. This planet is often associated with unpredictability, disruptions to the status quo, and erratic shifts in life. Uranus seeks to establish a new and innovative design, especially one based on originality and individualism, often using technology or breakthrough science.
In our charts, Uranus can show where we may play a role in the disruption of society or norms, how we may pursue things differently than other generations, and where we seek to express our independence. Those with potent Uranus placements can express themselves through their place (or lack of place) within society and their rebellious spirit.
Neptune – The Mystic Dreamer ♆
Neptune was discovered in 1846, but not through the use of a telescope. A French mathematician named Urbain LeVerrier hypothesized another planetary body was in space, pulling Uranus out of its calculated orbit with its gravitational pull. Using a predicted position, Neptune was then discovered by Johann Galle in the same year. The empirically known, but yet unseen way Neptune revealed itself lead to the archetypal delineation of being transcendent, spiritual, and idealistic.
Similar to the depths of the ocean, Neptune governs our imagination, unconscious, and dreamscape. It’s the planet of the formless – ideas, dreams, and the knowing within us that cannot be explained by purely material matters. Neptune is often associated with spirituality, internal inspiration, the creation of art, the knowing that we all share the same energic field. It tends to dissolve boundaries and merge people and visions together, with the intention of diffusing the ego and tending to healing.
Individually, Neptune in our natal charts can show where we tend to idealize and dream of a fantastical way of doing something, or how we desire to step outside the boundaries of material constraints. On a generational level, Neptune can show the growth of societies pursuing spiritual transformation, devotion to universal power, and an understanding of the mystical forces at work.
Pluto – The Chthonic Intensifier ♇
The final planetary discovery (and one that has been debated quite liberally) is Pluto in 1930 by Clyde Thombaugh. Similar to the discovery of Neptune, Pluto was found due to discrepancies observed in Neptune’s and Uranus’ orbit, hypothesized by American astronomer Percival Lowell. Although Pluto’s classification has been heavily debated in the planetary field, in astrology its significations and archetypes are very clearly seen and defined as a major influence in our world.
Pluto is a unique planet as it’s associated with depth and intensity, and it often tends to magnify or intensify significations of planets it aspects or area it occupies. This intensification can often be extreme and on a grand scale. It’s the planet that establishes power and power structures within society, authoritative rule, and often the control of another, whether it be a person or an instinct or desire. It’s associated with the process of death and rebirth, the task of burning and destroying so that new structures can be imagined and created.
Being on the edge of our solar system and placed in severe conditions, Pluto is found in spaces that are extreme and border the line of life and death. It rules over mass destruction but also creation, aggressive actions and consequences, and internal instincts that trigger the fight or flight response. The Lord of the Underworld represents those that are dark, hidden, taboo, and on the outskirts of society.
Pluto is often the trigger in major outer planet aspects that lead to world defining events. For example, it was discovered alongside the invention of splitting of the atom and in the midst of two major world wars. It played a major role in the development of the world pandemic (COVID-19). In our personal charts, it may show where we deal with intense power structures and dynamics, where we hide pieces of ourselves, and where there is potential for death and rebirth.
Conclusion
In astrology, the planets are all essentially archetypes of us and society. They represent pieces and parts of our life and who we are. The seven inner planets reflect on the personal characteristics and embodiments, while the three outer planets explain the longer term, generational, and societal shifts we experience in our lifetime.
The zodiac sign the planets are in help color the way the planets will be expressed – planets that are placed in the signs they rule will have an easier time manifesting constructively, while those placed in the signs of detriment and fall will have to be a little more creative. We will explore this deeper in the next post.
If you’re curious to see where the planets are in your chart and the different ways they may manifest, I recommend a birth chart (natal) consultation. Here we go over your natal chart and explore each planet, what they rule in your life, how they are manifested, and more. Request your consultation here.
Works Cited/Further Reading
Brennan, C. (2017). Hellenistic astrology: The study of fate and fortune (First Edition) (pp. 166 – 189). Amor Fati Publications.
Tarnas, R. (2006). Cosmos and psyche: Intimations of a new world view (pp. 89 – 100). Viking Adult.
