The Planets

THE PLANETS

You may have already heard about the planets, but you may not know why they are there and how they effect our Sun signs.

The planets are the celestial bodies in the sky. They rule and influence nature in general and the destiny of man on earth. The total number of important planets that possess astrological importance is ten.  The energies of these planets individually or in conjunction with the other planets are known to influence the course of our lives. Each planet has its own characteristic powers or energies.

An explanation from our Psychic Astrologer:

Each planet has its own basic charecteristics, regardless of which house or sign it appears in. Each planet's expression blends with and is influenced by the action of the sign and house it occupies. The aspect a planet makes to other planets will also modify its expression.

The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are called 'personal planets', or 'character building' planets.

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are called 'impersonal planets' or 'event planets'.

Here is more information on the planets to help you understand what this means.

THE SUN

Keyword: the inner self

This planet represents the ego or the individuality that gives each person his uniqueness. The sun endows its subjects the power to face the challenges of the world. Its energy represents authority and leadership and provides us the necessary will power and strength to succeed. The Sun also imparts its energy to the other planets.
The Sun takes one year to complete its cycle.

• The Sun rules the sign Leo and the fifth house.
• It represents your ego and the expression of your individuality.
• It also shows by house and sign placement your ambitions, Leepest charecter traits and personal fulfillment.
• In a natal chart, the Sun represents those who have a great influence in your life; i.e., a boss, supervisor,the government and men in general.
• In a males chart, The Sun represents the father and in a females chart, it represents the husband.
• The Sun travels about 53 seconds per day and spends approximately 30 days in each sign.

Positive Sun Traits: Ambition, confidence, strong will power, strength, loyalty and a desire for recognition.

Negative Sun Traits: Arrogance, jealousy, laziness, conceit.

THE MOON

Keyword: Emotions

The moon rules our emotions. It is the closest to the earth and influences us more than any other planet. It rules over the tides of the oceans and also our feelings and emotions.  It affects fertility and childbirth. Like the phases of the moon, humans too under its influence have their mood swings.

Moon takes 28 days to complete its cycle around the zodiac.

• The Moon rules the sign Cancer and the fourth house.
• It represents your needs and desires, habits, instincts and the subconscious mind.
• The Moon also shows by house and sign placement, how you respond emotionally to others, situations and experiences, as well as how the public will react to you.
• The Moon represents the mother, babies and the home enviornment.
• It also shows how well you get along with women regardless of your gender.
• The Moon goes through all twelve signs about every 28 days. It spends approximately 2 1/2 days in each sign.

Positive Moon Traits: Inspiration, Flexibilty, domestic, nurturing, magnetism, fertility.

Negative Moon Traits: Self destructive, moodiness, smothering, dreaminess.

MERCURY

Keyword: Reasoning Powers
Mercury is the planet of communication and travel. It endows us with a capacity for logical and rational thinking, enabling us to express ourselves articulately and intelligibly. Being a restless planet, it induces the same restlessness in humans. Consequently, man is never satisfied with what he has. Not the ones to rest with the laurels achieved, people under the influence of Mercury are blessed with a tireless spirit to venture into the unknown and search for new gems in the ocean. Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo.
Mercury takes about 88 days to complete its orbit around the sun

• Mercury rules Gemini, Virgo and the third and sixth houses.
• Mercury represents the way a person thinks and communicates.
• Mercury's house and sign placement will show how the mind directs its thoughts, ideas and opinions.
• It is the conscious or reasonig mind.
• When Mercury is in aspect with another planet, it will give additional information about how a person thinks.For example, if Mercury is aspected with the planet Mars, it will show a person who will most likely act upon their thoughts and ideas. If it aspected to Saturn, it would show a serious thinker, one who is cautious in communicating their thoughts.
• Mercury also shows how an individual goes from one place to another (slowly, quickly, weakly, strongly etc.) depending on the sign placement.
• It also deals with day-to-day activities and siblings
• It takes Mercury approximately one year to go through all of the twelve signs.
• Mercury can stay in one sign from about 14 to 30 days, depending on its motion.

Positive Mercury Traits: Ability to learn quickly, resourcefulness, awareness, dexteriy, intelligent.

Negative Mercury Traits: Indecisiveness, instability, gullable, talks too much, two-faced, nosy.

VENUS

Keyword: Affection

Venus is the goddess of love, beauty, romance, marriages, friendships, business partnerships, pleasure, and money. The sensuous energy of the Venus has a soothing effect on the people whose destiny is ruled by this planet. It inspires the love of arts, music, dance, drama, literature and aesthetics, besides the love for possessions, luxuries, jewelry, expensive things, cars, paintings, good food and drinks and so on.

Venus takes 225 days to complete its orbit of the zodiac.

• Venus rules Taurus and Libra, the second and seventh houses.
• Venus rules social attitudes and behavior, as well as values, priorities, an individual's judgement and moral tendencies.
• Venus' house position in the natal chart shows where good luck can appear (in a minor way), where money may be gained or spent, and where you will want to relate to others.
• In a male's chart, Venus will indicate the kind of woman he may be attracted to.
• It is the planet of marriage and partnerships.
• Venus travels from 0 to 1 degree, 16 minutes a day, depending on its motion, and stays in a sign approximately 23 days to a little over 2 months.

Positive Venus Traits: Charm, appreciation,of beutiful things, creativity, considerate, social.
Negative Venus Traits: Vanity, laziness, self-indulgent, indecisive, possesive, jealousy.

EARTH (PART OF FORTUNE)

Keyword: Reality

• Earth represents the physical plane and mundane matters.
• The Earth is always the exact opposite of the Sun sign, degree and house placement.
• In the natal chart, Earth describes the area in which a person will be the most successful and one's own approach.
• It shows the individual's mission in life.

MARS

Keyword: Energy

Mars is the red and fiery planet of action that induces strong masculine emotions and passions, drives and determination in man. The planet is a military ruler who is in complete command in all situations and under all circumstances. Mars is associated with the qualities of confidence, courage, ambition, aggressivity, assertiveness, and fearlessness.
Mars takes two years to complete its journey around its orbit through the zodiac.

• Mars rules Aries and the first house.
• Mars represents action and energy.
• It's house position in the natal chart will show where one is most likely to take risks, physical activities and the kind of things that one will put a lot of effort into.
• In a male's chart, Mars will indicate the sexual potency and drive.
• In a female's chart, Mars will describe the kind of man she would be physically attracted to.
• Mars travels from 0 to one degree, 16 minutes per day depending on its motion, and takes about 2 years to go through all 12 signs, staying in one sign for about 1.5 months.

Positive Mars Traits: Courage, determination, independent, energetic, self reliant.

Negative Mars Traits: Impulsive, stubborn, violent, cruel, destructive.

JUPITER

Keyword: Expansion

Jupiter is the planet of good fortune. The qualities associated with this planet include abstract thinking, high learning, and an interest in philosophy, religion, and science. It promotes spiritualism, intellectualism, idealism in religion and philosophy. Jupiter encourages its subjects to search answers to fundamental questions of life.
It takes Jupiter twelve years to complete its journey along its orbit.

• Jupiter rules the sign Sagittarius and the ninth house.
• Jupiter is the planet of expansion and where it is located in the natal chart, will show an abundance in the individual's life.
• It also describes the potential for growth be it physical, intellectual, spiritual or cultural.
• It also describes one's capacity for enjoyment, optimism and the development of aspirations.
• In a female's chart, Jupiter represents the father.
• Jupiter is sometimes called the greater benefactor because it is associated with good fortune in major ways and more often a benefit in a chart than it is a detriment.
• It takes Jupiter about 12 years to go through the 12 signs, staying in one sign an average of one year. Jupiter travels from 0 to 14 minutes a day depending on whether it is retrograde or in direct motion

Positive Jupiter Traits: Success, ambition, inspiration, wealth, optimism, generous, aspiring.

Negative Jupiter Traits: extravagance, pomposity, conceit, very lazy, overconfident, fanatical.

Omens of Jupiter: Jupiter is considered as the ‘Prince of Light’, 'Jupiter Optimus Maximus', and the 'Shepherd of the Stars'. Jupiter could see and provide omens to indicate the future through the flight of birds.

SATURN

Keyword: The Teacher

Saturn is the lord of karma and compels its subjects to bear the brunt of their unwise actions. Saturn is a hard taskmaster and enforces his discipline with a vengeance. People under the influence of Saturn are like the wizened conservative old man with a Leep sense of tradition who has learnt the lessons of his life the hard way.
Saturn takes 28-30 years to complete its cycle in the zodiac.

• Saturn rules the sign Capricorn and the 10th house.
• Saturn is the 'teacher' planet and through its influences we learn.
• Sometimes this can be a difficult process.But remember, the planets represent circumstances or options.
• The individual makes the choices.
• Saturn's house placement shows the area of a person's life where that person has the most lessons to learn and where that person mat have the greatest feelings of inadequacy, resposibilities and limitations.
• Saturn's action is slow and enduring.
• Saturn travels from 0 to 8 minutes per day depending on its motion and takes approximately 29 1/2 years to go through all twelve signs, staying in one sign for about 2 1/2 years.

Positive Saturn Traits: Stability, self- discipline, patience, endurance, humility, thriftiness, conventional.

Negative Saturn Traits: Misery, narrow-minded, selfish, fearful, pessimistic, rigid.

Omens of Saturn: Saturn is the star of the sun. Its position and its movement around the sun send significant messages in the form of omens.

URANUS

Keyword: The Awakener

The planet Uranus was discovered in 1781. Being one of the outermost planets, it moves very slowly along its orbit. Uranus, being a new planet, represents the modern rebellious and heterodox generation. Uranus is the patron saint of originality, new inventions and discoveries in Science, computers, cutting edge technologies and futuristic outlook.
Uranus takes around 84 years to complete its cycle in the zodiac.

• Uranus rules the sign Aquarius and the elveventh house.
• Uranus rules freedom and independence.
• It indicates originality in thought and expression.
• It's also associated with sudden changes and events, unpredictability and where a person's lifestyle may be different from the norm.
• Uranus in the natal chart indicates where a person will be unconventional, intuitive and individualistic.
• Uranus rules astrology, electricity, inventions and friends.
• Uranus travels from 0 to 4 minutes per day, depending on its motion and it moves through all twelve signs of the Zodiac approximately 84 years, staying in one sign about 7 years.

Positive Uranus Traits: Clairvoyant ability, intuition, humanitarian ideals, strength of will, progressive, original.

Negative Uranus Traits: Rebellious, eccentric, impulsive.

NEPTUNE

Keyword: Intuition

Neptune was discovered even after Uranus in 1846. It moves slowly and lazily around its orbit. Neptune seems to have all the time in the world. Consequently, people under its influence are never a part of the rat race that drives the world. They are easygoing, content given to contemplation and meditations. They are born spectators and never active participants. Neptune influences humans to be abstract thinkers, dreamers, spiritualists and philosophers looking for greater awareness and new insights into the mysterious world. Neptune promotes poetry, dance, drama and literature.
Neptune takes 165 years to complete its cycle.  

• Neptune rules the sign Pisces and the 12th house.
• Neptune is a difficult planet to describe because it rules anything that is difficult to pin down or define.
• However, in the natal chart, Neptune represents a person's spirituality, abstract thinking, illusions, and where things aren't always what they seem.
• It can also rule those who are oppressed, abandoned or perecuted.
• If well aspected Neptune can represent those who are glamorous and charismatic, compassionate and highly creative.
• Neptune also indicates good fortune and protection that almost seems supernatural.
• Neptune travels from 0 degrees to 3 minutes per day, depending on its motion. It takes Neptune about 165 years to go through all 12 signs, staying in each one for approximately 14 years.

Positive Neptune Traits: Mystical, inspiration, genius, devotion, sensitive, idealistic, creative, psychic, understanding.

Negative Neptune Traits: Self-delusion, self indulgence, chaotic events, negativity, self-sacrficing, powerlessness, misplaced sympathies, Fraud.

PLUTO

Keyword: Transformation

Pluto is the planet of power. It was discovered in 1930. It is the outermost planet, farthest from the sun. Pluto patronizes change of the old world order. Its motto appears to be: Ring out the old and ring in the new.
Pluto takes around 248 years to complete it circle.

• Pluto rules the sign Scorpio and the eighth house.
• Pluto represents intense energy.
• While Pluto mainly applies to a generation, a strong Pluto in the natal chart generally indicates an individual who will most likely be a nonconformist, who will bring new developments into the world.
• It can also indicate great amounts of money and power behind the scenes for the individual.
• The presence of Pluto's energy is never obvious until it is used.
• Pluto is the transformer, breaking down the old and replaces it with the new and is associated with drastic changes and forced conditions.
• Pluto is also associated with karmic responsibility and where a person must gain a Leeper level of understanding.
• Pluto's action is slow, ponderous and inescapable.
• Pluto travels from 0 to three minutes a day and takes approximately 248 years to go through all 12 signs, staying in each one from 14 to 30 years.

Positive Pluto Traits: Spirituality, revitalization, positive clairvoyance, transformation.

Negative Pluto Traits: Fanaticism, anarchy, destruction, turmoil, criminal behavior.

THE NODES OF THE MOON

The nodes of the moon are not planets; they are calculated points in space based on the Moon's position.

There is a North Node and a South Node which are always in opposition to each other.

Traditionally, the north node is viewd to have an influence similar to that of Jupiter and the south node has an inlfuence similar to that of Saturn.

In a chart, the north node represents the area where development of new talents should be directed.

The south node represents talents already developed.

THE VERTEX

The vertex represents an important life instruction.
The vertex mostly falls between the fifth and eighth houses.
Its exact point varies depending on the individual's birth date, time and place.
The vertex and the anti-vertex (opposite point of the vertex) indicate karmic events in the life of an individual regarding cause and effect.
Be careful of what you wish for, as it just might come true when the votex and anti-vortex come into play.

PLANETARY MOVEMENTS

DIRECT MOTION:
Refers to the forward movement of planets as seen from Earth.
Direct motion allows an outward expression of a planet's energy, as indicated by house, sign placement and its aspects.

RETROGRADE MOTION:

Refers to a planet that appears to be moving backwards as seen from the Earth.
The energy of a retrograde planet is less assertive and more internalized, sometimes reversing situations and changing our feelings and regular activities.
The Sun and Moon can never be in retrograde motion.

STATIONARY MOTION:

A planet is said to "make a station" when it seems to stop moving.
A planet has a greater influence in the horoscope when it is stationary because its energy is concentrated and focused at the degree of the zodiac it occupies. 

The Planets

General Information About The Planets And How They Effect Humans.

Within an astrological chart, the planets (including the Sun and Moon) are the main"powerhouses" . these main "powerhouses" describe basic energies or abilities of the human psyche that we experience both internally, as parts of our personalities, and in the world around us, as the events and stories of our everyday lives.

Each planet represents a specific kind of energy, which we observe as different types of experiences in our lives (what psychologists call "archetypes"). These experiential profiles are described in astrology by keywords and phrases that capture many meanings, themes, mythological/archetypal motifs, personality traits, etc. that relate to the planet. By looking at the planet from these various point of views, a gut feeling for the "personality" of that body eventually emerges. Soon, one simply notices when these energies are "active" in the world without having to think about it.