Planets in Astrology

Each planet governs one domain of life: the Sun is identity and purpose, the Moon emotions and needs, Mercury mind and communication, Venus love and values, Mars drive and desire, Jupiter growth and luck, Saturn discipline and limits, Uranus change and freedom, Neptune dreams and spirituality, and Pluto transformation and power. The sign and house each planet occupies shows how and where that domain plays out for you.

The personal planets — Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars — move quickly and describe individual character. Jupiter and Saturn are the social planets, bridging the person and society, while the slow outer planets — Uranus, Neptune and Pluto — shape whole generations and turn personal mainly through their house position and aspects.

In astrology, “planet” keeps its ancient meaning of “wanderer” — any body that visibly moves against the backdrop of fixed stars — so the Sun and Moon qualify. They are also called the luminaries, and they remain the two most important points in any birth chart.

Mars rules Aries; Venus rules Taurus and Libra; Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo; the Moon rules Cancer; the Sun rules Leo; Pluto rules Scorpio (traditionally Mars); Jupiter rules Sagittarius; Saturn rules Capricorn; Uranus rules Aquarius (traditionally Saturn); and Neptune rules Pisces (traditionally Jupiter). A planet placed in a sign it rules is in domicile — its strongest essential dignity.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are the generational planets: Uranus spends about 7 years in each sign, Neptune about 14, and Pluto between roughly 12 and 31, so entire generations share their sign placements. In an individual chart they become personal through the house they occupy and the aspects they make to personal planets.

A retrograde planet appears to move backwards through the zodiac from Earth’s point of view — an optical effect, not a real reversal. In a natal chart it suggests that planet’s function works in a more internalised, reflective way; it is a nuance of style, not a flaw in the chart.