The Planets In Astrology & Their Meanings
The unique positions of the planets in your astrological birth chart are the foundation for understanding your cosmic energy. The classical (or personal) planets represent aspects of your personality and your basic human instincts, desires, and drives. The 7 classical planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Your transpersonal (or generational) planets represent the spiritual evolution of yourself and global trends and cycles. These planets — Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto — are slower moving and thus represent the global changes that coincided with the birth of your generation and shared traits and qualities amongst you.
This beginner's cosmic guide does not include general descriptions of asteroids or mathematically significant points and angles (like Black Moon Lilith or the Ascendant/rising sign and Midheaven).
Sun: Your Conscious Self
The Sun is the planet of vitality and identity. In your birth chart, it represents your conscious and intentional self. The Sun is the expression of your physical being and who, or what, you aspire to be. As the planet that rules over your ego and identity, your Sun sign indicates what you over-identify with — which, for motivational and inspired Sagittarius Suns are their knowledge, beliefs, and opinions. The house placement of your Sun sign indicates where you feel most empowered and like yourself. People with their Sun in the 11th house of allies, come alive when they’re surrounded by friends and community.
Moon: Your Emotional Self
The Moon in astrology represents the condition of the nurturing and receptive feminine principle that exists within all of us. Lunar energy is most expressed during childhood, as your solar power can only emerge once you develop your individuality and identity.
Your Moon sign signifies the nature of your emotional self, subconscious patterns, and instinctual habits. It is the ebb and flow of your mood cycles and how you express or suppress your sensitivity. For fiery Aries Moons, they are more reactive when they feel triggered, attacked, and vulnerable. However, serious Capricorn Moons must learn to be more sympathetic and receptive to others' needs and their own deeper feelings.
Want to know what self-care practices suit you? Your Moon sign reveals what you need to be brought back to equilibrium and where you feel most nurtured and fulfilled. For example, the Moon in the 10th house of public life signifies someone who is comfortable in the spotlight and social situations and cares about their reputation.
Mercury: Your Mindset And Perspective
Are you a talker or a listener? A logical or emotional thinker? These qualities are symbolized by Mercury — the planet of life perspective, rational thought, and learning and communication styles. Mercury in your birth chart reveals the nature of your mindset; someone with Mercury in daydreamer Pisces is far more mentally agile and prone to distractions than someone with Mercury in practical and focused Taurus. The house placement of Mercury in your birth chart indicates where you find it easiest to convey your thoughts and seek more knowledge. Mercury in the 9th house of beliefs, signifies a philosophical thinker who has a greater capacity to motivate, inspire, and uplift others.
Venus: Your Pleasure And Desires
Venus is the planet of connection and attraction. In your birth chart, Venus shows how you form attachments and relate to others. Venus also signifies what you value and desire in relationships and divine union; Venus in sensitive Cancer represents someone who can become emotionally dependent on their significant other and seeks out partners who are nurturing, loyal, and able to offer reassurance and security. The house placement of Venus in your birth chart reveals your priorities in life and what brings you pleasure and enjoyment. Venus in the 8th house of healing and vulnerability, signifies someone with greater depth and devotion. This person has the ability to form intensely intimate connections even if their heart has been cracked open in the past.
Mars: Your Warrior Spirit
In traditional astrology, Mars is not connected to passion, lust, or intimacy – this is Venus’ terrain and Mars is Venus’ opposite. Mars is the planet that pushes you toward action. Your drive, impatience, and ability (or inability) to pick up momentum when chasing a goal are signified by your Mars sign. Martian energy carries an aggressive, warrior-like spirit, so a strong Mars placement — like Mars in Capricorn — can allude to someone who is competitive, ambitious, and assertive. The area of your birth chart that houses Mars shows where you are most defensive and self-protective, what triggers your anger and aggression, and what you hate. Mars in the 1st house of conscious self suggests someone who trusts their instincts and throws themselves completely into anything they do, but who may struggle to control their impulse to react and lash out. However, Mars in the 4th house of private life points to someone who has dealt with domestic tensions during childhood or whose inner peace is disrupted by their combative nature.
Jupiter: Your Beliefs And Philosophies
Abundant and optimistic Jupiter is the planet of luck, growth, beliefs, manifestation, and opportunity. Its placement in your birth chart indicates the nature of your higher mind — your superconscious or higher self — and your philosophical, religious, or spiritual ideas. A Jupiter in Gemini native is intellectually carefree and interested in questions rather than answers. They are unable to (or uninterested in) developing mastery in their knowledge and are too curious to stick to one judgment and belief. Opportunities to attract blessings are experienced in the house where Jupiter resides in your birth chart. This is also where you are prone to exaggeration and doing things excessively; someone with Jupiter in the 2nd house of resources may be a big spender or a big saver.
Saturn: Your Karmic Evolution
Saturn is the lord of karmic evolution, maturity, and tests of responsibility. It symbolizes how you exercise self-discipline and your ability to implement (and respond to) boundaries and restrictions. Saturn in cooperative Libra, shows someone who is a master at compromising and making wise and well-balanced judgements. The house placement of Saturn in your birth chart indicates where you may gain wisdom and insight from hard-hitting life experiences. You may feel a greater responsibility to make careful and wise decisions where Saturn reigns in your birth chart and could experience delays and restrictions in this area of your life. Saturn in the 7th house of partnership indicates someone who (for karmic reasons) may take longer to settle down, get married, and stay married.
Uranus: Your Yearning For Freedom
Freedom-seeking Uranus is the planet of revolution, liberation, change, and disruption. It takes Uranus approximately 7 years to transit one zodiac sign. Uranus represents your streak of geniuses and where you may be erratic or destructive in an attempt to chase freedom. Uranus in the zodiac signs indicates the significant trends and themes of consciousness in the world that are influenced by your generation. The Uranus in Aquarius generation (born between 1995 to 2003), have a strong sense of social justice. They aren’t afraid to invent a new way of doing things that challenges tradition and are more likely to groupthink when they find communities that share their progressive ideals.
Uranus in your birth chart signifies that you must break out of the mold of social norms and convention and do things in a way that feels right to you. In this area of your life, you will experience sudden changes in direction that you have little control over. For example, Uranus in the 5th house of pleasure reflects someone who is a creative and independent force. This native may run away from predictable and unexciting relationships that restrict their freedom.
Neptune: Your Dreams And Fantasies
Neptune represents your subconscious activity, psychic abilities, and spiritual senses. As the planet of glamour, other-worldly beauty, and artistry, Neptune reveals what you long for as a result of your dreams. The cultivated expression of Neptune brings peace and blissful energy; inspiration and imagination; spiritual collection; unconditional love, and the ability to transcend your ego. However, the uncultivated expression of Neptune brings a lack of clarity and alertness, self-deception, escapism, and a lack of conscious awareness.
Neptune’s transits, which last around 14 years, coincide with global changes around drug usage, art, music, and spirituality. 1957 to 1970 saw Neptune’s descent into mysterious and controlled Scorpio. It’s unsurprising that this era saw increasing interest in escaping reality through substances and artificially induced consciousness. This transit was the foundation of what would become the New Age spirituality movement (during the Pluto in Sagittarius era), which saw the rising popularity of occult and metaphysical studies.
Neptune in your birth chart reveals the nature of your imagination and where you may hold out for new possibilities and long for greater fulfillment. You may lack conscious awareness in your Neptunian house; Neptune in the 1st house of self points to someone who is sensitive and empathetic. This person has a sharp psychic awareness but lacks clarity around their purpose and life direction.
Pluto: Evolutionary Changes
Pluto is the planet of transformation, upheaval, secrets, taboos, and power dynamics. The evolutionary changes influenced by Pluto’s transits fundamentally shift the nature and structures of society. As the slowest moving planet, Pluto can take anywhere between 12 to 30 years to move through a single zodiac sign. This means you share your Pluto zodiac sign with an entire generation of people, all of whom will habitually approach life in a similar way to you.
Your Pluto placement by zodiac sign offers insight into the traits and qualities your generation took on in alignment with global cycles that coincided with your incarnation. For example, the Pluto in Scorpio generation (born between 1983 to 1995) are more fearful, suspicious, and untrusting of the world, changing global dynamics, and people in positions of authority. They’re more likely to feel powerless in society, especially compared to the following generation — born during the Pluto in Sagittarius era — who have found strength in their beliefs and formed a higher worldly understanding and wisdom from growing up with advancing technology.
The house where Pluto resides in your birth chart is more relevant to your individual experiences. It reveals where you will experience extreme personal transformations throughout your life, and where you are able to harness your power and potential or completely misuse it. For example, Pluto in the 3rd house of mindset signifies someone with a penetrative mind and the ability to intellectually and psychologically investigate their surroundings to a greater depth. Pluto becomes activated when it connects with transiting and personal planets in your birth chart. So, someone born with Pluto configured to Mercury will find that their words leave a lasting impact on others and that they're able to influence people through empowered speech or manipulation.
