Planets
Latest Update: 2026-05-08
I personally enjoy the way that April Elliott Kent, in Practical Astrology, describes the planets, signs, houses, and aspects of astrology by looking at them through the metaphor of a play. By looking at astrology from this perspective, the planets would represent the characters in the play, the signs would represent the characters' costumes and personalities, the houses would represent the setting where the scenes of the play take place, and the aspects would represent the dialogue between the characters (Kent, 2023, p. 4-5).
That is what I’ll focus on below.
Luminaries
Sun
Fast Facts
Keywords: Self-expression, charisma, vitality, radiant energy, purpose, life goals, creative power, ego, inner authority, self-development.
Domicile: Leo
Detriment: Aquarius
Exaltation: Aries
Fall/Depression: Libra
Energy: Yang
Number: 1
Day of the Week: Sunday.
Colors: gold, orange, yellow.
Anatomy: heart, upper back, spleen, circulatory system, sperm, right eye (male), left eye (female).
Metal: gold
Stones: amber and Topaz
Plants: sunflower and birch
Joy in the 9th House of the God
It takes the Sun a year to go through all twelve signs of the zodiac
Symbolism
The Sun is at the center of our solar system and is the light bringer. In order for us to see things, there needs to be light. The Sun illuminates things.
Because the Sun is at the center of our solar system, it’s also connected to the ego and “being the center of the universe” or the center of attention. “The Sun is our source of life and energy, around which everything revolves” (Taylor, 2018, p. 62). It can also indicate the core of someone’s being, which might be why the Sun in modern astrology is often associated with the spirit/soul, ego, and our personality. The Sun’s placement often shows where we or our power shines brightest.
The Sun also connects to leadership, the King, the head of state, the father, etc. It signifies notable figures who are often at the top of the hierarchy, but it can also refer to those at the “center of the stage” at any given time (like famous people at the height of their careers or fame). Since it is connected to leadership, it’s also connected to decisiveness, getting organized, and taking action. That’s what leaders do to get the job done. In that way, it also signifies willpower and where and how it is strongest.
The Sun can also connect to individuality since it is connected to leaders and people who are in the limelight at any given time.
In contrast to the Moon, the Sun is more abstract than tangible. While the Moon is connected to the body, the Sun is connected to the mind.
Also, in contrast to the Moon, the Sun can symbolize communities of men.
Of course, the Sun is as important to us as individuals (in our birth charts) as it is to all life here on earth, which is, most likely, one of the reasons why it’s one of the big three talked about in astrology (the Sun, the Moon, and the Rising sign).
Richard Tarnas summarizes the Sun’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the central principle of vital creative energy, the will to exist; the impulse and capacity to be, to manifest, to be active, to be central, to radiate, to ‘shine’; to rise above, achieve, illuminate, and integrate; the individual will and personal identity, the seat of mind and spirit, the animus, the executive functions of the self or ego, the capacity for initiative and purposeful assertion, the drive for individual autonomy and independence; directed and focused consciousness and self-awareness, the centrifugal expression of the self, the trajectory of self-manifestation, ascent and descent; the ruler of the day sky, of the clearly visible, the single source of luminosity that overcomes the encompassing darkness, the monocentric; yang; the part that contains the whole in potentia; Sol and all solar deities, the archetypal Hero in its many forms.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
The position of where the Sun is in a chart “reveals how our light shines – how we seek to project ourselves upon, and influence, our family, friends and society. The Sun represents all those experiences that make us believe in ourselves. It determines how we create, not only artistically, but also in terms of having fun, of experiencing pleasure ourselves and bringing it to others. This planet also symbolizes the breathless, naïve joy of childhood and youth, those times when all seems possible, so long as we, like the Sun, just keep moving on.” (Gillett, 2012, p. 29).
Moon
Fast Facts
Keywords: Physical, emotional response, how we react, instinct, intuition, familiarity, nurture, fluctuation, cyclical, rhythms, security, home
Domicile: Cancer
Detriment: Capricorn
Exaltation: Taurus
Fall/Depression: Scorpio
Energy: Yin
Anatomy: Stomach, breasts, digestive system, fluids and glandular secretions, left eye (male), right eye (female)
Number: 2 and 7
Day of the Week: Monday
Colors: White, silver
Metal: Silver
Stones: Crystal, mother of pearl, moonstone
Plants: Willow
Joy in the 3rd House of the Goddess
It takes the Moon twenty-eight and a half days to go through all twelve signs of the zodiac
Symbolism
In general, the Moon often represents something internal, the emotions, but also the body. In modern astrology, the Moon is often summarized to indicate a person’s emotions and needs, and its placement often indicates how someone deals with their emotions and needs, as well as how they express, or don’t express, them.
“The Moon can make one patient on a good day or a changeable and narrow-minded on a bad one; alternatively, it can make one imaginative and sympathetic, but at times perhaps somewhat unreliable.” (Parker, 2020, p. 78).
Since the Moon usually appears at night, when people are asleep, it often operates on a subconscious level and represents sublevel themes. That can include dreams, beliefs, and our memories.
The Moon can be viewed as our most personal planet because it is the closest planet to us in our solar system, and because it changes signs every 2-3 days. The Moon’s effects on the Earth––for example, the effects it has on our oceans––are also well-documented. Since it is the planet closest to the Earth, it is also pretty “earthy” in character, which is interesting since it’s exalted in, arguably, the most earthy sign, which is Taurus.
The Moon is also connected to the mother, or other mother figures. In that way, it’s also connected to the original mother, Mother Earth, who gave us all life and continues to sustain us. This, in combination with how the Moon affects the water on Earth, can also connect the Moon to the food we eat, as all our crops need both earth and water to grow.
Since the Moon is also connected to the menstrual cycle, it has another layer of being associated with fertility and creative power, beyond the fertility and creativity of Mother Earth. To me, personally, however, I don’t limit that to physical procreation. You can be fertile with ideas and use your creative power to make art, for example, as this kind of fertility and creativity also comes and goes in seasons, just like the waxing and waning of the Moon.
Since the Moon is constantly changing, waxing and waning, it has an adaptable nature. It can also be fleeting and teach us that nothing lasts forever and that seasons come and go.
Due to the Moon being connected to the mother, or other mother figures, and with Cancer (since the Moon is the ruler of Cancer), which is often conflated with the themes of the 4th House in modern astrology, it’s also often associated with someone’s home and relationship to family, especially mother figures. Due to this conflation of Cancer with the 4th House, the Moon is often also associated with our roots and ancestry.
The Moon can also represent communities of women and women’s circles, and the placement in a chart can indicate the kind of relationships one wants with women, communities of women, etc.
Richard Tarnas summarizes the Moon’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the matrix of being, the psychosomatic foundation of the self, the womb and ground of life; the body and the soul, that which senses and intuits, the feeling nature; the impulse and capacity to gestate and bring forth, to receive and reflect, to relate and respond, to need and to care, to nurture and be nurtured, the condition of dependence and interdependence; the diffusely conscious and the unconscious, the anima, the immanent, the centripetal, the home, the fertile source and ground; the cycle of manifestation, the waxing and waning, the eternal round; the ruler of the night sky, of the diffusely visible and the invisible, multiple sources of luminosity within the encompassing darkness, the polycentric; yin; the whole that contains the part in potentia; Luna and all lunar deities, the Great Mother Goddess, together with aspects of the Child (puella, puer), constituting the relational matrix of life.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
When we look at the position of the Moon in our chart, “our way of reassuring others will become clear, as will the way we wish them to reassure us. […] As the Moon reflects the sunlight, so it may be wise to see ourselves and our actions in the eyes of others, and be open to adjusting our behaviour accordingly. In this way, we can nurture each other, harnessing the energy of the Moon to nurse the infant with us.” (Gillett, 2012, p. 31).
Planets
Mercury
Fast Facts
Keywords: Mind, perception, communication (mental and physical), language, how we think, ideas, education and learning, skills, thoughts and opinions, trade and commerce
Domicile: Gemini
Detriment: Sagittarius
Domicile/Exaltation: Virgo
Detriment/Fall/Depression: Pisces
Anatomy: Hands and arms, respiratory system, hormones, nervous system, brain, eyes, mouth, tongue
Number: 5
Day of the Week: Wednesday
Colors: Grey, multicolors
Metal: Mercury (quicksilver) and platinum
Stones: Agate
Plants: Hazel
Joy in the 1st House of the Helm
Mercury spends approximately three weeks in each sign when it’s direct
Symbolism
Mercury is one of those trickster planets that you’re not quite sure whether it’s working for or against you. It’s a planet that’s retrograde around three times per year (for about three weeks at a time), “seeming to disappear into the Sun's rays, hence its reputation as trickster and underworld guide.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 66). While retrograde, there’s often some general turbulence in communication, especially, since Mercury is connected to communication (both verbal and non-verbal).
Mercury doesn’t just signify communication, however. It’s also connected to writing, education, interpretation, sending messages, etc. So it signifies a lot of communication, use of language, and receiving information. Therefore, it’s also interesting that Mercury rules the hands, the hearing, the windpipe, and the tongue, which are all used for different ways of communication and of hearing what’s being communicated. Its job is basically to transmit and convey information and messages. Whether or not the messages are conveyed in the way that we want to or intended to depends on Mercury’s condition. Whether we are more internal or external with our messages, information, and communication also depends on the condition.
Mercury also has an adaptive quality. It’s a Shapeshifter. It can take on qualities from the planets it has a relationship to, as well as the environment it’s in, which means that it can be both benefic and malefic and everything in between. It can also have yin and yang qualities depending on whether it’s in conjunction with a planet that has a yin or yang quality, or none if it’s alone and unaspected.
The relationship between Mercury and the Sun can also be an indication of how one communicates. The Sun represents the mind and how we think, whereas Mercury is about how we transmit and convey those thoughts and that information. So the relationship between the Sun and Mercury in a chart signifies things like whether the mind and the way of communication are on the same page or not. It can also signify miscommunication and difficulty in communicating the thoughts and ideas of a more erratic mind, just to give a few examples.
Mercury’s adaptability can also show up in the style in which something is communicated. So, for example, if Mercury is in a relationship with Venus, information and the messages can be conveyed through poetry or other artistic fields, whereas a relationship to Mars might transmit the information and messages in a more direct, aggressive, edgy, cutting kind of way.
For as long as I’ve been into astrology, I’ve personally always thought of a direct Mercury to signify “pushing” information out, like speaking or teaching, while Mercury retrograde is more about taking information in, by, for example, researching and learning.
In contrast to Jupiter, Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, whereas Jupiter is the biggest. So while Jupiter focuses on big, broader, overarching ideas, Mercury focuses on the smaller details and is more methodical in taking in and processing information.
Richard Tarnas summarizes Mercury’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the principle of mind, thought, communication, that which articulates the primary creative energy and renders it intelligible; the impulse and capacity to think, to conceptualize, to connect and mediate, to use words and language, to give and receive information; to make sense of, to grasp, to perceive and reason, understand and articulate; to transport, translate, transmit; the principle of Logos; Hermes, the messenger of the gods.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Mercury is in our chart is where “we are likely to show a versatile, inventive, inquisitive, and curious - even a childlike or mischievous - response.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 67).
Venus
Fast Facts
Keywords: Harmony, unison, relationships, romance, love and erotic love, sexual desire, pleasure, enjoyment, beauty, attraction, aesthetics, finances, values, all kinds of art
Domicile: Taurus & Libra
Detriment: Aries & Scorpio
Exaltation: Pisces
Fall/Depression: Virgo
Energy: Yin
Anatomy: Throat, cheeks, sense of taste, kidneys, ovaries, internal reproductive organs, venous blood circulation, skin's sensory organs
Number: 6
Day of the week: Friday
Colors: Green
Metal: Copper
Stones: Emerald
Plants: Rose
Joy in the 5th House of Good Fortune
Venus spends approximately three and a half weeks in each sign
Symbolism
Venus is a benefic planet that’s often, in modern astrology, reduced to being about love and beauty. But it’s also associated with companionship, friendship, partnership, etc. All kinds of relationships, really.
While love is only one facet, Venus is also connected to sex, pleasure, and desire, which may or may not have anything to do with love. Another side of that can be obsession.
“Venus encourages gentleness, friendliness, tact and the social graces – but under stress its influence can make one indecisive, careless, over-romantic and over-dependent on other people.” (Parker, 2020, p. 79).
Venus is also connected to art, artists, adornment, and crafts that connect with adornment, like jewelry, garments, spinning of gold threads, etc. Venus placements can also give us a clue as to what we find beautiful and what we’re attracted to. Not only in a partner, but also the kind of art we find beautiful, the topics that pique our interest, or our personal style or ways of self-expression, etc.
“Since Venus offers an image of what we desire and what brings us joy, it is fundamental to feelings of worth and value - the kind of things we might feel moved to spend money on” (Taylor, 2018, p. 69).
Venus is also connected to women, femmes, and the feminine. While women and the feminine are traditional significators, the topics of gender at large and equality for all are also highlighted. While Venus is signified by love and harmony, she’s also adamant in standing up for what she believes in. There’s an activist and human rights quality about her, which is often tied to topics like gender, sexuality, and equality for all, to name a few. This is why I also connect Venus to our values and integrity. Who or what do we love, or are willing to love enough, to stand up for them or it?
In traditional astrology, there are only two planets out of the traditional seven planets that are considered feminine in energy, which are the Moon and Venus. So these two planets have a lot of significations relating to women and the feminine jammed into them or assigned to them. There may be some overlapping significations when it comes to women and the feminine.
Richard Tarnas summarizes Venus’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the principle of desire, love, beauty, value; the impulse and capacity to attract and be attracted, to love and be loved, to seek and create beauty and harmony, to engage in social and romantic relations, sensuous pleasure, artistic and aesthetic experience; the principle of Eros and the Beautiful; Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Venus is in our chart, it’s where “we desire to form bonds with others, requiring feedback and response; thus we can look at this planet to describe all manner of one-to-one relationships, including friendships” (Taylor, 2018, p. 69). And since “Venus is known as the peacemaker […] Conflict is unwelcome wherever Venus is in your chart” (Taylor, 2018, p. 69).
Mars
Fast Facts
Keywords: Physical energy, capacity for action, how we act, initiative, courage and daring, competition, survival, strength, anger, conflict, aggression, fighting spirit, vitality, sexual drive, sexuality
Domicile: Aries & Scorpio
Detriment: Libra & Taurus
Exaltation: Capricorn
Fall/Depression: Cancer
Energy: Yang
Anatomy: Head and face, adrenal glands, external reproductive organs, muscles
Number: 9
Day of the week: Tuesday
Colors: Red
Metal: Iron
Stones: Garnet, ruby, and jasper
Plants: Cedar and holly
Joy in the 6th House of Bad Fortune
Mars spends approximately forty days in each sign
Symbolism
Mars is a malefic planet that’s connected to war, violence, conflict, anger, and fiery impulses. It can be both something you partake in yourself, something that’s done to you, or something you work with (i.e., you might funnel your anger into activism, you might have a tendency to get pulled into bar fights, or you might work with domestic violence victims, etc.).
Mars also has a sharpness and cutting quality to it, so it can manifest as scars on the body, or perhaps you work with sharp tools, like a surgeon or barber.
Mars is also associated with energy and vitality, as well as desire, courage, determination, taking action, and decisiveness. As I mentioned in the section about Ares above, his union with Aphrodite resulted in the birth of Eros, the god of love and sex. In other words, there’s a need for both the energies of Venus and Mars in romantic relationships where love, companionship, desire, passion, sex, etc., are part of the relationship. Venus is the love, companionship, pleasure, and sweetness, while Mars is the courage, willpower, and decisiveness to take the first step and keep the relationship going. It’s difficult for one to fully function without the other.
Mars also “inspires us to feats of courage and heroism, each in our own unique style. Bravery can be shown in many ways - physical, mental, emotional, intellectual [...] Under the auspices of Mars comes life’s pioneers, conquerors, entrepreneurs, adventurers, and sportsmen; but we should not forget that, in small ways, we each show these qualities daily in our lives. Courage comes in many different forms, and we are all capable of great strength.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 71).
Richard Tarnas summarizes Mars’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the principle of energetic force; the impulse and capacity to assert, to act and move energetically and forcefully, to have an impact, to press forward and against, to defend and offend, to act with sharpness and ardor; the tendency to experience aggressiveness, anger, conflict, harm, violence, forceful physical energy; to be combative, competitive, courageous, vigorous; Ares, the god of war.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Mars is in the chart, it “suggests where and how you might be prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to succeed.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 71).
In other words, Mars’s position “indicates the nature and strength of the way we act: whether we address challenges or avoid them; whether we work with or around what confronts us in life; whether we displayed courage and confidence, or an inclination to dissemble; whether we respond quickly or slowly, with or without considering our options.” (Gillett, 2012, p. 37).
Jupiter
Fast Facts
Keywords: Good fortune, blessings, optimism and enthusiasm, expansion (intellectual and physical), the higher mind, adventure, opportunities, abundance, possibilities, ethics, morals, benevolence
Domicile: Sagittarius & Pisces
Detriment: Gemini & Virgo
Exaltation: Cancer
Fall/Depression: Capricorn
Energy: Yang
Anatomy: Liver, thighs, hips, blood circulation, pancreas, right ear
Number: 3
Day of the Week: Thursday
Colors: Purple
Metal: Tin
Stones: Sapphire, amethyst, and turquoise
Plants: Oak and poplar
Joy in the 11th House of Good Spirit
Jupiter spends approximately one year in each sign
Symbolism
Jupiter is the greater benefic planet. Traditionally, it’s the most benefic planet. It’s also the biggest planet in our solar system, so a lot of its significations are about big things. It’s connected to abundance, growth, expansion, and grandness. It can manifest as a desire and a capacity to reach for more.
Jupiter also signifies generosity, goodwill, donations, being just or acting justly, etc. On the other hand, Jupiter can also signify a materialistic attitude and greed if it's in an unfavorable condition. Similarly, it’s also connected to pride and arrogance. Jupiter can also indicate excess and overdoing things (perhaps like Zeus overdoing things in his various lusty pursuits).
Jupiter is also connected to knowledge, philosophy, spirituality, contemplation, moral and religious aspirations, a search for truth, etc. Sometimes, when Jupiter is in unfavorable conditions, it can also signify a rigidity in these aspects, for example, being narrow-minded or only seeing one perspective and calling it truth.
Jupiter is also connected to hope and optimism. It’s also a planet that tends to say yes to things (as opposed to Saturn, which usually says no to things).
So, basically, Jupiter signifies “lawyers and legal systems, universities and colleges, religious organizations, publishing houses, and the gambling industry. A Jupitarian an object might be a lottery ticket or a hot-air balloon.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 74).
Richard Tarnas summarizes Jupiter’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the principle of expansion, magnitude, growth, elevation, superiority; the capacity and impulse to enlarge and grow, to ascend and progress, to improve and magnify, to incorporate that which is external, to make greater wholes, to inflate; to experience success, honor, advancement, plenitude, abundance, prodigality, excess, surfeit; the capacity or inclination for magnanimity, optimism, enthusiasm, exuberance, joy, joviality, liberality, breadth of experience, philosophical and cultural aspiration, comprehensiveness and largeness of vision, pride, arrogance, aggrandizement, extravagances; fecundity, fortune and providence; Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Jupiter, depending on placement and condition, can either help you to think big or to think small. Wherever Jupiter is in a chart, you might find good fortune, opportunities, adventure, and confidence. “A well-placed Jupiter can help us to advise and support others in liberating ways.” (Gillett, 2012, p. 39).
However, I can also signify hubris: “Jupiter is a dominating presence, and it’s possible for you to believe that your way is the only right way. Jupiter’s effect is to desire bigger and better, which can lead to you squandering what you have.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 74).
Saturn
Fast Facts
Keywords: Stability, structure and order, rules, restriction, limitation, concentration, patience, discipline, responsibility, hard work, control, authority, formal, dignity, tradition, wisdom, aging
Domicile: Capricorn & Aquarius
Detriment: Cancer & Leo
Exaltation: Libra
Fall/Depression: Aries
Energy: Yin
Anatomy: Skin, skeleton, teeth, ligaments, knees, gallbladder
Number: 8
Day of the Week: Saturday
Colors: Black
Metal: Lead
Stones: Jet, onyx, and black diamond
Plants: Thistle, yew, ash, alder, and cypress
Joy in the 12th House of Bad Spirit
Saturn spends approximately two and a half years in each sign
Symbolism
Saturn is a greater malefic planet. Traditionally, it’s the most malefic planet. It’s connected to slower malefic aspects, as opposed to Mars, which is more fiery, fast, and sudden. As alluded to above, Saturn is also connected to time. So, aging is connected with Saturn. And, as opposed to Mars, Saturn doesn’t rush into things.
Just like with Mars, Saturn can also signify those who work with people who struggle with common themes of these planets. Mars, which can spark accidents and cause wounds, can also signify the surgeons who take care of and heal those wounds. Likewise, while Saturn can be an indication of sorrow, grief, and depression, it can also signify someone who works as a therapist to help others with these struggles.
Scarcity, fear, and pessimism are also connected to Saturn, which are in contrast to the greater benefic Jupiter’s optimism, hope, and abundance. All of these traits can manifest in both positive and negative ways, though.
Many also associate karma with Saturn, which might be based on the myth that Kronos would be defeated by his children, the way he’d defeated his own father, Ouranos.
On the more positive side, Saturn is also associated with hard work, the slow and steady kind that builds metropolises, art, businesses, etc., that can last for centuries. Similarly to this, it can also indicate skills that you work on, grow, and perhaps even perfect over time. In addition, it’s associated with discipline, accountability, and responsibility. So, what is it that you want to build, or what skills do you want to acquire? Are you willing to put in the discipline to do that? And are you ready to face the results and consequences of it?
“With Saturn as our guide, we become more powerful by working with and mastering problems. The strength of Saturn will sustain us, whatever happens.” (Gillett, 2012, p. 41).
Richard Tarnas summarizes Saturn’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the principle of limit, structure, contraction, constraint, necessity, hard materiality, concrete manifestation; time, the past, tradition, age, maturity, mortality, the endings of things; gravity and gravitas, weightiness, that which burdens, binds, challenges, fortifies, deepens; the tendency to confine and constrict, to separate, to divide and define, to cut and shorten, to negate and oppose, to strengthen and forge through tension and resistance, to rigidify, to repress, to maintain a conservative and strict authority; to experience difficulty, decline, deprivation, defect and deficit, defeat, failure, loss, alienation; the labor of existence, suffering, old age, death; the weight of the past, the workings of fate, character, karma, the consequences of past action, error and guilt, punishment, retribution, imprisonment, the sense of ‘no exit’; pessimism, inferiority, inhibition, isolation, oppression and depression; the impulse and capacity for discipline and duty, order, solitude, concentration, conciseness, thoroughness and precision, discrimination and objectivity, restraint and patience, endurance, responsibility, seriousness, authority, wisdom; the harvest of time, effort, and experience; the concern with consensus reality, factual, concreteness, conventional forms and structures, foundations, boundaries, solidity and stability, security and control, rational organization, efficiency, law, right and wrong, judgment, the superego; the dark, cold, heavy, dense, dry, old, slow, distant; the senex, Kronos, the stern father of the gods.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
He also goes on to write that, since Saturn was the furthest away planet that could be seen with the naked eye, and thereby the slowest moving, Saturn became associated with aspects of that: “the ruler of boundaries and limits, of finitude and endings, of distance, slowness, age, time, death, and fate.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Saturn is in your chart, it’s where you need to take responsibility. “It’s the planet of problems, and hardship, yes; but more importantly, it’s the planet of proving to yourself and the world that you can overcome those problems and hardships. That you, and you alone, are the author of your fate.” (Kent, 2023, p. 183).
Uranus
Fast Facts
Keywords: Change, disruption, shock, unexpected events, awakening, independent, freedom, rebellious, originality, revolution, innovation, science, electricity, the future, the unconventional and non-normative
Domicile: Aquarius (in modern astrology)
Detriment: Leo (in modern astrology)
Anatomy: Angles, nervous system, body, electricity, circulatory system
Colors: Electric blue
Metal: Uranium and copper
Stones: Turquoise and malachite
Discovered in 1781.
Uranus spends approximately seven years in each sign
Symbolism
Uranus is a planet associated with sudden and fast-paced changes, uncertain events, unpredictability, and impulsiveness. It teaches us that the only constant in life is change. Wherever Uranus goes, disruption, progress, and liberation follow. It shows us where we can rise and make change happen, that there are alternatives to the ruling norm, that justice can be had, etc. Uranus is also connected to removing the shackles, so freedom and independence are associated with it.
In the not-so-positive aspect, Uranus rules catastrophes, tragedies, and bereavements as well. Perhaps it alludes to Pandora’s jar and the spread of plagues and misfortunes upon humankind as it was opened.
Uranus is also connected to innovations and technology, often things that use electricity, since Uranus is associated with that. Uranus can also signify natives who are ahead of their time in some area of life, perhaps in how they live, the relationships they choose to have, the work they do, how they perceive the world, etc.
Uranus also signifies unconventionality, like unconventional jobs, non-normative relationships and structures, and things that seem out of the ordinary or “going against the stream”. Eccentricity is another signification.
Richard Tarnas summarizes Uranus’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“Since at least the turn of the twentieth century, the unanimous consensus among astrologers is that the planet Uranus is empirically associated with the principle of change, rebellion, freedom, liberation, reform and revolution, and the unexpected breakup of structures; with sudden surprises, revelations and awakenings, lightning-like flashes of insight, the acceleration of thoughts and events; with births and new beginnings of all kinds; and with intellectual brilliance, cultural innovation, technological invention, experiment, creativity, and originality. In addition to the occurrence of sudden breakthroughs and liberating events, Uranus transits are linked to unpredictable and disruptive changes; hence the planet is often referred to as the ‘cosmic trickster.’ Another set of themes associated with Uranus is a concern with the celestial and the cosmic, with astronomy and astrology, with science and esoteric knowledge, and with space travel and aviation. With respect to personal character, Uranus is regarded as signifying the rebel and the innovator, the awakener, the individualist, the dissident, the eccentric, the restless and wayward. These various qualities are considered to be so pronounced in persons born with a prominent Uranus and expressed so conspicuously in a person‘s life during Uranus transits that there seems to have been no significant disagreement among astrological authorities, for at least the past century that these characteristics reflect the archetypal nature of the planet Uranus.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
As with Neptune and Pluto, there was also a range of historical and cultural phenomena that coincided with the discovery of Uranus that have become a part of its significance. As Tarnas writes:
“More recent astrological sources suggested that the historical period of the planet’s discovery in the late eighteenth century was relevant to its archetypal meaning, reasoning that the discovery of the physical planet in some sense represented an emergence of the planet’s corresponding archetype into the conscious awareness of the collective psyche. In this regard the parallels with Uranus’s astrological meaning were certainly clear: The planet’s discovery in 1781 occurred at the culmination of the Enlightenment, in the extraordinary era that brought forth the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, and the beginning of Romanticism. In all these coinciding historical phenomena, the figure of Prometheus is of course readily evident as well: the championing of human freedom and individual self-determination, the challenge to traditional beliefs and customs, the fervent revolt against royalty and aristocracy, established religion, social privilege, and political oppression; the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Rights of Man, liberté and egalité; the beginnings of feminism, the widespread interest in radical ideas, the rapidity of change, the embrace of novelty, the celebration of human progress, the many inventions and technological advances, the revolutions in art and literature, the exaltation of the free human imagination and creative will, the plethora of geniuses and culture heroes. Here too were the Romantic poets with their great paeans to Prometheus himself. If the age of Uranus’s discovery is to be given an archetypal characterization, none seems more appropriate than ‘Prometheus Unbound.’” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Uranus is in a chart, it’s “where we can tend to play the rebel, establishing an independence style that sets us apart from everyone else and lifts us above the ordinary. […] You are unlikely to play by the rules where this planet is in your chart. Here we can break down barriers and borders, breathe new life into old traditions, and courageously break convention to bring about social, political, or personal change.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 79).
Neptune
Fast Facts
Keywords: Cloudiness, unreality, idealism, sacrifice, dreams and fantasies, imagination, escape, psychic sensitivity, spiritualism, a desire to transcend, a longing for bliss, compassion, romance, unconditional love, empathy
Domicile: Pisces (in modern astrology)
Detriment: Virgo (in modern astrology)
Anatomy: Feet, pineal gland, spinal column, nervous system
Colors: Sea green, dull grey to black
Metal: Neptunium and silver
Stones: Rock crystal and opal
Discovered in 1846
Neptune spends approximately fourteen years in each sign
Symbolism
Neptune is connected to the transcendental, otherworldly, spiritual, mystical, and dreamy. While Jupiter is connected to belief, Neptune is closer to faith. Neptune can also have a desire to experience something transcendent, like experiencing or creating transcendental beauty through art.
Due to Neptune's dreamy nature, it also signifies the shadow side of escapism and illusions. Becoming addicted to escapism is also associated with Neptune, as addiction is also a part of Neptune and can be a part of the otherworldly, transcendental experiences or something that takes us out of our current reality, which is also connected to Neptune.
Neptune is also connected to idealism. It can be the idealistic standards we set in certain areas of our lives, as well as the unwillingness or incapability of seeing the reality of certain situations and/or relationships. Neptune is often described as being foggy or murky, so the incapability of seeing things for what they are can be an issue. Confusion and deception are also connected to Neptune, perhaps due to its foggy quality.
Neptune is also connected to eroding boundaries and, in that way, a desire to merge.
Richard Tarnas summarizes Neptune’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“Neptune is associated with the transcendent, spiritual, ideal, symbolic, and imaginative dimensions of life; with the subtle, formless, intangible, and invisible; with the unitive, timeless, immaterial, and infinite; with all that which transcends the limited literal temporal and material world of concretely empirical reality: myth and religion, art and inspiration, ideals and aspirations, images and reflections, symbols and metaphors, dreams and visions, mysticism, religious devotion, universal compassion. It is associated with the impulse to surrender separative existence and egoic control, to dissolve boundaries and structures in favor of underlying unities and undifferentiated wholes, merging that which was separate, healing and wholeness; the dissolution of ego boundaries and reality structures, states of psychological fusion and intimations of intrauterine existence, melted ecstasy, mystical union, and primary narcissism; with tendencies towards illusion and delusion, deception and self-deception, escapism, intoxication, psychosis, perceptual and cognitive distortions, conflation and confusion, projection, fantasy; with the bedazzlement of consciousness whether by gods, archetypes, beliefs, dreams, ideals, or ideologies; with enchantment, in both positive and negative senses.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
He goes on to write that:
“The archetypal principle linked to Neptune governs all nonordinary states of consciousness as well as the stream of consciousness and the oceanic depths of the unconscious. Characteristic metaphors for its domain include the infinite sea of the imagination, the ocean of divine consciousness, and the archetypal wellspring of life. It is in a sense the archetype of the archetypal dimension itself, the anima mundi, the Gnostic pleroma, the Platonic realm of transcendent Ideas, the domain of the gods, the Immortals. In mythic and religious terms, it is associated with the all-encompassing womb of the Goddess and with all deities of mystical union, universal love, and transcendent beauty; the mystical Christ, the all-compassionate Buddha, the Atman-Brahman union, the union of Shiva and Shakti, the hieros gamos or sacred marriage, the coniunctio oppositorum; the dreaming Vishnu, maya and lila, the self-reflecting Narcissus, the divine absorbed in its own reflection; Orpheus, god of artistic inspiration, the Muses; the cosmic Sophia whose spiritual beauty and wisdom pervade all.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
As with Uranus and Pluto, there was also a range of historical and cultural phenomena that coincided with the discovery of Neptune that have become a part of its significance. As Tarnas writes:
“These include the rapid spread of spiritualism throughout the world beginning in the late 1840s, the upsurge of utopian social ideologies at the same time, the rise of universalist and communitarian aspirations in both secular and religious movements, the full ascendancy of Idealist and Romantic philosophies of spirit and the imagination, the widespread cultural influence of Transcendentalism, the new popular interest in both Eastern mystical and Western esoteric traditions, and the emergence of theosophy. Here too could be cited the rise of the recreational use of psychoactive drugs in European bohemian circles, the beginning of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and the invention of anesthetics. The invention and cultural impact of photography and the early experiments in motion pictures, as well as the new aesthetic spirit of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, were characteristic of the Neptune archetype in its association with image, reflection, subjectivity, illusion, and multiple realities. The growing focus on the unconscious, dreams, myths, hypnosis, and non-ordinary states of consciousness in the decades after Neptune’s discovery is also suggestive of the archetype. So also was the distinct collective emergence of a more socially compassionate humanitarian sensibility that was expressed in the public attitudes, social legislation, art and literature of the Victorian era and the nineteenth century generally (the novels of Dickens and Stowe, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, the abolition of slavery and serfdom, the movements and the laws to limit child labor and other cruelties of industrial capitalism, the first laws abolishing capital punishment, the wave of founding of societies for the protection of animals, the growing role of women in shaping social policy, the beginning of modern nursing through the work of Florence Nightingale, the spread of care for the sick and wounded in war, the first Geneva Convention, the founding of the International Red Cross, etc.).” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever we have Neptune in our chart, “we willingly offer ourselves in a spirit of charitable service. Devotion can evoke acts of genuine selflessness, or indeed, occasionally manifested as a form of martyrdom.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 81).
Pluto
Fast Facts
Keywords: Elimination, eruptive change, crisis, survival, cycles of birth, death and rebirth, regeneration, transformation, metamorphosis, taboos and secrets, hidden things, power, dictatorship, control, obsession
Domicile: Scorpio (in modern astrology)
Detriment: Taurus (in modern astrology)
Anatomy: Elimination and reproductive systems, abnormal, gross, pituitary gland
Colors: Maroon, dark red, and brown
Metal: Plutonium and iron
Stones: Diamond, bloodstone, and agate
Discovered in 1929.
Pluto spends on average between fourteen and thirty years in each sign due to its elliptical orbit around the Sun
Symbolism
Pluto is often connected to the death-rebirth cycles, transformation, and regeneration. In that way, it’s also connected to breaking down structures and creating new ones in their place.
Pluto is also connected to power, a desire to understand and influence the masses, as well as to the collective consciousness. Pluto also rules the subconscious, the more “underworldly” ideas and beliefs we might have difficulty accessing. Some of these can be shadow sides of our psyche.
Pluto is also associated with pleasure, sex, obsession, and things that are deemed taboo.
Pluto intensifies and empowers whatever it touches during transits and through aspects.
Richard Tarnas summarizes Pluto’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“Pluto is associated with the principle of elemental power, depth, and intensity; with that which compels, empowers, and intensifies whatever it touches, sometimes to overwhelming and catastrophic extremes; with the primordial instincts, libidinal and aggressive, destructive and regenerative, volcanic and cathartic, eliminative, transformative, ever-evolving; with the biological processes of birth, sex, and death, the cycle of death and rebirth; with upheaval, breakdown, decay, and fertilization; violent purgatorial discharge of pent-up energies, purifying fire; situations of life-and-death extremes, power struggles, all that is titanic, potent, and massive. Pluto represents the underworld and underground in all senses: elemental, geological, instinctual, political, social, sexual, urban, criminal, mythological, demonic. It is the dark, mysterious, taboo, and often terrifying reality that lurks beneath the surface of things, beneath the ego, societal conventions, and the veneer of civilization, beneath the surface of the Earth, that is periodically unleashed with destructive and transformative force. Pluto impels, burns, consumes, transfigures, resurrects. In mythic and religious terms, it is associated with all myths of descent and transformation, and with all deities of destruction and regeneration, death and rebirth: Dionysus, Hades and Persephone, Pan, Medusa, Lilith, Inanna, Isis and Osiris, the volcano goddess Pele, Quetzalcoatl, the Sepent power, Kundalini, Shiva, Kali, Shakti.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
As with Uranus and Neptune, there was also a range of historical and cultural phenomena that coincided with the discovery of Pluto that have become a part of its significance. As Tarnas writes:
“With respect to Pluto’s discovery, the synchronistic phenomena in the decades immediately surrounding 1930, and more generally in the twentieth century, include the splitting of the atom and the unleashing of nuclear power; the titanic technological empowerment of modern industrial civilization and military force; the rise of fascism and other mass movements; the widespread cultural influence of evolutionary theory and psychoanalysis with their focus on the biological instincts; increased sexual and erotic expression in social mores and the arts; intensified activity and public awareness of the criminal underworld; and a tangible intensification of instinctually driven mass violence and catastrophic historical developments, evident in the world wars, the holocaust, and the threat of nuclear annihilation and ecological devastation. Here also can be mentioned the intensified politicization and power struggles characteristic of twentieth-century life, the development of powerful forms of depth-psychological transformation and catharsis, and the scientific recognition of the entire cosmos as a vast evolutionary phenomenon from the primordial fireball to the still-evolving present.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Pluto is in our chart, it indicates “where we can become powerful, although it can also be a place where at times we feel disempowered, invisible, or persecuted. At the end of the tunnel, though, is the light of regeneration” (Taylor, 2018, p. 83).