Planets in Astrology
The Astrological “Players”
When we watch the skies for an extended period of time, we’ll notice that there are seven visible “wandering stars” (planets) that move through the Ecliptic. These are the main players on the cosmic stage: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, & Saturn.
The Sun and Moon are called planets in astrology, even though they’re understood as different from other planets. In the past few centuries, other planets have been discovered, namely, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. This means that there are 10 modern planets and the full list goes: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
There are also several additional celestial bodies and mathematical points that astrologers (variously) take into account, such as the Lunar Nodes (North & South Node), Chiron, Lilith, the asteroids, fixed stars, etc.
Grouping the Planets: Inner and Outer
A.K.A. Classical (“Traditional”) and New (“Modern”) Planets; Visible and Invisible Planets
This classification comes from the fact that for most of the history of astrology (which is most of human history), Saturn was the last visible planet from our perspective here on Earth.
Inner/Visible/Traditional: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, & Saturn
Outer/Invisible/Modern: Uranus, Neptune, & Pluto
Grouping the Planets: By Scale of Effects
A.K.A. Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Planets; Personal, Social, and Generational Planets
These groupings are based on the scale that is affected by the planetary movements, though it is extremely important this not be oversimplified! All planets affect all things, this is just a way of getting to know them a bit better for interpretative purposes!
The personal planets are fast-moving planets that affect our daily lives and who we are as individuals. The personal planets determine our perception filters: who we are and how we experience the world.
The social and generational planets are slow-moving and have wide-ranging effects. They are external to individuals. This means that the effects of the social and transpersonal planets are filtered by your perception, thus, by the filter of the personal planets.
Personal: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars
Interpersonal/Social: Jupiter & Saturn
Transpersonal/Generational: Uranus, Neptune, & Pluto
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Other Important Celestial Bodies
After the 10 astrological planets, there are several other important celestial bodies and calculated points. Every astrologer has their own unique approach to interpreting these extras. The astronomical classifications of the actual celestial bodies are constantly changing based on new information received, which is why they are put in quotes below.
Each planet has two fixed positions, called Nodes, representing the positive (yang) and negative (yin) expressions of the planet's energy. The most important of these is the Lunar Nodes: South Node representing past lifetimes and Karma, and North Node representing our path in this lifetime.
The main "centaur" is Chiron, which lies in between the inner and outer planets, Saturn and Uranus. He is the archetype of the Wounded Healer.
Mean Black Moon Lilith is a calculated astronomical point related to the orbital path of the Moon. Most astrologers who incorporate Lilith into their practice tend to use this one, but there are various other “Liliths” in astrology.
The main "asteroids" are Ceres, Juno, Vesta, and Pallas. They lie in the Asteroid Belt, between Mars and Jupiter. They represent different archetypes and aspects of the Divine Femininity, like Mother, Wife, Virgin, and Wise Woman.
Finding a Planet’s Sign in Your Chart
When people say "what's your Mercury sign?" they mean: "which sign was Mercury in on the day you were born?"
In order to find this, look at where Mercury falls in your Natal Chart.
The Natal (a.k.a. Birth) Chart is a picture or a map of where all the planets were astrologically on the day you were born. Once you know the sign, you can also look at the house and any aspects it might be making to other planets. Also check if it was Retrograde, usually signaled by an "R" or "Rx" next to the symbol.
This applies to every other celestial body and is how we know what our natal placements are.
Planets “At Home”
In astrology, each of the 12 signs of the zodiac is “ruled” by a particular planet. When a planet is located in the sign that it rules, it is like it is “at home.”
Due to the recent scientific discoveries of the outer planets and several other celestial bodies that are invisible to the naked eye, in contemporary astrology, there are several different schools of thought on which planets rule which signs.
Mostly, though, there is a division between so-called “Modern” and “Traditional” astrologers (at least in the astrology that’s practiced in the anglophone world). Although the modern rulerships are not completely invalid, there are specific mathematical and geometric reasons for the designation of the traditional rulerships. Further, traditional rulerships have been used by astrologers for centuries, whereas modern rulerships have only been used for a few decades.
The Scope Scoop’s mythological-anthropological approach to astrology leans more towards the “Traditional” camp for various reasons, while at the same time, still acknowledging and incorporating the modern planets and their rulership scheme(s).
The modern rulerships are probably what you’ve seen the most of online, and they are as follows:
Sun: Leo
Moon: Cancer
Mercury: Gemini & Virgo
Venus: Taurus & Libra
Mars: Aries
Jupiter: Sagittarius
Saturn: Capricorn
Uranus: Aquarius
Neptune: Pisces
Pluto: Scorpio
Traditional Planetary Rulerships
The traditional rulerships are based on the visible planets, so each planet is designated two different signs and this designation is based on characteristics as well as the geometric and angular relationships of the signs of the zodiac. The idea is that one of the signs is the masculine* (yang) manifestation of that planet’s energy, the other is the feminine* (yin) manifestation.
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These are listed below with the feminine* (yin) on the left and the masculine* (yang) on the right:
Moon: Cancer | Sun: Leo
Mercury: Virgo & Gemini
Venus: Taurus & Libra
Mars: Scorpio & Aries
Jupiter: Pisces & Sagittarius
Saturn: Capricorn & Aquarius
The Scoop on Planetary Rulerships
Traditional rulerships are the best way to start getting to know the planets and signs in a more holistic way because they are completely non-binary and are more like different expressions of the same energetic root. This conceptualization of things as different expressions of the same energetic root is the most important thing for you to realize when learning astrology.
