Each symbolizes a part of both our lives and who we are. Everything we see outside of us is also inside of us, and so everything we need to know is also inside of us.
A Brief Definition of the Planets
The Sun: Just as the Sun is the center of the solar system, this archetype represents the sun of the solar system of our personality. Of course it is a star and not a planet, representing one’s core sense of identity and individuality, the part of you that wants to shine. If it is not honored or taken care of, the rest of your personality system suffers. The sun is our radiant inner self and expression, what we most identify with, our vitality, and our creative energy. It also represents the Father or male figures in one’s life. The Hero. Yang. Rules Leo / 5th house.
The Moon: This is where one feels “at home” and has a sense of belonging. It is our emotions and how we express them, our needs, how we feel about ourselves, how we nurture ourselves and others and our subconscious. Because it also represents the womb matrix, it is our past, memory, and the feminine side of the psyche, the anima, Mother and other significant females. The great Mother Goddess. Yin. Rules Cancer/4th house.
Mercury: The planet Mercury is never far from the Sun and is how we think, how we communicate, how we learn and make sense of things. It is the conscious mind. Hermes, messenger of the gods. Can be both Yin and Yang. Rules Gemini/3rd house and Virgo / 6th house.
Venus: Venus what we love, appreciate and find beautiful, as well as art and what our physical senses enjoy. It is also how we attract what we want based on our values and what we think we need in order to feel secure and to survive (hence the money connection). And it is about relationships and socializing with others. Some define Venus (vs. Moon) as the anima. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Can be both yin and yang. Rules Taurus/2nd house and Libra/7th house.
Mars: This is the archetypal warrior. Mars is how we get what we want or take action, so it is very physical and governs anger and aggression. It is our passions, drive and desires, how we assert ourselves, and our animus. Viewed as the polar complement of Venus. Yang. Ares, the god of war. Rules Aries/1st house.
Jupiter: Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and esoteric wisdom says that much of our information comes from Jupiter. It is reaching our potential and success, expansion, where we turn for larger than life experiences. It is faith, religious/spiritual experiences, philosophy, good fortune, optimism, but can also be overconfidence and excess. Yang. Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods. Rules Sagittarius/ 9th house.
Saturn: Saturn is our teacher and gives us the structure we need to succeed. It is where we are cautious, serious, focused, have a sense of duty, discipline, and also what we fear. It governs the material world, tradition, aging, death and the ending of things. It crystallizes and defines. It is the opposite of Jupiter in the sense that one expands, the other contracts. It is our boundaries and sense of safety. Kronos, the stern father of the gods. Yin. Rules Capricorn/10th house.
Uranus: Represents freedom, inventiveness, originality and uniqueness, It is change, rebellion, revolution, liberation and improving things. Yang. Rules Aquarius/11th house.
Neptune: Idealism, inspiration and imagination. This is our connection to cosmic consciousness and our connection to the whole, collective consciousness, escapism, dreams, compassion and illusion. Yin. Rules Pisces/12th house.
Pluto: The soul’s quest for truth. Transformation, death and rebirth. Pluto destroys anything that keeps our souls from learning and growing and then transforms us like a cocoon into a butterfly. Yin. Rules Scorpio/8th house.
Signs and symbols rule the world, not phrases and laws.
Confucius (551-479 BC)
Return from The Planets to Astrology Primer
