by Stefan Stenudd

   
   


The Planets in the Complete Horoscope

Inner Powers in Classical Astrology

The planets in the horoscope.


In the horoscope, each planet represents an acting force, either internally in a person or externally in the world. The planets are the only active components in the horoscope.


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This book by Stefan Stenudd explains what your horoscope says about your health, according to the old tradition of medical astrology. The book contains a quick introduction to astrology, as well, and instructions on how to read a birth chart in general. Click the image to see the book (and Kindle ebook) at Amazon (paid link).




       The Zodiac signs, the Houses and the aspects, give character and settings to them, or links them together — but what generate action, activity, are the planets. The planets express what happens, the Houses where it happens, the aspects why, and the Zodiac signs how.

       Not all of those objects that group as planets in astrology, are actual planets in an astronomical meaning. The sun and moon are included. Also included are the Ascendant and the Medium Coeli, although they are no celestial bodies at all.

       The Ascendant (AC) is the rising point of the Zodiac on the eastern horizon, which is why it is also called Rising, and Medium Coeli (MC) is the highest point of the Zodiac, therefore also called Midheaven. They have their counterparts in the Descendant (DC) and the Imum Coeli (IC) — at exact opposite sides of the Zodiac. There are also the moon nodes, called the Dragon's Head and the Dragon's Tail, exactly opposite one another in the horoscope.

       Since the above components are all dealt with similarly in astrology and the horoscope, I allow myself to group them as planets.

       Some astrologers include additional points and celestial bodies. Anyway, the twelve most important planets and the characters of their forces are:

  • Sun   basic drive
  • Moon   longing
  • Mercury   curiosity
  • Venus   affection
  • Mars   aggression
  • Jupiter   luck
  • Saturn   duty
  • Uranus   contemplation
  • Neptune   fantasy
  • Pluto   catharsis
  • Ascendant, AC   attitude
  • Medium Coeli, MC   self-image

Velocity

Some of the planets move as fast as one full rotation around the Zodiac in a day, and the slowest one needs almost 250 years to do the same. This is important to consider in the interpretation of a horoscope. The positions of the slower planets are shared almost by a whole generation of people, which is why they are called generation planets. The quicker ones can be said to be more personal, since they move significantly in a matter of days, in some cases hours.

       Here are the times it takes for them to make one rotation around the Zodiac, in round numbers — from a geocentric perspective, ie. as seen from the earth.

  • Sun   1 year
  • Moon   1 month
  • Mercury   1 year
  • Venus   1 year
  • Mars   2 years
  • Jupiter   12 years
  • Saturn   29 years
  • Uranus   84 years
  • Neptune   165 years
  • Pluto   248 years
  • Ascendant, AC   1 day
  • Medium Coeli, MC   1 day

       When interpreting a generation planet in the horoscope, it is more important what House it is in, than what Zodiac sign, since the latter is shared by all people born around that time.


Retrograde

Because the perspecitve in astrology is geocentric — seen from earth — planets do at times seem to move backwards in the sky. This movement is called retrograde, and is the result of earth's own movement. In the horoscope, planets that are in retrograde are marked out as such, since this is taken into consideration in the interpretation of the horoscope.

       Generally speaking, retrograde planets are weakened and their force becomes more subtle and complex.


Astrological characters

In reality more than in astrology, the sun and moon stand out from the other planets. In the horoscope, all planets are significant and active in their separate ways — not at all shaded by sun and moon, the way they are in the sky to the naked eye.

       How the planets were given their respective astrological characters (as listed above) is buried in the past. Any astrologer would like to regard it as a development of trial and error — that experience taught astrology the meanings of the planets.

       Seven of the planets are visible to the naked eye — the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The outer planets were only discovered after the invention of the telescope, and quite late at that — Uranus in the 18th century, Neptune in the 19th and Pluto in the 20th. The meanings of these planets in the horoscope have largely been deducted from the times of their discoveries.


The heavenly spheres. Illustration from a 16th century book by Bovillus.

The heavenly spheres. Illustration from a 16th century book by Bovillus.


Rulers

Planets are traditionally said to rule over Zodiac signs, in which they are enforced by the character the sign gives them. A planet rules over the Zodiac sign where it fits better than other planets do. It should not be stressed too much in horoscope interpretation, since that enforcement is evident in itself, when the planet's kind of force and the Zodiac sign's character are combined.

       Only true celestial bodies can be rulers of Zodiac signs. Since there are just ten of them, and the Zodiac contains twelve signs, two planets rule two signs each. Astrologers agree on most, but not all, of the rulers. Here are the planets and the signs where I would say they rule:

  • Sun   Leo
  • Moon   Cancer
  • Mercury   Gemini and Virgo
  • Venus   Taurus and Libra
  • Mars   Aries
  • Jupiter   Sagittarius
  • Saturn   Capricorn
  • Uranus   Aquarius
  • Neptune   Pisces
  • Pluto   Scorpio

Exalting

The planets are also said to exalt in Zodiac signs — that is where they are enforced, but not to the extent they are in the signs they rule. Again, this should not be emphasized in horoscope reading, and again astrologers are of slightly differing opinions. Here are the signs in which I would say the planets exalt:

  • Sun   Aries
  • Moon   Taurus
  • Mercury   Libra and Pisces
  • Venus   Cancer and Virgo
  • Mars   Capricorn
  • Jupiter   Gemini
  • Saturn   Aquarius
  • Uranus   Sagittarius
  • Neptune   Scorpio
  • Pluto   Leo

Symbols

The symbols used for the planets are the same in astrology and astronomy. I have made ink brush versions of those symbols, just for fun. Here is a more strict rendering of them:


The planet symbols (glyphs).

Planet symbols (glyphs). From left to right: sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Ascendant, Medium Coeli, moon node.


The Planets

Here are the planets and other celestial points mostly used in astrology, with links to the webpage of each:

Planets and Celestial Points

Sun

Moon

Mercury

Venus

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

Ascendant

Medium Coeli


Horoscope Basics

Zodiac

Planets

Houses

Aspects




OTHER BOOKS OF MINE

Click the image to see the book at Amazon (paid link).

Tarot Unfolded. Book by Stefan Stenudd.

Tarot Unfolded

This book presents an imaginative method of reading the divination cards, which is the most appropriate for the Tarot, since it consists of symbolic images.


Archetypes of Mythology. Book by Stefan Stenudd.

Archetypes of Mythology

Jungian theories on myth and religion examined, from Carl G. Jung to Jordan B. Peterson.


Cosmos of the Ancients. Book by Stefan Stenudd.

Cosmos of the Ancients

All the philosophers of Ancient Greece and what they thought about cosmology, myth, religion and the gods.


Life Energy Encyclopedia. Book by Stefan Stenudd.

Life Energy Encyclopedia

Qi (chi), prana, pneuma, spiritus, and all the other life force concepts around the world explained and compared.



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COMPLETE HOROSCOPE


How to Make Your Own Horoscope


Your Health Horoscope


Sex in Your Horoscope


Zodiac Archetypes


Financial Astrology


Daily Horoscope Guide — What to Expect


Tetrabiblos — the Ancient Astrology Bible



HOROSCOPE BASICS


Zodiac — the "how" of the horoscope


Planets — the "what" of the horoscope


Houses — the "where" of the horoscope


Aspects — the "why" of the horoscope



FAMOUS HOROSCOPES


2024 presidential election horoscope for Kamala Harris


2024 presidential election horoscopes for Donald Trump and Joe Biden


Joe Biden's 2020 presidential election horoscope


Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential election horoscope


Donald Trump — impeachment horoscope


Donald Trump — will he resign?


Hillary Clinton


Mike Pence


Barack Obama


Anders Behring Breivik


Michael Jackson


Sarah Palin


Brad Pitt


The USA Horoscope — Finding and Reading It



PREDICTIONS


The USA Pluto return 2022 horoscope


Capitol attack horoscope


Covid-19 coronavirus horoscope


Future of the Internet


The Age of Aquarius


USA 2016 Election


Mundane Pluto — Its Effect on Society


Mundane Neptune — Its Effect on the Arts



MISC


About the Complete Horoscope Website


Disappearing Ascendant — Latitude Effects


The Envelope Chart — Horoscope of the Past


Astrology Links


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ZODIAC SIGNS

The twelve Zodiac signs and what they mean in astrology.

Aries Zodiac Sign

Aries


Taurus Zodiac Sign

Taurus


Gemini Zodiac Sign

Gemini


Cancer Zodiac Sign

Cancer


Leo Zodiac Sign

Leo


Virgo Zodiac Sign

Virgo


Libra Zodiac Sign

Libra


Scorpio Zodiac Sign

Scorpio


Sagittarius Zodiac Sign

Sagittarius


Capricorn Zodiac Sign

Capricorn


Aquarius Zodiac Sign

Aquarius


Pisces Zodiac Sign

Pisces




MY OTHER WEBSITES

Tarot Card Meanings

Tarot Card Meanings. Website by Stefan Stenudd. Try the old Tarot deck of cards with a free online divination. How to use the Tarot and what each card means.



I Ching Online

I Ching Online. Website by Stefan Stenudd. Try the ancient Chinese divination online for free. The 64 hexagrams of I Ching, The Book of Change, and what they mean in divination.



Stefan Stenudd

Stefan Stenudd, Swedish author of fiction and non-fiction.

About me

I'm a Swedish astrologer, author and historian of ideas, researching ancient thought and mythology. My personal website:


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