The Sun, the Moon and the planets

The planets are the heart of a birth chart. Each one stands for a part of you — how you think, how you feel, how you act — and the sign it stood in when you were born shapes how that part shows.

The Sun and the Moon count for most, so this chapter begins with them. Then come the four personal planets, which say the most about you alone, and finally the four slow ones.

aThe Sun 
is the sign you already know

The position of the Sun in the sign is the most significant point in the personal horoscope of each individual. After all, it is the most prominent and most noticeable object in the sky.

The position of the Sun is what we usually call “our horoscope sign”. For example, if someone’s sign is Aries, this means that at the moment of birth, the Sun was situated in the Aries sign. The Sun makes its way through all 12 signs in one year. It stays in each sign for an average of 1 month.

The Sun in your birth chart represents your personality, your inner self, your self-awareness. Through the Sun’s position, we can see how you, as an individual with your desires and needs, adapt and react to the influences of your surroundings and also how you express your inner potentials.

bThe Moon 
is what you feel before you think

The position of the Moon is a very important point of one’s birth chart. In contrast to the Sun, the Moon travels much faster. It makes the entire path through 12 signs in one Moon cycle (which lasts approximately 28 days) and so changes its influence much more quickly. However, because of its size and proximity, its influence is the strongest for some individuals.

The Moon in a personal horoscope represents your subconscious self, your emotions and sensations. Its position describes how you react on a subconscious and intuitive level.

Of course, the Moon’s position acts completely differently on someone who has the Sun in Aries than on someone who has the Sun in Cancer. That is why it is important that you keep the other analyses in mind when reading the horoscope, and try to harmonise all of them.

Each planet tells about one part of you

Every planet stands for one part of your personality. Their position in a birth chart defines how they express themselves in your life. The planets nearest the Sun count more in a reading: they move quickly, so they say more about one person.

The personal planets

Besides the Sun and the Moon, there are four planets that are very important for reading a birth chart and define individual parts of your personality: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. We call them the personal planets.

c Mercury
how you think

Mercury is the planet nearest to the Sun, and it travels the fastest. That is why it is a very important personal planet, which influences communication, education, relationships, skilfulness and resourcefulness. Mercury also symbolises transport and travel, especially short journeys.

The position of Mercury in a birth chart tells us how you think, how you communicate with the outer world and generally describes all the things that occupy your mind.

dVenus
how you love

In astrology, Venus rules the signs of Taurus and Libra. Venus is a very important personal planet which travels fast and quickly changes signs.

In astrology, Venus is connected to love, beauty, sensuality, fertility and joy. The position of Venus tells us how you express your emotions in personal relationships, especially in love. It also defines your sense of art and your attitude towards money and personal belongings.

eMars
how you act

Mars is a planet of physical energy and action. It rules the Aries sign and traditionally (before Pluto was discovered) also Scorpio. Mars is also one of the personal planets, because on average it stays in one sign for less than 2 months and therefore has an important influence on our personality.

In astrology, Mars is connected to action, energy, competitiveness, hot-bloodedness and impetuousness. The position of Mars tells us in what way and in what form you express your activity. Mars also indicates your ambitions and the work you do, which is connected to these ambitions.

fJupiter
what you believe, and where you grow

Jupiter is a more remote planet which travels fairly slowly: it stays in one sign for approximately one year. But because of its size, it is classified as a personal planet, since it has a strong influence in the birth chart of every individual.

In astrology, Jupiter represents friendships, honour, wisdom, cosmopolitan views and travel. The position of Jupiter tells us about your ethical, philosophical and religious values and beliefs. Jupiter is connected to growth, progress and happiness.

The generation planets

Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto move slowly. Neptune and Pluto stay in one sign for a whole generation, so their sign says little about you alone. What matters is the house they are in, the aspects they make, and whether they sit on one of the chart’s key points.

gSaturn
your limits and ambitions

Saturn is the natural ruler of Capricorn and the planet that represents limitations, uneasiness, distrust, the great teacher and karma. Saturn symbolises the limitations in your life that you have to overcome on your path of personal growth.

The position of Saturn shows how you develop responsibility and discipline. It also importantly influences your career and life ambitions. It represents authorities, the elders, hierarchy, time, and hard and persistent work.

hUranus
changes and individuality

Uranus is a distant planet which was discovered only in the 18th century and its influence was attributed to Aquarius. It takes Uranus 84 years to travel around the Sun and it stays in one sign for approximately 7 years. That is why it is classified as a generational planet: its position in a sign of a personal horoscope influences an entire generation, born in a period of 7 years.

In astrology, Uranus represents changes, reforms, awakening, the original, the unusual, that which stands out, discoveries and inventions. Uranus brings changes that are often unexpected and sudden. It represents freedom, individuality and rebels who resist existing norms and rules. It rules electricity and astrology.

iNeptune
dreams and imagination

Neptune is a very distant planet, which was discovered only in the middle of the 19th century and its influence was attributed to Pisces. It takes Neptune 165 years to travel around the Sun and it stays in each sign for approximately 14 years. That is why Neptune is one of the generational planets — its position in a sign has a more generational and historical influence rather than influencing one’s personal characteristics.

In astrology, Neptune represents the inner, dream world, illusions, imagination, susceptibility and perceptiveness. It is connected to confusion, illusions and deceptions — and it basically represents the most subtle point of our personality through which we can rise to a higher level.

jPluto
transformation

Pluto is the slowest planet, and it takes 248 years to travel around the Sun. Because of its unusual orbit, it stays in one sign for different periods of time, from 12 to 32 years. Pluto was discovered only in 1930 and its influence is attributed to Scorpio. As is the case with Uranus and Neptune, Pluto is also one of the generational planets — its position in a sign thus has a more generational and historical significance.

The key word for Pluto is transformation. It is connected to death, which basically symbolises a transition into a new state. It is also connected to secret things, the subconscious, regeneration, transformation and changes.

The planets in a few words

• a Sun your self, your will, how you shine
• b Moon feelings, moods, instinct
• c Mercury talking, learning, dealing with people, skill, quick thinking
• d Venus love, beauty, the senses, fertility, joy
• e Mars action, energy, temper, force
• f Jupiter friendship, honour, wisdom, travel, luck
• g Saturn limits, tension, mistrust, the great teacher, karma
• h Uranus change, reform, awakening, the original and the unusual, invention
• i Neptune the inner world of dreams, illusion, imagination, sensitivity
• j Pluto the subconscious, renewal, transformation, the start of something new

No planet is read on its own

A planet is read through its sign, its house and every aspect it makes with the rest of the chart.

Three planets get extra weight:

• The rising planet is the one closest to the axis of the 1st house (ASC). It was therefore the easternmost planet at the moment of your birth, and symbolises your natural abilities.
• The culminating planet is the one closest to the axis of the 10th house (MC). It was therefore the highest in the sky at the moment of your birth, and so defines what you strive for in life.
• A planet in domicile sits in the sign or the house it rules. It is possible that you have no such planet, or more than one. These planets have an even more emphasised influence in your personal horoscope.

Most planets rule two signs

Before Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered, every planet except the Sun and the Moon was said to rule two signs: one of positive polarity and one of negative. The Sun and the Moon still rule one sign each.