Astrology Basics 101 – The Planets

By Kaye Berjot – 

In previous articles we discussed the 12 Zodiac Signs, the 12 Houses and the roles of the Sun, Moon and the Ascendant within astrology. In this month’s article we will focus on the 10 planets that are traditionally used in Western Astrology along with their characteristics.

I am of the opinion that planets are the adjectives of astrology. This means that they do not stand alone and are dependent upon the zodiac sign that they rule to give it meaning and purpose.

Each sign has a planet that is its primary ruler and some planets rule multiple signs, as is the case with Venus and Mercury. In cases where one planet rules more than one sign, it is important to remember the motto of the individual sign. For example, Venus rules both Taurus and Libra. Taurus has the motto of, “I have,” and Libra has the motto of, “I balance.” Therefore, it is important to understand what Venus is trying to accomplish when she is in different signs.

This is the fourth article in our series, so I would encourage you to visit our website, www.consciouscommunitymagazine.com, to view the previous articles in the Astrology Basics 101 series. The previous articles provide additional clarity to some of the terms that are discussed in this article.

To start us out, here is a list of the signs and the planets that rule:

1. Aries – Mars
2. Taurus – Venus
3. Gemini – Mercury
4. Cancer – Moon
5. Leo – Sun
6. Virgo – Mercury
7. Libra – Venus
8. Scorpio – Pluto
9. Sagittarius – Jupiter
10. Capricorn – Saturn
11. Aquarius – Uranus
12. Pisces – Neptune

Basic Characteristics of Planets

The planet Mars is associated with aggression and assertiveness, and many astrologers call it the warrior planet or the God of War. It is the planet that drives our survival instincts and can motivate people to take action quickly. For the most part, Mars begins the action because the action needs to begin. For this planet, there is no time like the present.

Venus is the planet of love, beauty and lavishness, and astrologers associate her with the Goddess of Love. Venus drives our sentiments, values, and the things that we get pleasure from. At the end of the day she will motivate individuals to move towards those things that make our lives more comfortable and loveable.

Mercury is the messenger planet and represents communication and coordination of thoughts and ideas. He is the master of persuasion and can have you taking things apart and putting them back together before you even know what has happened. Mercury wants you to say what you mean and to mean what you say. He understands that in order to be successful at this, the head and the voice must work together.

The Moon is traditionally associated with intuitiveness, emotional awareness, the mother and feminine energy. She is
 a nurturing and guiding force that utilizes your inner intuition and inner knowledge to guide you towards the things that allow you to express your unique self. If you have ever heard the expression, “there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” there is a strong probability that the Moon is the guiding light in the tunnel.

The Sun in astrology represents our life purpose and is considered our raison d’etre. When you are coming out of the tunnel, this is the light that you are moving towards. The Sun is characterized
as being generous, expressive and enthusiastic. It will bring you opportunities to express your individuality and, at its most basic definition, it is the centerpoint of your astrological solar system. This is why many astrologers will counsel you to stand in your own light.

Pluto represents change and is associated with the God of
the Underworld. Its commonly identified characteristics
are determination, secretiveness and truthfulness. Pluto has undergone significant changes in status since its discovery and some question whether it is a planet at all. Oddly enough, Pluto’s goal is to transform you into the change that you want to be and it is demonstrating that by being the planetary example of what change is. Pluto is asking you to be your truth.

The most expansive planet in astrology is Jupiter and it is symbolized as the planet of good fortune and luck. By gathering knowledge, Jupiter expects that you will find your unique philosophies in life. It will push you to take on journeys that will lead you to find your inspirational diamonds in the rough. Its primary characteristics are that of kindness and benevolence, and it wants you to embrace principles that will lead you to understanding.

Saturn is a karmic planet and is associated with the father. It represents time and its primary characteristic is patience. Saturn requires us to practice patience with the things that we want to put energy into and it will oftentimes favor the tried and true mechanisms over quick wins. It gives meaning to the phrase, “All good things happen with time”.

Uranus is considered to be Mr. Unpredictable. He is associated with rebellion, disruption and unconventional thinking. This is the planet that will create a storm in order to show a clear path. These storms are usually in the form of a rollercoaster ride or surfing a big wave, scary and frightening but exhilarating…once you’ve reached solid ground. All in all, Uranus wants you to know that from chaos comes order.

Neptune is the planet of illusion, has no boundaries and is associated with the God of the Sea. Its entire mission is to restore faith in that which you cannot yet see. It is the planet that removes restrictions and in some cases allows you to see the restrictions that we as individuals may have willingly or unwillingly imposed upon ourselves. Neptune reminds us that we are not exiled from the sea simply because we walk on land and that we are not bound to land simply because we have not yet learned fly. Neptune provides us with enough faith to keep trying to evolve.

Summary

I’ve struggled with how to appropriately summarize this topic, and I must say that it has been a bit of a daunting task. The planets for the most part have been an afterthought, because we have become so dependent upon the zodiac symbols to describe our individual characteristics.

But with that said, I have come to the conclusion
that the most important aspect of this article is to realize that the planets are the oldest part of our existence.

In actuality, they are the original spices of our lives, the last thing that we see at night and the first thing that we encounter after “mourn-ing”.

Kaye Berjot is a transformational astrologer located in Little Rock, AR. If you would like guidance through a reading of your chart please contact her at: kayeberjot@gmail.com