Intro to Personal Planets

Intro to Personal Planets

YOUR STARS WITHIN - ASTROLOGICAL COUNSELING

I want to pay some special attention to the planets and exactly how we use them in interpretation.

Each planet represents a life energy. The sign and house it’s in tell us about how that life energy shows up in your life. The aspects it makes to other planets can tell us about how it interacts with other life energies.

I will remind you of the house and sign related to the planet. Remember from the previous post an energy has a house, sign and planet representation. So you can think of them together and begin to understand them this way.

Let’s jump right in:

Take a look at where you have these different planets and apply the energy of those signs to the planet. Here’s a link to how to locate your chart if you don’t have it already: https://yourstarswithin.blogspot.com/2018/02/how-to-reference-your-birth-chart.html

I also recommend reading all of the elemental series, which is available on the navigation bar of my blog, if you haven’t already, it will make digesting this much easier. 

https://yourstarswithin.blogspot.com/

Harmonious Aspects- Trine, Sextile and sometimes Conjunction

Disharmonious Aspects- Opposition, Square and sometimes Conjunction. (These are the aspects more likely to be noticed in your life experienced). Remember to check out the previous posts about Polar Opposites and Squares if you haven’t already.

Ascendant- The Ascendant is the beginning of the first house, its “I”- who I am. Sometimes, perceptive people will pick up on your Ascendant more than your Sun sign. I would think of Ascendant as interacting with the Sun sign. The traits of the sign your Ascendant is in will be a part of who you are inside. How much that shows through probably depends on how harmonious it is to your Sun sign. The Ascendant is who you are inside and the Sun is your personality as it interacts with the world. The Ascendant is the internal self/needs and the Sun sign is how we show up in the world and meet those meets.

                If the Sun, Moon or Ascendant are in conflict with each other, it means that basic parts of your personality work at odds together. People with these conflicts often have difficulty in marriages or partnerships because inside themselves they have not found a harmony from which to relate from. What feels good to one part of them, irritates another. Becoming comfortable inside your body and within your energy is an important part of your life if these are in conflict. 

               An example of this: If your Ascendant is in Cancer you have very high need for nurture, warmth and being cared for. If that is in conflict because your Sun is in the opposition, Capricorn, you may show to the world a hard face, an independent autonomous person who is all business or who is the leader and doesn’t need others. This trait is also a need the person has- those needs are in conflict! So by acting from their Capricorn Sun they cannot meet the needs of the Cancer Ascendant. Or instead of Capricorn Sun, let’s say this Cancer Ascendant person has an Aries Moon, which would be its square. The person will tend to be emotionally harsh, quick and over reactive. People will respond to this and thus the need for warm, gentle expressions of nurture will not be seen or met by others.

                When a transit or aspect occurs with the Ascendant, it affects how you see yourself, and influences your sense of identity. When another planet makes an aspect to Ascendant, such as Venus, it tends to feel good or bad to the self. So, if Venus is in a harmonious aspect to my Ascendant I feel good, uplifted and my sense of self feels positive in relationships. If in conflict, relationships may give me a sense of not knowing myself, being able to be myself, or not being good enough as I am.

Sun- The Sun is external personality traits, it is the ego that interacts with the world, it’s the part of yourself you usually identify with as “I” in terms of how you interact with others. This is what you’re usually reading when you read your horoscope. Sun is related to Leo and to the 5^th house.

•  If Sun and Moon are in a harmony aspect (trine, sextile, and conjunction) then what’s inside of the person is also what they show to the outside world. They are in harmony. If it is in difficult aspect, then this is not in harmony and there is conflict between two aspects of their selves.

• If Sun and Pluto are in a difficult aspect this person is constantly in a transformative process, deeply entrenched in the deeper meanings of life. They are likely quite intense and maybe controlling. 

• Sun and Saturn can put a damper on things, restricting the Sun sign from expressing itself fully. For example, if Leo is talkative and gregarious, with Saturn it will feel unable to shine this way. 

Moon- The Moon, technically a luminary, is the feminine energy. She is instinctual, it shows how you react to things before thought can enter the picture. It is emotional, it represents both your emotional patterns and how you like to be nurtured. The Moon is the emotional nature of the person.

            If the Moon is in a Fire sign you will tend to have a temper and a quick reactive nature. You’ll be more subjective and emotionally affected by things others say and do.

            If Moon is in Water the person is likely intuitive, though they may not know it or know how to use it, because Moon is instinctual. The person will tend to know what others are feeling and maybe have a chameleon part of their personality where they easily adjust to the people they’re around and the moods they’re around.

 A Moon in Earth makes the person slow to react and slow to over-react, stable and realistic. They can tend to not be too excitable and can come across as negative because they often lean towards no instead of yes. This is mostly because their instincts are to assess risk before having a reaction.

 If Moon is in Air they can tend to intellectualize emotions more than feel them. Sarcasm and other ways to ward off the deeper level of emotional experience will be comfortable to Air sign Moon people. They will tend to be positive and light, keeping to an objective response to others and their behaviors.

Moon is related to Cancer and the 4^th house (and the bone of your chart called the IC).

• If Moon is in a hard aspect with Pluto, think emotional control or abuse.
• If with Saturn think emotionally restrictive, maybe raised in a very controlling home. Could be a rule follower and tends to say no to anything pleasurable. 
• Moon making a hard aspect to Venus could imply that there is a mismatch between meeting one’s own needs and meeting needs of relationships, such that they have to constantly pick which needs they’ll meet and it can only be one.
• Moon and Mars, emotional frustration and irritation, emotionally pushy and demanding, could indicate emotional courage.
• Moon and Neptune aspects could indicate escapism such as drug abuse from emotions.
• Moon and Uranus says this person will have unexpected highs and lows, unexpected emotions and possibly unusual emotional experiences.

Mercury- This is your thought process, mental interests and communication style. Mercury often hangs out near the sun. If Mercury is in a different sign than the sun, then this person’s mind and personality are more different than most. If Mercury is really on top of the Sun, it can be hard for this person to sometimes fully understand their thoughts or to separate who they are from what they think.

Mercury in a Fire sign will have an interest in things related to self. Astrology and Psychology will interest them because they can immediately apply it to their experience. The mind will be quick as will their communication style.

Mercury in Water will create a slower mind, one that feels foggier and takes time to process. They’re literally tapped into the Universe’s information system but all that data just floats by, making it hard to grasp grounded and tangible concepts. Communication will be gentle and intuitive, easy to talk to.

Mercury in Earth will not be one for the abstract, they want to understand exactly what they’re learning and how it can be applied in life. They’ll tend to understand mechanical or agricultural aspects of life and have know-how in the way things work. Their communication will be exact and thoughtful, likely having difficulty coming up with superfluous words to fill a page for an essay.

Mercury in an Air sign will give this person a high intelligence and quick wit. They will enjoy the abstract and be able to hold a lot of complex ideas in their mind at the same time. Applying information may be more of a challenge. Communication will be informative and interesting, will likely know the newest developments in whatever areas fascinate them. They’ll have a good inclination for technology.

When Mercury is in hard aspects it effects the persons thinking, learning and communication. Mercury is ruled by two signs- Gemini and Virgo, so the 3^rd and 6^th house respectively.  

Venus- Venus is relationships and how you relate to others. This includes friendships but more specifically is about romantic relationships and relationships with women (look at Moon for mother). Venus rules things like fashion, beautifying such as art or furniture in a home, money and how easily it flows.

If your Venus is in a Fire sign you likely jump in (and out) of relationships quickly. Somewhat of an impulsive energy. If it’s Sagittarius (or 9^th house) you may have a tendency to date people different in cultural background from your own. If it’s in Leo (or 5^th house) you may have a high need to be center of attention, even if that’s not typical for you. In Aries (or 1^st), you may impulsively begin relationships and be ready to marry them in a week, only to be completely over it a week later. Relationships could also have a way of defining you.

If your Venus is in Water you’re going to be sentimental and will find it hard to let go of people. Even if it was ended by you and for the best, you’ll still tend towards attachments in your heart, carrying those experiences with you closely. You’ll tend to be nurturing and a good ear for friends during rough times.

 If Venus is in Earth you’ll be slow to commit, only interested in partners that seem reliable and extremely loyal. You’ll also be a good mate, able to follow through on promises. You’ll want to buy a house, or get married - things that are traditional milestones and make your relationship concrete, will be important to you.

Venus in Air may be a little suffocated in relationships, or may even not understand the difference between romance and friendship very well. You’re very able to allow people room to be themselves and live a full separate life, not having a desire to control or limit them. You like space in relationships and a lot of mental stimulation.

• If Venus and Pluto have a hard aspect, you are likely controlling or manipulative in relationships. If this is an aspect between two people in synastry, Pluto person is likely the controlling one.
• Saturn and Venus in difficult aspect, closes/restricts the heart, this can make it difficult to show and give the care to others in a loving way. There is a rigidity to the way you try to express your love.
• Venus and Neptune in square or opposition, could often be deceived by others or attract partners whose intentions are not of high integrity.

Venus has two associated signs- Taurus and Libra, this is the 2^nd and 7^th house respectively.

Mars- Mars is your initiative taking energy. It represents how you assert yourself, your confidence, sex drive, passion for life and action.

If it’s in a feisty sign, like a Fire sign, you’re going to be quick to speak up and speak out about what you want. You might even be a bit impulsive, but you definitely stand up for yourself.

If it’s in a Water sign you may tend to try to find less direct ways to get what you want. Remember, Mar is initiative- so the signs it’s in tells you HOW you take initiative. We all have initiative taking energy. A Water sign Mars might be indirect or sometimes even passive-aggressive in the way it goes after its goals.

If Mars is in an Earth sign it’s going to be safety seeking, double checking before it leaps. This is a person who will be risk averse, they will tend to be driven for physical security and comfort.

A Mars Air sign tends to be indecisive. They may use flattery or other social skills to achieve their goals. They will tend to make connections between people and use their connections to further their goals.

Mars is related to Aries and the 1^st house.

• If Mars makes a hard aspect (opposition, conjunction or square) with Pluto, its explosive.
• With Saturn it’s controlling and frustrating.
• With Sun very highly competitive. 

I’ll talk aspects in a future post, I just want to add a taste of it here so you can use this information quicker.

I hope you enjoyed this Intro to the Personal Planets. I’ll be back soon with the rest of the solar system