The Seven Planets as Personality Indicators
The word ‘planet’, in astrological language, refers to any of the astronomical bodies which move along the ecliptic. That is to say, a planet is anything other than the fixed stars, which rotate in daily path around the North Star. This includes the Sun, the Moon, and the astronomical planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, while considered astrologically, are not part of the ancient tradition because of their discovery in the last two centuries, with the advent of technology. Also, because of their longer orbits, the outer planets are considered to influence humanity as a whole, as much as or more than they influence individual personalities. Therefore, they will be considered in their own section.
Too much cannot be said about the Sun. Astronomically, it is the chief generator of the solar system, and it is also the center around which the rest of the solar system revolves. Therefore, astrologically, it represents the self, as chief generator of the other parts of the personality, and the center around which the rest of the personality revolves. That is to say, the astronomical facts about the Sun are taken to indicate astrological facts about the personality. The Sun is one primary source of all life on Earth, and it indicates the shining light of the individual by which he or she becomes known to us, just as by the light of the Sun the phenomenal world becomes known to us. Astrological interpretation, therefore, starts from an analysis of the Sun’s placement.
However, it is important to recognize that relative to the Sun, the Earth has two distinct motions. The Earth revolves around the Sun, producing the annual change of the seasons, and the Earth also rotates, producing the daily change of night and day. Both of these relationships between the Earth and the Sun are taken by astrologers to indicate the personality: the revolution of the Earth about the Sun indicates the basic personality and sense of self that the individual has outwardly, while the rotation of the Earth relative to the Sun indicates the shining sparkle of the personality that is most immediately evident. This is analogous to one’s noticing the time of day, which is immediately evident by the Sun’s placement or absence, versus noticing the time of year, which is basic, consistent, and reliable. So too does the Sun indicate both the immediately evident part of the personality, indicated by the time of day of an individual’s birth, and also the basic, consistent factors of the personality, indicated by the time of year of the person’s birth.
All the other planets receive their light from the Sun, but only the Moon goes through noticeable phases, based off the geometrical angle made between Sun, Earth, and Moon. Sometimes the Moon catches and reflects the full light of the Sun, basking a clear night in a gray-blue light by which one can almost read, and sometimes the Moon catches none of the Sun’s light at all, appearing in the sky as a black, starless disc. Despite these drastic changes in appearance, the Moon cycles through these phases with no less regularity than the Sun’s daily rising or the change of the seasons, but at its own pace and with its own air of mystery.
Along with these patterns, the Moon has its own power of indication. Just as the Moon influences the tides, causing the waters of the world to slowly rise and fall, so is the Moon taken to indicate the deepest emotions of the soul. The strength and motions of the waters of our innermost personality are indicated by the location of the Moon, and it is completely independent of the Sun’s location. In much the same way, the inner personality by which we see ourselves can often be quite different from the outward personality that others most readily see and expect from us. I once received a comment about a character trait from a coworker, and I was in fact surprised, for I saw myself as quite the opposite. When I reflected, however, I realized that my outward expression differed greatly from my inward sense of self-regarding. However, that disparity between my outward self and inward self was not a mark of deceit or hypocrisy, but simply a practical fact of my personality. My daily walk produced an outward personality that contrasted greatly with my inner self, and only from an external observation was I brought to the recognition of these two senses of self. At other times, of course, I fare much better, and the light of my inner personality accords with the way others perceive me. So does the Moon indicate the relationship between our inner and outer selves, and it is important for individuals to know the placement of their Moon, and thus become familiar with the dark but powerful shade of their unknown god.
Mercury hustles about the Sun more quickly than any other planet in the Solar System, but from the perspective of Earth, the planet stays close by its parent star, never more than 27 or 28 degrees away. Therefore, Mercury represents an extension of this outward personality – the way in which a person thinks, and how they interpersonally communicate. Most importantly, Mercury represents language, both the words we use with others, how others’ words affect us, or whether we tend to communicate with words at all – preferring body language, gift giving, or some other form of communication. Whether we are blunt or tactful, bombastic or demure, general or analytic, depends largely on the placement of the planet Mercury and its relation to other planets at the time of birth.
The planet Venus also hugs close to the Sun, as seen from Earth as a vantage point, never more than 48 degrees away from its parent star. After the Sun and Moon, Venus – a bright pink – is the brightest object in the sky, attractive and sparkling, often heralding the Sun’s rising or setting. As such, it was known to some ancients as the Morning Star and Evening Star respectively, and many ancient peoples were ignorant that the two daily luminaries were one and the same. Therefore, Venus is taken to indicate balance and attraction, or harmony. Its influence is often to make a native flirtatious, magnetic, and desirable. On the other hand, it can indicate a static nature, stubbornness, patience, and laziness. In any case, Venus’s influence, like Mercury’s, is primarily mental. But unlike Mercury, Venus represents not communication with others, but the internal mental states of imagination and conceptualization. In addition to representing the sensuous nature, it more importantly indicates the visualizing, principled mind, upon which one can be self-reliant, or in repose.
Mars is fiery and red, and hustles about the ecliptic in three calendar years, the fastest thing along the ecliptic besides the Sun and Moon, and the first astronomical planet to move along the length of the ecliptic independently of the Sun. Accordingly, it indicates aggression and independence, the drive that exists in all of us to thrust forward and move outward from ourselves. It very frequently represents how one pursues goals: it indicates the mode in which we objectively and practically pursue the things we want and upon which we set our minds. Deliberate and intrepid, depending on its relationship to other planets and sign placement, Mars can also indicate frustration, endeavor, rule-breaking, and carnal desire. Traditionally, the planet was interpreted to herald misfortune, and to indicate the times of year and parts of the body in which a person was likely to be injured or suffer hardship. More esoterically, Mars may simply indicate the tendency we all have to rely completely on our own strengths and drives, when in fact we most need to submit to the help or guidance of others. That Mars represents this crisis explains the historical malefic interpretation, and also provides guidance for interpreting its indication today.
Jupiter is blue, bright, and magnanimous – taking twelve years calendar years to traverse the ecliptic, or go through all twelve zodiac signs relative to Earth. As such, the planet is taken to represent the unknown god’s grace, because the number twelve makes Jupiter’s relationship to astrology inherently reflexive. Historically Jupiter represents good fortune, things which come to an individual most easily, and through which the individual can be a benefit to others. In modernity, Jupiter represents expansion, growth, and again – the things which come to the native most easily. However, depending on placement in the chart, Jupiter can lead to excess of certain personality traits, overzealousness, or even addictive, obsessive personalities. Jupiter is marked by enthusiasm, in both the colloquial and the etymological sense. That is to say, the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek and means filled with god, or that god is within. However, being enthused implies that one is beyond one’s own control, and at the deity’s mercy – to prophecy, or to be condemned. On all interpretations, Jupiter indicates great power, but whether that power comes to beneficent utilization is up to the individual.
Saturn is yellow, twinkling because of its rings, and quite slow, taking 30 years to traverse the ecliptic. The last of the planets known to the ancients, the planet was taken to indicate restriction, old age, judgment, and authority. Like Mars, on traditional or medieval interpretations, the planet was considered malefic, or bringing with it a negative influence. It supposedly indicated misfortune, though modern astrologers do not see this as the case. Rather, Saturn is taken to indicate structure and order, a much needed constraint on the expansive capacities of Jupiter. Nevertheless, its position to other planets can make the native austere, regimented, and coarse – and in the worst cases self-punitive and judgmental of self and others. However, it also gives those very same people ambition, perseverance, and a strong work ethic. Much of Saturn’s influence on the native depends upon his or her relationship to that planet’s energy, and whether or not he or she is aware of its influence.