What Do the Planets Mean in Astrology?
Each planet in our solar system rules over a different aspect of our lives.
Your Sun sign—the zodiac sign that the Sun appeared in at the time of your birth—rules the core of who you are. But the rest of the planets also have a say in your different areas of life.
The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars are known as the inner planets and affect your day-to-day life because they move through the 12 signs of the zodiac more quickly.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, the outer planets, move more slowly through the zodiac signs, impacting the more prominent themes of your life.
We also have Chiron, a minor planet whose influence in our lives is starting to be recognized more by modern astrologers.
The better you know the planets, the more you’ll be able to make sense of the current state of the world, your birth chart, and your multi-faceted personality. You’ll also be equipped to understand the birth charts of others as well as your compatibility with them.
Astrology believes that everything is connected and has meaning—the same can be said about understanding the connection of the planets to you!
Learn More About Each Planet
Learn about each of the planets in astrology, their symbols, and how they rule over you.
How the Planets Affect Us
Astrology subscribes to the philosophy of “man as microcosm.” This philosophy holds that human beings are “little worlds,” meaning that we are each direct, scaled-down reflections and expressions of the Universe. The reverse holds true as well, that the Universe is a macrocosm of the human being.
While we know that our solar system within the Milky Way galaxy is heliocentric, meaning all the planets orbit the Sun, our star, astrology is based upon a geocentric viewpoint. This isn’t because astrologers believe that Earth is the center of the solar system! Instead, a geocentric perspective considers how we Earth-dwellers experience and interact with the Universe from our unique place inside of it.
Specific to each person is their birth chart, which shows where each of the planets was and in which astrological house when that individual took their first breaths. Our birth charts can tell us a lot about ourselves and others. They’re a powerful tool that can be used as you navigate through the twists and turns of life.
