How Do Astrological Planets Work? Our Guide Reveals All

When people typically hear the word astrology, the first thought is often about planets and how they orbit the sun. In brief, your natal chart, is like a photograph of the planets at the time of your birth. By closely following the planetary placement of stars and their interactions, we can determine two things; the way you perceive yourself and your approach towards life.

- Discover which planet rules over your zodiac sign -

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The planets and their astrological meanings

• The Sun: It represents self-image, the spirit of the individual and their basic personality.
  
  
• The Moon: It represents our sex lives, emotions and needs.
  
  
• Mercury: It stands for communication, intellectual faculties and personal expression.
  
  
• Venus: This the planet of love, desires, beauty.
  
  
• Mars: The planet of action, energy and sexuality
  
  
• Jupiter: It represents success, well-being, extroversion and luck.
  
  
• Saturn: This is the brakes, the restrictions, the sanctions, the structures and the limits.
  
  
• Uranus: It embodies independence, the need for freedom and action.
  
  
• Neptune: The planet of faith, spirituality and illusion.
  
  
• Pluto: It's power, the unconscious and hidden riches.

The Influence of the “Fast” Planets:

The Sun, our solar star, is at the center of our universe. Our zodiac sign, also known as a solar or sun sign, is a reflection of the position of the son the day we were born. Orbiting the sun we have 7 ruling planets (omitting earth), which can be broken down into two categories.

First, we have the “personal” planets (also called as “fast” planets): Mercury, Venus, and Mars. These 3 zodiacs all rotate around the Sun more often than the planets that are situated further away. Mercury influences communication and expression.

• Mercury influences communication and expression
• Venus is associated with creativity, beauty, and love
• Mars dominates action, masculinity, and authoritarianism

Characteristics of the “Slow” Planets

Past Mars, we find the planets that are transpersonal or “slow” planets. These planets move at a much slower pace than the personal planets. Their influence will also manifest over many generations.

Among the slow planets, we find:

• Jupiter, who symbolizes luck, enthusiasm, and opportunity
• Saturn, who represents restrictions, limits, and responsibilities
• Uranus, who’s associated with sudden change, the unexpected, and instability
• Neptune, who’s linked with dreams, psychic abilities, creativity, and the metaphysical
• Pluto, who brings about extreme disruption

Each planet is in continuous movement, especially the personal planets which hold different position on a day-to-day basis. By closely following where the planets pass through each sign and house at the time of birth, astrologers are capable of making accurate predictions in our birth charts. 

Every planet rules a zodiac sign and they are therefore often referred to as a planetary ruler - with some planets actually ruling more than one sign.

These planets have each been historically associated with a certain set of characteristics, so their presence at your time of birth influences the way that these characteristics play a role in your life. As the fast planets orbit the sun and moon more frequently, they are associated with mood, habits and routine. 

The slow planets, on the other hand, will only orbit around the sun a couple of times during a typical human lifetime, so their presence usually holds a much greater significance.

>>> If you'd like to learn more about this fascinating subject, read up on the planets in retrograde.