Planets
In astrology, the planets are the ten main celestial bodies that tradition considers "actors" of the natal chart: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Each represents a specific psychic function that manifests according to the sign and house in which it is found.
Origin and technique
Although astronomically the Sun and Moon are not planets (they are a star and a satellite), astrology includes them in the group of "ten planets" for their symbolic importance. Ancient classical astrology worked with seven bodies visible to the naked eye: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The three outer planets — Uranus (discovered in 1781), Neptune (1846) and Pluto (1930) — were incorporated into astrology after their modern discovery.
Each planet represents a universal psychic function. If the zodiac gives the "what" (archetypal quality), the planets give the "who" (which function acts) and the houses give the "where" (in what area of life). The interaction of the three levels is the technical heart of astrological reading.
The functions of each planet
Personal planets: Sun (identity), Moon (emotions), Mercury (mind), Venus (love and pleasure), Mars (desire and action). These five describe the everyday individual psyche.
Social planets: Jupiter (expansion, faith) and Saturn (structure, test). They mark how you fit into long social structures. Transpersonal planets: Uranus (revolution, freedom), Neptune (spirituality, dissolution), Pluto (radical transformation). Due to their slowness (they take decades to change sign), they describe generational energies rather than individual ones.
Also known as
- Astrological celestial bodies
- Astral bodies