Astrological planets and personality
While the Zodiac Signs represent archetypes of human consciousness based on the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, while the Houses relate to areas of human life based on the Earth’s rotation on itself, the planets represent the functions and the energies that animate the Birth Chart, thus shaping the personality, it is said that “the planets in sign emit and the houses receive” (Read in particular the book Astrology of Personality by D.rudhyar).
There is neither good nor bad planet in itself, each planet is part of a whole, the solar system must always be seen in its totality as representing the integrality of a process. There is no point in isolating, ignoring or glorifying one part of the process to the detriment of the whole, it makes no sense. A serious astrologer nowadays will no longer speaks of “Great Beneficial” (Jupiter), “Great Evil” (Saturn), of traditional astrology… A transit of Jupiter can prove to be “problematic” as on the contrary a transit of Saturn can prove to be “structuring and positive” for personality !
The planets have no real energy of their own, they are like “prisms”, they capture the primordial energy of the Sun, they absorb it, “filter” in a way and re-emit it at 360° in a modified way according to their own astrological and psychological properties, according to their own vibrations, their subtle influences.
The energies circulate from “planet to planet”, it is once the energies are integrated into the vibration of the Earth that they are reflected on its inhabitants.
Sun leads the dancing, we sometimes tend to forget it, as it is so obvious, but without it, nothing…
The Sun impels the qualities of being, and the different planets are its means of expression through their functions through which it expresses itself.
The different planets symbolize the different energies of life necessary for all existence. Each additional planet from the Sun describes a function that complements the previous and the whole may be similar to the process of Individuation described by Jung.
The entire solar system acts as a“code” which is “imprinted” in the sky geometry that constitutes the zodiac and the house system according to years, months, days, times and places… It is the understanding of this language which gives in part the astrological interpretation of a birth chart.
The Astrological Solar System and Planetary Functions
The planetary functions, and all the symbolism of the planets, are partly based on objective physical astronomical observations, on mythological symbolism, and above all on empirical observations and subjective intuitions that are sometimes several thousand years old and that have been transmitted between generations.
To study a planet in a birth chart, either one locates it in relation to a cycle of position (a passage on a point), or one must place it in a cycle of relation with another planet (interaction of 2 planetary movements, for example the solilunar cycle).
There are many possible ways to classify the planets astrologically… For the sake of clarity, I will select here the 3 types of primary function of the planets: individual, social, transpersonal.
Personal planets (individual)
The fast planets within the Earth’s orbit are the ones that directly affect the individuality, the personality, the psychology… The Sun and the Moon speak of “I”, the ego.
- Sun: Leo
Cycle time: approx. 365 days
Planetary function : Life center - Moon: Cancer
Cycle time: about 28 days
Planetary function : unconscious, receptivity and daily life - Mercury: Gemini and Virgo
Cycle time: approx. 88 days
Planetary function : intellect and communication - Venus: Taurus and Libra
Cycle time: approx. 225 days
Planetary function : attraction, valorization and affectivity
Social or collective planets
These are the first slow planets outside the Earth’s orbit, which impact the reciprocal relationship between each individual and his environment.
- Mars: Aries and Scorpio
Cycle time: approx. 585 days
Planetary function : desire and action
This planet is in part also personal, it makes the link between the ego of which it is the active part and the social function. - Jupiter: Sagittarius and Pisces
Cycle time: about 12 years
Planetary function : socio-professional expansion - Saturn: Capricorn and Aquarius
Cycle time: approximately 29 years
Planetary function : structure and wisdom
Transpersonal planets
These are the slow or heavy planets, at the limits of the solar system, outside the orbit of the Earth, which are relative to the transcendence of personality, to collective unconscious, they go beyond primitive needs and societal considerations, due to their extreme slow rate, they mark whole generations (all individuals born in the same year will very often have a heavy planet in the same sign -but not in the same Houses nor with the same Aspects-). They can be both constructive and destructive, depending on whether we open up to what they have to offer us or whether we close in on our ego.
- Uranus: Aquarius
Cycle time: approx. 84 years
Planetary function : revolution and freedom - Neptune: Pisces
Cycle time: approximately 165 years
Planetary function : universalization and intuitive perception - Pluto: Scorpio
Cycle time: approximately 248 years
Planetary function : permanent metamorphosis
Planets in astrology describe the complexification of the personality as the distance from the Sun increases, up to the transcendence symbolized by the infinity of the universe… Each planet represents a stratum of attributes that come to organize the primordial solar energy.
To understand the principle of a planet in a zodiac sign, when any planet is for example in Aries, the planet energy comes to “flow” in the “crucible”, the “Aries mould”, and takes part of its qualities.
Planets “organize” the Signs energies according to their function.
Note that all the planets do not express themselves in the same way according to a masculine or feminine birth chart, even if the energetic background is the same.
Dignities or debilities of planets: rulerships
Each planet is more or less in harmony according to the Signs in which it is found… It is said in Rulership, Domicile, Home, in Fall, in Detriment or in Exaltation, see the article on Planetary Rulerships for more information.
What is mutual reception?
In order to understand, we must first integrate the Rulerships principle. Mutual reception consists in an exchange of “home/domicile”, each of the 2 planets being at the rulership of the other. Ex: Mars in Libra and Venus in Aries.
Thus Planets, Signs, and Houses concerned have a specific importance, their energies intertwining and mutually reflecting their influences, in a way they are accentuated.
An exchange of Homes does not necessarily mean harmony at the level of the Astrological Elements or Aspects, but the planets concerned by a mutual reception or a specific connection that amplifies their reciprocal relationships.
It is a significant dominant in a natal chart because the reception emphasizes sectors or an axis, it underlines birth points, especially if the planets are complementary in nature.
A mutual reception does not imply a harmonic quality, it can also be dissonant, it must be analyzed case by case with the whole birth chart because it can nuance the interpretation. It becomes all the more important as it will be attached to the dominants of the chart : luminaries (Sun / Moon), Ascendant, signs, angles and Houses, planets…
Transits involving mutual reception are interesting to study, especially when planets return to their natural homes (in rulerships).
Retrograde motion of the planets
Some of the planets have at certain times of the year an apparent movement of retrogression (except the Sun and the Moon), the planet energy in question being “internalized”, introverted, undergoing a certain inhibition…
It is necessary to differentiate between inner and outer planets that do not have the same type of Retrograde motion.
Intercepted planets
Planets, like Signs, can be intercepted, when they are in intercepted Houses, see Intercepted planets.