In the earliest days of civilisation, when people first began to pay attention to the lights in the sky, they soon noticed that most of these lights seemed to hold their relative positions in a quite steadfast way. These they called the "fixed stars". Others, including the sun and the moon, seemed to follow a livelier, more random pattern. These they called "planets", or wanderers. In astrology, the planets, sun, moon and other movable points (such as the moon's nodes) are still all described as "planets", the wanderers of the zodiac.
Each planet symbolises particular sides of your character; for example, Mars stands for action and passion, Jupiter stands for
fortune and higher thought and so on. Planets are located symbolically in the chart: the signs and houses filter their energies
through the planets, much as a coloured lens filters the image thrown by a stage-light, or received by a camera.
Planets and Aspects
Geometrical relationships between planets are called aspects. These relationships affect and modify the energies of the planets concerned. Some aspects have been shown to generate problematic events in our lives, while others seem to smooth the path with relation to the areas governed by the planets, signs and houses concerned.
Should a planet have difficult aspects, or be in an unsympathetic position in the zodiac, it is said to be afflicted. Its
negative characteristics may be exhibited on occasions through unfortunate personality traits, or through difficult circumstances arising in your life. Should it have favourable aspects, however, its effects
will be more beneficial.
Difficult aspects, especially to the "malefic" (dangerous) planets, are often quite problematic and can even be catastrophic in their effects. They are, naturally enough, more conducive to personal development, for they tend to generate complex results
requiring considerable interpretation and self-analysis, while favourable aspects more often produce simple effects
which are easy to understand. In any case, the chart must be viewed as a whole, for positive and negative
characteristics may cancel each other out, or appear in mitigated forms, according to circumstances depending upon other factors.
Aspects usually described as difficult ("hard aspects") are - opposition (180° apart on the chart circle)
- square (90°)
- semi-square (45°)
- sesqui-quadrate (135°)
- quincunx, or inconjunct (150°) and
- contra-parallel (opposition of declension, or latitude).
Favourable aspects are
- trine (120°)
- sextile (60°)
- semi-sextile (30°) and
- parallel (conjunction in latitude).
Conjunction (0°) may be favourable, difficult, or both, depending to a great degree upon the nature of the planets involved.
Other aspects, based on the can be important in certain circumstances, as can the midpoints between planets, along with a number of other sensitive positions on the charts, but they are beyond the scope of the present discussion.
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These are the shorthand glyphs (or symbols) representing the planets. Note that the planetary dignities for the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are accepted by many modern astrologers, but there is no traditional basis for their assignment. Traditional astrologers deny that the outer planets have any rulership, exaltation etc, as this destroys the symmetry of the table of dignities.
[Click here to see Glyphs of the Signs.]
Each glyph symbolises one or more particular functions of the planet represented.
Click to view a Table of Planetary Values, showing a calculus for the dignities and debilities of the planets in chart interpretation.
For definition of terms, see our comprehensive Astrological Glossary.
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- Visible Planets
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- Outer (Transpersonal) Planets
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- Other symbolic points and relationships
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