The 10 Planets in Astrology: From Sun to Pluto

BY NICOLE LAU

Introduction to the Planets

In astrology, the term 'planets' includes the Sun and Moon (technically luminaries) plus the eight planets from Mercury to Pluto. Each planet represents a different facet of human experience, a psychological function, and an archetypal force. Understanding the planets is essential for reading birth charts, as they are the actors in the astrological drama, while the signs are the costumes they wear and the houses are the stages on which they perform.

This comprehensive guide explores all ten planets used in modern Western astrology, covering their symbolism, psychological meanings, and how they manifest in the birth chart and through transits.

The Personal Planets: The Core Self

The personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) move quickly through the zodiac and represent the core personality, daily life, and personal expression.

The Sun ☉: The Conscious Self

Symbol: ☉ (circle with dot)
Rules: Leo
Cycle: 1 year through zodiac
Keywords: Identity, ego, vitality, purpose, consciousness

Core Meaning

The Sun represents your core identity, the conscious self, your life purpose, and how you shine in the world. It's the 'I am' of the chart—your essential nature and what you're here to express.

Psychological Function

• The Ego: Your sense of self and identity
• Consciousness: The light of awareness
• Vitality: Life force and energy
• Purpose: Your reason for being, your calling
• The Father: Relationship with father, authority figures

In the Birth Chart

• Sun Sign: Your core identity and how you express yourself
• Sun House: The area of life where you shine and seek recognition
• Sun Aspects: How easily you express your core self

Through Transits

Solar transits bring focus, vitality, and illumination to whatever they touch. The Sun's annual return to its birth position (Solar Return) marks your astrological new year.

The Moon ☽: The Emotional Self

Symbol: ☽ (crescent)
Rules: Cancer
Cycle: 28 days through zodiac
Keywords: Emotions, needs, instincts, nurturing, the unconscious

Core Meaning

The Moon represents your emotional nature, instinctual responses, needs for security, and how you nurture and need to be nurtured. It's your inner child, your emotional foundation.

Psychological Function

• Emotions: Your feeling nature and emotional responses
• Needs: What you need to feel safe and nurtured
• Instincts: Automatic, unconscious reactions
• The Unconscious: Hidden feelings and patterns
• The Mother: Relationship with mother, nurturing received

In the Birth Chart

• Moon Sign: Your emotional nature and needs
• Moon House: Where you seek emotional security
• Moon Aspects: How easily you access and express emotions

Through Transits

Lunar transits are fast (2-3 days per sign) and affect moods, emotions, and daily rhythms. The Moon's monthly return marks emotional cycles.

Mercury ☿: The Mind

Symbol: ☿ (circle, cross, crescent)
Rules: Gemini, Virgo
Cycle: 88 days (about 1 year through zodiac)
Keywords: Communication, thinking, learning, perception

Core Meaning

Mercury represents how you think, communicate, learn, and process information. It's your mental function, your voice, and how you connect ideas.

Psychological Function

• Thinking: How you process information and form thoughts
• Communication: How you express ideas and connect with others
• Learning: Your learning style and intellectual interests
• Perception: How you perceive and interpret reality
• The Messenger: Connecting, translating, mediating

In the Birth Chart

• Mercury Sign: Your thinking and communication style
• Mercury House: Where you're most mentally active
• Mercury Aspects: How easily you think and communicate

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury retrogrades 3-4 times per year for about 3 weeks. During retrograde:

• Communication mishaps and misunderstandings
• Technology and travel delays
• Good time for review, revision, reconnection
• Not ideal for signing contracts or starting new projects

Venus ♀: Love and Values

Symbol: ♀ (circle with cross below)
Rules: Taurus, Libra
Cycle: 225 days (about 1 year through zodiac)
Keywords: Love, beauty, values, pleasure, relationships

Core Meaning

Venus represents what you love, value, and find beautiful. It's your aesthetic sense, your approach to relationships, and what brings you pleasure.

Psychological Function

• Love: How you give and receive love
• Values: What you value and find worthwhile
• Beauty: Your aesthetic sense and artistic expression
• Pleasure: What brings you joy and satisfaction
• Relationships: How you relate and connect

In the Birth Chart

• Venus Sign: Your love style and what you value
• Venus House: Where you seek pleasure and harmony
• Venus Aspects: How easily you give and receive love

Venus Retrograde

Venus retrogrades every 18 months for about 6 weeks. During retrograde:

• Reevaluating relationships and values
• Past lovers may resurface
• Not ideal for weddings or major purchases
• Good time for artistic revision

Mars ♂: Action and Desire

Symbol: ♂ (circle with arrow)
Rules: Aries (traditional: Scorpio)
Cycle: 2 years through zodiac
Keywords: Action, desire, anger, courage, sexuality

Core Meaning

Mars represents how you take action, assert yourself, pursue desires, and express anger. It's your drive, your warrior, your sexual energy.

Psychological Function

• Action: How you initiate and pursue goals
• Desire: What you want and how you go after it
• Anger: How you express and handle anger
• Courage: Your bravery and assertiveness
• Sexuality: Your sexual drive and expression

In the Birth Chart

• Mars Sign: Your action style and how you assert yourself
• Mars House: Where you direct your energy and ambition
• Mars Aspects: How easily you take action and assert yourself

Mars Retrograde

Mars retrogrades every 2 years for about 2.5 months. During retrograde:

• Energy feels blocked or misdirected
• Anger and frustration may surface
• Good time to review strategies and plans
• Not ideal for starting new projects or conflicts

The Social Planets: Growth and Expansion

Jupiter and Saturn are the social planets, bridging personal and collective, representing growth and structure.

Jupiter ♃: Expansion and Wisdom

Symbol: ♃ (crescent and cross)
Rules: Sagittarius (traditional: Pisces)
Cycle: 12 years through zodiac (1 year per sign)
Keywords: Expansion, wisdom, optimism, luck, philosophy

Core Meaning

Jupiter represents growth, expansion, wisdom, and where you seek meaning. It's the great benefic, bringing luck, opportunity, and abundance.

Psychological Function

• Growth: How you expand and develop
• Wisdom: Your philosophy and search for meaning
• Optimism: Your faith and positive outlook
• Opportunity: Where luck and blessings come
• Excess: Where you may overdo or overindulge

In the Birth Chart

• Jupiter Sign: How you seek growth and meaning
• Jupiter House: Where you find luck and expansion
• Jupiter Aspects: How easily you access opportunities

Jupiter Return

Every 12 years, Jupiter returns to its birth position, marking major growth cycles and new chapters.

Saturn ♄: Structure and Discipline

Symbol: ♄ (cross and crescent)
Rules: Capricorn (traditional: Aquarius)
Cycle: 29.5 years through zodiac (2.5 years per sign)
Keywords: Structure, discipline, limitation, responsibility, mastery

Core Meaning

Saturn represents structure, discipline, limitations, and where you must work hard to achieve mastery. It's the great teacher, bringing lessons through challenge.

Psychological Function

• Structure: How you create order and discipline
• Limitation: Where you face restrictions and boundaries
• Responsibility: Your duties and obligations
• Mastery: What you must work to achieve
• The Father: Authority, rules, consequences

In the Birth Chart

• Saturn Sign: How you handle responsibility and limitation
• Saturn House: Where you face challenges and must work hardest
• Saturn Aspects: How you relate to authority and structure

Saturn Return

At ages 29-30, 58-60, and 87-90, Saturn returns to its birth position, marking major life transitions and maturation.

The Outer Planets: Generational and Transformational

The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) move slowly, affecting entire generations and bringing deep transformation.

Uranus ♅: Revolution and Innovation

Symbol: ♅ (circle, cross, and crescents)
Rules: Aquarius
Cycle: 84 years through zodiac (7 years per sign)
Keywords: Revolution, innovation, freedom, awakening, rebellion

Core Meaning

Uranus represents sudden change, innovation, rebellion, and where you seek freedom and individuality. It's the awakener, bringing lightning-bolt insights and revolutionary change.

Psychological Function

• Innovation: Your originality and unique vision
• Freedom: Where you need independence
• Rebellion: How you break rules and challenge norms
• Awakening: Sudden insights and breakthroughs
• The Genius: Your unique contribution

In the Birth Chart

• Uranus Sign: Generational innovation (7-year cohorts)
• Uranus House: Where you seek freedom and experience sudden changes
• Uranus Aspects: How you handle change and express uniqueness

Uranus Transits

Uranus transits bring sudden changes, breakthroughs, and liberation. The Uranus opposition (age 40-42) marks midlife awakening.

Neptune ♆: Spirituality and Illusion

Symbol: ♆ (trident)
Rules: Pisces
Cycle: 165 years through zodiac (14 years per sign)
Keywords: Spirituality, imagination, illusion, compassion, dissolution

Core Meaning

Neptune represents spirituality, imagination, compassion, and where boundaries dissolve. It's the mystic, bringing transcendence but also confusion and illusion.

Psychological Function

• Spirituality: Your connection to the divine
• Imagination: Your creative and visionary capacity
• Compassion: Your empathy and selflessness
• Illusion: Where you may deceive or be deceived
• Dissolution: Where boundaries blur

In the Birth Chart

• Neptune Sign: Generational spiritual ideals (14-year cohorts)
• Neptune House: Where you seek transcendence or face illusion
• Neptune Aspects: How you access spirituality and handle reality

Neptune Transits

Neptune transits bring spiritual awakening, creative inspiration, but also confusion, deception, and dissolution of old structures.

Pluto ♇: Transformation and Power

Symbol: ♇ (circle, cross, crescent)
Rules: Scorpio
Cycle: 248 years through zodiac (12-32 years per sign)
Keywords: Transformation, power, death/rebirth, the shadow, intensity

Core Meaning

Pluto represents transformation, power, death and rebirth, and where you must face the shadow. It's the alchemist, bringing profound change through destruction and regeneration.

Psychological Function

• Transformation: Deep, fundamental change
• Power: Your relationship with power and control
• Death/Rebirth: Endings that lead to new beginnings
• The Shadow: What's hidden, repressed, taboo
• Intensity: Where you experience extremes

In the Birth Chart

• Pluto Sign: Generational transformation themes (12-32 year cohorts)
• Pluto House: Where you experience deep transformation
• Pluto Aspects: How you handle power and transformation

Pluto Transits

Pluto transits bring profound transformation, power struggles, and the necessity to face shadow material. They're intense but ultimately regenerative.

Planetary Cycles and Returns

Major Planetary Returns

• Lunar Return: Every 28 days - emotional cycles
• Solar Return: Every year - your astrological birthday
• Mercury Return: Every year - mental renewal
• Venus Return: Every year - values reassessment
• Mars Return: Every 2 years - energy renewal
• Jupiter Return: Every 12 years - growth cycle
• Saturn Return: Every 29.5 years - maturation
• Uranus Opposition: Age 40-42 - midlife awakening
• Chiron Return: Age 50-51 - healing crisis (not covered here)

Correspondences Table

Planet	Symbol	Rules	Cycle	Function
Sun	☉	Leo	1 year	Identity, purpose
Moon	☽	Cancer	28 days	Emotions, needs
Mercury	☿	Gemini, Virgo	88 days	Mind, communication
Venus	♀	Taurus, Libra	225 days	Love, values
Mars	♂	Aries	2 years	Action, desire
Jupiter	♃	Sagittarius	12 years	Expansion, wisdom
Saturn	♄	Capricorn	29.5 years	Structure, discipline
Uranus	♅	Aquarius	84 years	Revolution, freedom
Neptune	♆	Pisces	165 years	Spirituality, illusion
Pluto	♇	Scorpio	248 years	Transformation, power

Further Study

Planetary Astrology:

• The Inner Planets by Howard Sasportas
• The Outer Planets and Their Cycles by Liz Greene
• Planets in Transit by Robert Hand

Conclusion

The ten planets represent the complete range of human experience and psychological function, from the personal (Sun through Mars) to the social (Jupiter and Saturn) to the transpersonal (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto). By understanding each planet's symbolism and how it operates in your birth chart and through transits, you gain profound insight into your psyche, your life patterns, and your evolutionary journey.

May you understand the planets. May you work with their cycles. May you integrate their wisdom.