What Will Your Personalized Reading Say About You?
Get Your Reading NowHow The Planets Affect the Zodiac
Whichever flavor of Zodiac you ascribe to (Western, Vedic, or Chinese, among others), certain elements remain consistent across astrological traditions. Your sign is determined by your birth date in a year, though your birth chart will contain a much richer analysis of the forces at play in your life and character.
To really understand your Zodiac sign, you need to understand the planet that rules it. Like actors in a play, the planets in our solar system (plus the sun and moon) each have unique characteristics and bring out the best—or worst—in the signs they govern.
Astrological Signs and the Zodiac
The twelve signs of the Zodiac correspond to constellations in the night sky, which the earth and our sister planets pass while orbiting the sun. The twelve signs are divided into four elemental categories - fire, air, earth, and water.
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) are dynamic and powerful, while their twin air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are more cerebral. Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) are known for practicality, and their complementary water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are deeply emotional and intuitive.
The Planets and Their Influence—The Sun: Leo
Recognized across cultures and civilizations as the life force (prana-shakti in Vedic astrology) or Yang (in the Chinese tradition), the sun represents both nourishing energy and human ego, the exterior persona. The sun governs Leo, the regal lion.
The sun brings out Leo's big personality and characteristic love of being the leader. In its purest expression, the sun makes Leo fun-loving, irresistibly attractive, and spontaneous. However, due to the sun's influence, a Leo's pride can be easily hurt, especially when they feel put out.
The Moon: Cancer
If the sun represents outward-facing male energy in astrology, the moon enjoys dominion over the more feminine inner world. As controller of the tides, the moon appropriately governs Cancer, the crab native to its tidal waters.
While Cancer has a tough exterior, it can thank the moon's influence for a heightened sense of emotion and unrivaled capacity to care for others. The pull of the moon also brings out Cancer's moodiness, though it imbues the sign with a prodigious sense of intuition.
Mercury: Gemini and Virgo
Known as the prince planet (heir of the Sun King and Moon Queen), Mercury bestows an advanced intellectual and communicative ability upon the two mutable (aka adaptable, resilient) signs it governs: Gemini and Virgo.
For sociable Geminis, Mercury evokes their flirtatiousness and hunger to find the deeper meaning in the world. Virgos are more reserved and practical by nature; their need for productive routines and habits can be attributed to Mercury's pull.
Venus: Taurus and Libra
More than love and affection, Venus is the planet of abundance, indulgence, and luxury. The brightest planet in our night sky governs both Taurus and Libra, drawing them both to seek beauty and connection in their careers and relationships.
While a strong-willed Taurus feels most comfortable at home, Venus helps coax the bull outside of its comfort zone, encouraging them to seek connection through meaningful relationships. Venus lends Libra an eye for aesthetics and taste for the finer things in life, while also affirming Libra's need to establish balance.
Mars: Aries and Scorpio
Named after the Roman god of war, the red planet imbues the universe with energy, grit, and determination in the face of conflict. It governs both Aries and Scorpio, giving these signs their dynamic energy.
Aries' competitive drive and unstoppable energy draw their source from Mars, though so too does Aries' penchant for, at times, impulsive decisions. Scorpio's intense physical, mental, and emotional drives come from Mars; the planet's influence can make it difficult for the sign to distinguish practical needs from more superfluous desires.
Jupiter: Sagittarius and Pisces
Representing the King of the Gods in Roman mythology, Jupiter is associated with good fortune, abundance, and expansive growth in both physical and spiritual terms. Known for its beneficent influence on the solar system as a whole, Jupiter governs both Sagittarius and Pisces.
Jupiter brings out Sagittarians' optimism and self-assurance, as well as their appetite for knowledge and experiential travel. In Pisces, the planet lends the fish their expansive imagination and capacity for a rich palette of emotions and intuitive abilities.
Saturn: Capricorn and Aquarius
Representing the Roman god of Agriculture, Saturn exudes a sober, practical energy on the Zodiac. Ruling Capricorn and Aquarius, Saturn manifests itself in their ability to achieve greatness through hard work and careful planning.
No-nonsense Capricorns are diligent and hard-working—they can thank Saturn's hand for their ability to dust themselves off after a setback and learn from their mistakes. Because of Saturn's stabilizing influence, Aquarians are able to think analytically, having established an objective foundation in their approach.
Uranus: Aquarius
Discovered in 1781 and named after the Roman god of the sky, Uranus is responsible for the unpredictable, disruptive energy that stimulates change through a reshuffling of the cosmic deck. Seemingly the opposite of orderly Saturn, this planet also serves as ruler over Aquarius.
Uranus compels Aquarius to drive change by challenging the status quo. Aquarians feel this in their tendency to call out injustice, propel society toward inclusion, and reexamine the value of long-held traditions. Balance by Saturn's stabilizing force, they are able to achieve great strides in humanitarian or progressive work.
Neptune: Pisces
Ethereal Neptune is the planet associated with dreams, visions, mysticism, and clairvoyance. It rules Pisces, the last sign in the Zodiac, which incorporates traits of the other eleven.
Pisces is the dreamer, artist, and visionary. Neptune gives the fish their expansive ability to construct complex inner worlds, though, at times, this can feed their penchant for escapism when life feels routine or mundane. Neptune also gives Pisceans their thirst for spiritual connection, felt in their relationship to the world and in their relationships.
Pluto: Scorpio
Corresponding to the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto is the smallest planet (technically, a celestial dwarf) but exerts a disproportional force on the Zodiac. Pluto is associated with upheaval and transformation and is representative of the darker side of our reality.
For Scorpio, Pluto's influence means a fascination with all that is taboo, occult, or peripheral to our common understanding. Scorpions are never satisfied with surface-level banter; Pluto's influence incites them to find deeper meaning in all that is off-limits, hidden, or emergent.
The Role of Planetary Aspects in Astrology
Astrological aspects describe how planets interact with one another at a point in time (i.e. your birth). Major and minor aspects are defined by the angles separating two planets, and aspect patterns arise between three or more planets in a specific configuration.
Major aspects (conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition) exert a primary influence on your being, characterized by varying degrees of harmonious, hybrid, or conflicting interactions. Minor aspects play a more subtle role in how you interpret or interact with the world, and aspect patterns illuminate meta-level facets of your character.
Astrology in Modern Times
While modern astrology was popularized by New Age healers in the 1970s, it has seen an uptick among younger generations more recently. Nearly half of millennials place astrology in the realm of science rather than philosophy.
In any case, astrology can be a useful resource for personal growth when it is prescriptive rather than descriptive. By allowing us to understand the underlying forces at play in the universe as in ourselves, astrology serves as a framework to synch our thoughts and actions within a broader framework of universal understanding.