In astrology, planets have a meaning different from the astronomical understanding of what a planet is. Before the age of telescopes, the night sky was thought to consist of two similar components: fixed stars, which remained motionless in relation to each other, and moving objects/"wandering stars" (), which moved relative to the fixed stars over the course of the year(s).
To the Ancient Greeks who learned from the Babylonians, the earliest astronomers/astrologers, this group consisted of the five planets visible to the naked eye and excluded Earth, plus the Sun and Moon. Although the Greek term planet applied mostly to the five 'wandering stars', the ancients included the Sun and Moon as the Sacred 7 Luminaires/7 Heavens (sometimes referred to as "Lights",Hone (1978), p.22) making a total of 7 planets. The ancient Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Medieval Christians, and others thought of the 7 classical planets as gods and named their 7 days of the week after them. Astrologers retain this definition of the 7 classical planets today.
To ancient astrologers, the planets represented the will of the deities and their direct influence upon human affairs. To modern astrologers, the planets can represent basic drives or urges in the subconscious,Hone (1978) p. 19 or energy flow regulators representing dimensions of experience.Arroyo (1989) pp. 7, 27 They express themselves with different qualities in the 12 signs of the zodiac and in the 12 houses. The planets are also related to each other in the form of aspects.
Modern astrologers differ on the source of the correlations between planetary positions and configurations, on the one hand, and characteristics and destinies of the natives, on the other. Hone writes that the planets exert it directly through gravitation or another, unknown influence.Hone (1978), p.19 8th paragraph Others hold that the planets have no direct influence on themselves, but are mirrors of basic organizing principles in the universe. In other words, the basic patterns of the universe repeat themselves everywhere, in a fractal-like fashion, and as above, so below.Copenhaver, Brian P. (1992) Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation with Notes and Introduction, Cambridge University Press: New York, NY. Therefore, the patterns that the planets make in the sky reflect the ebb and flow of basic human impulses. The planets are also associated, especially in the Chinese tradition, with the basic forces of nature.
Listed below are the specific meanings and domains associated with the astrological planets since ancient times, with the main focus on the Western astrological tradition. The planets in Hindu astrology are known as the Navagraha (literally "nine planets"), with the addition of two shadow bodies Rahu and Ketu. In Chinese astrology, the planets are associated with the life forces of Yin & Yang and the five elements, which play an important role in the Chinese form of geomancy known as Feng Shui. Astrologers differ on the signs associated with each planet's exaltation, especially for the outer, non-classical planets.
Planetary symbolism
This table shows the astrological planets (as distinct from the astronomical) and the Greek and Roman deities associated with them. In most cases, the English name for planets derives from the name of a Roman god or goddess. Also of interest is the conflation of the Roman god with a similar Greek god. In some cases, it is the same deity with two different names.
Celestial body SymbolRoman deityGreek GodBabylonian GodArmenian GodHindu GodEgyptian GodConnectionMeaning (European)Meaning (Vedic)SunSolἭλιος (Helios)Ἀπόλλων (Apollo)𒀭𒌓 (Shamash)Արև (Arev)सूर्य (Surya)RaHorusancientGod of Prophecy and Solar IncarnationHelios means "sun."The Sun God.Associated with ego, sense of purpose, and vitality. Son of Aditi and sage Kashyapa; Surya means "the supreme light."MoonLunaDianaΣελήνη (Selene)Ἄρτεμις (Artemis)𒂗𒍪 (Sin)Լուսին (Lusin)चंद्र (Chandra)KhonsuancientGoddess of Hunting and Lunar IncarnationSelene means "moon."The Moon God.Associated with emotions, the mother, and motherly instincts. Chandra means "shining."MercuryMercuryʽἙρμῆς (Hermes)𒀭𒀝 (Nabu)Լուծ (Luć)बुध (Budha)ThothancientGod of messengers, travel, and/or commerce.A planet god known for his preserving and protecting nature to mankind and manhood. Associated with communication, wit, and cleverness.VenusVenusἈφροδίτη (Aphrodite)[Κύπριδα (Cypris)][Κυθέρεια (Cytherea)]𒀭𒈹 (Inanna)Եղջերու (Yełjeru)शुक्र (Shukra)IsisHathorancientGoddess of romance and lust; Venus means "love" and/or "sexual desire."The mentor of Asuras.Associated with fertility, beauty, and enthusiasm.Always helped demons in the war against gods; Shukra means "clear, pure, brightness, or clearness."MarsMarsἈρης (Ares)𒀭𒄊𒀕𒃲 (Nergal)Ծկրավորի (Ćkravori)मंगल (Mangala)AnhurancientGod of WarSon of Earth.Associated with auspicious occasions.Also associated with strength, aggression and anger.CeresCeresΔημήτηρ (Demeter)𒀭𒊩𒌆𒂟 (Nisaba)Անահիտ (Anahit)देवी (Shakti)IsisRenenutetmodernGoddess of agriculture, fertility, and the seasons.Divine Mother principle; nurturing, nourishment, and the sustaining power of nature.JupiterJupiterJoveΔίας (Dias)𒀭𒀫𒌓 (Marduk)Փառազնոտ (Þaŕaznot)गुरु (Guru)बृहस्पती (Brihaspati)AmunancientLeader, King and Father of the Olympian Gods; Jupiter means "Jovial King" and/or "Father of Thunder." Mentor and teacher of gods.Always helped gods in war against demons. Guru means "teacher" or "priest." Brihaspati means "lord of prayer or devotion."Monier-Williams, also "he is the chief offerer of prayers and sacrifices, and therefore represented as the type of the priestly order, and the Purohita of the gods with whom he intercedes for men." Associated with luck and expansion.SaturnSaturnΚρόνος (Cronus) Ἥλιος (Helios)𒀭𒊩𒌆𒅁 (Kajamanu)Արտախույր (Artakhuyr)शनि (Shani)Horus-HorkapetancientGod of Agriculture and the Father of Jupiter.Leader and ruler of the Titans; Saturn means "God of Seeds", "Father of the Harvest", and/or "Father Time."Shani Dev, Son of Surya (Sun);God of Karma and Justice;Gives consequences for a person's deeds during life.Associated with status, equitable punishment, wisdom, ambition, patience, honor, toughness, but with pessimism, hardships, and fatalism.UranusCaelusΟυρανός (Ouranos)𒀭𒀭 (Anu, Anshar)Երկնակ (Yerknak)अरुण (Aruna)HorusmodernGod of the Sky, Father of Saturn and Grandfather of Jupiter; "Uranus" and "Caelus" both mean "Sky" and/or "Father Sky."Charioteer of Sun and half-brother of mythological snake king Vasuki in the Puranas. Vasuki means "of divine being." Associated with originality, eccentricity, electricity, and sudden changes.NeptuneNeptuneΠοσειδῶν (Poseidon)𒀭𒂗𒆠 (Enki)Մոսմոռակ (Mosmoŕak)वरुण (Varuna)KhnummodernGod of the SeaGod of rain in Indian mythology; Varuna means "God of the sea." Associated with dreams, illusions, and psychic receptivity, but sometimes with vagueness and uncertainty as well.PlutoPlutoΠλούτων (Plouton)Ἅδης (Hades)𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆠𒃲 (Ereshkigal)Հեռակ (Heŕak)यम (Yama)Osirismodern God of the Underworld and Death; Hades means "the unseen" and Pluto means "wealth." God of Death and Rebirth. Associated with subconscious forces, ruling all that is 'below the surface' (Abyss).ErisDiscordiaBellonaἜρις (Eris)𒀭𒅗𒊏 (Erra)𒀭𒉆𒋻 (Namtar)𒀭𒀭𒅎 (Anzu)Սպանդարամետ (Spandaramet)काली (Kali)SetmodernGoddess of discord, rivalry, and conflict that exposes hidden tensions.Force that breaks illusion and provokes transformation through crisis.
Daily motion PlanetAverage speed(geocentric)All speeds taken from StarFisherHighest speed(geocentric)Lowest speed(geocentric)With the exceptions of the Sun and the Moon, all planets are capable of turning into retrograde motion and temporarily appearing to not move at all, this is not what lowest speed refers to in this case. "Lowest speed" in the section refers to the fastest speed a planet may move at when retrograde, reversing its progress.Sun00°59'08"01°03'00"00°57'10"Moon13°10'35"16°30'00"11°45'36"Mercury01°23'00"02°25'00" −01°30'00"Venus01°12'00"01°22'00" −00°41'12"Mars00°31'27"00°52'00" −00°26'12"Ceres00°12'40"00°30'00" −00°16'00"Jupiter00°04'59"00°15'40" −00°08'50"Saturn00°02'01"00°08'48" −00°05'30"Uranus00°00'42"00°04'00" −00°02'40"Neptune00°00'24"00°02'25" −00°01'45"Pluto00°00'15"00°02'30" −00°01'48"Pallas00°12'20"00°40'30" −00°22'30"Juno00°14'15"00°39'00" −00°18'00"Vesta00°16'15"00°36'00" −00°17'32"Chiron00°02'00"00°10'00" −00°06'00"
History
Treatises on the Ptolemaic planets and their influence on people born "under their reign" appear in block book form, so-called "planet books" or Planetenbücher. This genre is attested in numerous manuscripts beginning in the mid 15th century in the Alemannic German area;Darmstadt Hs. 266Blockbuch Basel AN V 37aThott 290.2 (1459)Wolfegg Hausbuch (c. 1470)CGM 558 (c. 1490) it remained popular throughout the German Renaissance, exerting great iconographical influence far into the 17th century.
These books usually list a male and a female Titan with each planet: Cronus and Rhea with Saturn, Eurymedon and Themis with Jupiter, probably Crius and Dione with Mars, Hyperion and Theia with the Sun, Atlas and Phoebe with the Moon, Coeus and Metis with Mercury, and Oceanus and Tethys with Venus. These planetary correspondences are linked to the ancient Greek myth of Eurynome as noted by Robert Graves.
The qualities inherited from the planets by their children are as follows: Saturn industrious, melancholic, and tranquil Jupiter charming and hunting Mars soldiering and warfare Sun music and athleticism Moon shy and tenderness Mercury prudent, crafty, lovable, and commerce Venus amorousness and passion.
Classical planets
The seven classical planets are those easily seen with the naked eye, and were thus known to ancient astrologers. They are the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Sometimes, the Sun and Moon were referred to as "the lights" or the "luminaries". Vesta and Uranus can also just be seen with the naked eye, though no ancient culture appears to have taken note of them. The classical planets fit neatly into the theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy, with each being part of a Celestial sphere. The order of the classical planets is determined by the speed. The Moon moves the fastest and so is considered to form the first celestial sphere above Earth. Everything below the Moon is part of the sublunary sphere. Mercury moves the second fastest and so rules the next highest sphere. Next is Venus, which takes about 260 days to revolve around the Sun. Following that is the Sun, then Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
The astrological descriptions attached to the seven classical planets have been preserved since ancient times. Astrologers call the seven classical planets "the seven personal and social planets", because they are said to represent the basic human drives of every individual. The personal planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars. The social or transpersonal planets are Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter and Saturn are often called the first of the "transpersonal" or "transcendent" planets as they represent a transition from the inner personal planets to the outer modern, impersonal planets.Michael Meyer at khaldea.com, Rob Hand "Horoscope Symbols" The following is a list of the planets and their associated characteristics.Jeff Mayo, Teach Yourself Astrology, pp. 17–28, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1964; Sasha Fenton Understanding Astrology, pp. 106–112, The Aquarian Press (Harper Collins), London, 1991; Derek and Julia Parker, The New Compleat Astrologer, pp. 86–99, Crescent Books, New York, 1971; Maritha Pottinger Astro Essentials, pp. 11–14, 17–18, ACS Publications, San Diego, 1991
Sun