The Planets in Astrology

The planets are the moving parts of a birth chart — the drives at work in you. The Sun is identity and vitality, the Moon is emotion and instinct, Mercury is how you think and speak, Venus is what you love and value, Mars is how you act and want. The outer planets — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto — work on a slower scale, shaping growth, structure, change and transformation across years rather than days.

Each guide below explains one planet in depth: what it governs, how it behaves through each of the twelve signs and houses, what it looks like when it runs smoothly and when it does not, and the mythology behind its name. Read them in any order — or start with your own chart and look up the placements you actually have.