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5. The Planets
Planets are considered to be celestial bodies that orbit the zodiac and vibrate at their own unique frequency to affect different areas of our lives. Many astrologers have also begun to include some of the larger asteroids in their astrological interpretations because these bodies tend to present more subtle psychological influences, which are becoming more apparent in our increasingly complicated lifestyles. Although the Sun and Moon are technically not planets, they are classified as such because they too are celestial bodies that appear to encircle the zodiac when using geocentric, or Earth centred astrology.
The Sun
The Sun is currently the only star in our solar system. The Sun produces all the light and heat essential for life on Earth, and is composed primarily of gases. Studies indicate that disturbances on the surface of the Sun, such as sunspots, actually affect our weather patterns here on Earth. The ancient Mexican civilisations actually tracked the cycle of sunspots, believing they foretold events here on Earth.
The Sun is the centre of our solar system, and without its life-giving light and heat there would be no life on Earth, as we know it. The Sun is happy, vibrant and romantic. It displays childlike enthusiasm and represents the basic nature of a person. In astrology the Sun rules Leo and the fifth house of the horoscope.
The Sun is the main expression of the individual. It shows the qualities of leadership and success. It represents the masculine principle, the father, husband and men in general. Its action is fortifying and vitalising. Where you find the sun in the chart is the life and heart of the horoscope; this is where you want to shine. The Sun is a personal planet, in that it concerns the events surrounding our personal life and day-to-day activities.
For millennia, people worshipped the Sun as a god, recognising how dependent the existence of life is on the heat and light that the Sun supplies. Mankind recognised the Sun as the source of all life on the planet. Some tribes sacrificed humans to the Sun, attempting to feed it with blood, the source of life, in order to stave off apocalyptic events such as eclipses, which were thought to be the cause of famine and disease. Only recently have scientists come to suspect that alterations in solar activity during past aeons, may have been responsible for periods of glaciation and biological impoverishment.
The Sun is a gigantic, nuclear furnace, sustained by hydrogen fusion power. Although its surface is a furiously boiling mass, one of its most remarkable features is its relative stability. No drastic changes in the solar condition appear to have occurred in the 5 billion years of its existence. Certainly, the Sun is not totally unchanging. It pours radiation into space continuously. But while the surface of the Sun has a temperature of 6,000 degrees centigrade, the atmosphere of superheated plasma above the surface is estimated to be four million degrees, radiating a constant stream of subatomic particles, mainly protons, euphemistically called the ‘solar wind’.
Every few minutes, globules of white-hot gas raise to the surface, cool and descend again. At times, more permanent features erupt among the boiling morass, the so-called sunspots, known to be great patches of relatively cool gas. Their origin is still a mystery, as is their occurrence in an eleven-year cycle. It has been established that during periods of great sunspot activity, there occurs a remarkable decrease in the intensity of the solar wind.
Occasionally, an eruption flares from the solar surface, which can last for half an hour, and it is now suspected these are due to the Sun’s complicated magnetic field. Unlike Earth, the Sun has two magnetic fields, with a North-South bipole, and an equatorial quadripole. Because the Sun’s equator is turning faster than its North and South poles, its magnetic flux lines become wound into loops. This causes areas of intense magnetism below the Sun’s surface. These loops, it is thought, break from the surface, causing giant flares that have been magnificently photographed in recent years. Their appearance signals an intense burst of radiation has been shot into space, the resulting rays sweeping through the solar system. Most of this extra radiation is trapped by the Van Allen belts around the earth, redirecting it to the Earth’s poles and causing the well-known phenomena of Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis. In times of severe solar activity, auroras can be observed at latitudes far removed from the poles.
For more than a century, speculation has abounded on the relationship between solar activity and terrestrial disturbances, such as earthquakes and ice ages. But there are other phenomena that more directly influence humankind. Evidence exists that serves to illustrate that human females, deprived of solar radiation for a length of time, experience disruptive changes in their endocrine systems. Such disruption severely affects the production of the timing hormone melatonin and the fertility hormones oestrogen, progesterone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone. In males Follicle Stimulating Hormone controls the development of sperm cells in the testes; in females it determines the maturation and release of ova. On the other hand, continued overdoses of radiation can also cause changes in the genes, which are responsible for the mutation of cells at conception.
By carefully working out the periods of high and low sunspot activity, it has been established that during periods of low sunspot cycles, fertility in humans dropped dramatically. Several correlations have been found between sunspot cycles and certain periods in history, such as the medieval dark ages and the decline of the great empires this Earth has known.
The flower most closely associated with the Sun is the sunflower. The sunflower is a tall plant known for its showy yellow flowers. Like the flamboyance of the Sun, the sunflower demands to be seen by its pure and simple elegance. Sunflower seeds are rich in protein. They yield a high quality vegetable oil used for making margarine and cooking oil. Some varieties of sunflowers have large striped seeds, which are roasted for snack food or blended with other grains to make birdseed. Sunflower oil is the world’s third most important vegetable oil, exceeded only by palm oil. Sunflower oil is sometimes used as a replacement for diesel fuel. Just as the Sun is important for life on Earth, the sunflower is integral to the happiness and livelihood of mankind.
Apollo was the god most closely aligned with our Sun. Apollo’s sparkling and brilliant nature also had a terrifying side. He was said to be the ‘most powerful of all the gods.’ In our solar system, this is also the case because we need the Sun’s life giving energy for our survival, but if there is too much of it, we will wither up and die.
The legend of Apollo is related as follows:-
Zeus had an affair with Leto and she became pregnant. Hera, Zeus’s wife, was jealous and pursued Leto across the length and breadth of the Earth to prevent her from bringing children into the world. Asteria, a small, floating, barren island, was the only place that would welcome her. There Leto was finally able to give birth, first to Artemis and then to Apollo. The sacred swans flew round the island seven times because it was the seventh day of the month, and finally they bore the child away beyond of the home of the North Wind, to the Hyperboreans.
After he had stayed with the Hyperboreans for a year, Apollo went to Delphi. There he found a dragon, Python, who guarded the oracle of Themis and also raided the country, killing men and animals, polluting springs and ravaging the Earth. Apollo destroyed him with his arrows and thus delivered the country. He then founded the Pythian games, consecrated the shrine and made the tripod one of his symbols.
Handsome, young, tall, outstanding in word and deed, Apollo had the ‘appearance of a robust, strong man’. God of ever-renewed youth, but not immature, he was full of energy and sometimes even violence. He was the model for, and protector of, the young people. His long curls were black with silver tints, hair that had never been cut. Young men made him an offering of the hair they had cut for the first time, in a traditional rite that marked their entrance into manhood.
Apollo’s charm attracted a multitude of followers. The most graceful images of him were made. He was the archetype of virile beauty and, at the same time, of masculine qualities. Apollo was a successful in making feminine conquests with goddesses as with mortals, but despite his beauty and glory, he was often unhappy in love.
Apollo loved the nymph Daphne, a love inspired by Eros who was annoyed by his jests. She, however, did not reciprocate his desires and fled to the mountains, where she was transformed into a laurel tree, the tree dedicated to Apollo.
He also loved the nymph Cyrene and had a son by her, Aristaeus. With her, he fulfilled all the matrimonial rites, but this did not prevent him from roving. By the muse, Thalia, he had Corybantes; with Urania, the musicians Linus and Orpheus; by Coronis he had Asclepius, but he killed her because she married Ischys. The same thing happened with Marpessa who preferred Idas, a mortal, to him, since she feared she would be abandoned in her old age by the ever-young Apollo.
Apollo did not love only women, but Hyacinthus, as well.
Apollo never mixed with humans other than out of capriciousness or when he was obliged to. According to Homer, he was insanely arrogant, and would not lower himself to look at ‘that pathetic race that grows and withers like the leaves on the trees’. He did, however, help the Argonauts, in whom he saw something of his own pride, and he was able to sight the Achaeans from far off in order to protect Troy, whose side he had taken. His arrogance made his scoff at Zeus himself.
On two occasions Zeus tested Apollo by ordering him into slavery to certain mortals. When Apollo, along with Hera and Poseidon, tried to tie up Zeus. For this he was condemned to serve the King of Troy, where he built the walls of the city and kept flocks on Mount Ida. Since the King refused to pay him, he sent a plague that devastated the country.
The second time Zeus had killed Asclepius with a thunderbolt, and Apollo killed the Cyclops in rage. As punishment he was sent by the Olympian king to the king of Therae, for whom he worked as a herdsman. He was well received and so brought prosperity to the land.
Music was one of Apollo’s talents. One day his flock was stolen from him by Hermes; but when he found the sheep on Mount Cyllene, he let the thief keep them in return for the lyre he had invented. On another occasion he was challenged by the satyr, Marsyas, who claimed he could play more melodious music on his flute than Apollo on his lyre. Marsyas was defeated and Apollo had him flayed alive and nailed to a pine, which is why the bark of this tree is said to be red like the blood of the victim. Marsyas obviously did not know the music of Apollo charmed the gods, the wild beasts, and even the stones. He was leader of the Muses and inspired soothsayers and poets alike, as his oracles were expressed in verse.
Apollo’s weapons were just as fearsome as those of his sister, Artemis. He took part in the massacre of the children of Niobe; decimated the Greek army before Troy; and killed the Cyclops, the serpent Python who came from his dark lair, and Tityus, the giant who came out of the Earth. The death of Achilles is attributed to him and, because of the hate he bore towards Achilles, he pursued his son, Neoptolemus, killing him at Delphi where he was consulting the oracle.
Apollo was the Lord Archer who had the appearance of a star that burns brightly in daylight; countless sparks fly out from his person and the brilliance reaches heaven.
Even Apollo’s friends were afraid of him. He appeared to the Argonauts, whom he supported, but he was so dazzling they dared not raise their eyes. They were dumbstruck and trembled, and when they did want to look upon him, he had already gone.
Just as he was good at killing, Apollo also knew how to cure and get rid of evil and illness, and to fight the monsters who spread unhappiness. He knew the purification rites and was invoked against plague. His effigy was set in dangerous places, and it was to him that people turned when they were in serious situations.
For Apollo, there was no such thing as distance and nothing escaped him – words, thoughts or actions. He was omniscient, knowing the cause of evil and the cure. He also knew how many grains of sand there are, and the dimensions of the Earth.
Certain animals had a particular connection with Apollo: the wolf offered to him in sacrifice, the deer, the swan, the kite, the vulture and the crow, whose flight signals omens. The laural tree was his tree.
In matters of health, the Sun rules:-
The Sun Rules Leo Glyph Shield of Helios Exaltation Aries Represents Ego Detriment Aquarius Keyword Inner self Fall Libra Anatomy The heart, upper back, spleen, circulatory system, sperm, right eye of male, left eye of female, sacrel plexus Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Health Vitality Arrogant Vital principles Creativity Egocentric Authority Magnanimus Domineering Bosses Proud Self centred Rank Powerful Egotistical Title Self-esteem Selfishness High Office Forceful Lazy Progress Leadership Ostentation Dignity Paternal Domination Energy Loving Melodramatic Identity Focused Centre of Attention Experience Happy Taking Love Regal Killing Music Romantic Abandonment Poetry Youth Pride Wolves Handsomeness Greedy Deer Energy Self-serving Swans Healing Friendless Kites Salvation Demanding Crows Fearless Surly Vultures Friendly Anarchist Laurel tree Giving Ruthless Doctors Assertive Lonely Children Individual Friendless Summer Astute Alone
The Moon
At present we have only one major satellite that orbits our Earth. Myth, however, tells of a time when another smaller planet, Lilith, orbited our Earth. Ancient Hebrew texts speak of Adam’s first wife being Lilith, and when he tired of her because she would not defer to him, he cast her aside in favour of Eve, who was more than willing to comply with his every wish. Although many perceive biblical characters as actual persons, it is not unreasonable to suggest that because these stories arise from deep antiquity, the characters could have portrayed celestial events instead of depicting the goings on of humble human beings.
The Bible also suggests in former times there was one moon, Lilith, then two, Lilith and Luna, and then one again, Luna. In all probability this relates to the cataclysm that occurred many thousand years ago in Earth’s history. Although stories and tales can be rather vague and tend to transform through the passage of time, it is clear some great event caused Luna to be pushed into the Earth’s orbital field. It is believed the gravitational effects of this event pushed the much smaller satellite, Lilith, into the Earth’s atmosphere, which dramatically created what is now known as the Pacific Ocean. Theories abound, but this premise is justified by the fact that the Pacific Ocean is much deeper and larger than the Atlantic Ocean. It is also believed this grand occurrence destroyed the civilisation of Lemuria, a predeluvian culture. Prior to that time, it is not unreasonable to assume Earth was of a constant temperature, which was maintained by the atmospheric envelope the Bible refers to as the Firmament. The cataclysm, however, dramatically altered Earth’s eco structure; killing off dinosaurs and other warm blooded giant animals, such as dinosaurs, mammoths and sabre tooth tigers, as well as introducing the seasonal variations we now know.
Some also theorise our present Moon should not be in our orbital path at all, as it is too large and does not contain any materials common to Earth. In addition, astronomers today have ascertained the Moon is actually moving away from the Earth in minute increments every year. One day the Moon will slip away from the gravitational pull of the Earth altogether, leaving us with no satellite at all.
One theory of the Moon’s origin is it was formed as a result of the collision of an object some 6,500 kilometres in diameter with the Earth some time during the early history of our solar system. It is believed the object stayed with the Earth, while the resulting rocky debris that orbited it eventually formed what we now call the Moon.
The Moon’s rotational and orbital periods are exactly identical.
The Moon is the largest satellite to orbit the Earth and represents feelings and emotional reactions. It is intuitive, sensitive and often symbolises mother figures. The Moon is very protective and nurturing, so may at times cling to persons or situations when it should just let go. In Astrology the Moon rules Cancer and the fourth house.
The Moon’s influence in the chart is very important because it is the closest planet to the Earth and moves through the zodiac rapidly. It represents the female principle: mother, wife and women generally. Instincts, moods, tides phases, receptivity, fluctuations, feelings, habit patterns, reflex actions. Its action fluctuates and changes. Where you find the Moon in the chart shows where you are subject to emotional ups and downs. The Moon is a personal planet, which governs our personal feelings that surround our day-to-day activities.
Our Moon is most closely associated with the goddess Artemis. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and was marked by the jealously of Hera, Zeus’s legitimate wife. Artemis had a brother, Apollo, and since she was the first to be born, she assisted at his birth, thereby creating a very strong bond between brother and sister. She was tall and imposing, a queen with a beautiful face and golden curls that framed her face. She was proud of her figure and took great care of it, and it is because of her desire to keep her youthful looks that she made sure she kept her virginity.
Artemis was a valiant hunter, and was armed with a bow and arrows made by Hephaestus and the Cyclops. The god Pan gave her dogs, swifter than the wind and capable of knocking down even lions. She lived in the mountains and woods where she hunted stags, rose deer and occasionally even lions.
Artemis was a warrior, joining with Apollo in the murder of the serpent Python, in the punishment of the giant Tityus, and in the massacre of the children of Niobe, who had insulted her mother. Anyone who offended her paid a severe penalty. She was the invisible and unviolated virgin, and turned mercilessly against anyone who attempted to force her against her will.
Artemis defended modesty, stood up against fierce violence and excesses, and punished illicit love. She also avenged the rapes of the nymphs Opis and Chromia. Tartarus, the tyrant, was put to death because he took advantage of his power to take the virginity of the young women of his city before they were married.
Artemis took her anger out on those virgins who gave into love. She turned Callisto into a bear because she had let herself be seduced by Zeus. She also demanded that Comaetho, her priestess, and Melanippus, Comaetho’s lover, be sacrificed.
She had a particular care for young women, those who had not yet acquired a taste for the talents of frivolous Aphrodite. These were the priestesses who celebrated her, dancing in front of her temple and meeting together in the woods. Artemis was not against their marrying, but when that happened, they came and laid in front of her alter all the paraphernalia of their virginity – locks of hair, toys and dolls – and they left her domain. On the other hand, when it was a question of something serious, she was there. She became the protectress of women in labour and newborn children.
In matters of health, the Moon rules:-
The Moon Rules Cancer Glyph 1st quarter Moon Exaltation Taurus Represents Nurturing urge Detriment Capricorn Keyword Emotions Fall Scorpio Anatomy Breasts, stomach, fluid balance of the body, digestion, glandular secretions, left ey of male, right eye of female Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Personal interests Protective Moody Desires Instinctual Bitchy Needs Domestic Ruthless Magnetism Homey Smothering Growth and fertility Caring Over emotional Touching Loving Over sensitive Impressionability Emotional Needy Consciousness Secure Clingy Liquids Safe Death Commodities Feeling Jealousy Sailing Sensitive Demanding Brewing Nurturing Resentful Nursing Homely Vindictive Trades-people Family oriented Overbearing Public Reactive Compulsive eating The masses Intuitive Comfort eating Water Modesty Substance abuse Newborn babies Beauty Water retention Women in labour Procreation Neurosis Virginity Birth Psychosis The Female Figure Leadership Depression Hunting Resolute Lonely Warriors Victorious Sadness
Mercury
Mercury is the Sun’s closest satellite. Mercury rotates around the Sun in 88 days and has an axial rotation of 58 to 65 days, and there are approximately three Mercurian days for each Mercurian year.
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and has the fastest orbit of the nine known planets. Mercury is quick, witty and communicative, is a fast learner and likes to teach what he knows to others. Because Mercury represents communication, intellect and reason it can become critical, fussy or overly concerned with detail. The down side of Mercury is that it can gossip, lie and slander if not well aspected in the natal horoscope. In Astrology, Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, and the third and sixth houses of the horoscope.
Mercury is never located more than 28 degrees from the Sun, and is considered a neutral, being androgynous in nature. Where you find this planet in the chart shows what you communicate about and the manner in which you do it. Mercury is a personal planet, in that it governs our personal thought processes and how they relate to our day-to-day activities.
Mercury (Hermes) was the son of Zeus and the nymph, Maia. He came into existence almost surreptitiously, while gods and men slept. He was one of the few gods who came into being by surprise.
Soon after his birth in a cave on Mount Cyllene, he managed to undo his swaddling clothes and went off to steal some of his brother Apollo’s herd. He led them to his cavern in Pylus and made them walk backwards to blur the tracks. He paid Battus, who had seen him, to be silent and sacrificed two of the stolen animals, dividing them into twelve parts for the twelve great gods of Olympus. The rest of the heard he hid, and then he went back to the cave. This theft won him recognition as a god in his own right.
However, Battus did not keep his word and revealed Mercury’s hiding place. Apollo rushed to the cave and complained to Maia about her son’s thefts. She showed him her son, quietly asleep in his cradle, and denied his accusation.
Nevertheless, Mercury had to defend himself before Zeus’s tribunal. His speech for the defence was so spirited and skilful that the king of Lyumpus laughed as he listened to it. He ruled there should be a friendly settlement of the disagreement between the two brothers.
Mercury was the god of the spoken word – the medium through which exchanges were made, gallantries and amorous raptures were expressed, and knowledge was conveyed. But he was also the god of the lying word, which disguised truth, confused lovers and discredited choices. He was also the intermediary who went from men to Olympus and from Olympus to Hades.
At the god of commerce, Mercury was the only person to achieve immortality as a result of a contract. He presided over exchanges and guided Priam in the ransom of the body of Hector.
He was also a divine inventor and magician. As soon as he had left his cradle, he invented the lyre, made from a tortuous shell, and gave it as a gift to Apollo.
He also invented the flute and gave it as a gift to Apollo, as well, in exchange for his golden staff and lessons in augury. He gave Ulysses moly, the magic plant that offered protection against enchantment.
Zeus was particularly proud of the creative spirit of his last-born and made him a personal herald and that of the infernal gods, Hades and Persephone. Mercury came as a messenger after the Great Flood to enquire of Deucalion what his desires were. It was also he who gave the golden-fleeced ram to Nephele, the lyre to Amphion, a sword to Heracles, and Hades’s helmet to Perseus.
As the god of travellers, Mercury’s image was at all crossroads in the form of a pillar surmounted by a bearded head and a protuberant phallus.
As the god of thieves and brigands, Mercury was cunning, ambiguous and deceitful. It is interesting to note that it was Mercury (Hermes) who escorted the three goddesses – Hera, Athena and Aphrodite – to the beauty competition that caused the Trojan war.
In matters of health, Mercury rules:-
Mercury Rules Gemini/Virgo Glyph Wing cap of Mercury Exaltation Aquarius Represents Intellect Detriment Sagittarius/Pisces Keyword Reasoning ability Fall Leo Anatomy Nervous system, brain, sight, mouth, tongue, respiratory system, hands and arms, hormones Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Awareness Quickness Uncertainty Communication Analytical Nervousness Dexterity Perceptive Worry Rationalisation Eloquent Argumentative Transmission Expressive Surreptitious Words Surprise Stealing from others Opinion Stealth That which is hidden Sensory perceptions Intermediary Lies Travel Inventiveness Disguised truth Siblings Magical Thievery Clerking Creativeness Brigand Speaking Benefactor Cunning Writing Witty Ambiguous Mailings Friendly Deceitful Transportation Introducer Coercive Trade Social Manipulative Teaching Go-between Secretive Commerce Fun loving Fraudulent Contractual agreements Communicative White collar crime Magic Spontaneous Dyslexic The lyre Industrious Exaggeration The flute Numeric Slander Moly, the magic plant Literate Libel Travellers Truth Defamation The phallus Intelligence IgnoranceVenus
Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun. This planet is referred to as the ‘morning star’ because it is visible at both dawn and dusk. Venus is the only planet (except for Wormwood, which is briefly mentioned) that is referred in the document that chronicles Christianity’s mythology, the Bible. In addition, virtually all ancient civilisations tracked the position of Venus in our solar system, and gave it equal prominence with the Sun and the Moon. Based upon those ancient writings, it is therefore believed in earlier times Venus behaved more like a miniature star than a planet, hence its nicknames ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ star. Venus is believed to be a young planet, no more than 5,000 years old. The planet’s activities in our solar system have been chronicled in our Bible, shrouded in mystery as acts of God, as detailed in Exodus and Joshua, when it finally settled down into its present orbit between Mercury and Earth. It is believed around the time of Christ’s birth, the atmosphere of Venus burned off, thereby losing much of its brilliance, and this event assisted the wise men in locating the new-born baby Jesus.
Venus is the brightest planet because dense clouds completely cover it, thereby reflecting the rays of the Sun. Venus has a very high surface temperature, which is something of a ‘greenhouse effect’ in that heat can enter into the planet’s atmosphere but is unable to escape, thus giving it a temperature of about 450 degrees centigrade. Venus orbits the Sun in 255 days, and one Venusian day is about equal to one Venusian year.
Venus is known as the Morning or Evening Star because it is the last 'star' to fade away when the sun brings the light of day and the first to be seen at dawn. Venus is charming, graceful and diplomatic. Venus is very attractive and represents fertile womanhood, which indicates men often cannot resist falling in love with her. She likes good food, drink and sex, and may therefore have a tendency to overindulge. In Astrology, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, and the second and seventh houses.
Venus is never located more than 46 degrees distance from the Sun. Venus is the planet of love and in early times it was considered the lesser benefic. Venus is the planet of sensuality, not sex. Where you find Venus in the chart shows what you really enjoy. Venus is considered to be a personal planet, as it affects what we desire, and how these attractions affect our day-to-day activities.
In ancient mythology, Venus was a proud and cruel goddess who haunted over the animal nature and reigned over the hearts and senses of men. According to Homer, Venus (Aphrodite) was the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
Venus (Aphrodite) married Hephaestus, the lame god, but was outrageously unfaithful him with Mars (Ares), the god of War. The two lovers were discovered by Phoebus, who rushed to inform Hephaestus. Hephaestus set a trap for them in the form of a net with invisible mesh and invited all the gods from Olympus to witness his misfortune. Surprised like this, Venus fled in shame with Mars to Thrace. From their union were born Eros (Love), Anteros (Love in Return), and Deimos and Phobos (Terror and Fear).
The frivolous Venus did not have only one love. She loved Adonis, the shepherd Anchises, Mercury (Hermes) Dionysus, Phaethon, Cinyras, Butes and Paris.
Venus was very jealous and made Eos (Dawn) conceive an impossible love for Orion because she had seduced Mars (Ares). Her weapons were varied and cruel, and she punished all those who would not succumb to her. She led the daughters of Cinyras into prostitution and inflicted a foul smell on the Lemnians who had neglected to worship her. These women, abandoned by their husbands, killed all the men on the island and founded a society of women.
Her power was immense. She made Pasiphae fall in love with the bull of Minos. Her victims included Helen, Medea, Ariadne, Phaedra and Hippodameia, to name but a few.
The question posed by Eris (Discord) was, ‘Who was the most beautiful of the three goddesses: Hera, Athena or Aphrodite (Venus)?” The prize to whoever won the contest was a golden apple, or the apple of strife. The contest itself was organised by Zeus and took place on Mount Ida, and there was only one judge, Paris. The three goddesses each knew how to make the best of certain advantages, which did not necessarily have any bearing on the subject of the contest. Hera offered Paris kingship of the universe. Athena offered him invincibility in war, and Aphrodite (Venus) offered him the most beautiful mortal, Helen. In this way, Aphrodite won the prise and also became the cause of the Trojan War.
Marriage was one of the boundaries that separated the domains of Artemis and Aphrodite (Venus). The former was the chaste goddess who preferred hunting to seducing men. Her kingdom was that of the young girl. However, for the young girl it was only a place through which she must pass; she could not stay there, and leaving it would cost her toys and dolls. Venus’s kingdom was elsewhere. It represented the kingdom of desire for which no one could escape. Sometimes Venus consumed women with violent and ungovernable passions.
Venus was the goddess of love. Her temples were inhabited by women who offered themselves to passing strangers. At first, this function was reserved for young girls who, in this way, gave their virginity to the goddess, but gradually the practice became restricted to the slaves attached to the temple – the genuine professionals of love.
While mythology generally attributes Jupiter as being the father of Venus, Hesiod said Venus was born from the foam impregnated by the sexual organs of Uranus, which Saturn had severed and thrown into the sea. The woman (Venus) born of the waters was one of the first goddesses. As soon as she came out of the waters she was transported by the Zephyrs, first to Cythera and then to the shores of Cyprus. There she was dressed, covered in jewels, perfumed and taken to the immortals.
From the two different origins, Plato identified two Venuses (Aphrodites). One, the daughter of Uranus, also called Urania, was the noble goddess of pure love. The other, the daughter of Dione, also called Pandemos, was the goddess of common love.
In matters of health, Venus rules:-
Venus Rules Taurus/Libra Glyph Mirror of goddess Venus Exaltation Pisces Represents Social urge, value Detriment Scorpio/Aries Keyword Affection Fall Virgo Anatomy Throat, chin, cheeks, sense of taste, kidneys, ovaries, internal reproductive organs, venous blood circulation, sensory organs of skin. Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Art Gentleness Lazy Culture Harmony Indolent Aesthetics Tenderness Vain Possessions Moral Manipulative Partners Social Dissipation Beauty Pleasure Jealous Charm Appreciative Possessive Good taste Loving Pride Sentimentality Sensual Cruelty Sweets/sugar Balanced Frivolous Colour Beautiful Prostitution Harmony Diplomatic Lesbianism Poetry Pleasure seeking Victimisation Paintings Lovely Deceit Jewellery Enjoyable Betrayal Singing Relaxed Deception Drama/Music Co-operative Violence Emotional contacts Compromising Rejection Marriage Passionate Abandonment Partnerships Power Infidelity Luxuries Chatter of young girls Over-competitiveness Women Smiles Gossip Money Charm Divorce Women friends Seduction Bisexuality Female beauty Desire UntruthsMars
Mars is about the size of Earth and orbits the Sun approximately every two years. This planet is the fourth planet from our Sun and is red in colour.
Mars is the red planet and its colour signifies the energy it possesses. Mars can be aggressive, and if its energy isn't controlled, accidents or mishaps may occur. It has a very adventurous spirit, which will prompt others to forge ahead when more timid souls would prefer to wait for better times ahead. In ancient times Mars was considered to be a planet of fertility because much energy was needed to bring about the birth of a new plant, animal or other being.
Mars deals with our animal nature, desire and sexual energies. It shows ambition, force, power, construction, work, strife, competition and death. In earlier times it was known as the lesser malefic. Mar’s action is sudden, self-assertive and disruptive. Mars can be used destructively and angrily, in a fighting way, or with courage and strength. Where you find Mars in the horoscope is where you expend the greatest amount of energy. Mars is considered to be a personal planet because it shows us what areas we tend to throw our energies into and how they affect our day-to-day lives.
Mars (Ares) was the son of Hera, who bore him without the assistance of male seed, and he was one of the twelve great gods. He was a supreme fighter who cared little for the interests he defended, changing sides without scruple. He loved fighting for fighting’s sake and delighted in bloody massacres. He was the god most hated by the Olympians.
A brute of immense stature, he wore bronze armour, a gleaming helmet with a long plume, and carried a spear and a leather shield. Endowed with enormous strength, he cast aside all obstacles: warriors, chariots and even walls. He surprised his enemy with his enormous speed and terrified them by shouting his war cry.
Mars was the god of war, not the god of victory, and his thoughtless ardour resulted in many setbacks. He was the opposite of Minerva (Athena), the goddess of restraint and forethought, and she sometimes disarmed him to prevent him from interfering in battles that did not concern him.
Mars (Ares) was well acquainted with defeat, having been attacked by the Aloeides, Otus and Ephialtes, son of Poseidon, and he was chained up and kept for thirteen months in a bronze jar. Hercules, too, brought him down on several occasions and even went so far as to strip him of his weapons. Mars fought until he was exhausted and was sometimes left for dead.
Such excessive ardour did not leave people indifferent. Aphrodite (Venus) herself was conquered by him and had to keep her illicit liaison with him a secret. Mars was as impetuous in his adventures with women as he was in war: he raped and impregnated several women in myth.
Mars is said to be the father of Romulous, the founder of Rome, and to have helped Rome become the greatest empire in the world.
In matters of health, Mars rules:-
Mars Rules Aries/Scorpio Glyph Shield & spear of Mars Exaltation Capricorn Represents Action, aggressive urge Detriment Libra/Taurus Keyword Energy Fall Cancer Anatomy The muscular system, external reproductive organs, head and face, red blood corpuscles, motor nerves, bladder, adrenal glands Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Surgery Suddenness Disruptive Operations Self assertion Destructive Weapons Courage Angry War Strength Fighting Accidents Energetic Hyperactive Inflammation Active Irritating Wounds Forceful Frustrating Cuts Conquesting Violent Burns Dynamic Hateful Scalds Initative Enraged Violence Assertive Territorial Tools Pioneering Self destructive Iron Bold Quarrelsome Steel Fabricative Fighting Injuries Constructive Bloody Military Enterprising Massacre Danger Decisiveness War Cuts Incredible speed Thoughtless ardour Heat Impregnation Impetuousness Burglary Ambitious Rape Sexual energy Gregarious Aggressive Young men Happy Vindictive Weapons of war Assertive Spiteful Warriors Defensive Retaliation Chariots Protective Offensive Battle Impenetrable AssaultingJupiter
Jupiter is 317 times the size of the Earth. It has a very fast axial rotation, so one ‘day’ is equivalent to ten Earth hours. Jupiter has sixteen known satellites and has its own ring system as well. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and its gaseous state makes it almost a small star. Recent research into this planet’s properties indicates any objects orbiting the solar system seem to be caught up into Jupiter’s gravitational pull where they are sucked up and evaporate into the planet’s atmosphere. This is thought to be a good thing; because otherwise Earth would continuously be bombarded with debris from outer space.
In mythology, Jupiter/Zeus was the ruler of Olympus. Can it be just a mere coincidence that Jupiter, Zeus, Jehovah, Yahweh and the tetegramen seem to be so close in pronunciation? Can it be just mere speculation that in the beginning of our history, all of those personalities were in fact one archetype. As people moved away from each other and formed their own cultures, however, the name and character attributes of this supreme diety gradually changed along with the development of different languages.
Jupiter is the largest known planet in our solar system and represents expansion and growth. It brings luck, money and abundance to whatever it comes in contact with. Jupiter is wise, understanding, and serves as the zodiacal mentor. In astrology Jupiter rules Sagittarius and the ninth house, and co rules Pisces and the twelfth house.
In earlier times Jupiter was known as the greater benefic, Jupiter’s action is orderly and promotes health and growth. Where you find Jupiter in the horoscope is where you often have good fortune and prefer to spend your leisure time. Jupiter is considered to be a transitional planet, as it affects those in our immediate environment and shows how our milieu will benefit in this incarnation.
Jupiter (Zeus) is depicted as a mature man who wears a large beard. He carries a sceptre in his hand as the insignia of his authority, or brandishes a thunderbolt, his favourite weapon and is often accompanied by an eagle.
Jupiter (Zeus) was the son of Saturn (Cronos) and Rhea. An oracle had warned Saturn he would be deposed by one of his children, and so he swallowed each of them at birth. Rhea then decided to bring a sixth one into the world secretly, in the middle of the night. She then gave Saturn (Cronos) a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of a baby. He was fooled by it and Jupiter was saved.
Metis gave Jupiter (Zeus) a drug which, when taken would make him regurgitate his children. He freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires, giants endowed with 100 hands and 50 heads, whom Saturn (Cronos) had imprisoned in Tartarus. They gave him thunder and lighting, and so, Jupiter (Zeus) found himself at the head of a real army.
The war against Cronos (Saturn) lasted ten years. Jupiter (Zeus) brought back victory, and the gods divided the power by drawing lots: Jupiter was awarded the heavens, Neptune the seas, and Pluto the underworld or Hell.
However, their supremacy was immediately challenged by the giants, creatures of invincible strength. They had the privilege of being able to be killed only by the joint action of a god and a man. Jupiter (Zeus) appointed Hercules, who was only a mortal, to help him, and so finished off his enemies.
Jupiter (Zeus) became the greatest of the Olympian gods and the undisputed master. As the god of light, he was the source of all heavenly manifestations: he caused rain, drought, good weather and bad weather; he commanded tempests and created storms. He was also the arbiter in quarrels between the gods. His decisions were just and well balanced, and he showed no favouritism.
Jupiter (Zeus) had many wives. Metis was the first, but since Gaea had predicted the daughter who would be born to them would herself bring into the world a son who would take Jupiter’s (Zeus) power, he swallowed Metis before she could give birth. The child, Athena, then sprang from her father’s head, fully armed.
Jupiter (Zeus) eventually married his own sister, Hera, and he shared his power with her. Jupiter (Zeus) had many affairs, which infuriated Hera. She pursued her husband’s mistresses and the children he had had by them relentlessly. Squabbles were commonplace between the two spouses. Jupiter (Zeus) was often angry with Hera, and he even went so far as to hang her from Olympus with an anvil fastened to each ankle.
Stoic philosophers made the Olympian king the symbol of the one and only god. As Cleanthus in 332bc said, ‘You are the supreme lord of the universe, and so nothing is produced on Earth without you, nor in the ethereal heavens, nor in the sea.’
In matters of health, Jupiter rules:-
Jupiter Rules Sagittarius/Pisces Glyph First letter of Greek ‘Zeus’ Exaltation Cancer Represents Benevolent Detriment Gemini Keyword Expansion Fall Capricorn Anatomy Arterial blood, circulation, the liver, thighs, hips, feet, right ear, upper forehead, glycogen and fatty tissues, pancreas Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Wealth Optimistic Excess Leisure time Moralistic Gambling Big business Philosophic Extravagant Higher mind Reasonable Over-extension Prosperity Judge Over-bearing Height Abundant Judgmental Growth Expansive Careless Indulgence Abstract Infidelity Higher education Religious Financial irresponsibility Aspirations Scientific Bankruptcy Sports Professional Risk taking Luck Compassionate Theft Travel Wise Exaggeration Hunting Generous Over-indulgence Love of animals Gregarious Bulimia Lawmaker Optimistic Overeating Helper Faithful Sexual carelessness Health Hopeful Sexual addiction Growth Lucky Deception Absolute power Happy Fanaticism Eagle Jovial Psychosis Thunder Humorous Addiction Lightening Magnanimous Lies Presidency Counsellor Promiscuity Chairmanship Charitable Indiscretion Army Enthusiastic Greed Order Flexible Self-centredness Justice Arbitration Avarice Philosophy Balance Misrepresentation Medicine Impartiality FraudSaturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and in ancient times was considered to be the last planet in our solar system, or the outer limit of the solar system, as we know it. Saturday, the last day of the week, was actually named after this planet. Evidence actually suggests the ancients were actually aware there were in fact planetary objects further than Saturn. Our seven-day week is believed to have been based on the seven primary celestial bodies, Saturn being the last that orbited our solar system. Because for the last couple of thousand years Saturn was considered the outer limits of our universe, in astrology it has been considered the planet that gives us our limits, restrictions and lessons.
Saturn has a very rapid axial rotation, so one ‘day’ is about ten Earth hours, but it takes about thirty years for Saturn to orbit the Sun. Saturn has about eighteen known satellites and is similar in many ways to Jupiter with regard to its composition, as it is a large, gaseous planet as well. Although Saturn represents limits and restrictions because the planet was considered the outer limits of our solar system, the fact that he overthrew his father, Uranus, also indicates he governs freedom and liberation after one’s lessons have been learned.
Saturn is such a majestic sight with its encircling rings, and this gas giant is oh so concerned about its reputation. Saturn is the taskmaster, as it sets limitations and gives arduous lessons to be learned before the next step in the evolutionary process can be approached. Saturn is concerned with responsibility, duty, time and age. Saturn can be a fearful sight to those who have not learned their lessons and taken obligations seriously. In Astrology Saturn rules Capricorn and the tenth house, and in ancient times ruled Aquarius and the eleventh house as well.
In earlier times Saturn was known as the greater malefic. Where you find Saturn in the horoscope is where you feel least secure and tend to overcompensate. This planet is considered to be a transitional planet, as it tells us what limitations and restrictions those in our milieu will experience.
Very little is known about Saturn. It is unclear whether he originated with Greek settlers, the Etruscans or the Sabines. It is certain, though, he was firmly established in Rome from the time of the Republic, and his temple was there, close to the forum. He has been likened to Cronos, the father of Jupiter (Zeus). He was supposed to have ousted his father from the throne and to have been likewise ousted by his own son.
Saturn was welcomed to Rome by Janus, and his reign corresponded with a time of happiness and exceptional prosperity. He invented the dressing of the vine, taught man how to husband the soil and provided men with their first laws. He is always depicted as being with a sickle or scythe.
Saturnalia, or festivals of Saturn, were occasions for peasant merry-making. For several days on end, there were constant sacrifices, banquets, dances and outdoor events. Society was completely turned upside down: presents and invitations were exchanged; schools, law courts and offices were shut; and crowds ran through the streets shouting.
These festivals were supposed to put an end to the social distance between men. Everything was permitted, even to slaves. The freemen no longer wore their togas, and all men, both masters and slaves, donned the pileus, the symbol of emancipation and freedom. One could even witness masters serving their slaves, who showed no hesitation in giving vent to the pent-up feelings either in words or in action. They were entitled to drink wine and tended to overdo it on this occasion.
The festivals began on 17th December and lasted for several days. Caesar, however, extended their duration. They signified the passage of time from one year to the next. Among the presents offered were wax candles, stigillaria, symbolising the Sun whose light would become brighter every day. The saturnalia would seem to be at the origin of the present-day festivals and customs that occur around Christmas and New Year.
Saturn symbolised uprootings and partings, the trials of life and its necessary sacrifices, it was because he was entrusted with the task of freeing man from the limitations of their animal nature, from their instincts and their passions, and also from the constraints of their social life.
Saturn married his sister Rhea, which is in keeping with the tradition of every ancient civilisation known to man, where royal men marry their sisters. In ancient Egypt and Sumeria, it was the custom where royal men married their sisters, and even the Bible gives reference to this custom when it was recorded that Abram, or Abraham, married his half sister Sara, or Sarah. Even the Greeks and Romans carried on with this tradition when Zeus (Jupiter) married his sister Juno (Hera). The Egyptian civilisation also had its own tradition where Osiris married his sister, Isis.
In matters of health, Saturn rules:-
Saturn Rules Capricorn/Aquarius Glyph Sickle of Cronos Exaltation Libra Represents Need for security Detriment Cancer Keyword The teacher Fall Aries Anatomy The skin, the skeletal system, ligaments, knees, left ear and auditory organs, gall bladder, parathyroid glands, body protein, solar plexus Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Discipline Responsible Sorrowful Limits Organised Slow Delays Ambitious Fearful Theories Career oriented Painful Scientific law Patience Depression Older persons Traditional Adverse Depth Conventional Stern Timing Orthodox Unresponsive Contraction Productive Sad Solidification Truthful Evil Ageing Wise Hateful Structure Freedom Overly cautious Loss Cautious Grief Obstacles Secure Loss Endings Self-discipline Over eating Form Controlled Excessive drinking Architecture Restrained Slavery Foundations Thrifty Imprisonment Fatherhood Serious Institutionalisation Farming Realistic Inability to move Laws Testing Fright The sickle Loyal Low self esteem Celebrations Dependable Provinciality Festivities Materialistic Old fashioned Christmas Emancipation Unwilling to try new things New Year Merry-making Workaholic Carnival Eating Rote memorisationUranus
Uranus is another gas giant in our solar system. It has a very fast axial rotation, so one ‘day’ is about eighteen Earth hours, but one Uranian ‘year’ is about 84 Earth years. Uranus has fifteen known satellites. In astronomy, Uranus was the first planet to have been re-discovered telescopically by amateur astronomer, William Hershel, in 1781. Uranus is blue-green in colour and has its own ring system, which is vertical as opposed to the other planet’s horizontal rings.
With Uranus, only the unexpected can be expected. Uranus is the planet of change, genius, unconventional behaviour and revolution. In Astrology Uranus co rules Aquarius and the eleventh house. Uranus’s action is sudden, unexpected and often violent. It is a breaker of tradition. It is neutral and sexless, and considered by many to be the upper octave of Mercury and the first of the transcendental planets. Recent research associates Uranus with natural disasters, particularly earthquakes. Where you find Uranus in the horoscope is where you find the unusual. This planet is considered to be a transformative planet, as it tends to show us how entire groups of people will need to express their own individuality.
In mythology, not much is written about Uranus because he was said to have been the first ruler of Olympus. He married his sister Gaea and had many children, most of whom were monsters. Gaea asked to be relieved of giving birth to monsters, so Saturn cut off Uranus’s testicles and tossed them into the sea. This act ultimately deposed Uranus and positioned Saturn into Olympus’s seat of power. In matters of health, Uranus rules:-
Co-ordination of bodily activities
Rhythmic pulsation
Uranus Rules Aquarius Glyph Derivation of letter H Exaltation Scorpio Represents Freedom urge Detriment Leo Keyword The awakener Fall Taurus Anatomy The higher nervous systsm, body electricity, the ankles Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Invention Futuristic Egotistical Originality Humanitarian Dictatorial Science Intellectual Rebellious Electricity Eccentric Violent Magic Bohemian Disruptive Occult Utopian Abrupt Light Revolutionary Extreme Astrology Individualistic Anti-establishmentary Psychology Changeable Shocking X-rays Friendly Aloof Airplanes Inspired Eccentric Creative will Original Neurotic Sudden change Intuitive Psychotic The unexpected Inventive Mental illness Freedom Genius Abandonment Discovery Non-conformist Anti-establishment Divorce Detached Anarchist Homosexuality Magnetic Mad Alternate lifestyle Scientific Crazy Utopian ideals Experimental Marriage of convenience Egalitarian ideals Unique Infidelity Revolution Surprising Misguided Bisexuality Unordinary Solitary Open marriages Creative Aloof Sexless marriages Unexpected Lonely Choices Surprise Antisocial Important decisions Gifts Behavioural problems Friends Sexual dysfunction Associates Homosexuality BlueNeptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from Earth and is the last of the great gas giants. It has a rapid axial rotation, so one Neptunium day is about nineteen hours, and it orbits the Sun in about 165 years. Neptune has eight known satellites and its ring system is believed to be held in place by two shepherd satellites, which have not yet been discovered.
Neptune is a watery, fluid planet that's gaseous fog and mist make it difficult for one to clearly see the surface of this vaporous planet. Neptune's fluid state makes it emotional, sensitive, intuitive and psychic. Neptune can spend so much time daydreaming that it may not be in touch with reality. Neptune is so vague that it can be quite deceptive. It seeks spirituality in the form of sacrifices, but is definitely not a pushover. This powerful planet wields a forceful energy, which it can, and will, use to get its way in life.
Neptune’s action is subtle, gradual and sometimes insidious. It is the higher octave of Venus and the second of the transcendental planets. Where you find Neptune in the chart is where you tend to deceive yourself and/or others; it is also where you seek the ideal. This planet is considered to be a transpersonal planet, as it shows the dreams and ideals of entire generations of people.
Neptune (Poseidon) was the son of Saturn (Cronus) and Rhea. He was represented by wielding a trident and being pulled by monsters in a chariot. Neptune was brought up by the Telchines, women who were half land creatures and half sea creatures with the power to cause rain and hail. When he grew up, Neptune fell in love with one of them, Halia, and had many children with her.
After Jupiter’s victory over Saturn, the young gods (deities who preferred life on Earth) decided to claim various domains for themselves. Jupiter got the sky, Neptune the sea and Pluto the underworld. To exercise his power, Neptune (Poseidon) was surrounded by other deities such as Nereus. Neptune’s wife shared his underwater empire with him.
Neptune was a chthonic god, like Jupiter, Pluto and many others. Chthonic gods represented the hidden forces of germination and death. They had powerful links with the Earth, the mother of the Titans. As subterranean gods, they reigned in hell and shook the world from the inside. It is said Neptune caused earthquakes when he made love to his wife.
It is also believed Neptune chose the mysterious island of Atlanta for himself, which could in fact be the ancient civilisation of Atlantis, which was submerged in the Atlantic Ocean.
Neptune’s power was great. With his trident, he could provoke storms, set fire to the rocks on the shore, and cause springs to gush up.
Neptune (Poseidon) was not always in agreement with Jupiter (Zeus) and took part in a conspiracy with Hera and Athena to put the king of Olympia in chains. But Briareus, the hundred-handed giant called by Thetis, intervened, and the fear his power inspired put an end to the plot.
Neptune (Poseidon) took part in the construction of the walls of Troy with Apollo and Aeacus, a mortal. But when he failed to receive payment, Neptune called up a monster that devastated the area; also during the Trojan War, he sided with the Achaean camp. However, as he was proud of the wall he helped to build, he protested against the decision to construct another wall around their ships and, infuriated, vowed to destroy it.
Neptune had many lovers, but his children were mostly wicked and violent.
Neptune appeared in the guise of a horse in the Peloponnesus, a guise he had adopted to mate with Ceres, herself transformed into a mare.
Neptune was the Roman water god who was later associated with the Greek god Poseidon. A feast day, the Neptunalia, was held for him every year. He was associated with humidity and fresh water.
In matters of health, Neptune rules:-
Neptune Rules Pisces Glyph Trident of Poseidon Exaltation Cancer Represents Spiritual or escapist Detriment Virgo Keyword Intuition Fall Capricorn Anatomy The spinal column, nerve fibres, feet, pineal gland, telepathic functions, white corpuscles of the blood, kinaesthetic functions Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Maritime matters Glamorous Delusional Liquids Dreamy Foggy Music Illusive Addicted Movies Spiritual Abnormality Stage & television Idealistic Deceitful Drugs Mysterious Charlatan Sleepwalking Trancelike False Hunches Hypnotic Escapism Petroleum Immateriality Lacks substance Anaesthetics Psychic Error Flattery Impressionable Sacrificial Intangibles Visionary Dishonest Fragrances Vicarious Monstrous Second sight Imaginative Violent Poetry Intangible Abusive Colour Tactful Wickedness Occult Diplomatic Learning difficulties Power Cohesive Educationally subnormal The Sea Sympathetic Mentally retarded Oceans Empathetic Educationally delayed Lakes Sincere Dyslexic Floods Caring Lies Storms Giving Infidelity Trident Trusting Depression Horses Impressionable Neurosis Humidity Religious Psychosis Fresh water Parallel realities Personality disordersPluto
Pluto’s rediscovery was mathematically calculated and found based upon a discrepancy in Neptune’s orbit. This small planetoid is about 1/50th the size of Earth, and one Plutonian day is the equivalent to six Earth days. One Plutonian year is about 249 Earth years.
Pluto has one known satellite, Charon, which behaves more like a double planet than a satellite because the two bodies orbit around each other with the centre of gravity in space between the two. Both planets have a density two thirds that of water, so it is estimated they are made of frozen methane and rocky material. Because of Pluto’s extremely small size, astronomers have decided is should not be considered a planet, but a planetoid. This, however, should not affect the astrological attributes of this body because it remains an important planetary body nonetheless.
Pluto's orbit is not like the other planets because it has a highly elliptical and is at times the farthest known planet in our solar system, but at others is inside Neptune’s orbital path, making Neptune the farthest known body. While all of the other planets have a fairly even rate of travel throughout the 12 signs of the zodiac, Pluto's presence in a sign spans anywhere from 14 years in Scorpio to 30 in Taurus. The more exploration that is done on this sometimes frozen, sometimes thawed planet can make one wonder just exactly which planet is actually the oddball of the solar system. Regardless of Pluto's eccentricities, it is very powerful indeed and has a tendency to destroy outmoded concepts in order to rebuild anew. When Pluto makes an aspect during a transit, no one is left untouched from its influence. Pluto is Lord of the underworld and is the planet of death and rebirth, which is symbolised by the fact that half of the time this planet is frozen and dead, while the other half it is thawed and alive.
Pluto exposes all that has been developed secretly or undercover. Its action is slow, ponderous and inevitable. It is the last of the transcendental planets and is considered a higher octave of Mars. Where you find Pluto in the chart you’ll find complexity; it is where you’ll have to solve problems alone and unaided. Pluto is considered to be a transpersonal planet, as it shows us what areas entire generations of people will feel the need for refinement and regeneration.
Nuclear weaponry is ruled by Pluto. Nuclear weapons consist of fission and fusion weapons. In fission weapons, matter is changed into energy when the nuclei of certain kinds of uranium and plutonium atoms are spent. In fusion weapons, matter is converted into energy when pairs of certain kinds of hydrogen nuclei combine to form a single nucleus.
The first nuclear weapons were two fission bombs used in the United States in World War II. A bomb was dropped on each of the Japanese sites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The terrible destruction caused by the bombs became a major factor in Japan’s decision to surrender to the United States and its allies, which ended the war.
The bombs exploded at Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only two nuclear weapons that have ever been used, but have dominated military planning in the world’s most powerful nations. Most experts believe since the end of World War II, the threat of nuclear war probably has helped keep peace between the world’s major nations.
Pluto (Hades) was the son of Saturn (Cronos), and therefore the brother of Jupiter (Zeus) and Neptune (Poseidon). When the world was divided between the three brothers, the underworld and Hell fell to Pluto while Jupiter took the heavens, and Neptune took the sea.
The Cyclops gave Pluto a helmet that made him invisible. He was formidable in battle and took part in the fights against the Titans. Pluto ruled the dead, assisted by demons over whom he had authority. He forbade his subjects to leave his domain and became enraged when anyone tried to steal his prey from him. Among mortals, he was the most hated of the gods, and the gods themselves had an abhorrence of him.
He fell in love with Persephone (Kore), but Jupiter (Zeus) forbade him to marry her. The Olympian king was disgusted by the idea of this sweet girl shut up forever in the underworld. Pluto therefore kidnapped her. By the time Jupiter had ordered him to give her back to her mother, it was too late: Pluto had already made her eat a seed of the pomegranate, which bound her forever to hell. Persephone was to eventually become just as cruel as her husband.
Although forbidden by Pluto (Hades) to enter hell, Hercules wounded Pluto with an arrow and won victory.
People were afraid to say the name, Hadesm so he was also known as Pluto, or ‘the rich one’, perhaps because, ‘dark Hades is enriched by our trembling and our tears.’
In matters of health, Pluto rules:-
Pluto Rules Scorpio Glyph Derivative of PL, Percival Lowell Exaltation Leo Represents Fusion Detriment Taurus Keyword Transformation Fall Aquarius Anatomy The eliminative and reproductive systems, pituitary gland, abnormal growths (warts, tumours, birthmarks, moles, etc) Governs Positive Qualities Negative Qualities Underworld Slow growth Subversive That which is hidden Transmutation Obsessive Replication processes Anonymous Isolated Masses Regenerative Coercive Waste Secretive Disappearing Atomic power Exclusive Degenerative Crime Transformative Vacant Phobias Refined Dictatorial Group factors Regenerative Unpopular Beginnings and endings Truthful Ponderous Birth and death Powerful Inevitable Kidnapping Compelling Extreme Bacteria Advancing Horrible Viruses Wealth Annihilation Plumbing Retribution Subversive Crisis Salvation Eliminative Psycho analysis Transcendental Compulsive Pomegranate Richness Cynical Hell Renewal Meaningless Death Rebirth Decay Demons Self-analysis Intense The Dead Self-awareness Cruelty
