Planets and their Influences
Planets have been a source of human interest and studies for at least a millennium in both East and West traditions. The function of the planets includes the initial observations of the lunar cycle and then the times of the year that people are born (astrology) and how the time of year influences a person's behaviour, thinking and choices - what we refer to as astrology or the Zodiac. Planets are thought to embody specific energies that shape and influence how we live and the choices we make, both spiritually and personally, across the life path (and its cycles of rebirth and karma), and much more. Here, we take a look at the planets and their energy from an overview perspective.
Mercury
Mercury is the planet that is closest to the sun. Its energy is that of the mind and the power of the intellect. It shapes the way we think, our capacity for mental agility, how we perceive things and situations, and how we make decisions. In essence, Mercury influences everything about the way we process information and how we express ourselves, especially in written or verbal form.Transitioning from its intellectual influence, Mercury carries both 'masculine' analytical energy—shaping how we connect abstract ideas to our daily lives—and a feminine energetic aspect, marked by practical connection, flexibility, and adaptability to change.
Further, when we express and communicate well, Mercury enhances our capacity to connect, form meaningful friendships and associations, and build social networks. It is associated with the Zodiac signs of Gemini and Virgo.
As for periods of retrograde, Mercury can negatively impact communication, including technological and written communication, and cause breakdowns. From a spiritual perspective, Mercury is considered the “messenger of the Gods” (psychic gifts, spirit communication, connection to guides and guardians), and is associated with the speed and agility of thought, as well as adaptability to change.
In summary, Mercury represents the curious mind, inspires change and personal development, and the courage to step into the unknown. It is also associated with alchemy and transformation (magicke), and is linked to the card of the Magician in the Tarot Deck, symbolising spiritual transformation and transition, and the evolution of consciousness toward the desired ultimate of enlightenment.
Venus
Venus is the planet next to Mercury and second from the sun. Its energy is sultry and romantic, with an appreciation of all things beautiful. It is associated with the arts, love, relationships, and desire. It influences how we perceive things and people, and how we express our emotions, particularly in relationships. It influences the love of money and pleasure, as well as a desire for harmony. A planet covered in volcanoes, it brings passion to life and helps to identify what we find attractive, pleasurable, and joyful, from art and music to romance and intimacy. It promotes the need for connection and balance, and the desire to create from a space of gentleness (as opposed to forcefulness): “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” It is also associated with money and material possessions, the acquisition of wealth and financial stability and security, and influences our personal expression – including our style, dress sense, and our ‘language of love’. Astrologically, it is associated with Taurus and Libra. Spiritually and metaphysically, Venus represents the “Divine Feminine,” encouraging people to be more gentle, more compassionate, and more empathetic in the way we interact with others – reminding us that we can speak the truth and retain integrity in gentle ways. Venus is also associated with ‘healing’ (ourselves and others), resilience, and developing our creative abilities – especially when it comes to expressing our authentic selves in meaningful ways - to enrich all life. Metaphysically, Venus is associated with the Tarot deck with the Lovers and The Empress – relationships, nurturing, passionate care, and practical compassion.
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the sun, between Venus and Mars. It represents the humanitarian aspect and raises self-awareness by illuminating the subconscious. It helps expand your perspective on difficult situations during problem identification, understanding, and solving. Its influences include the physical and material aspects of life – to ensure practicality and stability, and to empower manifestation and creativity. It’s considered a builder of dreams, supporting them from the vision and into reality, grounding emotions into practical pursuits, and supporting planning (of the goals), as well as building the structures, sourcing the materials, patience, and reliability. Astrologically, it is associated with Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. From an elemental perspective, the planet represents all the elements - wood, fire, metal, mineral, water, and air, with the opportunity to create perfect harmony.
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, located between Earth and Jupiter. It is known as the ‘fiery planet’ and is also called the ‘red planet’. It is a planet of action – associated with drive, determination, and ambition. Associated with masculine energy (which includes the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras). Mars is linked to the energies of war, passion and manifestation, courage, willpower, vitality – and even anger and aggressiveness. It also offers the determination and drive to start and complete projects, providing the courage and what is needed to overcome obstacles and face challenges. As a ‘warrior’ energy, it supports people to step up into their ‘power’ and to release any limiting beliefs of victimhood and powerlessness. If a person is struggling to motivate themselves and to implement an idea into reality, then the energy of Mars will support and ignite motivation. As a Yang energy planet – it is also associated with independence and leadership – and will take the actions required to ensure positive outcomes (which can include training and learning new things). Be mindful of the Martian energy, though, because when out of balance, it can manifest as reactive self-defensiveness, aggressiveness in pursuit of goals, and the suppression of emotional states. The positive, transformative aspects of fire can become burning, searing, and destructive. Astrologically associated with Aries and Capricorn.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun, situated between Mars and Saturn. Its energy is associated with the power of the mind – expansion, learning, higher learning, wisdom, and optimism. It governs growth (spiritual and intellectual) and is associated with good luck and good fortune, as well as wealth, prosperity and material abundance. Fortunately, it carries a humanitarian and collective consciousness, and any good fortune tends to be shared, as it is also associated with generosity, philosophical pursuits, and philanthropy. People influenced by Jupiter will be seekers of truth and justice, with strong idealism and morality. For those who have achieved levels of expertise and even mastery, there is a willingness to share information and knowledge with others, and so Jupiter is associated with teaching, learning, and study. As part of the quest for knowledge, Jupiter is also associated with pursuits such as travel, which encourages cultural and further personal and spiritual development. Generally speaking, Jupiter influences foster positivity, faith, hope, and optimism! Astrologically, Jupiter is linked to Sagittarius and Pisces.
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, located between Jupiter and Uranus. In astrology, Saturn is known for its energy of structure, authority, and boundaries. These boundaries help us take responsibility and work toward our life’s purpose, giving us the courage to resolve all challenges. Saturn’s energy also reminds us of the need to maintain our personal boundaries, including the boundaries of the aura. At different times, they need to be relaxed or strengthened, and some flexibility is needed. Saturn's lessons remind us that life moves in cycles, with periods of growth, development, learning and at times - stagnation. This occurs in our physical existence and the soul's existence of reincarnation. Saturn is often seen as a ‘karmic accountant,’ keeping track of our experiences and helping us learn what we need for self-realisation and actualisation. It teaches us that our actions have consequences, whether desirable or not, and encourages us to act with integrity. Saturn also supports growth through challenges and helps shape our destiny by encouraging reflection and learning from our experiences, including career achievements and personal change. As a planet of structure, Saturn’s influence helps us navigate social systems and bring order to chaos. Astrologically, Saturn is associated with the sun signs of Capricorn and Aquarius.
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and carries the energy of extreme change through radical innovation. It’s considered a ‘disruptor’ and associated with a spiritual awakening and breaking free from the previous constraints and limitations. Associated with the higher mind and divine connection, it carries the energy that true transformative change is a process that requires breaking down all old patternings to have a ‘rebirth’ and a new beginning. It is believed to activate the brow chakra and the Kundalini chakras as part of activating the ‘light body’ and raising the speed and vibration. The way it does it is as an ‘agent of chaos’. It is associated with the power of the mind and with ‘fire’ because it brings divine vision and understanding to earthly processes and experiences. It carries the higher consciousness of brotherhood and sisterhood and seeks social reform, with a proactive approach to problem-solving; hence, it is associated with genius, original thought, and invention, and often with scientific minds that bring divine means to solutions. It is also said to be a planet of nonconformity, so even those with scientific minds may be considered rebellious by their peers. Uranus energy can be a reminder that the process of change is often associated with discomfort and a sense of being unsettled, but with perseverance, an open mind, and willpower, anything is possible. Uranus encourages a level of inner reflection to develop awareness – awareness of self and our place within the world, and awareness of the eternal self, the cycle of life, death and rebirth and the connection between all of us that walk the planet, and to ensure that we act authentically, with integrity and for the greater good, in alignment with divine will. From a zodiac perspective, Uranus is associated with Aquarius.
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and final planet from the Sun in our solar system. Its energy is associated with spirituality (spiritual awakening), intuition and dreams, and universal empathy and collective consciousness. From a positive perspective, it brings a heightened sense of compassion and mercy, and promotes living from a space of higher consciousness. Neptune encourages a person to dream and dream big; however, conversely, there is a shadow side to Neptune of confusion, deceit, and trickery. With this subtle energy, a person will need to ground themselves and learn to differentiate between what is real and what is fantasy to avoid negative addictive patterns and emotions such as guilt because of their inability to discern between intuition and mind chatter. Generally speaking, Neptune carries the energy to break free from beliefs and thoughts of limitation. It is associated with Pisces in the zodiac.
Pluto
Pluto is no longer considered a planet of the solar system per se (the requirement being that planets orbit the Sun); however, it is classified as a ‘dwarf planet ’ because it sits inside an icy part of the galaxy, sharing the path with the Kuiper Belt, and because it is incredibly slow-moving and is expected to complete its first orbit of the Sun in 2178. Astrologically, Pluto represents deep transformation and rebirth, with renewal across generations. With the energy of transformation, there is an opportunity for enhanced wisdom – and for using the transformational energy for positive and helpful outcomes. As with all energy – it can be positive or destructive, and the energy of Pluto can be associated with the revelation of secrets, and the hidden truths around situations (especially if there is long-term deception at play), or stagnation. It taps into the unconscious, or subconscious, and brings darkness into the light, hence its association with ‘Hades’. If people wish to bring the ‘shadow’ into the light, Pluto energy fully supports transforming the ‘darkness’ around and within a person into light for transformation. Be mindful, however, that the negative expression of Pluto can be obsession and the misuse of power and control. Pluto rules Scorpio; however, Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius can all be deeply impacted and influenced by Pluto energy.
Sun
The Sun is central to the solar system, the brightest star in the universe, and the central component of any horoscope or astrological report. It is considered a masculine energy planet and rules willpower, pride, determination, health, and vitality. It governs our ego and how we identify and see ourselves within the world, along with our self-esteem.
Additionally, it shapes how others perceive you, encouraging you to be your authentic self and to allow yourself to ‘shine’. It is associated with strength, confidence, hope, clarification, action, and illumination. It is the opposing force of darkness – and brings the subconscious, or shadow (that which is hidden from consciousness), to the surface, and so its energy is one of knowledge (teaching and learning). Other attributes include leadership, authority, power, influence, action, and passion. The Sun in any astrological chart brings a certain intensity which can be positive or destructive – associated with authority; positively it can be influential and helpful; however, negatively it can be authoritarian, dogmatic and overwhelming for the people in your environment, with a fixation on recognition for achievements, and an egotistical (self-absorption). While the Moon focuses on thoughts, ideas, and intuition, the Sun focuses on the reality of situations and the doing or achieving aspects. In many ways, it can be defined as the ‘adult’ or mature aspect of self that censors the inner child and helps rationalise our actions, thoughts, and behaviours before making a final decision. Its influence is more about identity and self-actualisation. From a psychological perspective – the Sun represents knowing ourselves through a rational top-down processing (understanding our thoughts and how they influence our feelings), whereas the Moon is more about bottom-up processing – understanding our feelings, and through processing understanding the ‘causal thought for the emotional state. The Sun energises and motivates us to achieve our true potential in the ‘here and now’. The Sun is the ruler of Leo, but also influences the other fire signs (particularly Aries), and offers an explanation of why the Leos are often perceived as arrogant, haughty or overconfident, and even wilful and self-centred when they are allowing the Sun to rule across all their personality aspects (or when there is a lack of balance within their aura).
Moon
The Moon is traditionally associated with feminine energy. It governs the subconscious, emotions, intuition, nurturing, love, and life's cycles. Moon energy is instinctual – and habit-forming, where we act without knowing why we act in certain ways. It represents the inner child, our vulnerability, our private world, and our innermost self. In some circles, the moon cycles are referred to as the Maiden, Mother and Crone, which is a reference to the development of wisdom through the cycle of life, starting with innocence, naivete and purity of intention and love, developing into the positive aspects of the mother, nurturing and maternal protection and completion of the life cycle with the wisdom of the grandmothers, who have lived through and seen most of what life has to offer, and witnessed the passage of life, understanding karma, consequences of action and the influences of the mind and the emotions upon the material existence. Generally speaking, while the Moon is associated with the intuitive aspects, it also rules the oceans and tides, and consequently our emotional state, and the Moon, more so than other planets, offers that conscious decision-making to allow ourselves to choose our actions (as opposed to emotional reactivity) through unifying the aspects of the Sun (Logical and rational) with the gut instincts of the Moon. Other Moon attributes include the energy of understanding how the past influences where we are in the current moment (family history, ancestry, cultural influences, and past-life history). Moon energy reminds us that life is cyclical and has ebbs and flows, and that ultimately the cycle will do a full turn (it is inevitable), and that what goes around comes around (Karma). In astrology, the Moon rules Cancer.
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