Astrology for Beginners (Part 2) – The Sun, the Moon and the Inner Planets

This is part 2 of my series looking at the building blocks of Astrology, adapted from a series I previously wrote on my website. Over the next few weeks I will delve into my 25 years of experience in studying Astrology to explain the basics to those of you who are interested in learning a little more about this most fascinating of subjects. Today I will explain the qualities of the inner planets, namely the Sun through to Mars.

In the natal chart the Sun is your ultimate guiding force. Through the sign it is found in, the house position it is located in, and above all the aspects or angles it makes to the other planets, the Sun describes a person’s motivating force; in essence what essentially that person is seeking to become. If you look at the glyph representing the Sun’s glyph - a dot in the middle of a circle, then the dot represents your potential in a circle signifying completeness or maturity. On other levels, the Sun also corresponds to the masculine principle of willpower and courage shown. It is also a symbol of creativity and purpose, and it represents one's growth, sense of uniqueness, the authority you wield as well as the father and the ruler. This last image is particularly helpful to an understanding of the Sun’s astrological function. In our lives, the ruler or leader is the figurehead under which the disparate social groups of a nation either unite and band behind, or lose faith in and divide. Similarly, the Sun symbolises the process by which other planetary energies in the birth chart are integrated into your character, or are wasted.

Just as the Moon reflects the Sun’s light, therefore in astrology it signifies a person’s instinctive, emotional response to the environment that they find around them. Whereas the Sun is connected with action and making things happen, then the Moon’s is connected to the notion of “reaction”. In our childhood years, these feelings are largely unconscious, and they only start to emerge as we mature and become more aware of our true selves as signified by the Sun. As a result, the sign and house that the Moon is found in can explain much about a person’s emotional development as a child, and how these patterns are likely to re-emerge in later life. You will know that we unconsciously repeat the lessons that we learn early on from our childhood again and again in our adult lives. I have found that the Moon closely represents what we emotionally need in our lives, and this “need” designated by the sign and house placement perpetuates throughout our lives. The Moon also corresponds to the ‘feminine’ side of life, and it embodies a protective instinct within us. The Moon also represents our home environment and our sense of ‘belonging’ to people and things. It also will affect our natural habits, our eating patterns and preferences too. Other things that the Moon affects will be our attitudes to the past, our changing moods and fortunes (reflecting the cycles of the Moon), the way we interact with and deal with the general public and it also represents our attitudes to women in our lives, and especially our mother.

I move onwards to Mercury. In mythology, Mercury, or Hermes as he was known, was the Messenger of the Gods, responsible for conveying information between us mortals and the deities residing on Mount Olympus. In Astrology and on the birth chart, the planet Mercury fulfils a similar function carrying the torch of conscious thought to the rest of the chart. In representing our mind and the thinking processes, Mercury gives us insight and offers us the opportunity of greater self-awareness. More specifically, Mercury through the sign and house position it is found in and aspects it makes to the other planets reveals the mental frequency on which we operate, and how we think and generally communicate. Mercury also indicates our potential for learning new things and concepts, and especially through the contact he makes to other planets, whether our opinions are likely to be based purely on logic or through our feelings and habits. In his highest expression, Mercury symbolises our quest to acquire wisdom and self-knowledge and in his lowest, he reveals the mind of the trickster, full of deceit and cunning. In astrology Mercury has other functions too. He represents how our brains function and operate, affects our early school experiences and how adept we are at reading and writing. Mercury rules our use of and acquisition of languages and how effective we are in debate and discussion. This is the planet that controls transport and vehicles that we use and short-distance travel, and our business dealing and commerce too including the agreements we make, decisions we come to and the contracts that we sign. Mercury affects all the tools of communication that we use, from books, newspapers and the media, telephones, television and computers.

Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love, beauty and sensuality and in Astrology the planet Venus traditionally refers to our need for relationship, affection and harmony. At a more fundamental level, however, Venus is concerned our fundamental values as well as what attracts and repels us, and how we respond to these influences. The process involved is one of weighing things up and of trying to decide what is good or bad, according to how we perceive our situation and desires at the time. More often than not, this results in sharing or co-operative behaviour, since most people find dealing with others preferable to being lonely and unpopular. In terms of love, Venus reveals our reaction when we meet it, rather than how we express ourselves emotionally (which is more a function of Mars). Venus rarely gives without expecting something in return, hence our ability to attract harmonious relationships will depend on its sign and house position, and more specifically on the nature of the planets it aspects. On other levels, matters which fall within Venus’ portfolio include the arts, our style and personal tastes. Venus dictates what and who we find physically attractive and it represents close partnerships of all kinds. Venus is a designator of women (including young women), feminine sexuality and of our physical well-being too. Finally Venus rules money and all means of exchange, as well as our possessions and what we own, plus it is a planet of diplomacy and affects our vanity.

Now I move on to look at Mars. At an instinctive level, Mars represents our determination to battle for survival. When threatened, we can either confront a likely aggressor, or flee and run away. As we will only fight for what we value, the implications of Mars in our birth chart have to be seen in conjunction with Venus. While Venus describes what we value, Mars shows how we obtain, preserve or keep what we love and need. Consequently, Mars symbolises all those qualities which help us achieve our desires, and therefore enhance our self-image and self-worth, such as initiative, courage, physical strength and stamina. It is through the impulse Mars gives us to assert ourselves for what we need, want to obtain and keep, that it has acquired its reputation for conflict. In the birth chart, the sign and house position of Mars shows how we motivate ourselves to conscious action, and it will also reveal the way we spontaneously express our emotions. On other levels, Mars is associated with athleticism and sport and war and all military affairs. It is present in all forms of coercion plus it rules men and male sexuality. Mars can indicate our selfish desires, what motivates us to express anger, passion, panic and frustration. Mars rules guns and firearms, iron and all sharp metal instruments, machines and mechanics, technicians, engineers, explosives, fire, fever, inflammation plus accidents and operations.

This completes part 2 of my guide to Astrology for the meantime. Part 3 in a few days time will focus on the two giants of our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn...

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Astrology for Beginners (Part 1) - @solarisastro/astrology-for-beginners-part-1-how-you-understand-an-astrology-chart-and-what-to-look-for