When it comes to astrology, there seems to be this overall consensus that your sun sign defines your whole personality. That’s just not true. There are so many components that go into your birth chart, like puzzle pieces that all fit together to create who you are. There have been many times when I’ve asked one of my friends what their sign is and their immediate response was something along the lines of “oh, I’m a *blank*, but I don’t think I relate much to that sign.” That’s when I start deep diving and explaining their whole chart and how they may not feel like they connect with their sun sign because of what their moon and rising signs are. In the end, they all connect to each other.
In this article, I’m going to use my own chart as an example so it will be easier to understand. Each planet has a transit time, a ruling sign (where the planet holds the most influence), and what it symbolizes. Also, yes, the sun, the moon, and Pluto are included in my list of planets. Even though they aren’t considered planets, astrology is based on our perspective on earth and these 3 are considered bodies in space.
To start off, I’m a Sagittarius sun.
The Sun has a transit time of 1 month, which explains why we have 12 different signs in astrology. It rules Leo and symbolizes a person’s basic identity, consciousness, ego, and vitality. The sun sign is typically what a person is judged on because it helps give a basic understanding of why they do what they do.
Because my sun sign is Sagittarius, I am seen as an adventurer or known as the “teaching sign.” Sagittarius suns are also known for being honest, optimistic, and independent. We typically hold our passions in traveling, justice, and intellectual stimulation.
Next is the moon, where I have another Sagittarius placement.
The Moon has a transit time of just a few days, which explains why someone may have the same sun sign as you, but will have a completely different moon sign. The moon rules cancer and symbolizes a person’s unconscious thoughts, emotions, instincts, habits, and moods. It makes complete sense that the moon rules a water sign because water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) are seen as the most in touch with their emotions.
My moon sign is a fire sign, so it’s a bit of a juxtaposition due to the moon being seen as soft and full of emotion. My moon in Sagittarius means that, when it comes to my emotions and instincts, I am honest and uncompromising. It also means that I value my freedom and don’t like emotional neediness.
Following the moon, we have Mercury , and my placement lies in Scorpio.
Mercury has a transit time of 3-4 weeks and rules over two signs, Gemini and Virgo. Mercury symbolizes the intellect of a person and the reason that lies behind their mind. The planet also describes how a person communicates and relays their logic. My Scorpio placement means that I am very perceptive and rely a lot on my intuition and suspicions. It also means that I am attracted to mysteries and uncovering the reasons behind actions or words.
Next, we have the planet of love, Venus, where I hold a Capricorn placement.
Venus has a transit time of 4-5 weeks and rules Taurus and Libra. Like I said previously, Venus is seen as the planet of love and symbolizes attraction, relationships, and how a person perceives art, beauty, and harmony. Since I have Capricorn as my Venus placement, it means that I strive for loyalty and am typically seen as cautious when it comes to relationships, but I’m usually quick to feel attraction for someone. It also means that I strive for stability, whether that’s status stability, personal stability, or relationship stability. I want to know that whoever I’m going into my relationship with can offer me a safe space. This placement is a good balance to my Sagittarius placements which usually thrive on the unknown and having that freedom my Venus creates a need for grounding in romantic relations.
Then we have my Mars placement: Libra.
Mars has a transit time of 6-7 weeks and rules the sign, Aries. The planet Mars represents aggression, action, energy, achievements, independence, and desire. It typically represents how a person speaks and takes initiative in situations. Personally, I have a really bad placement for Mars, because having Mars in Libra means that you are rarely assertive and rely more on being persuasive. It completely juxtaposes the dominant nature of Mars. It also means that I am typically attracted to seductive types that can take the lead in relationships.
Now we let’s talk about Jupiter where I have a Gemini placement.
Jupiter has a 12-13 month transit, which means that many of your friends that have birthdays within a few months of your own may have the same Jupiter sign as you. Jupiter represents the process of human expansion in all the senses, physical, spiritual, material, and social. The planet describes how these types of experiences may occur. Once again, I have a bad placement for Jupiter. Since my Jupiter sign is Gemini, it means that I find expansion through new concepts. I am typically seen as talkative and a bit of a show-off or an exaggerator when it comes to explaining my abilities or new beliefs.
Following up, we have my Saturn placement: Taurus.
Saturn has a transit of 2-3 years, which is similar to Jupiter in the sense that many of your peers may have the same Saturn sign as you. Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn and represents structure, limitations, responsibility, and ambitions. My Saturn being in Taurus means that my feelings are very controlled and I will completely think out my advancements in my ambitions before I put them into action. It also means that I am persistent and hold a lot of expectations of myself.
Next, I will explain Uranus and how it pairs with my placement of Aquarius.
Uranus has a transit time of 7 years and rules the sign of Aquarius. Uranus represents unpredictable changes, rebellion, freedom, and breaking the ties to a high-level collective consciousness. Since my placement is the ruling sign for Uranus, it means that this planet has a strong influence on my chart. With Aquarius paired with Uranus, it means that people with this placement want to incite revolutions and strive for equality between all. Our thought processes are expansive and are typically seen as a new point of view. Uranus entered Aquarius in 1995 and stayed there until 2003 which is why you see so many of the younger generations putting actions to their thoughts and wanting to get more involved in making a change throughout the world.
Now we have the planet Neptune and my Aquarius placement.
Neptune has a 10-12 transit period and is ruled by Pisces. This planet represents inspiration, idealism, intuition, and spiritual substance. Neptune indicates how we work to develop our spirituality. With Aquarius being my placement for Neptune, I aspire to humanitarianism and want to make the world a better place, but there is a danger with this placement because it creates a sense of confusion between ideas and reality. Neptune is actually in fall with Aquarius so it loses its influence in your chart with this placement.
We’re almost done, I swear!
Next, we have Pluto, where I hold a Sagittarius placement.
Pluto has a 12-15 year transit and rules over the sign of Scorpio. It symbolizes death, power, rebirth, and sex. The planet explains how you show your power, leadership, and your capacity for change. Since my Pluto is in Sagittarius, it means that my sense of idealism is intense, and I believe that the old ways of thinking need to be changed.
Finally, we have your rising sign.
Your rising sign isn’t actually a planet but is completely based on the time and location of where you were born. It indicates the first sign that was on the horizon the moment you took your first breath. It represents the physical body and appearances, it also indicates the person you put out into the world. This is why a person may have a sun sign that you believe doesn’t fully match with them. My rising sign lies in Leo, and many are not surprised by this. This placement means that I not only attract attention, but I also love the attention and recognition people give me. Typically, Leo rising signs are seen as magnetic and stand out, whether it’s their charisma or their appearances. Although Leo risings are seen as creative and usually have talents in art, music, or acting,they are extremely competitive even in non-competitive settings. We are very prideful, impulsive, faithful, and tend to take risks. Leo risings also love the finer things of life, whether that’s clothes, food, or traveling.
Now that you have an idea of how much goes into your chart and how each placement has an influence on your personality, I hope you understand that your sun sign isn’t everything.
If you want to check out your chart and what kind of influence the planets have on you, I recommend either downloading Costar or Horos and checking out https://astro.cafeastrology.com.