Mars

This masculine planet of action brings intensity to wherever it goes. Mars takes
about two years to circle the Sun and in that time it is retrograde for a few
weeks, enough for the warrior in us all to reassess our battle plans. Mars is the
ruling planet of Aries and Scorpio. Those born under the sign of the Ram are always
moving forward and have little time to reminisce. The Scorpion is a sign of intense
dedication to victory, demanding loyalty all the way.

Saturn
Saturn is the only planet to rule two contiguous zodiac signs. It rules Capricorn
and is the ancient ruler of Aquarius. Saturn takes about twenty-eight and a half
years to circle the zodiac, visiting each zodiac sign for about two and a half
years. Saturn is the planet of limitations, perhaps unsurprisingly being the last
planet visible in the sky to the naked eye from Earth. Capricorn and Aquarius are
opposite Cancer and Leo, and therefore Saturn completes the planetary rulership
cycle by opposing the brightest lights in our sky. Saturn is thus ruling the
darkest months of the year in the northern hemisphere. Capricorn is the sign of
status and the Goat seeks to know his or her place in the world, operating freely
when these boundaries of social convention and possibility are apparent. Aquarians
are lovers of people and the crowd, the mass media and the popular trends, but are
aloof on an individual level of interaction, mirroring the stern distance
maintained by Saturn's watchful eye.

The Moon
The zodiac sign of Cancer is ruled by the Moon. This is the only sign in the zodiac
that sees its ruler visiting once every month. Our ocean's tides and many of our
life's cycles are based on the rhythms of the Moon. The zodiac sign of Cancer is
the one part of the zodiac that is obsessed with security. Those born under the
sign of the Crab love being at home, prefer a feeling of security and consistency,
and have an intuitive grasp of carving out their own territory in the world.

The Sun
The Sun rules the zodiac sign of Leo. The Sun is the most consistent measure of
time in the zodiac. The Sun visits the same spot that it occupied at the moment of
your birth in one-year intervals. This consistency is the basis of our calendar and
many other divisions of time. The zodiac sign of the Lion lives up to the billing
of the Sun. A person born under the sign of Leo has a huge self-image, a fiery
intensity and a consistency of drive and personality.

Mercury
The planet Mercury rules two signs: Gemini and Virgo. Mercury moves around the
zodiac so quickly that, as it makes its away around the Sun ahead of us, it appears
to be moving backwards at times. The three annual periods of Mercury Retrograde
allow us all to review our accomplishments, and throw enough chaos into our plans
that those ruled by Mercury learn to be the best improvisers. The zodiac sign of
the Twins, Gemini, emulates the communication dominance of the planet Mercury.
Virgo is the zodiac sign of information and reflects Mercury's organizational
nature. Those born under the sign of Gemini learn to talk about what they are
thinking and feeling as a means of expression. Virgos take control of their world
by establishing hierarchies that they alone understand.

Venus
Venus rules art, beauty and most of all, love. Venus moves around the zodiac in
about eleven months, but over a two-year period it has one stretch of a retrograde
that can last almost two months at times. This is the pause that inspires the
artist and the lover inside � Venus is the muse for us all. It is the ruling planet
of Libra and Taurus. These two signs seem to have little in common, but their
personalities reflect the two sides of the Venusian coin. The Taurus revels in the
beauty of acquiring art objects, jewelry and dining on delicious meals. The Libra
loves the sophistication represented by the art world, the elegance of fashion and
the love expressed in a good time over a nice dinner.

Jupiter
The largest planet in the solar system is the ruler of all big things, expansions
and excess. Taking twelve years to move through the zodiac, it stays in each sign
for about a year. Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius and the ancient ruler
of Pisces, a sign over which it still holds sway. Sagittarians love a good time and
a good gamble, while Pisceans are prone to grand visions of the way life should be,
each sign reflecting the nature of Jupiter, named after the Roman king of the gods.

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto

These three planets were unknown to the ancients, but upon their discovery,
astrologers sought to make connections between each planet and one of the signs.
Uranus was determined to be the planet of uprisings and revolutions, being
discovered around the time of the French Revolution and just after the American
Revolution. It was assigned rulership over Aquarius. Neptune was discovered in the
middle of the nineteenth century and was observed to have a strong connection to
photography and strong drink, illusions and the birth of psychoanalysis. It was
assigned rulership over Pisces. Pluto was discovered in 1930 and is connected to
secret sources of power, a perfect complement to the zodiac sign of Scorpio.