How Astrology Works Pt.4, To every sign there is a planet - Pairing Aries-Scorpio, Taurus-Libra, Gemini-Virgo, Cancer-Leo, Sagittarius-Pisces, and Capricorn-Aquarius.

by Robert Wilkinson

Though I've briefly touched on this in other articles, one of the most important factors in knowing what's going on for us yesterday, today, and tomorrow is what sign our "ruling" planet is in, what phase of that sign, and even what degree. This obscure but crucial factor can quickly and easily show us what we're going through, and how to best deal with whatever challenges or breakthroughs we're experiencing.

From times of antiquity, the seven visible "planets" (including the Sun and Moon) supposedly "ruled" the 12 signs. Each planet was given rulership of two signs except the Sun and Moon, resulting in the following system: Moon rules Cancer, Sun rules Leo, Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter rules Pisces and Sagittarius, and Saturn rules Aquarius and Capricorn. Even with the discovery of the invisible outer triad of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, the ancient rulerships do not change. The "invisibles" rule the invisible world of different signs, whereas the visible planets rule the various departments of our three dimensional world of forms.

Thus for Leos, the sign the Sun is in matters greatly, if they are to understand what they're going through and why. The same for Cancers and the Moon, Geminis and Mercury, Tauruses and Venus, and so forth. For example, when Leo's ruler, the Sun, is in Aries, Leos experience an Aries focus. When the Sun moves through Taurus, Leo will take on Taurus energy. To take it further, because Aries is the 9th house from Leo, Leo people focus on 9th house affairs when the Sun is in Aries. So right now, Leos are focusing on the future, the big picture, or philosophical truths, since all of these are associated with the 9th house.

Beginning April 19th this year, when the Sun goes into Taurus, Leos will focus more on 10th house affairs, since Taurus is the 10th house from Leo. All Leos will go through a high profile phase of professional and/or personal fulfillment, and see the flowers of past effort dominate the landscape of their lives. When the Sun goes into Gemini, Leos will often seem more Geminian than usual, and be focused on relationships and communications, as well as friends, goals, ambitions, or forms of world service.

That's why it's important for anyone with Cancer planets or Ascendant in their chart to learn about the Moon and what sign it's in. Cancer is more sensitive to the Moon than any other sign, and since the Moon changes signs every two to three days, Cancers feel more changeable than the other signs. Its nature, being "moveable water," also contributes to this quality. Those who approach practical astrology from the angle of the Moon and its changes often see and know things that other more scholarly astrologers miss. I knew a person whose only astrological knowledge was her ability to track the Moon and its changes, and she was able to see much larger recurring patterns of what happened when the Moon was in certain signs, and anticipate accordingly. All very practical and mundane, but very important nonetheless.

Even though Cancer and Leo are ruled by different "lights," they should be seen as a duo, since the Moon can only reflect the captured light of the Sun. Each month the light of a sign is captured by the Moon transitting through all the signs, yielding 144 Sun-Moon combinations that are brilliantly discussed in Grant Lewi's pioneering masterpiece, "Heaven Knows What."

At this time, Geminis and Virgos are having an Aries experience, since their ruler Mercury is in Aries. They're also having a retrograde experience since Mercury is retrograde. Geminis and Virgos are in a time of reviewing new beginnings, fresh starts, and how they really want to express the "true self," at least this updated version of it. Geminis are focused on friendships, goal, ambitions, and how to initiate a form of group work. Virgos are in a regeneration phase involving learning from loss, or gaining power and knowledge out of an old defeat, reviewing past relationships issues, or getting a new look at what motivates a partner. Both Gemini and Virgo may be more impulsive, brusque, or argumentative during this time. Both tribes will mellow somewhat when Mercury goes into Taurus, but they could also have money issues or become too stubborn or self-satisfied in ways that reinforce inertia rather than the new beginnings they're experiencing.

Taurus and Libra are moving from having Aries traits and qualities toward more Taurus ways of being, since Venus shifts from Aries to Taurus this month, putting Venus back into its own sign. Both Taurus and Libra are ruled by Venus, so things solidify this month for these signs. Taurus is moving from beginnings to finding what is needed to support its new outreach. Also, Taurus moves from a contempletive endgame phase into new self-realizations about what drives their boat. Libra moves out of their Aries focus on relationships into a Taurus regeneration phase. Libras at this time must give up whatever is creating stagnant conditions, seeing old losses as teaching needed lessons about equalness, impulsiveness, or values.

Aries and Scorpio are currently having an Aquarius experience, since their ruler Mars is in Aquarius. Both signs are seeing a greater vision right now, and having to focus on the greatest good for the greatest number. Since Aquarius is the sign of friendships, groups, and world service, Aries and Scorpio planets and people are being modified by this influence. Aries are doubly focused on how to bring forth a larger sense of service or friendship, while Scorpios are getting grounded, initiating new family or home activities, have friends in the home, or getting more detached from the past. Both Aries and Scorpio may seem more cool or distant right now, but this will give way to the deeper feelings of Pisces when Mars goes into Pisces at the end of this month.

Sagittarius and Pisces are having a Libra experience, since their ruler Jupiter is in Libra. They also are having a retrograde experience for the near future, since Jupiter is retrograde until June 5, 2005. The Libra influence indicates that Sag and Pisces people and planets are going through a balancing act, a weighing, judging, and refining process, trying to find the perfect proportion, perspective, or style in which to project their light. Indecisiveness and idealism are both highly valued at present.

Both Sag and Pisces will seem more Libran with Sag examining group work, friendship, and world service issues (much like Aries and Gemini above) and Pisces going through a loss and regeneration phase (like Virgos and Libras above). Sag and Pisces will seem more Scorpionic, and go through Scorpio lessons and experiences, when Jupiter starts its year-long stay in Scorpio beginning October 25-26, 2005.

Capricorns and Aquarians are moving out of a long range Cancer influence this July into a long range Leo influence when their ruler Saturn changes signs. Both Capricorns and Aquarians will move from introversion to extroversion, sensitivity to spontaneity, tenativeness to self-expression. If your Capricorn and Aquarius family and friends have been more touchy or stay-at-home these past two years, you'll see them go through pretty radical changes beginning this summer.

Capricorns will continue to revise many relationship attitudes, and need to cultivate nobility, creativity, and playfulness without clutching at a past that's already done. Aquarians are coming out of a long term work-to-survive mode, and will soon confront a new way to be natural and spontaneous in relationships. Whereas both signs have been very focused on home and family while their ruler has been in Cancer, that will change dramatically when Saturn moves into Leo on July 16, 2005. It should bring more creativity to Aquarians in their work, though strongly competing interests will come forth late in the year for both signs, due to the aspects their ruler Saturn is going through at that time. But that's another article for another time.

© Copyright 2006 Robert Wilkinson. Last update: 8/27/2006; 10:52:56 AM.