By: Lio Salazar, Features Contributor
Two weeks ago, I briefly touched on what a person’s “Big Three” placements are and what they mean. Here’s the recap: your sun sign is who you are at your core, your moon is how you process your emotions and your rising is how people perceive you. The rest of the placements in a person’s birth chart are named after Roman gods and the planets in the solar system (and, legend and icon Pluto, of course). To understand each placement, you have to consider the traits of each sign in your birth chart.
The next planet in a chart is a person’s Mercury. Named after the messenger of the gods, this sign determines how you communicate with others. It also relates to how people express themselves and think. This planet is in tune with the mind, and a good indicator of how you learn. A person whose Mercury is in Virgo may have a more analytical, diligent, and precise intellect. They might be more nitpicky than others when it comes to learning and paying attention to detail.
Following that is a person’s Venus. Named after the goddess of love and attraction, this planet deals with how we experience love, attraction and how we appreciate what we find aesthetically pleasing. Someone with a Libra Venus can be romantic, want a fair relationship and be a tad eager to please.
Mars determines how a person is driven and their motivation. Mars is the god of war, so sometimes this is called the planet of aggression. In reality, it’s how a person asserts themselves, takes action and expresses their ambition. People with a Scorpio Mars assert their boundaries rather seriously. They’re pretty one-track-minded people, and when they want something done, they’ll get it done.
Each chart placement moves at its own rate. Sun moves signs approximately every thirty days, Moon every two and a half days, and Rising a whopping two hours. Mercury moves signs every three to four months, Venus about every thirty days, and Mars about every two months. The latter half of the birth chart, however, moves a bit slower than the former.
Jupiter changes signs every year and is named after the god of the sky. This placement is what determines our views on optimism: it’s also the planet associated with expansion, promotion of growth and self-improvement. A person with Jupiter in Sagittarius means that they show more courage, energy and self-respect when it comes to working on themselves.
Saturn being a titan of time only moves signs every 28 and a half years, and this placement rules over boundaries, fears, responsibility and self-discipline. It determines how you coach yourself through tough decisions and how you approach difficult challenges in life. Capricorn Saturns take their personal responsibilities quite seriously, and planning things is very important to them.
Funny names aside, Uranus is the planet in charge of how we innovate and progress our lives and how we rebel against things we don’t agree with. It’s the planet in charge of how we deal with and handle our independence. This planet moves every seven years, so it influences a whole generation rather than individuals. People with Aquarius as their Uranus placement are typically detached and unconventional when it comes to change.
Neptune is the god of the sea, and the planet that deals with how we deal with our unconscious decisions, imaginations, and delusions. This planet moves every 14 years, so it is another generational planet. People with their Neptune in Pisces may deal with their unconscious thoughts creatively and empathetically and are pretty easygoing.
The last placement in a person’s birth chart is Pluto. Named after the god of the underworld, this planet can stay in a single sign for up to 30 years. Pluto rules over a person’s control, intensity, obsession and power. It’s also in charge of how we deal with transformation, and if a person were to have their Pluto in Aries, they may be more bold, passionate and stubborn.
There are a lot of nuances in a person’s birth chart, but there are so many hidden details that can help reveal aspects of an individual’s personality.
The last placement in a person’s birth chart is Pluto. Named after the god of the underworld, this planet can stay in a single sign for up to 30 years. Pluto rules over a person’s control, intensity, obsession and power. It’s also in charge of how we deal with transformation, and if a person were to have their Pluto in Aries, they may be more bold, passionate and stubborn.
There are a lot of nuances in a person’s birth chart, but there are so many hidden details that can help reveal aspects of an individual’s personality.