Planets, Signs, & Houses
If you haven’t yet noticed, the tagline on this website is “you are more than your sun sign.” Due to this website having a great deal of content about astrology, there’s a reason why. Every single person’s natal astrological chart reflects not only their sun sign, but all twelve signs and each of the ten planets.
There’s still so much more to astrology than simply the signs and planets, however. There are also the twelve houses. Both the houses and the planets are connected to specific zodiac signs. Although there are many other subjects to be discussed in astrology, this post will focus on the connections between houses, signs, and planets.
Before you can walk, you must first crawl, they say. With that being said, before we can understand the connections between the signs, planets, and houses, it’s essential to have some knowledge of each category individually. Therefore, let’s take a brief look at all three. This will help us to gain more clarity when diving into the astrological connections between them.
The Planets: Overview
In astrology, we consider ten planets as planets rather than the usual nine that are recognized in science. Although Pluto is a dwarf planet, astrologers consider Pluto a planet. Therefore, these ten planets are the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
We refer to the Sun and the Moon as luminaries. While all the planets in our solar system revolve around the Sun, the Moon revolves around Earth, which also revolves around the Sun. It is both the work of the Sun and the Moon that exert the influence of gravity on Earth, with the Moon being a force that affects the ocean’s tides and all other water on our planet.
Mercury, Venus, and Mars are known as the personal planets, as their orbits are quickly moving. Jupiter and Saturn are gaseous planets with orbits taking a bit longer than the personal planets. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are known in astrology as generational planets because their orbits move much slower than the previous five planets.
Each planet has its own symbolic meaning as follows:
| Planet | Symbolic Interpretation |
| Sun | Self, Ego, & Personal Identity |
| Moon | Inner Self, Subconscious, & Emotions |
| Mercury | Thoughts, Communication, & Movement |
| Venus | Affection, Love, & Beauty |
| Mars | Attitude, Aggression, & Willpower |
| Jupiter | Luck, Expansion, & Wisdom |
| Saturn | Responsibility, Restriction, & Structure |
| Uranus | Innovation, Eccentricity, & Futuristic |
| Neptune | Dreams, Idealism, & Fantasy |
| Pluto | Transformation, Sex, & Death |
The Zodiac Signs: Overview
Although we have at least eighty-eight constellations in our galaxy, twelve of them are recognized in astrology. This is due to the Sun moving through them during its orbit. These twelve constellations are the very well-known zodiac signs.
Each zodiac sign has its own set of characteristics, setting them apart from one another. While they’re also categorized into elements and qualities, not a single sign shares both the same element and the same quality. For example, while Gemini is an air sign, its quality is mutable. Libra is also an air sign, but its quality, however, is cardinal.
The table below shows an incredibly basic overview of each zodiac sign’s characteristics:
| Sign | Symbolic Interpretation |
| Aries | Willpower, Leadership, & Arrogance |
| Taurus | Stability, Patience, & Laziness |
| Gemini | Adaptable, Clever, & Flighty |
| Cancer | Affectionate, Nurturing, & Neurotic |
| Leo | Fun, Talented, & Prideful |
| Virgo | Skilled, Organized, & Uptight |
| Libra | Social, Friendly, & Passive-Aggressive |
| Scorpio | Emotionally Intelligent, Deep, & Intense |
| Sagittarius | Philosophical, Accepting, & Naive |
| Capricorn | Ambitious, Focused, & Cold |
| Aquarius | Innovative, Unique, & Calculating |
| Pisces | Dreamy, Spiritual, & Sensitive |
The Houses: Overview
The Astrological houses involve a bit more complexity, as they’re not as widely known and understood by society. While it is common knowledge that the planets and signs exist, considering they’re often referred to and have a physical location, the houses do not. Thus, the houses are somewhat of a map and do not exist on a physical level.
The Astrological Wheel & Houses
While the planets move clockwise, the constellations remain in place, not moving. The houses metaphorically move counter-clockwise. This idea can be traced back to the beginnings of humanity and our early observations of the sky.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, appearing to move across the sky. As the Earth rotates from west to east, the planets appear to move from east to west. Astrologers created a model that reflects this observation, arranging the house’s movement into a counter-clockwise manner to align with the daily motion of celestial bodies.
The Houses
The houses represent a couple of different things, which are critical to note. Firstly, they are the places in our lives where certain aspects of our personality can be highlighted. For example, having our natal Sun in the seventh house can indicate that relationships are highly significant to us, if not the most important, and even cherished, aspect of our lives.
Another representation of the houses is time. The first house signifies our birth. The fourth house, for example, oftentimes points to our childhood home. The fifth house is sometimes thought of being about our teenage years. The sixth is when we begin to become a bit more responsible, while the seventh is when we begin to search for a companion.
Just like the planets and the signs, the houses also have their own interpretations, which can be distinguished from one another as follows:
| House | Symbolic Interpretation |
| 1st House | Persona, Appearance, & Birth |
| 2nd House | Finances, Materials, & Values |
| 3rd House | Early Education, Communication, & Speech |
| 4th House | Housing, Personal Life, & Childhood Home |
| 5th House | Children, Pleasure, & Recreation |
| 6th House | Cleanliness, Health, & Pets |
| 7th House | Partnerships, Relationships, & Integration |
| 8th House | Possessions, Sex Life, & Loss |
| 9th House | Wisdom, Higher Education, & Life Lessons |
| 10th House | Career, Reputation, & Goals |
| 11th House | Community, Groups, & Affiliations |
| 12th House | Secrets, Institutions, & Reflection |
Astrological Connections
Now that we have a basic understanding of each of the signs, planets, and houses, we can move on to making connections between them. The explanation for these connections is due to something called “rulers.” While each house is ruled by a sign, all the individual signs are ruled by a planet.
If you haven’t noticed, there are twelve zodiac signs, as well as twelve houses. The first zodiac sign is Aries, while Pisces is the final sign. Therefore, Aries rules the first house and Pisces rules the twelfth house.
Aries and the Spring Equinox
In case you’re wondering, Aries is considered the first sign for a couple of reasons. One of those reasons is that Aries is associated with the spring equinox, which occurs while the sun is in Aries. This marks the ending of winter and the beginning of spring, embodying initiation, leadership, and beginnings.
Likewise, the first house shows us the beginnings of our life and the story of our birth. This is when our parents and the world first lays eyes upon us, which is why it’s linked to our appearance. As a result, this house also represents our ego and persona, helping us to form a sense of identity as an individual among the rest of the world.
The Rulers
To understand the connections between the signs, planets, and houses, we first must discuss the rulers. A ruler, in astrology, is something that rules over something else. It’s where a thing has dominion over another thing.
So, the houses are each ruled by a zodiac sign. Next, the signs are ruled by planets. Lastly, the planets do not have rulers.
Again, the planets rule the signs and the signs rule the houses. While the planets have no rulers, the houses, on the other hand, do not rule anything. In short, the planets that have no rulers rule the signs, while the signs rule the houses that rule nothing.
We can look at this as Planets>Signs>Houses, or Houses<Signs<Planets.
Signs Ruling Houses
As we discussed earlier, there are twelve signs and twelve houses. As Aries is the first sign, it governs the first house. Naturally, this means that the first house and Aries will share some commonalities. This is the case with each sign and house.
For example, while the tenth house is about reputation and career, Capricorn that rules the tenth house is known for its ambition. Usually, for one to have a career, they must also have ambition. While Scorpio is the sign of intensity and having an ability to penetrate into other’s depths, these experiences can be seen in the eighth house of transformation.
| House | Is Ruled by the Sign |
| 1st House | Aries |
| 2nd House | Taurus |
| 3rd House | Gemini |
| 4th House | Cancer |
| 5th House | Leo |
| 6th House | Virgo |
| 7th House | Libra |
| 8th House | Scorpio |
| 9th House | Sagittarius |
| 10th House | Capricorn |
| 11th House | Aquarius |
| 12th House | Pisces |
Planets Ruling Signs
Next, we have planets that rule each of the signs. Now, there are twelve houses and twelve signs, making it easy to line signs and houses up. There are only ten planets in astrology, however. Naturally, this means that two planets will rule two different signs.
Mercury rules the signs Gemini and Virgo. Venus rules the signs Taurus and Libra. All other planets rule only a single sign.
Also, you may notice that the planets that rule the signs are not in the order that we’re generally used to in science class, with the Sun being first and Pluto being last. The is because the planets do not remain in a particular order for long, as they’re always moving. Not to mention, each one moves at a different pace.
What does remain in place is the signs, as the constellations are fixed. When we look at the order, we use the signs as references rather than the planets for that reason. Here too, we begin with Aries.
| Zodiac Sign | Is Ruled by the Planet |
| Aries | Mars |
| Taurus | Venus |
| Gemini | Mercury |
| Cancer | Moon |
| Leo | Sun |
| Virgo | Mercury |
| Libra | Venus |
| Scorpio | Pluto |
| Sagittarius | Jupiter |
| Capricorn | Saturn |
| Aquarius | Uranus |
| Pisces | Neptune |
Planets Ruling Signs that Rule Houses
Lastly, we make connections between the planets, signs, and houses by placing the signs in the middle. The reason for this is that, again, planets have no rulers and houses do not rule. So, in truth, the signs are connected to both houses and planets, while the houses and planets are not directly connected.
It would, therefore, be incorrect to say that the planets rule the houses. This is not the case as Mars has little to do with the first house. Although Mars does rule Aries and Aries rules the first house, Mars still doesn’t rule the first house.
| This House is Ruled By | This Sign, Which | Is Ruled by this Planet |
| 1st House | Aries | Mars |
| 2nd House | Taurus | Venus |
| 3rd House | Gemini | Mercury |
| 4th House | Cancer | Moon |
| 5th House | Leo | Sun |
| 6th House | Virgo | Mercury |
| 7th House | Libra | Venus |
| 8th House | Scorpio | Pluto |
| 9th House | Sagittarius | Jupiter |
| 10th House | Capricorn | Saturn |
| 11th House | Aquarius | Uranus |
| 12th House | Pisces | Neptune |
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