Learn Astrology > Planets & Moons Nodes in Your Natal Chart or Horoscope
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In this step 2 of the learn astrology guide to your natal chart, you will learn about the planets & moons nodes.
Planets in Astrology
The planets in astrology include the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto as well as more recently discovered planetoids such as Chiron, accepted now by many of the more modern astrologers. Astrologers include the Sun and Moon (luminaries) in planets for convenience.The Moons north and south nodes are also included as planets although they are not tangible bodies, but two opposite points in space where the moons monthly journey around the Earth, crosses the annual path of the Sun, the ecliptic.
The planets in astrology are not there by coincidence but as part of some greater universal order. As such they each represent a principle of the universe which is also to be found in a similar way within the attributes of the individual human being and are drivers that underlie human behaviour; a persons strengths, their capacity to love, to need etc.
The positions of the planets are plotted on a natal chart from the perspective of earth and are the factors that make a natal chart unique as their positions are different every day.
Planetary Energy Force
Each planetary body represents a particular energy force in the world. This is backed up by many years of observation, literature, mythology and indeed words in common use in our language. For example, planet Mars was always known as the god of war and strength, the colour red epitomised energy and sexuality. Words like; "martial" derive from it and are associated with a military order. Mercury, on the other hand, was always seen as a force of communication because of how quickly it moved and hence it's nickname; "quicksilver" and the word; "mercurial" meaning changeable. In mythology, planet Mercury was the messenger of the Gods. Planet Jupiter, on the other hand, gave rise to words like; "Jovial" as it is an enormous gas giant with many orbiting moons, it was always deemed as an expansive, positive, lucky force. Indeed many times the earth has been saved from meteors by Jupiter absorbing them on to it's surface.
As the planets epitomise these energy forces, so does the individual have those principles within his nature. Some of us are larger than life like planet Jupiter, others great communicators like planet Mercury and some great athletes and soldiers or even despots as epitomised by the Martian principle.
Inner Personal Planets
Every planet orbits the sun at a different speed, going slower and slower the farther they are from the sun. Planets visible to the naked eye; the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars and Venus are the closest "inner" planets and move quickly through the zodiac. As a result they affect your day-to-day life therefore are the "personal" planets.
Outer Transpersonal Planets
The invisible "outer" or "transpersonal" planets; Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto, move slowly changing signs every one to fifteen years. As a result, they shape the bigger trends in your life. Neptune, Uranus and Pluto are said to shape entire generations as they orbit the sun so slowly.
Retrograde Movement
The planets, except luminaries (the Sun and Moon), sometimes appear to move backwards in the sky as though reversing in orbit. This phenomenon is known as retrogradation. On an astrological chart, a retrograde planet is marked with an "R". Its effect is to reflect karmic stumbing blocks or to turn energies inwards - the energy of a retrograde planet can most easily be harnessed at the point when it turns.
History
In ancient times, only the first seven planets were recognised, as they were the only ones perceivable to the naked eye. These were; The Sun, The Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Perhaps that is why the number seven was symbolic in ancient cultures. As well as the seven planets we have; the seven days of the week, the seven colours of the rainbow, the seven notes in music, the seven days of creation in the bible stories, the seven seas, the seven chakras, the lower seven sefirot of the Kabbalah.
Our own days of the week are named after each of these seven planetary bodies - the French translation is given in brackets where it's not obvious in English; Sunday - Sun, Monday - Moon, Tuesday - Mars (Mardi), Wednesday - Mercury (Mercredi), Thursday - Jupiter (Jeudi - comes from Jove or Jupiter), Friday - Venus (Vendredi), Saturday - Saturn.
Saturn was always considered the edge of the solar system, it's rings representing a barrier that could not be passed. However in 1781, Uranus was unexpectedly discovered through a telescope, followed by Neptune in 1846 and by Pluto in 1930. There are now ten planets in astrology (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) as well as the more recently discovered planetoids such as Chiron accepted now by many of the more modern astrologers.
You can learn about each planet in astrology from the corresponding pages in this section.
Moons Nodes
The Moons nodes are not tangible bodies, they are two opposite points in space where the moons monthly journey around the Earth, crosses the annual path of the Sun (the ecliptic). The nodes move backwards through the zodiac and complete a retrograge cycle every 18 to 19 years. Whenever the Sun or Moon moves close to the nodes, they create an eclipse.
In astrology, the Moons nodes embody the drive for evolution. They mark a complex interaction between the Earth, Sun and Moon and to interpret the meaning, both zodiac sign and house placements in the natal chart need to be considered.
Moons North Node
| Glyph | 
The glyph represents the dragons head |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Life purpose, destiny, evolution, latent potential, choices |
The Moons north node is the life path destiny and is what must be done to fulfil the purpose of the soul. At the beginning of the journey, the soul must pick up the innate talents from the past from the south node and bring them into action into the service of the north node.
Moons South Node
| Glyph | 
The glyph represents the dragons tail |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Innate abilities, karma, survival, ingrained reponses |