Planets and Signs
The planets are what move relative to the stars. The stars are in groups of 30 degrees, which constitute what we call the signs. This places the planets in a sign. The planets are the energy, the signs are the qualities of how the energy will be expressed.
Here is an analogy; The planets are a ray of light, and the signs are like a colored glass. The planets will take on the flavor of that color in how it expresses its self. The area of our lives that this expression will occur will be in accordance to the house in the chart it is placed.
The sign that rises on the Eastern horizon is the Ascendant or the Rising (Lagna in Sanskrit), this is the 1st house. The 2nd house will be
Planets in Orbit in our Solar System
the next sign that follows in the zodiac continuing through all 12 signs in clockwise direction. They are the 12 houses in a chart. This sign is crucial because it sets up the entire framework of your life, what areas of life your planets will be in. Read more about what each house stand for here…
Once the houses are set the planets are placed in these houses according to the exact degrees within each of the signs they were at the time of birth. There are 7 planets or grahas (Sun/Moon-the lights, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) plus the lunar nodes(Rahu and Ketu) that Vedic astrologers use.
Graha means “to grasp“, which implies the planets take hold of us, or possess us. Each plant has specific meanings and certain energy. They rule over different parts of our lives, things, and people. The signs the planets are in will flavor the way it expresses itself. Aside from the sign a planet is in each planet rules a sign. Each of the 5 planets will rule 2 signs. The Sun and Moon (lights) each rule 1 sign (Sun rules Leo and Moon rules Cancer). The outer planets were not discovered when the Vedic texts were written therefore do not have rulership over any signs. They simply exert their force on the house that they cohabit with others. They are intruders with no kinship.
Rahu and Ketu are not actually planets, but rather the points on the ecliptic that the Moon crosses in its passage ascending the ecliptic (Rahu) and descending the ecliptic (Ketu). They do not have rulership either. The nodes of the Moon are considered malefic due to their ability to cause eclipses. The natural malefic (trouble makers) planets are Saturn, Mars, Rahu, Ketu and Sun. The natural benefic (good) planets are Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, and Moon. But in its fall/debilitation, the good can also do bad for the natives. For eg, Mercury in its retrograde can cause more havoc than Saturn itself.
The planets will all be in signs and houses in your chart. Because each planet rules a sign, then the houses, according to the sign the house is in, will be ruled by the planet that rules that sign.
Example: If the 1st House is Aries, then because Mars is the planet that rules Aries the ruler of the 1st house will be Mars. Then wherever Mars is placed in the chart (meaning the house Mars is in) will greatly influence the house it rules. The planets in the houses are like the tenets of that house, and the ruler of the house is like the landlord.
The Various Planets are and their characteristics in each house/bhava is as follows;
Planet Sun: Surya Bhagwan | Planet Moon: Chandra Bhagwan | Planet Jupiter: Guru Bhagwan/Brihaspati | Planet Mercury: Budh Bhagwan | Planet Venus: Shukra Bhagwan | Planet Mars: Kuja Bhagwan | Planet Saturn: Shani Bhagwan| North Node: Rahu| South Node: Ketu
