In my last blog post, I talked about the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars). In this post, I am going to talk about the “outer planets.”
There are five outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. These planets have orbits which lie beyond the asteroid belt, and may also be known as Jovian planets or gas giants (with the exception of Pluto).
Outer planets move slower, staying in signs from 1-32 years. As such, they have less to do with our day-to-day lives, and more to do with major trends and the undercurrents which run through our lives, like luck, fear, and inspiration. They also have more of an impact on the collective, with some planets ruling entire generations and being associated with societal movements.
Let’s take a trip around the solar system!
Jupiter
Ruler: Sagittarius/Pisces
Exalted: Cancer
Detriment: Gemini/Virgo
Fall: Capricorn
Tarot Card: Temperance
Because Jupiter is the largest planet, it was named for the king of the Roman gods – in Roman times, size mattered.
Because it’s the biggest planet in our solar system, it’s associated with expansion. Its placement can provide insight into where our natural talents lie, where we will be luckiest, and ultimately where and how we will be successful/experience ultimate growth. It can also govern our attitude towards other cultures, and how open-minded we are.
On the flip side, Jupiter is a bit of a hedonist. When too pronounced, it can lead to toxic positivity, naivety, and irresponsibility.
Jupiter’s orbit is 12 years, staying in each sign for one year.
Saturn
Ruler: Capricorn/Aquarius
Exalted: Libra
Detriment: Cancer/Leo
Fall: Aries
Tarot Card: The Devil
No-nonsense Saturn was named after the Roman god of agriculture and wealth. Saturn was also the father of Jupiter, and this planet carries serious paternal energy (or basically whichever one of your parents was the ‘bad cop’).
Saturn is known as the planet of responsibility. In our charts, it tells us what we feel responsible for, where our self-discipline lies, and how we impose structure in our lives.
Saturn also deals with our limitations and insecurities. It can tell us where in our lives we allow fear to drive the bus. When Saturn is opposed or square to our sun, moon, or personal planets, it can be a major source of pain (I will talk about what oppositions, squares and other aspects mean in a later blog).
Saturn’s orbit is 29 years, and it stays in each sign for 2.5 years.
Uranus
Ruler: Aquarius
Exalted: Scorpio
Detriment: Leo
Fall: Taurus
Tarot Card: The Star
Uranus was named after the Greek god of heaven, or Father Sky. This is where things get weird: Uranus married his mother, Gaea, and fathered the rest of the Greek Gods.
True to form, Uranus is a weird, weird planet. It governs freedom, technology, and generally erratic things. In our charts, Uranus tells us where our unconventional streak lives, in which aspects of our lives we shirk social norms, and how we express our unique individuality. Basically, Uranus represents where we need the freedom to live outside the box.
Because Uranus stays in each sign for seven years (with an 84-year orbit) and is associated with freedom, its often associated with social movements.
Neptune
Ruler: Pisces
Exalted: Cancer
Detriment: Virgo
Fall: Capricorn
Tarot Card: The Moon
Neptune was named after the god of the seas. And just like the underwater world, Neptune’s perspective is a bit dreamy.
Neptune represents the things that can’t be readily observed. It’s the planet of illusion, dreams, and spirituality. The placement of Neptune can tell us where our intuition lies, what our idea of a perfect world is, and what we fantasize about.
On the flipside, Neptune is associated with delusion, escapism, porous boundaries, and substance abuse. The dreamworld can become dark when it swallows us completely.
Neptune’s orbit is 165 years, and it stays in each sign for 14 years.
Pluto
Ruler: Scorpio
Exalted: Leo
Detriment: Taurus
Fall: Aquarius
Tarot Card: Death
With a rulership in Scorpio, it’s not a surprise that Pluto was named after the god of the underworld (Hades in Greek mythology).
Pluto rules power and transformation, and power through transformation. Think: from the ashes rises the phoenix. In our chart, Pluto’s placement can tell us where we get our power from and how we use it, where our obsessions lie, and where we can experience total transformation. Pluto represents the power to both create and destroy, and it can tell us what about ourselves or our lives must ‘die’ for something else to be ‘born.’
Pluto has an odd orbit, staying in signs for between 11-32 years. In total, its orbit is 248 years. It has been associated with major social movements and revolutions.
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