The symbol of the astrological planet of Saturn shows the broken circle representing both the intellectual and the emotional halves of the polarized, individualized soul. The broken circle rests beneath the cross of matter. This demonstrates that the energies of the planet Saturn are those where material considerations dominate those of a purely mental or intuitive character, although these things are always present.
In many ways, Saturn's energies are opposite those of Uranus. Saturn is the stern, conservative, tradition father to Uranus's rebellious child. As its symbol suggests, Saturn is like an anchor, used to prevent us from drifting from where we should be. But Saturn will keep us tied down in one spot for as long as we take to learn each practical lesson about functioning in the cold, hard, real world. In order to when when to release us from its latest discipline, Saturn tests us with ordeals that are appropriate to the lessons we need to learn. Although this provides a valuable service to us, we usually respond very much like children we are being taught something for their own good. Saturn rules structure in general, as well as the bones, teeth, and the knees. It also rules our sense of hearing and our ability to understand.
Some of the qualities of Saturn include: structure, understanding, permanence, tradition, conservation, maturity, fear, caution, responsibility, realism, understanding rules and limits, authority, material concerns, discipline, concern, obligations, teaching, testing, concentration, and enduring restriction.
The symbol of the astrological planet of Uranus shows the circle of the spirit with a dot in the middle, representing confusion and the desire for change. The cross of matter, altered into an arrow, tops the circle. In the glyph representing Uranus, we can see the symbol for Mars, the planet of energy, desire, and willpower. But Mars is interrupted by the single dot, tempered, held back. Venus, the planet of love and pleasure, can be seen if you invert the sigil. Venus is standing on her head, symbolizing a love for the unusual and the extreme.
The explosive flash that is the Uranian energy occurs when tension results from experiencing extremes of pure mind and pure feelings. These two feelings years to be united and synthesized so that they can function productively in a world where nothing exists without its opposite. But an individual with a strong Uranian influence has to learn when to release the spark. All too often, he or she functions at one extreme end of the scale and the result is an uncontrolled and usually destructive explosion that occurs out of the blue. Revolutionaries are Uranian in nature, but so are humanitarians, such as Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite and the founder of the Nobel Prize.
Uranus is the planet of the unusual and the extreme. It represents the energy that wants to keep our life new and exciting. If you try to promote newness and excitement in our lives, Uranus will support that in every way. However, if we try to keep things the way they have always been, Uranus tends to break in and bring newness and excitement, but in most unpleasant forms. Uranus rules our ankles and wrists, as well as our intuitive intellect. It also rules science, invention, and discovery.
Some of the astrological planet Uranus include: the unusual and eccentric, shock, explosions, excitement, surprise, electricity, invention, genius, revolution, reform, rebellion, enlightenment, liberation, disruption, and the breakdown of well-laid plans.
The astrological symbol of the planet Mercury shows the mental half of the soul (crescent) resting on the symbol of the spirit (circle), which itself rests on the cross of matter. It is as if the symbol for Venus, with all its power to love, beautify, desire, and attract, has been crowned with the crescent of the Moon. The symbol of Mercury suggests the ability not only to focus with pin-point accuracy on the particulars of what is mentally desires, but also to concentrate on and communicate those personal ideas to the universe.
Called the "winged messenger" in Roman mythology, Mercury, god of communication and thought, represents the mind, the energy that enables our ego to receive and transmit fact, ideas, and information. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun so, in a personal horoscope, Mercury will occupy either the same sign as our sun sign, or one sign behind or ahead of it. This can be interpreted as symbolic of our mind, which is either involved with our current situation, thinking about the previous one, or jumping ahead to the next. By concentrating on a subject one fact at a time, Mercury enables us to make reasoned connections between ideas and predictive calculations involving logical assumptions. When we become too obsessed with knowing the outcome of a situation ahead of its time, we tend to be prone to nervousness and worry. Mercury teaches us to focus, and rules the hands, sight, and the nervous system.
Qualities associated with the astrological planet of Mercury include: thinking, observing, studying, analyzing, division, criticism, reason, logic, connection, adaptation, reorganization of thoughts, crafting, forming, details, predicting, calculating, translation, communication, speaking, writing, and reading.
The symbol of Venus shows the circle of the spirit above the cross of matter. This indicates that with the astrological planet of Venus, spiritual values are more important than practical considerations. Furthermore, what is pictured is the attempt to united the perfection of the spirit with the material world by imposing the laws of beauty, harmony, and love on all that is personally contacted. The glyph for Venus has come to symbolize women and all that is feminine.
Venus is the planet of romantic love, beauty, and the arts that are associated with these things. It was named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Sociable Venus rules over parties and pleasurable meetings. She accomplishes her goals by attracting only what she wants and rejecting the rest, thus making taste and values two of her special talents. Diplomacy, tact, and gentleness are a few of the arts that are ruled by Venus. In fact, Venus rules anything beautiful, including art that involves refined forms and designs, because everything must achieve harmony before usefulness, at least from Venus's point of view. The love and beauty of Venus has the power to both unite and heal us. A more desirable and powerful combination is difficult to imagine. Venus rules our senses of touch, taste, and smell.
Some of the qualities associated with the planet of Venus include: the feminine principle, attraction, acquiring, love, beauty, enhancement, behaving tastefully, socializing, being sociable, enjoyment, value, form, discretion, selection, harmony, unity, combination, refinement, diplomacy, tact, gentleness, healing, kindness, making peace and love, and art.
