Since at least as far back as 2000 BCE, cultures across the world have looked to the celestial bodies above as reflections and emanations of the gods and interpreted their orbital patterns and movements as celestial mirrors to events on Earth.
The ancient Mesopotamians created a framework for observing and recording the movements of the solar system’s planets over hundreds of years, and they laid the roots of the astrological tradition by formulating omens and predictions based on their observations with the naked eye.
The Mesopotamian tradition evolved under the Egyptians, who created the zodiac that modern astrologers use today, which was then further refined and elaborated on by the ancient Greeks, who laid the foundations of modern horoscopic astrology and the signs of the zodiac.
The Role of Planets in Astrology
Planets are the primal archetypal layer of astrology, the foundational building blocks upon which all other elements are built. If the birth chart were a play, the planets could be thought of as the actors.
As actors, the planets represent the various aspects and drives of the psyche that seek expression through each of us in different ways. The planets represent symbolic principles, psychological drives, and mythological archetypes across many different cultures. A planet with an orbit in retrograde may also have a different impact on one’s chart than when its orbit is in forward motion.
What Are the Planets in Astrology?
The following is a list of the major planets in the birth chart, including the seven traditional planets, the three modern planets, and one minor planet. There are many other minor planets and asteroids (not listed here) that can be included in a natal chart horoscope interpretation, if desired.
