Astrology as a body of data has been handed down from generation to generation since antiquity. The developing data has grown and changed through the centuries but has been preserved through each generation's application and evolution. What astrologers use today is a compendium of these generations of teachings. Life has changed dramatically over the intervening centuries and astrology has had to change along with it. However, it is difficult to take something that has worked quite well through the centuries and change it because we must accommodate the new data being generated. Must the old make way for the new and give up its place? Or can the old and the new peacefully coexist and furnish improved content or an alternative to the modern astrologer?
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Planetary rulership is one such kind of the old, the new, the combination, the replacement, or the alternative in astrological information. Old records show that astrologers were aware of far more than they regularly used for their work. I doubt if they were withholding information, perhaps they were less inescapable of some parts than others. perhaps they had an insight or way that they were not able to continue or repeat. In any event, the ancients were aware of the circular nature of our solar system and that there were more bodies to study than were graphic to the naked eye. They just stopped their ongoing studies with the graphic planets. The whole body of astrological lore that was handed down reflected this limitation. With the arrival of technical equipment in the last merge of centuries, more of our system became visible, therefore measurable. New material was advanced and that new material had to be accommodated.
Solar Watch
Just what is rulership? The ancients had a system where the main seven graphic bodies within our solar system were similar to a family. The two lights, the Sun and Moon, were the celestial parents and the five graphic planets (not together with the Earth as it is common to us all, under our feet, and not graphic as a detach planet). Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were the children. Saturn with its rings was the ring-pass-not of the ancients and the outer limits of the "known" universe as the centuries progressed. There was a division of "rulership" or sway in the middle of these seven bodies and the twelve zodiac constellations or signs. The division of rulership over the signs was really quite excellent in its simplicity.
Astrological Choices - Planetary Rulership of Signs and Houses - The Old and the New
Starting with the sign pairing of Cancer and Leo, place the Moon and the Sun respectively as rulers of those two signs. Because they are a couple, mom and dad, the pairing was consummate and excellent these two signs from their "kids" the planets. The Sun and Moon were dominant. Now we know that the size and length differential is colossal in the middle of the Sun and the Moon. But the ancients based their interpretations on what they could see. The two lights appeared to be practically the same size so they were equal in power as mom and dad. The Sun shone with a steady light while the day and then disappeared at sunset only to reappear at sunrise. The Moon was a enduringly changing source of light fluctuating from no light at all when conjunct the Sun (the marriage of mom and dad, conception) to full and overwhelming light at opposition (Full Moon). Also the enlarging and at last diminishing Moon reminded man of fertilization and its aftermath. So the Moon was the female vigor and the Sun was the male energy.
The coupling (New Moon) was the planting of the new seed. The rest of the cycle demonstrated the purpose of that cycle itself. The Moon was equal to the Sun, just different, each a parent, they were a matched pair, synergistic in that pairing. This interpretation came out of a society that saw the masculine role as projective, the hero, and the feminine role as protective, nesting and family. The analogy in the middle of the signs and the rulers was based on that cultural and societal conditioning as well.
The planets were face that intimate pairing, bright but distant tiny points of light that hovered around the parents like children. These kids did not go shooting off into space and leave the system, they remained in the system as part of a family. At times they were graphic (night sky) and at times they were not graphic (day sky). At dawn and dusk you might be able to see Mercury and Venus for a short time, close to the parent(s).
Ten signs remain (Cancer and Leo are taken by the parental pair) and 5 planets (kids) remain. You can tell what I am going to say can't you? fluctuating on whether side of the parental pair, the kids ruled two signs in order from the closest planet to the Sun (Mercury) to the limits of the "known" system, Saturn.
· Cancer and Leo: Moon and Sun, the parental pair, the lights
· Gemini and Virgo: Mercury, closest to the parental pair, youth
· Taurus and Libra: Venus, Earth's sister planet of relationship
· Aries and Scorpio: Mars, outward toward the abyss of space, courage
· Pisces and Sagittarius: Jupiter, the giant light in the sky, expansion
· Aquarius and Saturn: (adjacent) Saturn, the outer limits of the "known" system
If you know your astrology, by now you can see that each of the sign pairs have a masculine and a feminine sign or side to their nature:
· The Moon is feminine - the Sun is masculine - as are their signs
· Gemini is masculine - Virgo is feminine by sign
· Taurus is feminine - Libra is masculine by sign
· Aries is masculine - Scorpio is feminine by sign
· Pisces is feminine - Sagittarius is masculine by sign
· Aquarius is masculine - Capricorn is feminine by sign
If you use the word "influence" or "affinity" and make it dominant, you will understand rulership. The affinity in the middle of a planet and the sign it rules deepens your insight of the sign by together with the consequent of the planetary energy.
What happened when emerging technology made graphic three more major planets within our system? The discovery (not the invention) of Uranus brought the seven planet rulership system into question. Fairly rapidly emerging astronomy breakthroughs announced the discovery of Neptune. Shortly, Pluto had to be accounted for as well. Uranus was given rulership of Aquarius. Saturn was the old ruler and in mythology Uranus and Chronos/Saturn were paired both as parent/child and as adversaries. Neptune was given Pisces to rule while Jupiter retained Sagittarius. If you look at the dynamic in the middle of the sign and the new planets, you can see the affinity or association.
Next came the controversial pairing for Pluto. If you will notice Aquarius and Pisces are adjacent and the probable next choice would be the next adjacent sign, Aries. But that is not what happened. Pluto's rulership was assigned to the other sign in the Mars grouping, Scorpio. There are astrological camps that accept the Scorpio rulership and there are other astrological camps that believe Aries is Pluto's sign rulership. My recommendation is that you look at Mars and Pluto, inspect your insight of how their energies work. Then inspect the signs and how they express themselves and then see what rulership makes more sense to you.
I will tell you my choice, but... Please do your own reasoning for your astrological choice. I feel that the vigor of Pluto more intimately matches Scorpio and the vigor of Mars more intimately matches Aries. That is my plan only and it is not cast in concrete and signed personally by a deity. Please make your own choice but base it in sincere plan and observation.
This has been supplementary complicated by the incompatibility in the middle of astronomers as to whether Pluto is a planet or something else. A merge of years ago a small group of astronomers (5%) got together and voted Pluto to dwarf planet status. The larger body of astronomers (95%) didn't like the call so controversy still exists. I vote (as if the astronomers will listen to an astrologer) that Pluto acts like a planet and is therefore a planet.
What about the other two rulership pairs that do not have an additional one body as an alternative? There are other bodies out there, for example, very large asteroids within the Asteroid Belt that could be awarded rulership. Some astrologers think this is true. They may not be as large as the planets but they do orbit in the middle of Mars and Jupiter, well within our system. Sedna, a up-to-date dwarf planet is larger than Pluto (which is one speculate for the astronomers' controversy) and could be awarded a rulership but that is pure speculation. Those large bodies at the outer edge of the solar system will continue to be questionable. There has been no awarding at present, but there is all the time room for possibility. We will stay with the existing controversy and ignore the future possibilities until vital to confront them (don't borrow trouble).
The seven-planet rulership system worked quite well for centuries and is still largely in use today. With evolution continuing, the new must be accommodated and change must be allowed. The new rulership system shows:
· Cancer and Leo: Moon and Sun, the parental pair, the lights
· Gemini and Virgo: Mercury, closest to the parental pair, the youth
· Taurus and Libra: Venus, Earth's sister planet of relationship
· Aries: Mars, outward toward the abyss of space, courage
· Scorpio: Pluto with its Moon Charon, the underworld of mankind
· Sagittarius: Jupiter, the giant light, expansion
· Pisces: Neptune, our water world, creativity, spirituality
· Saturn: the outer limits of the "known" system
· Aquarius: Uranus, the lightning bolt of the future and of change itself
So which should you select and use, whether or both? Remember that we had centuries of use for the old system. That system was well researched and worked successfully for all that expanse of time. However, when new vigor comes to visibility, we must make it conscious in our experience. We have had far less time to explore the new possibilities so for many astrologers the change remains unproven. Is it vital for one system of rulership to replace the other? Are both operational? What should you use?
My personal choice: I use both or at least I keep a researcher's eye out for both. Even though I have been at this for many years, I can still see both systems working. perhaps it is an evolution question. It may take time for us to work our way out of one system into another. perhaps visibility, which introduces the plan of consciousness, takes time to develop. I would rather allow for both and eliminate what does not belong rather than be ignorant of possibility, so I still watch both.
As you study and make your astrological skills, this will be a choice that faces you. I have told you my thoughts on the matter. I have told you my choices and why. My middle name is not God, so you need to make your own insight and make your own astrological choice.
Astrological Choices - Planetary Rulership of Signs and Houses - The Old and the New
