The Meanings of Planets and Points in Astrocartography

The energy of an experience, or focus, can be viewed through the planet that is at one of the four locations. Here are the planets and their related issues.

The Sun

When under a Sun line, a person’s energies will be uplifted. They will feel in synch with themselves, more at ease in their own skin, and as though things are going their way. In this very creative and creative place, one can visualize the Sun shining down. And the immediate environment will notice that. The ego will feel larger, and more in control of one’s destiny. One also might find paternal connections.

The Moon

There is a great deal of sensitivity here, under the Moon, and emotions will likely be heightened. This is a vulnerable place to be; the person here will be seeking a place to roost, and will find familial connections. While sometimes straying toward the maudlin, by and large the person will feel emotionally connected under a Moon line. If viewing this from a past life standpoint, a Moon line could indicate where the person might have spent other lifetimes.

Mercury

When under a Mercury line, one can expect to be mentally active, and chatty. This is a really good place to go if you were to write a book, or to study. It's also a great place to learn the various ways of verbally connecting with others. Being under this line isn’t especially positive or negative.

Venus

This is the influence everyone wants to know about, because under a Venus line there is an emphasis on relationships. Love and marriage can be found under these lines, and person could meet someone under this line. The key here is that the person will have opportunities to look at his or her own ability to be intimate with others. There is a craving for companionship and pairing up. Since Venus also has to do with aesthetics, luxury, money, beauty, and sensuality, these, too, are emphasized under a Venus line. By and large, this is a very positive influence. 

Mars

Mars can be the hardest planet to live under because there are no dull moments! Mars has a natural tendency to be rather combative. For a woman, this isn't necessarily be the best place to live as it might mean fighting off unwanted men. But, in other ways, it could be energetic, passionate and exciting to live under a Mars line. The lessons here relate to self-assertion and self-sufficiency. 

Jupiter

Next to Venus, Jupiter is probably the most beneficial line to be living under. Success, prosperity, social acceptance, and often just a whole lot of fun can be found under a Jupiter line. This is where someone could become prominent in the community, or have more than what they ever dreamed. It is a great place to be, because the person is uplifted and sent out in the world with more blessings.

Saturn

Saturn isn’t as much fun as Jupiter. The hardest working planet in the solar system placed angularly means the person will be working harder than normal to prove him/herself. Resolving situations, evolving, and achieving all take longer, which can be extremely difficult if one is impatient to get ahead. The opportunity, though, is learning maturity and growth through hard work and fortitude. Most will feel that it's very negative under Saturn, but if you want to gain experience by going to the School of Hard Knocks, you can’t beat living under a Saturn line.

Uranus

This, like Mars, can be very energetic, but in a different, more nervous, way (I know of a person that under his Uranus line, felt as though he had an electric current humming through him at all times). The person under this line, will feel restricted and hemmed in, and will desire at all costs, to free themselves. Therefore, we expect a natural rebelliousness to come to the top when living under Uranus. Social issues that need changing will be a huge draw. Constant change is necessary, but also jarring to the person living here.

Neptune

Imagine floating in a lake for 24 hours a day—that's what it is like to be under Neptune. The energies are soft, spacey, and very fuzzy. Romanticism, art, music—all sorts of Neptunian activities—are front and center in the person’s life. The hard part of living under this line is not feeling clear about where you are in life. Illusions can take over and the individual might have a difficult time focusing on mundane tasks.

There is also be a tendency to try and escape life’s hard roads here—any sort of addictive behavior might be exacerbated.

Pluto

Next to Mars or Saturn, Pluto is pretty difficult to deal with. When around a Pluto line, a person might feel as though they are coming apart from within, because the life experiences would dictate a lot of heavy issues coming to the foreground. Intense upheaval, isolation and deep pain can be debilitating, but also freeing. On the other side is the potential for an enormous amount of soul searching and eventual growth.

The Four Angles

Also known as the cardinal points, these are the four points that are used in astrocartography.

The Ascendant is the energy outgoing into your personality, and personal expression. The person’s personality takes on the planetary energy close to the Asc, and acts like a lens. One is identified with the accompanying planetary energy on the Asc.

The IC (Imuni Coeli) is energy going from deep within to your own subjective environment, and helps ground the person within a strong foundation of self. Home and family are connected to this angle, and the identification of one’s own familial origins, and how those are dealt with. Security and attachment and belonging would be found through the actions of the planet involved in that area.

The Descendant. The forces of any planet around the descendant will be experienced primarily as “other,” or whom is reflected back to that person. The influence is external, and will be focused in relating with others. Situations that happen will draw the individual into learning new responses that will ultimately help the person assimilate the qualities of the planet. In psychological terms, this would be a “projected” planet—one that the person may not know much about before the experience, but will afterward.

The MC (Medi-Coeli/midheaven). Lewis considered this to be the “prime angle,” which had to do with where we perceive ourselves and the image we present to the world. This is also the area of profession. Again, whatever planet is close to that point will play itself out, in the chosen area, in the career.