Astrology Rulership: Who is in Charge of What

Astrology is a spiritual and creative language weaving the story of the solar system into a dynamic and organic narrative that helps us better understand ourselves, the people in our lives, the cycles of our planet, and the divine, as well as practical nature of human consciousness. Core to the study of astrology is the concept of rulership, which assigns sovereignty of points to signs and houses, signs to houses, and signs/points to aspects of human life.  Mars “rules” the 1^st House and the Sign of Aries.  The sign of Aries “rules” the head region of the body, while Mars “rules” aggression and sexuality.

This article will explore the rulership of each of the main points of astrology in relation to the Sun sign.  Often Sun sign astrology is used to make various claims about a sign and how it relates to one’s career, choice in foods, ways to parent, and connections to other insightful knowledge about one’s astrological identity.  Many such articles can be found on Ask Astrology; my most recent one looked at the Signs and Mythological Creatures.

Points and their Rulership

The Sun shines on every aspect of our lives, which makes it a useful starting point to identify how each of us might feel about something, act in certain ways with regard to situations, and find some people or things attractive and others repulsive.  However, we might also run up against some very real situations that expose the limits of Sun sign astrology. I have a good friend whose parents have been in a loving relationship for over 30 years and their Sun signs are Leo and Scorpio. At glance people with these two Sun signs would be told to avoid each other.

But if you peer deeper into the astrological information about these two people, what you would find out is that most of the other points in the charts are very compatible and easy flowing, energy-wise. So, while their Sun signs are at odds, his Mars and her Venus have a very supportive aspect and they both have Mercury in the same element.  Saturn, which is the best measure for building and sustaining a relationship, is also favorable for the two of them.

So, what does each point rule in terms of major aspects of human life:

• Sun – the Life Path
• Moon – the Soul Path
• Mercury – communication
• Venus – relating, but also food
• Mars – sex
• Jupiter – beliefs
• Saturn – career

Sun and Moon

While the Sun is basically you, naked. The Moon is how you feel on the inside, how you want to give and receive love, and how you want to connect emotionally.  How the Sun and Moon relate in a chart can really explain a lot about an individual because you are taking into account who they are AND how they feel. I will use my own chart to demonstrate.  My Sun is in Aries and my Moon is in Libra and they oppose each other by degree (Sun at 23 degrees and Moon at 21 degrees).  Take a category like movies.  With my Aries Sun, I will enjoy action films, which is accurate, but I also enjoy romantic dramas.  One of my all-time favorite movies is Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour; it is the gold standard for tragic romance.

• The Connection between the Sun and Moon in Astrology

Sun and Mercury

Since Mercury rules communication, it is the planet to look at for how you understand the world and its placement could help you know the style of communication you prefer in your books, emails, movies, and music.  The genre of what you want for entertainment may be more influenced by Venus, but the style would be Mercury.  My Mercury resides in Aries along with my Sun, so I prefer direct and forthright communication.  No need to beat around the bush, just lop it down with garden shears.

Sun and Venus

For the vast majority of “your sign and …”, Venus will yield the most clues, whether it is as mundane as the toppings on your pizza or more sophisticated in terms of the look and feel of your home.  Venus rules all earthly delights, as well as how we prefer to relate to others and have them relate to us.  In my case, Venus is another point in Aries, and according to rulership, this is a tough placement known as “detriment”, where the point is “weakened” by being in this sign.  It can create impatience with others, which I have certainly experienced and have to work on consciously, pretty much all the time.

Sun and Mars

Mars is where “the action is” in terms of points.  Most commonly it will give you a clue about your sexual predilections.  Mars in the same sign or same element or complementary element with another person can generate a lot of heat and familiarity, which can easily and often be mistaken for the glue of a relationship when that is really grease (the Moon is the glue).  Once again, if you have had, or know someone in, a love affair that makes no sense between the two people, the Mars placement will likely explain why that one aspect works, while the rest are just along for the wild ride.  My Mars is in Taurus, again, in detriment like my Venus.  Mars likes to act; Taurus likes to plod.  On the flip side, Taurus is a sign that enjoys what is sensual.  It leads to fairly uncomplicated but enjoyable sexuality.

Sun and Jupiter

Jupiter is the point to know when you want to know about your attitude towards travel, higher education, and religion.  Your Sun sign and which religion suits you best would be run through your Jupiter placement along with your Sun sign.  Even more commonly would be knowing where, how, and how often you would like to travel.  My Jupiter is in Leo, which would suggest theme parks to be ideal for me, but there is a caveat.  My Jupiter is retrograde, so I am much more of a fan of the “staycation” or stay-at-home vacation.  I enjoy board or console games where I have control over my environment (Aries).  I can and have traveled, but shy away from the tourist attractions in favor of creating my own itinerary, the Aries Sun in play again.

Sun and Saturn

Here is the combination to look at for career direction or guidance.  Saturn rules Capricorn and the 10^th House, all the energy-related to creating prosperity.  Knowing your Saturn will give you the heads up on the kind of work to consider and, with the Sun, the way you prefer to work.  Yet again, I have another point in Aries, and this one is in its “fall”, meaning that is essentially “uncomfortable” (rather than weakened) in this sign.  Saturn would prefer to work with or lead an organization; Aries prefers to “go it alone”.  I fulfill my Saturn placement by running my own business, without employees.  It’s just me.

Adding This New Layer

Let’s quickly look at one point through all 12 signs related to one Sun sign to show the more nuanced interpretation of career placement within a single career.  We will use a Taurus Sun, Mercury, and the industry of firefighting.

If you change the Sun sign, you would suggest different career types, but as you can see the variations get more sophisticated and more interesting.  Having your full chart run will help you get to the wealth of knowledge contained within the deeper and more complex aspects of your astrological identity. You are, as we might say, so much more than your Sun sign.