The Heavenly Bodies:
Our objective is to make it as easy as possible to study the Heavenly Bodies, Signs, Houses, Elements, Polarity, Modality and Orientation as they relate to our Moon Cycle work, and to participate knowledgeably in our study of TAM. If you have any ideas or suggestions that you feel might make things easier, please be sure to email us at:
While we have made the effort to have “complete” summaries for each Body, it’s important to remember that the information we’re providing here is far from exhaustive on any of our subjects. There is so much to be gained by exploring the perspectives and wisdom of other students of Astrology, it is highly worth your time to explore other information in books or online.
Observing the energies for ourselves to see how they work out under different circumstances and in different Cycles is also vital to our play and study here. For a list of excellent astrologers who have authored many incredibly helpful books, please see the Recommended Reading subheading link, under The Reading Room link in The Library.
Theos encourages all of us to use our imaginations and to develop our Intuition through Soul contact. As we listen to our inner guidance, we also want to stay alert to the opportunities for expanding what we know about these energies, which come as a result of our work and play here together.
In the Section titled: Foundational Astrology, under the subsection Heavenly Bodies, and the appropriate name, are broad summaries of key ideas surrounding each Heavenly Body, along with charts detailing each Body’s Element, Modality, Polarity, Ray/Will energy, and their fields of expression. Where appropriate, Theos has added information.
You will also find lists of the skillful and unskillful energies associated with the Luminaries and Planetoids, which will help you in studying the qualities associated with them and recognizing how we are at choice in how we express these energies: negatively … or positively.
The Cosmic Family of the Sun: The Planets
According to their placement in particular Signs, the planets are described in the following ways:
Exaltation: When the planet is in a Sign in which it can comfortably express its highest nature and be actively creative.
Dignity: When the planet is in the Sign in which it rules, meaning its force is strengthened in the horoscope and its effects, uninhibited.
Detriment: In such a position the energy of the planet is repressed and its effects are either weakened or negatively expressed.
Fall: When a planet is in its fall, the nature and potential for positive effects are severely restricted and it is said to be afflicted, unable to freely express its energies.
These placements are also often referred to as being in a position of honor or dishonor.
Who’s missing?
As stated previously, each Heavenly Body represents a principle, or fundamental characteristic of the human psyche. At their most basic level, they can be described as follows:
Sun ~ Masculine/Yang Principle
Moon ~ Feminine/Yin Principle
Mercury ~ Mental Principle
Venus ~ Magnetic Principle
Mars ~ Desire Principle
Jupiter ~ Spiritual Principle
Saturn ~ Discipline Principle
Uranus ~ Awareness Principle
Oceana/Neptune ~ Artistic Principle
Pluto ~ Transformative Principle
Chiron ~ Healing Principle
Ceres ~ Nurturing Principle
Juno ~ Relationship Principle
Pallas Athena ~ Evolution Principle
Vesta ~ Integration Principle
The most important point Theos would like to make about all luminaries and planets bears repeating:
“The Sun, Planets, Moons, Asteroids and other Heavenly Bodies are not ‘lumps of rock’ or ‘balls of gas.’ They are the physical bodies of Great Beings ~ in the Esoteric tradition, they are called Planetary Logoi (Logos, singular ~ meaning “the Divine reason implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and giving it form and meaning.) ~ whose lives are of greater scope than you can yet imagine.”