Astrology Basics: Understand Planets, Zodiac Signs & Constellations

This is the ABC of Astrology, ABC - Astrology Basic Concepts. If you have never heard or learned about the planets, zodiac signs & constellations then you are going to learn about them here. There are multiple systems of prediction in astrology but the content of this article covers the most basic knowledge of astrology which is common to all the systems. But I will also give you some extra information which you will require while practicing the Stellar Astrology (Nadi Astrology). First, I will give you very basic knowledge about the nine planets then I will tell you about zodiac signs & constellations.

Planets

These are the nine planets having the major role in astrology:

1. Sun: Sun is this massive ball of fire through which this solar system gets light & energy & all the other planets revolve around the Sun.
2. Moon: Moon is the natural satellite which revolves around the Earth & reflects light coming from the Sun.
3. Mercury: Mercury is the smallest planet in solar system & it is closest to the Sun. Being closest to the Sun it is very difficult to see Mercury with naked eyes.
4. Venus: Venus lies between Mercury & Earth and it is also known as the morning star because Venus can be seen just before the sunrise as a shiny bright dot. It is the only planet which rotates in clockwise direction.
5. Mars: Mars lies just next to the Earth and it is a red & second smallest planet which emits radiation.
6. Jupiter: Jupiter is the most massive planet in the solar system & it protects our planet from asteroids & meteorites that come due to the gravitational pull of the Sun.
7. Saturn: Saturn is the only planet which has an asteroid belt around itself & it is the second most massive planet in the solar system.
8. Rahu: Rahu is known as North Node of the Moon & it does not physically exist in the solar system. It is just a shadow which is only observed during the Solar & Lunar eclipse.
9. Ketu: Ketu is known as South Node of the Moon & it is similar to Rahu. They always stay 180 degrees apart. Both Solar & Lunar eclipse happens within a gap of 15 days. Moon takes 15 days to cover 180 degrees. Therefore, if Rahu is observed during solar eclipse then Ketu is observed during lunar eclipse & vice versa. Eclipse only happens when Sun, Moon & Ketu/Rahu conjoins in one sign. Sun takes 6 months to travel 180 degrees, therefore, eclipse happens after every 5 to 6 months.

Stellar Astrology also considers Uranus, Neptune & Pluto but the use of these planets is very limited & I will let you know when you should consider them. Detailed significations of nine planets has already been told.

Planet	Degrees per Day	Time required to cross One Zodiac Sign	Time required to move through 12 Zodiac Signs
Sun	53’ – 1 degree	1 month	1 year
Moon	13 - 15 degrees	2.5 days approx.	1 month
Mercury	65 - 100’	14 days to 1 month	1 year
Venus	62 - 82’	23 days to 2 months	1 year
Mars	30 – 42’	1.5 month	1.9 years
Jupiter	5 – 15’	1 year	12 years
Saturn	2’	2.5 years	30 years
Rahu	3’	1.5 years	18 years
Ketu	3’	1.5 years	18 years

1 degree = 60' (60 minutes)

Venus & Mercury takes one year despite having different speeds is because when you see them from Earth, they will always appear 1 or 2 signs apart from the Sun due to which there average time required to cross the all 12 zodiac sign is same to that of Sun which is 1 year. Mercury can be maximum one sign apart from the Sun & Venus can be maximum two signs apart. This is due to the fact that the point of reference to see the placement of planets, zodiac signs & constellations is the Earth.

Zodiac Signs

There is no idea about how the concept of Zodiac signs came into the picture but what I think it is because in earlier times people used to depend a lot upon the position of the Sun & the Moon in the skies and they used to know about the time & season through their position. In one year Moon completes its 12 revolutions around the Earth due to which sages might have decided to divide the space into 12 zodiac signs. The zodiac belt starts from 0 degrees, Aries, and ends at 360 degrees, Pisces. Each zodiac sign is 30 degrees long.

Image: CISUN

Zodiac Sign	Element	Nature	Lord
Aries	Fire	Movable	Mars
Taurus	Earth	Fixed	Venus
Gemini	Air	Dual	Mercury
Cancer	Water	Movable	Moon
Leo	Fire	Fixed	Sun
Virgo	Earth	Dual	Mercury
Libra	Air	Movable	Venus
Scorpio	Water	Fixed	Mars
Sagittarius	Fire	Dual	Jupiter
Capricorn	Earth	Movable	Saturn
Aquarius	Air	Fixed	Saturn
Pisces	Water	Dual	Jupiter

Each of these 12 zodiac signs has different characteristics:

1. Aries: Aries sign is of fiery & movable nature and it is ruled by Mars due to which these people are hot-headed & bit impulsive. These people tend to react suddenly without sometimes analyzing the possible consequences. These people are good initiative takers but they tend to do what everybody is doing.
2. Taurus: Taurus sign is of earthy & fixed nature and it is ruled by Venus due to which these people tend to resist any change. They might be lazy sometimes & will try to avoid doing anything but once they will start, they will not stop until they will complete the work. These people are quite money oriented & fashionable.
3. Gemini: Gemini sign is of airy & dual nature & it is ruled by Mercury due to which these people can intelligently switch their sides any time depending upon the situation. These people are intelligent enough to gain someone's trust & then they may trick them for their own benefit. 
4. Cancer: Cancer sign is of watery & movable nature and it is ruled by the Moon due to which these people are highly emotional and they get affected very easily. These people want to feel secure and their mind moves too & fro due to which they may find it difficult to stick to their own decision.
5. Leo: Leo sign is of fiery & fixed nature and it is ruled by the Sun due to which these people are goal oriented & stable minded. These people are good planners and they are good in managing other people and assigning work to other people but they will step in to work along whenever it is required.
6. Virgo: Virgo sign is of earthy & dual nature and it is ruled by Mercury due to which these people are hardworking and intelligent. These people believe in working for themselves instead of waiting for others to come and work for them and when they will start something they will continue to work upon it.
7. Libra: Libra sign is of airy & movable nature and it is ruled by Venus due to which this sign is the most unstable sign and their mind can go out of balance anytime. These people are very social, they love being the center of attraction and they may find it difficult to stick to one thing.
8. Scorpio: Scorpio sign is of watery & fixed nature and it is ruled by Mars due to which these people are emotional and secretive as well. These people tend to keep things to themselves and hide a lot of things from other people. While an Aries will attack you from the front, a Scorpio will hit you in the back.
9. Sagittarius: Sagittarius sign is of fiery & dual nature and it is ruled by Jupiter due to which these people are wise, intelligent and goal oriented. These people tend to move fast as a horse & think intelligently like a man due to which these people are good planners & executors as well.
10. Capricorn: Capricorn sign is of earthy & movable nature and it is ruled by Saturn due to which these people are hard working & responsible but tend to show their problems a lot. These people cry crocodile tears but they never run from their responsibilities and work hard even if they do not like it.
11. Aquarius: Aquarius sign is of airy & fixed nature and it is ruled by Saturn due to which these people are visionaries and they actually believe in what they say. These people are sometimes highly intelligent and they work hard each day to achieve their vision and accomplish their goals.
12. Pisces: Pisces sign is of watery & dual nature and it is ruled by Jupiter due to which these people are bit emotional, wise & trustworthy. You can trust them and they will stay by your side as long as they feel they are not in trouble. If they will feel troubled or endangered with you, they will slip by.

This is the description of the 12 zodiac signs. You need to see the "Zodiac Sign in the Ascendant" and not your Sun sign or Moon sign. Characteristics of a person change according to the planets which are influencing your Ascendant through aspects and placements. For eg: Watery sign people are comparatively more emotional than other zodiac signs but Moon in the Ascendant can make anybody highly sensitive and emotional. Characteristics of a Zodiac sign is determined by the element, nature, lord of that sign & the symbol of that zodiac sign. For eg: Mind of cancer ascendant people moves too & fro because its symbol is a crab which moves in similar fashion.

In Stellar Astrology, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto shares their lordship of signs:

• Uranus - Capricorn
• Neptune - Pisces
• Pluto - Scorpio

This lordship is only required to see the houses these three planets are signifying and you will understand how to use it when required. If you want to know nature of a person, then just see the sign & planets in the ascendant and lord of the ascendant as shown in the table. Scorpio, Capricorn & Pisces ascendant people do not need to see Pluto, Uranus & Neptune because they share the lordship of these signs with the original rulers.

It would not be wise to say that every Cancer ascendant person is highly emotional or every Libra ascendant person is mentally imbalanced. To show such characters prominently the lord of the ascendant or planet in the ascendant should signify 6th, 8th and/or 12th house.

Level of Emotional Sensitivity: Cancer > Moon in the Ascendant > Scorpio > Pisces

Most important thing is the combination of houses majority of planets is signifying. Zodiac signs indicate the basic nature of a person depending upon the zodiac sign but the things will mold according to the houses signified by the planets. For eg: Aries Ascendant people are impulsive, if Mars is signifying combinations of aggression then they may show you sudden anger but if it is showing combinations of intelligence then these people might be capable of quickly solving the problems.

Constellations

A constellation is a group of stars that are considered to form imaginary outlines or meaningful patterns on the celestial sphere, typically representing animals, mythological creatures, people or gods. Below is the table that contains the list of 27 constellations which are present behind a zodiac sign each representing a symbol & a deity.

Lord of the constellation is very important in Stellar Astrology. A planet present in a nakshatra gives results of its lord. To know how a planet signifies houses & give results, refer to Rules of Nadi Astrology. In our system, there is not much role of nakshatra deities but it is said that planet in a nakshatra tends to bring some qualities of the respective deity upon the native. 

	Nakshatra	Degree	Lord	Deity	Symbol
1.	Ashvini	0° - 13°20’	Ketu	Ashvins	Horse Head
2.	Bharani	13°20’ - 26°40'	Venus	Yama	Yoni
3.	Krittika	26°40’ - 40°	Sun	Agni	Spear
4.	Rohini	40° - 53°20’	Moon	Brahma	Chariot
5.	Mrigashirsha	53°20’ - 66°40’	Mars	Soma	Deer Head
6.	Ardra	66°40’ - 80°	Rahu	Rudra	Teardrop
7.	Punarvasu	80° - 93°20’	Jupiter	Aditi	Bow & Quiver
8.	Pushya	93°20’ - 106°40’	Saturn	Brihaspati	Lotus
9.	Ashelsha	106°40’ - 120°	Mercury	Nagas	Serpent
10.	Magha	120° - 133°20’	Ketu	Pitrs	Royal Throne
11.	Purva Phalguni	133°20’ - 146°40'	Venus	Bhaga	Hammock
12.	Uttara Phalguni	146°40’ - 160°	Sun	Aryaman	Hammock
13.	Hasta	160° - 173°20’	Moon	Surya	Hand
14.	Chitra	173°20’ - 186°40’	Mars	Vishvakarma	Pearl
15.	Swati	186°40’ - 200°	Rahu	Vayu	Coral
16.	Vishakha	200° - 213°20’	Jupiter	Indragni	Triumphal Arch
17.	Anuradha	213°20’ - 226°40’	Saturn	Mitra	Lotus
18.	Jyeshtha	226°40’ - 240°	Mercury	Indra	Amulet
19.	Mula	240° - 253°20’	Ketu	Nirrti	Roots
20.	Purva Ashadha	253°20’ - 266°40'	Venus	Apah	Fan
21.	Uttara Ashadha	266°40’ - 280°	Sun	Vishvadevas	Elephant Tusk
22.	Sravana	280° - 293°20’	Moon	Vishnu	Ear
23.	Dhanishta	293°20’ - 306°40’	Mars	Eight Vasus	Flute
24.	Shatabhisha	306°40’ - 320°	Rahu	Varuna	1000 Flowers
25.	Purva Bhadrapada	320° - 333°20’	Jupiter	Ajikapada	Two Face Man
26.	Uttara Bhadrapada	333°20’ - 346°40’	Saturn	Ahir Budhyana	Twins
27.	Revati	346°40’ - 360°	Mercury	Pushan	Pair of Fish

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