The Planets
Keywords courtesy of Julie Simmons. Keep in mind that key words are meant to be keys. Keywords are not the same as definitions. They can help unlock the door to the room where the particular symbol lives. It is never possible to comprehend a symbol with the rational mind in its totality. That's why they are so fascinating. There is always more. Another thing to consider when working with symbolic language is that you really look through symbols, you don't look at them. Contained in each sign may be its opposite.
Sun
Principles: Will, Life, Vitality, Purpose, Day, Consciousness, Father(ing), Power, Aspiration, The Future.
Drives: To role-play, to be, to express oneself, to create, to individuate, to stand out, to lead to command
Needs: Validation, acknowledgment, acceptance, recognition, self-expression, risk, prominence, status.
Existential questions: Who Am I: What is My purpose? Can I be myself? What am I becoming? How am I special?
Moon
Principles: Emotion, Needs, instincts, mother(ing), the family, home, security/insecurity, habits, subconscious, (night consciousness), the past.
Drives: To be receptive, to belong, to bond, to feel, to react, to support and be supported, to root to merge, to nest.
Needs: Basic - food, shelter, safety, comfort, connection, belonging.
Existential questions: What do I need? Where is My Home? Who (what) is my family? Where am I rooted? Can my needs be met in the world? Who can I get to mother me?
Mercury
Principles: Intelligence, communication, mind, language, logic, reasoning, learning, dexterity, mobility, curiosity, exchange of information and ideas.
Drives: To communicate, to learn, to name, to classify and categorize, to analyze, to perceive.
Needs: stimulation, interest, variety, information, someone to listen and talk to.
Existential Questions: What’s happening around me? What do I think? How is it all connected? What do I want to learn?
Venus
Principles: Love, harmony, balance, interaction, relating, sensuality, value (worth), art, aesthetics, social decorum & tact.
Drives: To relate, to attract, to be value, to beautify, or refine.
Needs: Physical and/or sexual excitement, competition, self-determination
Existential Questions: What do I value? What is precious to me, What do I find beautiful? What is it worth? What (whom) do I want? What attracts me?
Mars
Principles: Will to action, How one pursues what one wants, vitality, assertion, directness, passion, fight-or-flight.
Drives: To want or desire, to be independent, to have one’s own way, to penetrate, to survive, to take action.
Needs: Physical and/or sexual excitement, competition, self-determination.
Existential Questions: What do I want? What can I do? How can I get what (whom) I want? How can I win? What will I fight for? How do I separate myself?
Jupiter
Principles: Expansion, judgment, understanding, meaning, pattern recognition, insight, moral values, religion, philosophy, vision, travel.
Drives: To believe or have faith in, to (re)connect to something larger than oneself, to search for meaning, to see the world.
Needs: Faith, trust, meaning, improvement, growth of self, righteousness.
Existential Questions: What do I believe? What is truth? Where am I going? What does it mean? What is good and what is evil? What do I see?
Saturn
Principles: Contraction, purpose, structure, parameters, authority, obligation, duty, responsibility, commitment, restriction, discipline, maturity, efficiency, the right use of resources.
Drives: To crystallize, to build, to learn skills, to conform, to define one’s social/vocational role, to administrate, to maintain.
Needs: Social approval, respect, boundaries, structures, stability, skills.
Existential Questions: What are my limitations? What can I learn from them? How do I define this? What is my role in the world? What can, can’t and must I do?
Uranus
Principles: Idealization, archival mind, revolution, revelation, liberation, deviation, eccentricity, genius, originality, invention, perversity,.
Drives: To be different, to be free to…, to shock, to liberate, to know.
Needs: Fraternity, liberty, equality, a cause, a structure to rebel against.
Existential Questions: What makes me unique? How am I weird? What are my ideals? How do I fit into the group/community? Who are those of like mind? What is Freedom to me?
Neptune
Principles: Divine Love, universality, compassion, (dis)illusion, confusion, delusion, fusion, deception, mystery, mysticism, perfection, longing, compassion.
Drives: To escape, to experience altered states of consciousness, to surrender, to suffer.
Needs: Oneness with life, dreams, yearnings, longings, connection to the other side.
Existential Questions: To be or not to be…? What is reality? Can it be trusted? What is greater than I? What should I surrender to? When is beauty the same as truth? Why can’t I live there…?
Pluto
Principles: Divine force, fate, decay, death, rebirth, regeneration, transformation, transmutation, elimination, catharsis, inevitability of natural cycles.
Drives: To destroy, to shed what is unnecessary, to totally transform, to penetrate to the core of experience, to expose, to bring to light, to drop the persona.
Needs: Purification, surrender of old forms to new ones, shared ecstasy, unconditional acceptance.
Existential Questions: Is there a purpose? Where is my locus of control? What’s happening beneath the surface? Who is out to get me? How am I transforming?