Planets in Houses - Prelude

What sign are you? Is it what you think? Do you disagree? Is Astrology a tool for esoteric idiots? (maybe). If you are curious about these questions, then don't rely on typical sun-sign Astrology to give you the answers. I couldn't really think of the easiest way to organize and explain what I embarked on, but I figured I would try it out this way. First and foremost I will give the disclaimer that understanding what I am trying to discuss does require a base understanding of either astrology or planetary energies. Now, before going in depth about all that mumbo jumbo I briefly touched upon with planets being exalted and fallen in certain zodiacs, It is first important to introduce the perspective by which I seek to interpret these things.
I studied psychology in school, and I always found Astrology and Tarot fascinating for understanding the subtleties of human thought, action, and personality. Coming from this background I do not consider myself someone who seeks to predict the future or tell one's fortune. I find Astrology fascinating and helpful from a psychological, physiological, and philosophical point of view. To sum it up, I DO NOT BELIEVE that the moving of planets directly influence my actions or way of thinking. What I DO BELIEVE is that the universe does not ever create or destroy anything, and that we move with the same energies that make up all physical reality. I move AS my planets move, not BECAUSE they move. That being said, I also do not believe that any person is EVER governed by 1 ruling energy and philosophy. Every person contains traits and characteristics from ALL the zodiacs and planets to varying degrees. The traits and energies interact within us just as the planets that rule them inevitably change their positioning to others in the Universe. It is a temporal evolution. With 12 zodiacs and 10 governing planetary objects it may be POSSIBLE to predict future thoughts and behavior, however the amount of interactions would be so complex that it certainly would require a certain "6th" sense to make sense of it all. For this reason I advocate astrology as a tool that others must be shown how to use and understand, rather than as an answer and reason that someone has simply given to them. When I say I am influenced by Mercury, I do not mean that when Mercury travels I have a direct cause and effect relationship. Instead, I consider all ways that I embody the energy and traits of Mercury. Considering this then allows me to understand where my strengths and weaknesses are, and what relationships stimulate or weaken my being.

I'll use myself as an example. Here is a brief list of my chart placement:

Primary Star - Beta Scorpius (ACTUAL positioning of Sun when I was born)
Rising sign/1st House - Gemini
Moon - Gemini
Sun - Sagittarius
Mercury - Sagittarius
Venus - Scorpio
Mars - Libra
Jupiter - Aquarius
Saturn - Scorpio/Sagittarius Cusp
Uranus - Sagittarius
Neptune - Sagittarius/Capricorn Cusp
Pluto - Scorpio

So that is me. If you read my earlier entry you will notice again that even though I am a Sagittarius I take several strong influences from Scorpio, and by extension Mars & Pluto. My rising sign as well as moon was in Gemini, so it is established that my primary ruler is Mercury. Sagittarius is very prominent, so I am said to take much from Jupiter. When trying to establish what influences I take most I should then first and foremost look at all the ways that Mercury and Jupiter interact with the other planets and houses. All of these planets are important though, and although manifested at different levels of influence, these are all pieces of the greater whole which defines our characteristics and personality. The temporal evolution that I mentioned earlier comes into play because these positions were my starting point when I entered this world, but they will not be where I end. The point where we start comes to travel within us just as externally the planets change their positioning. At the age of 25 where I am in my life now, It is said that my Sun has progressed into Capricorn, and my Rising has progressed into Cancer. Although my primary rulers are still considered to be Mercury & Jupiter, because of this natural evolution I begin to take more influences from the Moon and also from Saturn. This changes the balance and interaction of the pre-existing relationships. That is another reason why sun-sign Astrology is worthless. Depending on what year of their life they are in they could long have abandoned the traits and characteristics that once defined them 100% in lieu of what those things sought to become. Maybe some would consider me a Scorpio because that is where the sun is, but I am very well within the realm (not the physical location) of Sagittarius. Now it just so happens that most of my planets DO fall in the Scorpio/Sagittarius region, however I have friends born on the same day as me that this is a completely different profile for. I'll end this entry with encouraging you to look into more than what house the Sun was in when you were born if you truly want to understand something through Astrology. From here I will begin to discuss in depth the energies and traits the individual planets express, before going back to the zodiacs and then bringing it all together. Will probably be many pages from now....