Have you ever overheard an astrologer or one of your friends talking about their ruling planet and wondered what it was? Or, more importantly, what your own ruling planet is?
Well, Astrophiles, I have great news for you because finding your ruling planet is super easy. All you have to know is your rising sign. That’s it!
(If you don’t know your Ascendant, head on over here for a step-by-step.)
Also known as the ruler of the Ascendant (i.e. your rising sign), the ruling planet of a chart is whichever planet has dominion over that sign. The list is below.
Ruling Planets of the Signs
Aries – Mars
Taurus – Venus
Gemini – Mercury
Cancer – the Moon
Leo – the Sun
Virgo – Mercury
Libra – Venus
Scorpio – Mars
Sagittarius – Jupiter
Capricorn – Saturn
Aquarius – Saturn
Pisces – Jupiter
So if your Ascendant/rising sign is Cancer, your ruling planet is the Moon. If it’s Pisces, your ruling planet is Jupiter, and so on.
More on Rulerships in Astrology
I use the traditional/classical rulerships and do not assign outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) rulership of any of the signs. There are affinities for sure between Uranus and Aquarius, Neptune and Pisces, and Pluto and Scorpio, but not rulership.
My friend Katie has a beautiful blog post on traditional vs. modern rulerships here.
Also note that the Sun and Moon are sometimes called planets, even though obviously the Sun is a star and the Moon is a moon, or permanent satellite. Contrary to what some think, astrologers do know this. It is simply tradition. The Sun and Moon are also frequently referred to as the Luminaries.
I made a handy chart for you below so you can refer back when you’re trying to figure out the ruling planet of everyone you know. ;-) It’s also great for learning the zodiacal symbols!
Let me know if there’s a graphic or chart you think would help you learn astrology! I’d be happy to create more.
Further Resources
Brennan, Chris. Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune.
George, Demetra. Astrology and the Authentic Self: Integrating Traditional and Modern Astrology to Uncover the Essence of the Birth Chart.
