A great deal of focus is usually placed on planetary strength in astrology. Yet this emphasis often misses the mark and muddles the picture.

Planets are frequently judged GOOD or BAD, and powerful or weak, through a few key interpretive principals: essential dignity (usually emphasized by sign only) or house position or proximity to the Sun or angularity or retrogradation. Any innocent bystander listening in on instagram, youtube, twitter, or possibly perusing whatever old or new book, would logically conclude that the best possible option for every planet in a chart is to BE STRONG. I’m here to tell you: that is flat wrong.

Especially when examining birth charts: everything depends on the rising sign. (…well, and consciousness.)

Everything changes when the ascending sign changes.

Why?

Because every sign is ruled by a planet and that planet cooperates better with particular other planets. One could call it planetary tribalism.

If all planets in the chart are strong. There will be a bloody war. And there are great examples of this. The first person who comes to mind is Jeffrey Dahmer. I’m not saying every. single. planet. in his chart was exceptionally strong by essential dignity (tropical zodiac), but a lot of them were, and they may’ve helped him wreak havoc.

As the ascendant sign changes in a chart, so do the other house cusps. (I use whole signs for the zodiac sign/houses and their “lords” counted from the ascendant—AND I use Campanus for cuspal point details: i.e. where cusps actually fall in particular zodiac sign/houses.)

This means one Venus ruled ascendant is always different from the other Venus ruled ascendant. Taurus rising shares its lordship with the sixth sign/house. Libra shares its with the eighth (as was the case for Dahmer). Both have their challenges. ;-) Don’t we all.

The best planet for both of these ascendants is actually Saturn, ruling an angle and a trine in each chart.

Saturn loves Venus. No one really likes Saturn (as Saturn starves all the other planets). But this is for another time. I mean, Mercury and Venus are always friends to Saturn it’s just that he (she/they) squeezes them too hard—and makes them feel a little parched.

Jupiter and Saturn are kind of okay. I think Jupiter can tolerate the pinching, due to its corpulence. But again everything changes with proximity, creating temporal friendships and the like. Best for another time as well.

The little point I’m here to make today is this: certain signs rising will have certain other signs ruling the trines in the chart, and those places/themes/planets are simply more beneficial and easier to navigate. Angular rulers come into play here too, but require more thoughtful examination.

When certain planets are lords of all the other places, specifically the houses that bring us to our knees—or to spirituality, meditation, our therapist, other forms of self-understanding, or the necessity to cultivate inner peace and freedom—well, we call those the difficult houses. Specifically these are the 3rd, 6th, 8th, and 12th. The 2nd is somewhat neutral; the 11th can get you in plenty of trouble (sixth from the sixth), or via egoic fame-seeking; and the 7th, the setting place, is a bit naughty, it depends.

Every house has its benefits, just with some you must work harder, pay your dues. Mastery doesn’t come easy.

Point is, for particular rising signs certain planets are notoriously more difficult. And if those planets are strong, well, I’m sorry that’s a bummer. One will likely want to remediate—ie., selfless service or charitable giving are some of the most potent effective ways to work this out—and how or to whom is determined by those planets’ significations. Venus = women, girls, arts; Moon = mothers, babies, public ___ ; Saturn = elderly or impoverished, hungry, disabled, or even animal rescue; Mars = veterans, etc..

If you have (or a loved one has) a chart where the planets ruling the trinal houses (5th/9th) are strengthened by those factors such as: own sign, free from combustion, retrogradation, difficult aspect, or near an angle or whatnot, it is indeed a cause for celebration.

And it is worth adding, if you or your loved one ;-) has the more complicated planets weakened by an absence of those strengthening factors, it is also cause for celebration. Sometimes having the most difficult planets burned to a crisp via combustion, or hidden away unaspected in a darker house, instead of out bullying others in public, is not such a bad thing at all.

I mean there are ways to work with our more difficult placements, of course! Most of us are already doing a fine job. But an over-emphasis on strength without noting the full picture—like, do we want that particular planet strong anyway?!—is negligent astrology. Don’t get me started. There’s so much of it.

We must celebrate small victories and discoveries, or massive ones. If I just illuminated something for you that brought a sense of relief or understanding, or prompts you to dig deeper, awesome! If you need help taking it further for yourself or within your work, feel free to reach out via consultation or mentorship.

As always, you are welcome to comment below.

Take care.