Dominant Planets

It seems like there's a billion methods to choose dominant planets but I feel like I still don't get it :/ (Then again perhaps there is no way to choose, but rather finding something to fix your identity onto is just comforting?)

So, yeah. I'd like some pros and cons of different methods, and whichever one seems the most accurate to you. Thanks.

Ugh. Not asking for much, are you?

You could take the ruler of the ascendant, and for some people - that fits. Common in modern astrology. You could take the most aspected planet, also used in modern astrology. I have not found that to be even moderately accurate, but some folks do.

You could use the chart almuten or Lord of the Geniture, those are more tradtional methods, but if you're attached to the outer planets that doesn't work, because they simply do not count in those systems. I'm fine with that. Lots of folks aren't, though.

If you really want some fun, go look up how Hellenistic astrology used a nautical metaphor to determine which planet was most active at what. It is fairly interesting stuff, and who knows? You might find it useful.

Like so many things in astrology, it depends.

If you have a good understanding of what planets do and how they work, and a decent understanding of yourself, you can look at your chart and go from there. What is it you most want in life? What planet represents that? What kind of circumstances do you deal with all the time in your life? Which planet represents that? The two aren't always the same, by any stretch.

Ah yes, so I "just" want how to find a dominant planet, and you say one "just" needs a decent understanding of yourself? That's not asking for a lot, not at allllll...

Though I do wonder, then, Oddity, what happens when you have both things and what your chart says is your dominant planet does not fit at all?

graay ghost said:

Ah yes, so I "just" want how to find a dominant planet, and you say one "just" needs a decent understanding of yourself? That's not asking for a lot, not at allllll...

Though I do wonder, then, Oddity, what happens when you have both things and what your chart says is your dominant planet does not fit at all?

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Try a different system? Even in trad astrology, there are things like significator of manners, which again - may not be the dominant planet.

What is a dominant planet supposed to do? I should have asked that first, I think.

Oddity said:

Try a different system? Even in trad astrology, there are things like significator of manners, which again - may not be the dominant planet.

What is a dominant planet supposed to do? I should have asked that first, I think.

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I don know, cut through some obfuscation. If you look at all parts of a chart with equal weight I don't think that will get you very far, yet sun/moon/asc doesn't seem to be enough. Does that make any sense?

Okay, that's fair. What's angular for planets?

Oddity said:

Okay, that's fair. What's angular for planets?

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As in what planets are on angles, or in angular houses, or something else?

First, on angles. Second, in angular houses.

For instance, Venus might be your almuten, but if Saturn is retrograde and sitting on the ascendant, you're going to be getting hit with a whole lot of Saturn.

Oddity said:

First, on angles. Second, in angular houses.

For instance, Venus might be your almuten, but if Saturn is retrograde and sitting on the ascendant, you're going to be getting hit with a whole lot of Saturn.

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Mars on Asc, Venus in IC, Pluto on Desc, Saturn in 10th, Mercury in 4th, Venus is chart ruler (Asc in Taurus) and apparently my Almuten Figuris is apparently Jupiter somehow.

Wow that's a lot of planets.

I kind of want to discount the idea that outer planets can be dominant planets but I know that a lot of people would not agree with me with that. I know a lot of people are very attached to Pluto but I wonder if that is confirmation bias. A lot of people who end up looking at astrology just seem to be troubled, so that makes Pluto more appealing.

I tend to agree with you there. I don't use the outer planets. I used to, because when I learned astrology the modern psychological stuff was all that was on offer. And that went on for a good twenty years (ouch). But the more I worked with them, the more convinced I became that they didn't show anything, or at least they didn't do anything but confirm something you could see elsewhere in the chart. Ironically, I tried one of those Pullen charts at astro.com, and by that, Pluto is my dominant planet. By a mile. Bwahahaha.

Here's what I'd do if I were you. Find your chart almuten. That may well be your heart's desire, and quite possibly your guardian angel as well - if it comes from that planet (sort this out from wishful thinking!) it's not going to lead you wrong.

Look at any planets on the ascendant. They are going to have a profound effect on how your life plays out.

And because everything isn't active at the same time to the same intensity, look at the lord of the year during each solar return - I give more weight to the rising sign of the solar return than the profectional lord, but both can be important. NB: If it happens to be Saturn, and Saturn and Mercury are conjunct in your natal chart, and that's Saturn's closest aspect, then Saturn and Mercury are both going to be highly active in your chart. Always look at the planet that's in closest aspect to the LoY, chances are EXCELLENT that you'll get both of them. Or in my case, more than that, because I've got a ring of sextiles that are all within a degree. Ghaa.

It can take a while to get the patterns down, and the only way to do it is to really study what the planets mean. Then you'll start to get the clicks, see where it's playing out in your life.

I wish I could hand you a simple answer, but honestly, that doesn't work too well, because life - it's not all that simple.

To throw a monkey wrench into this, I have decided that the most dominant planet actually changes in one's life. It changes with transits, progressions AND with the persons age, as different things ebb and flow in importance.

What was important to me when I was a college student was not the same when I was a newly wed, nor when I became a mom, etc etc/

For example, the ruler of my ascendant was of prime importance when I was young and 'presenting myself' to the world. First impressions were of vital importance in interviews, first dates, etc etc.

Then when I became a mother, the ruler of my 4th house suddenly had more significance. In my opinion anyway. As the empty nest period came on, my 7th house cusp became important. Could my husband and I renew our relationship after the hustle and bustle of children left us al alone?

I think the 'dominant' planet changes as one grows and as planets progress and transit through your chart. I have Taurus rising, so Venus is my chart ruler. But Venus has very different meanings now that I am a 63 yr old grandmother than it did back in the day.

Oddity said:

I tend to agree with you there. I don't use the outer planets. I used to, because when I learned astrology the modern psychological stuff was all that was on offer. And that went on for a good twenty years (ouch). But the more I worked with them, the more convinced I became that they didn't show anything, or at least they didn't do anything but confirm something you could see elsewhere in the chart. Ironically, I tried one of those Pullen charts at astro.com, and by that, Pluto is my dominant planet. By a mile. Bwahahaha.

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Glad I'm not crazy. I do not think I'll throw them out entirely but all this pluto seems like it may cloud people's judgement, maybe, if that makes any sense.

Oddity said:

Here's what I'd do if I were you. Find your chart almuten. That may well be your heart's desire, and quite possibly your guardian angel as well - if it comes from that planet (sort this out from wishful thinking!) it's not going to lead you wrong.

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If mine is Jupiter, well... might need to do more looking at Jupiter. Never really thought much of it, probably because it's in detriment in Virgo and in an intercepted house

Oddity said:

Look at any planets on the ascendant. They are going to have a profound effect on how your life plays out.

And because everything isn't active at the same time to the same intensity, look at the lord of the year during each solar return - I give more weight to the rising sign of the solar return than the profectional lord, but both can be important. NB: If it happens to be Saturn, and Saturn and Mercury are conjunct in your natal chart, and that's Saturn's closest aspect, then Saturn and Mercury are both going to be highly active in your chart. Always look at the planet that's in closest aspect to the LoY, chances are EXCELLENT that you'll get both of them. Or in my case, more than that, because I've got a ring of sextiles that are all within a degree. Ghaa.

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I'm not really sure how you're calculating all these? I'm lost for once.

Oddity said:

It can take a while to get the patterns down, and the only way to do it is to really study what the planets mean. Then you'll start to get the clicks, see where it's playing out in your life.

I wish I could hand you a simple answer, but honestly, that doesn't work too well, because life - it's not all that simple.

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Well, thank you anyway.

@Katydid: That might be helpful but I do not think my life will play out in a normal fashion (spouse, children, etc) at all. I just do not think it's in me to do those things. This leads me to the question of what I am going to do with my life instead -- I have no idea -- but looking for things related to those sorts of stages kind of feels like it would be an exercise in futility for me.

I have also been looking at other people's charts but I guess it is not so important for them unless they ask. After all if I actually know a person I am going to only know limited amounts about them and will only see what I want to see.

You don't have to do that same process. But no matter what you choose to do with your life, things change as you grow and age. What is 'urgent' at 20 is not so important at 40 or 60. No matter what you decided to do with those decades.

Grey - hit this web site and download the file - from the .zip link graphic. It doesn't seem to work if you hit download. https://www.hightail.com/download/bXBacHBPcTJvQUpvZE1UQw

It's a freebie audio lecture from John Frawley that explains what profections are - you don't even need maths to do them you just need to be able to count.

Frawley and I disagree quite vehemently about some matters astrological, but this is one of the best explanations of profection I've ever heard, and very easy to follow.

Oddity said:

Grey - hit this web site and download the file - from the .zip link graphic. It doesn't seem to work if you hit download. https://www.hightail.com/download/bXBacHBPcTJvQUpvZE1UQw

It's a freebie audio lecture from John Frawley that explains what profections are - you don't even need maths to do them you just need to be able to count.

Frawley and I disagree quite vehemently about some matters astrological, but this is one of the best explanations of profection I've ever heard, and very easy to follow.

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Okay, but is everything you said in there? You were mentioning lord of the year and stuff like that. As in is the lord of the year the ruling planet of the rising sign in the solar return? Or does it have to do with profections?

It's going to depend on who you ask. Which you'll also find in the lecture, and the 'why' for either method of reasoning.

I don't think you'll have a problem following it, but if you do, you've only wasted a few minutes of your time, there's no cash exchange involved.

Oddity said:

It's going to depend on who you ask. Which you'll also find in the lecture, and the 'why' for either method of reasoning.

I don't think you'll have a problem following it, but if you do, you've only wasted a few minutes of your time, there's no cash exchange involved.

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I guess I just strongly prefer text sources, lol. It's easier for me to process if I'm actually trying to pay attention and not learn by osmosis. I'll try to look it up on my own.

I wish I could find a text source that explains it as well, but I've never come across one. If this is actually a matter of interest to you, I hope you do. If not - just skip it.