The Planets, Houses, & Aspects
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
The ancient system of seven planets, those visible to the naked human eye, included what we call today the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Our modern word “planet” comes from the Greek word meaning “wanderer.” The Egyptians called the planets kabiri, also “wanderer” in hieroglyphics. The planets received their names because they acted in seemingly random fashion, compared to the slow motion movement of the fixed stars. This is why planets were often associated with gods who had free will and moved about on their own, directing events through their influence depending upon which House they were visiting amongst their brother and sister deities. The planets carried the same attributes culture to culture, yet were known under different names.
The Sun and Moon were attributed respectively with the qualities of governing over the awake consciousness in day, and the sensual, emotional nature of the subconscious by night. In most ancient cultures, the Sun and Moon were regarded as emblems of the primordial divine father-mother couple that birthed humanity. The lunar and solar eclipse has always been considered an emblem of incredible power in astrology, representative of the supreme union between male and female. Venus influences love, luxury, and matters of the heart. Mercury is a messenger spirit, and greatly affects the other planets in geometric relation to the other planets. Alone, Mercury most represents matters of communication and wisdom. Mars affects strength, creativity, heroic or extreme forms of healing, and outer battles on all levels. Jupiter oversees authority, structure, and the dignity of the other planets. Saturn oversees the structure of time, order and inner discipline. These planets made up the ancient universe of astrology.
The Signs of the Zodiac emerged from the apparent motion of the Sun and Moon through the repeating cyclic round of fixed stars seemingly traveling around Earth. The Sabians had a geocentric view of the universe, and medieval astrology continued in this tradition. Modern astrology like-wise has kept this view for the meaning tones of the celestial bodies, yet incorporates modern astronomical knowledge overall. The heliocentric view that modern science proposes was revived from the Egyptian view that the Sun was the center of the universe. Aristotle reported that Pythagoras (600 B.C.) taught a heliocentric model of the universe, which was expounded on all over the ancient world by scholars such as Aristarchos of Samos (320-250 B.C.) and many others. Pythagoras was said to have been taught by Egyptian priests in the shadow of the Great Pyramid. Although the Egyptians purported a heliocentric mystical and mythological view, they kept the sense of geocentric views in their astrological divinations, a condition that has remained in astrology even today.