How to Find the Strongest Planet in Your Birth Chart

Every planet in an astrological birth chart has an influence, but some planets can have a much stronger position than others. A strong planet can become an important part of the birth chart and have a greater influence over a person's character, thoughts, emotions, relationships and ambitions. Finding the strongest planet means looking at the complete chart rather than choosing one planet because it appears important on its own.

The Sun and The Moon are good places to begin. The Sun represents our inner self, ego, power, self expression, creativity and vitality, while The Moon is associated with emotions, unconscious thoughts, memories, moods, home and security. Both describe important parts of a person and will always have considerable importance in a birth chart.

However, being important is not the same as being the strongest planet.

One of the first things to look for is a planet occupying a Zodiac sign that it rules. The Sun rules Leo and The Moon rules Cancer. Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, and Mars rules Aries. Jupiter traditionally rules Sagittarius and Pisces, while Saturn traditionally rules Capricorn and Aquarius. Modern astrology also associates Scorpio with Pluto, Aquarius with Uranus and Pisces with Neptune. A planet in a sign it rules can express much of its own nature directly, so this is an important indication of planetary strength.

Exaltation should be considered as well. The Sun is exalted in Aries, The Moon in Taurus, Mercury in Virgo, Venus in Pisces, Mars in Capricorn, Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Libra. If you find one of these positions in a birth chart, make a note of it. It does not automatically make that planet the strongest, but it adds another important piece of evidence.

The most important part of finding the strongest planet is to look for several indications pointing towards the same planet. A single strong position is not enough to settle the question. Suppose Mars is in Aries, close to the Ascendant and also makes important aspects to The Sun and The Moon. Mars is no longer important for only one reason. Its position is being repeated through several different parts of the chart. If Mars also rules the Ascendant, the case becomes stronger again.

This is the difference between simply finding a planet in a favourable position and finding a planet that has a major influence over the chart. Another person might have Saturn in Capricorn but little else drawing attention towards Saturn. Saturn is strongly placed, but another planet may still have a greater influence when the complete chart is examined. Look for repetition. When the same planet keeps appearing through rulership, position and aspects, it deserves greater attention.

The houses occupied by the planets provide another important clue. Planets close to the Ascendant or Midheaven can become particularly noticeable, as can planets placed in the First, Fourth, Seventh and Tenth Houses. These parts of the chart are connected with important areas of life and can give a planet greater prominence.

A planet close to the Ascendant can be especially noticeable in the way someone approaches life. Mars provides a good example. Mars is associated with confidence, self assertion, energy, strength, ambition and impulsiveness. The source material specifically describes people born with Mars rising as having great potential for leadership and not shying away from action or difficult decisions. A Mars that is both rising and strongly placed elsewhere in the chart would therefore deserve very close attention.

The ruling planet of the Ascendant should also be examined carefully. If Aries is rising, look at Mars. With Taurus rising, look at Venus. Gemini brings attention to Mercury and Cancer to The Moon. The sign and house occupied by this ruling planet, together with the aspects it makes, can tell you considerably more about its importance. If the ruler of the Ascendant is also in a sign where it is particularly strong, several influences are once again pointing towards the same planet.

Aspects can strengthen the importance of a planet because they connect it with other parts of the chart. A planet making several important aspects can have its influence carried into different areas of a person's life. Aspects to The Sun and The Moon deserve particular attention because of the importance of these two bodies. Pluto is a useful example of why connections matter. Its effects can operate indirectly in combination with other planets and especially through different aspects involving The Sun and The Moon.

Do not simply count aspects, though. Five minor connections do not necessarily make a planet more important than one closely connected with The Sun, The Moon or the Ascendant. The nature and importance of the connections have to be considered.

Repeated sign influences can provide another clue. Someone may have several important positions in Leo together with a strongly placed Sun. Solar qualities such as confidence, creativity, vitality and self expression can then become increasingly noticeable throughout the chart. Another chart may repeatedly bring attention back to Saturn, making hard work, responsibility, ambition, authority and discipline much more important.

There can also be more than one particularly strong planet. A birth chart does not have to produce a single clear winner. The Sun may be strongly placed while Mars rules the Ascendant and Saturn occupies another important position. In such a chart it can be more useful to understand how these strong planets work together than to force them into an exact order.

A practical way to find the strongest planet is therefore to work through the chart several times. First look at The Sun, The Moon and the ruler of the Ascendant. Then identify planets in the signs they rule or where they are exalted. Look at which houses contain the planets and whether any are close to the Ascendant or Midheaven. Next examine the important aspects, particularly those involving The Sun and The Moon. Finally, look back across everything you have found and see whether the same planet continues to appear.

If one planet is strongly placed by sign, occupies an important part of the chart and is closely connected with several other important planets, there is a good reason to consider it one of the strongest planets in that birth chart.

Strong does not necessarily mean good. Mars can bring confidence, energy, strength and ambition, but it can also bring impulsiveness, aggression and conflict. Jupiter is associated with growth, prosperity and good fortune, but also with gambling and merriment. Saturn governs hard work, responsibility, practicality and discipline, yet is also associated with restriction, limitations, self doubt and depression. A powerful planet can make both sides of its nature more important in a person's life.

This is why there is no single position that can be used to declare a planet the strongest. A planet in the sign it rules is important. A planet close to the Ascendant is important. A planet making important aspects is important. But when several of these conditions belong to the same planet, its influence becomes much harder to overlook.

In simple terms, the strongest planet in your birth chart is the planet that keeps making its presence felt. Look for strength by sign, an important house position, connections with The Sun and The Moon, rulership of the Ascendant and repeated influences elsewhere in the chart. The complete birth chart will show whether one planet clearly stands above the others or whether several planets share the strongest influence.