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Rulers of the Signs

Each sign is affiliated with a planet said to be its ruler. The ruling planet expresses

its nature in the purest and strongest manner in the sign it rules. Both the sign and

any house(s) with the sign sitting at the cusp (doorway) are impacted by the

condition of the signs ruling planet. (Strength or weakness is determined according

to its sign and house positions, direction and speed of motion, aspects, etc.) The sign

and its governing planet together are said to rule (share a strong association with) a

particular, and wide-ranging, set of: circumstances and conditions; creatures and

categories of people; various behaviors; and a host of nouns, adverbs and adjectives. A

good resource for this is The Rulership Bookby Rex E. Bills (commonly referred to by

astrologers as Bills book of rulership).

Sign Ruling PlanetAries Mars

Taurus Venus

Gemini Mercury

Cancer Moon

Leo Sun

Virgo Mercury

Libra Venus

Scorpio modern ruler*: Pluto, traditional ruler: Mars

Sagittarius Jupiter

Capricorn Saturn

Aquarius modern ruler: Uranus, traditional ruler: Saturn

Pisces modern ruler: Neptune, traditional ruler: Jupiter

* Some planets rule one sign; some, two. Before the discovery of planets you need a

telescope to see, the traditional ruling planets were those visible without even

binoculars: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Each ruled two signs. The

luminaries, the Moon and the Sun, ruled one a piece. Observations after the discovery

of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, led to assignment of their modern rulership of

Aquarius, Pisces and Scorpio, respectively. Only Mercury and Venus currently rule two

signs.

In working with a chart, you can play follow the ruler. The ruler of your rising sign(Ascendant) rules your whole chart. Look for the ruling planet of your rising sign. It is

said to be the dispositor of that sign. What sign is it in? Then, what rules that sign,

where is it? When a planet is in the sign it rules, the buck stops there. When you

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follow the ruler for all your natal planets, if they all lead to one planet in the sign it

rules, thats called your sole dispositor and its role in your life is very important. You

might have more than one planet in the sign it rules, thus no sole dispositor, but two or

three planets still quite important. Two planets can be in the sign each other rules,

called mutual reception, supporting each others indications. Maybe a trio of planets

disposit one another in a loop. These types of combinations may be where the buck

stops, and their interwoven influences impact your life noticeably.

2001-2011 Janet Booth for JanetsPlan-Its.com and AstrologyBooth.com