Outer Planets of Astrology

A birth chart is primarily about the planets. The interpretation of the chart is based on planetary locations in the houses and the specific color the planets take on due to the zodiac signs in which they fall.

The outer planets include Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. While the inner planets - the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - are associated with our personal identity and concerns, the outer planets symbolize our place in the bigger picture of life.

These planets are the farthest away from the Sun in the solar system, invisible without a telescope. Because of their distance, they rotate very slowly around the Sun and thus affect our lives primarily at an unconscious level.

In astrology, these distant planets signify the collective karma of the generation in which we were born. Karma in Eastern cultures is the sum of a person's activity - past, present, and future. According to this view, we are each responsible for our own lives and the suffering and joy our behavior brings to us and others. Put simply, karma is the law of cause and effect. It's the consequences of how we direct our energy. This is the biblical notion that we reap what we sow, even if the connection is not immediate or direct.

Let's look at the generational benefits that the four outer planets provide.

Uranus

The planet of sudden and unexpected changes and upheaval. Uranus brings upset, disruption, sudden flashes of insight, and rebelliousness. In society, it rules radical ideas and the people who champion them. Uranus also rules revolutionary events that disturb established structures and traditional order. Uranus also represents the freedom to create, inventiveness, and uniqueness.

Neptune

The planet of illusion, confusion, and deception. Neptune is connected to our imagination and spiritual enlightenment. Neptune also rules the misfits of society. On a higher level, it rules visionaries and those who are glamorous and charismatic. On a lower level, it represents wishful thinking and escapism.

Pluto

The planet of deep transformation. Pluto involves death, regeneration, and rebirth. It surfaces what has been hidden to destroy, purify, and renew. It rules intense energy, signifying the areas in which we consciously or subconsciously seek to exercise power or control. Linked to our karmic responsibility, Pluto indicates those areas where we need to find the deepest level of understanding. While it can stir up guilt, resentment, obsession, and fear, its rewards are usually positive and life changing.

The outer planets provide a unifying energy that influences each generation in a different way, allowing them to impact the world collectively. The inner planets tell how personal characteristics will play out in specific life areas for each person. Together, outer planets and inner planets provide a comprehensive picture of the energies that impact a person's experiences from birth to death.