Planet Mythology

Seven planets, seven gods, seven archetypes

The seven planets of classical astrology are named after Roman gods. Rome took these gods from the Greeks, and the Greeks in turn owed much of their pantheon to Babylon. The character that astrology gives a planet cannot be separated from the myth of the god it is named after. You can see Mercury's speed in the winged sandals of Hermes and Saturn's heaviness in the sickle of Cronus.

Each planet's page contains a symbolism map, an explanation of the glyph, the planet's counterparts in other cultures, three myths and its place in classical astrology. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron are treated in a separate section. Their myths are worth knowing, but in classical astrology they rule nothing.

The seven classical planets

☉

Sun

From Ra to Apollo

In most cultures the sun god is a king, a judge and the hero who is reborn every morning. This page brings together Ra, Helios, Apollo, Shamash and Amaterasu, along with gold and the lion.
☽

Moon

From Nanna to Artemis

Nanna, Selene, Artemis, Hecate and Thoth appear here alongside the mother, maiden and crone. The calendar, the tides, the night and silver are on this page too.
☿

Mercury

From Hermes to Thoth

Hermes, Thoth, Nabu and Odin are faces of the same figure. This page tells the mythology of Mercury, the planet of mind and speech.
♀︎

Venus

The goddesses of one star, from Inanna to Aphrodite

Venus is the planet of love, beauty and desire, yet her oldest goddesses also went to war. This page tells the stories of Aphrodite, Inanna, Hathor and Freyja and explains why the morning and evening star are one body.
♂︎

Mars

From Nergal to Ares

Ares, the Roman Mars, Nergal and Tyr meet on this page. Read the warrior, hero and dragon-slayer faces of the red planet together with iron and will.
♃

Jupiter

From Marduk to Zeus

In Zeus, Iuppiter, Marduk, Thor and Brihaspati the king of the gods, the lawgiver and the thunder meet in one planet. Its metal is tin and its principle is expansion.
♄

Saturn

From Cronus to Saturnus

Cronus, Saturnus, Ninurta and Shani carry the archetypes of time, the sickle, the boundary and the old sage. Lead, melancholy and the golden age also have their place on the map.

Modern planets and Chiron: no rulership

Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron were discovered in the age of the telescope. These pages tell the myths of the gods they are named after. In classical astrology these bodies have no rulership, exaltation, sect or joy. The domiciles of the seven traditional planets did not change when they were discovered. In this school they are observed in the chart, but they rule no sign. Asteroids and dwarf planets (Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, Eris, Sedna and others) have their own series of pages: Asteroid Mythology.

♅

Uranus

The story of the sky father, from Ouranos to Herschel

This page tells the myths of the sky father Ouranos, Anu, Nut and Varuna, and the story of the first planet found with a telescope, in 1781. Uranus has no rulership in classical astrology.

No rulership
♆

Neptune

Lord of the sea, from Poseidon to Le Verrier's calculation

The planet of Poseidon, Neptunus, Enki, Nun and Varuna was calculated on paper and then found in 1846. It has no rulership in classical astrology.

No rulership
♇

Pluto

Lord of the Underworld: from Hades to Tombaugh

The underworld and wealth, told through Hades and Pluto, Ereshkigal, Osiris, Yama and Hel. Pluto is a dwarf planet found in 1930 and has no rulership in classical astrology.

No rulership
⚷

Chiron

The wounded healer, from Cheiron to Kowal's discovery

The centaur Cheiron taught the heroes and was the wounded healer. Chiron is a small body found in 1977 and has no rulership in classical astrology.

No rulership

Family trees of the mythologies

You can see the families of these gods on the family tree pages. Each figure is listed with parents, partners and children.

GreekMesopotamianEgyptianNorseJapanese