How to Find Your Dominant Planet in Astrology (Chart Rulers and Aspects)

Did you know that your star sign isn’t the only thing that can tell you about yourself? In astrology, dominant planets can have an even greater impact on your personality and life experiences than your zodiac sign. These planets shape who you are and can help you learn and grow.^{[1]XResearch source} We’ve compiled a list of ways you can find your dominant planets using your birth chart and a little intuition.

How to Find Dominant Planets in Your Astrological Chart

Your dominant planets may overlap (conjunct) your inner planets, or the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, or your ascendant sign. If a planet is in many aspects in your chart, or if it’s alone in a section of your chart, it may be a dominant planet.

1

Calculate your birth chart.

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Your birthday and time of birth will help you find your dominant planets. Enter your information into an online birth chart calculator. Make sure you put the exact date and time to ensure you get an accurate chart.^{[2]XExpert SourceAngel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance ArtistExpert Interview. 8 December 2021.}
- If you don’t know the exact time you were born, ask your parents or look at your birth certificate.
- To find a birth chart calculator, simply search “birth chart calculator” in Google. You’ll have hundreds of options to choose from!

2

Find the planet associated with your rising sign.

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Your ruling planet is most likely one of your dominant planets. You must know your rising sign or ascendant to find your ruling planet. The ascendant is on the cusp between the 1st and 12th House on the left side of your chart. The symbol “AC” on the outer edge represents this. The zodiac sign labeled on the cusp is your ascendant sign, and the planet that rules this sign is your ruling planet.^{[3]XResearch source} Here’s a breakdown you can follow:
- Aries: Mars
- Taurus: Venus
- Gemini: Mercury
- Cancer: Moon
- Leo: Sun
- Virgo: Mercury
- Libra: Venus
- Scorpio: Pluto
- Sagittarius: Jupiter
- Capricorn: Saturn
- Aquarius: Uranus
- Pisces: Neptune

3

Look at the planets in your 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th Houses.

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The angular houses have the most influence on your personality. The House of Self, House of Home, House of Partnerships, and House of Social Status essentially shape who you are as an individual. Because of this, the planets resting inside each of these houses have a powerful impact on your life experiences.^{[4]XExpert SourceAngel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance ArtistExpert Interview. 8 December 2021.}
- 1st House: The House of Self holds your ascendant or rising sign, and the ruler of this sign plays an important part in your outward identity. A planet or group of planets in this house are most likely dominant as they will strongly influence your personality.^{[5]XResearch source}
- 4th House: The House of Home contains your nadir or immum coeli sign. The planet or planets in this house describe your childhood, family, and emotional safety. Immum coeli is Latin for “bottom of the sky.”
- 7th House: The House of Partnerships represents how you react to romantic or business-like relationships. On the opposite side of the 1st House, this house contains your descendant. The planet(s) in this house is incredibly influential and impact the qualities you admire in others.
- 10th House: The House of Social Status is the home of your midheaven, or medium coeli, and is all about work, status, and reputation. Being opposite of the 4th House, the planet(s) placed in this house strongly impacts your role in society. Medium coeli is Latin for “middle of the sky.”

4

Pay attention to your personal planets.

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The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars orbit closest to the Earth. Because of this, astrologers believe these planets have the biggest impact on our physical being. The personal planets govern who you are, how you feel, what you think, what you love, and how you handle conflict. If a planet on your birth chart overlaps or touches any one of these planets, it’s most likely a dominant planet.^{[6]XResearch source}
- For example, if Mars is on top of your Sun, Mars is a dominant planet.
- Planets that overlap are said to be in conjunction and are labeled with a 0° on your chart.^{[7]XResearch source}

5

Notice any planets that are in opposition.

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Planets are in opposition, often labeled with 180° on your chart, when they are directly across from each other. This represents a polarity or duality that will create tension if broken. Two dominant planets can only create such a powerful bond.^{[8]XResearch source}

6

Find planets that are isolated in your chart.

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The characteristics of a lone planet stand out because it’s dominant. Look closely for isolated planets in all hemispheres of your chart. Planets usually like to hang out in groups and are often clumped together in the same hemisphere, if not in the same house. Having one planet in a single hemisphere can make that planet’s characteristics more influential than if it were in a group.^{[9]XResearch source}
- The Southern Hemisphere (7th through 12th House) is actually on the top of your birth chart and represents your public life.
- The Northern Hemisphere (1st through 6th House) is the bottom half of your chart and represents your private life.
- The Western Hemisphere (4th through 9th House) is the right half and contains information on how you interact with other people.
- The Eastern Hemisphere (6th through 10th House) is the left half known as the self-hemisphere.

7

Make note of planets that frequently come up.

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If you notice any planets making multiple aspects with each other while analyzing your birth chart, chances are they’re your dominant planets. Keep track of your planets by taking notes of which planets have repeated patterns. You can start a tallied list for every time a planet comes up more than once.^{[10]XResearch source}

8

Use your dominant planets to interpret your horoscope.

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Your personality traits are reflected in your dominant planets. As a general rule, your dominant planet(s) has the most influence on you and your birth chart. Your personality is governed by its characteristics, and its position in your chart influences your life experiences.^{[11]XExpert SourceAngel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance ArtistExpert Interview. 8 December 2021.} Here are some statements you may resonate with because of your dominant planet(s):^{[12]XResearch source}
- Sun: You’re a natural leader who people look up to.
- Moon: You’re empathetic and nurturing and have quickly changing moods.
- Mercury: You’re a clever and sociable person who has a lot of niche hobbies.
- Venus: You’re often described as artistic and love the pleasures of life.
- Mars: You’re a natural go-getter who will stop at nothing to get what you want.
- Jupiter: You’re naturally upbeat and always see the bright side of things.
- Saturn: Your standards are high, and you like to stick to the rules.
- Neptune: You’re a spiritual person and are very intuitive.
- Uranus: You’re naturally spontaneous and are known to rebel.
- Pluto: You’re often thinking of the bigger picture of life.

What Is a Ruling Planet In Astrology?

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You can have more than one dominant planet! These planets represent life experiences, and because you have more than one life experience, you have more than one dominant planet.^{[13]XResearch source}
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There are ten planets in astrology: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.^{[14]XResearch source}
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