The inner planets excluding Earth are Mercury, Venus and Mars. They move swiftly through the Zodiac due to their close proximity to the Sun and each represent a distinct personal quality or function that we use on a daily basis as part of our ego structure.
Mercury – transmission of information, learning and communication
Mercury is both the hottest and smallest planet in the solar system. Being the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury’s never more than 28 degrees away and has a zippy 88 day trajectory around the Solar giant.
In ancient Greek/Roman mythology Hermes or Mercury is ‘the winged messenger of the Gods’. Endowed with a nimble and youthful nature he was entrusted with communications, travel and commerce. As a go-between Mercury would get up to mischief in his activities and amongst his resume this behaviour has associated him with dodgy dealings, trickery and thieves.
Astrologically, the vibrational impact of Mercury is the urge to communicate, express perceptions and intelligence via speech and skill. Being concerned with learning and connecting with others Mercury is totally cerebral. Mercury is the operative mental faculty that deals with facts, logic and reason and expertly consumes and codifies masses of daily information. Without emotional overlay (Moon’s domain), Mercury is termed Lord of the mental body and rational mind.
Venus – relating, love and harmony
Venus is about the same size as earth and never more than 47 degrees away from the Sun. Mythologically Venus is goddess of love and consort to the Sun God. As a deity worshipped by ancient Romans and Greeks, Venus is the ruler of feminine energy - sexuality, attraction, beauty, prosperity and women’s fertility.
Venus’s vibrational energy represents the way we respond to what feels good. All things sweet and pleasant fall within Venus’ jurisdiction such as grace, diplomacy, sociability, food and luxury; sugar, aesthetics, music, wealth, possessions, rapport, income and security.
Venus loves to relate and bring things together harmoniously, such as the balancing of minds, developing rapport in relationships, equalising differences, expressing artistic taste and establishing beautiful home comforts.
As Venus is synonymous with the feeling of love, especially romantic in kind, Venus’s story in the chart can indicate our standard of love and what we find attractive in others. Venus can also point to how we blend in partnership and experience weakness in love. Her sign indicates the style we exhibit loving tendencies and wish to be treated in love in return.
Venus also represents what we value about ourselves and others. Should Venus’ self-worth arising from the underlying value system be damaged, serious consequences to the quality of relationships result - and this extends beyond people to the value placed upon wealth that provides our material or psychological security.
Venus has a shadow side that will emerge at various times in our life. Through sharp pangs of jealousy, vulnerability, self-loathing, co-dependent attachment, neediness in relationship, fears of being alone and unloved. Venus can become addicted to love for love’s sake, become hopelessly vanity stricken and spend her life excessively attached to the physical appearance.
Venus’ influence is very prominent and a huge part of our lives, as we grow she grows concomitantly, so managing the array of her impulses and developmental needs requires conscious effort and maturity.
Mars – activation, courage and will
Mars is situated just beyond Earth with two faithful orbiting moons and due to the composition of iron and aluminium, Mars gains it reddish hue. As the God of War, Mars has a mighty portfolio to show of battles fought and won – it has an indomitable force of strength and power and can choose a higher or lesser path.
Brave, bold, quick-tempered, aggressive, impulsive and combative in force, Mars is the activation principle, warrior-like in energy and how we get things done. Mars is driven by primal desires that easily reach fever-pitch, so it’s imperative to monitor our Martian impulses should they descend into perversion, destruction and cruelty.
Physiologically Mars governs the adrenals, red blood cells, body heat, sexual drive and testes (Venus the ovaries). Mars is known to produce high fevers, inflammatory conditions, especially the skin, burns and scolding. Mars governs knives, weapons, engineering, butchers, military operations and also battlefields - strategic warfare, martial arts and all kinds of violent upheavals.
Being inordinately brave, Mars suffuses us with passion, spirit and the desire to conquer and achieve. Mars has an insatiable urge to triumph, especially over foes that he can combat with strength and zeal.
As the pioneer of the Zodiac, inspiring and energetic, Mars is the brave and resourceful personality of the bunch and Mars’ horoscope placement indicates where we express these qualities and go about achieving the Martian impulses.
Sources
Art of Synthesis – Alan Leo
The Round Art – A.T. Mann
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