The luminaries: Sun and Moon
- Sun (Surya) — soul, vitality, confidence, father, authority, self-expression.
- Moon (Chandra) — mind, emotions, mother, comfort, receptivity. Often the single most emphasized planet in Vedic practice.
The personal planets: Mars, Mercury, Venus
- Mars (Mangala) — energy, courage, drive, discipline, siblings, property.
- Mercury (Budha) — intellect, communication, analysis, commerce, learning.
- Venus (Shukra) — love, beauty, relationships, art, comfort, refinement.
The social planets: Jupiter and Saturn
- Jupiter (Guru) — wisdom, growth, teachers, ethics, optimism, abundance. Considered the great benefic.
- Saturn (Shani) — discipline, time, responsibility, patience, hard-won maturity. Strict but ultimately constructive.
The lunar nodes: Rahu and Ketu
Rahu and Ketu are not physical planets but the two points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic. They always sit exactly opposite each other and are central to Vedic astrology’s treatment of desire and detachment.
- Rahu — worldly desire, ambition, innovation, the unconventional, obsession.
- Ketu — detachment, spirituality, past mastery, letting go, the mystical.
Reading a planet in three steps
To interpret any planet, combine three things: what it signifies, the sign it occupies (its style), and the house it sits in (its arena). A well-placed benefic supports the house’s themes; a stressed planet points to areas that ask for conscious effort.