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] We’ve compiled a list of ways you can find your dominant planets using your birth chart and a little intuition.

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Find the planet associated with your rising sign.

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

  1. 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]
    • 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]
    • 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.”
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Pay attention to your personal planets.

  1. 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.[6] If a planet on your birth chart overlaps or touches any one of these planets, it’s most likely a dominant planet.[7]
    • 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.[8]
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Find planets that are isolated in your chart.

  1. 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.[10]
    • 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.
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Use your dominant planets to interpret your horoscope.

  1. 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.[12] Here are some statements you may resonate with because of your dominant planet(s):[13]
    • 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.

About This Article

Angel Eyedealism
Co-authored by:
Astrologer & Performance Artist
This article was co-authored by Angel Eyedealism and by wikiHow staff writer, Aly Rusciano. Angel Eyedealism is an Astrologer and Performance Artist based in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With nearly three decades of astrology experience, Angel specializes in relocation astrology and astrocartography. Eyedealism has been featured in numerous media outlets such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Refinery29, NBC, MTV, Showtime, and Bravo. Angel aims to help others through a straightforward, kind, and humorous astrological lens, utilizing her entertainment and singing skills for performance art astrology readings. This article has been viewed 146,499 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: October 4, 2022
Views: 146,499
Categories: Astrology
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