The Most Powerful Planets in Astrology: How to Identify Which Planets Are Strongest on Your Chart

Co-authored by Angel Eyedealism and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 30, 2022 References

Planets are some of the most important factors in astrology, so you may find yourself wondering which planet is the strongest. While no single planet is the most powerful, there are key players in Vedic astrology. We'll cover these powerful forces along with what they rule and we'll cover how to find the planets that are the most powerful in your specific birth chart.

Section 1

The Most Powerful Planets in Vedic Astrology

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The Sun (Surya) is the center of the solar system, so it governs everything. It also represents our life force or vitality. It should be no surprise that the Sun's force amplifies your strengths since it illuminates all the other planets.^{[1]
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Research source} You can associate the Sun with your ego and sense of pride.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Angel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance Artist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2021.}
- The Sun is also an indicator of your soul, so many astrologers place great importance on its placement in your natal chart.
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Saturn (Shani) is the planet that rules over death. Since Saturn is the farthest planet that's visible to the human eye, it governs endings. It's also a large, slow planet that applies a lot of pressure literally and metaphorically. Even though it's incredibly powerful, Saturn is seen as a malefic planet in Vedic astrology.^{[3]
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- Malefic simply means bad or negative. While these planets can have challenging implications for your chart, you can also focus on their effects so you know what to work on in your life.
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Jupiter (Brihaspati) represents power in general, being large in wisdom, size, and strength. This planet is also seen as the teacher or guru of the gods because Brihaspati is a brahmin. In Hinduism, brahmins are a class known for intellectualism. As the largest planet, Jupiter is also powerful when it comes to money, education, influence, and government.
- Jupiter is always known as a benefic, or beneficial, planet since it has a helpful or positive influence on astrology.
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The North Node of the Moon (Rahu) is the most powerful force governing your mind. Although Rahu isn't a planet, it describes a point in space where the Moon and Sun intersect. Not only is Rahu associated with eclipses and times of powerful spiritual energy, it's also known as the force that helps you materialize your wants and desires.
- Some astrologers argue that the Sun is a more powerful force, but others point out that Rahu can block the Sun's energy during a total solar eclipse.
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The South Node of the Moon (Ketu) brings about powerful self-realization in astrology. Think of this shadow planet's force as driving your inner energy. Its position helps you interpret the world around you, so yogis and sages would argue that it's one of the most powerful forces.^{[4]
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- Ketu's power can also represent great conflict. For instance, if people don't see eye to eye, this force can contribute to violence or war.
- Again, some astrologers point out that Ketu is more powerful than the Moon itself because it absorbs the Moon's energy during a lunar eclipse.

Section 2

Your Chart's Most Powerful Planets

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Find out the exact time you were born. You probably already know your birthday, but you also need to know the moment you were born. ^{[5]
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Expert Source

Angel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance Artist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2021.} You can probably find this information on your birth certificate or by asking your parent.
- If you still can't find the exact time, try to guess as close to the time as you can. For instance, if you think you were born around dawn on that day, look up the sunrise time and use that so you're as close as possible.
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Type your information into an online astrology calculator. To find an easy and free calculator, do a web search for "dominant planets birth chart." Then, input your birthday, time of birth, the city where you were born, and that's it!^{[6]
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Expert Source

Angel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance Artist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2021.} The site will automatically generate your birth chart.^{[7]
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Research source}
- If you want to use the chart to practice Vedic astrology, generate the chart and then select "traditional method." This only includes planets used in Vedic astrology.
- To find the most powerful planets, the calculator adds how many times a planet appears in your chart, how many houses it appears in, and it adds conjunctions, angles, and rulers.
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Find your most powerful planets. Most sites will bold the most powerful planets in your birth chart or you could rank them by percentage. For instance, your most powerful planet might be Mercury with 19%, followed by the Sun with 17%, and Pluto with 13%.
- Don't forget to switch to the "traditional method" for Vedic astrology. Since it uses fewer planets, your dominant planets might change. Using the above example, you might find that your most powerful planets are Mercury, the Sun, and Jupiter (since Pluto isn't a Vedic planet).

Section 3

Interpreting Strong Planets in Your Life

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Read your chart to identify planets with strong directional strength. Planets can become even stronger when certain planets are placed in specific houses. Glance through your birth chart and look for any of these powerful placements:^{[8]
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- Jupiter or Mercury in the First House means that you're good at communicating, but you can be unpredictable. Jupiter will give you an optimistic outlook on life.
- The Moon or Venus in the Fourth House means you have a happy home life. Since the Moon means emotional fulfillment, you'll find love and contentment in your home.
- Saturn in the Seventh House means you're drawn to committed relationships. Saturn influences challenges in relationships, but also offers lessons, to help you develop long-term relationships.
- The Sun or Mars in the Tenth House means you're a bold, ambitious achiever. The Sun in this house means that you'll succeed and be a leader in your career.
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Conjunctions of powerful planets make their effects stronger. Conjunctions are a type of aspect in astrology. Aspects are simply angles between the planets in your chart. If you've got 2 powerful planets that are within a few degrees of each other on the chart, it's known as a conjunction. This blends both of the planet's energies so the effects are even stronger.^{[9]
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- For instance, if you've got the Sun and Mercury in conjunction, your mind and ego will work together, so you've got tons of mental energy.
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Check for planets in their ruling house. If you see a planet in its ruling house, it's considered to be a planet with essential dignity and it's very strong. For instance, the Sun rules Leo, so if you have the Sun in your Fifth House, it's even more powerful. Here's a helpful list of ruling planets and their houses:
- Mars rules the First House
- Venus rules the Second House
- Mercury rules the Third House
- The Moon rules the Fourth House
- The Sun rules the Fifth House
- Mercury rules the Sixth House
- Venus rules the Seventh House
- Pluto rules the Eighth House
- Jupiter rules the Ninth House
- Saturn rules the Tenth House
- Uranus rules the Eleventh House
- Neptune rules the Twelfth House

Expert Q&A

Question

What does the ephemeris contain?

Angel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance Artist
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.

Angel Eyedealism

Astrologer & Performance Artist

Expert Answer

An ephemeris contains a list of all the planetary placements. People use it to find their zodiac signs.
Question

How do you find your zodiac sign?

Angel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance Artist
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.

Angel Eyedealism

Astrologer & Performance Artist

Expert Answer

You can enter the time, date, and place of birth on certain websites and find your zodiac sign online. Otherwise, you can ask an astrologer about it.