This primary division is the basis of our dual physical universe or reality(light and dark, life and death, creation and destruction, action and reaction, etc.)

There are six masculine signs and six feminine signs. There are also six corresponding masculine planets and six corresponding feminine planets as is outlined below.

In the ideal chart, where every planet is in its home sign or dignity, the masculine and feminine principles remain pure and balanced and there is little or no predisposition towards what we now call sexuality. It is when a planet leaves its home sign, element, or gender, that the purity or balance is broken, and a descent towards base or carnal sexuality occurs.

When Mars, for example, leaves Aries and enters Taurus, it is immersed into density, darkness, and sensuality, and loses much of its vital or spiritual nature. This makes the placement known as Mars in Taurus a basically impure or negative influence whether natally, or by transit or progression.

When Mars enters Gemini, it regains its gender, but not its element, and is therefore not as pure or balanced as it should be, yet it is basically positive or "successful" there. Mars here is much less predisposed to sexuality than in Taurus but more so than in Aries.

When Mars enters Cancer, it again loses its gender as well as its element, but retains its mode(cardinality), making it basically sensual, but less so than in Taurus, and more so than in Gemini.

Mars repeats this basic pattern in the remaining signs, and the other planets follow along on the same rules.

Planets blend natures and forces when they are in the same sign, element, or gender, whether they are in close aspect by degree or not. The most basic blending occurs when two planets are in the same gender. Planets in the same element blend even more, and planets in the same sign blend most of all.

In the ideal chart, where every planet is in its home sign or dignity, all of the planets blend as they should, helping or reinforcing one another, and maintaining a perfectly balanced male/female equilibrium, with one half of the chart totally masculine and the other half totally feminine, making the individual sexually balanced or self-gendering. These people are content within themselves and do not necessarily need or want sexual relations.

Very few people have this kind of chart. Most of us have an equal mix of balanced and unbalanced planetary placements which lead us to seek intimate relationships with the opposite sex. When, for example, the Sun(a masculine planet) and the Moon(a feminine planet) blend there is a natural desire or need to be with the opposite sex. This can be natally, by transit or progression, or in synastry. Same with Mars and Venus or any other male-female planet combination.

Planets not in their own sign, element, or gender are more subject to sexual desire or distortion than planets that are. Sun, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Ascendant in earth or water are perhaps the most sensually inclined placements, whereas Moon, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, and Midheaven in fire or air are perhaps the least sensually inclined. The remaining 72 planetary placements are more or less balanced or neutral with the ability to swing either way.

Sun in Taurus, for example, loves to be sensual, as does Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, or Ascendant there. Moon or Venus(feminine planets) in Taurus are also sensual, but in a very natural or wholesome kind of way. With the masculine planets in this sign, the sensual nature can easily go to extremes, often becoming unnatural or perverted. Same with these masculine planets in the other earth and water signs. Ascendant in Scorpio or Capricorn, for example, are easily two of the most sensual planetary placements that can be observed.

Whether we like to admit it or not, sex is basically a weakness, encouraged or precipitated by the weak planetary placements(planets not in their home sign, element, or gender). Even the strong placements can be weakened or corrupted by the weak placements. This has been borne out through extensive observation.

The quality of your planetary placements, therefore, has a major effect on your predisposition towards sex or sensuality.