There are twelve basic ways of seeing the universe. Presently we are looking at it from a geocentric or Earth point of view. On the Sun we would be looking at it from a heliocentric point of view, and so on with the other planets.

Astrology is concerned about how the universe appears from the individual's point of view as opposed to how it actually is from the astronomical point of view. Both views are valid. The first yields spiritual or personal imformation and we call this astrology, while the latter yields material or impersonal imformation and we call this astronomy.

From a personal or geocentric point of view the first two realities(or illusions?) that we see are the earth beneath our feet (illustrated in brown)and the sky or heaven above and around us(illustrated in blue). Both the Earth and the Sky(or Heaven) are actually spheres interpenetrating one another -one, the terrestial sphere, and the other the celestial sphere. In astrology, the Earth or terrestial sphere, at birth, inprints us with its nature via the so-called Ascendant or Rising sign(eastern horizn), whereas the Sky or Heaven leaves its mark on us via the Midheaven("middle of heaven") or Zenith. These two first and most fundamental realities become the most salient features in any nativity or horoscope.

The next two most conspicuos realities are the Sun and Moon which are also called the Lights or Luminaries. The Sun or greater light is your Spirit, Life Force, Higher Self, God, The Father, Eternal Self, etc. Its symbolic and its continual rising and setting describes your spirit's countless incarnations into and out of matter. The Moon records or remembers all of your sojourns and forms your soul or personality. A waxing Moon symbolizes growth and remembering whlie a waning one symbolizes withering and forgetfulness. Eclipses may symbolize the soul's ability to obscure or disconnect us from spirit.

The next most conspicuous bodies in terms of apparent motion, size, and brightness are the planets Venus and Jupiter, also known as the benefics, because of their generally positive or beneficial influences, followed by Mars and Saturn which are also known as the malefics because of their generally negative or discordant natures. When Venus approaches Earth and grows in brilliance, so does its beneficial nature or influence. When Mars also is closest to Earth and grows in brilliance, so does its aggressive nature or influence. Jupiter is Jehovah or our second Sun and along with Mars comprises our triad spiritual nature. Saturn is Satan which along with Venus and (presently)Mercury comprises our triad material or physical nature. Retrograde movements of these or any of the other "wanderers" signify slowdowns or setbacks.

The next pairing comprises planets that are barely visible or not at all to the normal naked eye. Uranus and Neptune also known as the transcendentals, are generally invisible and signify the higher or psychic functions in all of us which help us to transcend everyday affairs and link us to our more divine or eternal selves. Uranus, the Son, the Christ, or the Buddha, breaks the limits or binds of Saturn/Satan and frees us, but alternately falls into the net of Neptune which deceives, drugs, and deludes. Both Uranus and Neptune are intimately linked with our mythical past including the civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria. If Jupiter is international, and Saturn is worldly, Uranus is interplanetary and Neptune is universal.

We are left with Mercury and Pluto, one too close to the Sun to be seen(except at certain times of the year) and the other too far from it. Both Mercury and Pluto are called errants because of their highly inclined or elliptical orbits. Both have natures which tend to stray from the norm, one in the mental and the other in the emotional sense. Mercury is clever and devious while Pluto is obsessive and subversive. Mercury is the jester or trickster while Pluto is the witch or warlock. The perturbed orbits of both planets may be caused by an as yet unknown body which crosses both ends of the solar system.

In all of the above pairings, one is male and the other female. Also, there is an earth-air or fire-water relationship in all of the pairings. Finally, all of the pairings consist of relationships that are in square, quincunx, or semi-sextile to each other.

For example: The Sun and Moon rule signs that are semi-sextile to each other as do Uranus and Neptune. Venus and Jupiter rule signs that are in quincunx to each other as do Mercury and Pluto, and so on.

There are other systems of pairings, where for example Venus is paired to Mars, and Jupiter to Saturn, but even here the same element or aspect relatonship holds. Venus is earth and Mars is fire, and Jupiter is fire and Saturn is earth -hence the fire/earth relationship. Also Venus(Taurus) is semi-sextile to Mars(Aries), as is Jupiter(Sagittarius) to Saturn(Capricorn).

It appears that the planets ruled by the primary elements of fire and earth are the most visible or conspicuous(Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) while those of the secondary air/water elements are the least visible or conspicuous. Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and two others not as yet clarified. Curiously, in this system, the Moon would fall into the earth category. The Earth, which we see only in part because we are on it, and it's inner sun of which we see only its product(the sky) can be considered as belonging to the air/water element and the least conspicuous group.