Planetary expressions

The planets in astrology contain certain themes. But how these themes are expressed depends on the zodiac sign, house, and direction of the planet. Retrogrades become a big scary hairy deal whenever Mercury retrograde comes around (about three or four times every year), but what about people with retrograde in their natal charts? Today I want to talk about the astrology of understanding one another. And no, not through synastry, but through planetary expression.

We understand zodiac signs well enough. Someone with a Mercury in Capricorn is likely to communicate similarly to someone else with Mercury in Capricorn. Furthermore, they both may be fairly blunt, direct people, or logically thinking. The signs show us how the planets express their themes or traits. They show us means of expression, or how the planets portray themselves in a certain birth chart.

But the signs aren't all there is to it. The houses show us what areas of life the planets express themselves in. The degrees show us the minute ways planets and signs can come to life. And the direction of a planet, be it direct, stationary, or retrograde, can tell us a whole lot about how a planet behaves.