The Nine Planets and Their Characteristics

The Celestial Bodies Known To The Ancients where Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The Sun and the Moon were also amongst the heavenly bodies, studied by the ancients. Of the remaining planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, these are fairly recent discoveries, and would have been unknown, being far too distant to be seen unaided.

Pluto was not discovered until 1930, the single moon of Pluto, named Charon, was discovered in 1978. Neptune was discovered in 1846, Triton a moon of Neptune, is the only large moon in the solar system to orbit 'backwards' around its planet. Uranus, was discovered by William Herschel in 1781, Uranus is notable because of the fact that it is tipped on its side. The poles are not on the top and bottom like the Earth's, but instead on its sides. The planet spins from north to south instead of west to east like on Earth.

• The Sun

It is a typical yellow main sequence star - its mass, size, surface temperature and chemical composition lie roughly midway between the extremes exhibited by other stars. Even though it is the closest star to our planet, its light still takes 8.3 minutes to travel the roughly 93 million miles between the sun and the earth.

The Sun, the giver of life, plays an important role in the ancient civilisations. Many of the worlds primitive people's regarded the sun as a deity, the Assyrian and Babylonian sun god was called Shamash, known as Mithras to the Persians, Ra to the Egyptians, to the Aztecs he was known as Tezcatlipoca, the 'smoking mirror', as Helios to the Greeks, and the Romans as Sol and usually identified with Phoebus and Apollo.

The Sun's cycle is a period of 28 years, at the end of which the days of the month fall on the same days of the week as they did 28 years previously.

• The Moon

The Earth and Moon form a double-planet system. The Moon, the closest astral body to the Earth, has had the most profound influences on mankind than any of the other heavenly bodies. The moon provided ancient man with their first calendar. Many of its surface features are visible to the unaided eye.

In the Edda, the son of Mundilfoeri is Mani, meaning Moon, and daughter Sol, meaning Sun. In classical mythology, the moon was commonly known as Hecate, before she had risen and after setting. As Astarte, when the moon was crescent, as Diana or Cynthia, she who hunts the clouds, when in the open vault of heaven. In the guise of Phoebe, she was seen as the sister to the sun, Phoebus, and was personified as Selene or Luna, the lover of the sleeping Endymion, the moonlight on the fields.

The Metonic Cycle was so called from the name of the discoverer Meton of Athens in the 5th century BC. It is a period of 19 years, at the end of which the phases of the moon repeat themselves on the same days as they did 19 years previously. The Callipic Period was a correction to the Metonic Cycle, by the 4th century BC Astronomer Callipus. It was to remedy a defect in the cycle, Callipus quadrupled the period of Meton, making a cycle of 76 years, and then deducted a day at the end of it. He calculated that the new and full moons would be brought round to the same day and hour. However, his calculation is not absolutely accurate, as a one day is lost every 533 years.

• Mercury

Mercury is the closest and densest planet in the solar system to the Sun. Its interior is composed of a huge iron core. This is thought to be partially molten, and acts like a dynamo generating Mercury's weak magnetic field.

In Roman mythology Mercury was the god of trade and profit, merchants and travellers. The god Mercury with his winged feet is known as the messenger of the gods; he symbolizes contact, communication, any transportation, flow, swiftness, playfulness and flexibility.

Mercury, is the natural ruling planet of the astrological signs Virgo and Gemini, deals with our intellectual capabilities, how we sort, collect, classify and interpret information, it also deals with all forms of communications.
The Ancients and modern astrologers, consider Mercury to be neutral, it is neither masculine nor feminine, positive nor negative, it takes on the qualities of whatever it aspects it comes in contact with. As the ruler of Gemini and Virgo, Mercury is clever, facile, adaptable, and represents the mind, intellect, education, writing and other forms of communication, transportation, short trips, siblings, and the immediate environment.

• Venus

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, the Ancients called Venus the "Lesser Benefic", named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, the planet is veiled by thick swirling clouds, composed of sulphuric acid droplets. The Earth and Venus both are similar in size, mass, density and volume and were both formed about the same time out of the same nebula. The surface of Venus is very different from the Earth, there no oceans and the heavy atmosphere is composed mainly of carbon dioxide with virtually no water vapour.

Venus is the bringer of pleasure, happiness, wealth, good fortune, and love. Venus is also associated with the principles of attraction, persuasion, and getting along. Venus's ruling astrological houses are, Taurus and Libra, Venus represents sociability, friendliness, harmony, balance, values, art, beauty, and romantic love (as opposed to sexual love which is Mars' domain).

In daily correspondences, Taurus rules Friday. Venus is associated with the elements of Earth and Water, the colours strong Blues, deep Orange, Yellow, Green, Indigo, Rose, the gemstones Emerald, Opal, Rose Quartz; and the metal Copper.

• Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the seventh largest. In Roman mythology Mars was the god of war. Phobos is the larger and innermost of Mars' two moons. In Greek mythology Phobos was the personification of fear and terror. Deimos is the smaller and outermost of Mars' two moons, and the smallest known moon in the solar system. In Greek mythology Deimos personified dread. Mars was known to the Ancients as the "Lesser Malefic", a negative influence and a harbinger of strife, turmoil, accidents, and general misfortune. Mars's ruling astrological house, is Aries (and Scorpio to the Ancients), is the pioneer of the zodiac. Aries want to always be the first to do something.

In daily correspondences, Aries rules Tuesday. Mars is associated with the element of Fire. the colours Red, the gemstones Bloodstone, Garnet, Iron and Steel and the herbs Allspice, Blessed Thistle, Cayenne, Garlic, Ginger, Pepper, Pine, Tobacco, Wormwood.

• Saturn

Saturn is perhaps the best known and recognized astronomical object by picture. Saturn is a gas world made mostly of hydrogen, with helium, ammonia, and methane gases as well. It is the sixth planet from the Sun. It has 17 known satellites; Pan, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Epimetheus, Janus, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Telesto, Calypso, Dione, Helene, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Phoebe.

Chronos, the Greek name for Saturn, is the father of time. In legend, after death the soul is weighed on scales made from lead, Saturn's ruling metal, Lead is associated with the serious nature of Saturn; it also inherits the heaviness of this element. Saturn's ruling astrological house is Capricorn, acquiring the tenacity and persistent nature of this star sign. In daily correspondences, Saturn rules Saturday.

In magical workings and rituals, the ruling aspects of the planet Saturn are working on the astral plane, banks, binding, buildings, death, debts, discipline, history, institutions, karmic debts, knowledge, limitations, longevity, magical knowledge, obstacles, real estate, sacred wisdom, structures and time. Saturn in its negative aspect is the cause of oppression, pain, discord and quarrelsome.

• Jupiter

Jupiter is fifth from the Sun and the largest. This planet is more massive than all of the others combined, plus their satellites, the asteroids and all the comets. The planet's magnetic field is so powerful that it creates a sphere of influence around Jupiter that is larger than the Sun. Jupiter (Greek: Zeus) was the supreme god of the Roman pantheon; a god of light and sky, and protector of the state and its laws. Jupiter was called the "Greater Benefic" by the Ancients, an extremely positive influence.

Jupiter is the largest planet of the solar system, the largeness of the planet gives us some clues as to the ruling aspects of Jupiter in Magical and ritual workings associated with abundance, prosperity, growth and success. We also realize that we can have too much of a good thing, so it has come to represent "excesses", as well as good fortune. Jupiter is the planet of healing, regeneration and rejuvenation. Jupiter in its negative aspect is the cause of greed and wastefulness.

Source: http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_elements/the_planets/the_planets.asp .