CHARACTERESTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANETS Characteristics associated with the planets were once so well-known and accepted that they crept into our language. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language describes a Saturnine individual as one who is sluggish, gloomy, morose, grave and taciturn--"born under the supposed influence of the planet Saturn." A Mercurial individual is described as having qualities attributed to the god Mercury or supposedly influenced by the planet Mercury--eloquent, clever, shrewd, or having qualities suggestive of the metal mercury: quick, quick-witted, volatile, changeable, fickle. The dictionary also defines the Jovial type (ruled by Jupiter), the venial or venereal sin (related to Venus), and the lunatic (affected by the Moon). Let's look at brief descriptions of these planetary types—take note of which ones fit you. The Solar type: This somewhat regal individual has a strong need to shine, to stand out in bold relief, and often does just that. All the self words are emphasized: self-expression, self-confidence or self-consciousness, self-development, self-obsession, and even selfishness. At worst, the person can have a big ego and an insatiable need to be noticed, even the center of attention. The Lunar type: This is someone who expends much energy tending to lunar concerns. These include nurturing, food, the home, security, women and women's needs, family, and the emotions. The past and family of origin figure strongly in the person's behavior, habits, and emotional issues and are often carried into adult life. The Mercurial type: Here is a natural communicator who would do well to earn a living using those skills. Otherwise the energy is squandered on the phone, the Internet, or in incessant chatter. These individuals are restless, changeable, and incurably curious. They don't tolerate boredom well. They are cerebral and even intellectual, and often have a keen sense of humor. The Venusian type: For them, relationships are paramount, and they feel unfulfilled without a partner. Romantic, charming, often attractive if overly concerned with appearance, they hunger for a steady dose of affection and warmth from those around them. Considerate, caring individuals, they often vacillate on decisions because they want to please everyone and keep the peace. They can be too other-directed and thus lack the drive to accomplish things for their own sake. The Martial type: These people are action-oriented, often rashly leaping to act before careful thought or planning. They are often seen as leaders because they have abundant energy, drive, zeal, and sureness about their aims. They can be aggressive, hot-headed or competitive and lack patience with slower, less certain folks. Easily irritated, but the sign and aspects of Mars determine how readily they show anger and how it is expressed. The Jovial type: This type seeks answers to the big questions of life. In that quest, they tend to be perpetual scholars, whether in formal schooling or self-taught. Once they find an answer they like, they aren't shy about carrying the word enthusiastically to others. Thus they are often formal or informal teachers, preachers, or public relations people. They can be conventional, moralistic, and preachy, but generous, with a good, though convoluted sense of humor. Optimistic by nature, they seek to uplift and encourage others and to find lessons in every trial. The Saturnine type: These people early in life form strong goals and devote much of the available time to fulfilling them. Serious, focused, reliable, dutiful, responsible, and capable beyond their years, they can also be somber perfectionists or depressed, anxious workaholics, especially when stymied in accomplishing their lofty aims. The older they get and the more of their goals they fulfill, the more they grow mellow and cut themselves some slack. They can become the elders of the tribe, with valuable practical experience to pass along. The Uranian type: These individualists--one might even say characters—abound in eccentricities that can either endear or drive others up the wall. They can rebel when society exerts too much pressure to conform to rules that go against their grain. Often advanced in ideas, supportive of social causes, or brilliantly inventive, these folks will often be avant guard, seldom mainstream, though they can start fads. Their beleaguered parents somehow survive a stormy adolescence, when authority is perpetually questioned. They can be contrary and often discard a workable system simply because it is passé. The Neptunian type: Much like the haze that surrounds their signature planet, these beings can be confused and confusing. Their perceptions are less focused on the material world than on realms beyond--the spiritual, the astral, the creative, and the imaginary dimensions. Hard to pin down, they can shift between savior or saved, nurse or patient, saint or sinner, spiritual seeker or lost soul, inspiration or delusion. Some are prone to addictions or fantasy to escape a reality that doesn't fit their dreams. However, they can turn that pattern around, and when they do, they have much to teach all of us in this addictive era. The Plutonian type: Often suffering painful betrayals, losses, and abuses of power in early years, these hawk-eyed observers of humanity, and of life itself, can be wary and mistrustful. Their perceptions are keen, deep, and accurate, yet the conclusions they draw can be distorted by old traumas. Shown a path to healing, they will work obsessively to overcome their own ills, or those of others, or those of society as a whole. Many become therapists, healers, or social reformers. WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM? You may have already guessed which type you are. One or two of these descriptions probably rang very true for you. You can also be a mixed type if more than one of the planets is strong in your birth chart. If you’re not sure, however, this is the type of question you can productively explore with a professional astrologer. AUTHOR: Donna Cunningham