There are nine planets in Vedic astrology – Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu (North node of the Moon), and Ketu (South node of the Moon).
Now, I know what you might be thinking –
“The Sun is not a planet, it’s a star!” or
“The Moon is a natural satellite, not a planet!”
“Why are the north and south nodes of the Moon considered to be separate planets?”
“Where is Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto?”
“Where is Earth?”
Well, yes – technically, you’re all right – astronomically.
However, in Vedic astrology, we consider celestial bodies – whether they are planets, stars, or mathematical points, on the basis of their IMPACT. Also, Earth is not mentioned, because we live on Earth, so astrologically it would not have much impact.
And, in terms of impact, all of those celestial bodies have their own domains. Each of the planets have been tabulated below with their characteristics and domain of power and role.
| Celestial Body (Planet) | Position in Vedic Astrology | Domain/Areas of Power |
| Sun (Surya) | King | Soul/Spirit of Person |
| Moon (Chandra) | Queen | Mind/Emotions/Feelings |
| Mercury (Budh) | Prince | Speech/Intelligence |
| Mars (Mangal) | Warlord/Supreme Commander | Strength/Physical Constitution |
| Venus (Shukra) | Adviser/Vizier | Sexual Potency |
| Jupiter (Brihaspati) | Adviser/Vizier | Happiness/Knowledge/Wisdom |
| Saturn (Shani) | Judge | Grief/Karma/Sorrow/Delays |
| Rahu (North Node) | Planetary Army | Materialism/Obsession |
| Ketu (South Node) | Planetary Army | Spirituality/Detachment |
Note that I have not mentioned ‘Wealth’, or ‘Fame’ anywhere, because any planet mentioned above can provide those, although through different means. Let’s go through each of the planets in Vedic astrology in some detail:
Sun (Surya) – the King
In the Celestial Cabinet (here Cabinet refers to a group of ministers led by a king, similar to a country’s Prime Minister or President, who leads his/her team of ministers, including the Defense Minister, the Finance Minister, the Commerce Minister, etc.), the Sun is the king or the emperor.
In a person, the Sun represents ego, identity of self, or self-worth, overall body constitution, vitality, public image, soul, etc.
So, if a person has a strongly placed Sun in their horoscope, they will have a strong sense of ego, self-esteem, a sense of authority over others, and respect in the society. Similarly, if a person’s Sun is weak or badly placed (I will explain what those terms mean, later), the person will likely have a poor reputation in society, will try to stay away from people, will be self-loathing in nature, and have low self-esteem.
Moon (Chandra or Soma) – the Queen
Just as the Sun represents how the world sees us, the Moon represents how we see ourselves. In the celestial cabinet, the Moon is the Queen; she governs emotions, feelings, and love.
The Moon has special importance in Vedic astrology; this is because, without a strongly placed Moon, it is impossible for a person to find emotional fulfillment, even if they possess everything they possibly could achieve.
Mercury (Budh) – the Prince
Mercury is referred to as ‘the Prince’ in Vedic astrology. Mercury governs your sense of reason, intellect, knowledge, rationale, etc. Nearly any and every field of business or education which is not spiritual (such as Vedic astrology) will require the blessings of Mercury in some manner or the other.
Bankers, accountants, administrators, orators, and basically – any high-paying profession is governed by Mercury. In this manner, Mercury also controls wealth.
Mars (Mangal) – the Warlord/Supreme Commander
Mars is the warlord or supreme commander of Sun’s army. As such, Mars governs physical strength, enemies (defeating them), diseases (related to blood), wars, conflicts, spouse (husband), etc.
A person with a strongly placed Mars is likely to be well-built, naturally strong, mostly into sports activities or martial arts or outdoor adventures or anything that involves physical activity. He/she would also be energetic overall and will be able to exert more effort into any endeavor.
Venus (Shukra) – the Advisor/Vizier (#1)
Venus is the vizier or adviser to the king (Sun) in Vedic astrology. He is the planet responsible for love (romance), beauty, spouse (wife), business partnerships, wealth, luxuries, negotiations, sexual intimacy, attraction from the opposite gender, occult sciences and mystical arts, etc.
A person with a strongly placed Venus will easily attract persons of the opposite gender without much effort; he/she will receive love from the opposite gender, even if he/she puts little to no effort. Venus also provides luxuries, though they may not be necessarily due to the person’s own efforts.
Additionally, the planet also provides sexual comforts and pleasures – so, it is not uncommon for individuals with a strong Venus to have a strong inclination towards romance and sexual pleasures as well as luxuries and sophistication. Such individuals may have multiple, free-flowing intimate adventures, though not necessarily. Venus focuses more on short-term gratification than long-term benefits.
Lastly, Venus can also motivate individuals to learn mystical arts, tantric practices, and even esoteric arts (including Tarot divinations).
Jupiter (Brihaspati) – the Advisor/Vizier (#2)
Like Venus, Jupiter is also the vizier or adviser to the King (Sun) in Vedic astrology. However, Jupiter presents a traditional approach compared to Venus.
Jupiter represents Dharma, auspiciousness, fortune, wisdom (practical knowledge combined with life experience), spirituality, marriage, spouse (husband), finances, family, Vedic or spiritual knowledge.
Jupiter (Brihaspati) is also known as the most auspicious planet in Vedic astrology; when well-placed, it can nullify multiple life-threatening hazards for a person in their horoscope. In Vedic astrology, Jupiter is also the only planet known to be capable of protecting against Black Magic.
A person with a strongly-placed Jupiter will always prioritize Dharma and spirituality first. They are excellent mentors and possess wisdom about life. Unfortunately, they end up living their much of their lives in service and responsibility towards their loved ones and do not receive much love or care in return for their efforts usually.
Jupiter also makes the person inclined towards religion and spiritual professions such as Vedic astrology. Such individuals are not money-minded, nor do they care much about luxuries. Regardless, Jupiter can bestow considerable blessings and wealth upon the person if strongly placed and the person does not resort to illegitimate means of earning money.
Difference Between Jupiter (Brihaspati) and Venus (Shukra)
In Vedic astrology, both Jupiter and Venus are ministers or advisors, so how do their effects vary then? The table below explains the differences:
| If Jupiter is Stronger in Horoscope | If Venus is Stronger in Horoscope |
| Person focuses on simplicity | Person focuses on sophistication |
| Doesn’t care much for luxuries | Loves luxuries and attempts to get them |
| Selfless by nature | Selfish by nature, sometimes to often |
| Prioritizes family and loved ones | Prioritizes self, mostly |
| Gives arranged marriage; terrible luck in love marriages | Gives love marriage; arranged marriage may succeed if Jupiter is well-placed |
| Dislikes casual romance and sexual encounters | Provides casual romance and sexual encounters |
| Person will be motivated towards religious practices | Person will be motivated towards occult arts and dark, mystical practices |
| Adds respect and wisdom to personality | Adds style/class to personality |
| Traditionalist by nature | Semi-modernist by nature |
| Encourages Dharma and spirituality | Encourages materialism and worldly pleasures |
Saturn (Shani) – the Judge
In Vedic astrology, Saturn or Shani, has a special place because He is the judge or auditor of deeds of every human being on this planet. Saturn controls diseases, seriousness in personality, introversion, discipline, willpower, misery, grief, sorrow, delays, victory over enemies, longevity, Karma, etc.
Usually, Saturn is almost always associated with negative traits or characteristics, but He is merely tasked with giving the Karma or results of deeds committed by humans. Saturn also makes kings out of people, if they have good karma balances.
Saturn’s good effects or blessings are delayed, but He compounds the rewards, similar to a Fixed Deposit – you may get your money after a specified duration, but the interest accrued periodically is compounded – most people do not understand this.
A person with a well-placed Saturn believes in hard work and strives to achieve great things with his/her willpower and manages to successfully do so, although with delays. He/she maintains an overall serious outlook towards life and usually does not have much to be happy about (unfortunately).
A person with a poorly-placed or affected Saturn suffers considerable delays in nearly everything they do. They also end up damaging themselves through illicit activities and engage in sinful decision-making such as gambling, drug addiction, rampant casual sexual behavior, etc. as they do not have a sense or understanding of karma and its consequences.
Rahu (North Node of the Moon) – Planetary Army Agent
Rahu, or the North node of the Moon, has special significance in Vedic astrology. In the modern era, Rahu is one of the most powerful celestial entities – because Rahu controls everything digital, stock exchange/markets, sudden growth in finances, victory over enemies, nearly all negative habits, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, junk food, modern fashion, scientific discoveries, etc.
When Rahu is well-placed in a person’s horoscope, they are likely to be quite intelligent and will have an obsession towards wealth, success, and knowledge. They are also likely to be shrewd or clever and have a manipulative nature which they may utilize for their own gain. Such individuals make excellent stock traders, gamblers, scientists, inventors, etc.
When Rahu is poorly placed, a person suffers sudden losses and may suffer accidents and life-threatening diseases, too. He/she may have multiple enemies and find it difficult to find their peace of mind even when everything around them seems seemingly well managed. A badly placed or affected Rahu is quite likely to drive the person insane or obsessively addicted to multiple harmful behaviors.
Ketu (South Node of the Moon) – Planetary Army Agent
Ketu, or the South node of the Moon, is the perfect antithesis of Rahu. Where Rahu represents materialism and obsession, Ketu represents detachment and spirituality.
While this is not a bad thing in itself, Ketu is quite mysterious by nature, and much like Rahu, nobody knows how He operates. For example, Ketu may cause a person to be detached or spiritually inclined by either (1) providing too much material comfort and luxuries to the point that he/she gets bored or fed up of it, or (2) taking away all or most of material comfort and luxuries such that the person ends up giving up on life and becomes detached by force anyhow due to the innate hopelessness.
When Ketu is well-placed in a person’s horoscope, the person will have a kind, compassionate nature towards others, including animals. He/she will be spiritual as well and likely have an innate sense of peace and contentment in their hearts; Ketu can also provide unimaginable growth in life in finances and comforts, too. Individuals with a strong Ketu would also have heightened intuition and psychic abilities. They can be good spiritual leaders or act as a source of spiritual guidance to others around them. Ketu also protects against hidden enemies.
When Ketu is ill-placed in a person’s horoscope, the person will tend to suffer from mental health issues, particularly anxiety, lack of sleep, and digestion issues. He/she may also have hidden enemies and also suffer sudden losses in finances, too.
Trans-Saturnian Planets
Trans-Saturnian planets refer to the planets in our solar system which are present beyond Saturn, which include Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto. While Vedic astrology does not include the trans-Saturnian trio, I have included them here, because those planets are quite powerful in their impact, and I have seen their impacts on people’s astrological charts and lives, too.
I have listed the three trans-Saturnian planets below.
| Celestial Body (Planet) | Role in Astrology | Domain/Areas of Power |
| Uranus | Innovator/Scientist | Innovation, Unconventionality, Individuality, Critical Thinking |
| Neptune | Oracle | Intuition, Astral Magic, Mysticism, Subconsciousness, Manifestation |
| Pluto | Executioner | Death, Life-Changing or Life-Ending Experiences, Rebirth, Suddenness |
Uranus (Arun Graha) – the Innovator
While not a part of the traditional Vedic astrology, Uranus plays an important role in the horoscope of a person. Uranus is the innovator and as such controls innovation, scientific discovery, individuality, personal image, critical thinking, etc.
If Uranus is well-placed in the person’s horoscope, it blesses them with success in unconventional means. Such individuals also have a strong sense of self-identity and also crave personal freedom (not necessarily for sexual or romantic pursuits); they are also eccentric sometimes and tend to enjoy their own company.
If Uranus is poorly-placed or affected in the person’s horoscope, the person is likely to have failures or suffer disappointment due to unforeseen reasons in their day-to-day tasks or endeavours. They may also make up problems in their mind about things that would never happen and then overthink them to exhaustion.
Neptune (Varuna) – the Oracle
Although little known, Neptune is one of the most powerful and important planets in astrology merely because it controls the element of subconsciousness in a person. Neptune’s domain includes manifestations, precognition, astral magic, mystic and psychic abilities, and clairvoyance.
When Neptune is well-placed, it can turn a person into a very successful astrologer or tarot card reader by strengthening their connection with the universe and helping them to tap into the Great Cosmic energies. Like Ketu, Neptune too bestows intuition and psychic abilities when it is supportively placed, but Neptune is a planet solely dedicated to blessing those qualities, so their effects are quite heightened.
When Neptune is badly placed, it can cause the person to constantly worry about things, thereby causing them anxiety, affecting their concentration, weakening their connection to spirituality, and affecting their mental health.
Pluto (Yama Graha) – the Executioner
Finally, Pluto, the farthest planet from the Sun in the solar system, is the celestial executioner. Little is known about Pluto, but it has the most powerful energies imaginable across all planets. Pluto can cause major life changes that shape or alter a person’s life at the most crucial points. Divorces, job losses, career endings, deaths, etc., are all in Pluto’s control.
Unfortunately, regardless however Pluto is placed, the person has to undergo life-changing changes in their life, and those happen quite unexpectedly or suddenly, with little to no warning.
For this reason, there is no concept of a ‘well-placed’ Pluto in astrology. However, if Pluto is not retrograde (a concept that will be explained later in the chapters), it is usually considered manageable for the person.
Summary of Planets’ Impacts
For the sake of reference, the table below lists the impacts of various planets’ placements.
| Planet | Impacts |
| Sun (the King) | Well-placed: Healthy body, strong self-esteem, authority and respect in society, long life, sense of ego, makes money from the government. Badly-placed (or affected): Sickly body, weak, no respect in authority, short-life or full of diseases, no self-esteem |
| Moon (the Queen) | Well-placed: Emotional resilience, emotional fulfillment, good finances, beautiful appearance, calm demeanor, etc. Badly-placed (or affected): Anxiety, lack of sleep, mental disorders, financial issues |
| Mercury (the Prince) | Well-placed: Intelligence, excellent communication skills, professional success, good wealth through high-paying jobs/trade. Badly-placed (or affected): Lack of communication and negotiation skills, low intellect, poor reasoning and intellectual skills, difficulties in earning wealth due to poor money management |
| Mars (the Warlord) | Well-placed: Emotional resilience, emotional fulfillment, good finances, beautiful appearance, calm demeanor, etc. Badly-placed (or affected): Anxiety, lack of sleep, mental disorders, financial issues |
| Venus (the Advisor) | Well-placed: Receives love from opposite gender, receives a beautiful wife, enjoys luxuries, physical/sexual pleasures, has sexual potency, success in partnerships, high chances of love marriage, etc. Badly-placed (or affected): Hated or avoided by the opposite gender, little to no success in love marriages, gets limited to no sexual enjoyment, may experience sexual problems, problems with partnerships, etc. |
| Jupiter (the Advisor) | Well-placed: Is well-respected in the society, gets a good spouse through arranged marriage, has less chances for love marriages, is wise and learned in spiritual and religious practices, follows Dharma or righteousness, fortune/wealth through honest means. Badly-placed (or affected): suffers physical health problems, overweight, digestive issues, may suffer blood sugar problems, etc. |
| Saturn (the Judge) | Well-placed: Disciplined, serious by nature, persistent towards goals, achieves success through hard work, delayed marriage. Badly-placed (or affected): Hates working hard, looks for ways to make money easily or achieve results quickly, fails, engages in harmful activities, has no sense of right and wrong, falls into bad company, suffers due to enemies, suffers from skin diseases or nail issues like psoriasis. |
| Rahu (Planetary Army Agent) | Well-placed: Defeats enemies, selfish and clever by nature, achieves success in stock market trading and speculative ventures, also does well in business involving sinful goods such as tobacco, alcohol, etc. but may suffer mental anxiety due to unstable nature of income, enjoys luxuries. Badly-placed (or affected): Suffers in unknown ways, faces hardships in day-to-day life, has enemies who may use black magic or other harmful arts to harm the person, suffers from mental issues, disorders. |
| Ketu (Planetary Army Agent) | Well-placed: Heightened intuition and spiritual inclinations, also capable at manifesting wishes more successfully, maintains a sense of compassion and peace, content with life. May or may not enjoy sudden financial gains. Badly-placed (or affected): Sudden losses, person clings to material things, mental issues, suffers anxiety, is not able to sleep at night. |
| Uranus (the Innovator) | Well-placed: Innovative and unconventional by mindset and nature, achieves success in out-of-the-box ventures, strong sense of individuality, introverted. Also likely to succeed as an engineer or scientist. Possesses critical thinking and strong problem-solving skills. Badly-placed (or affected): Suffers disappointment due to unforeseen reasons, low sense of individuality, follows the herd, lack of critical thinking. |
| Neptune (the Oracle) | Well-placed: Excellent at manifestations and mystical arts such as astrology, Tarot card reading, occult arts, strong sense of intuition and possible precognition abilities. Badly-placed (or affected): Restlessness, lack of connection to spirituality, mental issues, lack of sleep, anxiety, etc. |
| Pluto (the Executioner) | No concept of ‘well-placed’ as Pluto almost always introduces life-ending or life-changing changes, but unless retrograde, Pluto is considered supportive. |