The Meaning of Two Planet Combinations in Evidence-Based Astrology

The way planets are generally thought of by most astrologers - or astrology enthusiasts - is somewhat of a misunderstanding. Pointing out this misunderstanding is not intended to shame anyone, but to share a different perspective. The meanings used by most astrologers are the symptoms of the energy of the planet, which is why there can be such diverse ways that the planets are expressed through each person, and not all the expressions attributed to each planet are going to be expressed by each person with that planet dominantly placed in their natal chart.

Each of the planets DO something or highlight something in our lives, but the way we each express of experience those energies is going to be unique to us. So, this is where generalizations about the planets - and the signs as well - fall flat and can cause various issues, varying from disagreements from astrologer to astrologer about the planets - and signs - as well as causing many people to be very sceptical about the validity of astrology as a whole. But, research, using techniques such as extreme case sampling, can do wonders in clarifying our understanding about every area of the art and science of astrology.

So, now, let’s dive in and uncover the more subtle meanings and energies that each planet expresses in pairs. Based on research and careful study, how do each of the planets combine to create their own distinct energy, interests and specific traits in people?

Planetary Combinations (pairs):

Sun-Moon: Memories are brought into the light of day. History, psychology, sociology.

Sun-Mercury: A clear and present thought or communication. Speaking and writing in a clear way.

Sun-Venus: A clear and present beauty. There is nothing hidden or subtle. A beautiful pattern, combination of colors, ect.

Sun-Mars: Doing something. Taking an action. Not just thinking about it or planning. Actually doing it.

Sun-Jupiter: Being big. A life where you are not very limited by circumstances. Reaching out, exploring, socializing.

Sun-Saturn: No-nonsense focus on what is important. Being responsible for what really needs to be done. Not distracted by what is superficial or glamorous. Interested in what is essential.

Sun-Uranus: Living in the moment, lively, spontaneous. Quick to respond in some way, such as to laugh. Lively, awake. Easily impatient.

Sun-Neptune: Needing a feeling of magic. Childlike optimism, vision and hopefulness. Dissatisfied with a mundane view of things. Has special songs, places, people, ect. “that are to die for”.

Sun-Pluto: Needs to do things from instinct and passion. Cannot always do things based on logic and reasoning. A sense of mission. Compulsive or obsessive.

Moon-Mercury: Understands people, history, heritage, and a good counsellor. A person that is easy to talk to. Good intuition.

Moon-Venus: Attracted to things that have soul, depth and a long heritage. Love of home, family, and ethnic styles because of the rich depth of feeling. Deeply loving and inclined to get deeply attached.

Moon-Mars: Enjoying competition. Pushing oneself to do better. Appreciating a good competitor. Avoids people who are lazy or make excuses.

Moon-Jupiter: Welcoming other people. Enjoying an open atmosphere. Appreciates different kinds of people and different lifestyles. It makes life interesting.

Moon-Saturn: A need for solitude. Having a few very good friends who really appreciate each other. Sincere. Looks beneath appearances to sense if a person is deeply sincere.

Moon-Uranus: A need to laugh, to express oneself spontaneously, and to not be restricted by too many social expectations or requirements.

Moon-Neptune: Sensitive to the atmosphere and mood. Benefits by setting a mood with, for example, candles, soft music, or avoiding a noisy or chaotic atmosphere.

Moon-Pluto: Seeing the hidden agenda or story behind people’s lives. Discovering hidden passions and situations in your own life and the lives of others. Unavoidable and usually difficult situations in early life. Good at depth psychology.

Mercury-Venus: High verbal intelligence. Literary ability. Able to express things in a way that is sensitive and interesting.

Mercury-Mars: Eternal student. Feeling a need to understand how something works. Uncomfortable with just trusting that everything will be OK without understanding it.

Mercury-Jupiter: Interest in social trends, history, religion, philosophy, and politics. Understanding the big picture. Not motivated to work through tiny technical details.

Mercury-Saturn: Analysis, interest in technical detail. Scientific reasoning. Making sure that the essential point is clearly made before proceeding.

Mercury-Uranus: Quick reflexes, clever, inclined to respond quickly. Able to come up with a proposal, suggestion, insight, or new way of seeing something when others may feel stuck.

Mercury-Neptune: Fascinated by new ideas. Seeing education and learning as something wonderous and beautiful, not just a ticket to a better job. Losing interest if ideas are presented in a very dry manner.

Mercury-Pluto: Strong opinions. Getting fixated on a topic for a fairly long period of time, but then getting fixated on something else. Not always fully appreciating another point of view.

Venus-Mars: Needing to put one’s heart into things and needing the power of natural elements like natural wood and strong colours, and natural fabrics. A life that is rich with colour and human creativity.

Venus-Jupiter: Outgoing, friendly, social, not being weighed down by life’s responsibilities. Making time to enjoy life. Refusing to be limited by circumstances and responsibilities.

Venus-Saturn: Attracted to someone who is sincere and honest. Inner qualities are more important than outward appearances. Artistic inclinations. Able to see simple ways to make something more beautiful and more functional. Removing clutter.

Venus-Uranus: Suddenly attracted to something/ Excitable. Love of music, dance. Great sense of rhythm. Needing life, excitement, and spontaneity in love relationships.

Venus-Neptune: Romantic. A sense of a magical beauty, whether it is a walk on the beach in the moonlight, the fragrance of flowers, or a beautiful song.

Venus-Pluto: Driven by passion. Attracted to something with an irresistible force. Choosing a romantic partner based on passion rather than reason. Choosing a life path based on passion rather than reason.

Mars-Jupiter: Striving to achieve big things. Not content with a modest achievement. Achieving something and then seeing a new mountain to climb. Inclined to be successful by always marching forward.

Mars-Saturn: Doing whatever needs to be done to do something well. Paying attention to details. Willing to do the “dirty work” that others will not do. Success through commitment.

Mars-Uranus: A sudden burst of energy. Feeling suddenly impatient. Ability to respond quickly. Taking the initiative rather than waiting for others. Good of ER docs, nurses and emergency responders. Quick to take action when needed.

Mars-Neptune: Following a dream. Feeling depressed if forced to compromise on your dreams. Living by following a rainbow. A need to find a new dream or renovate the dream if disappointed. A safe and secure plan that is not exciting does not work out well with this aspect.

Mars-Pluto: Driven by passion. Pushing very hard to achieve something even if the rewards for succeeding are not clear or not great. Following instinct.

Jupiter-Saturn: Plans, structures, designs. Efficiency. Quality control. Success in business. Regulated growth. Great for entrepreneurship.

Jupiter-Uranus: Enthusiasm and exuberance. Good luck through a buoyant and bubbly attitude. Optimistic and willing to take a risk.

Jupiter-Neptune: A need to explore, travel and experience new things. A sense of the exotic or of something better on the other side of the mountain on the other side of the rainbow.

Jupiter-Pluto: Drawn to surroundings and an environment that is grand. Feeling a sense of destiny or mission to be less limited and constrained. Success and power achieved by feeling comfortable being at the mountain top.

Saturn-Uranus: Feeling uncomfortable following a system designed by other people. A need to feel like one can breathe without others having expectations or requirements for you. Free-Spirited. Rebellious if others attempt to mould you.

Saturn-Neptune: A distaste for glitter and glamour. Seeking sincerity in religion and spirituality. Suspicious and sometimes cynical of religious authorities. A spiritual seeker or a critic of established religions.

Saturn-Pluto: Removing everything unnecessary. Able to endure hardship for a purpose. Ascetic. Inner strength to excel through sacrifice and commitment.

Uranus-Neptune: Inspired and visionary. Inclined to be psychic or pursue one’s vivid imagination. Needing experiences that make one feel awakened, inspired, or enlightened. High sensitivity to drugs and tendency to lose perspective and clarity if taking drugs or faced with an intensely stressful situation.

Uranus-Pluto: Explosive. A need to break free. Unwilling and unable to endure constraints for a long period of time.

Neptune-Pluto: A sense of mission and purpose. One’s reason for living. A deep sense of what one’s reason for being alive is, even though it cannot be verified. Inner sense of purpose.