The seven classical planets are those visible to the naked eye and were recognized by ancient astrologers. They include the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The Sun and Moon were sometimes referred to as "the lights" or the luminaries. Vesta and Uranus are also visible to the naked eye, but no ancient culture seems to have acknowledged them.
The classical planets align with the theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy, each forming part of a celestial sphere. Their order is determined by speed. The Moon, moving the fastest, is considered to form the first celestial sphere above Earth. Anything below the Moon belongs to the sublunary sphere. Mercury, being the second fastest, rules the next highest sphere, followed by Venus, which takes about 260 days to revolve around the Sun. The Sun comes next, then Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Conceptual framework for classical astrology
The astrological descriptions of the seven classical planets have been maintained since ancient times. Astrologers refer to these as "the seven personal and social planets" because they are believed to represent the fundamental human drives of everyone. The personal planets include the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Jupiter and Saturn are known as the social or transpersonal planets. They are often referred to as the first of the "transpersonal" or "transcendent" planets, symbolizing a shift from the personal inner planets to the impersonal modern outer planets. Below is a list of the planets and their corresponding characteristics.
