which is now being used more and more by astrologers.
The five inner visible planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn, while the two luminaries are the
Sun and the Moon. These seven "planets" were known
and used by ancient astrologers long before there were
telescopes to prove their existence.
The three outer invisible planets are Uranus, Neptune,
and Pluto. The three outer planets are fairly new to
astrology, for Uranus was only discovered in 1781,
Neptune in 1846, and Pluto in 1930.
Chiron (pronounced Kyron) has an orbit between
Saturn and Uranus, but which also allows it sometimes
to wander between Jupiter and Saturn. Charles T. Kowal
of the Hale Observatories in Pasadena, California,
discovered it in 1977. Chiron is larger than any asteroid,
yet smaller than a planet. Not certain how Chiron should
be classified, astronomers coined the name "planetoid,"
which means "like a planet." Its orbit is elliptical and
takes fifty years to complete. This planetoid is named
after the Greek centaur Chiron.
The inner planets and luminaries directly affect the
way we live our lives—our personalities, our thoughts
and feelings, our energies, our relationships, and the
way we react to happenings around us. The outer
planets affect less tangible aspects of life—our
willingness and resolution to break from the past and
create new paths, our awareness and sensitivity to the
psychic and spiritual, and our ability to ride through
transformations and begin renewals.
The chart of the planets is best used for certain kinds
of questions such as:
"How can I deal with my parents?"
"What will occur if I make a specific change?"