Planets in the signs

By Maren Tremblay, Fatesight editor · Last updated November 1, 2026

Each planet in a birth chart stands for one part of you, and the sign it was in when you were born is read as the style that part works in. Your Venus sign is read as how you love, your Mars sign as how you act and your Mercury sign as how you think.

Your birth chart places each planet in a sign. Here is what astrology reads into each placement, and when each planet is next in each sign.

Each planet, what it is read as and how long it usually stays in a sign
Planet	Read as	Time in each sign
Sun	Who you are at heart	About a month
Moon	What you need to feel at ease	About two and a half days
Mercury	How you think and talk	Usually two to three weeks
Venus	How you love and what you value	Usually four to five weeks
Mars	How you act and go after things	Usually six to seven weeks
Jupiter	Where you grow and expand	About a year
Saturn	Where you build discipline	About two and a half years

How to find your placements

Most placements need only your birth date; the Moon sometimes needs the time too, since it changes sign every two or three days. The free birth chart calculator gives them all at once, and single calculators find your Moon sign, Venus sign, Mars sign and Mercury sign. Every placement page below also gives the dates the planet is next in that sign.

Fast planets and slow planets

The Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars move quickly, so they differ from person to person and say the most about everyday life: needs, talk, love and drive. Jupiter and Saturn move slowly, so everyone born within a year or two shares them, and astrologers read them by their house as much as their sign. Planets in the houses covers that half of the picture, and where the planets are today shows the sky right now.

Lilith and Chiron

Two points that aren't planets have pages too: Black Moon Lilith, read as what you refuse to tame, and Chiron, read as a sore spot you learn from. Each has a page for all twelve signs with the dates it was there.

Moon in the signs

The Moon is read as your emotional nature: what you need to feel safe, how you react before you think and what comforts you.

Mercury in the signs

Mercury is read as your mind and voice: how you think, learn, talk and make sense of the world.

Venus in the signs

Venus is read as how you love and what you value: your style in relationships, your taste and what brings you pleasure.

Mars in the signs

Mars is read as your drive: how you go after what you want, handle conflict and use your energy.

Jupiter in the signs

Jupiter is read as where you grow: your optimism, your luck and the way you look for meaning and opportunity.

Saturn in the signs

Saturn is read as where you build: your sense of responsibility, your lessons and what you work hardest to master.

Planets in the signs: questions people ask

What are my Venus and Mars signs?

The signs Venus and Mars were in when you were born. Venus is read as how you love and what attracts you, Mars as how you go after what you want. The Venus and Mars sign calculators find them from your birthday.

Which planet placements matter most?

After the Sun, Moon and rising sign, astrologers read Venus and Mars for love and Mercury for how you think, then the planet that rules your rising sign.

Why is my Moon sign different from my Sun sign?

The Moon goes through all twelve signs every month, about thirteen times faster than the Sun, so for most people it was in a different sign. Only about one person in twelve has the Sun and Moon in the same sign.

What does a retrograde planet in my chart mean?

It is a planet that seemed to move backward, seen from Earth, when you were born. Astrologers read its theme as working in a more inward, reflective way.