According to some schools of Astrology, every planet has a sign that it feels the most comfortable in (it’s Rulership); a sign where it feels honored (it’s Exaltation); a sign where it experiences some discomfort (it’s Detriment); and a sign where it feels it never quite gets its due (it’s Fall).
The Table of Rulership and Exaltation and the Table of Detriment and Fall are shown below. As you review the tables, take note of any of your natal planets that are in its Rulership, its Exaltation, its Detriment, or its Fall… and then consider this:
Planets in their Rulership or their Exaltation often represent energies within us that manifest with greater ease and confidence, and for which we subsequently receive applause or praise; while planets that are in their Detriment or their Fall often represent energies within us that manifest with greater challenge and sometimes some self-doubt… but know this – Every sign has a manifestation of strengths and a manifestation of challenges. Often, when we are forced to work harder to achieve something, or we are forced to deal with a certain level of disappointment or delay, we are developing a kind of spiritual muscle that helps us build character and ultimately contribute a gift of wisdom to the collective.
Planets that are classically considered to be in their “Fall” or their “Detriment” are not “bad”. On the contrary, they have remarkable gifts to share and are indicative of qualities within ourselves that challenge the status quo. For example, those with Mercury (the planet of communication and learning) in the Rulership and Exalted signs of Gemini and Virgo, tend to have an easier time getting “good” grades in school, because our traditional school system rewards those who naturally rely on logic and reason (Gemini) and who feel comfortable following a prescribed set of rules (Virgo); while those with Mercury in Sagittarius or Pisces may feel challenged because they more naturally rely on their intuition and thinking outside of any given box… but, damn – we definitely need those “outside of the box” thinkers and doers to remind us that there is more to this life than what we can rationally understand or see within our direct sphere or immediate influence!
In other words, energies within us that are challenged by our life circumstances, or the world we have been born into, are part and parcel of our life’s work and teach us some of the most valuable lessons of all – how to make adjustments in order to achieve our ultimate aim, patience, surrender, faith, and unshakable confidence in ourselves… just to name a few.
Table of Rulership and Exaltation
| PLANET | RULER. | EXALT. |
| SUN | Leo | Aries |
| MOON | Cancer | Taurus |
| MERCURY | Gemini/ Virgo | Virgo/ Aquarius |
| VENUS | Taurus/ Libra | Pisces |
| MARS | Aries/ Scorpio | Capricorn |
| JUPITER | Sagittarius/ Pisces | Cancer |
| SATURN | Aquarius/ Capricorn | Libra |
| URANUS | Aquarius | Scorpio |
| NEPTUNE | Pisces | Cancer |
| PLUTO | Scorpio | — |
Table of Detriment and Fall
| PLANET | DETRIM. | FALL |
| SUN | Aquarius | Libra |
| MOON | Capricorn | Scorpio |
| MERCURY | Sagittarius/ Pisces | Pisces/ Leo |
| VENUS | Scorpio/ Aries | Virgo |
| MARS | Libra/ Taurus | Cancer |
| JUPITER | Gemini/ Virgo | Capricorn |
| SATURN | Leo/ Cancer | Aries |
| URANUS | Leo | Taurus |
| NEPTUNE | Virgo | Capricorn |
| PLUTO | Taurus | — |