In astrology, our planets contain all the power of the cosmos, and they never hesitate to influence our lives with it. They give you strength, show you meaning, and guide your heart towards love and success. However, their effects are not always so magical or exhilarating. In fact, they can put you through immense loss, difficulty, and pain. Never forget that planets are like gods and goddesses of the universe with personalities of their own, and although their ultimate aim is to help you realize your fullest potential, they're not always so kind in their methods. However, it's often the obstacles they give you that have the most profound impact, and these are the most important planets in astrology: Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto.
While all planets have their positives and their negatives, there are some that seem to contain nothing but menacing intensity. Their transits often come with unpredictable horror, emotional difficulty, and sometimes, a darkness that never seems to end. However, it always does, and by the time the misery has dispelled, you're often left with more growth than you ever could have possibly imagined. These planets work a thankless job, and although they may be terrifying, it's their influence that always yields the most powerful results.
SATURN: THE PLANET OF KARMA AND DISCIPLINE
Think of Saturn like your strict and authoritarian father. He's there from the moment you're born, showing you the consequences of making bad decisions and setting boundaries that prevent you from royally screwing up. Saturn teaches that the effort and energy you put into the universe dictates how far you'll go. While laziness and self-destruction is met with loss and stagnation, hard work and discipline breeds success in the long run.
In astrology, Saturn takes around 29.5 years to make a full circle around the sun, and it reveals itself as a slow and patient road towards maturity and adulthood. However, your overall journey reaches a major crossroads during something called your "Saturn return." This is when Saturn returns to the position it was in at the moment you were born. Your first Saturn return happens sometime between ages 27 to 30, at which point you are forced to decide whether or not you're ready to truly "grow up". One thing's for sure: You are never the same person you were before your Saturn return.
URANUS: THE PLANET OF RADICAL AND UNEXPECTED CHANGE
Think of Uranus like the mysterious bad boy who stole your heart (and ran away with it). He's an untethered spirit, loves breaking the rules, and being "ordinary" scares him more than anything in the world. However, all sexiness aside, he ghosts you right when when things are getting serious. Astrologically speaking, Uranus has a bright and revolutionary vision for the future and this planet is not afraid to let go of old traditions in order to manifest it. Unfortunately, Uranus is also capable of being erratically rebellious just for the sake of being rebellious.
In your birth chart, Uranus shows what makes you such a unique individual and highlights where you're capable of creating beautiful and progressive change. However, Uranus also reveals the area of your life that you're bound to experience lots of instability. If Uranus is in a house that requires patience and commitment, such as the seventh house of relationships or the second house of finances, you could be in for a topsy-turvy ride.
PLUTO: THE PLANET OF DEATH AND REBIRTH
For lack of a brighter comparison, think of Pluto as the Grim Reaper. Terrified, yet? Spiritually speaking, death is the deepest and most profound change you'll ever go through. The change is so immense that, in all honesty, no one evenknows what happens next. While everyone has their own ideas about the afterlife, it's undeniable that death is the end. However, it's also the beginning of something new; something you have yet to understand.
In astrology, Pluto represents the most intrinsic and transformative metamorphosis of all. By bringing you to the edge of spiritual death, Pluto contains all your fear, but it also contains all your strength. It reveals the secrets you're desperate to keep, everything you're terrified of losing, how far you're willing to go in order to possess what you want, and how you rise from the pain of loss. In your birth chart, Pluto reveals the areas of your life in which you contain the darkest power, because while this power is unfathomably deep, it can also be your undoing.