posted August 11, 2007 08:56 AM            

Quote- in- part from the introductory page by Michael Meyer-
From ancient times, the planet crossing the eastern horizon — the astrological Ascendant — immediately before the Sun has symbolized the practical channel through which solar will and vitality is expressed. The ancients called this body the "Planet of Oriental Appearance" because it appears in the eastern sky immediately before the Sun — that is, the planet rising directly before the Sun. Today, we refer to the Planet of Oriental Appearance at your birth time as your Guiding Planet or your Skill Symbol, because it represents both your inner guiding principle and your innate skills and special faculties, and how both may be best realized, enhanced and applied. Your Skill Symbol shows you how to best handle and cope with the demands and opportunities of daily life in a skillful, productive and fulfilling manner, and where your inherent skills and practical abilities lie. As your Guiding Planet, the planet rising immediately before the Sun symbolizes the faculties and inner senses scouting your path ahead, or your ability to navigate the best course to self-realization and fulfillment.

posted August 11, 2007 11:46 AM              

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I'm confused. How do we know which one is the guiding planet?

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Finding your Planet of Oriental Appearance is easy. If you have a copy of your birth-chart, simply look to see which planet immediately precedes the Sun in a clockwise direction. If you haven't gotten around to having your birth-chart calculated, you can find your Oriental Planet by referring to an ephemeris for the day and year of your birth. Your Oriental Planet is the planet immediately preceding the Sun in the zodiac. For example, if the ephemeris shows your Sun as 22 degrees Scorpio and Neptune is shown as 10 degrees Libra, Neptune would be your Planet of Oriental Appearance — if there are no other planets between 10 degrees Libra and 22 degrees Scorpio. The depictions which follow describe each of the nine planets (the Sun is never in Oriental Appearance) when acting as a Guiding Planet and Skill Symbol.

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Mine is Neptune by a hair. Mercury, Mars and Venus are all close.

posted August 11, 2007 11:52 AM            

Jupitersgirl,

Here is the quote from the article that shows how to find the leading planet:

Finding your Planet of Oriental Appearance is easy. If you have a copy of your birth-chart, simply look to see which planet immediately precedes the Sun in a clockwise direction. If you haven't gotten around to having your birth-chart calculated, you can find your Oriental Planet by referring to an ephemeris for the day and year of your birth. Your Oriental Planet is the planet immediately preceding the Sun in the zodiac. For example, if the ephemeris shows your Sun as 22 degrees Scorpio and Neptune is shown as 10 degrees Libra, Neptune would be your Planet of Oriental Appearance — if there are no other planets between 10 degrees Libra and 22 degrees Scorpio. The depictions which follow describe each of the nine planets (the Sun is never in Oriental Appearance) when acting as a Guiding Planet and Skill Symbol.

posted August 11, 2007 01:19 PM            

Me Neptune too

Some old LL threads on the guiding planet (couldn't find one that Iqhunk had written in :\ ):
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002262.html
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000820.html

posted August 11, 2007 01:42 PM            

As Guiding Planet, the Moon symbolizes a reflective mind highly sensitive to everything in the environment and to the ever-changing flow of life and events. It places us in touch with our root power, which has a natural source, grounded in nature and natural activity. Yet the busy managerial and organizing functions of Moon as Skill Symbol, or its tendency to focus on the needs and requirements of others, may get in the way of tuning into your own needs and the larger issues and currents operating beneath the pressing demands of your often quickly changing mundane life. To serve us as a Guiding Planet, the Moon asks one to schedule quiet time for meditation or for a peaceful and relaxing nature walk.

posted August 11, 2007 03:00 PM              

"More than most, you may find it difficult to "fit in""

"More than most others, Uranus Guiding Planet people are often dissatisfied with themselves, their place in the world, and with general conditions. This is because Uranus lets them know in some definite yet unexplained way that things could be better, yet it doesn’t necessarily give much insight into how to manage things "after the revolution.""

posted August 11, 2007 07:15 PM              

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Mine is Mercury. Big surprise, huh?

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As Guiding Planet, Mercury suggests inner guidance in the form of an intuitive sense of the connections and associations existing between people and things. As Guiding Planet, Mercury acts in a more electric, instinctual and intuitive sense than it does in its aspect as Skill Planet. Yet, true to the dual nature of Mercury, the highly active mental and analytical activities of Mercury may get in the way when it comes to tuning into the more abstract, guiding qualities of the planet. Surface noise and distractions may first need quieting with the help of relaxation, contemplation and meditation.

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Spot on.