The definition of a Stellium varies depending on who you speak to. What counts as a stellium for some differs for others, but as a general rule, a stellium must include your personal planets (Mercury, Venus and Mars), a social planet (Jupiter and Saturn) or an outer planet (Uranus, Neptune or Pluto).

You may still identify with having a stellium if just your sun meets with the Mercury and Venus, in the same sign or house.

This is debatable as Mercury is never more than 28° and Venus is never more than 45° away from the Sun at maximum elongation (the furthest possible degrees of orbit). This makes having only the Sun, Mercury and Venus as a stellium far less remarkable.

Some say that a stellium needs to be a minimum of four planets to fit these conditions, though three is still quite a handful! Personally, I would assess each case on its own merit as each individual is as unique as their fingerprint.

According to The Astrology Dictionary:

Alan Oken says that a stellium “should involve no less than four planets” (Oken, pg. 435), whereas Julia and Derek Parker define stellium as “a group of planets — three or more — in one sign or house…” (Parker, pg. 57).

Other sources prefer to remain more ambiguous about the exact number of planets involved.  For example, Celeste Teal simply defines it as “a grouping of several planets in one sign or house” (Teal, pg. 267).

Stelliums Emphasise

Having a stellium in your natal chart can be very challenging. It can put a lot of emphasis on a particular area of life, with lots of tests and lessons to learn in this area. Stelliums push us towards mastery through repeated trial and error. When a lot of planets are in the same sign by transit, pay attention to stories on social media and on the news – it’s often a good way to learn about the essence of the sign they are currently residing, offering insight to interpreting planetary pile-ups. 

The stellium in the image above is from December 1988 when there was a huge amount of planets in Capricorn. In this particular natal chart, they all fall in the 8th house, including the Sun which is out-of-sign in Sagittarius.

Often, those with multiple planets in a sign will project the qualities of that sign onto others and dissociate from it rather than recognising they possess a lot of its qualities.

In the displayed chart, identifying with Capricorn is difficult for the native as planets Uranus and Neptune (both in Capricorn) create a uniquely nebulous feel which dissolves and rejects the Capricorn essence. Neptune can be vague, dreamy, and chaotic – an uncomfortable placement for Capricorn. Uranus can be quirky and original, oppositional and unpredictable – the antithesis of Capricorn! Like all the outer planets, their function serves to break-down the function of Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn; Neptune by blurring, Uranus by rejecting. What with Saturn being the ruler of  Capricorn, having outer planets involved in this stellium are likely to be creating a very unique and original expression which doesn’t feel like Capricorn to the native, at all.

Acids and Bases

Combinations of planets can be challenging to work with. You can have those with opposite functions in a conjunction, or generally ‘easy’ planets combined with ‘challenging’ planets. The outer planets tend to add a lot of conflicting energies, a bit like mixing acids and bases. If you paid attention in science class, you’ll know that shaking these substances up can create an explosion but when handled properly, you can create water. So it’s all about understanding the balance and working with each planet to moderate it’s expression rather than letting them fire on all cylinders and cause mayhem in your life. The good news is that this isn’t impossible, and learning to live with them is about practice and balance.

Imagine being a parent to three or more children. Each one is an individual with its own likes and dislikes, and each requires nourishment,  freedom of expression and the room to make mistakes. This is how little humans learn how to be comfortable in their own skin. Sound tricky? Well, it can be!

Now think about how many children you have – the stellium in the chart above has 5 planets in the 8th house – so liken it to having 5 children to look after! Sun, Uranus, Saturn, Mercury, Neptune. You could call each of these: the performer, the activist, the anxious, the studious, the rescuer. These are just a few astro buzz-words which you can associate with each of these planets. It’s a great way to work with each player in your stellium and figure out what they mean to you.

A Gift and a Curse

It can take a lot longer for people with stelliums to discover their true course in life as they try lots of different routes to happiness and job satisfaction. Often those with a stellium spend a large portion of their lives going against what feels right for them in order to do what’s expected of them rather than what’s right for them. Some people make lots of attempts at finding their unique expression; they try many different hobbies, interests, and careers before finding something that truly resonates with their soul’s purpose. They can be seen as faddy types, picking up and putting down lots of hobbies rather than having the conviction to choose and stick to something.

On the other hand, some people with stelliums fall into their calling very early on and achieve success with flying colours. Some meet resistance from other people who try to persuade them to follow more conventional routes. For example, the next door neighbour’s antisocial child who keeps setting his bedroom on fire with his home chemistry set, who later in life is accepted to Oxford University and graduates with a 1st. Or how about the child with no academic flare for anything other than playing, creativity and artistic pursuits, who ends up growing into an illustrator or creative designer for a gaming app company? 

Or what about the story of the young Capricorn with an Aquarius Stellium who didn’t please the teachers at school with her headstrong and rebellious nature, ADHD and an obsession with all things technology and space? Creating magazines, artwork and writing poetry and short stories, this young Cappy finally came into her own after her Saturn return and began studying and working as an astrologer, seeing clients, presenting an online podcast and blogging regularly. Yes, I’m talking about myself!

Becoming You

Sometimes the way to work with your stellium isn’t obvious as the world isn’t quite ready for your particular strain of genius. Sometimes technology has to catch up and that’s when the individual’s skills are unleashed. 

You aren’t meant to be anything other than you – so celebrate your unique and wonderful gift that you are here to develop and share with the world!

During a consultation with an astrologer, you can go deeper and make sense of your stellium which can open up patterns, behaviors, themes, and storylines in your life. That’s where I can help! Get in touch if you would like to understand your stellium in greater depth.