OOB Planets in a NUTSHELL - 4 cardinal principles for interpretation

Short, insightful and on point. I'll teach you ALL essential rules needed for interpreting any kind of Out of Bounds planet.

Before You Begin...

OOB - is it worth looking up at all?

Yes, definitely worth it. The planet's entry into OOB is an interpretative hint that IMMEDIATELY leads you in the right direction and accurately describes a person or situation. In my opinion this is a surprisingly effective tool that explains very unusual circumstances and personalities.

Is checking OOB mandatory?

No. For any character trait to manifest it must be "confirmed" by a FEW factors in the horoscope. For example: if someone has Mercury OOB and shows signs of an above average brilliance, this kind of astuteness can certainly be found by analyzing e.g. the third house, the ruler of the Ascendant etc.

Remember About Priorities!

Just because someone has an OOB planet doesn't mean that this planet immediately deserves special considerations. You should always look at the chart holistically and consider other planets, their mutual aspects etc.

In this chart the Moon is OOB (26°39'N). However, pay attention to the strong Capricorn emphasis (six planets in one sign) along with Jupiter in opposition to a couple of Capricorn planets. A person with such a natal chart has to consider Capricorn and Saturn's needs before he/she can calmly take care of the lunar demands. There is also the issue of Mars and Uranus in Capricorn both in OOB as well...

Conclusion: OOB is important but if the chart doesn't emphasize this OOB planet (via sign/house placement, number of aspects), its impact is comparable to a loud mosquito buzzing somewhere in the room. You need to know whether you are dealing with an ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM or a bearable NUISANCE.

Four Cardinal Principles For Interpretation

We can "expect more from people (with OOB planets) given the normal conditions/life blockades" (quoted from KT Boehrer "Declination The Other Dimension"). Such people often have the flexibility or adaptability that hardly anyone expected of them. There's something unusual in people with OOB people. They stand out from the crowd and this allows them to:

a) HANDLE circumstances that cause most of us trouble.

b) get into TROUBLE most of us wouldn't be concerned about.

In one way or another these people strive to reach a high level/position or MASTERY in the field of life represented by the planet itself or the house(s) it rules. To have a chance for self-development at all they need to exhaust what is commonly present in a given environment/industry. They can have extremely high levels of physical/mental/emotional energy that they find difficult to control.

Self-improvement in itself is not the goal (although it may be for some zodiac signs) but only the next step necessary for the actual realization of Self.

It is extremely important to assess whether a given OOB planet and the entire natal chart is supportive (benefics, majority of harmonious aspects) or detrimental (malefics, majority of dynamic aspects). This helps you determine whether the OOB person is likely to take risks and overcome adversities or give up due to becoming overwhelmed by impossible-to-meet ambitions.

In most cases the potential of people with OOB planets depends on their approach to adversity in general.

Many astrologers compare the Out of Bounds' effect to Uranus's energy and it's hard to disagree. For convenience remember that OOB is a free additional Uranus.

Often people with OOB planets are described as such: present an unusual way of thinking, have winding life paths, experience events beyond control, lack attachment to the conventional, lawless, think that rules don't apply to them, have a sense of not belonging etc. Sounds like Uranus.

There are differences between the impact of OOB and Uranus. Uranus usually manifests as e.g. awareness of one's own style, eccentricity which make a person different from the rest. There's a certain innate intellect too. However people with OOB planets don't need to have a style or an intellectual approach to life. If you ask these people what they think about their "feeling of not belonging" they will tell you it's not a matter of style or anything - they are different "just because"; because it's impossible to compare their needs (as described by the planet) to what can be found in the world. Meanwhile those with Uranus emphasis in their chart rebel against something, want to go in a different direction in relation to that something.

Now you can freely go and interpret OOB planets by yourself. 

But wait, there's more!

Did you know that...

1) All planets exceeding 23°28'N/S declination go Out of Bounds. If you want to know why that's the case or which planets can enter OOB at all (yes, not all of them do it), I encourage you to read the introduction. Many interpretative conclusions will become obvious once you understand what declination is physically.

You may be tempted to think "Well if my planet is at 20-23°00'N/S, so close to the OOB border, it already works like that a bit." That's not the case. Less than or equal 23°28'N/S the planet is at its optimum declination and considering it in terms of OOB isn't justified.

Just like you can't be "half pregnant" you can't be partially Out of Bounds.

2) A planet moving in the standard orbit can enter OOB in progressions (this is particularly important in the case of the progressive Moon). These kind of transition time frames strongly influence our fate.

3) The OOB planet ALWAYS leaves a mark on our character when our natal chart emphases Uranus, Neptune, Pluto in any significant way e.g. through their position in the cardinal houses (1,4,7,10), contact with the Sun/Moon/ruler of the Ascendant or forming aspect with the OOB planet itself.

I'm astounded looking at many charts of well-known OOB people and seeing in almost everyone a more than usual influence of generational planets. Synchronicity.

4) The characteristic tilt of the ecliptic means that most of the OOB planets are found in Gemini, Cancer (northern declination) and Sagittarius along with Capricorn (southern declination).