Nicole Explains It All

One of the core principles I explore here on the blog—right at that intersection of spirituality and, well, everything else—is the ancient Hermetic idea of “As above, so below.”

This concept teaches us that the patterns of the macrocosm (the universe, the planets) are reflected in the microcosm (our own lives, our consciousness). The ancients used the 7 traditional planets (the ones visible to the naked eye) to map out all of human experience. They designated “ruling planets” for days of the week, for hours, for plants, and for human endeavors.

But what happens to those systems in an age of fiber optics and code?

I believe those ancient energies didn’t disappear. Their domains just expanded. We haven’t just built new tools; we’ve built entire new realms for these ancient archetypes to play in.

So, let’s “explain it all.” Here’s how I see the 7 ruling planets showing up in our digital lives.

The Sun: The Ego & The Identity

• Traditional Attributes: The self, the ego, identity, creativity, leadership, and how we are “seen” by the world. It’s our core, shining essence.
• Its Digital Domain: LinkedIn & Your Personal Website/Blog
• Why it Fits: Where do we go to project our most curated, powerful, and “seen” public identity? LinkedIn is the digital home of our professional ego. It’s the “brand” of you. And a personal blog (like this one!) is the ultimate act of solar creativity—projecting your unique voice and identity out into the world.

The Moon: The Private Self & The Mood

• Traditional Attributes: Emotions, intuition, comfort, memory, the subconscious, and the private self. It rules our moods and our hidden, reflective inner world.
• Its Digital Domain: Pinterest & Spotify
• Why it Fits: Think about your Pinterest boards. They’re often secret, right? They’re collections of your dreams—the ideal home, the perfect vacation, the aesthetic that comforts you. It’s a visual representation of your inner longings. Spotify is the same, but for audio. It’s the playlist you make for a mood, the private soundtrack to your emotional life.

Mercury: The Messenger & The Market

• Traditional Attributes: Communication, messages, data, commerce, intellect, speed, and translation. Mercury is the fast-moving messenger of the gods.
• Its Digital Domain: Gmail, Slack, WhatsApp, & News Feeds
• Why it Fits: This is the most literal translation. Mercury is your inbox. It’s the relentless flow of information, data, and messages. It’s the “ping” of a new Slack message or text. It rules the high-speed, data-driven, and often-commercial flow of our daily digital chatter.

Venus: The Connection & The Aesthetic

• Traditional Attributes: Love, beauty, attraction, harmony, social graces, pleasure, art, and what we value.
• Its Digital Domain: Instagram & Dating Apps (Tinder, Bumble, etc.)
• Why it Fits: This one is almost too perfect. Instagram is a purely Venusian plane. It’s built on aesthetics, the curation of beauty, social “likes” (a form of digital affection), and the projection of a life filled with pleasure and art. Dating apps are just as Venusian, boiling the principles of attraction and social connection down to a single, gamified interface.

Mars: The Arena & The Action

• Traditional Attributes: Energy, conflict, action, drive, severing, aggression, and decisiveness. Mars is the warrior, ruling the battlefield and the forge.
• Its Digital Domain: Twitter (X) & Competitive Online Gaming
• Why it Fits: If you’ve spent more than five minutes on Twitter (or X, whatever we’re calling it), you know it’s a Mars-ruled platform. The energy is fast, sharp, declarative, and often aggressive. It’s the digital arena, a space for debate, conflict, and “dunks.” Likewise, most competitive online gaming (especially first-person shooters) is pure, unfiltered Martian energy: action, strategy, and domination.

Jupiter: The Expansion & The Community

• Traditional Attributes: Expansion, abundance, higher learning, philosophy, belief systems, and the “big picture.” Jupiter is the “great benefic,” ruling generosity and growth.
• Its Digital Domain: Reddit & YouTube (for learning)
• Why it Fits: Reddit is a perfect example of Jupiterian expansion—a vast, sprawling ecosystem of thousands of niche communities (subreddits), each dedicated to a specific philosophy, hobby, or field of learning. It’s a “digital agora” where ideas are exchanged and expanded. YouTube, in its educational capacity, is an endless library of “how-to” guides and long-form lectures, offering an abundance of knowledge on any topic imaginable.

Saturn: The Structure & The Rules

• Traditional Attributes: Structure, rules, time, discipline, boundaries, limitations, and authority. Saturn is the “keeper of time” and the builder of foundations.
• Its Digital Domain: Google Calendar & Your Banking/Productivity Apps
• Why it Fits: What is Google Calendar, if not the modern ruler of our time and structure? Saturn is the app that tells you “no, you can’t, you have a meeting.” It sets the boundaries for your day. Our banking and project management apps (like Notion or Asana) are also Saturnian—they are the cold, hard systems of record that define our resources, our responsibilities, and our limits.

So, Why Does This Matter?

This isn’t just a fun “parlor game.” It’s a powerful diagnostic tool for your digital life.

Take a look at your phone’s screen time report. Which “planet” are you spending most of your time on? Are you stuck in the Mars-ruled battleground of Twitter? Or endlessly curating your Venusian life on Instagram? Are you balancing your “Saturn” (work) with enough “Moon” (rest)?

“As above, so below” just means the patterns repeat. By seeing the archetypes in our apps, we can get a much clearer picture of what our own “microcosm” looks like.

What do you think? Did I miss any? What app rules your digital life? Let me know in the comments.