Where the Wild Things Are: The Out of Bounds Planets

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator

When a planet goes “out of bounds” it means that planet’s declination – its angular distance north or south of the celestial equator – travels temporarily beyond the bounds of our solar system’s anchor, the Sun. When planets do this, they take on the qualities of being untethered from the bounds of their traditional role (Moon = emotions, Mercury = communication, Venus = love and beauty, etc.) and tend to behave in an exaggerated, wild, off-the-chain manner.

When the Moon is out of bounds (OOB) in a natal chart, that native will have heightened emotional qualities and needs based on the sign and house their Moon resides in. When the Moon, our closest neighboring planet or body in space and thus the most influential on our personal experiences, transits out of bounds, we can all feel extreme emotional states - and those who have this position natally will feel it most of all.

Additionally, on a collective level, we are now in the midst of a highly active period of out of bounds Moon transits. The Moon will continue on a roller coaster of extremes throughout the remainder of the year. If you are wondering why the news feels extraordinarily traumatic recently, this may be why!

I’ve long theorized that Highly Sensitive People (HSP) are more affected and influenced by planetary energies than others, especially by the Moon. The term “Highly Sensitive Person” is also  referred to as “sensory processing sensitivity” and is a trait that describes individuals who have pronounced sensitivity to environmental stimuli such as sights, sounds, smells, textures, emotions, and energies and may need more time or space to process and recover from intense or overwhelming experiences. For example, a highly sensitive person may feel anxious, overstimulated, forgetful, or reactive in a shopping mall or grocery store, or may be deeply affected after experiencing an intense movie or distressing news segment on television. This extreme sensitivity and empathy can be both a blessing and a curse. It can lead to intense and prolonged emotional responses to things that others might not even register at all, which can lead to feelings of being misunderstood and “too much.” But it likely endows the individual with fine-tuned perception, deep emotional understanding, heightened intuitive abilities, and exceptional emotional awareness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to connect deeply with others on an emotional level that fosters meaningful relationships, as well.  
(reference: https://www.thrivingwellnesscenter.com/blog/highly-sensitive-people)

It’s a trait that is believed to be present in about 20% of the population, though it is not officially diagnosable. If you feel you are an HSP, then you likely are. And from what I have observed, it is also highly likely that your natal Moon is out of bounds in your astrological chart.

Are you a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?
Then it is highly likely that have an Out of Bounds planet in your natal chart.

Out of Bounds Meaning

Without getting too deep into astronomy, imagine that there are lines from the latitudinal Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn that extend out from Earth into space. These form the parallels of declination in the equatorial coordinate system, where the Earth’s equator represents 0° and the coordinates north or south of there, up (or down) to either Tropical latitude, match up with the Sun – the anchor of our solar system – and it’s path of declination. At the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere, the Sun reaches about 23°27’ north of the equator at the Tropic of Cancer; at the Winter Solstice (in the northern hemisphere), the Sun reaches about 23°27’ south at the Tropic of Capricorn. These are the limits, or the domain, of the Sun, from our perspective here on Earth. As the basis for existence in our solar system, the Sun sets the standard. However, when a planet goes beyond this path of declination, as planets are inclined to do, they are considered “out of bounds by declination.”

What does this mean, astrologically?

Each planet has its own characteristics or theme. When they go out of bounds, they are no longer bound by the rules of the Sun, and thus go beyond the expected limitations of their character. Eccentricities abound, and traditional planetary qualities, both positive and negative, are exaggerated to the extreme.

Any aspects the OOB planet makes in the chart will be enhanced as well. For example, a hard aspect (conjunction, square, or opposition) from Pluto to the OOB Moon would make the effects of this challenging aspect even more pronounced in the native’s character.

The Moon and the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, go out of bounds most frequently (the Sun never goes out of bounds as it sets the standard for all the other planets). The other planets go out of bounds less frequently; Uranus and Pluto tend to stay there for longer periods and then disappear into being in bounds for long periods as well. This tends to cause upsets and revolutions in mass consciousness and collective behaviors.

Planets going out of bounds carry a pronounced Uranian charge of untethered freedom and fullness of expression – all of the dark and all of the light. You get the whole shebang: limitlessness, creativity, genius, eccentricity, unconventionality, excess, deviation, resistance to intervention (especially for fixed signs), spontaneity, driven by keen instinct and accurate intuition, zany sense of humor, instability, and some degree of dysfunction by societal standards. There is a compulsive quality to it, no matter which planet is affected. It becomes a defining character trait. The higher the degree of declination, the more the effect is intensified.

Having OOB planets in the natal chart becomes a sort of calling card –
they stand out because they carry this extra charge.

According to Roseann Finn, author of Persephone’s Revolution: Pluto’s Path to the End of Empire,
“Pluto… is here to teach us about power, our power, how we have power and how to be in our power. So often in our lives we project our power onto others…other people, other organisations, governments, religions. We dance in a victim-perpetrator illusion. Taskmaster Pluto moves us beyond that dance. As it transits each celestial factor in our chart, Pluto offers us another chance to negotiate our relationship to power and its expression. When Pluto transits out-of-bounds (OOB), it takes this dance to next level and correlates with times when societies are taken hostage by tyrants and dictators (out-of-bounds north) and when people claim their power through revolutions and reformations (out-of-bounds south).”

We are about to enter Pluto’s last era of going out of bounds (August 31, 2025, to 2035, to the South) for the next few thousand years, kicking off a revolutionary time of mass awakening and rebirth of human consciousness. “History tells us that a ‘redemption, a revolution, a mass-awakening of consciousness becomes not only possible but likely’ in the time ahead.”

For what it’s worth, Pluto was OOB South from 1774-1795, during the American and French Revolutions (Pluto in Aquarius) and was OOB North during most of WWII, off and on from 1938-1953 (Pluto in Leo).

(reference: https://www.astro.com/astrology/aa_article240604_e.htm, Rosanne Finn, Astrological Journal, 2024)

Pluto

Current Moon High Declination Cycle

The Moon has cycles where it reaches out of bounds status more frequently than others, and at times goes further out than others, such as when the North Node of the Moon is near 0° Aries, or about every 18.5 years. This is called a “major lunar standstill.” We are currently in a major lunar standstill, i.e., a very active year (the North Node just crossed the 0° Aries point and is now in late Pisces) and are experiencing OOB Moons in a roller coaster fashion where they average about 12 days out of bounds in a typical month, typically about every other week. During some years, it will not even transit into the high declinations.

Remaining Moon OOB Dates for 2025:

• JULY 2025: July 6-11, July 20-24

• AUGUST 2025: Aug 2-8, Aug 16-21, Aug 30-Sep 4 (note that Pluto goes OOB during this period as well)

• SEPTEMBER 2025: Aug 30-Sep 4 (also Pluto goes OOB), Sep 12-17, Sep 26-Oct 1

• OCTOBER 2025: Oct 10-14, Oct 23-29

• NOVEMBER 2025: Nov 6-10, Nov 20-25

• DECEMBER 2025: Dec 4-8, Dec 17-22, Dec 31-Jan 4, 2026.

My Ongoing Experiment

I’ve been monitoring declination cycles recently because I’ve noticed an uptick in my own inner state of emotional intensity during phases when the moon is transiting out of bounds (my natal Moon in Cancer is OOB), and I’ve been monitoring from a distance those who I know also have OOB moons or other planets during these times, and I have noticed a distinct change or charge occurs when the moon transits OOB. Everything is intensified, my sleep is worsened, my anxiety goes through the roof, my stress levels are heightened, and I need more time out for targeted self-care. It becomes difficult for me to leave my house, much less participate in social engagements, as my energy levels are depleted and I feel overwhelmed. I am more acutely aware of others’ energies and absorb them more readily; even going to the grocery store or to dinner with friends can be more challenging because I’m dialed up to 11. When it comes back down to Earth, so to speak, things calm down and I become more regulated. I’m noticing this in friends and family, too, who I know have OOB Moons or other planets and are also considered Highly Sensitive People.

So it is my belief that this current high declination cycle of the Moon is affecting us all rather intensely - but especially those who have a natal out of bounds Moon. Other natal OOB planets seem to get triggered by this too, but none so much as the Moon.

If you would like to find out if your Moon or any other planets are out of bounds in your natal chart, please don’t hesitate to contact me! If I have done your chart before, this is a very easy thing to check, just email or text me and I’ll let you know.
If you would like to check yourself, you can go to https://www.astro.com/cgi/genchart.cgi and input your birth data. Once the chart pulls up, you will click the button “PDF Additional Tables” and look in the far right column under Declination. Numbers in red are indicative of out of bounds placements.

How Planets Behave When Out of Bounds

Note: These are all tendencies, not absolutes, and can fluctuate on a spectrum. The higher the degree of declination, the more likely these are to be expressed in the extreme and contribute to the perception of being outside of what’s considered standard societal expectations of behavior.

• The Moon

  The Moon goes out of bounds most frequently of all the planets.
  
  Personality traits include: Extreme emotional and energetic sensitivity, heightened perception and awareness on a multidimensional level, emancipated and spontaneous personality, emotional instability or mood swings, propensity toward dramatic or reactive behavior, turbulent family conditions, turbulent inner life, trouble with self-persecution emotions like shame or guilt, insecurity, lack of self-confidence, melancholy, grief, paranoia, fear, anxiety disorders, high likelihood of experiencing extreme or emotionally-charged events, propensity to develop PTSD, mood disorders, trouble with self-regulation, self-medication tendencies (especially with food), weight fluctuations, overprotectiveness, defensiveness, heightened ESP, intuition, and psychic abilities, quirky or zany sense of humor, madcap or loony (“lunacy”), hypersensitive (HSP), unique, neurospicy, autonomous, difficulty in releasing childhood wounds, could have an unstable mother or even the mother could also have an out of bounds moon, have a tenacious memory and prone to nostalgia, empathetic, compassionate, tender hearted, wise, soulful, delicate, needs lots of alone time to recover from overexposure. Is heavily influenced by transiting lunar energies, especially full/new moons or eclipses; a “lunatic.” May suffer from early childhood abandonment/rejection wounds or victimhood issues; can be an overachiever or a people pleaser, seeking success as a substitute for the security of motherly love. Highly driven toward growth and change; able to overcome great obstacles through their ability to feel so deeply and change so completely.

  May cycle through periods of social extroversion and ease of emotional expression (most often when the transiting Moon is in bounds) and introversion, repressed emotional expression, intensified sensitivity, trauma recall/being triggered, and withdrawal (most often when the transiting Moon is out of bounds).

  Famous examples of OOB Moon: Ursula K. Le Guin, Ozzy Osbourne, Oprah Winfrey, River Phoenix, Brendan Fraser, Amy Winehouse, Keanu Reeves, Kurt Cobain, Lucille Ball, Neil Peart, Paul Reubens, Roman Polanski, Queen Victoria, Steve Wozniak, Sigmund Freud, Harry Houdini, Tom Waits, Gaius Caligula, Clint Eastwood, Shia LaBeouf, Queen Isabel de Valois, Jane Goodall, Matt Damon, Cher, Stephen King, Albert Einstein, John Belushi, Willie Nelson.
  
  (Ted Bundy’s Moon was 2 minutes shy of being OOB; his Ceres and Lilith are OOB though and his Pluto is also close. David Bowie’s Moon was 9 minutes shy of OOB status and Donald Trump’s Moon is 16 minutes shy of being OOB as well. I think because the Moon is so close to Earth that the ramp up or down from being out of bounds can also affect us similarly - again, it’s on a spectrum.)

  The Moon can be only found out of bounds in the signs of Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius. The Moon cannot be found out of bounds in Aries, Virgo, Libra, or Pisces because these are equinoctial and equinox-bordering signs.

  The Moon is most often out of bounds in cardinal (Cancer/Capricorn) and mutable (Gemini/Sagittarius) signs; these are solstice signs or solstice-bordering signs along the ecliptic and thus correspond with the Sun’s highest declination. Therefore, if your Moon is in Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius, or Capricorn, it has a higher probability of being out of bounds in your natal chart.

• Mercury

  OOB Mercury endows the native with pure genius yet also bestows an ability to out-talk, out-think, out-maneuver, talk-over, and tongue-tie others.  They can be eccentric and known for pushing boundaries. They are authentic in the extreme and do not bother hiding it and make zero efforts to conform. Because of this, they are often revered for having an elevated wisdom. They may speak grandiloquently and can appear pretentious or pompous at times, though they are also likely prolific writers and gifted communicators. Depending on the sign, they may have an elevated sixth sense for just what needs to be communicated at any given time (especially with water sign Mercury placements). They understand the power of words and know how to command an audience. Their powers of visualization are unparalleled. They are unpredictable in the extreme and are averse to being held to any standard whatsoever. There is heightened trickster, magician energy here. They can have fluid, changeable personas and are averse to being caught in any fixed idea of who they are; they may often seem to contradict themselves. They might enjoy thinking about language and other subjects abstractly. Along with Moon OOB, these folks are neurospicy. They are apt to go completely off the radar at times so they can recharge themselves and “gather their thoughts.” They can be obstinate about how, when, or how much they communicate. They tend to glean information on a prolific level from unusual or unconventional sources. They likely “just know things” or have heightened intuitive abilities. This behaves much like Uranus conjunct Mercury.

  Famous examples: David Bowie, Alanis Morissette, Donald Trump, Bette Midler, Bob Dylan, Brad Pitt, Christopher Lee, Bjork, Elvis Presley, Tom Hanks, Jim Morrison, Ted Turner, Howard Stern, Emily Dickinson, Louis Braille, Johannes, Kepler, Louis Pasteur, Dolly Parton, Mark David Chapman, John Hinckley.

• Venus

  Natives with Venus OOB love what they love and they don’t care who knows it (enter Buddy the Elf). These gentle people wear their hearts on their sleeves and are prone to overindulgences. They may have eccentric taste in art, music, décor, and in romantic partners; they are attracted to the unconventional and the unusual and the unusual tends to find them. They love women, whether male or female, and often keep multiple close female friends around – which can be disconcerting for romantic partners if the native is a cishet male. They often eschew traditional age range advice when selecting romantic partners and may be drawn to unconventional relationship styles like polyamory. There can be a tendency to spontaneously fall head-over-heels in love at first sight, and they can find themselves in and out of relationships frequently due to realizing too late that someone is actually not such a great fit for them. They can be great artists and have a powerful creative drive. They tend to throw themselves into their art, whatever the medium or expression is, and they may have various talents in multiple areas like music, art, photography, drawing, design, and acting. They are prone to wearing rose-colored glasses and get their hearts broken deeply when reality comes crashing in. They can have a roller coaster-type relationship with money in that they go from living in riches and comfort to losing everything and then getting it back again. They can be quite hedonistic and extravagant and may have trouble with personal boundaries. Their ample charisma helps them get out of any trouble they may find themselves in.

  Famous examples: William Blake, Bjork, Christopher Lee, Liberace, Cher, Tina Turner, Rudolph Valentino, Osho, Evel Knievel, Judy Garland, Al Pacino, Harvey Milk, Daryl Hannah, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Larry King, Susan Sarandon, Gene Wilder, Johnny Carson, Louisa May Alcott.

• Mars

  Natives with Mars OOB are men and women of action. These folks are driven like no other. If you need something done, ask a Mars OOB native. These people have abundant WILLPOWER. All things Mars – action, drive, competitiveness, combativeness, libido, exercise, masculinity, innovation, anger, aggression, assertiveness, recklessness, impulsiveness, confidence, focused energy, potency – are amped up and taken off the chain when out of bounds. These people cannot be controlled and you never know what they are going to do next. There may be a heightened tendency to get into accidents or dangerous situations, mainly because of their devil-may-care attitude toward risk-taking. They may be seen as rebellious, but really they are just chasing whatever motivates them regardless of whether it fits into society’s mold or not. They break the rules to create new and innovative methods; they are trend-setters and trailblazers. They do not conform and can be willful and obstinate when challenged. They can absolutely have a dark side and veer into abusive or even criminal territory if care is not taken to channel their abundant energy constructively. They may appear intimidating because they are entirely self-possessed and defiantly free in their expression.

  Famous examples: Carl Jung, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Brad Pitt, Catherine De Medici, Bjork, Christopher Lee, Jim Morrison, Lewis Carroll, Virginia Woolf, Neil Peart, Rihanna, Robin Williams, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Aileen Wuornos, Judy Garland, Tiger Woods, Jackie Chan, Christopher Reeve, Katherine Hepburn, Mark David Chapman, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Frida Kahlo, Jean Claude Van Damme, Steven Spielberg, John Hinkley.  

• Jupiter

  Jupiter rarely goes out of bounds. It’s last occurrence was in 2002 and will not be out of bounds again until 2055. It has only been out of bounds eight times since 1900. People with Jupiter OOB in their natal chart will likely have unusual or even eccentric beliefs or life philosophies. They may exaggerate and overindulge often and have a desire to impress others with a larger-than-life, extravagant personality. They may be reckless and overly optimistic to the point of deluded naivete. They may take risks with gambling and prospecting. There will likely be an unquenchable desire to travel and study. This placement makes me think of Steve Martin in the film The Jerk. There are no known famous people with Jupiter OOB in their chart.

• Saturn

  Saturn has nearly the same declination as the Sun so Saturn OOB is even rarer than Jupiter. The last time Saturn was OOB was in September 253 CE. It will not be OOB again in the near future.

• Uranus

  Uranus was last out of bounds from August 30, 1991, to October 4, 1991. It is not expected to go out of bounds again until July 9, 2031, through February 5, 2032. Uranus OOB tends to have a generational effect. As OOB planets tend to take on the Uranian qualities of innovation, rebellion, eccentricity, and inventive thinking, Uranus OOB amplifies these qualities in spades. These natives are original, independent, visionary, eccentric, and autonomous in the extreme. They have a distinct disregard for social norms and are likely to be disruptive and have a flair for challenging the status quo and anything conventional. They can have quirky senses of humor and may be downright weird at times. They may suffer from mood or mental dysfunction or disorders; their intuition is keenly strong but they may have a hard time differentiating between intuitive prompts and “voices in their heads.” They have a very strong desire for freedom and will hate being tied down. They will be drawn to cutting edge, futuristic technologies or trends and may have an intuitive knack for anything related to IT or electronics; they uncannily seem to know what will be the “next big thing.” Even though they avoid close entanglements with others, they may feel like an outsider or even an alien themselves. They are certainly stranger and more alien-like than conventional.

  Famous examples: Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Kurt Cobain, Jared Leto, Kesha, Greta Garbo, Jay Leno, Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep, John Belushi, Salvador Dali, Anais Nin, Richard Branson, Stephen King, Edward Gein.

• Neptune

  Neptune has nearly the same declination as the Sun and rarely, if ever, goes out of bounds.

• Pluto

  Pluto out of bounds periods last a long time and can tend to profoundly influence world events and time periods where upheaval, revolution, and intense transformation of society takes place. In the natal chart, OOB Pluto causes an amplified expression of Pluto’s themes of transformation, obsession, power, and regeneration. These natives are possessed by an intense drive to experience the power of life and death and to understand the forces behind it all. They have a powerful drive for depth, change, control, and transformation of themselves and the world at large. They desire more than mere fame – they are chasing immortality. These natives’ lives are filled with intense experiences, drama, and sometimes significant and dramatic changes that could even qualify as traumatic. And yet, they carry on relentlessly and recreate themselves from the ashes of their former existences like phoenixes rising. They willingly take on established norms and conventions and set out to change things in groundbreaking ways. If channeled positively, these natives can harness incredible creativity and innovations; if left unconscious, this intensity can go the way of terror and destruction, if not for others, then certainly for themselves in the form of self-sabotage and intense emotional instability and volatility. They are drawn to deep emotional experiences and connections and seek profound understanding and self-transmutation on a spiritual level.

  Famous examples: David Bowie, Bob Marley, Cher, Farrah Fawcett, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Donald Trump, Jay Leno, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton, Sylvester Stallone, Meryl Streep, Leonardo da Vinci, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Wayne Gacy, Myra Hindley, Charles Whitman. Ted Bundy’s Pluto was 17 minutes shy of being OOB.

The asteroids and other planetary bodies go out of bounds as well, and those can be imagined in similar extreme fashion.

Moon OOB by Sign

Each out of bounds Moon sign will express this differently. I’ll sum it up with a word or two but basically, the needs of the Moon will be in overdrive or on steroids and will be exaggerated in the individual when out of bounds.

• Moon in Aries needs:   Independence, excitement, experimentation, full acceptance for their full self

• Moon in Taurus needs:    Comfort, stability, luxury, safety, to not be rushed or bothered in any way

• Moon in Gemini needs:     Friends, variety of experience, to talk and to be heard with acceptance and curiosity

• Moon in Cancer needs:      Safety, nurturing, healing, sanctuary, trust through actions, regular reassurance

• Moon in Leo needs:           Attention, admiration, drama, accolades, praise, celebration of who they are

• Moon in Virgo needs:         Precision, hygiene, order, gentle help with their daily tasks

• Moon in Libra needs:         Conflict-free companionship, beauty, balance, commitment to presence

• Moon in Scorpio needs:    Intensity, attunement, depth, obsession, devotion no matter how stormy or intense
  it gets, inner transformation

• Moon in Sagittarius needs: Freedom, adventure, openness to experience and growth, spirituality, to teach
  others “The Way,” and to be believed in

• Moon in Capricorn needs:  Structure, achievement, power and control, and to be respected

• Moon in Aquarius needs:    Innovation, curiosity with emotional detachment, indomitability, and a true friend

• Moon in Pisces needs:         Escape into imagination, beauty, wonder, and quiet support that doesn’t intrude or
  apply pressure

Again, if you would like to find out what planets are out of bounds in your natal chart, or you would like to book me for a reading, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to assist you as we all make our way through this incredibly challenging period.

“Psyche in the Underworld” by Paul Alfred de Curzon.