Other important points
There are other important points in astrology that aren't planets, but that act somewhat like them in our interpretation of them. I will illuminate a couple of them - the rising sign (ascendant) and the nodes of the moon.

• The rising sign, also known as the ascendant, is the edge or 'cusp' of the first house in your chart. It is the sign that was rising on the zodiac wheel in the east when you were born. Basically, it is the dawn of your chart, and it represents how you 'dawn' on people - your basic persona, how you represent yourself to the general public and to the world each day.
• The nodes of the moon, north and south node, are important but invisible points in the sky (meaning they are not represented as a planetary body, just like the ascendant). They are the points where the moon crosses the sun's ecliptical path. They are a fundamental part in astrology, and a very significant point for me and the type of astrology I do. They determine where you are going and where you've been. This can be interpreted as in this life or in your past lives, depending on your beliefs. They are general life goals and history, and give us a goal and point out the end in our path - like a personal north star.