Essentially on the first and second level of rulership (Rulership/Detriment & Exaltaion/ Fall) we are looking at how well the planet can express it’s true nature or in other words play the role that it has been given. If a planet is in it’s own sign it is at it’s strongest to play it’s role or express it’s true nature.

For example, when the planet Mars is in the sign Aries, (a sign that Mars rules)   it is extremely free to express it’s true nature.  Mars is a planet that has an urge to act decisively & to act physically. Aries is a sign that teaches courage, the ability to triumph over intimidation, obstacle and doubt. The planet and the sign are a match and work very well together and this is how planetary rulership works.

However it is a consideration that if a planet’s nature is very powerful, free reign of that power by having that planet placed in it’s own sign may or may not be a good thing for an individual based on the rest of the configuration of the chart.

To clarify, some planets have been labeled ‘benefic’ and others ‘malefic’ based on historical experience of the results people have felt from the effects of planetary placements and transits.   Today more modern perspectives have caused many Astrologers to think such entirely one sided labels are indeed not entirely fair, yet the fact that those terms were chosen do serve as powerful reminders of the damage that extremely powerful planetary energies can do when they work in a negative way.