Astrology doesn’t just take into account your natal chart, but also the movement of planets throughout time. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to planetary transits, which can affect you at any given moment.
A transit is the passage of a planet over a particular place on your birth chart. It can be an influential event that triggers changes in your life, and is one of the ancient astrological forecasting methods.
Aspects
Aspects are when planets come together in the sky. Aspects can be helpful for figuring out how the day is going to unfold, and they can also show you areas of your life that have a natural grace or tension.
There are many different aspects that can occur, but some of the most common and well-known are conjunctions, oppositions, squares and trines. All of these can influence your daily life and how you relate to others, so it’s important to learn how to read them.
Conjunctions (two planets in the same sign) are usually considered to be positive aspects, as they bring a sense of harmony and synchronicity. They can be especially helpful when there are two important people in your life or when you are trying to make a significant decision.
Oppositions (two planets in opposite signs) are generally considered to be negative aspects, as they can create a sense of conflict and struggle. They can also be very confusing, and they can affect your mood, energy levels and emotions.
Another challenging aspect is a square, which occurs when two planets are three zodiac signs apart. This means they are in the same mode (cardinal, fixed or mutable).
The square can be a tough one to understand, as it can create tension and conflict, but it can also provide an opportunity for growth.
A trine, on the other hand, is a much smoother aspect and generally considered to be the best of them all. Stardust says that “trines are really flowy and feel very positive.”
They are usually formed by a 120 degree angle on the chart, so they can bring some serious good fortune. They can be particularly powerful when there are two major aspects, such as a Jupiter and Mercury trine in stabilizing earth signs.
This can be a time when you have breakthrough conversations about money and security or when you successfully negotiate a raise. They can also be a great time to bond and open up your heart to someone else.
Transits can be tricky, but they are an excellent way to get to know the stars and see how they will impact your life in the future. The more you know, the better equipped you will be to make the most of the opportunities they present.
Waxing/waning
Having the ability to read transits is essential for an astrologer. These can be the most confusing aspects, but also often the most important ones for the overall picture of a chart.
A waxing aspect symbolises the building up of energy to fullness, with the planetary force that is forming this aspect growing and developing from its initial stages. It’s a time of furthering your goals and dreams, as well as allowing the results of these to play out.
This is especially true of a square or sextile. When two planets form these types of aspects, their combined energy is increasing as it travels through the sign of the corresponding moon.
The waning aspects, on the other hand, signal the dispersal or spreading out of this same energy. In this way, a waning aspect can be more helpful to others than a waxing aspect is, but it will not have the same power or impact on you as a waxing aspect does.
To determine whether a transit is waxing or waning, take the time to look at the rising and setting times of the moon. If the moon is waxing, it will be rising in the morning and set later in the day.
It is also a good idea to watch the phase of the Moon throughout the month, as it will help you understand the rhythms and cycles of your own life. For example, the first quarter moon is a great time to review your goals and dreams that were set during the new moon.
Likewise, the full moon is a time to celebrate your accomplishments, and the waning moon is a time for self-reflection. It’s a time to look at the progress that you’ve made and the challenges that remain in your path.
These phases are repeated about every month, so it’s worth paying attention to these cycles in order to find the best time for you to act on your goals and dreams.
A transit can be interpreted as either waxing or waning, and the order of influence from fast to slow will vary according to what planet is in transit. In general, faster-moving inner planets (the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars) have the strongest impact on a chart during a transit. In contrast, slower-moving outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) have a much longer impact on the charts they transit.
Secondary progressions
Secondary progressions, also known as day-for-a-year charts, are a popular technique that astrologers use to reveal the unfolding of your unique personality and circumstances over a long period of time. This is done by equating your day of birth to your year of life.
This is a great way to understand your inner journey over the course of many years, and can be a useful tool in predicting upcoming events or situations. It can help you to see where your life is currently heading, and what adventures lie ahead.
For example, let’s say that you’re interested in learning more about a major turning point in your life. A planet stationing retrograde or direct often indicates this, as it can signal a significant change in the way you think and act.
However, it’s important to remember that planets do not actually move that fast in your chart! Hence, the significance of transits to the outer planets like Jupiter and Saturn are less relevant.
You should also note any major aspects formed by progressed planets to your natal planets and axis (or house cusps). Aspects can show a mutual exchange of energy between the planetary positions involved.
It’s also a good idea to check the position of your natal Sun and Moon if you’re wondering what’s going on in your life at this moment. Your natal sun and moon represent your basic desires and needs. Seeing these at their most potent can reveal your earliest needs, ambitions, and priorities.
The same goes for the planetary positions of your ascendant, midheaven, and rising signs. These positions are more indicative of a specific theme of experience that may be causing you to experience certain archetypes or patterns, and might be triggering some deep, personal questions or themes.
Finally, you should also pay attention to any planetary ingresses or ingressions into new signs / houses, which can indicate a palpable shift in your concerns and circumstances. This can be especially important for transiting planets that have a close 0-2deg orb to any of your natal planets, points, or angles.
Orbs
Orbs are a range of influences associated with an aspect between two planets. They can be narrow, allowing the influence to be more strong, or wide, limiting it. Astrologers often choose the exact orb for an aspect to determine its power.
For example, if you have Sun conjunct Uranus, an orb of zero degrees and 00 minutes would be considered a close orb, and is considered to be strong. But if you have Jupiter conjunct Uranus, an exact orb of 93 degrees and 30 minutes would be considered a weak orb.
In addition, astrology often allows for different orbs for aspects that are more important or less important than others. For instance, the quintile family of aspects is more spiritual and often plays a major role in a chart, but their exact orbs are usually narrower than for other aspects.
However, it is important to note that even though aspects of this nature are softer, they are still strong. As such, they can have a significant effect on your life, even if the exact orb is not as small as other aspects.
Another thing to keep in mind is that aspects in transits are part of a cycle of relationship that unfolds over a long period of time, so they can carry over into your natal chart. This can be particularly illuminating for those of you who have a lot of natal planetary conjunctions and oppositions, as these are all stages in the same cycle that has been unfolding over years, or even decades.
As such, it is worth examining the aspects that are in transit on your natal chart over time to see what kind of pattern they can form. This can give you a sense of how they interact with the other transits, and which ones are the most meaningful.
Aspects are a powerful tool that can help us understand what is going on in our lives, and what we need to work on. They can also reveal parts of our psyche that we had kept hidden from sight. This is why it is important to learn how to read your transits correctly!
