Astrological transits are among the primary means utilized in horoscopic astrology for forecasting future developments and trends. As the name suggests, astrological transits involve reading and interpreting ongoing planet movements as they transit a horoscope, mainly done for an individual’s natal or birth chart.
Astrologers usually pay specific attention to the house or sign changes and the angles or aspects made by the transitioning planets with the natal chart. The aspects are typically limited to a one-degree orb on the natal planet’s side.
Planetary return is one of the most important transits because transitioning planets return to their starting point when an individual was born. It means that the planet has completed a fill sky circuit, signifying the beginning of a new cycle in the person’s life.
Since astrological transits are part of predictive astrology, people can use them to help with decision-making in different life aspects like business, relationships, education, and other personal decisions.
Transit interpretation is usually similar to progressions interpretations. However, transits involve predictions outside a person’s control. When interpreting them, the most important thing to remember is that the natal chart patterns always determine the transit’s value.
Inner Planets
Astrologers consider transits of these planets less important because they last a very short period and have limited effects. However, understanding them can help you make better daily, weekly, or monthly decisions.
Sun
This remains at its peak for around two days. It affects energy, health, and willpower in the aspect of life represented by the transited house, natal planet, and sign. It could indicate open expression, more activity, and greater creativity.
Moon
This planet mainly affects feelings and moods, lasting a few hours. The effect is not always conscious and depends on the sign, planet, and house being transited.
Mercury
This one remains at its peak for a day or two. It affects focus and thought patterns negatively or positively depending on the aspect plus the planet’s nature. It could indicate a suitable time to make short visits or trips and deal with backlogs of correspondence.
It could also be an excellent time to make phone calls, write emails or letters, and communicate with people around you.
Combined with a Venus transit, it could indicate entertaining or presenting a lecture. A Mercury transit to the ascendant and natal sun could show a perfect time to make minor changes like exchanging, buying, or selling things.
Venus
It remains at its peak for around two days and primarily indicates love feelings. Sometimes the influence is usually financial via receiving money or gifts.
Venus transits to the natal sun, and the ascendant shows an excellent time to beautify yourself or purchase new clothes. On the other hand, transit to the moon shows a perfect time to buy new household items or decorate your home.
Venus transits to Jupiter, and Mercury shows an excellent chance to entertain, while transits to its own place and midheaven show a good chance for being entertained.
Uranus transits show a good time to try romance, while Neptune transits show good opportunities to visit the theater or cinema.
Mars
This planet energizes the aspects of a person’s life related to the affected natal planet. The individual becomes more energetic and might work harder than usual.
Transiting Mars could also promote anger and tension, so people need to watch their tempers, especially during transits with the moon.
Outer Planets
Astrologers consider outer planet transits the most important because their effect could last for a few years.
Jupiter
Jupiter transits last a few months and present opportunities in the life area represented by the aspected planet. They indicate a period of exceptional opportunities for business success and expansion, receiving good favor and benefits, new experiences, knowledge, and traveling.
However, difficult aspects could result in exaggerated severe or extravagant behavior, misjudgments, and bad luck.
Saturn
This indicates a period of restriction, limitation, depleted energy, possible ill-health, depressive moods, losses, lack of corporation, death, and other misfortunes. It could negatively impact a person’s social status and respect.
However, people can use it positively as a period for conserving energy, long-time planning, studying, gathering resources, and serious contemplation about life. People need a lot of patience not to force matters.
Uranus
Transiting Uranus indicates a period of sudden, unplanned changes or upheavals. It is also a possible time for originality, creativity, inspiration, or rebellious and unconventional behavior. People might also experience great desires for invention, individuality, new relationships, and freedom of expression.
Neptune
This indicates a period of confusing, chaotic, and strange happenings. It could also be an excellent time for inspiration and creativity. Neptune usually dissolves emotions and ideas on the aspected planet or house.
People might experience idealization, dreams or illusions, artistic practices, religious or spiritual experiences, or theatre.
On the other hand, difficult aspects might stimulate suicidal, mentally disturbed, escapist, or neurotic tendencies. They might also cause misunderstandings, delusions, victimization, or over-involvement with drugs and alcohol.
Pluto
It indicates a time of significant transformation in a person’s life pattern. It often represents the end of one chapter and the beginning of another because of eruptive developments that have been cooking under the surface.
Transiting Pluto will renew, revolutionize, and transform the emotions and ideas in the aspected planet or house. Profound psychological changes can happen, and individuals might experience cycles of real or symbolic deaths and rebirths, power urges, fateful encounters, and sexual issues.
Past issues might resurface so that individuals can understand their true nature and how to change them.
Planetary Returns
Saturn, Jupiter, and Uranus are the most critical returns. Half returns, when the planet gets halfway across its journey, are also significant, especially for Uranus. That is because some might not live to see its full return, which takes 84 years.
Jupiter
A Jupiter return happens every 12 years, indicating a new development phase in life. The first return marks entry into puberty and adolescence, while the second one indicates moving into the real adult world.
The years of Jupiter returns are usually good, marked with grants awarded or prizes won. Writers could also make their most significant publications, and athletes might achieve their most important goals. Therefore, this marks an excellent time to put more effort into all living areas.
Saturn
Saturn returns happen around every 30 years. They indicate a time when individuals must face new responsibilities and realities.
Many people make serious commitments during the first Saturn return. These could be getting into a serious relationship, making proposals, marriages, buying a home or car, or starting a family.
Some people also assess their existing relationships and decide to end them if they have failed.
It is also a good opportunity for people to re-evaluate their careers and decide whether to change their paths or gain more skills to retain their current job.
The second return, which happens at around 59 years, marks when many retire from their full-time jobs. Others might start working on interests or skills they neglected because of their careers and families.
Uranus
This is the most prolonged transit, taking 84 years. However, people feel its primary influence when it gets halfway, representing a mid-life crisis. It can be tense and stressful but also energizing.
It is an excellent period for people to abandon their life routines and start exploring new ones. This is when many women start their per-menopause stage, and males start experiencing male menopause. Parents with children moving away from home might also feel like their life went by too fast. Successfully, long-term relationships may also experience challenges caused by affairs and casual flirtations.
Some people live to experience the full Uranus return. It could indicate the beginning of a new interest in life because most people that age have already accomplished their primary goals.
