MODULE TEN: PLANETARY TRANSITS

Day 2: Assessing Important Timings

Transits are triggers and timers to give a means to check the movement of the planets against the backdrop of the natal and progressed charts. They can set off events and give a window into any type of chart. Timing is very important for transits in terms of the events that can take place when there are a number of transits making aspects to the progressed and to the natal charts at the same time. To ascertain when the energies are at their peak the orb of allowance when a transit is approaching is usually about 2°- 1.5° and after its passed usually it fades out by about 1/2° to 1° at the most.

Certain things also to be aware of when doing transits are they can be overdone. Sometimes people read too much into them and it can cause unnecessary stress factors or even just being unreasonable about the way astrological energies work on the normal everyday scale. I often like to make the point that astrology is very much a part of seeing things a little bit deeper, but also if you didn’t learn astrology then it would be something else that one would use as a tool to gain better understanding of life’s deeper experiences. So always as a backup it’s well to remember astrology is about experimenting and gaining experience in understanding electromagnetic forces and being creative with them and using them for greater discovery in awareness of our human nature and making a more fulfilled life as a result.

So transits are helpful for assessing future trends and things however it’s necessary to use good reasoning powers when using them. When working out and planning important events transits can highlight very much the types of things related to what will be in the events and as such they are the necessary third part in the interpretations sequence where they combine to make a specific pattern of interpretation relationships between the transiting and progressed and natal chart or other type of chart.

* Here is an interpretation method to use when interpreting transits in order to get a clearer picture.

Note the transiting planet in both the progressed and natal charts and more specifically in order to understand the events note the areas of life for both charts and also the area of life the transiting planet is transiting at the time. It helps to draw a triangle between the three or better still in most astrological software including astro.com you can create a natal and progressed chart as one chart and then add on the transits to the outside of that to help clarify the different energies. The aim here is that you actually are able to see a visual of a transiting planets cycle which makes it easier for synthesizing the relationship and aspects between its whole three roles.

However it’s not just the link between the combinations of planets, it’s also the transiting planets energies in combination with a sign’s energies and to some degree the natural order ruling planet of the sign, and also its part in the unfolding of the end result caused through the events of each of the three areas of life denoted by each chart.

So you would have the area of life the transiting planet is in—the area of life the transiting planet is in its natal and progressed position in that chart—and the area of life it’s positioned in the progressed chart on its own—and then you may even be doing a foundation chart in which case it you would include another area of life as well.

So between the three charts you virtually have a three pair combination of planets sign and houses. The interpretation is simple enough however when its broken down into parts.

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FV: Interpretation for Transits.

1) Reading the transits first start off the same as you would when reading a planet in a natal or progressed chart.

a) You note down first the transiting planet and what it represents in relation to the house it’s in.

b) Next, then the sign and the sign’s natural planetary ruler wherever it is in the chart, and

c) Then the aspects its due to make to the other planets and house cusps, angles etc while transiting that sign.

2) Next use your formula for Chart Interpretation you did back in module 4 and your “astrological table of Interpretation.” Simply follow those guidelines and do a few different transit interpretations to get used of how it works and you will soon have them down pat.

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So you link the meaning of the house the transiting planet is transiting, to the house the same planet is in the natal chart, and also by its progression, as its position in those two charts is the main stay of energies to which the same planet in its transit always relays back to and is an extension of its natal and progressed placements.

The difference with transits is there is always something going on with them. We see this in not only the amount of aspects that they can form at times, but also the change in events from one house to another once the planet enters the next house. While it’s going through a house however events of that area of life will be to the fore but looking a bit deeper, you will find those events will have a connection in some way, which may be a zodiacal trail, or from somewhere else in the chart that links them to the planet’s progressed and natal house positions. In other words the transiting house being transited by the planet, its meaning and the affairs covered by it, colour the progressed and the natal houses and in way are the personality or 1st thing to note when compiling a synthesis for transit interpretation.

Let’s take an example. So say if you had Venus transiting the 7th house of your natal chart—and the 5th house of your progressed chart—and its natal position is in the 8th house—and its progressed position is in the 9th house—So you have transiting affairs to do with your relationships (Venust:7th hse ntl) and creativity say (Venust: 5th hse prog) in matters to do with publishing or other cultures, or higher education say (*note it could be any one of a number of different activities associated with the house) (Venusp: 9th hse prog) in connection with shared partnerships (Venus ntl: 8th hse ntl ) and this would all be in the flavour of things to do with Venusian nature and qualities. In short the planets nature, plus the 7th and 5th are linked or what colours the 9th and 8th.

The transiting planet spends only so much time in each house as we know, except for the outer planets which spend years in one house but more importantly it’s when a transiting planet comes within orb and makes an aspect is the time when the best opportunities can be made and taken regarding the energies involved. And this is taken further if you really want a transits energies to work for you, then the work needs to be done in attracting and acting on those energies and taking them from their raw state into a creative medium of expression in order that they manifest in form in as beneficial a way as possible otherwise the outcome is not nearly as effective or productive and result at the worst in a wasted opportunity, unless of course you see no need to act on that particular transit and would rather focus on some other transit or perhaps something else in the chart more useful.

The key for a transit is to get a good understanding beforehand of what aspects lie ahead for the transiting planet and plan ahead of time in regards to a specific activity and things it could be to do with and you can do to activate its energies and make the best from it when the transit comes within orb to exact.

In this way as the planets transit through the houses each time you will gain insight into further developing the skills and awareness in how these energies serve as the precursor currents for the actual events and experiences to follow—some of which may come from outside of one’s control and or simply just happen for no particular reason or explanation while other type of events can come from within and within ones domain which gives you more control over how you take them and respond.

To detect significant events in the chart the more indications the better—so if a transiting planet or pattern shows the planets involved also have aspects in both the natal and progressed charts then that can be considered as fairly likely something will come of it. In the interpretation and synthesis once the main points, and all has been considered, a zodiacal trail as well will help pinpoint where the strongest energies find their best outlet as defined by the type of events that come under the area. You’re looking for one main type of event theme overall that stands out as a result of examining each part of the transiting aspect configuration or pattern in the charts.

Once again transits are only activators and quite often it calls for a quicker moving planet to be the one to make an aspect to set it off such as the Moon, and or Mercury, and Venus, or the Sun for example, to go with it in order to see the strength of an event which connects to the outer planets. And lastly transits can be used in any chart and they are to say the least a very handy predictive tool you can have a lot of fun experimenting with and creatively enjoying.

Focusing on transits solely on their own is hardly worth it except perhaps for experimentation purposes at times, otherwise it can become a daily astrological obsession. The key to astrology is to link each part together and use it like a program you have created to assist you in your life fulfillment.

Also one of the best ways to enjoy astrology is to use it in any way which you find you like and that suits you and improves your life and others if you want to take it that far.