Astrological transit

In astrology, a transit refers to the continued movement of the planets, Sun, and Moon in relation to their position at the moment of a person’s birth. Astrologers believe the exact positions of the celestial bodies at the moment a person is born imprints that person with certain character traits, abilities, temperament, strengths, weaknesses, and destinies. As time goes on, the celestial bodies continue to move through the heavens at different speeds. As each body moves, it creates a new snapshot of the heavens that can be compared to their positions at the moment of birth. Moving through the constellations of the zodiac, planets may pass close to the spot a planet was positioned at the moment of a person’s birth. Astrologers call this passage a transit. They believe a planetary transit can affect a person’s day-to-day relationships, mood, outlook, and prospects for success or failure.

Background

Astrology is a pseudoscience that has been practiced for thousands of years. Although the earliest recorded evidence of astrology comes from the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia, the practice almost certainly originated among the prehistoric peoples that preceded those civilizations. Ancient humans would have had a keen interest in the movements of the planets, Sun, and Moon as they would have acted like a celestial calendar that let people know when to hunt certain game and when to plant and harvest crops.

To the ancient peoples, the stars in the sky seemed to form images that they attributed to be gods, heroes, monsters, animals, and beings of legend. They also noticed that some of the “stars” did not behave like the others, but instead moved much faster against the background of “fixed” stars. The ancient Greeks called them planets, from their word for “wanderer.”

The planets, along with the Sun and Moon, all seemed to move through a narrow band of the sky that consisted of twelve star patterns, or constellations. About 150 CE, the Greek scientist Ptolemy standardized the constellations into a list of forty-eight star patterns, most of which are still used today. The narrow band across which the planets, Sun, and Moon moved consisted of the constellations Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. These twelve star patterns are called the zodiac constellations.

Astronomers during the late Middle Ages determined that the planets were celestial bodies that orbited the sun at various distances. Planets closer to the Sun move much faster, while those farther away circle the Sun much more slowly. For example, Mercury, the innermost planet, circles the Sun in just 88 Earth days, while Jupiter takes 12 Earth years and Neptune takes 160 Earth years. As seen from Earth, the inner planets Mercury and Venus seem to move across the sky in a matter of days, while Jupiter, Saturn, and the outer planets take years or decades.

The narrow band in which the planets move is called the ecliptic. As seen from Earth, the planets move through the ecliptic from west to east at varying speeds. At times, the movement of a planet seems to stop and move backwards before resuming its forward motion. This phenomenon occurs because the earth orbits the sun at a different speed than the rest of the planets. When Earth “catches up” and passes another planet in its orbit, that planet briefly seems to move backward from the point of view of an observer on Earth. This motion is called retrograde motion.

Overview

Believers in astrology hold that the movement and positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets in the sky have a direct effect on the lives of humans. Astrologers believe that the influence of these celestial bodies begins at the moment of birth. To determine their effect on a person, astrologers develop a birth chart that records the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the exact time and location of a person’s birth. This birth chart, also called a natal chart, is considered a “snapshot” of the heavens at the precise moment a person is born. It is divided into twelve sections called houses. These houses correspond to the Earth’s twenty-four-hour rotation, with each house representing a two-hour period. Certain houses are said to represent certain traits. For example, the first house is supposed to represent the self and physical appearance, and the fifth house represents creativity, romance, and children.

Furthermore, each planet and sign of the zodiac are also connected to specific character traits. For instance, Libra is connected to balance and harmony, while Pisces is said to represent imagination and mysticism. As for the planets, Mars represents motivation and sexuality, while Jupiter represents expansion and luck. In astrology, the Sun and Moon are counted among the planets, with the Sun representing identity and purpose and the Moon emotions and security.

Astrologers use all three elements to devise a birth chart. The positions of the planets in a particular house and zodiac sign are supposed to imprint a newborn with the corresponding personality traits. For example, if the moon is in the twelfth house in Sagittarius, astrologers believe that a person will be able to use their emotions (connected to the Moon) to discover (connected to Sagittarius) their psychic abilities (connected to the twelfth house).

However, the heavens are constantly changing, as Earth rotates each day and revolves around the Sun each year. As the Sun, Moon, and planets move through the sky, their positions change over the course of hours, weeks, and years. A transit refers to the constant movement of the planets through the houses and signs of the Zodiac. A major type of astrological transit occurs when a planet passes through a region that was very close to the position of another planet at the moment of birth. To astrologers, this happens when a planet moves within ten degrees of the position of a birth planet. Ten degrees is an astronomical measure to determine distance in the sky. It roughly corresponds to the width of a clenched fist held up to the background stars.

Astrologers believe that transiting planets bring their energy into the “blueprint” determined by a person’s birth chart. For example, if Mercury is transiting a person’s natal Venus—the position Venus was in at the moment of birth—then Mercury’s influence would supposedly be felt upon the traits associated with Venus. Mercury is connected with communication and expression, while Venus is linked to values and relationships. An astrologer may interpret this as a good time for a person to talk with a loved one.

The inner planets, plus the Sun and Moon, move quickly in relation to the sky. The Sun and Moon can complete transits in a matter of minutes or hours, while Mercury, Venus, and Mars take days or weeks. For that reason, astrologers believe the transits of the inner planets do not result in many long-term influences. Transits of the outer planets occur much more slowly and are believed to have much longer-lasting influence. For example, Saturn takes about thirty Earth years to make one orbit around the Sun. It can spend more than two years transiting a natal planet. The full transit of Saturn through the twelve signs of the zodiac is believed to correspond to a person entering a new phase of their life. The movements of Neptune and Pluto are believed to have an effect on generations of people.

When a planet is in retrograde, astrologers believe that the planet’s influence over a person’s life is weakened. Another specific influential event is known as the solar return, the time when the Sun returns to the exact position in the sky as it was at the moment of a person’s birth. This usually corresponds to a person’s birthday, but it can also occur a day earlier or later. Transiting planets can also change their influence as they move into different signs or houses. For example, if Mercury is in the constellation of Aries, the combination suggests a time for fast-paced communication. However, when Mercury transits into the constellation of Taurus, astrologers believe it creates a situation where a slower, more deliberate pace is beneficial.

In addition, the geometry between transiting planets and the other celestial bodies is also said to have an effect on people’s lives. Astrologers refer to the angle of a transiting planet compared with other planets as an aspect. A conjunction occurs when two or more planets seem to pass close to each other in the sky. When that happens, the aspect angle is said to be 0 degrees. Astrologers view that as a period of intensity in a person’s life. If a transitioning planet is at a 90-degree angle, the aspect is called a square, a time supposedly related to conflict. If a planet is on the exact opposite side of the sky—a 180-degree angle away—that is called an opposition. It is believed to signal a time of balance.

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