The movement of celestial bodies impact our lives and as we move through our world we are subject to astrological weather. I imagine the sky in conversation with our birth charts. We have been trained to focus on signs and how it shapes our personalities but the truth is that the planets create these significations depending on what sign they inhabit. I started a new daily commitment of posting the AstroWeather Forecast on my instagram @charmastrology. Follow me there for your daily dose of mood-of-the day reports.
One good way to remember with transits or the aspects planets form with each other, is that it is about visibility. In studying Hellenistic Traditional Astrology, the ancients often viewed the planets as bearing witness with each other. The Latin term aspectus, root word for English word aspect, means sight(1). When you understand this, it helps to visualize the planets as looking at each other and bearing witness to your chart and therefore influencing you. There are different ways to make sense of these planetary movements for the beginner astrology enthusiast:
If you know the accurate time of your birth then you can pull up your birth chart through astro.com. I highly encourage that you refrain from calculating your charts from Cafe Astrology or Astrotheme due to a track record of inaccuracy. Once you know your Ascendant (AC) sign then it places that sign in your 1st whole sign house. You are then able to move through the chart in a counter-clockwise motion and know which sign is on the cusp of what house. For example, if you have Aries in your 1st whole sign house, this means Taurus is in your 2nd whole sign house, Gemini in your 3rd whole sign house, Cancer in your 4th whole sign house, and so on and so forth. Each astrological house represents an aspect of life and this provides you with an accurate picture of what’s being affected.
Angles usually mean angular houses which are the 1st (AC), 10th, 7th and 4th houses (in order of importance). Think of them as similar to the East-South-West-North orientation in maps. The Midheaven or MC in the whole sign house system can fall in the 9th, 10th or 11th houses, and in some cases even the 7th, 8th and 12th houses for those born far away from the equator. When this happens, there is a blending of career significations with whichever whole sign house the MC lands in. Knowing what house a transiting planet is in gives you an idea of the area of your life that is receiving the planet's meaning. It’s good to remember that angles (and other non-celestial bodies in a chart like the North Node and Lots) do not influence the planets but only receive them. Only the planets are able to provide mutual feedback and influence each other.
If you have natal planets or angles in the same sign as the current transiting planets are moving through, then they are making a conjunction to this part of your chart. Conjunctions mean a fusion of the planets' nature and meaning. For example, Saturn signifies loss and Venus signifies relationships. The conjunction of Saturn and Venus can often times indicate a loss of a relationship. Another example, Jupiter signifies abundance and MC (an angle) signifies one’s career. When Jupiter conjuncts someone’s MC, it usually means new or helpful career opportunities become available.
If you have natal planets or angles in the signs of the same quadruplicity i.e. Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) and Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) – then there is a challenging aspect occurring in your chart. This is usually when change occurs and is required of you. The harder aspects outer planets (Jupiter (mildly), Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) forms with your Sun, Moon, AC/MC and Annual Lord of the Year can often mark big life changes in people’s lives. Often they occur over a period of a year or more. Hence astrologers tend to give them more weight as they become critical periods in one’s growth and development.
If you have natal planets in the signs of the same elements i.e. Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) and Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) – then there is a supportive aspect occurring in your chart. Fire and Air support each other; while Earth and Water do. This generally feels good but can also pass by without much external events.
It's important to note that the manifestation of planetary transits can depend on several factors. One interpretive principle that I include in my client readings is the concept of activation of natal planets through a Hellenistic Astrology time lord technique called Annual Profections. Not all transits create an external event and not all of them will be subjectively felt with the same intensity throughout your life. It is also said that we do not experience our whole chart all at once. But rather it unfolds as we age and grow. I will write about this at another blog post. For now, these are good tips for the beginner astrology enthusiast and how to make sense of current transiting planets and their impact on your birth chart i.e. your life. You can also request a one-on-one consultation and we can dive deep into your chart together to help you make sense of the current astrological weather. Subscribe to my Astro Love Notes to receive these blog posts directly in your email inbox.
(1) Brennan, C. (2017.) Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune (pp.292-293). Denver, CO: Amor Fati Publications.