Transits: Planetary Weather Forecast
If your birth chart is a map of your potential, transits are the weather moving across that map. Transits are the current positions of planets in the sky and how they interact with the positions of planets in your natal chart.
How Transits Work
When a transiting planet forms an aspect (angular relationship) to a natal planet or point, it activates that natal placement. The nature of the transit depends on:
- The transiting planet — What type of energy is being delivered
- The natal planet being aspected — What part of your psyche is being affected
- The aspect type — Whether the energy is harmonious or challenging
- The orb — How close the transit is to being exact
Orb and Exact Dates
The orb is the distance between the transiting planet's current position and the exact aspect angle. A smaller orb means the transit is stronger. Most astrologers use an orb of:
- 1–3° for major life events
- 5–8° for broader influence periods
- Up to 10–15° for outer planet transits (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)
The exact date is when the transiting planet reaches the precise aspect angle (0° orb). This is often the most intense moment of the transit. The date range shows the period when the transit stays within the configured orb.
Transit Speeds
Different planets move at different speeds, creating different transit durations:
| Planet | Daily Motion | Transit Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Moon | ~13°/day | Hours |
| Sun | ~1°/day | 1–2 days |
| Mercury | ~1.4°/day | 1–3 days |
| Venus | ~1.2°/day | 2–4 days |
| Mars | ~0.5°/day | 5–10 days |
| Jupiter | ~0.08°/day | 2–4 weeks |
| Saturn | ~0.03°/day | 2–4 weeks |
| Uranus | ~0.01°/day | 1–2 months |
| Neptune | ~0.006°/day | 2–3 months |
| Pluto | ~0.004°/day | 3–6 months |
Outer planets (Jupiter through Pluto) form long-lasting transits that can define entire life chapters. Because they move slowly, their transits often station (appear to stop and reverse) and pass over the same natal point multiple times, creating a series of exact hits.
Interpreting Transits
By Transiting Planet
- Sun transits — Brief illumination of a natal placement; a day of focus
- Moon transits — Emotional weather; fleeting moods and instincts
- Mercury transits — Communication, news, mental activity
- Venus transits — Relationships, values, pleasure, aesthetic sensibility
- Mars transits — Energy, drive, conflict, action, sexual energy
- Jupiter transits — Expansion, opportunity, growth, optimism (12-year cycle)
- Saturn transits — Discipline, responsibility, maturation, tests (29-year cycle)
- Uranus transits — Sudden change, breakthrough, disruption, liberation (84-year cycle)
- Neptune transits — Dissolution, spiritual opening, confusion, idealism (165-year cycle)
- Pluto transits — Transformation, power, death and rebirth, deep psychological change (248-year cycle)
By Aspect Type
- Conjunction (0°) — New beginnings, fusion of energies
- Sextile (60°) — Opportunities requiring effort
- Square (90°) — Tension, crisis, necessary growth
- Trine (120°) — Flow, ease, natural development
- Opposition (180°) — Culmination, awareness, balance needed
Transit to Natal Sun, Moon, and Ascendant
The most personally significant transits are those to the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant — the three core points of identity, emotion, and self-expression. These transits tend to coincide with major life events and shifts in self-understanding.
Combining Transits with Other Techniques
Transits are most powerful when combined with other timing methods:
- Profections — The Lord of the Year is especially sensitive to transits
- Vimshottari Dasha — Transits to the Dasha lord trigger events within the period
- Progressions — The progressed Moon and Sun add internal timing layers
- Solar Return — The annual chart shows the year's themes
Tip: Use the Transit Calculator on the birth chart page to check current transits against your natal Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. Each transit shows the exact date, the date range when it stays within orb, and a detailed interpretation with advice.