What Are Transits In

Astrology? Lesson 18

To understand what transits are in astrology, you must first understand

what aspectsare. You should already know that aspects are relationships,
measured in degrees of arc, between two planets in your birth chart. (An
aspect can also take place between a planet and a special angle or point in
your birth chart, i.e. Ascendant, M.C., I.C., Descendant, Lunar Nodes, and
some other points.)
Transits are, in effect, aspects between a planets current position up above
and its position in your birth chart.
The positions of the planets at the moment you were born are captured on
your birth chart. As you took your first breath, the planets continued on their
tracks. As the planets continue moving, every once in a while, they come
into aspect with the planetary positions on your birth chart.
For example, say you were born with the Sun at 16 and 28 minutes of
Cancer, and Pluto at 24 of Libra. When Pluto moved into 16 degrees of
Capricorn, in the year 2016, it made an opposition aspect (180 ) to your
natal Sun.
To be clear, that aspect is called a transit. We would not call it an aspect
because when we speak of aspects, we are usually speaking of natal aspects
based on the positions of the planets at someones birth. An aspect made by
a transiting planet is called a transit in astrology.
A moving planet can stay in aspect anywhere from a few hours up to a few
years. The moon, because she moves so fast, makes aspects only for a short
hour or two. And then shes gone. Neptune and Pluto, because they move so
slowly (relative motion), can stay in aspect for 2 or 3 years. Use an orb of 1
degree to consider transits (but use a 2 degree orb to plan ahead!) While a
moving planet is in aspect to a natal planetary position, the moving planet is
said to be transiting the natal planet.
The transit has an influence over you during the entire time that its
transiting, but it also has a point at which it becomes exact. This is the day
when it reaches the exact degree, minute, and second of your birth planet.
Some transits can become exact three times because of retrograde motion:
the transiting planet passes over the point once, then the planet goes
retrograde and backtracks over the point, then the planet goes back into
direct motion and passes over the point a third time.
In the example above, Pluto would be transiting your natal Sun throughout
most of 2016 because it will be close enough to 16 to be considered in
aspect. But that transit becomes exact in 2016 when Pluto reaches exactly
10 and 28 minutes of Capricorn.
In summary, transits are simply aspects made by the current moving
planets to our birth-chart planets. Technically, the planets are always in
transit, as in on the move. But in astrology, transit is a term of art. In
the language of astrology, planets make transits or are transiting only
when they make aspects to our birth chart.