How to Navigate Astrological Transits and Align With Cosmic Shifts
The transit planets and bodies are the currently moving planets and bodies. They travel through the Zodiac, sometimes turning retrograde (appearing to move backward), sometimes making aspects (coming to certain distances apart), and ingressing forward (moving to the next Zodiac sign).
Why you should keep track of transits:
Keeping track of what they’re up to can be crucial to navigate any potential challenges wisely and utilize potential beneficial energy to your full advantage. If you know what to expect, you can stay ahead of the game and arm yourself with plans.
If you don’t know what to expect, that’s when you get thrown off track. Help yourself by keeping track and staying on top of the astrological happenings.
Follow the Moon for your emotional focus:
The Moon moves the fastest of the planets, traveling through the entire Zodiac in less than one month, and spending about 2 ½ days in each sign. The Moon governs our emotions, so we can follow the Moon to show our emotional focus and emotional needs.
You can do this via the sign the Moon is in, or by following the houses in your natal chart the Moon is touring. You can give more attention to work or get organized with the Moon in Virgo or the 6th house; you can read a new book with the Moon in Gemini or the 3rd house; you can spend time with friends with the Moon in Aquarius or the 11th house; and on and on.
You can also look to the aspects the transit Moon is making to the other planets, and can plan your schedule accordingly. You may want to avoid scheduling any important business meetings under hard (square and opposition) Moon-Saturn (since Saturn rules career); you may want to plan a date night under beneficial (sextile and trine) Moon-Venus (since Venus rules relationships); and on and on.
Most astrology calendars include the Moon through the signs and aspects each day.
Follow the Sun for your monthly focus throughout the year:
The Sun travels through all 12 Zodiac signs in about one year, and spends about one month per sign. It travels at a steady rate, and is at about the same spot each year. The Sun shines a light, so it brings our attention to certain areas of life it’s highlighting.
Following the Sun in the signs, or traveling through your natal houses, can show you what you’re focused on at that point in the year. You’ve probably noticed you tend to have similar focuses at the same time each year, like wanting to vacation in the same month, or starting up a new course of learning in the same month. This is usually thanks to the Sun!
Similar to the Moon, you can also keep track of the aspects the Sun will make to the other transit bodies, or to your own natal chart, to develop your schedule further and understand what you’re focusing on. Conjunctions are strongest (when two bodies align in the same spot), and you give a ton of attention to the body being conjuncted by the Sun when they occur.
Put the New & Full Moons to good use:
Every 2 weeks or so, we alternate between a New Moon and a Full Moon. New Moons occur when the transit Sun and Moon conjunct, and Full Moons occur when the transit Sun and Moon oppose.
New Moons are times of new beginnings, so try to plan new projects and ventures around the New Moon. This energy is conducive to success, and helps you get off of the ground.
Full Moons are times of endings and culminations, so try to plan to finish things around the Full Moon. Emotions tend to run high with Full Moons, so also make sure to take care of your emotional needs around them.
Take advantage of the energy of Mars:
Mars is the planet of energy and drive, and spends about 2 - 2 ½ months in each Zodiac sign. Mars urges us to take the initiative and take action, and we can do this with the sign Mars is touring, or the natal house it’s traveling through. The areas of life that sign or house rule tend to be where we want to take action at the moment.
Mars aspects can also show how well or how poorly energy is. This can be seen with Mars aspects to the other transit bodies, or to our natal charts. Hard Mars tends to bring our frustration, and we need to channel this wisely. Beneficial Mars makes it easier to control.
Prep for Mercury, Venus, and Mars retrogrades:
Mercury, Venus, and Mars retrogrades tend to be the hardest of the retrogrades. Mars retrogrades every 2 - 2 ½ years; venus retrogrades every 1 ½ years or so; and Mercury retrogrades 3-4 times each year. They all can really throw us off if we’re not careful and mindful.
This is absolutely an area where you want to plan ahead. You can make your plans based on the sign(s) the retrograde occurs in, or on the houses in your natal chart being impacted. If the retrogrades make any challenging aspects (conjunction, square, opposite) to the other transit bodies, or to your natal chart, this can be an area where a big issue comes up, however there is great possibility for growth as it brings attention to something you need to address.
Look for opportunities with Jupiter:
Jupiter is the planet of expansion, so it governs opportunities. As the happy planet, Jupiter wants to keep everything grand! So, this is where you want to focus on opportunities.
Jupiter spends about one year in each Zodiac sign, so you get a full year to work with that energy. You can also look toward the house in your natal chart transit Jupiter is touring, and work to pursue opportunities with whatever that house rules.
Jupiter conjunctions can generate major opportunities, and they usually don’t require a ton of effort to come your way, so these can be great aspects to look toward using.
Learn lessons with Saturn:
Saturn is the teacher, and demands we learn hard life lessons. Saturn spends about 2 ½ years in each Zodiac sign, and pushes us to learn any lessons we have with whatever the sign it’s in rules.
You can also look to the house in your natal chart transit Saturn is touring since there can be lessons associated with that house as well. Basically, you need to make sure you’re being disciplined and responsible, and doing things the right way and for the right reasons with Saturn.
Beneficial Saturn aspects (sextiles and trines) generally aren’t as strong, but help with stabilizing. Challenging Saturn aspects (conjunctions, squares and oppositions) can feel extra restrictive and demand you do things right, or else; but if you do things right, there can be rewards with Saturn.
Follow the outer planets for massive life shifts:
The outer planets - Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto - move slowly, so they spend many years in each Zodiac sign. Since they spend so long in each sign, they’re often called the generational planets (since many/most/all of a generation can have them in the same signs).
This trio are seen as the ones who cause paradigm shifts in the world and in our lives. They totally flip the script for all of us and have profound impact thanks to moving so slowly.
We’re actually in a MASSIVE period for this now as Pluto entered Aquarius in November 2023 (for almost 2 decades), and Neptune enters Aries and Uranus enters Gemini 2025 - 2026. With all 3 changing signs so close together, we’re talking about a totally new paradigm for the world!
Thankfully, the signs they’re entering - Aries, Gemini, and Aquarius - are all on-board with this change, so we’re likely not fighting it as much as if they were different signs. Aries is new beginnings and wants to jump to action; Gemini is new ideas and wants to come up with plenty of plans; and Aquarius is the future and wants to change everything.
That means this period is a great one for starting a whole new book for your life. Write it well with the help of astrology.
Recap:
use the daily transits in your own life
prepare for challenges like Mercury, Venus, or Mars retrograde
use energy with Mars and take advantage of opportunities for expansion with Jupiter
mind any lessons Saturn has for you
look forward toward the future and align with the outer planets
