To every thing there is a season
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace,
and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3, 1 - 8
I. INTRODUCTION
To every thing there is a season, and it probably isn't a coincidence either that you are reading your Transits of the Year just now. Just as your watch may show you whether it's time to get up, to go off for work or to have a break, the cosmic clock in the sky is hinting at
what is important in your life just now. This clock, however, has got more than ten hands - the planets -, and its scale - your birth chart - isn't too easy to read, either. The Transits of the Year are meant to help you there.
The Transits of the Year relate to the transits of the current planets over all relevant points in your birth chart. The observation of transits is among the oldest techniques in astrology. The fact that transits do indeed hint at important tendencies and
issues of life is one of the few things that all astrologers will agree upon. However, pointing at a certain issue is not the same as predicting an event. Let's just stay with the above example of the watch: If it shows seven a.m. it may be time to get up, but
the watch itself doesn't cause the getting up - you can and must decide for yourself what to do.
Therefore our analysis doesn't aim at predicting future events. The meaning of modern astrology is to teach people to understand those forces that permeate not only man and his world, but also each and every one of us in a special way. Astrology isn't
meant to suggest certain decisions to you but rather to give you the information that can make it easier for you to make the right decisions - wisely suited to each individual situation in which you find yourself during your life.
How to use
If you are looking at your "Transits of the Year" for the first time, it is advisable that you read, after the introduction, only chapter II. There you will find interpretations of the most important transits for this year.
The other chapters of the "Transits of the Year" should not be read just one after the other. Why? Unfortunately, the transits to your natal chart - just like the important events in your life - do not happen neatly one after another; on the contrary, they
usually come as quite a disorderly mess. Often there are many different forces at work simultaneously, which can be of quite a controversial nature. Some issues have a long range that extends over several months or even years, others are much more
shortlived and last only a couple of days - but then again these may be all the more intense. There are so many different things happening during one year that it would only be confusing if you tried to understand and take it in all at once.
Therefore we recommend that you peruse your "Transits of the Year" according to the motto: "To every thing there is a season." It might be a good idea to choose a certain period which is especially interesting to you, for instance the current or the next
month, and to concentrate upon the according issues. Your "Transits of the Year" offers you a range of comfortable means to such a time-related, selective approach: On page three you will find an index of current topics for each month with reference
to the respective pages; on page two all transits are depicted in a graphical table, again with references to the according texts. The bars show the duration of each transit, the small marks on the bars indicate exactly when the transiting planet is crossing
the respective point of your natal chart. The same graphical bars appear on each page, but only for the transits described on that page. The appendix will give you a more extensive explanation of the graphical presentation.
While reading about the issues thus selected, please try to bear in mind the main topics of the whole year. If you repeat this procedure you will be able to get a good view of the relevant issues of a certain period of time. However, you will repeatedly be
requested to accept quite controversial things coming up side by side. It happens often in life that we have to cope with enormous contradictions - on the whole as well as with small things. And probably maturity and wisdom consist mostly in being able
to accept the contradictions and imperfections of the human existence.
II. THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES
OF THE YEAR
In this chapter you will find interpretations of the most important transits to your natal chart. They are long ranging, basic issues which will often be relevant to you for several months and sometimes even years.
Saturn Conjunct Pluto
Beginning of September 2008 until mid May 2009: During this transit you may have fewer resources available for doing what you want, and you may have to focus the available resources on more restricted and concentrated objectives.
Pluto is the power of transformation, while Saturn narrows and focuses. The effects of the combination are several. First, structure in your life will change significantly, but not suddenly or without warning. The changes brought about by
Pluto are inherent in what is being changed, if you look carefully. It is rather like an inevitable conclusion of a situation. During this transit some things will come to an end or an old order of life will cease. On a metaphysical level, this
transit means that factors are now being incorporated into the structure of your life that will later bring about evolution and growth. This process involves getting rid of old structures. What happens now will have great consequences in
fourteen years.
On a material level, this transit often causes financial problems or other kinds of shortages. Sometimes government or other officials will impose heavy burdens that greatly restrict your freedom of movement. It is also possible that some
incident or accident may affect your health and thereby restrict your freedom of movement.
All of these effects confine your energies so that later they can be focused upon matters that will require your full attention. If your energy is spread too thin, later crises will be much more difficult to bear. Then you will have to go through
a most unpleasant house-cleaning of everything in your life that interferes with your natural pattern of evolution.
One danger of this transit is that Pluto can signify tremendous evolutionary energies, which Saturn restricts. This can lead to an apparent suppression of the Pluto force. When the suppressed force erupts, it may be dangerous, explosive and
quite violent. As you are more and more restricted by circumstances and the need to use your resources conservatively, do not simply hold in your energies. Build new structures to correct the problems you face now, and concentrate all
your energy on bringing about necessary evolution in your life. Saturn can give form to Pluto as well as repress it, and then it is much more fruitful.
Uranus Conjunct Saturn
End of July 2006 until end of February 2008: At this time in your life, structures you thought were dependable and permanent will be threatened by sudden events. It is often a time of great tension and sudden releases of tension. This is a
powerful combination because the nature of Saturn is radically different from that of Uranus, and the two together almost always represent a serious conflict of principles.
Saturn represents your reality structure, those aspects of existence that you believe to be truly real, unchanging, material and definite. It represents the inevitable circumstances of life that must be accepted by anyone who claims to be
realistic. Uranus contradicts this structure by causing sudden change in areas that you don't expect to change. And the more definite you think your situation is, the more rigid and inflexible your idea of reality, the more shocking your
experience of this transit is likely to be.
Usually tension has been building up for many years in several areas of your life. These tensions are most commonly the result of the little compromises that we all make between what we want out of life and what we feel we can get. But
some of these compromises may violate your inner integrity even though you don't realize it. Subconsciously you are aware of it, however, and a force for change begins to operate that eventually will try to overthrow the limiting aspects of
your life. It begins to surface as an unbearable tension between your desire to be free of restrictions and your fear of insecurity and change.
Eventually you get to the point that something has to give, which happens suddenly. People usually respond to this transit with sudden actions that surprise others because they happen without warning and are apparently unpremeditated.
You may break off an unsatisfactory relationship, marriage or business partnership, leave a job that has become oppressive or suddenly break away from something else that has become a burden.
Ultimately, no matter how disruptive this transit seems, it is a force for good, because it clears away those built-up structures that had been holding you back. You must be willing to let go of those aspects of your life that Uranus has
disrupted and not suppress this energy for change. Suppressing it can lead to tension-related diseases, such as colitis, ulcers or even heart and cardiovascular problems. At the very least you will be subject to extreme and uncomfortable
tension.
Saturn Conjunct Uranus
End of August 2008 until end of September 2008: This is an extremely powerful transit, for it represents powerful internal forces for change colliding with powerful resistance from the external world. It is a time of tension and sudden
release. You will be likely to take sudden actions that the people around you have not anticipated. These actions are the products of gradually building tension within you.
You are trying to escape the routine, dull and ordinary aspects of your life. You try to find new things that will make your life more exciting and stimulating. But with every effort of this kind, circumstances, duties and obligations seem to
hold you back and keep you stuck in an oppressive situation. Uranus is the planet of rebellion, especially if its action is blocked for a long period of time, as it is now.
You may get to a point where the pressure is unbearable, and then you will make a sudden break for freedom. You may suddenly leave a relationship, an oppressive job or your place of residence, without warning anyone.
On the other hand, it may be possible to create a balance between the force of Saturn and the force of Uranus. If so, you will be able to sustain a great deal of tension over a long period of time and accomplish a great many changes in a
highly structured way. Tasks of considerable difficulty are often accomplished under this transit, and people make Herculean efforts that would otherwise be impossible for them. Serious study and long-range projects requiring great
concentration and effort can be undertaken.
Even though this manifestation of the energy of Saturn on Uranus may seem more productive, it really depends upon your situation. Very often a sudden break with what feels like an oppressive situation will clear the air and allow you to
make a new and better beginning. On the other hand, it can cost you more than you are willing to pay. But the patient, hard-working manifestation of this transit's energy may create severe mental and physical tensions, even to the point of
physical illness. You have to decide what you can handle realistically and determine for yourself the proper course of action. At this time in your life you must make changes at the most fundamental levels. If you do not, in approximately
fourteen years the consequences of not making these changes will become very obvious, and you will be confronted with the same issues again under more difficult circumstances. That time will be signified by the transit of Saturn opposition
Uranus.
Uranus in the Sixth House
April 2008 until 2014: This transit indicates that you will take a new attitude toward work and form a new relationship with it. You will also seek out opportunities to become free from the excessive demands of others. Among the common
manifestations of this transit are a change of job, although not usually of profession, changes within the job that give you more freedom, or a general revolt against duties and obligations in your life that you regard as oppressive. You are not
especially happy with what you feel you have to do now.
The proper, that is, the most creative, response to this transit would be to make changes in the areas of your life that seem to binding and obligating. You are probably too caught up in certain patterns, so you must break free and find new
kinds of work and service roles that allow you greater freedom for new experiences. Your job may have degenerated into a dull routine, or you may feel overly involved in taking care of others, with no time to be yourself.
The wildly rebellious response that Uranus often calls up is probably too destructive in the long run to be profitable. In your job the best thing to do is to look for new responsibilities that offer different challenges. If that is impossible, seek
a new job. Sometimes this transit may signify that you have to learn new techniques in connection with our work. You may encounter an increasing amount of work with computers, for example, or other kinds of data processing and
electronic apparatus. And if you have never worked with these machines before, that may be quite a challenge.
Whatever the challenge is, deal with it in as conscious and controlled a manner as possible. Do not simply try to repress the tension that is often associated with this transit. Sometimes people feel that there is no way to escape their duties,
or they are afraid to try. So they attempt to go on as if nothing were happening. Then the Uranian energy is repressed at the conscious level and is expressed physically as a health problem, which forces the person to alter his or her work
pattern and lessen or change responsibilities. The sixth house is the house of the body's physical efficiency as well as your mental efficiency at work. If you do not make changes consciously, your body will force you to make them. Heart
trouble, accidents, nerve problems or the need for an operation are typical manifestations of the Uranian energy through your body. These can be avoided by allowing the transit to revolutionize your work and your attitudes toward duty.
III. FURTHER TRANSITS OF THE
SLOW MOVING PLANETS
Hereafter you will find, in chronological order, the remaining transits of the slow moving planets. The more important ones are marked with a * in the headline; also, the according bars denoting their respective time spans on top of the
pages are a bit stronger than the other ones.
As already mentioned in the introduction, this chapter is not meant to be read all at once. Please choose a certain time and read about the according issues either by looking them up in the index (page three) or by using the graphical table (page two)
which will also refer you to the according pages.
Uranus Trine Midheaven
End of July 2006 until end of February 2008: This transit represents a period in your life when you can make creative changes in both your professional and your personal life. In your career, sudden opportunities may come about that
enable you to move in radically new and different directions. Often this transit signifies a change in career to a field that is strongly Uranian, such as scientific or technical professions, including electronics, computers and engineering. This
transit can also signify an interest in the occult, especially astrology.
But this transit has a larger significance. At this time you are able to change your life direction and do something that more truly expresses your individuality. The problem for most people is that this new field may be quite different from
what you were taught was a "proper" profession. Most people's focus in this regard is too narrow. It is very important now to let yourself explore any field of endeavor that attracts you, regardless of how well it fits your preconceptions of a
career. Please note that your new direction may not be a career in the usual sense but a field to which you devote your life, although it is unrelated to making a living. One's avocation may well be one's true calling.
The only restriction is that your new direction should be ethical and legal, simply because Uranus can create serious problems with the law if you are not careful about legality. Our society has a significant mistrust of persons who are
excessively Uranian.
This is also a time in your life when you will be innovative in whatever you do. Your thinking is fresh and original, and you do not try to solve new problems with old solutions, either in your profession or in your personal life. Thus you will
be attracted to new techniques and new ideas, especially for your own personal development.
Saturn Conjunct Venus
Mid October 2007 until beginning of August 2008: This transit will have a strong effect on your relationships with others. Relationships that are solidly based will go through a period of testing and examination during which you and your
loved ones and friends will become increasingly concerned about what is valid between you. A weak and unstable relationship will go through the same process, but you are more likely to conclude that it is not worth preserving.
Consequently, at this time the relationships that have no purpose or that have outlived their purpose in your life will be cut off. Often you will be reluctant to let go of them.
Even in the best of circumstances you are likely to withdraw from others. During this time you have to evaluate who you are, what your individuality consists of and how all of these fit into your relationships with other people, particularly
loved ones. You may come to some harsh realizations about your relationships, and even those that you thought were quite good may have to be given up. But you can be sure that any relationship that comes through this period in good
shape is very real and important to you.
New relationships with a strongly "fated" quality may also come into your life now, which will have very profound significance for you in about fourteen years.
On a very different level, this transit can also mean a period of austerity, in which either voluntarily or otherwise you will give up many of the little indulgences and luxuries that have filled your life previously. This situation should be viewed
as an opportunity for self-examination, for seeing your relationship to the appurtenances with which you have saddled your life.
This is definitely a time to be conservative in financial matters and not take on any new financial obligations, for you may have trouble meeting your existing ones. On the other hand, this is an excellent time for firming up and organizing
the financial structure of your life.
In general you should look upon this transit as a time for withdrawing into yourself with respect to others and to material possessions. This withdrawal will enable you to get a clearer idea of what and who you are, so that your future
relationships with people and possessions will be more solidly based on reality and therefore more reliable and useful.
Neptune Trine Jupiter
End of May 2007 until end of January 2009: This transit can affect you in several ways, but in any case it will make you feel optimistic and hopeful about the future. You will feel that everything is going to be all right, and that is not a
delusion, because under this transit you will gain insights that can make your life much better.
You will feel very idealistic but also very concerned about understanding, so your idealism will not get in the way of perceiving the truth. In fact truth is very important in your life now - not so much facts, but understanding how the universe
works. Just be careful not to make truth into such an abstract consideration that you cannot experience it in everyday life. However, given that warning, you do have the opportunity to gain insights through the study of philosophy,
metaphysics and the occult.
At another level, this transit works to increase your optimism and self-confidence to the point that you are willing to take risks you would not ordinarily take. This may happen through gambling or speculation, or it may happen through
getting rid of the elements of your life that you have always depended on for security. You now recognize that they have also limited the expansion of your consciousness, and you want to be free to experience the world. You realize that
some material considerations you have thought necessary in the past are now clearly expendable.
You may decide to travel, particularly by sea or by air. However, the main purpose of this travel will be learning, not recreation. It would be best to take a long trip and get to know the land and people without the structure of a guided tour.
You need and want direct experience.
Your desire to help underdog elements of society is great at this time. You have a strong feeling of social justice, and you do not want people to get the short end of the stick. Justice, you feel, should be tempered with mercy and
compassion.
Uranus Opposition Moon
Mid June 2007 until mid February 2009: This transit can signify sudden events in your personal and emotional life and sudden changes in your home. The pressure of circumstances will reveal your unconscious emotional patterns, and you
will learn to handle your life with fewer habits and inappropriate unconscious behavior patterns. You may be upset by these changes, but you should recognize that this transit can free you from characteristics that you don't need.
The Moon has to do with patterns of behavior that were created in infancy, which may have been appropriate then but are not now. For example, it was once appropriate for you to seek nurturing and protection from your mother, and you
did what you had to in order to get that. But as an adult your life should no longer follow that pattern. Uranus raises the need for you to be an independent, self-sufficient adult, to relate to others as an equal, even though you may not feel
ready. But most people retain some infantile behavior patterns, which create patterns in adult life, particularly in relations with others, that make further growth difficult. You may still seek out relationships in which you have the same
emotional dependency you had toward your mother. Your emotional reactions to people are only habits that interfere with communication. Or you may play a parental role toward someone else who really needs to be independent.
Uranus breaks up such relationships and makes it impossible for you to behave according to old patterns, which you will be forced to reexamine. Intimate personal relationships may be disturbed, because this is the area where infantile and
childish behavior patterns usually surface. Also, women in general may be a source of difficulty at this time, regardless of your own sex. This is because all your relationships with women are patterned on the relationship with your mother,
and any holdovers from that period will affect relationships with other women.
Once you accept the fact that the old patterns are no longer appropriate, and you are willing to either make changes or accept the ones that have occurred, you will begin to feel liberated. You are freed from chains you have forged for
yourself. You will approach life with a greater sense of freedom and a heightened ability to experience it as it is now, not as it was when you were a child.
Pluto Trine Mercury
End of March 2007 until mid September 2009: This transit will help you gain greater intellectual insights and enable you to learn a great deal about whatever you wish to study. At the same time your viewpoints will become deeper and
more subtle so that you will really understand ideas that you had grasped only superficially. This is a good time to study a new subject, go to school or take courses on any subject. But you will be most attracted to subjects that explain
phenomena in depth, especially the hidden aspects of things. Under this transit you may also meet someone who has a very powerful effect upon your consciousness, perhaps a friend who influences your thinking greatly or a guru figure who
opens up the universe to you.
You can be taught under this transit, and you can also teach. Your words carry greater influence at this time because the depth of your perceptions is evident to others. And you should not limit your communication to direct conversations,
you should use other media to teach as well. If you have any inclination to write, this is a good time to do it, especially on subjects such as psychotherapy or the occult.
Another aspect of this transit is that Pluto will make you more concerned with studies of hidden and secret things, such as psychology, magic or other occult traditions, or studies of what is hidden in the earth, such as mining, mineralogy and
geology. You want to understand the forces under the surface that cause events to happen. You will study any subject you choose in depth and with complete single-mindedness, so that you will be able to cover a new discipline completely
in a short time. Under this transit you may acquire a new skill in a much shorter time than at other times in the past.
Jupiter Square Ascendant
End of January 2008 until beginning of September 2008: This is usually an excellent transit for most kinds of relationships, but there are some pitfalls. Basically this transit signifies a desire to grow and advance through contacts with others.
Probably you are willing to give as much as you get, although in some people this transit triggers a desire for advantages through others without giving anything in return. In fact as they get ahead, such people act arrogantly toward everyone,
even those who helped them. This causes others to reject them, and when they hit hard times there is no one to help them out.
But this result is totally unnecessary, and all you have to do to avoid it is to keep a sense of humility and recognize what others have done for you. With this transit you have the potential to become a truly better person, but only if you keep
these warnings in mind.
Quite frequently this transit brings a seemingly "lucky" chance through a friend or associate. But it is not luck so much as the fact that you are very sharply on the lookout for opportunities that can benefit you. Your sense of timing is very
acute, and your sensitivity to others and their needs is greater than usual. That is one reason why it is so bad to ignore others' needs, because you don't even have the excuse of ignorance.
Benefits can come to you in either your personal and domestic life or in your work. There may be an opportunity to make money or to make improvements in your home that will make it much more pleasant. Or you may meet people who
will help you learn more about the world and expand your view of it in various ways. You have to be willing to let this happen, however, which means you must be receptive. This is another area in which being arrogant brings the risk that
you will get nothing of lasting value out of this transit.
In all negotiations and transactions with others, you have a pronounced tendency to overlook details and to assume that everything will work out. But it won't if you don't pay attention to the details. The little matters of human
relationships, either professional or personal, are not beneath you. Attend to them properly.
Jupiter Trine Uranus
End of January 2008 until mid October 2008: This transit gives you a strong need to express yourself by doing something that is different from your normal routine. You need to experience a new kind of freedom in your life and to discover
dimensions of living that you have not known before. This may take the form of a search for inner truth on the metaphysical or philosophical level, or it may take the more external form of a new activity in your life.
You are much more receptive to new ideas with this transit, and you should be a bit careful about getting into something solely because it is a novelty. However, for the most part this desire for the new is constructive and will probably be
quite good for you. This is one of the transits that prevent you in a positive way from getting into a rut.
Sometimes this transit can denote a sudden opportunity or a piece of good luck that seems to come completely out of the blue and take you by surprise. Often it is a sudden change or an event that gives you a new chance in some way. It
could be a sudden windfall or promotion or even a sudden chance encounter that works out to your benefit. If such an event occurs, take advantage of it. This is one of the few times when you shouldn't stop to ponder carefully before
acting. Such a decision often requires split-second action.
This is also one of the few transits that can be very lucky in gambling. But remember that this transit will have this effect only if you are reasonably fortunate in such matters anyway. If you are usually unlucky at gambling, this transit will
probably not affect you positively.
This transit also enables you to grasp new ideas quickly. You can learn subjects faster under this influence than at other times, and you see very quickly the patterns in anything. On occasion this transit can signify a fortunate discovery or
invention.
Jupiter Trine Pluto
Beginning of February 2008 until end of October 2008: Under this influence you will move to make positive changes in your personal and your social world. But the most important question you can ask is, "In whose name do I want to
change things?" You should realize that under this transit it is quite easy to exert power and make changes. The energies seem to flow in the direction you want, presenting you with opportunities for taking control in some way. However,
you should be motivated by something more than your own personal ambition, even though that will be favored along with any ambition in your life now. But if this power is selfish and personally oriented, you will have trouble later on, and
the results will not be lasting. You have to strike a balance and adopt a philosophy of "enlightened self-interest." You must recognize that you benefit most when you can couple your own interests with those of the people you live and work
with. In some way you must embody collective interests truly, not merely in your rationalizations.
You have a strong desire to reform and remake at this time, and you should be striving to improve conditions all around you, to renew and to serve as a vehicle for regeneration in your world. If you attain personal power in any way at all,
use it to clear up and clean out. You may have the chance to lead or influence others, so use that influence to help everyone concerned to grow with you.
On the mundane level, this transit can coincide with professional success, political power or tremendous gains in personal wealth or resources. On a more humble level, this transit can give you the chance to straighten out situations in your
life that have been sources of trouble for you.
Jupiter Conjunct IC
Mid February 2008 until beginning of November 2008: This is a time for expansion and growth in your innermost personal life, a time when you will seek security at home and with your immediate family. It may be necessary to reexamine
your past life to find out what it can teach you about yourself. But this should not be a source of anxiety. In fact, you should feel quite good about what you learn at this time. Your parents may be able to assist you considerably in this
process.
The symbolism of this transit is that you incorporate more and more of the outer world into your innermost life. On the material level, you may buy a larger, more elegant or more spacious home. Certainly it would be a good expression of
this symbolism to improve your existing home and make it more comfortable.
At this time you should do everything to ensure that your personal life is as comfortable and secure as possible. You need to have a feeling of inner peace and security in order to continue to move out in the world. In fact you should not
think so much about outward success now as about the more personal and inward needs that we have discussed here. And you should realize that your real need now is not land or a larger home, but a feeling of strength and inner growth.
This is the time to tie up any loose ends in your personal life, straighten out any relationships that are not working well, any leftovers from your past life that are still affecting the present adversely. To do this you may have to speak to
others very openly about yourself and your innermost thoughts.
So this is a good time to settle and put down roots. The feeling of belonging to a place and a group of people is very important to you now. You don't have to do this in a way that limits your freedom of movement, and with Jupiter here it is
very unlikely that you will do so. But everyone needs a solid home base so that they can feel at peace in their other activities. If you don't make an effort to construct such a base now, you will have difficulty later when your principal
concerns are turning elsewhere.
Jupiter Square Mars
End of February 2008 until mid November 2008: This transit gives you a great deal of confidence and makes you feel very self-assertive. Usually this is all right, but some people will express this energy by becoming arrogant and
domineering. Also be wary of overconfidence, resulting in attempts to do things that are simply beyond you. As with other Mars-Jupiter contacts, in any physical activity you should be very careful not to take foolish risks that could lead to
an accident.
Intemperance in almost any activity could completely undo the basically positive nature of this transit's energies. Avoid exaggeration and try to maintain some sense of proportion. If you can do all of this, you will be able to get more work
done than usual, and you will do it well. You will be able to accomplish things that you are usually afraid to tackle because you feel inadequate, and you can take the initiative when you would otherwise wait for others to take the lead.
With care and planning and adequate restraint, this transit is a general sign of fortunately timed action that takes advantage of the proper moment and makes the most of it. And this is not luck on your part, but insight and skill. All of this
requires preparation, however, because impulsive actions at this time are not likely to be very effective.
It may be particularly important to placate persons in authority over you. If you act precipitately, they may become alarmed and think of you as a threat, whether or not you intend to be. Of course, if you do consciously intend to be a
threat, this transit could be a help, assuming again that you have planned carefully. But if you are not conscious of your intentions, you may experience opposition from your superiors without ever quite understanding why.
Jupiter in the Fourth House
March 2008 until December 2009: This is a time when you will seek inner peace and security. The fourth house is the house of all aspects of your innermost life -- your home, your personal life, your family, your past and your innermost
sense of self. Jupiter here will help you improve all of these areas of your life.
On an external level, you may express this transit by purchasing real estate or a new home. Land and houses are an external symbol of the desire for a stable inner world. Or you may expand, redecorate or otherwise improve your present
home, thereby increasing its value. This is quite a good time to invest in real estate, even if you are not planning to live there.
This transit supports your domestic life, and during this period one or another domestic problem should be cleared up, usually because something new comes to light that helps you straighten things out. You feel generous and open to your
family, and they respond to you in the same way. If you have any problems at all during this time, your family is where you should turn for solace. They will be able to help you. Your relationship with your parents is also good, and they may
be a source of benefit to you in some way.
There are times in your life when you have no choice but to go out into the world and forge ahead. At this time, however, you have a choice. If you wish to go out into the world, your personal life will not cause problems that distract you
from your quest. But it might be even better to concentrate your energies on your personal life rather than making a great effort to get ahead in the world. Now is a time when you can make your home, family and personal life more secure
than ever and guarantee that it will always be a source of support and comfort.
This is the time to put down roots, if you are ever going to. You will find that having a real sense of belonging to a place, a community and family will help prevent many psychological crises when circumstances get rough in the future. If you
handle this transit properly, you are not likely to ever feel alone, lost or alienated. Security in life is a real need, and now is a time when you can do a great deal to gain it.
At the most psychological level, this transit helps to increase your sense of inner confidence. You are more in touch with your inner self now than at most times, and you are able to handle truths about yourself that you are normally
reluctant to face, thereby preventing them from becoming a problem in the future. What you know you are is seldom a problem. The difficulties stem from what you are afraid that you are.
Jupiter Trine Moon
Beginning of March 2008 until end of November 2008: Usually you will feel very good with this transit, quite optimistic and generous. You will be concerned about the welfare of those around you and will want to protect the people you
love. At this time you will attract favorable circumstances and resources with little effort, which will seem very pleasant now. But you should not expect this to keep on happening indefinitely. In particular, people may come after you to
meet you for some reason, and these people could be quite beneficial to you in business or personal affairs. Regardless of your own sex, you may very well benefit from women during this transit.
In some people this transit may stimulate an interest in religious and spiritual thought, but your views would be more strongly concerned with ethics and morality than with a more mystical approach to religion.
At the very least you can expect to feel quite good at this time, and even if nothing tremendous comes out of this transit, you will have a feeling of satisfaction and of being at peace with yourself.
Uranus Square Jupiter
Beginning of April 2008 until beginning of December 2009: This transit brings a great feeling of exuberance and optimism, which is fine, but it can lead you to be foolishly overconfident and to take unwarranted financial and material risks.
This combination brings out the gambler in almost anyone. However, like all Uranus transits, it is hard to know exactly what to expect from this one, and you may find yourself in trouble if you don't restrain your optimism a bit. Nothing at
all may happen, but you just don't know. So proceed with caution, especially in financial matters, and be careful not to leave any loose ends.
Even if you don't take risks, this transit can sometimes cause unexpected expenses or financial shortages. But that happens because you have failed to take into account some factor that could cause trouble for you at this time.
Jupiter symbolizes your ability to go along with the social and economic system in which you live and to make it work for you. The square from Uranus provides a series of unexpected events that test your ability to handle your relationship
with the system.
If you have a realistic attitude toward the way the world works, what you can and cannot do effectively, especially in financial matters, this transit will not do any particular damage. It may even bring a sudden chance to take advantage of a
situation. Just make sure that it's a real opportunity. If you are not clear about your limitations, this transit could bring some unpleasant surprises.
At the same time, this transit may symbolize striking out against the system. You may adopt a different set of values from the prevailing culture and pursue a lifestyle that is quite different from the way you have lived. If you do, you may
experience considerable disapproval from your friends and others around you at this time. But this is not a violent rebellion, it is just that you have begun to experience the world differently from those around you. As a result your point of
view is different. You wish to be free of the narrowness that you see in others.
Saturn Opposition Saturn
End of September 2008 until mid July 2009: Your reaction to this transit depends a great deal upon how you have handled your life during the past several years. Fourteen years ago, when Saturn last conjoined your natal Saturn, you made
a series of new beginnings and entered a new phase of awareness about life. You may have changed jobs or even entered an entirely new field of work. Old relationships may have broken up and new ones begun. If things went well for you,
you probably had a feeling that now you were on the right path.
Seven years ago, those new beginnings encountered their first period of trial, which, whether or not you were aware of it, tested the strength and validity of what you had been doing. This took place during the last square of Saturn to your
natal Saturn. If you did not clear away the structures and patterns in your life that were working badly then, this transit will be quite difficult. The old failures that you have not handled properly in the last several years will make your life
exceedingly difficult now. However, everything that you have handled well will reach a culmination and prove more fruitful than ever before. This is the high-water mark of the Saturn-Saturn cycle.
In your work you may reach a peak of success, which will be accompanied by increased responsibility. In that case you will work extremely hard but very successfully. On the other hand, you may receive abundant evidence that you are
working in the wrong area altogether. This would be manifested by extreme difficulties in your work situation, such as finding your efforts blocked by coworkers or superiors. If your superiors disapprove of your performance, you should
completely reevaluate your work. Even if you are doing good work, this may be a signal that the job is inadequate from your point of view. This should not be an occasion for self-doubt and despair. Rest assured that you are supposed to be
doing something else.
In a similar way, relationships that were not straightened out several years ago during the last square will also prove very difficult at this time and may very well break up completely.
If your affairs are working out positively, this transit represents a material peak in your life. The structures you were going to build in this Saturn cycle have been built. By this time you have made the impact upon others that you were
supposed to make. It is as if you have said to the world, "Here is what I am." Now, during the next fourteen years, the world will reply, "And here are the consequences of what you are."
If your experience of this transit has not been so successful, during the next fourteen years you will gather your resources for the next try, beginning at the next conjunction of Saturn with your natal Saturn. However, there can be productive
periods during that time if you can clear out whatever isn't working now.
Saturn Conjunct Moon
End of October 2008 until mid August 2009: During this transit you will need to engage in deep introspection, self-examination and self-criticism. Quite possibly you will feel lonely and depressed. The way in which you handle this transit
will have important consequences later for your physical and psychological well-being.
Saturn represents your notion of reality and how you fit into it. It strongly affects your sense of who you are as distinct from other people. It also represents an ideal of perfect orderliness, righteousness and sternness. When you compare
yourself to your Saturnine ideal, you become extremely self-critical and self-demanding. If you do not live up to the demands of your ideal, your confidence will suffer and you will feel a sense of weakness, defeat and inferiority.
The Moon, on the other hand, represents your need for emotional nurturing, for belonging to a larger whole and for compassion and understanding, as well as your ability to give these to others. The strict justice of Saturn does not blend
well with the need to be human, as signified by the Moon. This is the great danger of this transit. You may very well weigh yourself in the balance and find that you are wanting. You become too self-critical and even self-destructive.
Feelings of guilt are characteristic of this transit. Often you have the feeling that your emotions have completely dried up.
This is a good time for self-searching, so long as you are not judgmental. It doesn't matter whether you are good or bad according to the Saturnine ideal. The real question is what you are. This transit can help you find out. If you proceed
from this point of view, it can be a very constructive time, even though it is commonly experienced as painful.
During this transit you may withdraw from others, have difficulty in relationships - especially with women - experience depression and feel quite inferior to life's demands. The best way to deal with this is not to take it all so seriously. Your
perspective is warped, so that small matters seem too important. Do not make final decisions about your emotional life now. Wait until you can see more clearly what you have learned from this transit.
If you have recently broken off a relationship it may be best to leave it that way. Do not make a real effort to put it back together until this time is over.
Saturn in the Twelfth House
November 2008 until 2010: At this time the decks are cleared for new action. Now you should be finishing up anything that was not done completely during the last several years. This is not a good time for starting new projects, for the
energy just isn't there even if you think that you want to start anew.
Even if you don't want to take some project through this final finishing-up phase, circumstances will compel you to. Important elements of your life may begin to pass away, and activities that used to work well no longer do. Your ways of
handling people and situations no longer achieve the desired response. You get the impression that in order to succeed you will have to change everything, yet you don't know how to make the changes. People tend to "withdraw" into
themselves during this time so that they can get more in tune with what is happening. It is very important that you use this time to understand what you have accomplished and what you have failed to accomplish. Do not judge or evaluate;
simply observe and recognize.
If your life has not succeeded according to your expectations during the last several years when Saturn transited your natal tenth and eleventh houses, now you have an opportunity to clear away the barriers that prevented you from
achieving what you wanted. But this effort will not bear fruit immediately. This is the end of a cycle, not yet the beginning of a new one.
It is tempting to fall into despair over the "failures" that seem to haunt you now. During this time you are more likely to feel guilty and to brood about your inadequacies. But these feelings are neither productive nor therapeutic. Recognize
that this is the time to clear away leftovers from the past and to make ready for a new start. You will feel pressures for tremendous changes both in the direction of your life and in the manner of proceeding in that direction. Heed these
pressures, for they are the first signs of the new order that is about to begin in your life. You will go through a new cycle of defining your individuality within yourself and with respect to others and of experiencing its effectiveness before the
world. Cut your losses, if any, and look forward rather than backward.
Neptune in the Fifth House
April 2007 until 2021: During the next several years this transit may have various different affects on you. First, you will be inclined to seek out relationships with men that fit a very romantic image. You will not want any relationship that
does not meet your highest expectations. Curiously enough, sexual satisfaction may not be your highest priority in a relationship at the time. Because of Neptune's antimaterialistic nature, you are concerned with creating a spiritual union
rather than a purely physical one. And it is possible that you will find such a spiritual relationship, if you don't confuse what you are actually seeing with your ideal.
One rather difficult pattern that often arises when Neptune is in the fifth house is that you may tend to idealize a lover as someone who can save you from yourself, a person so far above you that he almost seems to be a god. Needless to
say, this is a most Neptunian illusion and should not be taken seriously. It is highly unlikely that anyone could really live up to such expectations.
On the other hand, the pattern may be reversed, so that you become involved with someone who regards you as a savior. Under such an influence you could have an alcoholic lover, to cite an extreme example, and spend all your energy
trying to reform him. This is an exercise in futility, because it is very unlikely to succeed. Try to relate to people as equals during this transit, however difficult it may be.
Avoid getting involved in risky financial ventures now, since the fifth is the house of gambling and speculation. Under this transit you may enjoy the illusion that you cannot lose, but you can lose and probably will as long as Neptune is here.
Children may be a source of difficulty during this transit. They may have illnesses, or you may simply have difficulty in understanding and getting along with them. Above all, avoid a tendency to idealize your children, for they are only
human beings like yourself. You may idealize them as being innocents, but in truth they operate from the same crazy motives as adults, only a little less skillfully.
This transit stimulates artistic creativity. If you have artistic ability, your imagination will be very much improved, and you will be able to come up with new ideas for you art work in any field or medium.
IV. SELECT TRANSITS OF THE
SWIFT MOVING PLANETS
The following presents you with a choice of the transits of the swift moving planets, again in chronological order. The transits of the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are very numerous. However, they are only significant if there is a topical or
chronological connection with important transits of the slow moving planets. All transits of the swift moving planets that you will find hereafter fulfill that condition.
After most transits there is a note in small print that refers you to the according transits of slow moving planets. The transits of the swift moving planets often trigger off a related transit of a slow moving one. During the days of a current transit of a swift
moving planet, the issues of a related transit of a slow moving planet can become especially important, even if that transit lasts for months or even years.
This chapter is also not meant to be read all at once. Please choose a certain time span and read about the according issues either by looking them up in the index (page three) or by using the graphical table (page two).
Mars Sextile Venus
Mid October 2007 until end of March 2008, especially on 16 October 2007, 13 December 2007 and 23 March 2008: Like all Venus-Mars contacts, this one arouses your sexual drives and makes you seek a physical relationship, if you do not
already have one. This transit favors an existing relationship, for both of you will be able to give and receive from each other and thereby gain gratification through the relationship.
Entertainment and fun are two key themes of this transit, which favors get-togethers and parties. You will get the greatest personal satisfaction from associating with others and having a good time. You will enjoy any activity much more if
you can share it with others, for this is a very gregarious transit.
This is a good time for artistic activity, as well as for getting together with others for artistic purposes. Whatever you do will be guided by your need to express and receive affection from others and your need to experience and create
beauty. This transit should present you with ample opportunities to fulfill both needs. Financial activities are also favored now.
This transit is related to Saturn conjunction Venus on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mercury in the Fifth House
End of January 2008 until end of March 2008: This is a good time for expressing your thoughts to yourself and for communicating them to others. In this respect it is rather like the transit of Mercury through the first house. You can make
clear to people your stand on any matter and explain very effectively any issue that is on your mind. You will also be inclined to use your mind for amusement, that is for reading, writing and playing games that require mental agility.
Often the ideas that come into your head now will have no special function except that they are fun to play with. Just be careful not to transfer this playful spirit to your communications with others to the extent that you play with people for
your own amusement. Astrologers often fail to recognize that Mercury is the planet of pranks, and in this house it is very likely to make you feel prankish. The danger is that with this house you are more inclined to release your inner
energy outward than to allow energy input to come from others. Thus you may be rather insensitive to people's needs if you are not careful. This is particularly important to remember if you feel like playing a joke on someone. Also, in
conversations with others you may be a very poor listener at this time.
Mercury Opposition Moon
On 27 March 2008: The difficulty with this transit is that you will find it hard to keep emotional issues from clouding your communication with others. You may expressing your unconscious drives and impulses more than communicating a
logical message, but that is not all bad. If you are subject to such compulsions, it is good to express the energy that lies behind them and bring it out into the open.
Under this transit you may encounter another problem in communication. Although you are not consciously aware of it, everything you say is conditioned by the habits and patterns of speech and thought ingrained from childhood. While
this is always true to some degree, now it is likely to come out as an inappropriate message or one that doesn't apply to the present moment. Try to be conscious of exactly what you are saying and why you are saying it, and be aware of these
patters in your mind before you speak. If you are under emotional stress, as may very well be the case with this transit, be especially careful.
Old thought patterns, attitudes from the past, and unconsciousness about your present situation all endanger your mental effectiveness today. It would be best not to try to reach any important conclusions now. If you do, you will probably
have to change them tomorrow.
This transit is related to Uranus opposition Moon on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mercury Conjunct Jupiter
End of May 2008 until beginning of July 2008, especially on 5 July 2008: This is an extremely useful transit that can be of great assistance to you in many ways. Psychologically, it broadens your comprehension of any issue that you are
interested in and your understanding of life in general as you encounter it today. You are concerned with the largest, most comprehensive possible view, and you are eager to incorporate new information into your way of looking at the
world.
At the same time you are intellectually more tolerant of other viewpoints, seeing them not as a threat to your views, but as a way of enlarging them. Even beliefs that are quite different from your own, which you might usually react to with
hostility, seem interesting.
Your ability to see the larger view today enables you to plan with foresight. Where others see only confusion, you can see a pattern and come up with insights that will amaze others. In business or social activities you are able to organize
very effectively, grouping people together so they can work most efficiently.
For these reasons this transit favors all forms of business and commercial activity. Often you will perceive the most advantageous course of action without even understanding its logical basis immediately. This is a result of the speeding-up
of mental processes conferred by the combination of Mercury and Jupiter.
One problem you should watch out for, however, is that the broadness of Jupiter's vision can make you overlook details. Be careful not to get so carried away by enthusiasm so that your thinking becomes sloppy. Use your ability to see the
overall pattern, but do not overlook the individual exceptions to the pattern that could trip up your planning. Also do not fall victim to the delusion that you cannot be wrong about anything. Being overconfident about your ideas now is as
foolish as at any other time.
However, in general this is an excellent transit, and with the enthusiasm and optimism it confers, you should be able to accomplish much more than usual.
This transit is related to Uranus square Jupiter on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mars Conjunct Venus
On 13 July 2008: This transit is most likely to arouse your interest in men, because it represents the union of the two planets that most strongly affect the sex drive. Sexual energy is strong and you will have a strong desire for physical love-
making. These energies are high and demand some kind of gratification, and with Mars involved, there is considerable ego-drive here. You may want to make love with someone even though you do not care for him emotionally. And if
there is no outlet for this energy, it may cause arguments and discord between you and your lover.
The effects of this transit are not limited to physical love, however. In a larger sense it arouses all creative energies. This is a good time to be involved in any creative work that requires you to be physically active. Abstract or intellectual
creation, such as writing poetry or music, especially some of the current popular forms, would be excellent, as would vigorous work in sculpture or another art form that demands physical energy, such as dance.
This transit is related to Saturn conjunction Venus on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mars Conjunct Pluto
On 26 July 2008: With this transit you will be tempted to take over and run whatever is happening around you. This transit is a strong stimulus to any kind of ambition, but the danger is that its energy can be rather violent and disruptive. It
represents a ruthless burst of ego energy that does not take kindly to limitation. And it is not only that you will try to have power over others, but that you may also be the victim of someone else's power play. In cases of violent assault, this
or a similar transit usually occurs in both the victim's and the assailant's chart. But that is not a typical occurrence with this transit. One indication is not enough to account for an incident of violence, and you needn't anticipate it. However,
it gives you some idea of the strength of these energies. You should be warned, though, to avoid dangerous neighborhoods during the few days that this transit is in effect.
Positively speaking, this transit is excellent for doing any kind of heavy work, particularly if it involves making major changes of any kind whatever. Even if you think you are totally uninterested in power, you will get a great deal of
satisfaction out of having and using power. There is no reason why you shouldn't be able to use this power creatively. Just don't try to kid yourself that you aren't thinking of your own interests during this transit. You are, and there is
nothing wrong in that unless your interests conflict with everyone else's.
There is danger now of severe ego conflicts, of which violent assault is an extreme example. Your strong energies attract people who have similar energies, and before you know it, you may have quite a power struggle on your hands. As
forcefully but benignly as possible, you must convince others that your interests and their interests are interdependent.
Whatever task you take on, you will be able to work long and hard to accomplish it. You have the opportunity either to accomplish a great deal or to wreak havoc, if you are not conscious of your own energies under this transit.
Sun Conjunct Sun
On 31 July 2008: Happy birthday! Today the Sun returns to the position it was in when you were born.
As would seem appropriate with this transit, today is a day of new beginnings. A new year in your own personal calendar has begun, and the influences you feel today will affect the entire year to come. However, this does not mean that the
whole year will be disappointing if today doesn't work out exactly as planned.
You are receiving a new impulse from the energy center within you, as symbolized by the Sun. Therefore any new venture that you start at this time will ride the crest of this new energy and will very likely come to an acceptable conclusion.
Whatever you do or begin today will bear the stamp of your individuality more than anything else. This is the day to assert yourself anew.
Mars Square Jupiter
On 7 August 2008: This can be a time of very successful energetic activity, if you proceed with caution, don't act recklessly, and keep close track of what you are doing. You will be tempted, however, to run off quickly, without taking all
factors into consideration and reaching a balanced judgment. You may be infected with an unjustified optimism that anything you do today will "turn to gold." It may, but it won't happen by luck. It will happen through intelligent planning
and foresight, which are available to you under this transit if you make a conscious effort to take advantage of them.
You act for the future under this transit, because you are more concerned with what can be done than with what is. Therefore this is a good time for furthering new projects. But do not overextend yourself and go beyond your resources,
which is another temptation now. Also your fondness for taking risks can lead to accidents at this time, so be careful. You are not unlucky, you are just somewhat impulsive.
Jupiter rules your desire to include more of the universe in your own experience. This can mean being more conscious of the universe and experiencing more of it, or it can mean trying to dominate the universe for the greater "glory" of your
own ego. The later tendency is especially strong now, and it can lead to trouble later on. In a very real way this transit tests your efforts to grow as an individual. The more flaws you have and the more mistakes you make, the more likely
you are to do something foolish that will lead to trouble. But those energies that are working satisfactorily will do extremely well at this time.
This transit is related to Uranus square Jupiter on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Sun in the Eleventh House
Mid August 2008 until mid September 2008: At this time your attention is turned toward the groups you belong to, both formally and otherwise, to their values and ideals and your relationship to those values and ideals as well as your own.
Friendships and other relationships are important to you now, and you are examining the role they play in your life. What kinds of interaction do you have with others and how well do you fulfill each other's needs?
At this time it is usually best to work and cooperate with other people. At other times you have found it necessary to be alone in order to find out who you are and the chief purposes of your life. Now you must ask these same questions in
conjunction with others. Engaging in group efforts and projects in your personal and professional life will be the most effective way to accomplish this aim. Socialize extensively and study the people you associate with, for they are a
reflection of yourself. What is true of your friends is also true of you, for the most part.
Among your friends, strive to establish who you are. Without becoming domineering, you should let them know what kind of person you are, so that you can fit into the group dynamic without violating your integrity.
Mars Conjunct Ascendant
On 7 September 2008: The symbolism of this transit is self-assertion with regard to others. It is not enough that you are yourself and able to do your thing. With this transit, you have to show other people that you are someone to be
reckoned with. Or you may have to defend yourself against an attack from someone, whether or not you have provoked it. This transit is most likely to produce conflicts, anger and resentment. The best thing to do, if a conflict situation
arises, is to have it out immediately. If you try to keep things cool for the sake of propriety, you may only create a fund of resentment in yourself or the other person that will boil over at an even less convenient time. But if you deal with it
now, the air will clear.
On the other hand, you also have the chance to show the world what you can do. You may have the opportunity to direct others in some kind of joint project. And as long as you pay attention to the feelings of the people you work with and
try to win them over to your group aims, you will be very successful at such endeavors. But if you merely try to dominate the other people in such a situation, which is a danger with this transit, you will foul it up completely and create anger
and disputes.
If you do not find a satisfactory outlet for your energies at this time, you will be easily angered, resentful, irritable and quick to take offense. If you must blow up at somebody, make sure that you understand the real source of the conflict, so
that it can be aired. All too often, conflicts occur over phony issues that are only symbols of a much more profound problem.
Rarely, this transit will signify an illness or accident, especially if you do not have an adequate outlet for your energies. You should indulge in vigorous physical activity and avoid physically debilitating situations. Avoid overstraining
yourself, either now or especially before this transit. If you are in good physical condition as you come into this transit, your health will be all right during it.
It is a good idea to avoid sharp instruments and cutting tools now, because Mars signifies steel and cutting in general.
Mercury in the First House
Beginning of September 2008 until beginning of November 2008: This is a good time for expressing your point of view to people. You are able to put a great deal of yourself into whatever you say, so it is somehow more authentically
yourself speaking. At the same time, you have the capacity to examine yourself with somewhat greater objectivity and detachment than usual. Your mind will be more active, and it is important to keep it occupied with useful projects,
because you can accomplish a great deal with your mind at this time.
One effect of Mercury is that your mind and consciousness jumps from issue to issue very rapidly, which may confuse the people around you a bit. You aren't trying to be deceptive, but your mind is likely to move so fast under this influence
that you seem to be constantly changing. Again it is really the focus of your attention that changes. Mercury does not settle on any one issue for very long, which is one of the greater deficiencies of this energy, because it never really gets
into an issue deeply. Try to control this tendency, for it can be a waste of energy.
You may also react with nervousness or anxiety. This usually means that you are becoming too involved in some mental problem. Try to relax and get your mind away from serious subjects to something light and entertaining.
Often with this transit you will have a strong urge to get out and travel, although not usually for long distances. This is fine if it is convenient and you feel like doing this. You could encounter rather profitable and interesting experience in
your travels. Usually this is a good time to be involved in negotiations or contract discussions of any kind.
Mars Conjunct Mars
On 15 September 2008: Ego energies and physical energies run very high during this transit. You will feel positively loaded with energy, for which you must find an adequate outlet, or you will have problems. The best way to handle this
transit is to do some necessary heavy physical work. But that will work out only if you derive satisfaction from doing it. Otherwise you will feel resentful, which brings out the negative side of this transit. Sports, if you are at all athletic, is an
excellent outlet. If you just sit around, you will begin to feel itchy and restless for no apparent reason and then become quite irritable. In this mood you will snap at anyone who comes along for no reason at all.
If you feel none of these effects, look deep inside yourself. You will probably find that you are doing a good job of repressing your feelings. And this is the most dangerous response of all, because the energy will come out, either physically
through an accident or by projection; that is, you will experience the energy through another. This means that you may have to endure another person's aggressive acts, which may bring you harm.
This transit is quite good for initiating any new project on your own. It is a transit of beginnings, and you should use it for that purpose, particularly for projects that you will be identified with and be given credit for.
APPENDIX
Legend for the graphical table
In the graphical table on page two, each transit is represented by a horizontal bar. The name of the transit appears underneath each bar, along with the page number where you will find the corresponding text.
Important transits are depicted as heavy bars - whether transits are classified as important depends mainly on the constellations of your personal natal chart. If you look at the calendar scale on the upper or lower edge of the table, it will show you exactly when and for how
long a certain transit is in effect; the duration of each transit is also given in words at the beginning of the corresponding paragraph in the text. The small marks on the bars indicate when a transit becomes exact, i.e. the exact time that a transiting planet crosses the
relevant point in your natal chart. If you bring a ruler vertically to these marks, you can read the exact date from the calendar scale.
Please bear in mind that the duration of transits can in no way be given exactly. Especially with long-term transits, the importance of a certain issue can become noticeable a long time beforehand. Transits relating to the ascendant, midheaven or houses depend strongly on
the exactness of the time of birth. If your time of birth is uncertain by more than fifteen minutes, you ought to skip the corresponding paragraphs.
For the technically minded: In determining the start of a transit, we use the entry of any planet into an orb of 1° to 3°, depending on the planet and aspect in question; the transit ends at the exit from an orb of 1° to 1°30 , again depending on the planet and aspect. Multiple
exact transits are considered to be in effect for the whole period between the first entry and last exit. The index on page three refers to all transits only under those months in which they become exact, even if their duration extends over several months.
The texts and the computer program
The text of "Transits of the Year" was written by Robert Hand, one of the world's most famous and renowned astrological authors. Rob Hand lives on Cape Cod in the USA; he is especially concerned with the philosophical and historical dimensions of astrology.
Originally the text was written to be used in a computer report published by Para Research Inc, later renamed to Astral Research Inc. A slightly extended version of the text has been published in the book "Planets in Transit". For use in "Transits of the Year", the original
text was slightly shortened and edited. The introductory and intermittent paragraphs in italics originate from the Astrodienst team.
The computer program for "Transits of the Year" was created by Alois Treindl, director of Astrodienst Zürich. It is written in Prolog and C and uses concepts of expert systems and artificial intelligence to choose and evaluate the transits to the individual birth chart.
"Transits of the Year" does not deal with all the transits occurring during a year; rather, the most important ones - depending on the respective natal chart - are chosen and interpreted. Also, interpretation of certain transits may vary according to the age of the person in
question and the presence or absence of certain factors in the natal chart; interpretation may also depend on other transits in operation at the time.
Further reading
The "Personal Horoscope Calendar" offers you interpretations for each day of any given year, again using individual transits and the text material written by Robert Hand. In contrast to the "Transits of the Year", all transits of the swift moving planets and the transits of
Chiron are considered. An included complete ephemeris of the respective period may be especially interesting for astrologers. A sample copy for one month is also available. (These new reports my not yet be available at all distributors in countries other than Switzerland).
In order to arrive at your own transit interpretation, you may find the following books helpful:
"Planets in Transit", by Robert Hand. This book provided the text basis for "Transits of the Year" and lends itself especially well to studying on your own.
"Transits, The Time Of Your Life", by Betty Lundsted. This book discusses only the transits of the slow moving planets and of Mars. |
