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 Mars
End of January 2011 until beginning of October 2011: This is often a time of enormous frustration, when you really feel as if you are beating your head against a wall. It can also be a time when you accomplish a great deal of hard work. Which it
will be depends on how you handle the energy of this transit. Its basic meaning is "inhibited energy," but it can also be "disciplined energy" if you don't try to do too many things over too broad a spectrum.
On the negative side, the energy of this transit can produce feelings of intense irritability. The least little thing seems to set you off, and unfortunately you are often confronted with considerably more than "little things." People or
circumstances seem to get in the way of whatever you try to do. At work your boss or employer may oppose your ideas without giving any real reasons. Or he may saddle you with so much work that you don't have time to do anything else.
Sometimes you will get involved in the most acrimonious ego disputes with others. It may be tempting to chalk this up to some kind of plot against you, but that is probably not the case. It is more likely that - even with the best of intentions -
you put out some energy that is threatening to others. They respond by trying to stop you. Even if you don't mean to be threatening, you must try very hard not to make people feel threatened. Also you may be the victim of other people's aggressive
intentions without any obvious stimulus on your part.
This transit can affect your health. It seems to coincide with accidents, especially bone injuries, and illnesses such as arthritis and rheumatism. If you are subject to such illnesses, take good care of yourself during this transit.
The problem with this period is that your energies are being curbed. The energy of Mars wants to assert itself in every direction, but transiting Saturn signifies limitations imposed from without. You should take on only projects that are limited in
scope but that require great exertion and concentrated effort within that scope. If you concentrate your efforts on relatively narrow objectives, you can make constructive use of this energy. But if you proceed with grandiose and far-reaching plans,
you will probably encounter the worst effects of this transit.
One other danger should be mentioned. The combination of Mars and Saturn can signify a kind of cold, cruel anger, which you should avoid projecting. If you get angry, bring it out into the open. Don't act sullen and bitter, even covertly, for that
can bring about an equally angry and bitter response from others. If you don't deal with these feelings within yourself, you may become the victim of cruelty.
Saturn Conjunct Ascendant
End of October 2010 until mid August 2011: This is one of the most significant transits of your life. During this time your responsibilities will increase considerably, and you will try to eliminate everything in your life that is not necessary to
fulfilling them. Therefore your life will become more complex and simpler at the same time. You are finishing up certain tasks in your life and going into a five- to eight-year period of relatively quiet preparation for a new beginning. You will be
cutting some elements out of your life and working hard to complete others.
During this transit you may have less freedom of movement than usual because of the pressure of circumstances and the need to get things done. Old tasks that have never been completed must be finished now. At work, you may have to exert more effort
in order to get the job done. Your superiors may give you even more responsibility than you would choose to have. This may not be a very light-hearted time, but it should be quite productive. But do not start out on a completely new project,
because in a few years you may find that you do not have the material or psychological resources to complete it. Finish what is unfinished and simplify your life.
Good relationships will not suffer appreciably during this time, but bad ones will break up completely. You are withdrawing from everything in your life that is unnecessary or in the way of your development during the next few years. Bad or
difficult relationships may be among the elements that are discarded.
Try to avoid building a wall between yourself and others, for this is a great danger now. Duty, responsibility and obligations do not preclude personally satisfying relationships, even though you may feel that they do. If you cut yourself off from
others unnecessarily, you will become lonely and depressed. The people who belong in your everyday life are very important for you now, especially since you are excluding those who do not belong. Often it is good to seek out the company and advice
of older people, for they have the insight and understanding you need.
Despite the difficulties that will arise, this is a productive time. Follow through on the tasks that need to be done, and get your life in shape for the next phase of preparation.
Saturn in the First House
November 2010 until December 2012: This transit represents a new beginning of internal growth. The period when Saturn crossed your Ascendant was a time of shearing away those aspects of your life that no longer had a valid role, a time when projects
were completed. As Saturn continues to transit your first house, your responsibilities will continue to be heavy, but your accomplishments may also be great. During this transit it is not a good idea to start any new, long-range projects that will
take years to complete. Obviously you should proceed with anything that has to be done in a shorter time span. Don't use this transit as an excuse for sitting around and waiting for a more favorable time.
Now is the time to turn your attention inward. You have just completed a fourteen-year period in which your attention was focused primarily on interactions with others, your social life. While you have built up a very elaborate external world, you
may be quite unaware of what is going on inside yourself. Now is the time to turn inward and restructure yourself wherever necessary. This restructuring will take several years, so don't be in a hurry. You have learned a great deal about the world,
now learn about yourself. What do you really want and need? What have you learned about yourself over the last several years? You have to understand what you are in your own terms, not in other people's terms.
Regardless of what type of person you are, this is a time of introversion and introspection. The more you get in touch with yourself during the next few years, the more successful you will be in the future.
Since this is a time for looking inward, it will obviously present difficulties if you have elaborate commitments in the outer world. If those commitments get in the way of investing energy within yourself, you will begin to have trouble with them.
You may feel that you just don't have the energy to cope; you may feel withdrawn and tired. If you are naturally introspective, you may become more so. Often people experience significant failures in their work at this time, because the work is
distracting them from an encounter with themselves.
This is an excellent time for any kind of psychotherapy, human potential work or consciousness-raising. You need to unlearn all of the incorrect and inaccurate ways of thinking about yourself that you have learned from others. You need to know who
you are. Then you can properly lay the foundation for restructuring your inner life.
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.
Saturn Square Midheaven
End of November 2010 until end of September 2011: This is a challenging time in your life. You will have to make many choices about what areas of your life to emphasize. Will you work to build up a new career or continue to build upon a current one?
Will you work to make your personal life as satisfying as possible? Will you work collectively with many other people or by yourself?
Often there is an "alienation crisis" with this transit, a sudden feeling of being cut off from everyone else, as if you has spent too much energy pursuing purely personal goals. This in turn generates loneliness and a feeling of being distant from
others, even loved ones. Or you may suddenly feel that you no longer have the strength to go on in the direction you have chosen. Fears of your own inadequacies may distort your perspective. All of this is most likely to happen if you have
neglected personal relationships in your life. You cannot go on forever without supportive emotional relationships, and you may have been trying to do so.
Sometimes this transit can have the opposite result, and you discover that various personal entanglements have been interfering with the pursuit of your valid goals. In this case you will break off relationships and gain the freedom to go your own
way. The issue here is the balance between personal relationships and advancement in life.
On another tack, this transit can test your choice of goals. You may encounter opposition from others that forces you to examine whether your goals are really valid for you. If they are, the conflict with other persons or against trying
circumstances will be useful. But if you find that your heart is not really in the path you have chosen, you may have to make adjustments and change your course of action. It is far better to do this now than several years from now, when you may be
overcommitted to an inappropriate course and discover that you are trapped. Now is the time to change. It may not be pleasant, but it is possible.
Neptune Opposition Mercury
End of May 2010 until mid November 2012: Thinking and communication will be problem areas in your life for the duration of this transit. You are more subject to confusion at this time than at any other, and it is a very dangerous time to make
important decisions. Either you misunderstand the circumstances that affect your decision, or you do not have all the facts. It is also possible that someone has deceived you about the facts.
In communicating with others, be very careful that what you say is clear, and if you don't understand what someone else says to you, clarify it to yourself. Misunderstanding others is a great danger at this time and can lead to most unpleasant
situations.
You are more than usually subject to strange ideas now. Be careful not to become obsessed by delusions, for you will find it very difficult to tell what is a delusion and what is not. The tried and true principles that have guided your life are more
reliable than newer ones.
In business deals or any other buying or selling negotiations, be extremely careful, for you can easily be deceived. In difficult combinations such as this one, both Mercury and Neptune rule thievery, and you could be the victim. Make sure that what
you buy is exactly as it is represented, and always be sure to get a guarantee when you make a purchase. If you are selling, be sure to make some kind of contractual arrangement with the buyer.
Avoid getting involved in any scheme that you know to be dishonest. When it comes to deceiving others, luck is not with you; the one who gets hurt will be you.
You may have to contend with strange nervous ailments at this time. These can be either physical or psychological illnesses. Psychological ailments are likely to take the form of peculiar anxieties and nervousness. Taking vitamins may be helpful in
dealing with your nerves, but consult your physician first. You must realize that any fears you have under this transit are probably groundless and have arisen from your overactive imagination.
On the other hand, you could have a real physical problem. This transit can signify nervous weakness or a condition in which the nerves do not transmit impulses as they should. If you are having severe psychological problems, they may have an
organic basis. Consult a doctor to find out.
Pluto Trine Venus
Beginning of January 2011 until end of November 2012: This transit emphasizes the creative and romantic aspects of your life. Venus's ability to bring love and artistic creativity are given great power by the trine from Pluto.
This transit can bring a new relationship or deepen an old one. A new one that comes at this time will be notable for the strength of the feelings involved. It could hardly be described as casual. There is a compulsive quality about the energies
that drive you and your partner together, but this is not at all negative. It will merely seem to both of you that this relationship was inevitable, and you will both find that it is a learning experience of the best possible kind. You will learn a
great deal about the energies within each of you that are at work in a relationship. You may discover that love is less conscious and that you act much more from blind compulsion than you realized. But this realization is the first step toward
becoming conscious of your feelings.
Your existing relationships will also enter a period of creative change. Your feelings are stronger now, and again you will both learn more about the way you operate in the relationship.
Your creative energies will be aroused and if you are in any way artistic, you will be able to put deep, feeling energy into your creations as never before. Others will recognize the intensity that has gone into your work, for which you may very well
receive considerable recognition.
Art and love will have one element in common during this transit; that is, the experience of them will transport you out of the commonplace into the extraordinary, for that is what you are seeking. Art and love should have a considerable impact on
your life now and affect your future for many years to come.
Jupiter Trine Sun
16 February 2011 until 8 March 2011: This is a very pleasant Sun-Jupiter contact. In fact it is so pleasant that you may be inclined to sit back, enjoy it and do nothing. However, this is really a very important time in your life because you can
reach out into new areas of life and have new and rewarding experiences. Your creative potential is enormous at this time, and you can very easily accomplish a great deal that would be difficult at other times. Your inner energies are strong, and
you are full of self-confidence and the feeling that you can do anything.
This transit usually indicates good health and a feeling of well-being, although you may be inclined to put on weight if you are not careful. You may not feel inclined toward physical activity, but it would be a good idea to get some exercise. Make
a particular effort to be outdoors. Hiking is a very beneficial activity at this time.
If you are inclined to physical activity, especially athletics, don't take foolish risks through overconfidence. This is not an accident prone transit, in fact it is rather "lucky" for most people. But it does tend to make you overestimate your
energies, and if another influence is operating that makes you accident-prone, this transit could have a bad effect.
This is an excellent time for all financial matters. You will feel like making your surroundings appear more elegant, and you may spend quite a lot of money doing so. This is perfectly fine, and you should think positively in all ways, but don't let
this concern with material acquisition blind you to some very real possibilities for inner growth.
Travel, either physically or mentally, often accompanies this transit. Take this time to broaden your understanding of the world around you. You have a strong interest in ideas that are different from what you normally know and encounter, and you
are much more tolerant of different ways of living. Even people's usually irritating traits do not bother you at this time. Also your sense of humor is much greater than usual, and you can appreciate the dance of life in all its glory.
Jupiter Conjunct Descendant
8 March 2011 until 27 March 2011: During this period you seek to grow in various ways through your closest contacts with other people. You try to create relationships that will further your life, not in a spirit of selfishness, but in a desire for
mutual growth. Often at this time a person will come into your life who offers to help you out in some way, usually through a partnership.
In business, for example, this is an extremely good time to enter into a partnership or a contract with someone. In your personal life, you will work more closely than usual with someone, which will work out very well for you both. If other
indications are compatible, you may meet someone who will be important to you romantically, but that is not the usual result of this transit.
This is also an excellent time to seek out someone for counseling, especially a lawyer, but also any other kind of counselor. Related to this, incidentally, is that if you have a case in court at this time, it will work out as you want it to.
If you are married, your marriage should work better than usual now. You and your partner will be anxious to help each other grow and to further each other's interests in all possible ways. You do not want to restrict your spouse or be restricted by
him in any possible way. Because you understand the need for freedom of individual self-expression within your relationship, you will try to find ways to bring that about. If your marriage is not working out very well in general, this transit can
have either of two effects. It can either bring a time of healing in the relationship so that it ceases to be such a problem, or it can make your desire for freedom so strong that you break off the relationship altogether. At any rate, the problems
themselves will cease. And a marriage that does break up under this transit (this only applies to one that is on the rocks) will do so relatively amicably.
Jupiter in the Seventh House
March 2011 until March 2012: During this period your intimate one-to-one encounters with other people can show you aspects of yourself and of the world around you. By and large this transit favors the formation and maintenance of all kinds of
partnerships, including marriage. Although this transit by itself does not especially indicate marriage, it does make a marriage work very well at this time.
During this transit you will encounter people who can help you out in various ways. You approach all relationships with the idea that you and the other person should help each other. You are not inclined to go it alone now, and you would be well
advised not to. You very much need another person's assistance, not because you are a weak individual, but because the other person fulfills your individuality.
This is also a good time to call in a professional for any kind of assistance, especially a lawyer, but also a doctor or other consultant, as well as personal counselors. If you have to go to court at this time, especially in a civil suit, the
outcome should be favorable, although it is important to make sure that you have every angle covered. Don't take this transit for granted, for you might overlook some detail that could trip you up. Also don't try to get more than your due, nor
overestimate what you are to get. That could get you into trouble. As with every other Jupiter transit, this one requires a certain amount of moderation in order to get the most out of it.
Since Jupiter refers to foreign places and persons, this transit could indicate a partnership or close relationship with a foreigner. Or it could indicate a relationship with someone whose background is sufficiently different from yours that you have
to expand your views and your understanding of the world simply to deal with him. Any intimate relationship at this time will certainly have a consciousness-expanding effect upon you. In other words, the relationship won't permit you to continue in
a narrow frame of reference.
If you marry under this influence, your partner is likely to be a slightly older person who has established himself in the world. Your respect for this person is one of the main factors that attracts you. This is a sign of a person more experienced
than yourself.
Jupiter Square Midheaven
24 March 2011 until 12 April 2011: During this period you will try to achieve something of significance in your work or career. You will not find it sufficient to continue as you have, and your ambition will become more powerful than usual. This can
be either good or bad in the long run, depending upon how you go about getting ahead. On the positive side, this transit helps you overcome your previous limitations, which were caused largely by fear and lack of confidence. Now you feel capable of
greater achievements and willing to work for them. This transit usually creates great optimism and self-confidence, but you must be careful that it does not become overconfidence. Your life will not take care of itself if you neglect the important
details of daily existence. Do not let your seemingly more important present concerns cause you to neglect these other aspects of your life.
But this transit can also signify an inflated ego, a state of mind in which you attribute to yourself powers and talents far beyond your actual abilities. In rare and extreme cases, a person may think of himself as godlike. But for most people this
is expressed simply as overestimation of one's talents. Be careful not to take on more than you can handle. There is so much positive energy in this transit that it would be unfortunate to waste it with pride, foolish arrogance and overestimation of
your capabilities.
You want to be important now, and it is quite possible to attain that goal, but only if you know yourself adequately. Dare to do more than you have ever done before, but balance your daring with reason and care.
Jupiter Opposition Mars
30 March 2011 until 18 April 2011: This is an extremely exuberant transit, which inclines you to do everything in a big way. Your energy level is high, and you are ambitious in everything that you do. You have a great need to expend physical energy,
but be careful not to act recklessly. Discipline and restraint are necessary, no matter what you do.
Do not overestimate your abilities, either to yourself or to others. You are capable of doing quite a bit under this transit, so you don't have to exaggerate. It is especially important not to kid yourself about your abilities, however, because you
will genuinely try to do the impossible and quite possibly exhaust yourself in the process. For the same reason, don't take unnecessary chances. The feeling of omnipotence that this transit confers is not real, at least not to the extent that you
feel it.
Sometimes this transit can signify a conflict with another in which you try to break away from the other's restrictions. It is difficult to say in general whether your estimate of the facts is accurate, that is, whether the other person is really
demanding too much or restricting you too much. Therefore you must examine the issue very carefully before you act. You have a great need to be self-assertive at this time, but be sure to reserve it for a situation in which it can be constructive.
Avoid acting upon impulse. It could get you into needless trouble.
On the other hand, this transit also confers real courage. The difference between courage and foolhardiness is simple self-knowledge, which you must have in order to make this transit work out positively. If you are cool and collected in what you
do, this can be a time of considerable triumph as you overcome obstacles and accomplish deeds that you usually would feel incapable of. If you have to stand up for yourself, you can, and in a way that makes further dealings with your opponents
constructive rather than destructive. But this will happen only if you keep your head.
Jupiter Sextile Jupiter
26 April 2011 until 5 May 2011: This is a time of balance and equilibrium in your life, when all your affairs seem to run smoothly and without much effort on your part. It is a time when you can relax and take it easy for a while, knowing that your
life is in good working order. This is also a time when growth seems to occur without much effort -- growth in consciousness, in your profession, in your social life or wherever you feel that personal growth is important.
But this is not really a time when you should just enjoy yourself. You should do that, to be sure, but you should also be examining your life to see what needs to be done. It is important to think this way now because the equilibrium that is
characteristic of this transit enables you to look about yourself with reasonable calm and detachment. It is much harder to achieve a perspective when you are in the middle of some major and possibly chaotic change.
This is a good time to achieve perspective in all possible senses of the word. It is a good time for education, either formal or informal, for getting in touch with yourself through self-awareness studies, or for seeing the larger world through
travel.
Business transactions or negotiations are also favored now, and this is a good time to expand your business, as long as it is within reason. Legal affairs also usually run quite smoothly.
Jupiter Trine Mercury
End of May 2011 until end of December 2011: This is not a time when you should wait for things to come to you. But you can do quite well with it if you communicate with people, look for opportunities, especially in business, and look for good items
to buy or sell. This transit confers the ability to see events clearly and to make plans intelligently, which will serve you well in any of these matters.
You are able to put yourself across with confidence and warmth, which will make other people believe you. They will also respect your sincerity and the clarity with which you communicate your ideas. Even if you tell someone something he or she
doesn't want to hear, you can do it so that the other person will feel good about you for saying it.
This is an excellent time to take up the study of a new subject, and the more abstract the better. But you also have the ability now to translate abstract ideas into practical reality, which can be very useful in organizing and planning your
activities in any sphere of life.
On the psychological level you can expect a period of optimism and positive thinking, fortunately based on reality. You have big ideas, but you have the basic sense to understand what can and cannot be done. This contributes greatly to your
effectiveness at this time.
Jupiter Trine Venus
End of June 2011 until beginning of March 2012: This is one of the most pleasant transits of all, in a light and passing way. You feel very light-hearted and sociable now and want to spend as much time as possible with others. This is a good transit
for taking a vacation, attending social gatherings, or participating in other forms of amusement and fun. It is not conducive to any kind of serious effort, because you are inclined to feel pleasantly lazy and unenterprising. There is also a very
strong self-indulgent streak to this transit. Be very careful not to eat or drink too much. Even with the pleasantness of this transit, you may feel bad afterward.
Fortunately you have the ability to make others feel good if they are unhappy or depressed, and as a result, people enjoy being around you at this time. You may have the chance to do favors for others that will eventually be returned. And since you
feel generous and giving, you will not mind doing them.
Sometimes this transit can signify the beginning of a new love interest, but it is much more likely to mean a passing, flirtatious encounter. A relationship that does begin under this transit will probably be quite good for you.
In some instances this transit has a way of drawing money or other material resources to you. But don't sit around planning how to spend a sudden windfall from heaven, as many people do with this transit. It is a possibility, but only one among many
and not the most likely.
Actually it is more likely that you will spend money on objects that you consider beautiful. Others may not appreciate your taste at this time, however, because it tends toward the flashy or gaudy. Be careful that you don't get stuck with something
that will offend your own taste in a soberer moment.
You have a great desire for beauty, however, and if your taste is sound you will surround yourself with objects that you can enjoy for years and that will also gain in value.
Jupiter Square Sun
Beginning of July 2011 until mid March 2012: This can be an excellent transit, but you must watch out for some pitfalls that could undo all the benefits. Basically this transit is a test of your discipline and self-restraint. If you are not a
restrained person, you will react to this influence by going overboard in some way, overextending yourself or living in a fool's paradise where you think nothing can go wrong. Or you might squander a valuable resource, only to find on another day
that you do not have enough of what you need. Sometimes there is a feeling that luck will provide everything that you need without any effort on your part, but this, too, is a false notion.
But this transit can also provide a chance for real growth and expanded opportunities. It is a matter of how much control you have over yourself. You have to know precisely where you are and what your real needs are in order to take the most
advantage of this transit. You also have to know when you can't handle anything more. Knowing when to stop is the real trick.
Sometimes this transit encourages ego inflation and excessive pride. There is an arrogant streak to the negative expression of Jupiter. Be careful not to act in an overbearing manner, for you will set people in motion who will try to knock you down
a peg or two. Here too, you must know where to stop.
This transit gives you feelings of great confidence, which allows you either to go ahead, knowing precisely what you are doing and what your limitations are, or to act arrogantly and overstep your bounds. At any rate, this transit tests your self-
knowledge, and the more accurately you know yourself the better it will work out for you.
Under certain conditions this transit can trigger conflict with the law or with someone else in a court of law. You may or may not lose, but don't act the role of outraged honor and dignity. Try to find out exactly what the problem is and arrive at
a solution that is satisfactory to all.
Jupiter in the Eighth House
July 2011 until December 2012: With Jupiter in this house, you are likely to benefit from other people's resources. Consequently this is a good time to enter a relationship in which you and another person have to pool your resources, such as a
business partnership. This is also a good time to request a loan from a bank, unless there is another transit at the same time that negates this reading. In general, other people are more than usually willing to help you out in some way.
On another level, there will be many powerful but fortunate changes in your life at this time. It may not always be obvious, but any sweeping change that happens now will be for the best and will make your life richer and more rewarding in the long
run. It will also give you a much greater understanding of the psychological patterns that operate in your life. If you have recently been through a time of psychological stress or are encountering one now, this transit will help the healing process
within you.
Sometimes this transit can indicate a time of religious and spiritual regeneration, what used to be called a "conversion experience." Certainly you would derive great benefit from studying occult and mystical literature at this time in your life.
Jupiter Trine Uranus
An approaching transit, from beginning of September 2011, until beginning of April 2012: 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.
Saturn Trine Jupiter
Mid October 2011 until end of June 2012: This is a time of balance and order in your life. You may have to work hard for financial gain, but at least your affairs are in order. Your business or professional life is well organized, and you should be
making steady progress toward your goals. The gains you make at this time are not strokes of luck, they are the solid results of good organization.
Your greatest asset at this time is that you can see clearly how various parts of your life are working out. You understand the rules, and you are willing to play by them. Your attitude toward life is pragmatic and practical. You are more than
usually willing to accept a situation as it is while working patiently to improve it. You are now in a position to make important choices that will greatly affect your future.
Your employers, bosses and other authority figures can help you out now. At other times these people may have seemed to be obstacles to your advancement, but now they are extremely willing to help. This is in part because you make it clear that they
will gain by helping you. You are much more capable now of real give-and-take than you have been at other times. When others see this, they are more willing to work on your team.
Older persons may provide opportunities for real insight into your life. From the perspective of their age, you can see how to improve your own life and help it grow.
This is a time to consolidate and buttress various aspects of your life. Put aside money for the future, invest or buy life insurance. Make peace with the difficult aspects of your life or with those people who are potential sources of trouble. In
the not-too-distant future, when Saturn squares or opposes your natal Jupiter, it will be difficult to deal with the loose ends you leave now. You have enough foresight now to see this and make the necessary adjustments.
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).
Mercury Square Mars
On 26 January 2011: This transit can be quite difficult. You are inclined to feel touchy and irritable and to regard almost any communication from another person as a challenge. And you will make this attitude so clear to people that they may even
tread lightly around you for fear of setting you off. Anyone who crosses you will be told off in no uncertain terms.
The worst way to handle this influence, but what you are most likely to do, is to identify your own ego with what you believe or think. This will make you act as if your very life were threatened, which of course it is not. If you have to fight for
your beliefs, this transit can be a help, but don't look for a battle or create an issue where none exists.
As with many transits, you may experience this one in projected form; that is, you may have to contend with another person who is acting touchy or defensive. Be careful that you have not been unconsciously sending out subtle signals that draw such
persons to you.
This transit can indicate accident-prone behavior. If you are not careful, there is a real danger of accidents through burns, especially to the arms and legs, or while walking or driving. But these will probably not occur without warning. Most
frequently, you will have a feeling of repressed rage, as if some kind of energy inside you is struggling to break free. If you find that you are acting impulsively for no reason at all, try to avoid driving and other forms of travel in which you are
in control. Also be very careful with hot objects or anything sharp. Accidents under this transit are not caused by "bad luck" but by repressed hostility and aggressiveness. Lacking an external expression, they turn inward against you.
Sun Trine Mars
On 6 February 2011: Today you will find it easy to be yourself. However, you should work alone and for your own benefit. It is not that you are feeling hostile or resentful of others becoming involved in your work, but that you do not want to be
dependent upon others for support or encouragement.
Your life is no doubt filled with projects that you have begun at various times. You may not always be aware of their significance, and you may be acting quite unconsciously in some ways, but these projects are important nevertheless. Now is a good
time to take stock of them and to examine what state they are in. Or if you are not clear about what you are doing, try to find out. What motivates you? What are you trying to accomplish? In the near future you will have confrontations, so the
more you understand about what you are doing, the better.
If you must make new beginnings in your life to adjust imbalances that have developed, this is the time to do it. Otherwise put most of your energy into firming up the activities you are presently involved in. Look to your own criteria and needs
rather than to other people's and try to make them work meaningfully in your life today.
Mars Trine Mars
On 7 February 2011: This is a good time to take the initiative and start a new project. It will go very well, because you will have the insight as well as the energy to follow it through to the conclusion. Mars is an ego-oriented planet, and you
will be most strongly motivated toward tasks that bring credit to you and express you as an individual.
If you are already working on a project, but it has become bogged down, now you will be able to resume your work with greater effectiveness than before. If you have been trying to do something, but have lacked the right opportunity, this transit
should get it moving. Your work won't seem to resist your energies, as so often happens at other times.
Greater self-confidence usually accompanies this transit, so if you have to present a project to someone, you will be able to do it much more effectively. Also, pushing your own interests will be much more successful than usual. Everything you do
now will give you greater self-assurance and the extra drive and confidence that you will need in the future, when things may not run as smoothly. Probably the worst way to handle this transit is to do nothing, for you will lose an opportunity to
prove your own worth to yourself.
Mercury Conjunct Descendant
Mid March 2011 until mid April 2011, especially on 16 March 2011: At this time you will seek increased mental stimulation through contacts with others, probably through either conversation or debate. As long as it doesn't get too acrimonious, you
will enjoy repartee. Also you may seek out other people to learn their views on some matter. This is a good transit for consulting any kind of expert for advice, such as a lawyer, doctor, psychologist or an expert in some branch of business. It is
also a good time to negotiate with others for contract settlements or business deals. Your mind is reasonably clear, and you are attracted to people who are similarly inclined. This makes it possible for you and another person to make things very
clear between you without leaving a lot of matters unsettled and unspoken.
Communications are good between you and your spouse or any other close partner. It is a good time to get something off your chest that you have had trouble expressing recently. And others may do the same with you, so you may be on either the giving
or the receiving end of important communications at this time.
Since other transits to your natal chart are concurring in the symbolism, this transit can denote some legal contest or legal negotiation, at which you could easily fail at this time.
Venus Opposition Mercury
On 27 March 2011: This is a favorable time for communication about love and relationships. It will not make the communication either good or bad, but it will help to ensure that communication happens. You will think about and want to discuss your
relationships, not only love affairs but also friendships and other kinds of relationships.
This is a good time to confront your partner with any problems in your relationship. You may be able to reduce the tension between you because you are calm, rational and detached.
The Mercurial side of your personality does not take emotional matters seriously. It likes talk and intellectual exchanges, without giving thought to any emotional consequences. Be careful of what you say about friends and loved ones under this
transit. Someone may take your casual remarks seriously, and you could inadvertently hurt someone. Be careful of this tendency in any discussions with loved ones. This is one of the most unemotional of all Venus transits.
Mars Conjunct Descendant
On 18 April 2011: This is the most conflict-prone of all transits! The point opposite the Ascendant, also called the Descendant, signifies open enemies and conflicts, among other things. Anything you try to do now is likely to encounter stiff
opposition from anyone who has any reason to oppose you. You will have to fight for what you want, unless you are very clever at wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. Ego energies run very high in all your direct confrontations with others, and in
many cases all you can do is to be prepared for the confrontations and to release whatever tensions there might be. There is a serious conflict between your need to assert yourself and your need for relationships.
Even partnerships that usually run quite smoothly can be a problem. You may have to contend with a partner or spouse who is trying to dominate you, or you may be the one who wants to dominate. This results in the most intense ego struggle. It is
possible to transmute the energy of this transit into an extremely energetic cooperative effort, but only if both of you are certain that your best interests are being served. Neither of you will want to play second fiddle to the other.
Team sports are particularly recommended because they encourage cooperation and use the self-assertive and the aggressive energies of this transit.
Venus Conjunct Descendant
On 1 May 2011: This is an extremely favorable transit for close relationships and one-to-one encounters of any sort. A marriage or love relationship should go smoothly today, with both of you showing a great deal of affection. If there are any
difficulties between you, smooth them out today, because neither of you will want to argue. You will both be much more interested in making peace.
On the other hand, this is an excellent time to make an agreeable impression on someone new. If you have to work within a partnership, where keeping the peace is an important factor in your success, this is an excellent day. Any persons who are
normally difficult to deal with will be easy to handle today.
This is not a good time to be alone. You are in the mood for relating, and the day will not be complete in any way unless you share it. This is a time to be aware of how much your completeness depends upon others.
Mercury in the Eleventh House
Mid July 2011 until mid September 2011: Mercury in this transit inclines you to think about your goals and expectations in life. You will examine your ideals to find out exactly how well they have served you and to what extent you have attained them.
You should also think about whether your goals are really your own or whether they are in part other people's goals that you have adopted for yourself. In the latter case, decide whether these goals are appropriate for you.
This is the house of group ideals and standards and also the house of your position in groups generally. You should examine your attitudes toward these groups. At this time you need and will have more verbal and intellectual exchanges with friends
and with other groups that you are associated with.
Talking over your problems with friends will be especially helpful in reaching an objective viewpoint. But keep in mind that talking things over with friends cannot free you from prejudices and preconceptions that are held by the entire group.
Mercury Conjunct Mercury
End of July 2011 until beginning of September 2011, especially on 28 July 2011, 8 August 2011 and 9 September 2011: This transit is favorable for all types of mental activity and communication with others. Your intellect is sharpened, and you can
clearly formulate and articulate ideas that you might otherwise have difficulty with, so that others can easily understand your meaning. Your power of reasoning is also improved, enabling you to follow any complex argument that someone else presents.
Because you are able to see the flaws in people's reasoning, you are not likely to be taken in by specious arguments.
At the same time your curiosity is aroused. You are interested in finding out about unfamiliar facts and new ideas. Today you have an opportunity to talk to people about matters that are really important to you, even matters that are usually too
emotionally charged to discuss easily. Mercury on Mercury provides a greater sense of detachment and objectivity, so you can keep your emotional involvement in an issue down to a reasonable level for discussion. However, under this transit's
influence you could simply fritter your time away in idle chatter. That is why you should make a conscious effort to communicate about matters that are important to you. Unless you make the effort, Mercury's communication is not necessarily about
anything significant.
Your interaction with others will be much more lively today, and you will have many opportunities to get through to other people. After this transit has passed, you will realize that you have had many more contacts than usual and that much has been
said.
Sun Conjunct Sun
On 31 July 2011: 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.
Venus Conjunct Mars
On 29 September 2011: This transit arouses a strong attraction to and desire for a man. You will be much more aggressive than usual in going out and finding a partner. This transit is often a sign of physical passion. Under this influence a sexual
relationship is very satisfying to both partners.
Even without sex, you will be very happy with other people. You feel more vivacious and attractive than usual and may well be the life of the party. You will work hard to gain the approval of others under this transit, so strong is your need for
affection.
Artistic activity is also indicated, for the general significance of this transit is self-expression through creativity and love.
Sun in the First House
Beginning of October 2011 until end of October 2011: At this time of year, you will become more concerned with personal matters and less with the world at large. This period is self-centered in a positive sense in that it is born not of selfishness,
but of a real need to look at yourself and find out what you need for further progress.
This transit indicates a time when you can project yourself with more forcefulness than usual. It is an excellent time for making an impression on others, but you must be careful because you will not be especially sensitive to their needs. For this
reason, you may find it difficult to work with others during this transit. If your efforts to work on projects with others don't seem to get anywhere now, perhaps you should defer them until later. First you should take care of the proper business
of this transit, which is to experience yourself in a subjective frame of reference.
You have a great need to express yourself now, and it is a valid need. No purpose will be served by denying all your own needs in favor of a misguided concept of duty. There are times, and this is one of them, when your first duty is to yourself,
and if you don't fulfill that duty, you will be of little use to anyone else.
Venus Square Sun
On 15 October 2011: Normally this is a very pleasant transit with little difficulty. You seek out good times and pleasurable forms of recreation, and you may not feel much like working. In fact, the only real flaw in the transit is that it is not
conducive to self-discipline or labor. You will be more interested in your own well-being and in indulging yourself than in accomplishing great works. Obviously, this can be either bad or good according to the circumstances.
This transit is usually good for all social interaction and for getting along with people. Love relationships are favorably affected. The old texts often describe this transit as leading to scandalous affairs, but that assumes a rather Victorian
sense of morality.
You will not be very self-assertive today. If you find yourself in conflict with someone, you will compromise rather than fight. Only be careful not to give up something that is important to you. There are situations in which peace-making is not
the best resolution. Also, it may arise from your desire to avoid conflict rather than from your belief in peace.
Avoid the temptation to overindulge in rich and fattening foods, for your body is sensitive to these now. At least you are likely to gain weight, and at the worst you could have physical problems such as indigestion.
Mercury in the Third House
Beginning of November 2011 until mid January 2012: During this time, you will have many group discussions and conversations with others; you will meet new people, possibly travel quite a bit and certainly have more contact with relatives and immediate
neighbors.You feel that you have to communicate with as many people as possible. This is a very good time for all kinds of intellectual activities.
It is not a good time to try to settle down and relax. The tempo of events in your environment is likely to be too fast, and it will be difficult to avoid getting caught up in it. Nevertheless you should try sometimes to disconnect yourself from
this frantic pace, because it may get to the point that you are continually distracted and unable to think properly. For this reason it is not the best time to try to reach a conclusion on some matter. Wait until the tempo slows down so you can look
over what you have learned with some perspective about the whole process. Use this time to gather information rather than to reach conclusions. In dealings with others, contract negotiations or business deals, it is wise to use this period to make
everyone's position clear and to discuss possibilities rather than to reach final conclusions. Keep your mind flexible now and be ready for any new experiences that may come along.
Mars Conjunct Pluto
Beginning of December 2011 until beginning of June 2012, especially on 14 December 2011, 1 March 2012 and 1 June 2012: 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.
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. |
