|
Copyright Astrodienst AG 2000. All rights are reserved.
02-Jul-2002
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 Opposition Saturn
Beginning of May 2000 until end of May 2000: 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.
Neptune Square Sun
Beginning of May 1999 until mid October 2001: This can be a period of
confusion and uncertainty in which your life direction becomes unclear.
Even if you have previously felt that you knew what you were doing and
why, now you may encounter circumstances that force you to question your
assumptions. Your will may seem to be temporarily paralyzed, and you won't
have your usual energy. In fact this transit can coincide with times of
low physical vitality and low psychological energy. For this reason you
should avoid unnecessary physical stress and follow good health habits
to maintain strong overall resistance to illness.
But it is much more likely that this transit will result in disorientation,
as alluded to above. You may experience disappointments in your work,
career or even in your home life that make you feel defeated and dispirited.
But you must not sit back and allow this reaction. Certainly you may suffer
defeats during this transit, but these defeats occur only when you do
something that is not a true reflection of yourself. Because your total
energy as a human being is not behind your actions, you don't push through
with the vigor that would guarantee success: hence your failure.
Also you may suffer a disappointment during this period, if you allow
someone to talk you into a project you do not really believe in. Above
all else, you must be true to yourself under this transit. In fact its
main function in your life may be to point out that you do not really
know who you are. While this is not a very happy discovery, it is important
to make it, so you can proceed to find out who you are.
You should avoid several types of activity during this transit, because
your insecurity about yourself will make them turn out badly. First, this
is not a particularly good time to become involved in spiritual or mystical
sects. Your sense of self needs nourishment and growth, not denial. You
are not yet ready for that, and the teachings of such groups are likely
to confuse you and retard your development as a human being. Similar warnings
apply to the study of the occult in general.
Second, avoid risky or speculative ventures, because your sense of reality
is too weak to appraise the risks accurately. Besides, you are likely
to be swindled. If you are having trouble in your work, avoid the temptation
to change jobs now. Later, when you understand your needs better, you
may be able to make the change. Any new job you start now would not be
an improvement over the present one.
Remain active, and do not withdraw from people to ponder your problems.
That will only inflate them out of all proportion and make them harder
to deal with.
Saturn Square Pluto
End of June 2000 until mid April 2001: This transit can be a difficult
time in your life. Because of circumstances and other people, you find
it very difficult to make the changes you would like to make in the world
around you. For example, your ambitions for your work may be frustrated.
Bosses or coworkers may try to prevent you from accomplishing what you
want. Financially, you will probably have to curb expenses because you
simply do not have the resources. Sometimes the experience of this transit
is much like struggling against chains that hold you down. The temptation
is to resist and struggle with all your might.
However, resisting is not the best way to handle this energy, because
that would set in motion destructive powers beyond your control. This
transit is sometimes associated with violent incidents, so take care.
The best way to handle it is with some degree of detachment. Understandably
you will be quite upset with some of the obstacles that crop up now, but
regard them as a way of finding out which areas of your life are working
and which are not. A square from transiting Saturn usually represents
a call to eliminate the unnecessary and superfluous elements in your life.
It requires that you get rid of the dead and useless structures. Pluto
rules breakdown and rebuilding, and that is exactly what you are forced
to do. If you do it voluntarily, it will be easier.
When this transit is over, you will emerge from the crisis considerably
tougher than you were. Conserve your resources, and if you are in financial
difficulty, reorganize your life so that you can get along with less.
- - -
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.
Jupiter Square Ascendant
End of May 1999 until beginning of February 2000: 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 Jupiter
End of May 1999 until beginning of February 2000: This transit usually
represents a time of optimism and positive thinking in your life. You
seem to be at a quiet point of balance that enables you to look over the
affairs of your life and get a good perspective on them. Therefore, it
is a good time to make long-range plans and to reorganize. You should
use this transit to gain new perspectives through education or travel
or by participating in one of the consciousness raising activities or
groups that exist now.
This is a time of psychological and physical equilibrium. If you have
recently been ill in either body or mind, this transit will help tremendously
with the healing process.
This is also a good time to examine your ideals and your goals, for
it may be possible to actualize them in various ways now. At other times
there is too much tension in your life or too much resistance from others.
If you are involved in any movement for reform, now is a good time to
take some positive action. Or you might become more involved in religion
or philosophy, because you need to know much that is beyond the apparent
order of things.
It is quite possible that you will do nothing with this transit, because
it gives you a feeling of balance but no drive to do anything in particular.
You have an unusual sense of ease and relaxation now. This is also a good
time to travel, both for relaxation and for educational reasons.
The important point to remember with this transit is that it is fundamentally
an opportunity. You will not feel driven by any energies, nor will you
feel any resistance to your efforts to do something. You can make great
use of this time, but you have to take the initiative.
Jupiter Opposition Neptune
Beginning of June 1999 until mid February 2000: During this transit
it is often difficult to keep the real and the ideal sorted out. It is
an extremely spiritual transit, which may make the real world seem inadequate
to you, causing you to seek an escape into a more ideal and perfect "reality."
Normally this escape is not through drugs or alcohol, but if you have
a predisposition toward them, it could work out that way. Usually, this
transit indicates a mental state in which you become wrapped up in all
manner of abstract speculations or high ideals that are difficult to actualize.
On another level, this transit may tempt you to become involved in unrealistic
schemes that you could only believe if blinded by extreme optimism. You
may want to gamble and take risks with your resources, and if you are
not careful, wild speculations and gambling could leave you bankrupt.
Oddly enough, some people are so geared that they can handle the gambling
aspect of this transit very well and make seemingly wild investments pan
out. Usually these people have a talent for calculating the risks, however.
Remember that there is a difference between amateur and professional gamblers.
The main point here is that if you are tempted to get into some investment
scheme, make sure that it is within your area of personal expertise.
Under certain circumstances this transit can signify the beginning of
a very idealistic kind of relationship, one in which you look to your
partner as a kind of god or spiritual guide. This may or may not be an
accurate picture. You must be careful here also, because you could idealize
a person beyond all reason, even when she does not want you to do so.
And of course, you too could be the victim of an outright deception.
Be careful to deal with people as they really are, by accepting them as
they are and not demanding that they conform to an ideal in your mind.
Jupiter Trine Pluto
Beginning of June 1999 until mid February 2000: 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 Square Uranus
End of June 1999 until beginning of March 2000: The effects of this
transit can vary considerably. On the one hand, it can indicate a "bolt
out of the blue" lucky chance or change in fortune, a sudden opportunity
that significantly changes your life. But on the other hand, it can indicate
such restlessness and impatience with restrictions that you create a major
disturbance in your life in your efforts to become free.
Under any circumstances you are likely, rightly or wrongly, to see change
as the only way to get ahead, and to a certain extent this is always true.
But the danger here is that you will seek change for its own sake and
not take the time to examine carefully which changes will be most effective.
There is a strong tendency to be negatively suggestible, that is, to always
go in the opposite direction from any pressure.
Freedom in general is very important to you at this time, and you will
work very hard to get it in some area. In relationships, this can be disruptive
because you are likely to be hostile toward anything that keeps you "in
line." Also this transit can signify a time of constant change, when you
cannot tell from one day to the next what you are going to do.
But opportunity will probably come, if you can maintain a certain degree
of restraint without putting yourself into such a straitjacket that you
cannot move when the opportunity presents itself. You do in fact need
freedom from something at this time, and you will probably get exactly
what and how much you need, as long as you avoid moving so quickly and
impulsively that you ruin your chances for creative change. If you remain
calm, you will suddenly see and be able to take an opportunity to get
ahead or to become free from restriction. Be patient, and you will discover
that not much more patience is required.
Jupiter Opposition Sun
End of August 1999 until mid March 2000: This can be and usually is
a very positive transit. But you can make more or less out of it, depending
upon how you handle it. In most ways it represents a period of culmination
in your life, and you will be tempted to expand beyond any reasonable
limit. There is no question that you have a good chance for success in
any one of a number of endeavors at this time and, within reason, you
should pursue them. However, you should not restrict yourself solely to
material and physical growth now. Even if you don't have all the material
goods that you want, you should turn your attention to spiritual and inner
needs. Ultimately, nothing satisfies like satisfaction. Objects that you
acquire, possessions, money, and even social prestige are merely devices
to make you feel that you have satisfaction. They are not the state of
satisfaction itself. It is your inner difficulties that make your life
less than it could be, even if you have corresponding problems in the
material world. You must look for the solutions within yourself, and this
transit represents a turning point, where you should begin to look for
the answers.
Under this influence, the tendency is to go after everything that you
want in the material world without caring especially about whoever is
in your way, to gather as much stuff as you can and indulge yourself in
what you want. Then, as the transit subsides, you will feel that this
effort has failed, leaving your life as empty as it was before. In the
first half of this cycle, your growth has been material. Now it should
be inward.
Do not be arrogant toward others or assume that you have everything
right. Through meaningful encounters with others, especially intimate
one-to-one encounters, you can find out which way you should go at this
time. Work with another person and think in terms of mutual growth. By
trying to achieve goals set by both of you and by trying to be a twosome,
you each will become more conscious of what you are as an individual.
On a more mundane level, this transit can signify difficulties with
authorities, if you overstep your bounds or are out of place. Your tendency
to think that you have all the answers can only get you into trouble.
On the other hand, if you can recognize the real meaning of this transit
in terms of your own life, this can be an extremely productive and growth-oriented
time, a period that will always have meaning for you.
Saturn in the Eleventh House
June 1999 until 2003: At this time your principal task is to integrate
your individual self with some kind of group expression. Whatever group
you belong to will demand that you become integrated. During Saturn's
transit of your tenth house, you had the opportunity to shine and achieve
as an individual. Now others require that you join them and be less of
a star on your own. In general, however, this transit is a continuation
of the high period in your life that should have begun when Saturn transited
your tenth house, especially if you answer the challenges presented by
this house.
If you find it difficult to work with others, to cooperate in team efforts,
you may feel that coworkers and friends are getting in your way. They
may give you responsibilities that you don't want. But as with the transit
through the tenth, you should try to come to terms with these demands
rather than avoid them.
The eleventh is also the house of your hopes and wishes, your ideals
and objectives in life. During this transit you will find out whether
or not you have worked effectively to attain these ideals. Saturn in your
eleventh house should bring about the results you have been trying to
attain, if you have prepared well. If not, your expectations will be disappointed,
and it will be clear that you are not going to get what you want.
In this case, Saturn's transit of the twelfth house will be a time of
breakdown and clearing out, so that in the next Saturn cycle you can try
again. Most people have at least two Saturn cycles in their life. Frequently
the first transit through the eleventh house is not as successful as the
second, because it comes too early in life for you to take full advantage
of it. At least two transits of Saturn through the chart are usually required
for you to gain enough experience and maturity to make events work out
in the best possible way.
Uranus in the Eighth House
March 1999 until 2004: During the next several years you will gradually
become aware that powerful subconscious forces are operating to bring
about great changes in your life. However, the changes themselves do not
come about gradually but rather through sudden unexpected events of a
peculiarly intense and fateful quality. Suddenly an old order in your
life is passing away, and a new one is coming to be. In extreme cases,
someone may die who was close to you and very much connected with your
past life. This is a signal that it is time to begin a new area of your
life. Restrictions that you have imposed upon yourself or allowed others
to impose upon you will become intolerable now, and you may be forced
to take steps to break away from them. Because your life is changing,
you don't need these restrictions anymore. What has been gradual evolution
now must become a revolution.
The eighth is also the house of joint finances and resources that you
share with someone else, such as a spouse or business partner. There may
be unexpected events connected with these matters, such as a sudden change
- either up or down - in your partner's income. If your own financial
situation is dependent upon your partner's it will not be very stable
now. Because this house is associated with death and with other people's
money, this transit can indicate that you will receive an inheritance.
With Uranus transiting this house, it is wise to avoid becoming dependent
upon anyone else's money, even through a bank. The obligations involved
could become very disruptive in your life.
On the other hand, this transit can mean that you are becoming impatient
with the duties and obligations involved in sharing property with someone
or being in debt to someone. You may try to break away from such obligations
or even avoid paying the debt. This would probably lead to considerable
trouble, however, as it could bring about the most disruptive manifestations
of this transit.
Many authorities look to the eighth house for matters concerned with
sex. This transit can indicate a new sexual relationship quite different
from any that you have ever been involved in before. However, you should
not count on such a relationship to last, because the psychological changes
you are going through now mean that your needs a few years from now will
be quite different. Avoid new long-range commitments. Even relationships
you are already involved in will have to change at this time.
Uranus Square Venus
Beginning of March 2000 until beginning of November 2001: Your love
life and relationships in general will be unpredictable and difficult
during this transit. You may suddenly become involved in relationships
that are quite different from what you would normally expect. If your
relationships usually go along from day to day without much excitement,
you may suddenly want one that is more exciting. You may be attracted
to people who are quite different from yourself in age, class background
or personality. At the same time the relationships you seek will be ones
that are not binding, that allow you more freedom to come and go. This
desire is not always conscious, so you may think you are looking for a
stable and peaceful relationship, but instead you become involved in something
unpredictable and unreliable. It is actually your own desire not to be
committed that is making the relationship unstable.
A stable marriage may go through a period of readjustment now. This
is a good time for releasing all the hidden tensions that have built up
between you and starting afresh. An unstable marriage may break up at
this time, especially if you or your partner is attracted to someone new.
Domestic boredom can be very destructive under this transit.
A new relationship that comes along at this time may not prove very
lasting or reliable. As long as it introduces excitement into your life,
it is fine, but as soon as it becomes routine one of you will probably
want out. Very often a relationship that begins under this transit represents
a rebellion against your peer group standards. Pressure from your friends
may be so great that maintaining the relationship is not worth putting
up with the disapproval of others.
A milder manifestation of this transit is that you may begin collecting
unusual and beautiful objects for your home. Or you may seek out new and
different kinds of amusement. But be careful not to saddle yourself with
anything that cannot stand on its own merits later on. Your tastes are
not following their usual pattern at this time, and what you like now
you may dislike later.
Jupiter in the Eleventh House
April 2000 until June 2001: At this time your hopes, ideals and wishes
for the future play an important role in your life. Your friends may be
of considerable benefit to you now, and you will become more involved
in group activities, for you understand the importance of group goals
and values to you as an individual. This is not a time when you should
try to go it alone, nor should you limit yourself to working with one
other person. You need to be with many people, for through working and
dealing with them you will learn a great deal about yourself. Friends
will be more than usually supportive, and you may make many new friends
who will prove to be extremely valuable as time goes on. But this will
not be a one-way street, for you will help them also.
At this time in your life you will be more than usually idealistic and
will want to improve the world around you in every possible way. If your
perspective is relatively broad, you will want to translate this desire
into broad social reform or at least make changes that will affect both
you and your friends. Lacking such a perspective, you may work only to
improve your personal situation in accordance with what you have always
wanted. However, this is not a time to be selfish. The nature of this
house is such that if the improvements in your life do not affect others,
the changes will not be as meaningful or long-lasting. Whatever you put
out will come back in an even greater quantity.
Saturn Opposition Venus
End of April 2000 until mid May 2000: This transit often signifies a
crisis in your personal relationships. Love seems harder to come by, and
you may cool off toward those who used to be dear to you. Or they may
cool off. This is a period of testing old relationships to find out whether
they can survive and make a contribution to your life. It is rather difficult
to establish new relationships, for this is a time for culminating the
old, not beginning anew.
The opposition transit indicates that your need for relationships is
in strong conflict with your need to feel like a distinct, separate and
definite individual. Either you are such an individualist in your relationships
that others find it difficult to relate to you, or the relationships smother
your sense of individuality. You may feel very lonely even in the presence
of your loved ones, because a wall has been built up between you and them.
It is absolutely essential to reexamine your relationships at this time
to determine exactly your rights, duties and obligations and those of
your partner. Probably you have been trespassing upon each other's prerogatives,
and the tension that this causes has led to your current difficulties.
One common manifestation of this transit is becoming involved in a relationship
that makes very heavy demands on you. Although you would rather not be
involved in it, you find it difficult to break out of. These relationships
can be called "karmic" in that they balance out your past actions and
are the direct or indirect consequence of those actions. All you can do
in this case is to persist and do whatever you have to do. At a certain
point you will realize that the karma has been completed; that is, the
relationship has fulfilled its purpose. If you simply abandon it, you
will almost immediately encounter another relationship like it, and another
and another until you live one of them through. Saturn has this relentless
quality.
Venus also rules artistic creativity, but this may not be an especially
creative period for you. This is because you are redefining what you are
trying to do with your creativity. Like all oppositions, this one signifies
a reorientation of consciousness. Don't worry that you have lost a gift
- it will return in new forms.
This may also be a time of material and financial adversity. Here again
you will have to examine your past attitudes toward material resources
and perhaps change your whole orientation toward them. Try getting along
with less; you may find that you need less than you had thought.
Jupiter Opposition Venus
5 May 2000 until 24 May 2000: This is usually a very pleasant transit,
indicating harmony in relationships and perhaps even a new relationship
that will be of great significance in your life. You want love very much,
and you are able to give it to those around you.
This transit encourages a taste for the lavish and beautiful, and you
are not likely to let much stand in the way of what you want. Therefore
you must be careful not to waste valuable resources and squander money.
If you are cautious, it is possible to make excellent investments at this
time, but only if you examine all of the possibilities very carefully.
Like all Jupiter transits, this one has the negative attribute of carelessness,
so you must concentrate on being careful.
Since other, mainly negative transits coincide with this one, you may
experience a period of emotional turmoil in your relationships. This is
because of a struggle either within yourself or between you and a loved
one about how free you should be with each other. Venus demands close
emotional involvement, while Jupiter demands room to move. The opposition
brings out this polarity very strongly, so that in a love relationship
one of you may want more freedom, while the other wants a more possessive
relationship. Ultimately the issue boils down to respect and trust, and
only by bringing everything out into the open can the two of you resolve
this controversy.
On the physical level, this transit signifies the danger of gaining
weight, because it stimulates your desire for rich, sweet and otherwise
fattening foods. It may be necessary to avoid such food for awhile.
Jupiter Opposition Saturn
11 May 2000 until 30 May 2000: This can be a difficult transit, because
Saturn is so different in nature from Jupiter. Often you will feel psychologically
that you are shrinking and expanding at the same time. With this transit
it is very difficult to know exactly which direction the trends in your
life are taking. Thus you must be extremely careful in your guesses, because
of the danger of misjudgment.
Decisions in general are difficult with this transit because you are
caught in a conflict between caution and optimism. Whenever one attitude
gets the upper hand in your mind, the other comes along and undermines
it. Often it seems very difficult to know whether to expand or retrench.
This problem will be especially bad if you have overextended yourself
in the past and had to cut back. This creates a lack of self-confidence,
which may surface now.
You may also experience a conflict at this time between the desire for
greater freedom and opportunity and the desire to hold on to the safe
and predictable circumstances that you are used to. Often the temptation
is to break away from everything and start over without the weight of
the past holding you back, so you think. The restlessness resulting from
this conflict can cause you to make many significant changes in your life,
especially about your career. Relationships are also frequently difficult,
especially those that involve much responsibility. Casual relationships
and friendships are less likely to suffer.
However, if you are basically satisfied with your life and you don't
feel that your duties and obligations are onerous, you should experience
the positive side of this transit, which is actually quite considerable.
This is a time when you can expand the structures in your life to include
much more than ever before. For example, you could safely expand a business,
because the cautiousness of your natal Saturn will probably prevent you
from overextending yourself. Or you could take on more responsibilities,
which would make your work more satisfying. If you can strike a balance
between the two opposing forces of Jupiter and Saturn, this can be a time
of considerable achievement and prosperity.
Uranus Square Saturn
An approaching transit, from end of May 2000, until mid January 2002:
This is a time of considerable testing. Events will challenge your sense
of order, discipline and duty, as well as your notions about the world.
You may encounter disruptions that make you wonder whether you really
understand what is going on around you. You may be forced to revise some
of your ideas, although any valid beliefs will survive this transit without
difficulty.
Restrictions that you have accepted but that have no real purpose in
your overall individual growth may become unbearable at this time. For
example, if you are putting up with a bad relationship for the sake of
emotional or financial security, you may find that the tensions have become
too great. You will experience a sudden desire to break free at all costs,
even if it means violating your own standards of behavior. Your actions
will surprise others who have believed the outward appearance that everything
was all right. They will not expect your actions.
In your professional situation you may have greater difficulty than
usual in getting along with your employers. If the tension becomes too
great, you may want to change jobs. But you should make such a change
only after carefully considering what your present job has to do with
your real purpose in life. You should think just as carefully before deciding
whether or not to leave a relationship.
The purpose of this transit is not to overthrow everything that you
consider important in life, but it does force you to examine the factors
that are causing you to fall short of your potentials. In accepting these
limitations you have settled for less than you deserve or need.
As the conflict builds up between your desire to break free and the
normal desire for order in your life, the physical tension may become
quite intense. It is very important that you be able to communicate with
someone in order to help release the tension, because it can be quite
damaging to your body. This transit does not usually cause but it will
worsen such conditions as heart disease, ulcers and other diseases related
to tension.
Jupiter Square Jupiter
6 June 2000 until 26 June 2000: With this transit it is very important
that you keep your affairs from getting out of hand. There is a strong
tendency to excess, which may make it impossible to keep up with whatever
you are involved in, simply because it is more than you can handle. Be
particularly careful concerning financial matters, for you are likely
to spend without thinking, confident that there is an abundance of money
or other resources to back you up. You may not notice the pinch immediately,
but shortly after this transit you may experience shortages that will
be severely exacerbated if you spend money foolishly now.
But money is not the only area of concern. You may be overcommitted
to projects that demand more time than you really have. So in every area
of your life, make sure that you really have the time or resources to
do what you have set out to do. Do not overestimate the resources at your
disposal.
If you avoid that pitfall, this can be a very fruitful transit, because
it gives you more confidence and optimism and allows you to undertake
projects that you would ordinarily be reluctant to take on. Also your
basically positive attitude helps to ensure that your affairs will turn
out the way you want.
Under this transit some persons experience a kind of ego inflation in
which they have delusions of grandeur or overestimate their self-importance.
This can lead to arrogant behavior and inflated pride with little or no
real substance behind it.
What this transit does is test your sense of proportion. You have to
know what you really can and cannot do and who you really are. Insofar
as you fulfill those conditions, this transit will give you apparent luck
and greater power to achieve. Insofar as you do not know about yourself,
you will experience the negative effects of the transit.
Jupiter Square Pluto
9 June 2000 until 29 June 2000: This transit can have the effect of
arousing your ambition to achieve great things. You feel as if your energies
could carry you higher and farther than usual, and you are willing to
strive for power and success. But your efforts may run into considerable
resistance from others, especially if you are not completely scrupulous
about your methods. This transit can bring you success and social standing,
but it also can deprive you of these. Instead of gaining power, you may
simply provoke conflict with those who are in power, sometimes quite innocently.
You may have no intention of challenging anyone, yet you find yourself
in a tight spot with the authorities.
Another manifestation of this energy is that you may become involved
with a project to repair or rebuild something. It might be physical property,
a neighborhood or a more abstract matter, such as reorganizing or reforming
a government, business or other institution. Your aim is to improve, but
here again you may encounter opposition from people who do not agree with
your ideas or who feel threatened by your actions.
You must avoid becoming obsessed with any plan or course of action,
and be particularly ready to reexamine your ideas of right or wrong in
any matter. Stand up for what you believe is right, but first make sure
that you are right. This transit sometimes can make you feel convinced
of a point of view that is actually shaky. You should look at religious,
philosophical or metaphysical views very closely. If you wish to lead
others to enlightenment, first make very certain of the quality of your
own.
In some cases this transit can lead to legal conflicts, and you should
be very sure that any legal matter you are involved in is strictly legitimate.
Avoid underworld or shady persons in any matter.
Saturn Square Jupiter
End of June 2000 until mid April 2001: During this transit your opportunities
may be curtailed and your freedom of action may be quite limited. Restrictions
seem to come from nowhere, and you may have to work very hard just to
maintain your accustomed level, let alone improve it. This transit can
be quite unfavorable financially, especially if you have not been very
careful in recent years. It tests how well you have put your life together
in almost every area, but especially in matters related to finances, business
and your profession. You may discover that many aspects of your life cannot
withstand real adversity.
Approximately seven years ago, many new activities began in your life.
Now they are being tested to see whether they have any real importance
in your life. Anything that does not withstand this test should be abandoned
or substantially changed. It will be possible to hold on to something
that clearly does not work, in spite of opposition from others and restrictions
from your surroundings. And if you do that, after this transit, it may
appear to be working out all right. But that is only because the current
challenge is over. However, in about seven years anything you have clung
to will be tested again and will cause far more trouble than it does now.
In other words, if something isn't working now, let it go!
Typically this transit produces extreme restlessness. Jupiter's drive
for freedom is relentlessly curbed by the restrictions of Saturn, and
you feel very strongly that you must break out of these restrictions.
You may experience job or residence changes and the breakup of personal
relationships that seem to interfere unduly with your freedom. However
these changes are usually just hasty reactions to this transit. You would
be much better off to calmly evaluate what is and isn't working in your
life and to consciously eliminate the elements that do not work. Don't
just react blindly because of frustration. That will only make matters
worse when Saturn comes to the opposition or conjunction of your natal
Jupiter.
You may experience great frustration in your work. First determine whether
you are just being impatient, or whether your work really doesn't allow
you the necessary scope for development. Either way it would be better
not to make up your mind until after this transit is over.
Jupiter Trine Mars
Beginning of August 2000 until end of April 2001: This transit creates
an easy flow of energy that enables you to act much more effectively than
usual and to take initiatives that demand foresight, careful planning
and considerable self- confidence. Almost any initiative that you take
now will work out as you want it to. It is a good time to start any enterprise.
Your actions are governed by a strong sense of integrity. You may be
ambitious with this transit, but you feel that it is very important to
achieve your goals correctly and in accordance with ethical standards.
Others will recognize your integrity, which will increase their confidence
in you.
Under this transit you have a strong desire to make something of your
self in the broadest sense of the term. For example, there is the drive
to succeed, particularly in some project that you have started yourself.
This transit signifies actions aimed at enlarging your scope of action,
giving you more freedom of movement and creating opportunities for new
experience.
This is a good time to approach a person with whom you do not usually
get along or someone you have had a temporary dispute with and make an
effort to settle it. You will find it easy to convince the other person
of the integrity of your motives because it is true, and they will respect
that. If you are involved in a legal controversy, this transit is a good
time to settle that dispute on terms favorable to yourself.
- - -
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).
Sun Conjunct Descendant
On 17 January 2000: Today you will be chiefly concerned with all kinds
of encounters with others. Psychologically, you will learn about yourself
through the way you experience and affect other people. Therefore you
must be very conscious of all your dealings with others today. There is
no danger in not being conscious, but you would miss a great opportunity
to learn more about yourself.
There is great likelihood of ego conflicts with others today, because
the pressure of circumstances will draw you closer to others now than
at almost any other time. That is, you have to work with them! You have
little or no choice in the matter. Obviously, anyone whom you tend to
have difficulty with will be a source of trouble today, because you cannot
escape the confrontation. In fact it is a good idea to have it out and
get your problems into the open so that perhaps you can clear it up.
This is a good time to consult a lawyer, psychologist, psychiatrist,
doctor or any other professional expert or consultant. The basic theme
is working with a consultant personality, not with a particular type of
consultant. It may even be a close friend whom you bring more closely
into your intimate space for some reason.
The point is that you will not derive much benefit from keeping to yourself
today. Even if your only encounter with another person is unpleasant,
it will be useful to you in the long run. If you withdraw, the initiative
will be taken out of your own hands and placed in the environment, where
you have little control over it. And you will still have the confrontation.
This transit is related to Jupiter square Ascendant
on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mercury in the Ninth House
Beginning of February 2000 until mid April 2000: This is a good time
for any kind of study and education, because you are intellectually eager
for knowledge and new experiences. You want to take a larger view of life
in order to see how the various parts fit together to make up the whole.
Any new and interesting phenomenon from a world outside your own is likely
to attract your attention at this time. Subjects relating to foreign places,
the law, philosophy or higher knowledge of any kind will engage your attention.
It is possible that you may have some dealings with officials connected
with the law, although you should not fear this possibility particularly.
It is a good time to travel, because your curiosity makes travel very
interesting to you. But to get the most from the experience, you should
expose yourself to a life as different from your own as possible. You
are also quite open to alternative lifestyles at this time.
This transit is good for all kinds of conversation and communication
with others, especially about rather abstract ideas, general philosophy
and approaches to life. It is easier now to make your position in these
areas clear to others. Also you will be inclined to listen more carefully
to what others have to say about these ideas, and you will be especially
interested if their beliefs differ from your own. Consequently you are
much more tolerant than usual of different opinions.
Venus Square Sun
On 22 February 2000: 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.
This transit is related to Neptune square Sun on p.
$$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Sun in the Eleventh House
Beginning of May 2000 until mid June 2000: 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.
Venus Opposition Saturn
On 18 May 2000: You will experience today a great conflict between your
sense of duty and discipline on one hand and your desire to enjoy yourself
or relate to others on the other hand. If you feel emotionally cold today
despite the overtures of a loved one, it is best to do nothing. Remember
that this is a short-term transit. You should not pretend to have emotions
that you do not feel, because of a misguided sense of duty; the other
person will sense this and it will only increase the hurt.
Loneliness and self-pity sometimes come with this transit. You feel
surrounded by bright, positive energies that you simply cannot relate
to. You may feel like a gray presence among colorful people. Do not take
such feelings seriously, unless you have them frequently. Even if you
do, such feelings probably don't represent anything real, but feeling
sorry for yourself can be a symptom of a serious problem. You should examine
yourself and the kinds of energies that you demonstrate to other people.
You may have built a wall between yourself and others out of fear.
In general today, relationships will force you to encounter aspects
of yourself that you would prefer not to face.
This transit is related to Saturn opposition Saturn
on p. $$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mars Conjunct Ascendant
On 27 July 2000: 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.
Sun Square Sun
On 27 July 2000: This transit occurs roughly three months after your
birthday; it is a transit of challenge and crisis. The seriousness of
the crisis varies tremendously from person to person, but in any case
you needn't fear this transit. However, you should watch for circumstances
that will test you and the validity of whatever you are doing.
Very often this crisis occurs in the form of persons who are working
at cross-purposes to your efforts. They may or may not oppose you intentionally,
but the thrust of their actions forces you to prove that what you are
doing is worthwhile. You may be very angry at these people, feeling that
they are motivated by nothing but malice. In fact their motives are the
same as yours, which you must learn to understand.
The challenges may occur in connection with your efforts to build something
up, to create a material structure or to get a project going. Or they
may occur as a test of some new aspect of your personality that has recently
come into being. Both your successes and your failures at this time will
bear fruit in about three months, when the Sun transits opposition your
natal Sun.
This transit is related to Neptune square Sun on p.
$$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mars Conjunct Pluto
On 14 September 2000: 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.
Mercury in the Fifth House
Mid October 2000 until mid December 2000: 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.
Sun Conjunct Sun
On 28 October 2000: 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.
This transit is related to Neptune square Sun on p.
$$ and can function as a trigger for it.
Mars Conjunct Mars
On 20 November 2000: 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.
Venus Square Sun
On 12 December 2000: 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.
This transit is related to Neptune square Sun on p.
$$ and can function as a trigger for it.
- - -
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.
|