Personal Transits - Transient Planets
Astrology is a way of tracking time and events through the movement of the planets. And while ancient astrology took a more external and societal approach, modern astrology uses practices that explain our personal lives. With a blend of both practices, we’re able to predict when major change will happen in our lives, such as a midlife crisis, and how to better deal with it.
If you are like me and use astrology every day in your spirituality but also a guide to your day (such as what day of the week a planet is ruling), then knowing about your personal transits is a way to figure out what is your focus of the day. Fridays are great for creativity, artistic expression, and social activities. Mondays are great days for focusing on self-care and personal pursuits, especially when the phase of the moon is considered. But what I rarely see talked about is personal transits of a planet in relation to the same planet in your personal chart. Most times these transits are discussed in terms of planetary returns. But I want to expand that a bit more in terms of planets making aspects with the same planet in your natal chart.
I realize that certain days, months, and even seasons affect me in particular ways that ultimately have an astrological component to them. I’ve just gone through another Jupiter Return, which was the first of the major big shifts in my life. There are a few other planets that are forming opening squares on my personal chart, which many astrological resources say that these signal big changes that a person will have to reconcile in their life for a few years depending on the planet and topics they are experiencing a change in. This has definitely been true since Uranus left Taurus and moved to Gemini in April 2026. I went through a massive shift, including being laid off from my job, which was one of the most traumatic shifts in my life. But I felt a change happening when Jupiter moved to Cancer the year prior (the planet has moved to Leo as I write this). So these experiences led me to look deeper into personal transits, and I realized just how important they are to my personal practice. I want to spend a few blog posts talking about personal transits of each planet and how those can contribute to what feels like a new personal era for us. These will be very subtle like whenever we have a new Lunar or Solar Return, to major ones like a Saturn Return. I’m also including important personal transits with the modern outer planets.
Recap on Astrology Basics
Before we dive into the topic at hand, let’s go over some preliminary information first. Personal transits are when the planets transiting through the current sky make configurations (aspects) with the exact points of planets in our natal chart. Current planets line up with the placements of those planets on our natal chart. For example, when the Sun lines up with the natal Sun on someone’s birthday or when the Sun is opposite a person’s Sun in their natal chart, or even if Mercury is square a person’s natal Sun. These signatures point to something going on in our lives, either subtly or a major way. A solar return happens every year on your birthday. However, a Saturn return happens about every 30 years and can feel like a significant shift in a person’s life. Each personal transit can signal a shift in our life. Now, if you need a refresher on any of that terminology, I’ll try to give an overview but listen to my earlier episodes or read my earlier blog posts for more information. Consider these next episodes as advanced topics within the practice of astrology.
First off, before we consider personal transits, we need to look at the condition of a planet by the four foundational parts in astrology. That is the planet and what it symbolizes, and I’ll use the sun as an example. The sun in astrology can mean a lot of things but basically it’s our sense of identity, higher purpose, what we want to achieve in life essentially. Next, we consider what sign it’s in especially if it’s an essential dignity. For the Sun, that would be domicile Leo, exalted in Aries, in detriment in Aquarius, or in fall in Libra. Any other sign has a more neutral expression but is still important to consider. Then we look at what house the planet is in, especially if it’s in an angular house such as the Ascendant, Descendant, IC, or Midheaven. Angular houses draw more attention but again each house is important to consider. And last we look at what configurations or aspects it’s making with other planets, which is the basis of this series.
Now, the basis of these next few episodes will be on the configurations between the current planets and the same ones in a natal chart. In my personal practice and studies, I look at the five traditional aspects: conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition. There is also technically a sixth one, known as aversions, which just means planets that are outside of these 5 configurations. They can have significance depending on the planet and the topics being observed. Astrology is one of those esoteric practices that is very broad and can take years to understand because of all the information, history, and different practices that have developed since ancient civilizations.
Conjunction means that two planets are in the same sign and close in degrees to one another. Degrees are the measurements of where planets are in the sky on the zodiac. Conjunction symbolizes that the topics of those planets heavily affect one another, as if they become blended. You’ll see what I mean when we look at each planet in this series. Sextile means planets are two signs apart and trine is four signs apart. This means the planetary topics are coming about positively or less challenging if we’re talking about the malefic planets Saturn and Mars. Sextile is a subtle aspect, whereas trine feels a bit more at ease. Square presents challenges between the topics of two planets and they are three signs apart. And last, when planets are opposite each other, the topics can feel at odds with one another, like we’re being pulled in opposite directions. I’m using signs instead of degrees because it’s easier to visualize on a chart. But it is said in some texts that the closer in degrees these planets are, the stronger the effects can be. So for instance, the Sun may enter the sign of your natal Sun maybe a few weeks before your birthday, and you may feel that shift, but the confidence and vitality may become stronger the closer the Sun gets to the exact degree of your natal Sun. Then those feelings of confidence and radiance and positivity may decrease as the Sun travels away from your natal position and into the next sign. I believe this, as it is something I have felt in my life with other planets, such as Saturn and Mars, which are prominent in my chart.
Now with that foundation laid out, let’s look at personal transits for the inferior planets, or as I like to call them, transient planets.
Personal Transits
First, when a planet returns to the original spot in our natal chart, that’s called a planetary return. While this can signal a new cycle in the outer planets, the transient planets can signal a subtle shift and renewed focus in a particular area of our life, depending on where the planet is in our chart. As I examine personal transits, I’m only talking about the planet making aspects to the same planet in our personal chart.
Second, the 7 classical planets (which I’m including the sun and moon in this category) rule the seven days of the week, according to traditional astrology. So when certain personal transits with these planets happen on a day they also rule, the topics can be more of a focus on that day. So I’ll be adding that at the end of each entry.
MOON
The moon represents our body, emotions, closest relationships, and immediate circumstances. Depending on the area of a chart, it can have connections to parents and the past. It’s the closet planetary body to us, and although not a planet in the scientific sense, it’s still counted as a planet in astrological classification for ease. When a planet is conjunct the same planet in our chart, it’s called a planetary return. So our lunar return is the moon returning to the same location it is in our natal chart. The few days of our lunar return can be sensitive for us, as the topics of our natal moon can be front of mind. Depending on the condition of the natal moon, we may be more introspective, irritated, frustrated, or comfort-seeking. I find these days a moment of rest, especially on a Monday, which is the day of the week that the moon rules according to traditional astrology.
When it is sextile or trine our natal moon, these can be days that feel a bit at ease. We may feel we have the resources to deal with the struggles that come with everyday life. We may also feel we can handle our own emotional struggles better depending on the condition of the moon in our charts of course.
Now, when the transiting moon is square or opposite our natal moon, this is when emotional and even relationship issues may come to the forefront. We may feel more irritated and frustrated on these days. There may be some personal strife we’ll have to tend to or process. It’s best to be patient with ourselves and practice self-care to process our emotions and the events going on in the world. Setting clear boundaries and being honest with ourselves when we need a break can facilitate this.
With the moon in particular, it’s important to notice the phases as well. A new moon and waxing moon set things in motion, while the waning moon is a moment of introspection and slowing down. The full moon can either be a frenzied day or one in which things come to fruition. Depending on the phase, a personal transit with the moon can be a subtle one or feel like a major issue, such as a full moon opposite your natal moon. Again, self-care, patience, and sticking to personal boundaries are in order on these days.
The moon rules Monday, so this is the day I especially pay attention to when I’m going through something difficult. I wonder if that’s why Mondays in our corporate culture are the hardest. Mondays should be a day of reflection and seeking comfort, but most of us are forced to work in corporate settings doing work that is not fulfilling or comforting. These are days in which I move slowly and do only what is absolutely necessary, knowing that Tuesday (Mars’ Day) is a day where I may have more energy to get things done.
Personal transits with the moon happen monthly. So it’s easy to mark off days in which we may need a little more self-care and pay more attention to our health. The moon reminds us to pay attention to what is immediate to us and what is within our control.
SUN
The Sun represents our identity, our public affairs, our higher purpose, and in some practices, relates to our family and figures of authority. I see it as what we put out in the world. The moon is our private affairs, while the Sun is our public affairs. So during our lunar return, we may feel the urge to retreat and seek sources of comfort, whereas on our solar return, or birthday, many of us feel the urge to go out and celebrate. It’s the day when we get to focus on ourselves and be the center of attention. Even if a big birthday bash isn’t something you vibe with, it could simply be a time of confidence and feeling energized about that day, month, or even year, since our solar return happens every year. Of course, not every year will be a positive birthday. Some years are going to be difficult. Regardless, a solar return is a moment of considering what we want to put out into the world and how we want to define ourselves. What is our purpose and what do we want to be known for? Even for those who don’t celebrate their birthday, the topic of our identity and purpose in life may come up.
When the Sun forms a sextile or trine to the Sun in our chart, this may be a week of renewed vitality and confidence. We may feel a bit more optimistic about life and our personal endeavors. These are good days to assert ourselves and move towards whatever higher purpose we feel drawn to. However, when the Sun is opposite or square our natal Sun, it could be a week of challenges, especially with authority figures, or questioning our decisions in life. This is a week to evaluate what we’re putting out into the world and how we’re showing up for others. There may even be a couple of obstacles in our path, preventing us from pursuing certain objectives we want to achieve. Like the moon, this is a week to reflect on what we want and have self-awareness in how we’re showing up in the world and for others.
The Sun rules Sunday, so the beginning of the week is a great time for planning our personal activities and public endeavors. It’s a great day to contemplate how we want to honor ourselves. Personal transits with the Sun happen yearly. So this may give a clue as to why certain months and even seasons feel challenging or exciting every year. Some people hate the winter, while others, like me, love the fall and winter. Others love summer, and I’m someone who would rather stay inside and avoid the extreme heat. The Sun urges us to build confidence in ourselves and show up in the world in the most authentic way.
MERCURY
Mercury symbolizes our communication, thought processes, education, and in a collective sense, our relationship with technology. It also symbolizes how we use our knowledge to complete certain tasks and daily activities. Mercury retrogrades are referenced on social media in jest by people who don’t practice or believe in astrology. We see the effects even in our anti-pagan culture. From computer program crashes and glitches to malfunctions and breakdowns of apps and websites, this has some significance to what Mercury is doing in the sky, especially if it’s retrograde. This is also why you should never plan on traveling during a Mercury retrograde, and if you must, plan for some delays and travel plan mishaps.
A Mercury return can be a moment of planning what we want to accomplish and learn through the year. It’s a moment to evaluate how we’ve been communicating through the year, what we’ve accomplished, and how we’ve been tackling tasks. Do we have a habit of over-scheduling ourselves and trying to do too many things at one time? Or are there some things we really wanted to get done in the year but didn’t get to for whatever reason? Again, Mercury is a transient planet, so this could be a brief contemplation and just a short list of plans, nothing too extensive. But it is important as it assists us in our everyday tasks and social interactions, especially as it applies to our internal and external circumstances, symbolized by the Sun and Moon. I update my notes and systems during a Mercury return, making room for new information to be logged and categorized throughout the year.
When Mercury is sextile or trine our personal Mercury, this can symbolize moments where our communication and education are invigorated. We can gain some great insights to our work or social interactions, and can even use the time to put certain works out, like blog or social media posts. There’s a sense of ease in how we go about our personal tasks and goals. However, when Mercury is square or opposite our personal Mercury, that can symbolize a breakdown in our workflow. This is a moment to slow down and evaluate the process. Maybe we need to reconsider our notes and look for new information. It may even be a time when our thinking isn’t as clear, especially if other planets are involved like Neptune or during a Mercury retrograde. This is a time to work on creative projects and abstract ideas that don’t need to be concrete or conformed to a system.
Now Mercury, like the Sun, travels around the zodiac once a year, so these are yearly transits that we can track. Mercury rules Wednesdays, so on these days I look at what Mercury is doing and how it’s interacting with my planets, including my personal Mercury. I see Mercury as the planet that symbolizes getting things done as we explore what’s out there in the world.
VENUS
Venus symbolizes our relationships, social connections, values, and creativity. It’s seen as one of the most beneficial planets, due to how bright the planet is in the night sky. When we want to add sweetness, luxury, and romance to our lives, this is the planet that most astrologers will look at and examine its condition in a chart.
A Venus return is a moment to reflect on our relationships, values, and how we want to add more beauty and meaning to our lives. Venus is not a planet that likes to rock the boat. It wants everyone to get along and to do what’s fair for the group. Which is a good intention, but isn’t always feasible. Therefore, setting boundaries and ending toxic relationships can be quite difficult for many people. Human beings are social, and cutting off those social connections can be a challenge even for the most stoic introvert. But sometimes that is needed to keep your peace and sanity. On the flip side, maybe we have been dismissing the need for more creativity and beauty in our lives, so this is a time to consider that as well.
Venus sextile or trine our personal Venus could be a week of opportunities, increased social connections, and just good vibes all around. Traditional doctrine says that sextile is the most beneficial configuration for Venus, so either of these can signal us seeking more beauty and meaning in our lives in relation to our natal Venus. However, Venus opposite or square our personal Venus may bring some issues to our relationships and values. We may not be as creative or feel a sense of temporary stagnation. Venus is a benefic planet, so these challenges may be subtler than if it were Mars or Saturn or even Mercury. It just means that the benefits that are normally associated with Venus may not be as prominent as during other aspects in our chart.
Venus, just like Mercury and the Sun, travels around the zodiac once a year, so these transits are yearly and we can track them. This gives us a clue as to which months may be most beneficial for us on a personal level. Venus rules Fridays, which is great for socializing at the end of the week. This is a day when we can watch a movie, go to an art exhibit, or end the day after a long day of work with a sense of beauty and luxury. Venus reminds us to consider the sweeter moments in life, especially when the outside world can seem harsh and unforgiving.
MARS
Mars symbolizes the harsh aspects of life such as combat, war, social unrest, and physical trauma. And while Mars is one of the malefic planets in traditional astrology, it also symbolizes our willpower and perseverance. It’s the planet we look to for our source of determination and fighting for what we believe in. This planet appears red in the sky, and red is a color we associate with passion, energy, lust, and motivation.
A Mars return can be a moment where these topics of motivation and passion are reinvigorated. During a Mars return, I am more active in certain topics and exert a lot more force and willpower to get certain things accomplished. Any challenges along the way aren’t ones I feel blocked by. It’s also a moment where I feel more emboldened to take charge. This is the signification of a Mars return - it’s a moment where our sense of passion and perseverance is reignited.
Mars sextile or trine our personal Mars may be moments where we feel confident to push through any adversity and exert our sense of will. We may still come up against challenges, but we may have the resources to pivot and still keep our eye on the goal or desire. Mars square or opposite our Mars however is when things can get dicey. We may resort to being overly combative in order to get our way, or come up against challenges that stop us altogether with no idea on how to get around them and still achieve our personal goals. This can be a rather difficult time for us. Traditional doctrine says that Mars is its most harsh when square another planet. So these are moments where we will have to find healthy outlets for those intense emotions of frustration and anger that may arise, especially if it’s a scenario outside of our control.
Now some astrologers may place Mars as a superior planet with Jupiter and Saturn, or others like me, place it with inferior or transient planets with Venus and Mercury. This is because Mars takes about 2 years to travel around the zodiac. So slower than the yearly planets Venus and Mercury or the Sun. However, it’s way faster than the next planet in our solar system. Jupiter can take 12 years to travel the zodiac, and Saturn takes about 30. So Mars topics are not as slow to come about as those two planets. But I find Mars’s significations similar to Venus. Venus can be rather fast, and I find Mars to be as fast as well, albeit on a more intense side depending on the sign it’s in. Two years can go by quite fast in terms of personal transits, especially if Mars is only in a sign for a little over a month. This is all due to the planets being vastly different in distance from the Earth, which forms the optical illusion that is the basis of astrology.
Mars rules Tuesday, so pay attention to what Mars is doing on these days. Whereas we can track the other planets discussed yearly, Mars is every two years, remembering that it spends roughly a month in a sign. Mars is the planet that reminds us to consider what is worth fighting for.
Remember What’s Important
So those are all the transient planets and what they can symbolize in a personal transit. These planets travel quite fast through the zodiac in relation to the other planets in astrology. Therefore, the effects of these transits can be on a subtle level or at least in a temporary or short timeframe. This is already a lot of information, which is why this last part is something I may end each post in this series, just as a reminder of what’s important in this practice.
Astrology can be a lot because it is an ancient practice of looking at the cosmos and denoting meaning to us here on Earth. Looking at every personal transit can be overwhelming. That’s why I’m grateful for astrology programs and tools that will track these personal transits for you and give you little blurbs about what’s coming up. It can give you a sense of validation and confirmation of what you’re going through, or even why a day may feel a bit off. I like to look at astrology as a list of what’s most important to least important.
First off, I think the most important objects in the sky are the planets. I’m not at a point in my practice where I’m looking at specific points like all the nodes or Black Moon Lilith, or even the asteroids. I believe those are tertiary to the planets and major angles in our chart. That would be astrology level 103 or 300, after we’ve looked at the basic top-level concepts. So first I look at the planets and see what the modern and outer planets are doing first. We’ll talk more about them in future posts. Then the transient planets that we discussed here. If they are conjunct or opposite another planet in our chart, these are going to be what I consider the strongest influences. We may notice certain events happening, information being received, or emotions being processed at these moments. Some astrologers will have a few caveats based on ancient doctrines, but I look at these first.
Next, I look at what is in the four main angles: Ascendant, Descendent, IC, and Midheaven. These point to certain circumstances and emotions that are grabbing our attention more than other things in life. For example, when the Sun is in my IC, I focus more on my home and my sense of personal security and even my past that has led me to the station in life today. If a planet is forming any of the five classic aspects to our personal planets, that signals something important that we may deal with, even for a few days, like with the Moon.
And last, I look at any other significant thing happening in my personal chart and on the mundane level. This is where the art of astrology comes in. Decide what’s important versus what can be analyzed at a later date, depending on time and circumstances in your life. Tools like timing techniques or tertiary stuff like asteroids can be considered for a broader view. This is my list of looking at what’s important so that I don’t get overwhelmed in my practice. I also start off looking at which planet is ruling a certain day, such as the Moon on Mondays, and what it’s doing that day. That gives me a lot of information on what I’m feeling and what’s on the forefront of my mind that day. This normally influences the other plans I have and why I may reschedule certain activities that are not urgent or super important. But that came with time and personal reflection of what was most valuable to me in this practice and what would help me the most. Because, again, astrology can be quite overwhelming and take years to really understand.
Astrology is just one of the many practices that can be used for spiritual and personal fulfillment. There’s a reason it never truly left our consciousness, even when it was cast aside during the Enlightenment period and is still ridiculed in academic settings. It’s a metaphysical practice rather than a hard scientific one like astronomy. Therefore, I consider it a spiritual practice with a lot more leeway than established religions such as Christianity. The more we learn about the certain techniques and doctrines of this practice, the more we can adapt it to assist in our personal endeavors.
Stay tuned for future posts in this series.
