What are Transits?

Planetary transits are the movement of the planets through the zodiac signs. As the planets continuously move along their orbits, they gradually pass from one sign to another. That is, the motion of the planets is constant and as they move through the cosmos, they transit from sign to sign. Over time, each planet will ultimately pass through all the houses of a horoscope chart.

A birth, or natal chart is a snapshot of the positions of the planets at the time of birth. This is the chart you are born with and represents the blueprint of your life, personality and potential. However, the motion of the planets is constant, not stopping for a second, hence they continue to progress in their cyclical orbits past this exact time of birth.

In astrological parlance, a transit means any ongoing planetary movement relative to:

• The zodiac signs.
• The natal chart houses.
• The natal planets.

A transit chart follows this dynamic change of position, so whereas a planet may have been positioned in a certain house at the time of birth, it will continue to move through the horoscope, causing the ups and downs that we experience. The dynamic chart below shows the current planetary positions for each day of July.

The Astrological v/s Astronomical View

Astronomers also recognise and make use of the same planetary transits that astrologers do. That is, there is no difference with regards to the motion of the planets, for either discipline. So if the Sun is, say transiting through the zodiac of Taurus according to an astrologer’s horoscope chart, as it is at the time of publication of this article, there will be no argument on this account from the scientists at NASA. The difference lies not in where the planets are, but in how their positions are calculated and referenced.

Astronomically, the planets follow heliocentric orbits, that is they revolve around the Sun, and a transit specifically means one body passing across another. When an astrologer talks about a transit, they are referring to the apparent position of a planet relative to the Earth, against the background of the zodiac constellations, as the planet transverses its orbit. So while astrologers and astronomers may agree on the position of the planets, they differ in their understanding of the term 'Transit'.

In astrology, the Sun and Moon are also considered to be planets of influence and the paths that all astrological planets trace are:

1. Independent of each other.
2. Essentially geocentric, where the Earth is the centre of this path.

However, the biggest technical distinction lies in the zodiac systems, as in astrology there are two schools of thought on the matter, and both differ from astronomy.

1. The Sidereal Zodiac: This is used in Vedic astrology, aligns with astronomical constellations and is based on the actual star background.
2. The Tropical Zodiac: This is used in Western astrology. It is tied to the Earth’s seasons and equinoxes. This zodiac does not align with the current astronomical constellations.

The tropical and sidereal zodiacs differ by about 24°, owing to the precession of the equinoxes.

Astrological Anomalies

The paradox of the astronomical orbit of the Earth around the Sun, and the Sun’s own astrological transits, gives rise to the exclusively astrological phenomena of:

1. Retrograde Motion:
   • This is the apparent backward movement of planets as observed from Earth, where the planets appear to move backwards, stop and then resume forward motion. Astronomically, there is no such change or reversal of orbital direction.
   • On the other hand, the Sun and Moon move continuously forward through the zodiac from the geocentric perspective of astrologers. Hence their apparent motion never reverses, and they have no retrograde periods.
   • The Sun completes one circuit of the zodiac in approximately 365 days.
   • The Moon completes one circuit in approximately 27.3 days (sidereal) or about 29.5 days (synodic cycle).
   • Rahu and Ketu are mythical Vedic planets, which are always treated as retrograde, because they are lunar nodes rather than physical planets.
2. Varying planetary speeds:
   • As both the Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun at different distances and speeds, their apparent motion against the zodiac changes. This can cause planets to:
   • Speed up in direct motion, the opposite of retrograde.
   • Slow down.
   • Appear stationary (stationing).

In the dynamic chart above, retrograde motion, the varying speeds and strengths (in degrees) of the planets can be observed, as they transit through the zodiac.