How to read transits
Astrologers give the most weight to transits from the slow planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, because they last for weeks or months and coincide with longer chapters of life. Transits from the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars pass quickly and describe the mood of a day or a week.
Retrograde planets appear to move backward from Earth’s point of view, so a slow planet can cross the same point in your chart up to three times over a year.
Questions
What is a transit in astrology?
A transit is a planet’s current position compared with your birth chart. When a moving planet forms an aspect to one of your natal planets, astrologers read it as that planet’s theme becoming active in your life for a while.
How long do transits last?
It depends on the planet. A Moon transit lasts a few hours, transits of the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars a few days, and transits of Jupiter, Saturn and the outer planets weeks to months, especially when retrograde motion brings them back over the same point.
What does applying and separating mean?
Applying means the transiting planet is still moving toward the exact aspect, so the theme is building. Separating means the exact moment has passed and the influence is fading.