Transits, Progressions and Directed Solar Arcs - The Basic Tools of

Prediction

Once you have had your natal chart interpreted the next questions are usually around “what is
happening now? Or next month? Or next year?”

Although freewill is a gift to human beings which mean that our future is not predestined, one of the
great uses of astrology is to know what the psychological weather conditions are likely to be at any
given time so that we can better navigate those sometimes stormy waters or take advantage of the
opportunities as they open up.

It’s the psychological equivalent of taking an umbrella with you if the weatherman says it is going to
rain or a swimming costume if sun is forecast!

There are many techniques available to the astrologer to make these predictions but we are going to
look here briefly at three of the most common:

• Transits
• Day for Year Progressions
• Directed Solar Arc

“Transits” means looking at the position of a planet in the sky on any given date and comparing it
with the positions of the planets when you were born.

For example, if you were born when Venus was at sixteen degrees of Libra and Uranus is now at
sixteen degrees of Aries then you have a temporary opposition between Venus and Uranus. Even
though Venus in Libra signifies a someone who is very artistic or makes good relationships the
influence of Uranus in the short term can be very disruptive. It might signify the sudden end of a
relationship either personal or artistic - the exact nature will depend on the houses in which the
planets are placed.

Transits are more important for the slower moving planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
and Pluto) as they will make contact with the planets in your natal chart for longer. Transits from the
quicker planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus) may mean you have a particularly eventful day or
even half a day but their influence won’t extend beyond that.

“Progressions” takes us into the world of symbols - astrology is a symbolic language. In “Day for
Year” progressions we assume that each day after a person is born represents one years of their life
and move the positions of the planets accordingly to the time about which an enquiry is made.

So, if someone were born on 3 July 1963 and wanted to know what was happening now that they
had reached the age of 26 we would look at the position of the planets on 29 July 1963 (born on 3
July + age 26 = 29 July) and see what aspects they were making to the planets in the person’s natal
chart or whether they are changing sign.

This is particularly useful when we are looking at the position of the quicker moving planets - the
Progressed Moon, for example, occupies each sign for between two and two and a half years and a
change of sign is frequently accompanied by a significant shift in one’s daily life.

If the Progressed Sun makes contact with Venus in the natal chart (or vice versa) this may signal the
onset of a significant relationship.
Progressions for the slower moving planets are much less significant as they may move little even
over the course of an entire lifetime.

The Directed Solar Arc is something of a cross between transits and progressions and is relevant for
all planets.

Instead of moving each planet forward according to its own pace in the sky it is assumed that it
moves at the same pace as the Sun.

So, if someone is interested in what is happening when they are 35, in addition to looking at the
transits and progressions we would also move all the planets forward at the same rate as the Sun -
approximately one degree per year.

The same analysis is then carried out - are planets changing sign, touching one of the important
parts of the chart such as the ascendant or Midheaven or contacting another planet in the natal
chart?

I have usually found that contacts to another planet when using progressions or Directed Solar Arcs
are much more significant when a conjunction is involved i.e. when both planets are in the same
degree of the same sign than when it is an aspect such as a trine (120o) or square (90o).

Most astrological software calculates the transits, progressions and solar arc directions relating to
any natal chart.

If you don’t have astrological software installed on your computer then you can work out the
positions manually with the help of an ephemeris which gives all the positions of the planets day by
day.

My favourite is The American Ephemeris which is available from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-
keywords=american%20ephemeris&sprefix=american+ephemeris%2Caps%2C136.

© Jonathon Clark 2015