Transit
A transit is, in astrology, the passage of a currently moving planet over a degree of the zodiac or over a planet of a natal chart. Transits are used to study the evolution of a situation over time.
Origin and etymology
The word comes from the Latin transitus, meaning passage. The astrological use of the term goes back at least to late Antiquity. Claudius Ptolemy, in the Tetrabiblos in the 2nd century, already mentions planetary passages as indicators of significant moments in a life. The medieval Arab tradition, with Abu Ma'shar (787-886), developed the technique of transits as a predictive tool. In the Renaissance, Jean-Baptiste Morin de Villefranche systematized the study of transits in his Astrologia Gallica, published posthumously in 1661. The technique remains central in all modern schools.
Evolution and tradition
Transits are calculated by overlaying the current position of the planets onto the natal sky. Transits of fast planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars) mark brief moments, sometimes a few hours for the Moon. Transits of slow planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) cover several months or even years and structure life stages. The Saturn return around age 29-30, and its second return around age 58-60, are emblematic transits studied by Liz Greene in Saturn (1976). Uranus opposing its natal position, around age 40-42, marks the midlife crisis.
Practical use
Predictive astrology relies heavily on the study of transits combined with other techniques (progressions, directions, profections). An astrologer analyzes current and upcoming transits to natal planets and angles to understand the dynamics at play. On Tarotoui, transits can be calculated for any past, present or future date and cross-referenced with the natal chart. The precision of modern astronomical ephemerides (Swiss Ephemeris, JPL) allows calculations to the second of arc. A good transit reading articulates the moving planet, the aspect formed, and the natal planet touched.
Going further
Confusing transit with destiny is a popular misreading. A transit describes an active dynamic in a person's life, not an unavoidable event. The same configuration can manifest in very different ways depending on life context, level of consciousness, and available resources. Note also that an isolated transit carries little weight: it is the convergence of several transits that signals truly significant periods.