Reframing Transits

REFRAMING TRANSITS

Joanne Wickenburg

Copyright 2013 Joanne Wickenburg

Smashwords Edition

ISBN 9781301898572

Discover other titles at http://www.joannewickenburg.com

A Journey through the Birth Chart

In Search of a Fulfilling Career

Your Hidden Powers: Retrograde Planets and Intercepted Signs

co/author of:

The Spiral of Life

The Digested Astrologer

When Your Sun Returns (currently out of print)

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It is the copyrighted property of the author only. It may not be reproduced, copied or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to purchase their own copy at smashword.com or on Joanne’s website. Thank you for your support.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction-Lucy Pond

Chapter One: An Overview

Chapter Two: Setting the Foundation

Chapter Three: Reframing Our View of Transits

Chapter Four: Transiting Planets: The Ever-Evolving Life

Moon

Sun

Mercury

Venus

Mars

Introduction to the Social Planets

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

Chapter Five: The Lunar Nodes

Chapter Six: Eclipses

Chapter Seven: Phases and Aspects

Phases

Aspects

Chapter Eight: Retrograde Planets

Chapter Nine: Interceptions

Chapter Ten: Transits or Progressions?

Chapter Eleven: In Closing

Home Study Courses by Joanne

Biographies

Joanne Wickenburg

Lucy Pond

DEDICATION

To My Friend, Lucy Pond

A Special Appreciation to:

My dear friend and fellow professional astrologer, Lucy Pond, for providing much-needed feedback and encouragement throughout the process of writing this book. Her critique was invaluable. Thank you, Lucy, for reading the original manuscript with your objective eyes, and writing the introduction to the book. Thank you also for your friendship over these many years.

Deborah Shoup, who designed the book cover, which so perfectly symbolizes the meaning of the book’s content.

I am also grateful to my many Face Book friends, who unknowingly are one of the reasons this book was written. Their feedback on a passing comment I made on Face Book inspired me to fire up the computer and write this book on a subject that I had wanted to write about for years.

My children, Kim Vradenburg and Greg Wickenburg are always an inspiration to me, and they have always encouraged any creative project I am working on, for which I am extremely appreciative. There are no words to express my love.

"To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under the heavens."

There is a time to be safe (Moon)

A time to learn (Mercury)

A time to communicate and at time to remain quiet (Mercury D or R)

There is a time for love (Venus)

A time for passion (Mars)

A is a time to expand (Jupiter)

And a time for order (Saturn)

There is a time to rebel (Uranus)

And a time to dream (Neptune)

There is a time to die, when it is time for re-birth (Pluto)

INTRODUCTION

By Lucy Pond

In the early 1970’s I began taking astrology classes at The Astrology Center of the Northwest from Joanne Wickenburg. I knew I was lucky to have such a good teacher. Joanne has a vibrant gift for translating the complexity of astrology into everyday language. She takes astrology out of the esoteric and uses it a tool for decoding the meaning of everyday experiences. It wasn’t long before Joanne was not only my teacher, but also my friend.

Through Joanne I met two other women who were well-versed in both astrology and tarot. Soon the four of us were meeting regularly and looking for ways to understand life through the language of astrology. At least once a month we met around someone’s kitchen table. We came with a copy of our own updated horoscopes and of those close to us. Our lives offered rich opportunities to correlate life events with the transits. Looking back, I see that it was those casual but searching sessions that infused me with the strongest working knowledge of astrology.

Joanne and I have the unique distinction of sharing the same degrees on our natal house cusps. We also have the same intercepted signs. That means the transiting planets move through each of our horoscopes at the exact same time, and that each planet stays in those houses for the exact same period of time. I don’t share that compatibility with anyone else. She is the perfect person for me to study transits with. We have other astrological compatibilities, but it is this distinction that separates us from most of the rest of the world.

After years of being very close, our lives pulled us in different directions. Joanne continued teaching, doing readings, writing books, and being a public speaker. She became a driving force for creation of the Kepler College of Astrology. I too wrote, taught, and devoted myself to my thriving astrology private practice, and to my personal life outside of astrology. I became a wife and a mother and suddenly neither Joanne nor I had time to meet and talk astrology as we once had.

Fast forward to 2011. I was going through a Pluto transit over my Ascendant and wanted to talk to someone who might understand how overwhelming and relentless a transit of Pluto can be. As an astrologer I thought I knew what I was in for, but it was packing a bigger wallop than I’d anticipated. Who better to confer with than Joanne?

We had both moved out of the Seattle area. I was living in Portland, Oregon, and she was in Arizona. Without too much forethought, I telephoned her and we began a series of conversations about the transits as we were experiencing them. It had been years since we last spoke, but it felt as if no time had passed. Soon we decided that Joanne should fly to Portland for a visit. It didn’t take long for us to bring out our updated horoscopes and spread them out on the kitchen table. It felt like old times!

The biggies in the sky, Pluto, Uranus, and Saturn were sitting in the same houses for both of us. We both had transiting Pluto on our Ascendants – a once-in-a-lifetime aspect that takes its time setting off minor explosions in your life. Most people define this period as one when life as they had known it is turned upside down and inside out.

Ideas flew about the connections between our experiences and their ties to the transits. Then Joanne offered a new idea. She said:

What if the transiting planet isn’t the problem, but is there to offer the solution to the situation?

A light bulb went on for me.

She suggested a way to use the definition of the transiting planet as a guide in how to deal with the energy of the situation, rather than simply defining what was happening.

—Lucy Pond, Portland, Oregon, March 2013

CHAPTER ONE: An Overview

In order to get the full value from this book, it is recommended that you already have a solid foundation in the basics of astrology—an understanding of natal signs, houses, planets, aspects and the overall structure of the horoscope.

*****

There are already many books available on transits. What makes this one different from the others? It was written to show students of astrology how to interpret transits in a more integrated way. It provides new insights into the complexity of a single transit, showing how one transiting aspect can affect literally every planet in your chart, and therefore affect every area of your life. And most of all, it introduces a new framework through which to view transits. This being the cases, if you choose not to read the interpretations of each planet through the individual houses, it is important that you read all of the introductory portions prior to those sections, because that is where you will find the rules and tools that will help you refine your interpretation of the transits.

For example, a transit of Mars over (conjunct) natal Venus is often interpreted as a time for romance. In most cases, it is considered a good transit. While this may be true, it is only one way of looking at the aspect. In reality, several houses (areas of life) will be affected by this single transit. In essence, it encourages you to go after (Mars) what you want for yourself (Venus.) In the process of doing so, new developments arise not only in the house through which the planet is transiting, but also in the houses ruled by natal Venus…Taurus and Libra. Even the house ruled by Mars (Aries) will be affected because everything Mars does is for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing the kingdom it rules (Aries.)

I hope that this book will give you a new way of looking at transits through the houses and transiting aspects made to natal planets. You will see that squares, for example, will no longer be viewed only as conflicts and problems. Instead they encourage you to do something you have not yet learned to do. What an opportunity! That’s not to say that squares indicate that everything in your life is moving along smoothly. There are struggles and blocks to be confronted, but isn’t that how we learn and grow?

Trines will no longer be interpreted simply as promising new opportunities, even though this is true. They will also be viewed as creative periods that are stress free and harmonious, providing you an opportunity to relax. Do trines promise something new? Not really. In fact they seldom bring changes. New things come about as a result of hard aspects (conjunctions, squares, oppositions, quincunxes (inconjuncts.) Trines show where things are moving along nicely. They bring the opportunity to rest and let things flow. So, yes, trines are beautiful aspects. We all need them and should appreciate them. But sometimes they are boring.

I remember a time when I waited for several years for transiting Jupiter to form a trine to my natal Venus. According to many cookbooks, this aspect would bring someone special into my life. The trine finally came and went, and no memorable activity occurred, although there was as sense of contentment. Ho-hum!

Jupiter/Venus Aspect Reframed: The reality is, it is not the purpose of Jupiter to bring romance into your life with no effort used on your part to make it happen. Instead of sitting back and waiting for Prince Charming to walk through the door when this aspect occurs, make the effort to use the expansive energy of Jupiter to move into the social arena and make something happen, take some chances--not necessarily start on-line dating, but maybe just meet some new people. This is a good time to open your heart, to bring relationships into your life. The problem is, the nature of trine aspect is not action-oriented, so it takes some effort on your part to make it happen.

Return to Table of Contents

CHAPTER TWO: Setting the Foundation

A natal horoscope without transits is always the same. Static. No growth. But you are always evolving, or we hope you are. Transits bring the horoscope to life. They show how outside influences are available that offer you opportunities to grow. They offer you an opportunity to live out the promises of your natal chart. Inner transformations that are not brought on by social pressures or opportunities, however, are shown by secondary progressions.

We are all, always, experiencing certain things in life that we share with everyone else in some way. Those things are shown by transit-to-transit aspects. They are impersonal, but no less important when viewed from a non-personal perspective. For example, when Saturn and Jupiter come together in the sky, Saturn reins in the expansive energies of Jupiter, and society as a whole feels those effects. This global conjunction heralds in a time for everyone to condense, compress, and curb the urge to expand outside pre-established boundaries. However, when transiting Saturn conjuncts your natal Jupiter (when it enters the same sign and degree as your natal Jupiter) this same message becomes personal to you only. You need to take responsibility (Saturn) for your expansive activities and ideas (Jupiter,) particularly with regard to the experiences ruled by the house in which the conjunction is occurring. It is time to slow down in order to get tangible results for your unrestrained yearnings and dreams. Saturn transits are seldom easy, however the way out of any challenging situation involving this potent planet involves two things—structure and discipline

*****

It is assumed that you already have a basic understanding of how aspects function, at least in the natal chart. When interpreting aspects in transit, the most important things to consider are:

(1) A transiting planet is in some way shaping the influence of the natal planet it is aspecting. It expects the natal planet to operate within its framework.

In other words, the transiting planet is directing the energy of the natal planet.

(2) An OUTCOME of this transit will be experienced in the area of life described by the house ruled by the natal planet.

These two principles are probably the two-most important ones to consider when interpreting transits to natal planets, regardless of the aspect being formed.

Throughout this book, you will see this principle working in a variety of ways, but the underlying theme will always be based on the fact that:

•The transiting planet is shaping how the natal planet must operate during the time the transit is in effect.

•The house ruled by the natal planet being aspected shows where the outcome of the transit will affect your life, or where the problem/opportunity was initiated.

With this thought in mind, you will see at least two houses in your chart are always affected by one single transiting aspect, regardless of the nature of the aspect in question. In reality, even more areas of your life (houses) are being affected, and you will see how this works as we move through each Chapter in the book.

*****

No one is exactly alike. Therefore, no one will experience a specific transit in exactly the same way. It is our job, as astrologers, to uncover the differences, and provide our clients with a better understanding of what is going on in their lives.

While we understand that no two people will respond in exactly the same way, there will be a similar underlying theme that will play itself out with each transit. That underlying theme is seen by planets transiting the houses of the natal chart. Later, when we discuss how rulerships and aspects function, you will be able to refine your interpretation and make it even more meaningful and specific to your or your unique life.

In natal astrology, I consider the planets as representing parts of you. For example:

•Sun: The part of you that wants you to be conscious of your actions and the results of them. Your ability to shine and take pride in who you are. The part of you that enables you to integrate all other functions of your personality.

•Moon: The part of you that wants to keep you safe. It wants you to feel, and to be able to identify with the emotional experiences of others as well as your own. The part of you that nurtures and wants to be nurtured.

•Mercury: The communicator. The part of you that gathers information that enables you to develop rational thinking. Note: The information Mercury gathers is useless until the Sun processes it. Mercury’s job is strictly to acquire the data.

•Venus: The part of you that attracts, like a magnet. The part of you that wants you to have things and people in your life that make you feel good. It wants to love and be loved. The concept of like attracts like is an important one to consider.

•Mars: The part of you that moves into the outer world to get what your Venus wants for you. It provides energy and passion, and thrives on action. The part of you that is courageous.

•Jupiter: The part of you that wants more in order to expand your way of looking at, and participating in, the outside world. The part of you that wants to go beyond your environment to learn about what has been foreign to you.

•Saturn: The part of you that needs structure and encourages you to build boundaries around your activities. It wants you to take responsibility for your actions. The part of you that wants you to know your place in the outside world.

•Uranus: The part of you that wants you to rebel against the boundaries set by society (or yourself.) The unconscious urge to break away from the past and experiment with future possibilities.

•Neptune: The part of you that wants you to dream, to avoid dealing with reality. The part of you that wants you to be inspired, to have visions, to dream. The part of you that dissolves the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious mind.

•Pluto: The part of you that wants you to evolve, and to make an impact on the world around you. The part of you that is vitally connected to the evolutionary process of mankind.

How do these planets function together in your life? Each planet must find a way to relate to all others. If there is an issue that needs to be addressed, then transiting to natal aspects will point them out and provide advice regarding the best way to deal with them.

It is important to understand the difference between how aspects operate in the natal chart and how they function when formed by transits to natal planets. One of the most important factors to remember regarding aspecting planets in the natal chart is that the slower planet is always shaping how the faster planets will function. That being the case, the Moon, because it is the fastest of all planets, is being shaped and molded by all the other planets in the chart. Therefore, we can assume that our emotions, which are always based on past experiences, are shaped by every experience we encounter.

*****

While natal planets deal with parts of yourself, the transits deal with issues that lie outside of yourself and encourage you to grow. The house through which a transiting planet is passing sets the backdrop for any aspect that might occur. It shows where you are most profoundly experiencing the energies of the planets—where you are being influenced and shaped by their specific types of energies. Simply looking at the houses through which planets are moving will tell you a great deal about the foundational issues that need to be addressed in your life at any given time.

In your early studies into natal astrology, you probably learned about the significance of planets in the Qualities and Elements. The houses corresponding numerically to them are particularly important to consider when evaluating where transits are performing their missions and why.

ANGULAR HOUSES: Like Cardinal signs, Angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) are the most powerful; they deal with issues that require action. These houses deal with experiences you encounter in the here and now, issues that require immediate attention. Planets moving over the degrees on the cusps of Angular houses often correspond to significant events or life changes.

SUCCEDENT HOUSES: These houses (2, 5, 8, 11) correspond to the Fixed signs. All Succedent houses