For years I have wanted to create some kind of organization around understanding current astrological events. As of now, I just check transits to my natal chart from time to time and I read here and there for the current planets and upcoming aspects. It’s not an organized practice and I often feel that I fall behind in a way and don’t realize astrological events until I am in the thick of them. I want to feel more empowered in how I use astrology in my life.
What I’m really desirous of though, is a type of daily (or timely in some way, maybe new Moon time?) way of tracking things. I want to see the current chart and it’s aspects and transits to my natal chart. I would really like to have it be more physical than digital. I don’t do well with processing things that I see on a screen (have a hard time with ebooks, etc).
I recently bought a white board and printed out my natal chart that I thought I could tape to it. But I’m not sure how to represent transits or current aspects. I thought I could have a section of some sort for current major transits and aspects?
I was hoping to get some inspiration and ideas from you all on the best way to approach this. How do you keep track of it all?
This may help. It's the slower moving transits - Mars - Pluto, only. Hard and easy aspects included...
https://elsaelsa.com/product/astrology-transits-report/
It has an "enter - exact - leave" date range, included.
Here is a sample:
https://elsaelsa.com/sample-transit-report-outer-planets/
To be clear, this is a different report from the 'deluxe transit report".
Good luck!
@elsa Thanks! I did get one years ago and it was helpful.
Overall, I’m looking for a way to be more independent and methodical in the way I synthesize astrology if that makes sense.
I wonder, in what specific ways do you feel you fall behind, and how do you feel a different type of organization will be more empowering? I’m asking so I can have a better understanding of a direction or organization that might suit you best.
For me, being very comfortable with the basics, and knowing my natal very well, is probably the first thing that keeps me me oriented.
Knowing the basics helps me know where to look, when I look something up digitally. Knowing the season of the Sun, means I’ll know generally where to look for Venus and Mercury, for example. For longer term transits, I’ll have reviewed the dates they’ll make major aspects in my chart, and will know what house they are transiting.
Over time, I’ve gotten used to how certain planets feel in different places in my chart, and I definitely reflect on past experiences and the transits at those times. I might have an advantage being such a cyclical being myself, but I think anyone could tune into these things, particularly planets that have greater influence in their particular chart, or planets they have resonance with on a personal level.
I’m used to the certain experiences and feeling certain ways with the sun and moon in certain places. For example, the sun transiting my 11th and 12th houses can be a difficult time for me, so I keep that in mind in regards to my actions.
My personal philosophy is that I only have so much control over things, particularly the energetic and archetypal patterns of life. This helps me moderate my expectations and feelings prior to and after…things. I might really get the hang of surfing some wave or transit, but that doesn’t mean I can anticipate every person who swerves into my lane, or every event that occurs, or even that I’ll always have the presence of mind to always be my best self at any given moment. I guess I’m saying this because I’ve beat myself up before for getting caught up in some energetic whirlpool that I feel I should have anticipated or avoided, because some part of my brain knew something was upcoming, at some point in the future. I’m only one player here, and the board is full of others.
I’ve recommended AstroWorx here before. I think it gives the most bang for your buck and lets you modify basically everything about the appearance of a chart, with very little effort. I don’t do very well digitally either.
Monthly transit reports might be a good practice (even writing out your own, with a personal summary), and I know some people who track transits in a planner, simply by writing them down daily, or ahead of time.
@buendia Thank you for all this. Your last paragraph is really relevant to what I’m asking.
I would say that my understanding of astrology is intermediate. I think I’m to the point where I have my own understanding of the energies so I don’t feel that I need interpretations or guidance in that way. If I had to liken what I want with my tarot practice it would be the difference between needing a guidebook to understand a card and understanding an entire spread using just intuition and personal understanding of the cards. In terms of tarot, I am very organized with that, pull daily cards that I put on my altar, do a new moon reading and have a binder where I record my readings. I would like something like that for astrology that I can utilize at my altar space.
@libra-noir I was just including some things that came up for me at your prompt, how things makes sense for me, because I wasn’t really sure what direction you wanted to go in and the purpose behind it. I’m still not quite sure, but I’m sure someone else will have a better idea for what your searching for. It sounds like you already have a really good sense of what you want and need, so I wonder what that missing piece is.
@buendia Your entire post was really helpful! I just wanted to thank you especially for the practical ideas. I’m trying to develop something here, but I’m also just curious how everyone integrates astrology into their everyday lives.
@buendia Your entire post was really helpful! I just wanted to thank you especially for the practical ideas. I’m trying to develop something here, but I’m also just curious how everyone integrates astrology into their everyday lives.
thank you! If I’m unsure about a question, my answer will likely include a multitude of perspectives, but I don’t want it to be too much to receive at once.
It’s funny you bring up the practicality behind the question, as a practical approach is often what I’m seeking, yet this question is making me realize I don’t really have a personal practical approach to astrology. Wow! I dont document or methodically track transits, unless I’m particularly inspired (and is usually about my progressed chart). I really just visualize my chart with the transits I already know are occurring, and check my transit chart if I’m moved that way for some reason. I’m part of this community and others, so things float into my awareness that way, too.
The practice of Astrology is associated with the 9th house, so I’m not surprised my approach is more of a mental visualization than anything else. *Edited to add: because I have Gemini on the 9th.* Virgo is on the cusp of your 9th, right? There ya go, a detailed organized daily practice. It makes sense you’d move in that direction, and are already there with tarot.
Bit if a light bulb moment for me, thanks!
@buendia I second your comment about becoming familiar with the “seasons of life” as shown by primarily by Tr Sun and then by Tr Moon.
I use the calendar on my phone. I receive a couple of monthly newsletters, one of which comes from astro.com, and I just plug in all the transits they mention. Or if I see things on here, or mentioned online, I just plug them in. And I use astroseek for new/full moons. I check my chart on astro.com with transits daily, mostly for the moon, but also If there is a planetary sign change imminent, or if I'm waiting for a transit to end. Yearly astro reports can be good too in advance to plug in longer range transits.
One thing I find, if I'm are feeling certain energy and I don't know what it relates to, I find if I look at my chart with transits showing and ask, "what is it I'm feeling" or similar, I'll quickly get directed to the transit. You can also do that without a chart, obviously keeping in mind the current active transits, just ask, please tell me what I'm experiencing and you'll likely get told. I do this with chart reading too, to find the thing that's leading a person to ask about their chart. Like what is the hotspot currently.
Like buendia said, it’s best to get familiar with the seasons of life as shown by Tr Sun and Tr Moon. Generally I only look up transits if I have an immediate need Eg. Making a financial decision or trying to understand the delay on things.
I used to use Secondary Progressions but now I use Solar Arc for longer term trends. If I see something there, I look at my Solar Return for the year. Once I identify what the issue is and when that might eventuate, I go to my natal to use Transits. If the transits don’t hit any “vital points” in the chart (hard aspects especially), I will move the chart forward until it does and then make a mental note of date and possible issues for the time.
With all that in mind, I just go about living my life as-is. 😁
Hey @Libra Noir, have you adopted any practice since posting?
You and @sophiab inspired me to develop a monthly/daily ritual around tracking the cycle of the moon and my own cycle.
@buendia Sorry it took me so long to respond to this. No I have not adopted any practice as of now…..but, I did order a Honeycomb Astrological planner today. It sounds pretty cool. It uses your data to create a way to track your personal transits. There’s options like size, paper quality, astreroids, Hellenistic stuff, solar returns, spiral bound, extra note pages. After all was said and done it was $37 and free shipping and also a free pdf. Also, there’s an option for a year or six months. I got six months, starting in February to see how I like it. That’s about six dollars a month so not bad. Oh, there’s also an option for just a pdf which starts at 10 dollars I believe.
Ill try to keep you all updated. Happy Holy Days:)