Astrological transits are one of the main means used in horoscopic astrology to forecast future trends and developments (the other means used is astrological progression, which progresses the horoscope forward in time according to set methods). As its name implies, astrological transits involve a method of interpreting the ongoing movement of the planets as they transit the horoscope. This is most often done for the birth or Natal Chart of a particular individual. Particular attention is paid to changes of sign, or house, and to the aspects or angles the transiting planets make with the natal chart.
A particularly important transit is the planetary return. This occurs when a transiting planet returns to the same point in the sky that it occupied at the moment of a person’s birth. What this means is that the planet has completed a whole circuit of the sky, and signifies that a new cycle in the person’s life is beginning. The most significant returns are those of the outer planets Jupiter and Saturn. The Jupiter return occurs approximately every 12 years and heralds a new phase of growth and development. The Saturn return occurs approximately every 30 years, and heralds a new phase in the aging process when new realities and responsibilities must be faced.