ASTROLOGICAL FORECASTS: HOW TO READ THEM

Forecasts are based on the idea that 'transits', ie movements, of planets currently make angles with the planets as they were in your natal chart, called 'aspects', and this process has an effect on your daily life.

The transitting planets also enter and leave the 'houses' in your natal chart, affecting those areas of your life governed by the houses concerned. The terms used to describe this are as follows:

TRANSITS AND THE ASPECTS THEY MAKE

Trines are angles of 120º between the transitting planet and your natal planet.

Sextiles are angles of 60º between the transitting planet and your natal planet.

These are considered easy or favourable aspects.

Conjunctions are angles of 0º between the transitting planet and your natal planet.

These can be a favourable or neutral aspect depending on the planets concerned.

Squares are aspects of 90º between the transitting planet and your natal planets.

Semi-squares are aspects of 45º between the transitting planet and your natal planets.

These are considered more difficult or challenging aspects.

Oppositions are angles of 180º between the transitting planet and your natal planet.

These can be an unfavourable or neutral aspect depending on the planets concerned.

There are other astrological aspects but the above are those considered to have an effect in transits.

TRANSITS AND NATAL HOUSES

The time at which a planet enters your natal house is considered to begin a period when the area of your life ruled by that house will be influenced by the energy of the transitting planet concerned.

THE HOUSES AND THE AREAS OF LIFE THEY RULE

House 01 Development of personality, childhood, physical body, constitution, outer persona, appearance

House 02 Material possessions, money, feelings, sensuality.

House 03 Family relationships, communication, siblings.

House 04 Parental home, hereditary characteristics, roots, basic nature.

House 05 Procreation, sexuality, pleasure, risks, creativity, speculation, offspring.

House 06 Health, work, service, earning a living.

House 07 Partnership, marriage, love relationships, open enemies, immediate community.

House 08 Sex, accidents, death, inheritance, partner's money, father figure.

House 09 Spiritual life, philosophy, religion, travel, wider education.

House 10 Vocation, profession, ambition, public life.

House 11 Wishes, hopes, friendships, peer groups, the wider community.

House 12 Secret enemies, seclusion, obscure difficulties, inner life, dreams, altruistic service.

THE PLANETS AND THE ENERGIES THEY CONTROL

Sun       ........The living being, physical body, psychic energy, male principle, father.

Moon ............The soul or psyche, fantasy, feeling, change, fluctuation, female principle, mother.

Mercury         Intelligence, reason, movement, associative or connective function, communication.

Venus            Love, art, physical attraction, sentiment(-ality), sex, money, femininity.

Mars               Action, energy, impulsion, drive, aggressive function, libido, masculinity.

Jupiter           Expansion, growth, material or metaphysical wealth, health, humour, development.

Saturn            Limitation, restriction, contraction, concentration, inhibition, separation, maturity, loss.

Uranus            Suddenness, revolution, violence, transmutation, magic, alchemy, occult arts, creativity.

Neptune          Susceptibility, fantasy, romanticism, mysticism, (self-)deception, psychic powers.

Pluto                Power, demagoguery, dictatorships, the masses.