Have you ever tried to fix your whole life using just your birth chart? That’s like packing for a trip based on last year’s weather report. The sky has changed, and so have the planets.
To put it another way, your birth chart is just a freeze-frame of the sky — a snapshot of where all the planets were at the exact moment you were born. But the planets didn’t stop moving after your birth. They’ve kept shifting. As the planets circle through the zodiac, they interact with the planets in your birth chart, creating new challenges and opportunities. And tracking how all this plays out? That’s astrology in action.
What are natal planets?
Think of your birth chart (aka your natal chart) like a photo of the sky at the time and place of your birth. Whatever was happening above you at that moment — whether there was a New Moon or a meet-cute between Venus and Jupiter — your chart shows the unique arrangement of all your natal planets. In other words, your chart is your go-to map for exploring who you are. Each of your natal planets plays a part in shaping your personality and guiding you through life:
- Your Sun represents your identity, purpose, and vitality
- Your Moon represents your emotions, your bodily needs, and the ways you nurture yourself
- Your Mercury represents how you learn, think, and communicate
- Your Venus represents how you connect and how you create beauty
- Your Mars represents your drive, what fires you up, and how you take action
- Your Jupiter represents your luck, your sense of faith, and how you grow
- Your Saturn represents your boundaries, your limits, and your long-term lessons
- Your outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) have more of a generational influence, but each of them can impact you on a personal level if it’s aspecting (aka in a relationship with) one of the faster-moving planets in your chart, like your Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars — more on that below
These placements make up the blueprint of your life, showing you the patterns, stories, gifts, strengths, challenges, and growth edges you’ll face over the years.
What are transiting planets, and how do they interact with your natal planets?
When we talk about “transits,” we mean where the planets are right now, what they’re doing, and who they’re doing it with.
The planets are always in motion. Some zip through the sky (e.g., the Moon changes signs every 2.5 days), while others creep along at a slower pace (Pluto, we’re looking at you). As the planets move through the signs, they form aspects (or relationships) with the planets in your birth chart. For example, when Venus enters Leo in the sky, it will impact all your natal planets in that sign, as well as any other signs or planets it can “see” from that position. This activates your natal placements in a sense, sparking life events and emotional shifts in real time.
If you think of your birth chart as the map of your life, then the current sky is your up-to-date weather report. The map stays the same, but the latest forecast can dramatically affect your experience. For example, when Jupiter’s placement in the sky lines up with Venus’ placement in your birth chart (forming a conjunction), it’s your lucky day. Not everyone will experience this feel-good boost, because we all have different birth charts. But for you, this Jupiter transit is permission to play. Not all transits are treats, though. If Saturn is making contact with your natal Venus, you might feel limited or stuck. It always depends on the planets involved and the aspects they’re forming.
Just remember: Transits are temporary, and how long they last depends on the speed of the transiting planet. And while they can shake things up in the present, they don’t rewrite your birth chart.
Common misconceptions
Things get confusing whenever someone mixes up their birth chart with what’s happening in the current sky in real time. If your natal Moon is in Taurus, that doesn’t mean the Moon is always in Taurus — it’s constantly moving through the zodiac, and it spends just a few days in Taurus every month.
Also, if you’re a Leo, that doesn’t mean that the astrology will land the same way for every other Leo. You are so much more than your Sun, Moon, or rising sign; your natal chart includes all of the planets. On a given day, any of the planets in the current sky could be having a conversation with one or more of your unique natal placements, which could impact your experience in either positive or challenging ways.
Finally, transits don’t fundamentally change who you are. Yes, they can stir the pot, open doors, or put obstacles in your path, but they only influence your present-day experience; they don’t alter your identity or your unique birth chart. Your chart is yours for life, though you get to choose what you do with it.
How to work with transiting planets
Want to understand how the transiting planets are interacting with your birth chart? We love this for you. The next time you open the CHANI app, read the planetary horoscopes in the Home tab to find out how each planet’s location is impacting you based on your rising sign, and check out your unique transit readings in the Transits tab — that’s where you can learn how certain planets in the sky are interacting with one or more of your natal placements and what those interactions mean for you. Some transits last only a day or so, but others take a few months to unfold, so they can offer both short- and long-term lessons.
If you get overwhelmed, start small. Pick one or two major transits to follow. For example, you could track how the Moon is aspecting your different natal planets throughout the month. Keep a journal to note your shifting moods, compare them with the Moon’s movements through the current sky, and reflect on any patterns you notice.
The takeaway
As we said above, your birth chart is your own personal blueprint, and the sky is an ever-changing cosmic forecast. Together, your natal planets and the transiting planets tell the story that’s unfolding in your life at any given moment.
When you know what’s coming, you can prepare for the astrological weather and bring your figurative umbrella when you need it.
