Last month we began discussing the differences between Transits and Solar Arcs.  The way that I remember how to distinguish the two is by the phrase:

Transits are like footprints in the sand; Solar Arcs are like footprints in wet concrete.

Another way to remember the difference, although transits can be quite powerful, Solar Arcs are like transits on steroids. 

In our discussion last month, we noted that the inner planet transits (including Moon, Sun, Mercury, and Venus) come and go so quickly that the duration of influence of their transits is quite short.  For practical purposes, we can opt to focus our analysis on the more slowly moving planets that have a longer duration of influence—and are more likely to impart significant stimuli to the natal chart.

Mars Transits would have to be classified somewhere in the middle ground between the faster and the slower moving planets.  In and of itself, Transiting Mars certainly has an influence, but if we were to thoroughly examine all of the Mars Transits, they would tend to cloud rather than clarify our analysis.  

At times however, Transiting Mars may act as a trigger to activate, emphasize, or reinforce a transit from the more slowly moving planets (i.e., Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto).  Thus, after identifying the expected duration of an outer planet transit, we could reasonably attempt to fine-tune our timeline of expectations through use of a Mars Transit.

Jupiter is also in the borderline middle ground for transit evaluation.  I routinely look at transits of Jupiter to the Sun, the Ascendant, and the Midheaven.  As with Mars Transits, over-analysis of Jupiter Transits can overload our analytical focus. 

Venturing further outward beyond Jupiter, the effect of these transits persist long enough to be of routine consideration in our assessment of times to come.  Multiple occurrences of the same transit of these slower moving planets (due to the retrograde phenomenon) offer corresponding repetitive stimuli for their influences to become apparent.  It's as though the universe allows us (or challenges us) to do something substantial with these transits.

Unlike transits, Solar Arcs are powerful regardless of the planets involved.  As you recall, with Solar Arcs each planet advances roughly one degree each year regardless of its actual rate of movement. The duration of the influence of a Solar Arc is generally accepted to be a full year, providing a consistent time frame to expect its influence to be available.

Let's look at a simplified example:

A Transit of the Moon to Natal Mercury would barely register as a blip on our astrological radar screen as the time that the transiting Moon would be within orb of a natal planet would be so short as to be inconsequential.  The Moon moves so quickly that we couldn't justify much interest in, or expect an observable influence from such a transit.

Now, contrast this with a Solar Arc of the Moon to Natal Mercury.  The same planets are involved, but the effect of the Arc would be potentially quite significant because of the full year duration of Solar Arcs.  This Solar Arc suggests a time when emotions and emotional needs would powerfully color and modify thoughts, ideas, and communication; the heart would likely influence these areas more than normally. 

Here's another example:

A Transit of Uranus to the Ascendant would signal a freedom to be oneself, perhaps in a radical departure from how we've seen or presented ourselves previously. We give ourselves permission to be ourselves.  As discussed above, we'd likely see multiple hits or occurrences of this transit because of the retrograde phenomenon.

A Solar Arc of Uranus to the Ascendant would represent similar energies, but would be a full year, uninterrupted, in its influence.

By understanding the differences between Transits and Solar Arcs, we can simplify our analysis and are better able to give appropriate weight to the anticipated influences of each.

May 2004

Sep. 2004

Oct. 2004

Nov. 2004

Dec. 2004

Jan. 2005

Feb. 2005

Mar. 2005