by Robert Wilkinson
Many times people worry about transit to transit squares, and then later are relieved to find out they weren’t as tough as expected. Since we have quite a few powerful ones coming throughout the year, I figured it would be good to take a new look at how to turn the conflict to productivity.
I last gave this to you about a year ago, and have rewritten parts and added material as needed. A square is not necessarily difficult; they can help us release potential that’s been building, as well as turn corners in life where we align ourselves with broader allegiances and purposes. There’s also a huge difference between squares to our natal planets and squares to transiting planets.
Transits represent “real world” circumstances. A transit to transit square where one or both make productive aspects to natal planets indicates that though circumstances may be intense and unstable, we can still find the best way to do our Being despite the outer tension. These circumstances help us release our potential, or move us into a view of how to be better people.
In one significant example of this a few years back, most of us “survived” the transiting Uranus square Pluto, for better or for worse, depending on how we handled those external forces for transformation. Because the square was from early Aries to early Capricorn, it was unsettling to planets we had in the early degrees of these signs as well as Cancer and Libra. However, at the same time those long wave invisible energies of widespread tension and transformation worked wonders for planets we had in the early degrees of most of the signs, since Uranus made favorable sextiles and trines to planets in 4 of the early degrees of Air and Fire signs, and Pluto made favorable sextiles and trines to planets in 4 of the early degrees of Earth and Water signs.
Transit to Transit Aspects Should Not Be Taken Personally
Remember that transit to transit aspects cannot be taken personally, even when they accompany personal changes. Transits show us the patterns and gestalt of the times, and the interrelationships between the transiting planets show us the complexities of various types of forces in our lives. They give us clues about outer world factors which color our responses in each of our houses at any given time.
Where the transits fall in our charts shows the “planetary department of labor” is focused in that area of our life, and the aspects those transits make, whether transit to transit or transit to natal, show when energy builds and when it releases, both in general and in our lives specifically. A transiting planet represents something in the outer world impacting our lives where it falls in our chart; how it aspects other transits shows the complexities of the outer world circumstance, whereas how it aspects our natal planets show how those external factors are impacting us personally.
Returning to our example of transiting Uranus square transiting Pluto, the tension of that Uranus square Pluto over those years could be used productively if we understood what was being revolutionized and/or purified, and responded appropriately according to our individuality. My life was certainly purified and revolutionized during those years! While some of it was extremely disruptive to past patterns (T Pluto square N Sun, T Uranus conjunct N Sun 2011-2014), other parts stabilized, despite unfortunate circumstances leading to peculiarly serendipitous outcomes (T Pluto trine N Venus, biseptile and tredecile N Saturn 2012-2016 and T Uranus sextile N Moon, trine and tredecile N Ascendant 2013-2017)
In a more contemporary example, by August we’ll have Mars in Aries square Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn all in late Capricorn. Because the Sun and Mercury will be in Leo and trine Mars, it will facilitate a flow in Fire; this will be productive or problematic depending on how well we can handle Venus in Cancer making oppositions to the Capricorn planets in August, and the T-square at the end of that month and beginning of September, when Venus opposes Saturn with both squared by Mars!
Again, the Leo energies trine Aries energies will be good for any planets we may have in the late degrees of the Fire and Air signs. In the middle of the month, Venus will make very favorable aspects to Uranus and Neptune just before its oppositions to the Capricorn planets. That gives us a favorable understanding of events which will help us with the polarizations of the opposition.
So even though Venus is opposed Pluto, it’s also trine Neptune and quintile Uranus, making for a really productive and stabilizing time for our Earth and Water zones. This is where the outer world tensions and polarization can actually serve to make us more aware of the oppositions in circumstances we confront so we may use our inner skills to navigate the outer tensons.
By September and October, transiting Libra planets will oppose transiting Mars and square transiting Pluto, creating a T-square with a Cancer void. As T-squares are integrative, it shows if we learn good Cancer skills this July and August we’ll know how to respond to the tensions of September and October. This is where one circumstance shows us what we’ll need for future circumstances down the road.
All of these transit to transit squares between any of the major players (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto) could simultaneously make any number of aspects to our natal planets. If they are productive or harmonious, then the T-square would release these into the world in productive or harmonious ways. A square between 2 planets each in a harmonious aspect to a planet in our chart will bring harmonious releases and turning points in our lives.
Because Mars square Jupiter conjunct Pluto is a transit to transit acing square which will dominate August and October, it shows that the ongoing activation principle (transiting Mars) at that point will hit a “turning point” or “braking point” relative to the expansive and protection principle (transiting Jupiter) which has come together with the collective pressure of transformation/purification (transiting Pluto). This would indicate that the outer circumstances will bring a need for focused and cautious idealism and proportional response to opportunity (Libra) as well as a nurturing and protective stance to that which could be hurt (Cancer). This is an emergent point (waxing square) relative to the expanded coercive and manipulative power and control systems breaking down old political and social structures (Jupiter conjunct Pluto in Capricorn.)
The transits through Libra will require a particular focus on positive Cancer responses. You can see that even though there will be “atmospheric” friction due to the transiting T-square, we can still use that dynamic energy productively, depending on how those planets configure with our natal planets. Despite the conflicted Pluto in Capricorn, we can still use the collective pressure to find productivity and stability as we ride the waves of purification and transformation putting pressure on any planets we may have in late Pisces, Taurus, Virgo, and Scorpio.
Between August 2020 and February 2021, we have two major transit to transit squares. The main one this year is the square from Aries to Capricorn just mentioned. The other is the coming square from Aquarius to Taurus which will dominate early 2021. This is where we can use inner planet squares in April to anticipate what’s coming next year. The Aries squares in April will give us the Light of how we’ll need to deal with the constant tensions from August through December. The Aquarius to Taurus square in early April will give us a head’s up on the coming Jupiter conjunct Saturn in Aquarius squaring Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus next January!
Of course, early Aquarius is great for planets in early Aries, Gemini, Libra, and Sagittarius, and early Taurus is great for planets in early Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces, so even when we’re in the thick of the squares this year and next, we can still use the transit to transit tension to make progress in various areas of our lives. If we have something in sextile or trine to the square, we can make great progress despite outer circumstances. If we have something that makes a quintile or tredecile to the square, we will find high specialization and unique circumstances that should help us to express something “quintessential.” And if the square creates a T-square to a planet or angle in our chart, we can use the tension to integrate the power and release it through the void in the configuration.
So please don’t sweat the afflictions to your chart by transit to transit aspects. They can all be used in productive ways. It’s all a question of finding the right point of view and the willingness to learn how to bring love, wisdom, and understanding to the circumstance.
Copyright © 2020 Robert Wilkinson
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