Stressful Transits and How to Survive Them
The rhythm of life follows a certain, well-known pattern which we can intuitively determine. This path is designed through two main patterns: the spiral pattern that takes us through the Hero’s Journey which causes tension across space and time; and the ebb and flow of daily lives where we experience the highs and lows cyclically and inevitably. What goes up, must come down, and so on.
Naturally, as our own planet Earth, revolves around herself to create the natural rhythms of night and day and how this movement impacts our own mood and behaviour throughout the day, we can also safely conclude that as the planets revolve around their own axis as well as around the sun in our solar system, thereby creating angels and energetic interactions between each of them and our own planet, it is only natural and quite evident that these planetary transits cause an affect on our emotions and thoughts both individually and collectively.
One of my teachers drew my attention to the work of Pythagorus and how he explained these daily interactions through his understanding of music. He described each aspect (conjunction, opposition, trine, sextile, etc.) in musical terms. Each planet plays its own musical piece which contributes to the grand symphony of the Universe. When the aspects are harmonious, these symphonies are also harmonious and feel pleasant as they draw harmonious and even inspiring energies. And the opposite is true: when the aspects are difficult, like they are during squares, conjunctions or oppositions, the symphonies sound like a clashing, conflicting or even confronting and threatening noise.
When these symphonies or energies clash in this way due to difficult planetary transits that affect our own natal planets, this marks a period of discomfort for the native of the chart. The degree of difficulty and the duration depend on which and how many planets are creating these clashes and what is their evolutionary purpose.
Once upon a time, when I did not know anything about astrology, these transits would occur and make felt and experienced changes in my being and, therefore, marked changes and shifts in my life. The biggest changes occured after the biggest crises which occurred during the big transits which usually involved Saturn in one of her quartarly transits to my natal Saturn (that’s right, Saturn is a female in my books and you’ll soon understand why), or if Pluto or Uranus is aspecting one or more of my planets.
Some of the most well known individual transits that universally mark major transitions, initiations and ‘crossing over the threshold’ kind of experiences occur around specific stages of one’s life. For example, think about what was happening in your life when you were 28-30 years old when you experienced your Saturn return. Or when you hit 41-43 when Uranus opposed your natal Uranus and caused you to experience a ‘midlife crisis’ as it is known in layman’s terms. Or around 44—45 when you experienced your second Saturn opposition (your first one happened when you became a teenager and that wasn’t an easy transition for sure.
How you experience these transits will depend on what is going on in your life at the time. If you’ve been living a conscious, somewhat balanced life, where you have been living true to your values and integrity and focussing on aligning yourself with your life purpose, these transits will feel uplifting and healing. But of course, few of us are able to live like that 24/7/365. So the evolutionary purpose of these transits is usually to clean up our integrity and ‘reset’ our idea of who we are and what we are here to do.
Some of the most difficult transits I personally experienced came into my life like a sudden hurricane which spoke of the volume of how far I had strayed from my true, intended path. At first, the transit knocks on the door. Like a debt collector coming to serve you your court summoning. And you ignore it or delay dealing with it though you cannot ignore the nudge your gut is giving you. Then the knock gets progressively louder to the point where it becomes impossible to ignore it. But your first instinct is to resist because responding to the call means drastic and often dramatic changes which you are most likely not prepared for. You will fight for your comfort zone and enter a panic mode where you desperately try to control all aspects of your life which you do not want to sacrifice anything. Some transits won’t ask you to sacrifice or let go of everything - just the parts that are not aligned or which are lacking integrity and need cleaning up. And some will take everything you built away forcing you to start from the beginning, especially if you are nowhere near where you are meant to be.
Whatever these transits may be, and we will be exploring specific ones and how they could be affecting your relationships or your relational life, it is essential that we meet them with a state of heightened consciousness which is marked by the ability to zoom out of the current situation or crisis and see the broader journey with as much awareness and wisdom as we can summon. These time are usually a marker of entering the second step of the Hero’s Journey signalling that the next step is to find a wise mentor who can support and guide us in the next lap of our quest. The fact is, we are not equipped to deal with the situation at hand with our old strategies and tools. The Universe is explicitly saying to us: you need an upgrade and to get it, you will need to find new tools that will help you grow through this phase.
The best way to understand what tools and strategies we are tasked to develop within ourselves and what this stage of our lives is teaching us and how we will get to the other side, is to seek therapy to talk through what we are growing through and to seek a natal chart reading. Why? Because each stage of change and each transit is demanding that you get to know who you are at a deeper level than the one before.
The Universe, through each and every transit, is imploring us to grow. We are always reminded through these transits of how much we are part of the cycles and rhythms of our earthly nature. There is no escaping or bypassing these milestones of evolution. We are plants with legs, arms, feet and hands but we forget we are still plants. Each seed grows from the roots and transforms when it reaches out above the soil. Each break introduces a new stem, a new leaf, a new bud, a new flower or fruit. These breaks are painful experiences intended to expand us, to show us more of what we are capable of doing, creating, exploring.
This process can be a very stressful one. One where we are constantly fighting and resisting the change and desperately trying, futilely, to control the outcome. Stuck in an illusion that we have any power to control anything other than how we respond to events and situations. So how should we handle these transits instead?
Find a mentor/therapist/astrologist. Preferably someone who has the expertise and experience to be all three (hi!)
Pay attention to the areas of your life where the crises are happening and observe from a centred space what your future self want you to do in this situation
It may be that the current you and the future you are not quite in alignment which is why a natal chart reading will truly make a huge difference. It is important to get insight into what direction is your birth map asking you to walk towards at this stage in your life
Regardless of what is happening, going to therapy through these times make all the difference. With the right therapist, you will gain the right tools that work for you and enable you to powerfully take on the challenges being presented to you
Remember that you are not meant to do this journey alone. At least not this initial part. We all require support along the way. Even the most hardened, hardcore hyper-independent indivudlas among us
Finally, these times often teach us the most important lesson of all: surrender. Let go of your need to control the damage or the outcome. The whole intention of this process is to show you that you have no control. Resisting surrender will only prolong the suffering.
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