Mercury (the position Mercury occupied at birth) is 10° in the sign Capricorn. Fur-
thermore, transiting Neptune (a planet that is associated with, among many other
things, delusion and foggy thinking) is moving over the person’s Mercury, while simul-
taneously making inharmonious aspects with other planets. For the period this transit
is in effect, this individual should refrain from signing contracts. In this situation,
unlike the case of retrograde Mercury, the advice is particularized for one person
rather than for everybody.
The transiting planets also affect a person according to the house through
which they are moving. Thus, for example, a transit of Jupiter (which embodies the
principle of expansion and good luck) through the tenth house (career and public
standing) would be, unless other transits dictate the contrary, a good period for a busi-
nessperson to undertake a business expansion. The length of time a transit has an
effect varies according to the relative speed of the planet. Jupiter, for example, usually
takes about a year to cross through an average-sized house, giving the hypothetical
businessperson in this example a year to take advantage of Jupiter’s transit through her
or his tenth house. By way of contrast, the Moon transits a house in 2 or 3 days,
whereas Pluto takes 15 years.
Sources:
Hand, Robert. Planets in Transit: Life Cycles for Living.West Chester, PA: Whitford Press, 1976.
Lunstead, Betty. Transits: The Time of Your Life.York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1980.
Sasportas, Howard. The Gods of Change: Pain, Crisis and the Transits of Uranus, Neptune and
Pluto.London: Arkana, 1989.
TRANSLATION OFLIGHT(BORROWEDLIGHT)
A translation of light occurs when a transiting planet is separating from an aspect with
one planet while simultaneously applying an aspect to another. The transiting planet
briefly connects the two planets (which may otherwise not be in aspect with each
another), imparting the influence (the “light”) from the planet from which it is sepa-
rating to the planet to which it is applying. For example, say that in an individual’s
natal chart, Mars is at 12° Aquarius and Venus is at 24° Aquarius. As the transiting
Moon reaches 18° Aquarius, it is separating from a conjunction with Mars and apply-
ing a conjunction to Venus. While thus in between conjunctions, the Moon is said to
be translating (imparting) the light (the energy) of Mars to Venus.
Sources:
Bach, Eleanor. Astrology from A to Z: An Illustrated Source Book.New York: Philosophical
Library, 1990.
Lee, Dal. Dictionary of Astrology.New York: Paperback Library, 1969.
TRANSPLUTO
Of the many hypothetical planets postulated by astrologers, the one most likely to
have an empirical existence is Transpluto, so called because, if discovered, it would be
found beyond the orbit of Pluto. This hypothetical planet has been called by many
THEASTROLOGYBOOK [689]
Transpluto