Astrology Definitions: Planets
Astrology is endlessly fascinating, revealing so much about ourselves, our relationships, other people and world events. Even for people like me who have studied it for years, there is always more to discover, making it an exciting field of study. However, I have taught several beginning students, and also remember my own first tentative studies of the subject well enough to know that for novices, it can feel like a dauntingly steep learning curve.
One of the basic things I remember being confused about is the different types of planets my astrologically adept acquaintances threw around in conversation. I knew what the planets were but what did people mean when they talked about natal planets, transiting planets, progressed planets, retrograde planets? What did people mean about a planet going retrograde? My astronomy teacher in school would have mentioned it if planets moved backwards, what did these astrologers mean? These all seemed like such basic questions, I often felt embarrassed to ask. If you’re a novice wondering about some of these 101 type questions but haven’t found anyone to ask, here’s some basic information.
Natal planets
This refers to the positions the planets occupied at the moment of someone’s birth. When we look at a natal chart, we are seeing the natal planets rather than the current positions of the planets.
Transiting planets
This simply means the current position of the planets. Some are faster moving than others, changing signs frequently. Others remain in one sign for years. When people talk about experiencing a transit, they are referring to the effect current planetary movements have on their natal planets.
Progressed planets
Usually when astrologers talk about progressed planets, they are referring to a technique of “Secondary Progressions”. This system is designed to look at the natural maturing and growth of an individual by equating each year of life to one day and advancing the natal chart by as many days as the individual as years of life. For example, if you are fifteen years old, your progressed chart shows the position of the planets as they were 15 days after your birth.
Consider the example of someone whose natal Sun is at 15 degrees of Cancer. By the time this person is in their mid-teens, the progressed chart shows a Leo Sun—s/he still possesses natal Cancer traits, but has evolved into a Leo style of expressing those traits. Later, around age 45, the progressed Sun will move into Virgo. When the progressed Sun changes signs, this represents a new phase in personal development. The Moon also changes signs over time by progression, relating to new modes of emotional expression. Planets changing signs by progression often marks some significant turning point in life. Also, a progressed planet touching a natal planet can have a similar effect as a transiting planet to a natal planet.
Retrograde planets
The key thing to remember about astrology is that it is geocentric—based on how the skies appear from earth. Astrologers know that planets do not literally move backward in the sky, but there are times when, from earth’s perspective, they appear to do that. You have seen this effect when riding in a car many times. If you are a passenger in a fast moving car which drives past a vehicle traveling at a slower speed, there is a period when, from your perspective as you pull past it, the other vehicle seems to move backwards. You may want to take a look at your chart and see if you have any retrograde natal planets. Then check to see whether, by progression, they have begun to move forward.