Did you ever say, “I hate that month?” Well perhaps it just isn’t about the weather or the pollen count, but when that month falls in your yearly cycle.
Steven Forrest wrote quite elegantly in his book The Inner Sky about the cycles of the outer planets and their effect on the birth chart. This grand broad canvass neatly points out the periods of serious personal development in each human’s life. But there are other cycles that are perhaps a little more immediate, one of them being your yearly cycle.
Your Sun sign is the start of your personal year, a reason why astrologers like to cast a chart called a solar return chart for some readings. As much as some astrologers disparage Sun Sign astrology, your Sun sign is the keystone for your whole approach to life.
The cycle looks like this:
Transiting Sun sitting on top of your Sun sign, your birth day, your birthday month. This is the start of your personal new year. Maybe this is the reason why we like to celebrate it. The old year is completed and we are ready to move forward into a new cycle. If things feel fresh and new, they are! It is a favorable time to make new plans.
Transiting Sun moves into the next sign. Astrologers call this a semi-sextile, a moderately favorable aspect. Semi-sextiles are supportive, and this is the period when you can move forward, maybe not quite with confidence, but you are planting the seeds for the year ahead.
Transiting Sun moves two signs ahead—As the transiting sign moves into the friendly energetic connection called a sextile you see the first sprouts of your plan. Things flow easily and you feel confident enough to bring other people in and share your vision.
Transiting Sun moves three signs ahead—There is no such thing as perfection on the earth plane and the first transiting challenge to your Sun sign displays that so very well! You feel that people aren’t as supportive as they were the month before and you can feel put off by it. However, this aspect, called a square is more about examining your own motives than pinning the blame on others. Use this time to shore up your plans not tear down others.
Transiting Sun moves four signs ahead—This is the aspect called a Trine, where the flow of energy between the transiting sun and your zodiac sign is sweet! You feel like the Universe is going your way again and it is! The problem with a trine is that we tend to take it for granted and just let things happen. Work industriously during this month and good things happen!
Transiting Sun moves five, six, seven signs ahead—This is a complex period marked by the first inconjunct to your sun, than the transiting sun’s opposition to your own and then the second inconjunct. In the fifth month things seem to slow down, you feel stuck and find that your forward progress seems to rebound. As the sun moves into opposition to your natal sun, you feel directly challenged by people and circumstances. The last inconjunct in month seven leaves you feeling that you can’t seem to work your way out the Chinese puzzle in which you found yourself. If you react you find yourself zinging from one extreme to the other. During this period it is important to keep your eye on your goals and not lose faith. If your plan is solid just keep working it. If not, reflect on how you can make it better and make readjustments—carefully.
Transiting Sun moves eight signs ahead—Astrologers call this applying trine. Things flow smoothly once again. Even though you might feel the need for some rest from the previous three months, this Sun is practically begging for you to use its energy to give yourself a better position.
Transiting Sun moves nine signs ahead—The applying square, the challenge aspect forces you to stop, look and listen! In numerology the number nine is the number of transition to mastery, the student becomes the mage, wisdom acquired. Think of this as the time of your yearly doctorate dissertation, when the court of public opinion tries you as you justify your actions. If you’ve done the right things, then you’ll pass. If not, you’ll be forced to reassess how you’ve handled this year.
Transiting Sun moves ten and eleven signs ahead—This is the time of the applying sextile and semi-sextile. The heavy lifting for the year is done and you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. You spend more time connecting with other people as you anticipate the start of another year and a new beginning.
This a broad brush stroke approach to your personal yearly cycle. The orb or the number of degrees between the transiting sun and your natal sun has something to say to how intense the affect is. Generally, the closer the orb the more intense the affect. Also, the aspects of the other planets has something to say on how you experience a month. Yes, it is complex! And the reason why you would have a chat with your local astrologer.
