Daily transit updates for your chart compare the current positions of the planets against your natal chart, not the generic sky. Each update reports the transiting planet, the natal point it touches, the actual aspects involved, the orb, whether the aspect is applying or separating, and the date it is exact. That’s how transits affect your natal chart: they name which of your placements is being emphasised right now. Read them as timing context: a symbolic chapter you can reflect with, rather than exact prediction of what will occur.
What a transit reading names
For each active transit the reading names five things. They appear in the text of the reading and in the export and the API; the app’s aspect list has no separate label for the last two.
- Which planet is moving, and which natal body it touches.
- Which aspect: conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition.
- The orb, in degrees.
- The phase: applying while the orb is closing, separating once it is opening, judged from the speeds of both bodies, retrograde motion included.
- The date it is exact: “becomes exact on” a stated day for an applying transit, “was exact on” one for a separating transit. The date is calculated, by searching the ephemeris for the moment the orb reaches 0°.
No date is named for the Moon. It crosses an aspect within hours, so a day would say nothing useful; its orb and phase are still given.
Why the orb is named: a square 0°30′ from exact and a square 7°30′ from exact are both called a square, and they are not the same thing. The closer one is far stronger, so each aspect here comes with its orb in degrees. How orbs work
How transits are calculated
- Today’s positions are calculated with Swiss Ephemeris; the same table, for everyone, is on the sky today.
- The five major aspects between a moving body and a natal one are checked against the transit orbs: 2° when the moving body is the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars, 3° for the slower ones.
- The exact moment of each is found by searching the ephemeris. When a planet turns before reaching exactness, no date is given.
- The reading is written afterwards from that list, and names the transit behind each statement.
A step by step walk through the same ideas, from the difference in longitude to the speed of the moving body, is in transits right now.
What the reading is good for
- Naming the theme of a current chapter in language you can use.
- Mapping a recent life event to the transit that was active when it happened.
- Looking ahead at upcoming exact dates: not to predict the event, but to notice what kind of question may come up.
- Cross-checking a transit-of-the-day reading against your actual chart, so you can see whether it’s relevant to you or generic.
For a longer horizon, pair today’s transits with a Solar Return year-ahead chart, and when you’re choosing a moment to act, weigh transit context alongside best timing / electional astrology.
Frequently asked questions
What are transits?
Transits are the real-time positions of the planets in the sky aspecting the planets in your natal chart. They mark periods when a particular theme (Saturn restructuring, Jupiter expanding, Pluto transforming) touches a specific area of your chart.
How are transits calculated?
NatalChart.AI uses Swiss Ephemeris to compute today's planetary positions and compares them against your natal chart. Each of the five major aspects within orb is reported with its orb, whether it is applying or separating, and the date it is exact, found by searching the ephemeris for the moment the orb reaches zero.
Which transits matter most?
Outer-planet transits (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, plus Chiron) tend to mark the larger life chapters because they're slow-moving: a Saturn transit can take months. Inner-planet transits (Mercury, Venus, Mars) are short and granular. The reading prioritises by relevance, not just by orb.
Will the transit reading predict events?
No. Astrology is symbolic. The reading describes the kinds of themes a transit tends to bring up (restructuring, expansion, intensity) and how they may interact with the natal placement being touched. It frames transits as invitations to reflect, not as predictions.
Can I see transits for a specific date?
Yes. Ask about any date and the reading computes the transits that were or will be active on that day. This is useful for noting how a past life event aligned with the chart, or for thinking about an upcoming period.
Are transit updates personalized to my chart?
Yes. Transit updates aspect the current positions of the planets to your actual natal positions (your Sun, your Moon and the other bodies of your chart), not a one-size-fits-all daily horoscope. Two people reading on the same day see different transits, because the aspects are measured against each person's own birth chart.
Can I see today's transits to my chart?
Yes. The reading shows which transiting planets aspect your natal points right now, each with its exact orb, whether the aspect is applying (tightening) or separating (fading), and the date it becomes or was exact. It reflects today's sky measured against your chart specifically.
Do transits predict what will happen?
No. A transit marks a window of symbolic emphasis, not a guaranteed event. Astrology here is reflective timing, not a forecast: treat a transit as a chapter theme to think with, not a determination of outcomes.