How Transits and Progressions Impact Your Big Three Over Time

In astrology, your Big Three—the Sun, Moon, and Rising signs—represent the core of who you are. These three placements give insight into your identity, emotions, and the way you interact with the world. However, the way these signs express themselves is not static. As you journey through life, various astrological phenomena, such as transits and progressions, impact your Big Three, shaping your personal evolution and growth.

In this article, we’ll explore how transits and progressions work and how they influence your Big Three over time. By understanding these influences, you can gain a deeper perspective on your life path and the cyclical changes that affect your core self.

What Are Transits?

A transit occurs when a planet moves through the sky and forms an aspect (angle) to a planet or point in your natal chart. These interactions can trigger significant events, shifts in energy, and emotional responses. Each planet governs a different area of life, and when transiting planets aspect your Sun, Moon, or Rising signs, they bring dynamic changes that are felt in different ways depending on the nature of the planet and aspect.

Transiting Planets and Their Impact on the Big Three

Transiting Sun: The Sun’s transit around your chart can highlight specific areas of your life based on the house it is currently moving through. When the transiting Sun makes a conjunction to your natal Sun, it can bring a boost of vitality and a time of self-reflection. Similarly, transiting Sun aspects to your Moon or Rising sign can affect how you express yourself, connect emotionally with others, or navigate your outward persona.
Transiting Moon: The Moon transits through all 12 zodiac signs in approximately 28 days, activating different points in your chart. While the Moon's influence is short-lived, it can affect how you process emotions related to your Sun, Moon, or Rising signs. For example, a transiting Moon in your seventh house of relationships could highlight emotional dynamics with a partner, which then might prompt shifts in how you express yourself emotionally (Moon) or even how you interact socially (Rising).
Transiting Mercury: As the planet of communication, Mercury's transits can stimulate or challenge how you express your thoughts, ideas, and emotions. A Mercury transit to your Sun may bring a period of mental clarity, whereas a transit to your Moon could trigger emotional revelations or communication breakdowns.
Transiting Venus and Mars: Venus brings a focus to love, beauty, and values, while Mars influences energy, drive, and desire. When these planets transit your Big Three, they can bring a deeper understanding of your romantic needs (Venus), or prompt action toward personal goals and assertiveness (Mars).
Transiting Jupiter and Saturn: These slower-moving planets have more significant, long-term impacts on your Big Three. A transit from Jupiter to your Sun might expand your sense of self, bringing opportunities for growth and success, while Saturn's transit could challenge your structure and foundations, prompting personal development or creating limitations.

How Transits Change Over Time

Transits are cyclical, and their impact changes based on the planet’s movement and the relationship it forms to your natal planets. For example, the Sun will make a full return to its position in your chart once a year (your Solar Return), bringing a fresh start and a time of reflection. Jupiter’s 12-year cycle means it will form a series of aspects to your Big Three throughout your life, offering periods of expansion and contraction.

As a result, transits play a role in your ongoing development, influencing key themes related to identity, emotions, and how you present yourself to the world.

What Are Progressions?

Progressions refer to the symbolic movement of planets in your natal chart over time, calculated from the moment of your birth. The most common progression used in astrology is the Secondary Progression, where one day after birth is equated to one year of life. This technique reveals how your personality and life circumstances evolve, as it reflects the gradual unfolding of your inner self.

Progressions move much slower than transits, with some changes taking years or even decades to unfold. They reflect a more internal, long-term transformation, unlike the often external influences of transits.

Progressions and the Big Three

Progressed Sun: The movement of your progressed Sun represents your evolving sense of identity, life purpose, and goals. Every 30 years, your progressed Sun moves through a new zodiac sign, which can signify a significant shift in how you express yourself. For example, if your progressed Sun moves from Aquarius to Pisces, you may experience a shift from an intellectual, detached approach to life toward a more compassionate and emotionally attuned perspective.
Progressed Moon: The progressed Moon takes about 27-28 years to complete a full cycle through the signs, mirroring the cycle of your emotional growth and maturation. As the progressed Moon moves through different signs, it shifts your emotional landscape. For instance, a progressed Moon in Leo could bring a time of increased creativity and self-expression, while a progressed Moon in Capricorn might push you to focus more on emotional maturity and responsibility.
Progressed Rising Sign: While your Rising sign is determined by the exact moment of birth, the progressed Ascendant reflects how your outward persona evolves over time. For example, your progressed Rising sign may shift to another sign after several decades, indicating a new way of presenting yourself to the world. This shift can be subtle but impactful, as it changes the first impression others have of you and the way you approach life.

How Transits and Progressions Work Together

Both transits and progressions are integral to understanding how your Big Three evolve. While transits show you the external energies affecting your core self at any given time, progressions reveal the internal, long-term shifts that take place as you grow older.

For example, a major transit like Saturn’s return to your natal Sun may indicate a significant milestone or challenge in your life, where you redefine your identity. At the same time, a progressed shift in your Moon might indicate a deepening of emotional maturity, providing you with the inner resources needed to navigate this external change.

Together, transits and progressions provide a holistic view of your personal development. They reflect not only the external influences you experience but also the internal shifts that prepare you for future growth.

Example of How They Influence Each Other

Consider the example of someone with a Taurus Sun, Pisces Moon, and Gemini Rising.

Transits: A Uranus transit to their Taurus Sun could bring sudden and unexpected changes related to their self-expression, perhaps in the form of a career or life goal transformation. At the same time, a Neptune transit square to their Pisces Moon might bring confusion or spiritual awakening in their emotional world. With a Pluto transit opposing their Gemini Rising, they may experience deep transformations in the way they present themselves to the world, pushing them to let go of old masks and embrace a new, more authentic version of themselves.
Progressions: Over time, their progressed Sun might shift into Gemini, symbolizing a deeper shift toward intellectual exploration and adaptability, which complements the transformation they may feel through the Pluto transit. Their progressed Moon may move into Aries, pushing them to become more assertive and emotionally independent, a stark contrast to the more passive emotional landscape they may have had in their younger years.

Conclusion

The dynamic forces of transits and progressions shape how your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs evolve over time. While transits bring timely influences and external shifts, progressions reflect the internal growth and development of your core self. Together, these astrological tools offer insight into the ever-changing nature of who you are and how you relate to the world around you. By understanding how these factors influence your Big Three, you can navigate life's challenges and embrace opportunities for growth with greater awareness.