Looking ahead to 2022 and the potential promised by the “big movers”, it’s easy to become overly focused on what the action of the outer planets may signify.
Since the dawn of time, it’s a natural human phenomenon to want to know what the future holds. One the benefits of astrology is we can observe the moving sky, known as transits, and utilise other technical tools such as annual profections and secondary progressions (each astrologer will have their own set of go-to techniques) to get time-specific about when we can anticipate growth and change.
Meeting a soul-aligned partner, landing a dream job or realising major financial developments are a point of major query and focus, but, by and large, are relatively rare events. A calendar year is filled with smaller planetary activations and triggers that not only have a compounding effect on how life eventuates, but can also give us insight into these longer running trends that attract attention.
Due to their slower zodiacal cycles, the movement of the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) ensure they generate slow-paced momentum and, more often than not, big changes in our lives. For example, it takes Jupiter twelve years to pass through all twelve signs, so its arrival into a new sign promises exponential growth in one area of life for about a year.
Saturn, on the other hand, spends two-and-a-half to three years in a sign, not to be seen again for another twenty nine years. Its long cycle delivers profound growth, though often as the result of prolonged effort or toil over time.
Uranus spends seven years in a sign. Its total time touring the entire zodiac correlates with the average human lifespan, about 84 years, meaning Uranus’s sudden, revolutionary and change-inducing transits happen even less frequently.
The same can be said for Neptune, who spends fourteen years in a sign and takes 168 years to circle the Sun. Pluto, with its elliptical orbit, generally spends anywhere from twelve to thirty years in a sign, taking 248 years to complete a total zodiacal tour.
As you can see, while impactful, significant outer planetary transits of the birth chart are rare, and certainly don’t happen every year. Depending on your birth chart, some of these transits could influence your experience sporadically. For others, you may get big transits from the outer planets drawn out over a long period of time. There are some instances where you’ll never receive a certain type of transit. This makes the majority of outer planetary transits exceptionally personal, as they happen to each of us at different ages and different stages of life.
As you peruse your horoscope for 2022, you may be wondering how the range of possibilities that these planets suggest will play out for you. A horoscope is a bit like a weather forecast you hear about on the news; “A warm sunny morning with temperatures increasing and a chance of a thunderstorm in the late afternoon.” We’ve all heard these types of predictions before. While this kind of forecast would delight a farmer, it’s daunting for a bride. This is why it’s beneficial to understand your own planetary weather patterns.
It’s common to over emphasise the arrival of aspects from the outer planets without any context regarding how they influence your life. Armed with great anticipation, the aspect builds, happens and then completes, and you’re left wondering what happened or what did it even mean. Due to these larger slow-moving planets embodying wide-ranging symbolism and archetypes, distilling them through the lens of your own planets, into your own life, while integrating the wisdom, knowledge or experience, isn’t always easy.
To help, we can turn our attention to the more consistent and regular cycles of the Sun and the Moon.
Followed by a moon shadow
Compared to the outer planets, it takes just twenty-eight days for the Moon to circle the zodiac, spending approximately two-and-a-half days in a sign. This means, through the course of a lunar month, the Moon will pass over each planet and pass through each house of your entire birth chart. Therefore, the Moon, as our celestial satellite, will help boost the signal of your natal planets and houses.
An easy way to observe the Moon’s movement is to use the Moon Calendar that accompanies this edition of WellBeing Astrology. Throughout the entire year, you’ll see listed the Moon’s ingress into a new sign every two to three days.
As an example, notice when the Moon moves through Taurus on a particular day. If you happen to have Mercury in Taurus, or a different planet, then you may gain additional insight into the way those planets operate in your life. Mercury in Taurus, as an earth sign is known for its reserved yet dry and likeable communication style. When the Moon is in Taurus, you might notice you think about feelings or emotions, or rely on your intuition, a little more than usual.
Due to the speed of the Moon, it moves approximately one zodiacal degree every two hours. It will take about six hours for the Moon to apply to the position of your natal planet, form the conjunction and then separate. This short window of time each month is your personal opening to develop a relationship with each planet and how it operates in your life.
It is also useful to consider the House topics the Moon activates as it moves through the signs. Keeping with our Taurus moon example, we might default to thinking it’s only about pleasure, food, stability and comfort, as they are a few of Taurus’ top focuses. However, if Taurus happens to be the sign in your 10th House, the Moon in Taurus will activate themes of career, reputation and fame. Each month as the Moon passes through Taurus, you get a two-and-a-half-day career boost. You may be in the mood to do something that supports your career, such as going that extra mile at work, scheduling a business meeting or, if you’re self-employed, send out a social media post or an email to your clients. If Taurus happens to be in your 2nd House of
Money, you might spend a little bit extra during this period or make a date with your finances and review your progress.
In 2022, eclipses occur in Taurus in May and November. August is also a standout month for the Taurus part of your life, as Uranus and the North Node activate the sign. If you’re curious about how these rare events may take shape in your life, observing the Moon’s movement through Taurus each month can help.
As you observe the days the Moon passes through each of the twelve signs and houses, note the events, feelings and general vibe of those two-and-a-half days. Notice the way you feel. Are you comfortable and content? Are you restless and desiring change? Are you abuzz with mental activity? Are you dreaming of your future? Keeping a journal can help you to notice your own patterns and may help you to decipher how the larger planetary influences of 2022 could play out for you.
Here comes the sun
The Sun has a constant and stable place in the centre of our solar system and, as such, has a regular zodiacal cycle. Spending thirty days in a sign, it takes the Sun a year to tour all the twelve signs, making a complete tour of your entire birth chart.
As the Sun and the Moon move according to their own cycles and rhythms, they are our original timekeepers. The Sun, as the slower moving body, is akin to the hour hand on a clock, while the Moon is symbolic of the minute hand. As it is in real life, it’s the minutes, hours, days, weeks and months that unfold, and before you know it, another year as passed.
You get one month per year when the light of the Sun spotlights and energises particular topics in your life. By observing the movement of the Sun each month, from sign to sign and house to house, you’ll glean a deeper understanding of the house topics and your relationship to the signs.
You may already notice certain patterns in your life that align with the movement of the Sun. For example, when the Sun shines its light and vitality into your 1st House of You and your physical body, you might feel energised by taking better care of yourself or starting a health and wellness routine.
Perhaps there is a particular month of the year that feels expensive. Annual bills or large outgoings could be activated by the Sun’s visit to your 8th House of Debt. If you have the option of taking holidays at a time that suits you, you may be surprised to discover that time can correlate with the passing of the Sun through your 9th House of Travel, or even your 12th House of Rest and Retreat.
The Sun moves approximately one zodiacal degree per day. As it does, it will infuse its light with each planet in your birth chart over the course of a year. If you have a planet at, for example, 15 degrees Taurus, the influence of the Sun would be felt most strongly the day before, with the Sun at 14 degrees, and the day of the conjunction when the Sun arrives at 15 Taurus. Once the Sun gets to 16 degrees, the intensity of the aspect will begin to diminish and along with it any feelings or events associated with its influence.
As you awaken to the cycles of the Sun and Moon and how they activate different areas of your life, you’ll develop your own understanding of the signs and symbols used in astrology. Thus, as the less regular cycles of the slower moving planets occur, you’ll be armed with insight to make more informed choices, knowing when to push forward or delay action. Using the Sun and Moon as your guiding lights, each and every year when the astrological weather patterns change, you’ll be positioned to make the most of the promise and potential each unique cycle offers.
Cycles of promise and potential in 2022
Jupiter: growth, expansion and luck
Jupiter in Pisces | Jupiter will traverse the entire sign of Pisces in 2022, continuing its introductory cycle from 14 May to 28 July 2021. If you have planets or points, such as the ascendant or the midheaven, or the descendant or IC in Pisces, 2022 will be a year bursting with promise and large-scale growth not seen in over a decade. Jupiter is extra potent in Pisces, so a little extra effort will go a long way to developing the Pisces area of your life, as described by your birth chart.
Jupiter in Aries | In 2022, Jupiter activates 0–8 degrees of Aries. As Jupiter’s cycle in 2022 only covers a small portion of Aries, it introduces us to the cycle that will be more influential next year. As Jupiter moves through the early degrees of Aries, it will activate the early degrees of other Cardinal signs — Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
This will be most potent for you if you have a birthday falls between: 20-28 March, 21-29 June, 23 September to 1 October, or 21-29 December.
If you are influenced by the cycle of Jupiter in 2022, you can tap into its energy by learning, teaching or travel — the type of experiences that make you both rich and wise. As Jupiter expands what it touches, you may be called to stretch yourself, encouraging you to find your sense of joy and points you to where you can best share your gifts and talents with others. This year may be infused with a sense of the road finally rising up to meet you, where a little effort can yield big results.
Saturn: maturity, boundaries, wisdom
The portion of the sky that Saturn visits this year is 11–25 degrees of Aquarius. As it does, it will form an angle of influence to these degrees of its fellow fixed signs of Taurus, Leo and Scorpio.
You’ll feel the energy of Saturn strongly if your birthday falls between: 1-15 May, 3-17 August, 3-17 November, or 31 January 2022 to 13 February 2023.
Saturn continues through Aquarius, winding up its two-and-a-half year cycle on March 2023; offering one more calendar year to take the topics of the House in your birth chart ruled by Aquarius more seriously. Clarity may arrive around what is and isn’t important. The wisdom Saturn provides often comes through some form of challenge or effort. As you embrace new limits, you could establish a new boundary, welcome new, or let go of, responsibilities or obligations.
Uranus: Revolution, Change, Authenticity
Uranus will continue through Taurus in 2022. Its destabilising presence will be most strongly felt if you have planets between 10–18 degrees of Taurus, or the other fixed signs of Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
If you’re birthday falls between the following dates, Uranus will transit your sun this year: 30 April to 8 May, 2-10 August, 2-10 November, or 28 February to 8 March.
If you have a transit of Uranus in 2022, expect a year of change, chaos and excitement. Life may take on a faster than preferred pace as your need for stability becomes challenged. Choices, while surprising to others, may feel authentic and appropriate for as you navigate new priorities and ways of expressing yourself. Any changes you’ve been avoiding might become increasingly hard to ignore under Uranus’ touch.
Neptune: Intuition, Surrender, Dream
Neptune moves through 20–25 degrees of Pisces in 2022. Its nebulous influence will impact other mutable signs of Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius with planets at the same degrees.
Neptune will transit your sun if your birthday falls within these dates: 11-16 June, 13-18 September, 12-17 December, or 10-15 March.
Neptune transits are often hard to pinpoint, as is the nature of this far-flung planet. Your energy may feel slow or sluggish and you may need to see the pace of life slow down. As your internal landscape shifts and changes, you’ll be called to surrender and go with the flow. Take heed of the stirrings within your soul that defy logic or reason. Your creative or spiritual life can open up avenues to get to know your instinctual desires more deeply.
Pluto: Power, Catharsis, Transformation
Pluto’s intense influence activates 25–28 degrees of Capricorn in 2022. As it does, it will activate the same degrees of the other Cardinal signs, Aries, Cancer and Libra.
Pluto will activate your sun if you have a birthday on the following dates: 15-18 April, 17-20 June, 18-21 October, or 17-20 December.
Pluto symbolises the cycle of death and rebirth, calling for a total transformation of a particular aspect of your identity or your life. Issues involving truth, trust and honesty may come to the fore in a relationship, career of financial setting. This year may be laden with intense or cathartic experiences that will reveal new truths, helping you reclaim your strength and power.
