Planetary Transits

How to use live transits

Read transits by going from slowest to fastest planet, checking each against your natal placements and active mahadasha. Focus on Saturn, Jupiter, Rahu, and Ketu — they create the macro chapters of life.

  1. Start with Saturn's current position. Note which sign and house Saturn is transiting from your ascendant and from your moon. Check if you're in sade sati (Saturn in 12th, 1st, or 2nd from natal moon) or ashtama shani (Saturn in 8th from moon).
  2. Check Jupiter's transit. Jupiter moves one sign per year. Identify which house Jupiter is transiting from your ascendant and from your moon. Jupiter through trinal houses (5th, 9th) or kendras (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) typically expands those areas favorably.
  3. Note Rahu and Ketu's axis. Rahu and Ketu are always 180° apart and move backward through the zodiac (~1.5 years per sign). The houses they currently axis through are areas of intense focus, sudden change, or release.
  4. Compute Vedic aspects to natal planets. Check which natal planets are being aspected by transit planets. Use special aspects: Mars (4th/7th/8th), Jupiter (5th/7th/9th), Saturn (3rd/7th/10th), all others (7th). Aspects to natal Moon, Sun, or chart ruler are the most felt.
  5. Read transits through the lens of your mahadasha. Transits don't act alone. A Saturn transit during Jupiter mahadasha feels different from a Saturn transit during Saturn mahadasha. Always interpret transit and dasha together.
  6. Log key moments to test the interpretation. Use the Moments feature to log past life events. Verify which transits and mahadasha were active that day. This calibrates your sense of which transits matter most in your specific chart.
Frequently asked

What are transits (gochar) in Vedic astrology?

Transits — called gochar in Sanskrit — are the current positions of planets in the sky as they move relative to your fixed natal chart. While your birth chart shows the imprint at the moment you were born, transits show the live planetary weather affecting you right now. Slow planets like Saturn (2.5 years per sign) and Jupiter (1 year per sign) cause the most noticeable life events.

Which transits matter most?

Saturn and Jupiter transits matter most because they're slow and last long enough to mark life chapters. Rahu and Ketu (about 1.5 years per sign) bring sudden changes. Mars (about 6 weeks per sign) flares short-term conflict and ambition. Inner planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus) move too fast to time major events but color daily mood.

What is sade sati?

Sade sati is the 7.5-year period when transit Saturn passes through three consecutive signs: the sign before your natal moon, your moon sign, and the sign after. It happens roughly every 27.5 years. It's traditionally feared but actually a structured phase of letting go (phase 1), reckoning (phase 2), and rebuilding (phase 3). Often the most growth-heavy years of life.

What is ashtama shani?

Ashtama shani is the 2.5-year period when transit Saturn passes through the 8th house from your natal moon. It's considered challenging — themes of hidden change, finances tied to others, in-laws, transformation. Less famous than sade sati but often felt more sharply because it's concentrated in one sign.

How are transit aspects calculated in Vedic astrology?

Vedic astrology uses 'special aspects' (drishti). Every planet aspects the 7th house from itself. Mars additionally aspects 4th and 8th. Jupiter additionally aspects 5th and 9th. Saturn additionally aspects 3rd and 10th. Rahu and Ketu's aspects vary by tradition (5th, 7th, 9th). KundliAI computes all of these from current positions to your natal placements.

Do transits override my mahadasha?

No — they work together. Your mahadasha sets the macro theme of the decade or so. Transits are the live weather that activates or modulates that theme. A Jupiter mahadasha during a Jupiter transit through your 10th house is a strong career window. A Saturn mahadasha during sade sati can be the most demanding period of your life.

When does a planet 'transit a house' versus 'transit a sign'?

Same thing in Vedic whole-sign system. Each of the 12 houses equals one full sign starting from your ascendant. So 'Saturn transits the 7th house' means Saturn has moved into the sign occupying your 7th house. Use sign-based language for clarity.

What is a retrograde planet in transit?

When a planet appears to move backward from Earth's view, it's retrograde. In Vedic astrology, retrograde planets are considered stronger but more inward-acting. Retrograde Saturn or Jupiter in transit often means revisiting an old theme, returning to a past situation, or completing unfinished work in that area of life.