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Time in astrology: planets as triggers and events

Understand planetary triggers and you will understand a lot about the astrological timing of events. The principle is very simple. The outlying planets of the solar system, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, can take months, even years, to travel a certain point. When they create configurations or aspects with each other or with sensitive points in your natal chart, they generate a large amount of energy.

Then a fast moving inner planet acts as a trigger, firing the energy like a detonator firing an explosive and you experience an event or epiphany. These are the types of planetary action that act as triggers.

Change of Direction: The release of energy when a retrograde planet turns direct can be a trigger. When a planet is retrograde, it appears to move backwards in the sky as seen from Earth. During the time it is retrograde, it cannot express its energy directly, one of the reasons for the legendary computer glitches and programming problems associated with Mercury in retrograde. When you slow down and change direction, that energy is released.

Another trigger is a fast moving planet touching an outer planet or completing a planetary configuration by transit. The inner planets – the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars – won’t stay longer than a day or two unless they are preparing to change direction, but that is enough to trigger an event.

A third trigger is a new or full moon. It can be a new moon or an ordinary full moon, or it can be an eclipse. While both new and full moons and eclipses can act as a release of energy, an eclipse can precipitate change on its own if it’s affecting your chart. In that case, the eclipse point will be right on the planet in question, in opposition (180 degrees) or square (90 degrees) to a planet or significant point.

A trigger doesn’t work in a vacuum. When there is no relevant outer planetary activity or secondary progression, fast-moving aspects indicate a short-term set of conditions that pass quickly with little consequence.

The more charged your chart is, which means the more activity from the outer planets touches the planets in your chart and other pressure points, the more likely a trigger is to trigger an event.

Astrology has the advantage of alerting you so that you know the nature of the energy that is building up and the areas that are likely to be affected by an event. By keeping an eye on planetary triggers, you also gain insight into the likely periods in which an event will occur.