How can I figure out when planets begin moving together for an aspect?

[Arianna]

Hello,

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I am trying to figure out when Saturn and Uranus will begin moving closer to their square in June. I know the square itself is the 17th but I want to know when Uranus and Saturn begin moving towards that placement.

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So the last square was earlier in the year and they been moving away from that aspect and now they are probably moving closer to the aspect.

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How do I figure this out?

Discussion

[SunInSatabisha]

Normally you’re going to want to go based off of planetary transit speeds and their direction of travel (so direct vs retrograde). Some planets move faster than others and so when they converge, it’s usually as one planet is moving closer towards the other and not usually both together. For example, earlier this year like you mentioned, Saturn and Uranus had an exact square. Saturn transits at a faster speed than Uranus and so this transit will focus primarily on when Saturn is inching closer and closer to Uranus’ degree, so Saturn will be moving towards Uranus’ square degree and then move past it.

In June however, we will get the same transit but only because of a planets shift in direction. Despite Saturn already being past Uranus’ degree, once it goes retrograde, it’ll be moving towards Uranus’ new degree AND at the same time, Uranus will be moving towards Saturn’s degree. This one is an intersection of both planets moving in opposite directions.

Then later this year or next, I forget when, Saturn will again go direct and be moving towards Uranus’ degree AND at the same time, Uranus will be going retrograde moving towards Saturn’s square degree thus creating another intersection.

Note that the first square was merely just Saturn moving towards, on and past Uranus’ square degree because Saturn moves faster than that planet so here Saturn would control the square but since the other two features a mutual movement towards the same square degree, it’ll be mutually strong.

I hope that helped. I can be bad at explaining sometimes

[StellaGraphia]

It’s actually quite easy. You just need the tool any astrologer uses: an ephemeris. You can get one (for any year over several thousand years) for free at [astro.com](https://astro.com) by going to the All About Astrology tab and then, under the Ephemeris heading, clicking on the [9000 Years Ephemeris](https://www.astro.com/swisseph/swepha_e.htm) link. You can download just a single year, or 50 at once, etc. Here’s the one for this year:

[2021 Ephemeris](https://www.astro.com/swisseph/ae/2000/ae_2021.pdf)

Here’s a brief explanation on how to read it, using a [screenshot of April 2021](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/832255430679855144/832255487919259658/unknown.png).

Note that on April 1st at midnight UT:

* Saturn is at 11 Aquarius 22
* Uranus is at 9 Taurus 1

And on April 30th:

* Saturn is at 13 aquarius 4
* Uranus is at 10 Tau 38

See how far each has moved in one month? Saturn not quite 2 degrees and uranus about a degree and a half. Now, look at previous months, on the main 2021 ephemeris link above. Saturn usually move farther than that in a month. More like 3 or 4 degrees. So why is it moving so much less in april? Well, look at May. Notice how it is “stuck” at 13 degrees for the entire month. Why? Because it goes retrograde on May 23rd (UT time). And the days or few weeks prior to a planet going retrograde it “slows down”. If you just look at how much saturn (or mercury etc) in each month, you will see this slowing and speeding up.

So now, to find when two planets are moving closer, just look at each planet’s positions in the ephemeris. You want to find when their degree numbers are the same. Look at the 2021 pdf above. In april, saturn is moving away from uranus. But saturn is slowing, and will soon go retrograde and start moving back toward uranus again. See in May? how they are getting closer? In april they were at 11 and 9 degrees. By the end of may they are at 13 and 12 degrees. Now look at June 15th. They are at the same degree. We’re just lucky they both happened to be at those positions right at midnight, because it makes it easy to see. Just remember to account for the movement of a planet in that 24-hour period.

Just ask if you need any help figuring it out.