How I plan my time using astrology

Listen to the complimentary podcast to this article here (also available on Apple).

True to form, my Saturn return rocked me to my core. There were days I would wake up (often from a night of barely sleeping) having no idea how I’d be able to put one foot in front of the other. My heart and body ached and raged constantly with emotions I couldn’t name and sensory experiences that had me questioning what was real, what was me, and what was true. It was a moment so full of challenge and pain that I often found myself repeating the mantra, “ground in uncertainty,” in an attempt to stabilize myself in a reality that felt completely untenable, sometimes even unlivable.

It was this period of my life that solidified my desire to be able to predict what would occur in the future. I would read my astro.com 6 month forecast and jot down the dates at which transits would begin and end. I found a way to learn my exact Saturn return date. I read voraciously about the Cancer-Capricorn axis and the 2nd and 8th houses (these spaces being what were personally activated at the time) – all as an attempt to understand what was happening to me.

Out of desperation I turned to the cosmos for clarity - for some kind of map or guidebook telling me why I my life was unfolding the way it was, and also when I could expect relief to find me. Nothing else seemed to make sense beyond the timing of the planetary movements and how they were taking apart my life.

Astrology is a phenomenal tool for helping a person piece together and define who they are. It’s a system that can explain what shape of the universe we’re embodying while in this lifetime – and I love it for that.

But astrology is also a timing tool, one that helps us understand when certain events are going to occur, and where in our lives they will unfold – and that part of astrology is a part I find exceptionally valuable.

In a world in which time is our most precious resource, wouldn’t it be helpful to have a system that tells us how we’re going to be activated ahead of time? Where our attention will be focused? What things we’ll be called to do, and learn about, and respond to? So that we could better plan and choose how we show up – with less guilt, less questioning, less confusion?

Obviously there are certain things we cannot predict – there are details that will come to surprise us no matter how much we learn to use the astrological tools available to us. But after almost 8 years of studying patterns within myself, in relation to the movements of the cosmos, there are some things at this point I can always count on to appear.

So below I’m going to share with you the ways I utilize the planetary movements to help me plan my time – in alignment with my moods, my energy, my interests, and to support my larger goals and visions.

Feel free to take this article in sections. As per usual, this is an ultra packed Hollis article, so definitely don’t feel like you have to take it all in at once. This is meant to be a resource you can come back to.

Note: this article will not include information about timing techniques such as annual profections, secondary progressions, or zodical releasing. This is just about how to use the movements of the planets as they unfold in real time.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I have to first share the tools I use for knowing when certain transits will occur, and also how to decipher them from vantage points other than my own (because astrological understanding cannot exist within a vacuum and it’s important to always hear other astrologer’s perspectives and keep learning!)

Here’s my technical list of astrology tools I use regularly:

• Astrogold for desktop - my go to software for looking up any and all transits past and future.

• Astrogold for iPhone - helpful for on-the-go referencing of transits.

• Honeycomb calendar - I can’t say enough great things about this calendar, because it not only labels the general transits for everyone, but it also labels the transits applying to your own natal chart!! I use this calendar almost daily with the digital version open on my laptop at all times.

• Podcasts

  • The Astrology Podcast - the GOAT when it comes to discussing mundane and world astrology. If you’re not already a listener, consider this your sign to go subscribe!

  • Threads of Fate - my new favorite podcast dissecting the nuanced details of astrology from monthly forecasts to the decans of the Zodiac.

  • Chani - Just for fun at this point, I rarely look at the daily forecasts, but I do listen to the weeklies. I’ve learned so much from Chani over the years, so it’s almost just comforting to listen to her. Plus this is a great starting point for anyone looking to start working with astrological timing.

Lastly, if you’d like quick breakdowns of the planets, signs, and houses to reference as you read this post, check out this article for easy visual references.

Okay – now for the fun stuff!

There are two points in each year in which I like to look at the broad view of the transits – June/July around the Summer Equinox and my birthday, and December/January around the Winter Equinox.

By the time Summer arrives I’ve already looked at the first 6 months of the following year, and so I take that moment to digest and synthesize what’s ahead – for myself and generally. And then by Winter I’ll have looked at the next year as a whole, at which point I’ll also take some time to digest and reflect on what major themes are ahead for myself and the collective.

When I look at the transits of the planets, I look at when they’ll be occurring, what signs they’ll be occurring in, and what houses they activate for me.

This tells me:
+ What kind of events will occur
+ When I can expect events to occur
+ The energy and style of the events
+ The areas of life where these events will unfold

For example, I know that at the start of 2027 we’ll have a Mars retrograde (what) from January 10th to April 1st (when), in Virgo and Leo (signs/style), and I know that this retrograde will be activating my 9th and 10th houses (where).

That means there will be some aggravating, confronting, irritating, and perhaps even painful situations (Mars), that teach me about my leadership style and creativity as well as my style of organization and communication (Virgo/Leo), with regards to long distance travel, higher education, career and reputation, etc. (9th/10th houses).

Now, does this mean I have to do anything with this information just because I have it? No, but I find it nice to know it’s coming. I can do my due diligence now to reduce the inflammation that could crop up then, such as be really clear with my clients about when I’ll be taking off in the Winter season, and addressing any sticky situations in my business if/when they arise.

It’s important to me to have an understanding of where we’re headed - not necessarily so that I can do anything with it just yet, but so that I can have it in the back of my mind and it can marinate in my consciousness as I’m working with the transits that are unfolding right now.

When you look at the year as a whole, or in 6 month increments, it can take time for the story to take shape and reveal itself. Just like chiseling away at a stone to form a sculpture, it requires time and diligence to define the details of the whole piece of art.

• Wherever you are in time and space, just start by looking at the transits of the first quarter of the next year (whatever quarter and year mean to you).

• Notice if there are any big events that catch your attention (eclipses, retrogrades, major conjunctions, etc.). Pick one to start with and write down the dates.

• Name the energy of the planets that are involved, as well as the energy of the signs that they’re occurring. What are the themes here that are being stirred?

• Identify which houses the transits will be activating for you, and which corresponding areas of life will be called into focus.

This is part of the story you’ll be stepping into during this period of time. Do this with each quarter (or preferred chunk of time) to start to piece together your story for the year.

Each season of the year carries with it an archetypal arch that I know I subtly (and sometimes very overtly) respond to and act through.

For example, Spring is defined by Aries, Taurus, and Gemini archetypes and is akin to the energy of a Waxing to Full Moon. I find myself always feeling more energized, strong, curious, experimental, and social during this season - especially in comparisson to Winter.

Summer is defined by Cancer, Leo, and Virgo making it (for me) more about nurturing, reflecting, tending, luxuriating, creating, and then learning and organizing. It’s similar to the shift from the Full to Disseminating Moon phases and so I notice myself more interested in dispersing information, making moves and being active, sharing, and expressing.

This is less about the detailed astrological transits as it is about the overarching themes and energetic direction of each season. Because each season has a certain vibe about it, I know I’ll naturally lean into that vibe and my energy will move naturally with it. I know that I follow a cyclical flow of introspection, growth, expression, and release every year, so rather than fighting against that tendency, I plan with it.

I let myself have time off during the Summer just after the Solstice (which aligns nicely with my birthday) to soak up and appreciate all the work I’ve done thus far (Full Moon energy).

Similarly I also take off the last two weeks of the year to go inward and reflect on the past 12 months (New Moon energy). In between I go with the flow of the transitional seasons - traveling, writing, building, creating, and then sharing, expressing, organizing, and releasing.

At this point I’ve let go of the linear mentality that I have to grow grow grow, and instead I honor the fact that there’s a high and low to every year energetically, and I choose to organize my goals and desires in alignment with the times when I know I’ll want to expand as well as with the times when I’ll want to rot and decompose.

My energy naturally flows in alignment with the traditional expressions of the seasons, (save for that Summer always includes time for rest around the Solstice – perhaps a bit contradictory). However, you might have a different relationship with the seasons than I do, so this requires first a bit of observation.

• What do you find yourself naturally wanting to do during each season of the year? Do you adhere to the stereotypical expressions of Spring in that you find yourself active and social and creative? Or do you respond to this time of year differently?

• Same with Summer, and Fall, and Winter – how do you find yourself and your energy during these times? What activities do you find yourself doing? What do you find yourself craving to do or not do? When do you naturally want to rest, build, be active, release, express, etc? Is there a pattern to how you intuitively and instinctually move through every season?

• After you’ve defined these details, can you look at your next few seasons ahead and name how you’ll likely want to move through them based on your observed history? And then align your goals, dreams, desires, and tasks accordingly?

Based on the Sun’s placement I’ll know a certain archetypal energy will be informing much of my daily experience, conversations, and interests. At this point I’ve observed how I respond to every solar month over the course of several years, so I can pretty easily predict where my mind will be focused, activities I’ll feel called to pursue, and themes I’ll likely be engaging with.

A few examples:

• Capricorn season (my 2nd house) always has me going deep into my financial patterns, setting up a budget for the year ahead, reviewing my expenses for the past year, and planning my finances for the upcoming year based on my programs and offerings.

• During Cancer season (my birth season and 8th house) I like to slow all the way down and have a momentary reset where I can be reflective, when I can nest a little, and often we have people coming to visit so I find myself hosting.

• During Sagittarius season (my 1st house) I love to be social and see as many people as I can during the holidays - my schedule is usually packed to the brim with social events.

These are all things I’ve observed myself doing repeatedly over the course of several years, so I’d be a fool to pretend I was going to respond to the energy of each season differently. Instead, I can look at each solar season and move with them. I can organize my travel, my launches, my social events in alignment with them.

This year I even chose to get married during Gemini season (my 7th house). (This was actually partially accidental – I chose to get married around the Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer, which also happened to be during Gemini season, woo!)

Looking at the energy of the solar seasons can be highly illuminating to make sense of where your focus will be pulled and how your attention will shift. Knowing ahead of time what you’ll likely want to be doing for each month can help you plan in alignment with those natural pulls and desires rather than fighting against yourself and your impulses.

• Take a look at your natal chart, and name which times of the year go with which houses.

• Ask yourself if you’ve historically found your attention aligning with the themes of those houses during those seasons.

• Look ahead at the next 3-6 months and name what areas of life will be activated for you based on the corresponding house placements in your chart, and build this information into your plans. Or don’t and instead just enjoy the fun of observing how the themes appear without you even trying.

If this kind of personalized relationship to astrology and time intrigues you, I invite you to sign up for the waitlist for my new 1:1 offering:

Trusted Timing, an astrological partnership for creatives who want to strategize their goals, output and life direction with their astrology.

I designed this offering to help you build your life in rhythm with your chart – aligning your ambitions and desires with cosmic timing, so you can move with clarity instead of confusion.

It’s specifically for those who’re tired of pushing, guessing, and overextending, and want to understand when to act, when to refine, and when to rest in accordance with their energy and the energy of the moment.

Despite many of us knowing time is a construct, it still dictates and runs so much of our lives via stress, anxiety, or fear. But time is malleable, and our relationship to it is flexible – when you shift how you respond to time, you create more freedom, confidence, and appreciation for how you move through and with it.

Cultivate the freedom to move through your time with ease and authority - with the support of the cosmos. More info coming soon - don’t miss it!

Where the yearly, seasonal and monthly planning are the appetizers, the weekly is definitely the entrée.

At the start of every month, I like to look at the transits that occur each week to understand the overarching energy of the month ahead. I’ve already determined the energy of the solar season (as detailed in the previous section), so this is where I start to focus on the details to piece together how they relate to the things I want to do over the course of the weeks ahead.

Practically, this looks like marking the transits in my calendar, and then outlining what themes and areas of life will be activated for me, based on the equation I included above:

+ The transits of the planets tell me what kind of events will occur and when
+ The signs of the transits tells me energy and style of the events
+ The corresponding houses in my chart tell me the areas of life where these events will unfold

I don’t always delineate per day because I’ve found that transits can sometimes be felt very strongly leading up to their perfection, and are sometimes felt as echos after the fact. So I like to look at the general vibe and make room for those themes being integrated into my experiences week by week.

Similarly, sometimes the storyline is clear, other times it’s scattered. For example the Venus, Mars, Sun conjunction we had in Capricorn in January that was all opposing Jupiter and my natal Sun – that was very clear. From my 2nd house to my 8th house it was all about my resources, sense of security, and my shared resources with clients and my partner. The opposition aspect also felt oppressive and a very tense.

Over time I’ve come to recognize that certain transits will always activate me in a certain way. For example, transits through Pisces/my 4th house always deliver really deep dreams and surprising insights from my unconscious, or moments where I connect with family. Mercury-Mars conjunctions always have me getting really feisty with my partner - because they activate my natal Mercury in my 8H of joint collaborations and ventures. Oppositions always feel like a delicate balance and sometimes even a stress test.

I know to watch out for these moments and how to prepare for them, work with them, and forgive myself if I end up letting them get the better of me.

• Using your preferred astrology transit tool, write down the transits that look especially interesting for you for the next month (or write them all down!)

• Use the equation I listed above to name the planetary energy, the zodiac sign style, and the house location to synthesize what each event will likely activate for you.

• Option 1: Look at your goals, tasks, desires for your month ahead and ask yourself – how do these things align with the upcoming transits? For example, if you have a big writing project to accomplish, is there a Mercury transit that would support your intellect and expression? Or if you have a hard task to tackle, is there a Mars transit that could add a little pep to your step?

• Option 2: If you’re just starting to learn how you respond to the transits, be sure to take notes on the days certain transits occur. Start the process of cataloguing how the astrology shows up in your life so you can start to predict how it will appear again in the future.

• Pro tip: work with what you have - the things on your list, the transits ahead, and generally what you know about astrology - and leave whatever doesn’t work to be figured out on it’s own. Don’t over schedule/ over predict your time - that’s crazy-making! This is about getting to know yourself and using the astrology to give you a boost, always.

I personally do not intentionally use the planetary days of the week, simply because I don’t like to. For some reason they seem oversimplified to me, and I end up just finding them annoying. That said, I do tend to find myself naturally working with them anyway, and (I think) in my own way.

Here’s what my weekly rhythm usually looks like:

• Monday (Moon - ruling my 8th house)
  Usually when I get my time right. I look at my week ahead and reorganize my calendar to look more realistic with what I have to get done. I spend at least an hour in correspondence and emails at the top of the day. I end the day early because it’s my partner’s Saturday so we usually like to watch a movie and make dinner together.

• Tuesday (Mars - ruling my 5th and 12th houses)
  Usually when my partner and I go for a morning walk or bike ride. I tend to have calls on these days, and so I find myself having to juggle a variety of things. I always end up writing a bit on this day as well, so it’s definitely a melange of activities.

• Wednesday (Mercury - ruling my 7th and 10th houses)
  Always when I get my Substacks done and scheduled to publish. It never fails. I also tend to record my podcast episodes on this day as my partner is back at work and so the house is quieter. I sometimes have calls, and I sometimes like to work late since it’s just me in the house. This day always starts with some kind of workout in the morning as well - a walk or yoga.

• Thursday (Jupiter - ruling my 1st and 4th, also ruling planet)
  Typically very similar to Wednesday, and that’s probably because my Jupiter is in Gemini, haha! But our local farmer’s market is also always open on Thursdays, so I tend to find myself more out and about and socializing with people.

• Friday (Venus - ruling my 11th and 6th and my moon)
  I do tend to leave this day for pleasure projects and creative dabbling. For almost 15 years I’ve started my Friday’s either with teaching or taking a yoga class, which usually is followed up with a coffee shop moment, and even some acupuncture. I always try to just do whatever I want to do on these days because also I crave that one day we’ll all have a 4 day work week!

• Saturday (Saturn - ruling my 2nd and 3rd)
  Usually starts with several hours of exercise, followed either by some social time or doing work around the house. I really like to spend these days in reflection or with people I love, and letting myself digest and reset.

• Sunday (Sun - ruling my 9th house)
  Sunday has recently become a day where my partner and I do our joint fun activities, whether that be getting together with friends, running errands, doing work in the garden or around the house, or tackling large projects and goals together. Funnily enough, this is also usually the day we travel if we’re going away somewhere!

The dessert

This is once of the most nuanced layers, and perhaps my favorite, but also a layer that’s very detailed. The daily interpretation of my time mainly involves the Moon.

At the start of each month, I’ll have already labeled the major lunations of the month (quarter moons, New and Full Moons, or eclipses), so I’ll already have an idea of the monthly themes. Additionally, at the beginning of each week I look at the lunar movements of the next 7 days so observe what the physical, emotional, and energetic flow will look like, as well as which houses in my chart the energy will be flowing through.

For more information about how to work with each phase of the moon, check out this podcast episode and this substack.

For example, today as I write this the Moon is in it’s Balsamic phase moving from Pisces to become New in Aries. Using my trusty equation:

• What & When: The Balsamic to New phases are about release and shifting into rest. This energy will be occurring over the next 6-7 days.

• Style: The signs of Pisces and Aries are about connection, unification, sensitivity, and also identity, bravery, impulse, and action.

• Where: The houses activated for me are my 4th and 5th houses, meaning this energy will be lived out in my home, family and foundation, as well as in my creative endeavors, interactions with children, and entrepreneurial projects.

When I was looking at this week I knew there would be a focus on resting and restoring in my home space, so that I could regenerate energy and focus on the desires I have for my creative projects and pursuits. So I chose to mostly stay home, not schedule too many meetings, and factor in lots of time for reflection and ideation.

The Moon reflects so much of our emotional and energetic pulls from day to day, so I find it determines my mood and what I’ll naturally want to gravitate towards throughout each week. Since I’m also a Cancer Sun/Mercury, I know that I like to show up to each day honoring my body’s needs and desires, as well as the pulls of my curiosity – so knowing how and where the Moon will be moving helps me to know what those needs, desires, and curiosities are likely going to be ahead of time.

A few more examples from my personal observations:

• I tend to have less patience when the moon is in Aries, and I’m more prone to irritation, so I usually like to give myself more freedom on these days.

• When the moon is in Aquarius I’m usually eager to read more, digest more information, process and synthesize, and brainstorm.

• When the moon is in Cancer I’m more prone to want to be cozy and at home, and internal and reflective, so I’ll plan to be at home during these moments.

• When the moon is in Sagittarius I tend to have more energy to be social and expressive, so I’ll schedule calls, chats, or writing projects for these days.

The sweet spot here is being able to recognize the patterns of behavior, but also hold space and leave room for changing it up. Sure I might see the moon in Cancer ahead of time and predict that I’ll want to stay cozy those days, but does that mean I have to? Not at all. I could choose to do whatever I want, or something could come up and have me being pulled out of my home (there’s also all the other astrology going on that’s influencing what happens to us).

But the nice part about knowing what your natural rhythms are is that you can set yourself up to move with the ebbs and flows in alignment with what you historically want. That way you have the space to choose when the time comes.

If you haven’t already started observing how you move with the movements of the moon, perhaps now is the time! Don’t just pay attention to the waxing and waning of the moon, but also start paying attention to how you feel as the moon moves from sign to sign (and house to house in your natal chart).

From there, you can then follow the steps I outlined above by looking at your weeks or months and labeling when the moon will be in what signs and phases, and labeling how you’ll likely feel during those times.

• New Moon in Aries in your 12th house? Perhaps schedule some productive or active rest, like going for a long walk but solo, or scheduling time for a creative visualization meditation.

• Full Moon in Taurus in your 11th house? Perhaps schedule some social time with friends out in nature, or at a museum, or somewhere beautiful.

• Disseminating Moon in Gemini in your 5th house? Could be a good day for writing, painting, creating, and generally expressing or talking about all the rabbit holes you’ve gone down recently.

Let this part of the process be felt – let it be nourishing and fulfilling for your body, and let it be enjoyable and spacious.

Ultimately, your time is what you make of it, and we really only have so much control. But after several years of observing, documenting, and cataloguing my rhythms and patters of behavior, I personally love to align my time with the astrological transits – if anything just for fun and as a way to get to know myself and my relationships to the planets even more.

If you do choose to use any or all of these tools, I’d love to hear about it! Similarly, if you have your own ways of planning with the astrology, I’d love to know about your process. Share with me in the comments below if you feel called.

Finally, if you’d like to know more about the astrological transits and how to work with them, subscribe to this Substack and my podcast – I drop monthly forecasts and tools as well as quarterly and yearly breakdowns to help you plan your time accordingly. I also chat about the transits as they unfold in real time all the time wherever I can :)

Additionally, I’d love it if you considered becoming a paid subscriber so that posts like this could continue to stay available for everyone. Thank you!

Happy planning friends!

Connect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life Coaching // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website