3 Astrology Transits That Have Defined Human History

I started my stint as an astrology editor with a healthy dose of skepticism. It was early 2019, and we were commissioning a series of 2020 forecasts from some of the best astrologers in the business—in-depth roundups of the astrology transits to come and what they could mean for our existence here on Earth. According to each of them, we were in for the kind of turmoil and change that occurs once in a lifetime, if not once in a generation.

Well, yeah, I thought. It’s an election year. How bad could it possibly be?

A year later, at the start of the pandemic, I decided to reread some of those predictions. What I found was a level of prescience that could only be appreciated in hindsight.

Though I’m still not a fan of overgeneralized horoscopes, or of paying so much attention to daily transits that you drive yourself a little nuts, I now put stock in certain history-defining transits—the kind that are rare, buzzed about, and whose previous occurrences are tied to historical world events. With a little rearview analysis, you might, too.

The Scale of Astrology

Astrology can be a lot to take in. The system is based on our universe, after all, with astrological transits (aka the way the planets move and relate to one another or a particular zodiac sign) ranging in duratino from a few days to several years. Sometimes it’s more like hundreds of years.

Whether or not you entirely believe in earthly happenings being directed by the stars and planets, there are certain changes on our planet that seem undeniably linked to what’s going on in the cosmos. The slow and cyclical progressions of certain planets have coincided with revolutions, radical changes in thinking and reasons, and shifts in power dynamics and technology.

Need some tangible examples of these big celestial movements? These three recent transits have come with some major shakeup—and aligned with similar upheaval in eras past.

Before we begin, a gentle reminder: the stars and planets might be bigger than us, but we still have agency. Embrace impermanence, the power of humanity, and your ability to exert your will and draw on your experience.

“The collective story is changing, and we need to understand that we are never going back to the world we were before,” says astrologer Celeste Brooks in regard to the following transits and accompanying world events. “What future do you want to imagine going forward?”

1. Saturn-Pluto Conjunction

When it happened: January 12, 2020

Timing of transit: Occurs every 33-38 years

If you’re wondering which transit caused such a tizzy in those aforementioned 2020 write-ups, it was predominantly this one. The Saturn-Pluto conjunction, or alignment, is a rare transit that occurs once every 30-something years—and on January 12, 2020, it took place in Capricorn.

Saturn is all about structures, discipline, and action. Meanwhile, Pluto carries with it all things unseen—the things buried in the depths, and the power to transform them. This conjunction is always intense, but in Capricorn, it touched our society and how it functions.

Astrologers warned that the potent transit would bring about a period of tension and an overall breakdown of society, government, and economy. Like all transits, this one came with an opportunity for some real-deal transformation: a chance to rebuild our collective in a new, thoughtful way, rather than allowing things to be rebuild using the same old foundational framework.

I’ll let you sit with that one.

2. Pluto in Aquarius

When it happened: October 13, 2025

Timing of transit: Spends 12-31 years in each sign and takes 248 years to cycle through the zodiac

Brooks describes Pluto as the “Roto-Rooter” of the galaxy. “It may be small, but it’s mighty,” she says. Pluto, she explains, governs power, and is known for bringing things once buried to light. “It strips away the facades. It’s humbling.”

If Pluto is about power structures and surfacing what’s hidden, Aquarius is about the collective and advancements in thought. Astrologer Anthony Perrotta, who regularly delves into the correlations between astrological shifts and historical events, notes that Pluto in Aquarius coincided with the French Revolution, the American Revolution, and the Haitian Revolution, along with the Enlightenment Period.

“We will see revolutionary energy soar during this time (we already are), as we try to reclaim our autonomy and independence from governmental control,” says Perrotta. “Aquarius wants us to redistribute the power.”

This includes learning how to live in communion with tech like AI, delicately balancing the human-bot relationship rather than becoming overly dependent on it. “Shifts to social media, how we use the internet, and actual tech pieces are coming,” says Perrotta. “I feel we will see an AI bubble burst.”

3. Neptune in Aries

When it happened: January 26, 2026

Timing of transit: Spends 14 years in each sign and takes 165 years to cycle through the zodiac

Fun fact: The Crusades and the Civil War took place while Neptune was in Aries.

Brooks notes that French astrologer André Barbault (1921-2019) pointed to 2026 as an important moment in history, with specific mention of Neptune in Aries. “This is a global reset where we step back and look at our institutions,” says Brooks. “Aries is the sign of the fall; a realization that these institutions aren’t working for the people. Neptune dissolves things.”

According to Perrotta, Neptune in Aries periods are linked to freedom of belief and the fight for it. He notes that the rise of Darwinism and the creation of the periodic table of elements came with Neptune in Aries cycles.

This time around, Perrotta expects increases in social activism, pioneering visions, and personal revelations. “We may lose faith in leadership and seek to uplift the unlikely and the underdog,” he adds. “We will also glamorize the rebel in some way—TV, music, and media will be exalting those with rebellious, eccentric, or fiery spirits.”

Astrology as a Mirror

Consider that on a grander scale, astrology isn’t about fortune telling. It’s more like a mirror.

“Astrology happens with us, not to us,” says Perrotta. “We move the energy, we embody it.” Because of this, Perrotta likes to remind clients to think about their role within these larger, hard-to-fathom shifts. “If you want to make a difference, what does that mean to you? How can you tangibly express that?” he asks, listing options like volunteering, creating art, or sharing information with others.

Perrotta notes that, though these transits are once-in-a-lifetime, they don’t have to crush your soul or spirit. You can decide to be inspired to take whatever energy is present and make what you will of it. With this in mind, he approaches larger transits with mindfulness—and a certain level of chill about it all. “I understand they have gravity, but they are so large that we can’t swallow them whole,” he says. “We have to know that the things they bring take time…maybe even after the transit itself is over.”