There is no doubt that break-ups are difficult, and happen for a variety of reasons. Through astrology, it is easy to determine when a break-up may occur by observing transits to one’s natal chart.
Here are a few transits which often bring separations/break-ups:
Saturn conjunct/square/opposite natal Venus or ruler of the 7th house:
Saturn, the planet of restriction, depression, pessimism, and separation, in contact with Venus, the planet of love, beauty, harmony, and one-on-one relationships often results in separations and break-ups.
I recently had this transit by square aspect, and Saturn “hit” my natal Venus three times (direct, retrograde, direct). As with most transits, I found the retrograde hit the most intense.
Saturn on any planet leads to increased depression and disconnect from what the natal planet represents. With Venus, we feel less attractive and sociable, and feel a disconnect from those closest to us.
Saturn on Venus compels us to take a long, hard look at our relationships and suss out what is working for us, and what is not. Because Saturn represents pessimism, the way we once looked at our lovely relationships changes. The little (or big) things we once ignored or withstood become unbearable, and our only alternative is to withdraw to re-evaluate the direction of the relationship.
Personally, I went through a major break up during my Saturn square Venus transit. After four years of ignoring problems and “letting things slide”, this transit forced me to re-evaluate my feelings towards my mate and, more importantly, myself.
It became apparent that the relationship was not serving me well, and I had no choice but to let go. As much as it hurt, and as much as I knew he did not want to break up, I simply could not continue in a relationship I felt did not reflect who I was as a person.
Saturn over my Venus also stomped over my self-esteem, so I spent a lot of time alone during this time. Socially, I felt incredibly disconnected from my closest friends. I felt as though I had “outgrown” them, which added to my feelings of loneliness and isolation.
One thing to remember about Saturn transits (well, ALL transits) is that these feelings are temporary. Once I was out of the transit, I came out of isolation and gradually let people back in to my life.
I know now that these people are the ones who mean the most to me. Saturn often causes separations, yes, but true friends and strong relationships will survive, and reintroduced once the transit is over.
Uranus transiting in aspect to Venus/ruler of the 5th or 7th house/Descendant:
Uranus, the planet of rebellion, freedom from restrictions, unpredictability, separation in aspect to Venus can cause separations in relationships. Under this influence, we are no longer satisfied with the everyday, hum-drum aspects of “normal” relationships, and seek new experiences and excitement in love.
Relationships become “boring”, and all we want to do is have fun. Uranus on Venus changes our “tastes”; we often find ourselves attracted to people we never thought we’d be attracted to before the transit began.
Uranus on Venus is why a woman ends a 20-year marriage on a whim, and runs off with a man 15 years younger than her. I’ve found that people often believe that they’ve encountered their soulmate under this influence.
Ever hear of the law of attraction? Uranus *temporarily* changes our attitudes on love and freedom, so we naturally attract like-minded people. Relationships begun at this time generally do not last.
Once the feelings of excitement wear off, we are often no longer interested in that relationship and move on. On the other hand, it might be the other person who leaves us once the relationships becomes “normal” (since the person we attract is usually Uranian).
We also find ourselves with a new group of friends, and make changes to our appearance. We dress differently, change our hairstyle, etc..
The aspect between Uranus and the natal planet describes the nature of the transit. Hard aspects (conjunction, square, oppostion) are the most difficult, and often end in separations and/or infidelity.
The square and opposition, in particular, often bring “what was I thinking?” relationships; the people we partner with under this influence are generally exciting, but the long-term potential is lacking due to the fact that the person really isn’t our “type”, or suitable for a long-term relationship.
I’ve noticed the trine and sextile bring more positive relationships into our lives. I’ve seen infidelity and separations occur under this influence, and the “other person” is generally not as unsuitable as they would be under a hard aspect.
Personal examples: When Uranus was squaring my 7th house ruler, I met an Aquarius male, with whom I had a short, but intense romance. In true Uranian fashion, the relationship was unstable, unpredictable, and exciting.
He was going a Uranus conjunct Venus transit at the time of our meeting. We fell for each other quickly, and he pronounced his “love” for me immediately, as well as the fact that he thought I was his “soulmate”.
While I did not share this sentiment entirely (I am heavily Capricornian, thus very realistic), I was swept away nonetheless. During the time we spent together, there were numerous separations and reunions, and the relationship never quite got off the ground.
In the end, I left him. Looking back on the relationship, I cannot imagine what I was thinking. He was not my type at all, and I even knew this during the transit. I was searching for excitement at the time, and this is what the relationship gave me.
Click here to read When will I find Love? Part 1- Outer Planet Transits