Astrology Has Two Main Jobs—You Don’t Need to Master Both At Once

What I’m about to share feels almost painfully obvious in hindsight. But when I was deep in the weeds of my earliest astrology days—trying to memorize the planets, wrap my head around the zodiac signs, figure out what houses were—I wish someone had said this plainly:

Astrology can serve two very distinct purposes that use almost identical language.

The difference is context, only we beginners don’t know that there is context.

Many astrologers on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube will discuss both contexts, often times in alternating posts, forgetting that we newbies don’t understand that “Sun in Leo” can refer to either to person who was born on July 3oth or to the fact that it’s currently mid-August.

I’ll explain.

So the first context is what we might call natal astrology. This is the “personality test” aspect of astrology; it’s hearing that someone is a Taurus, and figuring there’s a good chance they’re stubborn.

So if you see an astrologer post something like, “Three sun signs most likely to overshare at brunch,” they’re saying that people born in late May (Gemini), early December (Sagittarius), and mid-March (Pisces) are most likely to spill their guts over mimosas. That’s natal astrology.

But later that same day, you might see the same astrologer post something like, “Mars just moved into Pisces, get ready for movement with meaning!” In that case they’re not talking about Pisces as people. They’re saying that right now, the planet of Mars just moved into Pisces, which is going to have real-world implication for all of us, whether or not we’re a Pisces.

In astrology we could call this transits, but the easier way to think of it is the “current events” of astrology.

Let’s break them down a bit further.

Job One: Your Natal Chart

This is the sky’s snapshot the moment you were born. Which planets were where. Which zodiac signs they were in. How they were interacting with each other.

It’s a fixed map. It doesn’t change.

You can think of it like your cosmic blueprint—or, if you prefer less woo, your psychological wiring.

It explains things like:

– Why you procrastinate on everything except organizing your email folders
– Why people say you come across intense when you were just standing there, minding your business
– Why you thrive in total chaos but melt down over an unexpected phone call

It’s all in the chart, and this is what determines things like whether or not you’re a Capricorn or a Libra. That’s Job One.

Job Two: Transits

Transits are what the planets are doing right now.

Same idea—planets, zodiac signs, angles between them—but this time it’s about timing.
This is where you get stuff like:
– “Mars just moved into Cancer”
– “Pluto’s going retrograde”
– “We’re in eclipse season, good luck with that”

It’s astrology as weather. You don’t become a different person during a full moon—but you might feel a little more wired, reflective, angsty, or prone to cleaning your entire apartment at 11pm.

You’re still you. But the sky moves. And when it moves, it stirs things.

So Why Does This Matter?

Because when you’re starting out, it’s really easy to confuse the two! Or at least it was for me.

You might read something about Mercury being in Gemini today and thinking it’s not talking to you, because you know your Mercury is in Aquarius. But really what it’s saying is that all of our texts might be a little weird today, because Mercury’s current position is having an effect down here.

• The natal chart explains how you’re built, or wired.

• Transits explain what’s happening around you.

Both are based on the same basic ingredients: planets, signs, angles, timing.

One’s your birth photo. The other’s the live footage.

Start with One

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to learn everything at once.

If you’re just starting out, pick one.

Want to understand yourself better? Start with your birth chart, and learn natal astrology.

Curious why this week feels off? Dip a toe into transits.

(Personally, I recommend starting with your natal chart, since that’s fixed.)

Regardless, over time, you can layer them together.

That’s where things get cool—because did you know not everyone experiences Mercury retrograde the same way every time?

But don’t worry about that yet.

Start with the job that feels most useful to you right now. The rest will be there when you’re ready!