The Astrology Podcast

An introduction to an obscure but powerful timing technique called recurrence transits, which occur when specific planetary alignments in the birth chart are repeated by transits in the sky, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Nick Dagan Best.

Unlike standard transits that form aspects to specific points in the natal chart, a recurrence transit occurs when a planetary alignment found in a birth chart repeats in the sky between those same two planets. For example, if a person was born with a Venus-Jupiter conjunction in their birth chart, then an important event will happen in their life in the future when Venus and Jupiter again form a conjunction in the sky.

The episode uses the analogy that specific planetary alignments in the birth chart act like a personal theme song; when the planets repeat the same alignment in the sky, it is as if that music starts playing again, signaling a pivotal turning point where the natal potential of the birth signature becomes awakened through a resonance between past and future.

The episode opens by exploring the history and transmission of the technique, which is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world at the present time. Nick shares how he learned the method from the late Michael Lutin in the 1990s, while Chris traces potential roots back to early 20th-century German astrology and ancient Hellenistic texts like Vettius Valens.

A key point emphasized early on is how these mundane planetary recurrences operate independently of aspects to natal placements, forcing a conceptual expansion of what defines a transit, and demonstrating how planetary cycles can be tied into important turning points in a life narrative even without direct contact with birth chart placements.

To demonstrate the technique in practice, most of the episode is spent presenting a wide range of biographical examples as case studies, and focusing primarily on conjunctions in order to keep things simple and compelling.

Case studies include the technological breakthroughs of Steve Jobs and Max Planck, the artistic peaks of Vincent van Gogh and Madonna, and the political rises and falls of figures like Richard Nixon and Joe Biden.

The workshop also examines how retrogrades can both extend and intensify the importance of certain recurrence transits, as seen in the lives of Edward Snowden and Charles Manson, and we also touch on shared recurrences in relationships, such as Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.

The conversation concludes with a broader philosophical discussion on what this technique implies about the nature of astrology, touching on concepts like simulation theory and the definition of astrology as a map of time.

This episode serves as a comprehensive foundation for understanding recurrence transits, providing astrologers and students with a powerful, empirically driven tool for predictive work and biographical analysis that complements traditional methods.

This is episode 513 of The Astrology Podcast.

Nick's Website

https://www.nickdaganbestastrologer.com

Bonus Episode for Patrons

If you enjoy this episode and are looking for more, we recorded a followup episode on recurrence transits which is available to subscribers on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/secret-astrology-143901212

In the followup episode we share 16 more chart examples that didn't make it into the main episode, which allows us to go into some planetary combinations that we didn't cover previously, and also cover some new facets of the technique such as multiple planet recurrences and intergenerational recurrences.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:10:49 History and origins of the technique00:20:42 The technique in Vettius Valens00:24:55 Michael Lutin00:29:11 Chris coming around to the technique00:40:39 Focusing on conjunctions00:42:52 USA Mars-Uranus conjunction00:54:28 Natal examples segment begins00:54:48 Chaz Bono00:58:02 Retrograde stations heighten importance00:59:21 Vincent van Gogh01:09:42 Max Planck (Jupiter-Uranus)01:13:22 Steve Jobs (Jupiter-Uranus)01:25:56 Chris' chart01:46:40 Rock Hudson (Mars-Saturn)01:52:03 Malcolm X (Mars-Pluto)01:56:49 Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love (Venus-Saturn & Venus-Mars)02:05:01 Charlie Kirk & Zohran Mamdani (Mercury-Mars)02:11:33 Edward Snowden (Mercury-Mars)02:18:54 Venus Williams (Mars-Saturn)02:25:23 Jada Pinkett Smith (Jupiter-Neptune)02:32:10 Amelia Earhart (Mars-Jupiter)02:34:25 Richard Nixon (Mars-Jupiter)02:45:13 Joe Biden (Saturn-Uranus)02:56:41 The Beatles (Saturn-Uranus)03:10:59 Michael Jackson (Jupiter-Neptune)03:20:32 Madonna (Jupiter-Neptune)03:29:05 Charles Manson (Mars-Neptune)03:42:19 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Saturn-Pluto)03:52:38 Beyonce (Jupiter-Saturn)03:59:44 Reflecting on the technique04:04:34 Secret Astrology Podcast follow-up04:09:28 Lessons learned and concluding remarks04:28:35 Simulation Theory04:36:35 Astrology as a map of time04:41:54 Credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG0Il1QZkmU

–

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 513 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

In this episode we discuss how in whole sign houses the degree of the IC acts as a sensitive point that floats around the bottom half of the chart, and that it imports 4th house significations and blends them with whatever whole sign house it falls in, with astrologers Pallas K. Augustine and Chris Brennan.

While the IC is traditionally associated with the fourth house topics of home, parents, and roots, in the Whole Sign House system the degree of the IC can actually float to different sectors of the chart, most commonly falling in the third or fifth houses.

We explore the astronomical distinction between the fourth whole sign house and the degree of the IC, and how the IC acts as an importer of fourth house significations into the house where it is located, creating a blending of themes between the two houses.

In order to research this topic we sent out a survey to listeners to ask them how this placement has worked out in their lives when the IC falls in a whole sign house other than the 4th sign, and most of the episode is spent going through examples of the IC in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th houses.

We also discuss the role of the ruler of the IC and how its placement can further modify these significations, as well as how this approach helps to reconcile some of the distinctions between Whole Sign and quadrant house frameworks.

Pallas recently published book titled The IC: The Astrology of Coming Home, and you can order the book or find out more about their work through their website:

https://www.nineofwands.com

This is episode 512 of The Astrology Podcast.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:14 The Floating IC Concept in Whole Sign Houses

00:05:42 The IC as Roots, Ancestors, and Mycelium

00:11:38 Tracking Transits Over the Floating IC

00:16:07 Significations of the 4th House and IC

00:22:01 The Hidden Nature of the IC

00:26:38 Extreme Latitudes and the Floating IC

00:30:53 Astronomical Definitions of the MC and IC

00:42:49 The Mercurial Nature of Astrology

00:45:29 2nd House IC

01:00:51 6th House IC

01:10:04 3rd House IC

01:53:52 5th House IC

03:04:17 Concluding Remarks

03:14:14 Credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x8mdeQ9Z8g

-

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 512 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

In part 3 of our series on the fifth house in astrology we look at examples of the ruler of the fifth house in each of the twelve houses in a birth chart, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim.

As covered in our previous episodes, the fifth house is traditionally associated with topics such as children, creativity, pleasure, romance, sex and sexuality, games, and good fortune.

When the ruler of the 5th is in different houses in a birth chart it exports the topics that it rules into the house that it is placed, both creating a link between those two areas of the life and also blending their significations.

In this episode we systematically go through all twelve possible combinations of the ruler of the 5th house, with the goal of getting a better understanding of what the fifth house means.

This is episode 511 of The Astrology Podcast.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:02:24 First House00:34:10 2nd House00:51:55 3rd House01:08:26 4th House01:29:01 IC in the 5th House01:44:39 5th House02:19:13 6th House02:40:36 7th House02:51:42 8th House03:15:14 9th House03:39:43 10th House04:02:40 11th House04:23:47 12th House05:07:28 Concluding Remarks05:15:44 End Cards

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq0eu6QsTgk

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 511 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

A look ahead at the astrological forecast for November 2025, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock.

We spend the first hour talking about the astrology behind news stories that happened since our last forecast, such as the Louvre jewelry heist that took place on the Mercury-Mars conjunction in Scorpio, and then in the second hour we do a deep dive into November's astrology.

The astrology of November features an explosive Mars-Uranus opposition at the top of the month, followed by Mercury stationing retrograde in Sagittarius conjunction Mars, and then finally late in the month Saturn stations direct for the final time in Pisces.

We also discuss Uranus returning back to Taurus for the final time, and Jupiter stationing retrograde in Cancer trine Saturn.

This is episode 510 of The Astrology Podcast.

Northwest Astrological Conference

https://Norwac.net

Austin's website

https://Austincoppock.com

Chris's Hellenistic Astrology Course

https://courses.theastrologyschool.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:00:37 Quick overview of November00:03:40 News segment begins00:04:02 Podcast website back online00:10:14 Mercury-Mars conjunction recap00:22:25 Pluto first direct station in Aquarius00:45:19 Venezuela and Saturn-Neptune conjunction00:46:25 Uranus in Gemini and nuclear weapons01:00:43 Sponsor: Northwest Astrological Conference01:04:59 November 2025 forecast begins01:08:55 Auspicious Electional Chart for Nov 101:14:32 Mars-Uranus opposition on Nov 401:20:22 Mars leaves Scorpio, Venus enters01:25:03 Mercury stations retrograde conjunct Mars01:30:11 Mercury Retrograde explained01:40:31 Full Moon in Taurus on Nov 501:44:35 Uranus retrogrades back to Taurus Nov 701:56:04 New Moon in Scorpio on Nov 1902:00:31 Jupiter stations retrograde in Cancer02:01:30 Saturn stations direct in Pisces02:11:37 The upcoming "stress test" in December02:16:26 Rotten pumpkin analogy02:22:02 How astrological predictions are made02:27:08 Austin's projects02:32:03 Chris's book and course02:34:39 Preparing for the 2026 forecast02:35:38 Outro and credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz1KY69QXkQ

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 510 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

In this episode I debunk the recurring media claim that your zodiac sign has changed by explaining the 2,000-year history of why western astrologers have deliberately used the tropical zodiac.

Every few years, headlines circulate claiming that your zodiac sign has changed due to the precession of the equinoxes. Following a recent New York Times article making this claim, I decided to set the record straight.

In this episode of The Astrology Podcast, I explain the history behind this recurring narrative and demonstrate why these claims are misleading. We'll explore the difference between the three zodiacs (constellational, sidereal, and tropical) and show how Western astrologers, starting with Claudius Ptolemy nearly 2,000 years ago, made a deliberate and conscious choice to use the tropical zodiac, which is aligned with the seasons, not the constellations.

This is not a recent mistake or discovery; it's a foundational principle of the Western astrological tradition that has been understood for centuries by history's most prominent astrologers and astronomers. We will also touch on the issue of the so-called 13th sign, Ophiuchus, and why it doesn't apply to the system most Western astrologers use.

My goal is to clarify the history so that you can better understand why your zodiac sign has not changed and feel more equipped to respond to these arguments.

This is episode 509 of The Astrology Podcast.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:00:23 Recent New York Times Article00:00:52 A Common Narrative That Goes Viral Every Few Years00:02:22 The Five Main Talking Points in Anti-Astrology Articles00:02:54 The Fundamental Problem & Rhetorical Goal of These Articles00:05:20 Explaining the Three Zodiacs00:05:52 The Origin of the Zodiac00:07:12 The First Zodiac: The Constellational Zodiac00:08:22 The Second Zodiac: The Sidereal Zodiac00:10:50 The Foundation of Western Astrology in Hellenistic Egypt00:13:47 How Planetary Rulers Were Assigned to Signs Based on the Seasons00:16:48 The Third Zodiac: The Tropical Zodiac00:22:41 The Discovery of Precession by Hipparchus00:23:56 Ptolemy's Deliberate Choice to Use the Tropical Zodiac00:28:43 The Source of Confusion: Using Constellation Names for Tropical Signs00:30:18 How Ptolemy's Influence Cemented the Tropical Zodiac in the West00:32:34 Historical Aside: Why Indian Astrology Uses the Sidereal Zodiac00:36:51 Famous Astronomers Deliberately Used the Tropical Zodiac00:40:06 Why the "Astrologers Made a Mistake" Argument is Flawed00:42:31 Rebuttal: Your Zodiac Sign Has Not Changed00:43:29 Rebuttal: The Ophiuchus "13th Sign" Argument00:44:41 The Underlying Goal of Skeptical Articles00:50:43 The Legitimate Internal Debate Among Astrologers00:51:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts00:53:32 End cards

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KPfvsYPv9I

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Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 509 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

A look ahead at the astrology forecast for October 2025, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock, in episode 508 of The Astrology Podcast.

We spend the first hour talking about the astrology underlying news and events that happened since our last forecast a month ago, and then in the second hour we begin our deep dive into the astrology of October.

The astrology of October features a combative Mercury-Mars conjunction that goes exact around the 20th, and this sets things up for a Mercury retrograde and a second conjunction with Mars in October.

Northwest Astrological Conference

https://Norwac.net

Astrologers Co-op Conference

http://astrologerscoop.substack.com

Austin's website

https://Austincoppock.com

Timestamps

00:00:00 Intro00:00:57 Quick Overview00:03:01 Chris and Austin Eclipse Stories00:13:13 Charlie Kirk00:23:40 Uranus in Gemini00:30:13 Free Speech00:45:36 Epstein Eclipse00:52:08 Palestine00:53:36 Life on Mars00:56:44 NYT Zodiac Story01:00:24 Cosmic Smooches01:03:11 NORWAC 202601:07:36 Astrologers Co-op01:09:53 Forecast Begins02:05:12 Election for October02:14:25 Full Moon and New Moon02:26:11 Wrapping Up02:30:21 Credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUewA9kUXwY

-

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 508 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

In part 2 of our series on the 5th house in astrology we look at examples of famous people that have the ruler of the Ascendant in the fifth house in their birth chart, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim of The Astrology Podcast.

The fifth house is traditionally associated with a wide range of topics in astrology such as children, creativity, pleasure, romance, sex and sexuality, games, and good fortune. In ancient astrology, the Ascendant was sometimes called the helm of the ship of the native’s life, and the ruler of the Ascendant was said to be the captain. The house where the captain of the chart is located can tell you a lot about where the life is being directed, and in this episode we explore what happens when the life is directed towards the topics of the fifth house.

Over the course of the episode, we explore more than 50 example charts of famous people who have the ruler of the Ascendant in the fifth house in order to demonstrate how this placement can play out in a number of different ways. Some of the charts we look at include those of actors, directors, musicians, comedians, athletes, writers, artists, and more. Through this survey, we are able to see many different concrete manifestations of the fifth house archetype, and develop a more well-rounded and grounded understanding of its meaning.

This is the second of a three-part series on the fifth house, which is itself part of our larger series where I've been doing a deep dive on the twelve houses in astrology. In the next episode in this series we will explore the meaning of the ruler of the fifth house in each of the twelve houses, showing how the topics of the fifth house can be exported into other areas of a person’s life.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:05:30 Children00:43:52 Sex and Sexuality01:24:11 Games and Sports01:50:02 Comedy and Comedians02:39:57 Acting and Actors03:22:29 Directors03:35:53 Musicians, Singers, & Entertainers04:01:40 Writers, Artists, and Creatives04:45:42 Conclusions04:53:33 End Cards

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3fRLhAPulo

-

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 507 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

A deep dive into the meaning and significations of the fifth house in astrology, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim, in episode 506 of The Astrology Podcast.

This is the fifth installment in our ongoing series on the significations of the 12 houses, where we explore the meanings of each house in detail, going back to the earliest sources and conceptualizations in the astrological tradition.

Our discussion on the fifth house will be broken into three parts, and in this initial episode, we focus on providing a comprehensive overview of its core significations and meanings.

We begin by establishing the conceptual foundations for the meaning of the fifth house, which was known in ancient astrology as the Place of Good Fortune. Some of the principles we use to derive its meaning are the fact that it is a succedent house that follows the fourth, its positive trine aspect to the Ascendant, and the fact that Venus has her joy there. These concepts establish the fifth house as a place of bodily pleasures, the continuation of the family lineage, and generally positive and fortunate circumstances.

The core significations of the fifth house that we explore in detail include: children, good fortune, pleasure and enjoyment, sex and sexuality, and creativity.

This episode provides a detailed survey of the topics associated with the fifth house, drawing on both the traditional textual sources as well as our extensive research of hundreds of birth charts. In part two of this series, we will begin looking at some of these example charts in detail, starting with the ruler of the Ascendant in the fifth house. Then in part three, we will look at the ruler of the fifth house in each of the 12 houses.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction00:05:30 Children00:43:52 Sex and Sexuality01:24:11 Games and Sports01:50:02 Comedy and Comedians02:39:57 Acting and Actors03:22:29 Directors03:35:53 Musicians, Singers, & Entertainers04:01:40 Writers, Artists, and Creatives04:45:42 Conclusions04:53:33 End Cards

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBIU7gr3Io

-

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 506 transcript

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

In part 2 of our series on the 5th house in astrology we look at examples of famous people that have the ruler of the Ascendant in the fifth house in their birth chart, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim.

The fifth house is traditionally associated with a wide range of topics in astrology such as children, creativity, pleasure, romance, sex and sexuality, games, and good fortune. In ancient astrology, the Ascendant was sometimes called the helm of the ship of the native’s life, and the ruler of the Ascendant was said to be the captain. The house where the captain of the chart is located can tell you a lot about where the life is being directed, and in this episode we explore what happens when the life is directed towards the topics of the fifth house.

Over the course of the episode, we explore more than 50 example charts of famous people who have the ruler of the Ascendant in the fifth house in order to demonstrate how this placement can play out in a number of different ways. Some of the charts we look at include those of actors, directors, musicians, comedians, athletes, writers, artists, and more. Through this survey, we are able to see many different concrete manifestations of the fifth house archetype, and develop a more well-rounded and grounded understanding of its meaning.

This is the second of a three-part series on the fifth house, which is itself part of our larger series where I've been doing a deep dive on the twelve houses in astrology. In the next episode in this series we will explore the meaning of the ruler of the fifth house in each of the twelve houses, showing how the topics of the fifth house can be exported into other areas of a person’s life.

This is episode 507 of The Astrology Podcast.

Patreon for Early Access + Show Notes

Get early access to the next episode in this series as well as our show notes through our page on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction

00:05:30 Children

00:43:52 Sex and Sexuality

01:24:11 Games and Sports

01:50:02 Comedy and Comedians

02:39:57 Acting and Actors

03:22:29 Directors

03:35:53 Musicians, Singers, & Entertainers

04:01:40 Writers, Artists, and Creatives

04:45:42 Conclusions

04:53:33 End Cards

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

Watch the video version of this episode on the 5th house on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3fRLhAPulo

–

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

In episode 506 of The Astrology Podcast astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim do a deep dive into the meaning and significations of the fifth house in astrology.

This is the fifth installment in our ongoing series on the significations of the 12 houses, where we explore the meanings of each house in detail, going back to the earliest sources and conceptualizations in the astrological tradition.

Our discussion on the fifth house will be broken into three parts, and in this initial episode, we focus on providing a comprehensive overview of its core significations and meanings.

We begin by establishing the conceptual foundations for the meaning of the fifth house, which was known in ancient astrology as the Place of Good Fortune. Some of the principles we use to derive its meaning are the fact that it is a succedent house that follows the fourth, its positive trine aspect to the Ascendant, and the fact that Venus has her joy there. These concepts establish the fifth house as a place of bodily pleasures, the continuation of the family lineage, and generally positive and fortunate circumstances.

The core significations of the fifth house that we explore in detail include: children, good fortune, pleasure and enjoyment, sex and sexuality, and creativity.

This episode provides a detailed survey of the topics associated with the fifth house, drawing on both the traditional textual sources as well as our extensive research of hundreds of birth charts. In part two of this series, we will begin looking at some of these example charts in detail, starting with the ruler of the Ascendant in the fifth house. Then in part three, we will look at the ruler of the fifth house in each of the 12 houses.

Patreon for Early Access

The followup episodes on the 5th house are being released for early access through our page on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:07 5th House Overview

00:17:22 Vettius Valens on Venus

00:25:53 Significations section

00:26:49 Children

01:19:12 Sex and Sexuality

01:46:10 Pleasure and Enjoyment

01:55:58 Creativity

02:03:57 Good Fortune

02:12:07 Professions

02:15:39 Concluding Remarks

02:20:37 Credits

Watch the Video Version of This Episode

Watch the video version of this episode on the 5th house on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBIU7gr3Io

-

Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode

Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3: