Gochar: Planetary Transit in Vedic Astrology
Gochar (transit) is the movement of the planets through the zodiac signs, seen from the Earth. In Vedic astrology the signs are the sidereal Rashis, and the planets’ present positions are read against the positions in your birth chart, traditionally against your Moon sign (Janma Rashi).
Why the slow planets matter most
The Moon changes sign every couple of days and the Sun every month, so astrologers pay most attention to the planets that stay long in one sign:
- Shani (Saturn) stays about two and a half years in a sign. Its transit through the signs around your Moon sign is the basis of Sade Sati. See Shani: meaning and Sade Sati.
- Guru (Jupiter) stays about a year in a sign. See Guru.
- Rahu and Ketu, the lunar nodes, stay about a year and a half in a sign and are always in opposite signs. See Rahu and Ketu.
From time to time a planet appears to move backwards (vakri, retrograde) before turning direct again. A transit timeline therefore shows both the dates a planet changes sign or Nakshatra and the dates it turns retrograde or direct.
Find a planet’s transit for any year
The Planet Transit / Grah Gochar tool lists, for the planet and year you choose, when the planet enters each Rashi and Nakshatra and when it turns retrograde or direct, for the city you select. Years from 1900 to 2100 are available. Open the pages for the slow planets directly:
- Shani (Saturn): 2025 · 2026 · 2027 · 2028 · 2029 · 2030 · 2031 · 2032 · 2033 · 2034 · 2035 · 2036
- Guru (Jupiter): 2025 · 2026 · 2027 · 2028 · 2029 · 2030 · 2031 · 2032 · 2033 · 2034 · 2035 · 2036
- Rahu: 2025 · 2026 · 2027 · 2028 · 2029 · 2030 · 2031 · 2032 · 2033 · 2034 · 2035 · 2036
- Ketu: 2025 · 2026 · 2027 · 2028 · 2029 · 2030 · 2031 · 2032 · 2033 · 2034 · 2035 · 2036
Things to keep in mind
A transit shows where the planets are, not what will happen to you; how a transit is read depends on your own birth chart. The positions are sidereal and the times are shown for the city you pick (Delhi by default). To talk about the transits in your own chart, you can book a Kundali analysis.
Related: Varshphal, the annual horoscope, Full Year Panchang, Jyotish & Panchang knowledge.