Planets in Transit by Robert Hand. Its a classic and takes the modern humanistic approach (modern psychological).The Powerful Declinations by John Willner. This is an inexpensive booklet covering material you may not see anywhere else from a very under-appreciated master astrologer relating to both progressions and declinations.
You'll get very divergent opinions on this from various astrologers. Generally speaking, for a major life event to take place (move of residence, job loss/gain, marriage/engagement, injuries, hospitalization, child birth) you will have to have these active in your chart:
1.) tight secondary progressed aspects (within a few minutes of arc of exact) involving the planets and parts of the chart that correlate to the event.
2.) transits within 4 degrees in longitude or under 1 degree in declination.
The most common trigger transits are by the fire planets, but with others added. Certain types of events involving especially difficult periods often take place during major transits of the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
Since you have not posted your chart here to describe further what you are referring to, I will use the example of Mitt Romney's announcement yesterday (January 30th) that he will not run for president (USA) in 2016. Transits only...
Mitt Romney's Mercury (thought/communication) is about 14 Pisces. When he made the announcement yesterday Mars was at 14 Pisces. In addition to this a slower moving planet, Saturn was involved. You could think of Saturn here as the "no" factor. Mars-Mercury was the announcement and would normally be associated more with "yes" than "no." Saturn was at 18S54 (-18*54') which is parallel his natal Moon and Jupiter. Transiting Sun was also parallel his natal Venus.
And as you learn keep mind that 'predictive' astrology simply shows windows of opportunity for certain types of action, success or response. Nothing compels one to use such windows of opportunity and 'events' are not triggered out of the blue purely by astrology. A person has to be involved.
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