Ingress

An ingress occurs when a planet crosses the 0° boundary of a zodiac sign, transitioning from one sign to the next. The word derives from the Latin ingressus, meaning entrance. In traditional mundane astrology, planetary ingresses — especially the Sun's ingresses into the cardinal signs (Aries at the vernal equinox, Cancer at the summer solstice, Libra at the autumnal equinox, Capricorn at the winter solstice) — were charted as the horoscope for entire seasons, used to forecast weather, political events, and collective conditions for the months ahead. William Lilly (Christian Astrology, 1647) used solar ingress charts extensively in his mundane predictions. The Aries ingress chart was particularly significant: the chart cast for the Sun's entry into 0° Aries at the spring equinox was used to forecast the entire year. In natal and transit astrology, ingresses mark qualitative shifts in a transiting planet's expression. When Jupiter ingresses into a new sign (approximately every twelve months), the entire character of Jupiterian themes — expansion, opportunity, philosophical orientation — shifts into the new sign's domain. When Saturn ingresses into a new sign (approximately every 2.5 years), the tests and structures Saturn imposes change character accordingly. The ingress of the personal planets (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars) are more frequent and describe shorter-term thematic shifts. Lunar ingresses occur every 2.5 days as the Moon moves through the zodiac.