SENSITIVE AND SENSITIZED DEGREES

February 2025

copyright © 2025 by Judith Hill

Some folks have sensitive nerves, others experience sensitive knees, or hearing, etc. Sometimes astrologers speak of “sensitive degrees”, or describe a time when natal, or transiting planets tenanting a sensitive degree as becoming somehow “sensitized”.  What does all this mean, and how does it work?

First, there are 360 degrees of the zodiac, crudely one per day (there are 365 days per year, and 366 per leap year). These are called the 360 “Degrees of Zodiacal Longitude”.

Permanent vs Temporary Sensitivity

For millennia astrologers have observed that specific degrees are permanently “sensitive”, to specific diseases, vocations, body parts, events, and even specific things - dogs for instance. Yes, that are specific degrees associated with canines, and therefore sensitive to them! However, any degree can become temporarily sensitive, in very specific ways. And, some degrees are just always sensitive to everything. Any natal planet, or current transit of that permanently degree will stand out, and be noticed.

Thus, we know that there are two distinct ways that specific zodiacal degrees, and planets on them, (both transit and natal), can be considered as sensitized. Let’s discuss this further.

Permanent Degree Sensitivity

There are many genres and types of permanently sensitive degrees. To reiterate, these degrees have associated interpretations, activities, body parts, vocations, things, and diseases associated with them.  I discuss many of the more practical and distinctly physical interpretations of specific zodiacal degrees in my audio “The 360 Degrees of the Zodiac”.

This list is compiled from multiple and credited esteemed sources, plus my own discoveries. Factually, there are many single-author degree interpretive lists.

There are also specific degrees that are ‘sensitive’ because they highly stimulate any natal or transit planet that crosses them. These degrees are more event prone than some others and also excite our emotions more reliably than most other degrees. My favorites are the degrees of the two equinoxes (0˚ Aries-Libra) and two solstices (0˚ Cancer-Capricorn).

Temporary Degree Sensitivity

This concept is more advanced, but one that professionals are well aware of. But how does this sensitization occur? How can any current planet’s transit degree, or alternatively, the natal degree of any planet become temporarily sensitized?

There are two distinct ways this happens.

1)      An eclipse, or major planetary conjunction, appears to set up a force field of an unknown kind on the precise degree of that astrological event, that then ‘holds' for a seeming set period of time (often a year or more).  This event degree is now “sensitized”. This mysterious force field is later “triggered” when certain planets transit over the exact same degree.  We can liken this to an old injury receiving a second kick to the same spot. Results can be nice too - all depending on the nature of the aspects and planet involved, house occupied, condition of dignity, etc.

Personal Temporary Degree Sensitivity:

Sensitization can also occur personally. For instance, should you be served divorce papers when transit Saturn crosses a certain degree, and then retrogrades, the divorce may not complete until Saturn returns to ‘his’ original positions occupied when you were first served.

This technique is useful for any long-term hanging issue such as waiting for a green card or foreign job clearance.

Triggering

Triggering of permanently sensitive degrees, (e.g. the spring equinox degree of 0˚ Aries) occurs when certain planets arrive by transit to stimulate this degree to observable action. The arrival of transit Mars by hard aspect or quincunx is always potent!

Triggering of temporarily sensitive degrees convenes when the Sun or Mars, or the planet “dispositing” (ruling the sign) of the event, or the same planet itself, returns to the original event degree, or hard aspects that degree by conjunction, square, or opposition. A quincunx can also work, especially so from transiting Mars, our most reliable triggering planet! A slow, heavy planet stationing over this zodiacal degree can also trigger action, although such effects may be protracted over time. 

Trigger dates can have public, as well as personal effect. However, they may not affect you personally should you have no planets within 0-3˚ of the original celestial event that is now being triggered by current transits.

‘Personal Temporarily Sensitive’ degree triggering occurs as discussed in the next section.

Although we do not yet scientifically understand just how degree and planet sensitization and triggering occurs, we do know that this does occur because we can witness both inward and outward results. Good examples of natal and transit triggering are clearly depicted in my slideshow “Interpreting Eclipses”. 

The previously discussed mechanics of sensitization and triggering pertains to the temporary and permanent sensitization of distinctly transit degrees and not natal charts per se. I have been speaking about a) permanently sensitive degrees; b) celestial events creating temporarily sensitive degrees;  c) ‘planetary triggering’ via transit aspects that occur in the heavens as an eclipse or transiting planet’s degree to another transiting planet’s degree (such as perhaps the famous Saturn-Jupiter conjunction. However, a similar effect, and a far more personal one, occurs when planetary triggering of sensitive degrees occurs in the natal chart.

Sensitization and Triggering in the Natal Chart

This occurs in two ways:

Should an eclipse, or major planetary conjunction or opposition, or ingress (sign entry), or station, occur on a zodiacal longitude that conjoins a degree of a planet in your natal chart, we have then a quite personal triggering situation. First, the original event can trigger off whatever that planet astrologically signifies, what houses it rules, and also what it has been found to mean for you personally in your life (observation, time, and your whole chart can tell you that.)

Secondly, you may have been born when a planet tenants a zodiacal degree that traditionally is already sensitive in any number of ways. It could be that it tenants one of the established  “critical” degrees of the zodiacal wheel, e.g. 0˚ cardinal signs (the equinox and solstice degrees), exaltation degrees, tenanting the degree of your closest pre-natal eclipses, etc.

When a major transiting celestial event occurs on a same degree as shared by one of your natal planets, it sets the force field that can produce immediate inward responses and/or outward events in the life.  These events may/may not happen on the date of the actual celestial event. The force field appears to wait for triggering later in the month or year. Events and changes might also occur when the said degree is triggered as above described in this article.

In natal planet triggering scenarios, you can include triggering as preempted by the same planet as the natal planet receiving the original conjunction, square, opposition, quincunx, etc.  Perhaps your natal Venus received an opposition from a station of Saturn. Your natal Venus, and all ‘she’ means for you, will now remain “sensitized’ for some time. If and when Saturn returns to this same station degree within one year, here we go again. Or, perhaps Saturn moves on. Instead, here arrives transit Mars, or perhaps sweet Venus herself, or maybe Venus’ dispositor (ruler of the sign ‘she’ inhabits) by a transit hard angle or exact quincunx of natal Venus. These postulated transit events have added punch now because Venus’ natal degree is pre-sensitized! They may be felt more strongly or produce real life events pertaining to Venus.

For example, Venus influences romance, marriage, music, art, beauty, cats, sisters, fashion, various body parts, etc. Venus is said to “signify” or co-signify these things, as well as the life activities of the two houses she will rule in anyone’s chart.

Natal planet triggering also works by trine or sextile within 0˚, although in most cases. However, these harmonious “soft” aspects produce less drama than do the hard aspects. However, close 0-1˚ trine from transit Jupiter to the natal planet that received the original transit stimulus can also produce notable events!

Orbs: It is a good idea to keep your orbs very tight. Personally, I utilize a tiny but effective orb of 0-1˚ for all sensitization and triggering uses. Remember, transit events produce “sensitization” of degrees. Transit or natal planet on those same degrees are now “sensitized”. Alternatively, some natal degrees have permanent “sensitive” status for different significations and purposes. These degrees are found throughout astrological lore.

Specific transiting planets are now capable of “triggering” both the permanently and temporarily sensitized degrees, and any planets inhabiting them by 0-1˚.

Yes, this subject is complex. For starters, consider all degrees occupied by major planets in your natal chart as permanently sensitized to you personally!

Learn to recognize the types of sensitive degrees, the manner in which a transit or natal planet can become sensitized, and how these are triggered through the year in both cases. This knowledge is invaluable to your practice.

ASTROLOGICAL TUTORING SERVICES

Our esteemed Academy Tutor, Marcus Romano, can be reached at: https://www.hillromanoastrology.com