In the cycle of any planet, a cazimi is a crucial moment. It occurs when a planet forms an exact conjunction with the Sun, initiating a new cycle. The word “cazimi” is derived from an Arabic phrase meaning “in the heart of the Sun.” It is here, within Sol’s temple, that new missions are seeded. The planet gets purified in the Sun’s rays (think: flame to an ear-piercing needle), and fresh truths are revealed.

Cazimis can offer divine downloads and insights — if we are open to receiving them.

Though astrologers have different opinions on when exactly a planet enters the cazimi sweet spot, at CHANI we consider the conjunction to be active within one degree. If you’re new to thinking about degrees, consider that a circle has 360 of them. The zodiac divides this circle into 12 equal parts of 30 degrees, which form the 12 signs. Cazimis occur when both the Sun and another planet are within one degree of each other in the same sign. For medieval astrologers, this window was far more fleeting: 16 arc minutes on either side. Each degree contains 60 arc minutes, another geometry factoid.

However you slice and dice the timing, the cazimi represents an enchanted moment during the planet’s dance with the Sun. A golden window for launching our plans, clarifying our dreams, and making our wish lists for the universe.

Because the Sun is so bright, planets approaching or separating from the Sun can’t be seen in their own light. If a planet is within 15 degrees of the Sun, it’s considered to be “under the beams.” Lost in the Sun’s glare, it can be harder for the planet to express its full energy.

When a planet is within eight degrees of the Sun, but not close enough to form an exact conjunction, it can be even harder for that planet to operate. Traditionally, this has been called “combustion,” when the planet is scorched by the Sun’s rays. Just as it is difficult to run our lives in the throes of a heatwave, planets lose their potency the closer they get to the solar luminary.

This is what makes the cazimi so special: After weeks of struggle, the planet is suddenly granted an audience with our cosmic sovereign. And it emerges from this meeting replenished, renewed, and revitalized.

Two types of cazimi

There are two types of cazimis:

1. Inferior conjunctions are when Mercury or Venus is retrograde and traveling between the Sun and Earth.
2. Superior conjunctions are when Mercury, Venus, or any other planet is moving forward on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth.

Don’t pay attention to the value we normally attach to words like “inferior” and “superior.” These are astronomical terms. In this case, inferior simply means that the planet is nearer to Earth, and therefore to us.

While inferior cazimis can bring more personal revelations, superior cazimis help us zoom out to observe the bigger picture. Think of the astronaut gazing out at Earth. Instead of noticing the smaller details, they behold the tiny and magnificent marble of life floating in a sea of stars. In both cases, cazimis help us click the puzzle pieces together as we gain access to new perspectives.

Does every planet have a cazimi?

If you’re wondering whether all planets have their moment in the Sun, absolutely. Even the Moon, considered a planet in traditional astrology, has its monthly rendezvous with Sol. A cazimi involving the Moon is technically a New Moon. This is the monthly moment when Luna — temporarily invisible in our night skies — lines up directly with the Sun. A New Moon is a quiet time of reflection, rest, and seeding new intentions.

Mercury is the fastest-moving planet and has the most retrogrades — completing its loop-de-loop up to four times a year. That means we have a handful of Mercury cazimis to work with annually. Inferior Mercury cazimis are especially potent for revelatory communications and sudden insights. The superior conjunction — when Mercury is on the other side of the Sun, as far as it can stray from the Earth — lends itself to announcements and proclamations.

When Venus bathes in the Sun’s rays, it’s a gilded moment during the planet of pleasure’s retrograde journey. This cazimi brings a glimmer of clarity to whatever you’ve been reviewing or reclaiming in your relationships with intimacy, creativity, or desire. As with Mercury, Venus will experience both inferior and superior cazimi moments. The inferior conjunction happens at the midpoint of Venus’ retrograde journey and brings more internal revelations around love and connection. In the superior conjunction, Venus offers a bird’s-eye perspective of these same themes, orbiting on the other side of the Sun from Earth.

Mars cazimis are rarer still, as the planet of will and courage is handed the torch of a new mission from the Sun every two years. After their meeting, we emerge laser-focused on the battles worth fighting and the defenses that can finally be put down.

Jupiter cazimis happen once a year, when the Sun enters the same sign as the planet of abundance. In this time, our greater benefic’s lucky horseshoes are further blessed. Wherever this cazimi falls in your chart, a promising new cycle of growth, wisdom, and joy is seeded. It’s a time to pitch the pitch, cut the golden ribbon, or simply hype yourself up.

The annual Saturn cazimi, on the other hand, is a more somber affair — but no less clarifying. Wherever a boundary needs repairing or a commitment needs to be reinforced, the Saturn cazimi helps us bolster our containers. If we launch a project at this moment, it’s sure to stand the test of time.

The so-called outer planets — Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto — also have their 15 minutes of solar fame. These cazimis happen approximately once a year and bring moments of epiphany related to the planetary archetype.

When Uranus is cazimi, the air is charged with an electric current of change, as the Sun illuminates what needs shaking up in our lives.

Neptune’s cazimi dials up the ambient synchronicity and magic, clarifying our inspiration and higher ideals. From this increased openness, we perceive the subtle threads of our interconnectivity and dare to dream again.

Finally, when the Sun and Pluto conjoin, we pierce through our own subconscious shadows to recover hidden gold. A time of revelation, power dynamics, taboos, and difficult truths are all up for examination. The proverbial vampires blocking access to our true essence shrivel in the light of the Sun. 

How to Make Cazimi Magic

Cazimis are your golden ticket from the universe to begin again. Here are several ways to make the most of these Sun baths.