The Astrology of breaking up: Top transits for ending a relationship

There are moments in life when something in you knows—this isn’t sustainable. This isn’t love anymore. Maybe it never was. And while your heart might still be clinging, the universe starts pushing. In astrology, that push often shows up through specific transits and we can see the specific transits that often represent breaking up. I've written a few posts about the art of predicting when you will meet someone new, so I thought it was time I wrote an article about the timing of breakups (after all, we are under Venus retrograde as we speak, so it is appropriate!)

Here are the transits I see over and over again in breakup charts—the ones that initiate endings that feel final, irreversible, and karmic.

Saturn transits to Venus or the 7th house: Ending a relationship over commitment

This is the slow erosion. A love that once felt easy starts to feel heavy. Saturn brings reality checks, and when it touches Venus or your relationship axis, the rose-colored glasses come off. If a relationship isn’t rooted in mutual respect, maturity, and long-term compatibility, Saturn will make that impossible to ignore. It’s not always dramatic—it can feel like emotional distance, like silence growing louder. Often, this transit exposes the emotional labor imbalance. One person is growing up; the other isn’t. Or both are, but in opposite directions. Breakups under Saturn don’t always come with fireworks, but they carry finality. And a sense that what’s over was necessary. Interestingly enough, I have seen a lot of relationships ending under the specific transit of Saturn trine Venus. The lore tells you that "Saturn trine Venus equals commitment" but that is ignoring the reality of humans.

If your relationship is going well, then yes, Saturn trine Venus means a time of making it "official" and if you're single, it can mean meeting someone new. But if you are in a relationship that is not going particularly well, if there's a lack of trust, respect, shared values, or commitment, then now will be a time where it dies a natural death.

Pluto transits to Venus, the Moon, or the 7th house ruler

This is the breakup that guts you. It’s not just an ending—it’s a rebirth through pain. Pluto transits demand total transformation, and it does so by bringing power struggles, betrayals, or emotional obsessions to the surface.

You might find yourself unraveling, realizing how much of your identity was entangled in someone else, especially if the transit is Pluto to your Sun. These are the breakups that feel like ego death. Something is being excavated from deep within—your fear of abandonment, your desire for control, your buried wounds. And once Pluto’s done with you, you won’t beg for crumbs again. This is a transit that teaches you how to never lose yourself in love again.

Pluto transits to Moon can be equally gut-wrenching, although this one is more often than not a transit that represents going through something painful internally. For men, this transit more often than not coincides with a breakup, while women seem to go through something internal.

Lastly, transits of Pluto to Venus are one of the most incredibly transforming aspect. Nothing is the same after this transit, and you either experience the most gut wrenching breakup of your life, or on the contrary, you meet the love of your life.

Uranus transits to Venus or the Descendant

Sudden. Liberating. Brutal. Uranus brings the plot twist you didn’t see coming—or the one you were secretly craving but were too scared to initiate. This transit breaks up anything stagnant. You might wake up and realize you can’t breathe in the relationship anymore. Or your partner might vanish emotionally, or physically. There’s often a craving for space, freedom, reinvention. For some, this transit is about breaking free of relationships that were built on safety rather than passion or authenticity. For others, it’s a chaotic period of change where stability feels impossible. Either way, what’s outdated has to go. Whether you leave, or they do.

My first breakup ever was while my ex-boyfriend had Transit Uranus conjunct his Venus. I woke up one day and decided I was tired of arguing back and forth with him - in hindsight he was great in many ways, but we were both really young, immature and hard-headed. On the other hand, when I had Transit Uranus trine Venus, I did yearn for freedom but not particularly from my relationship. I ended up making money in completely new ways + travelled a lot.

Neptune transits to Venus or the 7th house ruler

This one dissolves things slowly. It can take months, even years. Neptune makes it hard to see clearly. You might romanticize a person who isn’t showing up. Or ignore red flags because the fantasy feels safer than the truth. Under Neptune transits, boundaries become porous, and the relationship might start to feel confusing, even surreal. Lies, delusions, and illusions are common. Sometimes, you’re the one idealizing the connection. Other times, you’re being deceived. But eventually, reality creeps in, and the dream fades. What’s left can feel empty, and painfully vague. Breakups under Neptune are often quiet, but they leave you questioning everything. Was any of it real? Why didn’t I see it?

Neptune transits to Venus feel enchanting, extremely romantic and dreamy. But half of the time, the dream turns really bitter as you find out the other person was deceptive, uncommitted, or committed to someone else.