Why Didn't I Feel This Transit?

I have received different versions of the above question over the past few months, usually in response to a post about a positive transit. The question(s) come from people who are going through an extended rough time. The question (I'm paraphrasing) goes something like "I've been miserable/challenged/cursed for the past 2/3/4 years and your post about this happy transit doesn't apply to me at all. Why?"

We've all been through those ugly, grinding years where there's one thing after another. I myself had a period from my late twenties to mid thirties where everything seemed to go wrong. And I can tell you that the universe is not withholding all the good stuff. You are not being punished (no matter how it feels). 

Harsh transits are strongest - that's the unpleasant fact. The big, nasty ones (involving Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) will dominate and sometimes multiple areas of your chart are hit by two or three of these guys so you get an extended experience. There will be positive transits happening at the same time but a Pluto square or Uranus opposition is so strong that you may have trouble feeling anything else. 

This is most likely to happen if you have a natal stellium (3 or more planets sitting in the same sign and/or house). For example, let's say you have three planets in the final degrees of Cancer and three more in the early degrees of Leo - you get an extended opposition from transiting Pluto as it moves from Capricorn to Aquarius. This does not guarantee a bad time but it certainly suggests that you'll have a few challenging years with complete endings and total transformations. Stelliums concentrate energy in certain parts of your chart which also means transits are drawn- out, concentrated change. 

On the bright side, when you get hit with positive transits (trines from any of the above along with Jupiter) you hit the jackpot with an extended benefit. 

I won't tell you to look on the bright side or count your blessings. When you're really going through it, that's the last thing you want to hear. But I will say (again) that there are always some positive transits hitting your chart even though they will be weaker in the face of a challenging transit. Sometimes, identifying the smaller, beneficial influence can emphasize that energy and give you a bit of a break- the hard transit doesn't go away but you do get something to smile about. And finally, no transit lasts forever. The wheel keeps turning and eventually you will see daylight.