Jupiter in Sagittarius
The recent ingress of Jupiter into the sign of Sagittarius and the constellation of the Scorpion has already been felt. Jupiter, the planet that begins what astronomers call the “outer planets”, symbolizes “expansion” and the “vision quest” planet in shamanic astrology. The glyph for Jupiter, if flipped upside down, bears similarity to the glyph for the planet Saturn, except that Saturn has a across the top.
The connection between Jupiter and Saturn as both planets in astronomy and their symbolic astrological meaning has been long known. They have such a regular pattern and synodic relationship that it is a staple in astrology in general. In myths, the planets symbolized one god overcoming another and or a bit of a rivalry (especially in ancient Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome).
Jupiter’s movement into Sagittarius also presents another more important message in that it is nearing the planet Saturn in the sky. This conjunction between the 2 largest planets will take place in 2020-21 and has already been talked and written about a lot in the last 1-2 years. Primarily, that is because Pluto will also be involved in that triple conjunction throughout 2020 and a little into 2021, which makes it exceedingly rare.
Highlights of Jupiter’s Journey in Sagittarius
At the time of this writing, Jupiter is not visible in the night sky due to the Sun making its annual conjunction with Jupiter. Jupiter will reappear to our eyes in early morning sky December 8th or 9th. Over a week later, the Heart of the Scorpion, Antares, will reappear in the morning sky. Following that, a remarkable conjunction will take place on the Solstice: Jupiter, Mercury and the star Antares will be together with Mercury and Jupiter in very close alignment (with Jupiter being the brightest of the 3).
A month later, on January 22, 2019, Venus finally overtakes the planet Jupiter in Sagittarius after getting relatively close in September before going retrograde. This is a conjunction of the 2 brightest planets in the sky and is typically looked at favorably by astrologers. From a shamanic perspective, the Sagittarius goddess of truth, meaning and adventure is expanded and given a spotlight. She is sovereign, autonomous and free.
Anytime, Venus and Jupiter come together, it is important time for the feminine and the archetype of Sagittarius illustrates need for the feminine to rise and speak its truth, but not just with women. We all have a feminine within us and it is vital to our health to get in touch with it, no matter the archetype it is. Venus symbolizes the feminine principle in our lives and on our natal charts. Having a healthy dialogue with it will give us a key to bringing wholeness into our lives.
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter isn’t just a one-day affair. We can look at from a 10-degree orb perspective in that the two planets will stay within 10 degrees of each other in Sagittarius from January 10th and February 2nd. This completion of the alignment is notable when Venus enters the area of Galactic Center (the bulge of the Milky Way galaxy where the center black hole resides).
On April 10th, Jupiter stations retrograde, standing still from our perspective looking from Earth (called geocentric). The gas giant does this as the dwarf planet Ceres is nearby and roughly 10 degrees away from Jupiter in Sagittarius. Ceres in myth, is the mother goddess who (among other myths) symbolized the loss of power of the feminine and essentially stolen or given-away (depending upon one’s perspective) by and to the patriarchal powers that be thousands of years ago.
From April through the end of the 2019, Jupiter and Ceres stay within 17 degrees of each other. Ceres conjuncts Jupiter at 22 degrees Sagittarius on October 25th. The entire window could be a powerful look and checkpoint between the relationship of the patriarchal forces and of the matriarchal and feminine. The stirring of the truth continues to rise to the surface of this relationship, considering that Jupiter (aka Zeus) was a primary factor in symbolizing the patriarchal takeover. But this could be a time of uncertainty and confusion due the celestial influence of Neptune (Jupiter/Neptune squares) and also provide some sense of empathy and compassion in the contention of matriarchal and patriarchal relationship.
As just mentioned, Jupiter’s transit in Sagittarius will be a series of three exact squares with Neptune (in Pisces) in January, June and September of 2019. This can create an opportunity to let go of old attachments around any hard truths that can close us off to seeing other perspectives or philosophies that could bring us spiritual gifts
Jupiter-Neptune Squares
January 13, 2019 – 14 degrees 22’ Sagittarius/Pisces
June 16, 2019 – 18 degrees 43’ Sagittarius/Pisces
September 21, 2019 – 16 degrees 59’ Sagittarius/Pisces
Jupiter stations retrograde on April 10th at 24 degrees Sagittarius and this area of the sky is between the Archer and the Scorpion. This in-between region, like all in-between regions, was honored in ancient times as a place of “unformed stars”, a place where little was seen as connected to any constellation. It is a place where infinity and imagination reside. Each in-between space is unique, though, it the little that is does contain.
In the case of 24 Sagittarius, it is only 3 degrees away from Galactic Center or the mythological Golden Gate, where souls go in the next step in the afterlife. The area is connected to the primal forces of death and rebirth as well as detoxification (through the nearness of the Scorpion’s tail/stinger).
This is also a part of the sky that has connection to the constellation Ophiuchus (as a small portion of the constellation dips down to on the ecliptic – the path of the Sun and plane of the Solar System), the snake-bearer-shaman. A way to perceive this area symbolically is by turning to one’s own soul medicine, letting die what needs to within our being, which makes room for our new stories to emerge. The process has deep connections to the rich, primal creative forces of the underworld, a place where our soul treasures lie in wait to be discovered!
Jupiter’s retrograde takes it back to within 4 degrees of the star Antares, the heart of the Scorpio, before stationing direct-motion on August 11th. Antares is known as a “rival of Mars”, but has a deeper spiritual meaning as the star that represents not only the heartbeat of a transformative constellation but also as the last stop for souls as they travel across the constellations before passing through the Golden Gate.
The last highlight I wish to share is about the 2nd Venus-Jupiter conjunction of 2019 (at 28 degrees Sagittarius), which takes place on November 24th, with Ceres only 5 degrees away. The period in which Venus and Jupiter are within 10 degrees is between November 14th and December 4th. The conjunction re-invigorates the Galactic Center point near the Archer constellation, pointing the arrow of adventure and truth. Perhaps, this will ultimately point to the deeper cosmic truth of the feminine principle and its rise in conscious awareness at accelerated levels.
More on Jupiter and Saturn
As a sky-watcher, I’ve been out under the stars, drinking in the magic of the regular celestial show. There has been a slow-developing conjunction nearing its time of completion with Saturn and Jupiter. Jupiter has been slowly drawing closer and closer to the Lord of the Rings. Saturn takes close to 3 years to move through a sign/archetype while Jupiter takes about a year to move through a sign. Every 20 years, the pattern of their conjunction repeats, but in a new sign.
The two planets had their glyph origins during the Greco-Roman times and their mythologies were just as intimately tied together as Zeus (Jupiter) overthrew his titan father Cronos (Saturn) and exiled him. But the origins of the glyphs have their own history and symbolism that is forever linked going back thousands of years. This further enforces the importance of the orbital dance in the sky as they come together ever two decades.
Saturn and Jupiter, both symbols of the “middle” or “terrestrial” world processes, were in 2000-2001 , shared the same area of space in the signs of Taurus and Gemini and the constellations of the Ram and the Bull. From signs of Earth to Air it went. The star region in which the two planets danced was on the edge of a area of space known as the Sacred Hoop, which is a ring of first magnitude and other bright stars. After April 3, 2001, they separated beyond what is considered a conjunction in shamanic terms, 10 degrees of separation.
At the end of 2019, in December, Jupiter ingresses (moves into) into the sign of Capricorn, ending its nearly 13-month transit in the sign of Sagittarius, the truth-seeker. This ingress is an alert to the collective about the pending meeting between Saturn and Jupiter with the underworld provocateur planet, Pluto.
For the majority of 2020, Jupiter and Saturn stay within 10-15 degrees of each other in the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius. Jupiter and Saturn don’t experience an exact conjunction until the December Solstice (Dec 21, 2020, which is rare all by itself) just inside the sign of Aquarius.
A lot is being written about the triple conjunction in Capricorn, but the mystery school of Aquarius, I feel, needs to be considered part of the equation. Saturn and Jupiter stay within 10 degrees of each other until March 16, 2021, extending the period deeply into Aquarius.
With that said, this current pattern of Saturn and Jupiter conjunctions from Earth to Air is one worth exploring. In 1980-81 (Virgo to Libra), 2000-01 (Taurus to Gemini) and 2020-21 (Capricorn to Aquarius), all had a similar pattern of getting near each other or conjunct in a sign of Earth, then extending it into an air sign. The transmutation of Earth into Air is highly complex, requiring great alchemy within our being both personally and in the greater collective family of humanity.
In the case of the 2020-21 Saturn-Jupiter conjunction period, it is about the seeding of the future (Capricorn) materializing into the blowing apart of the dysfunction of old systems and paradigms through ideas of novelty and innovation (Aquarius). The deep, physical reality is intended to incorporate the mental sphere’s nexus with the Celestial realm. A question to ask is “How would new ideas, knowledge, philosophies benefit both us and the Earth for the long-term?” As 2019 unfolds, I’ll be writing more and more about this Saturn-Jupiter and Pluto conjunction.
Last Thoughts about Jupiter
As I write about these cycles, transits, planets and signs, I cannot, of course, ignore that I am experiencing a Jupiter Return as I was born with 5 planets in the archetype of Sagittarius, including Jupiter. Jupiter is indeed expanding my natal planetary complexes, the vision questing of Sagittarius (and Jupiter) and providing me with additional insights into how these transits provide clues to our life purpose.
The 2019 highlights I’ve outlined certainly pertain to me on my own timeline and personally will help me grow and see beyond the egoic duality in which I reside in. Since the beginning of November, I’ve experienced a beginning stage of letting go of the certain truths I’ve grown accustomed to operating within. I do feel there is something emerging to “fill in” with a new vision for my life as a whole, while envisioning new spiritual and life-system dynamics will come in to play for me over the next year.
To those who have personal planets/Sun/points (Moon, Sun, Ascendant/Descendant, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Vesta, Midheaven, Ic – Home & Roots and Jupiter) in the sign of Sagittarius, this a time to re-envision what role Sagittarius plays in your own life. What is your personal truth? What is your vision quest path or path of spirituality? Jupiter plays a critical role in uncovering those personal truths and assist us in giving our lives meaning.
Night Sky Notes:
Jupiter will be visible in the early morning skies beginning in mid-December, 2018 through May of 2019. Then it will become an evening “star” near Saturn, until mid-December of 2019, when it vanishes in the glare of the Sun. Take note and meditate on what Jupiter is in your life. Connect with the valuable knowledge that can come from your relationship with Jupiter and the other planets and stars.