Jupiter Turning the Tides

Saturday night, while out in the country, we got to see all five visible planets and the Moon-Mercury conjunction. We even caught a few satellites and a meteor.

Last night, I hit the roof (left) to see the Moon-Venus conjunction and caught the bats flying overhead. [If you look closely at the picture below/right, you’ll see that a bat photo-bombed my shot!]

Then this morning at 6 am, with my first cup of coffee in hand, I walked down the hall to get a view of the southwest and catch Mars fixing to set.

For today’s post, I want to refocus from Astronomy back to Astrology.

If you are tuned in and sensitive to the Astro-vibrations, you might have noticed that the energy had spiked for a few days, and has eased again. We are currently in between waves, you might say.

The spike of intensity came from the (Partial) Solar Eclipse that opposed Pluto significantly. The exact (and I do mean exact) Pluto opposition occurred on July 12^th at 5:03 am CDT. The peak moment of the eclipse occurred at 9:47 pm CDT the same day. From Pluto, an observer could have seen the Earth pass directly in front of the sun; from the Southern Ocean (between Australia and Antarctica), one could have seen the moon clip the solar disc as it drifted by; and the two events occurred within hours of each other. That’s intense, no matter which hat you are wearing (Astrology or Astronomy).

In my opinion, the Pluto opposition (to the sun and new moon) was the greater source of intensity, the solar eclipse simply taking it up another notch. Pluto, ever focused on productive (Capricorn) evolution, may have reminded us of what we’re not doing. The eclipse had us seeing the shadow and missing the beautiful object casting it. It didn’t feel that great. Luckily, it didn’t last long.

The New Moon (Partial) Solar Eclipse was still within orb of forming a Grand Water Trine with Jupiter and Neptune. Since, in my opinion, the theme for this year is the Jupiter-Neptune Trine, these other alignments simply added a moment of climax to the on-going story.

Let’s, for a moment, revisit the timeline.

Neptune in Pisces [2011/2012 through 2025/2026]:

• Neptune first entered Pisces on April 4, 2011 for a four-month stint, then entered Pisces for good on February 3, 2012.

• Neptune will leave Pisces on March 29, 2025 for five months, then leave it for good on January 26, 2026. [What’s extremely interesting is that one of Neptune’s last significant Pisces transits in November 2025 is another Grand Water Trine with Jupiter…in late Cancer by then!!!]

Jupiter in Scorpio [October 10, 2017 through November 7, 2018]

• Jupiter Trine Neptune #1 – December 2, 2017

• Jupiter Station Retrograde – March 8, 2018

• Jupiter Trine Neptune #2 – May 24, 2018

• Jupiter Station Direct – July 10, 2018

• Jupiter Trine Neptune #3 – August 18, 2018

Neptune in his sign of rulership is (roughly) a 14-year event, and we are about half-way through it now. Jupiter in Scorpio lasts about 13 months. Depending on orb, the Trine between the two lasts pretty much the whole time.

Remember, Jupiter is the classic ruler of Pisces, so he shares that rulership with Neptune. That adds further harmony to an already cooperative partnership. But also keep in mind that planets and signs can each manifest as high or low vibrations. Neptune, for example, on the high end inspires intuition, psychic perception, spiritual connection, and compassion. On the low end, it can inspire confusion, lack of clarity, and/or an escape from “reality” via drugs and alcohol, which itself can build into an experience of addiction.

Jupiter, on the high side, inspires fun and joy and freedom of expression. On the low side, it can inspire embellishment, overindulgence, excessiveness, inconsideration, and narcissism (not as in vanity, but as in seeing only one’s own perspective and no one else’s).

While Jupiter was retrograde (early March to early July) there may have been a dip into the “dark side” of all of these energies (Scorpio, Pisces, Neptune, and Jupiter). In other words, we may have found it hard to temper ourselves, overindulging in food, play, sex, and stimulants. Our emotional outbursts may have been stronger, louder, and more frequent. Our ability to focus on productivity may have been challenged by all sorts of distraction and in a bigger way.

Furthermore, we might not have noticed any of this at the time.

You’ve heard it asked: are fish aware that they are in water, when that is all they experience? Is it only when they are pulled out of the water that they notice the difference?

During Jupiter Retrograde, we were swimming in our own realities, emotions, perspectives, and illusions. No matter how level headed you may think you are, you are still living within a fabricated perspective of reality. We all are! This physical version of life is created, and is a departure from (better stated: extension of) ultimate reality.

I noticed what was happening while it was happening. More accurately, I noticed after each binge. I saw that I was indulging. At times, for days in a row, I was eating more (food and dessert) than normal. When having fun with friends, I was drinking more. When unhappy, I wallowed. In between, in my lucid moments, I knew I was succumbing to Jupiter’s movement through Scorpio. My natal Neptune is in Scorpio, so this on-going Trine hits me specifically. And with my personal planets progressing through Cancer, it influences me further still.

It was only when Jupiter Stationed Direct that clarity descended upon me. I feel like myself again…or at least more myself again. I feel myself naturally easing back into a more tempered flow. The tides are still rising and falling, but in a smoother fashion.

The best part of it all is I now understand the big picture (for me personally). I am learning to view myself, my life, my habits, my desires, my struggles, my patterns, my indulgences, my tantrums, etc. in a new way.

Jupiter wants us to have fun. Having fun (Jupiter) and being responsible (Saturn) are not mutually exclusive. We all have both planets in our charts. We have both sides within us. There is a balance between these two archetypes that works best for each of us.

Saturn, in Capricorn, is an active player in the big picture narrative this year, and Pluto in Capricorn has his ear. Saturn, on the high end, is a builder. He creates structures like bridges, and homes, and highways, and grocery stores, and businesses, and playgrounds. Saturn knows that we need to cross waterways, buy food, make a living, and keep our kids safe.

Saturn, on the low end however, can be overly judging, a workaholic, disregarding beauty, art, and play. He can be a slave-driver, telling you that you are never good enough and pushing you into overly conservative and/or repressed ways.

Jupiter, when need be, is the answer to too much Saturn, most especially when paired with Neptune. The physical world is the result of the non-physical realm; it is a child of it. The physical Saturnian world cannot exist without the Neptunian creative, unstructured, unlimited imagination realm.

Jupiter’s retrograde may not have hit you as hard as it hit me. However, if you have been overly judging of yourself (as I have been), if you’ve repressed some aspect of yourself for too long (as I had), if you’ve not let yourself out to play enough, then this past retrograde period may have been overindulgent. Fear not. You are a complex animal. You are multiple archetypes all serving you one way or the other. If this was you, then you are simply coming back into balance…or at least moving in that direction.

Abraham says we held a triad of intention for this physical human life: Freedom, Growth, and Joy. Freedom is Jupiter, especially in Sagittarius. Growth is Saturn, especially in Capricorn. Joy is all over the Zodiac…the high end of everything. If you keep your Saturn and Jupiter/Neptune in balance; if you keep your Freedom and Growth in balance, the joy will take care of itself and flow in frequently.

For the record, keep in mind that Freedom is not the same as Liberty. Liberty (as in having been liberated) exists when someone or something outside of you sets you free. True freedom is an innate aspect of consciousness (along with love and joy). You create your reality through your thoughts and no one can think for you. “You are so free, you can create bondage,” Abraham says. You are the only one who can allow you to experience the underlying freedom, which is always there. If you seek liberty, then you must look for someone to grant it to you. You will beg them for it. You will feel at their mercy.

In a lesser degree, you will look for permission from others to be happy and experience joy. And you will work hard for it.

Liberty is an illusion, but it is an illusion with so much momentum, the need for it is a very real experience here on earth. Freedom is ultimate truth. It can be resisted; it can be doubted; the opposite can be experienced; but it can never be taken away. It is always there, waiting for you to claim it.

Joy is exactly the same and Freedom. Nobody gave it to you; no one can take it away.

After the sun moves into Leo, we’ll have more spikes. First, the sun Squares Uranus, then Mercury Stations Retrograde the next day. The day after that starts with Mars opposition, and then moves into the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (with the moon sitting right next to Mars). I’ll probably revisit all of that later.

Saturn and Mercury sometimes forget that emotions matter. Structure and logic and a methodical approach is more their way.

Jupiter in Scorpio Trine Neptune in Pisces is here to remind us that feelings matter. Happiness, love, and joy, sought by everyone, are felt!

Enjoy newfound balance, if you’re experiencing that, and enjoy the ease and flow of this last week of sun in Cancer. Come Leo, the activity will kick up again!