Stagnation & Celebration: A Jupiter/Saturn Affair

Jupiter gives us wings, lifts us onto a magic carpet, and brings bigger thoughts than we could have fathomed before we went on the adventure. If I had to choose one holiday that feels more Jupiterian than any other, I would select New Year’s Eve. Laughing with friends, popping bubbly, indulging in charcuterie boards, watching fireworks, and delighting in the sheer joy of being alive and with loved ones to celebrate the passing of time.

Interestingly, Saturn shows us that time is ever-present and unavoidable in its finality. This is a story of Jupiter reminding us to feel good as Saturn reminds us it can’t happen all the time.

Our fun-loving sky daddy has been through a journey of lessons. For five consecutive years, Jupiter is beginning a new year settling into a new sign of the zodiac.

Let’s talk specifics…

In November of 2018, Jupiter moved into Sagittarius. Saturn had already finished their stay in Sagittarius and moved into Capricorn in December of 2017, meaning that Jupiter had this time in Sagittarius all by themselves one year later. During this time, Jupiter and Saturn couldn't see each other. Both in domicile and in the signs right next to each other, they didn’t have a visual aspect or an avenue of relating. Jupiter entered 2019 in its fiery Sagittarian home.

In December of 2019, Jupiter moved into Capricorn and became copresent with Saturn in Saturn’s cardinal, earthy domicile. The massive Capricorn pile-up of this time marked the beginning of the global pandemic, cementing the earth element of everyone staying put in one place. Jupiter entered 2020 firmly in the first few degrees of Capricorn.

In December of 2020, Jupiter and Saturn moved into Aquarius within a couple days of each other, and the two had their 20 year great conjunction in Saturn’s fixed, airy domicile. Jupiter remained copresent with Saturn for all of this time, except for the brief period it moved retrograde back into Pisces during summer of 2021. Jupiter entered 2021 right alongside of Saturn in Aquarius.

In December of 2021, Jupiter left Aquarius for good and was finally relieved of Saturn. The joy is still ringing throughout the inter webs as I type this. Finally freed from Saturn’s grip, there is an undeniable optimism flooding the astrological community. Jupiter is about to enter 2022 in its watery Piscean home.

Let’s talk feelings…

The planet of hope, joy, faith, and belief has been under severe scrutiny from the wise elder in the sky.

Jupiter went through ecstatic freedom while in Sagittarius. People traveled, explored, and learned. 2019 was a year of booming tourism, with everyone wanting to see something new. Ideas flowed just as easily, with an increased melting pot of international thought.

Then, it was time for Saturn to pound their gavel and decide that enough was enough.

A pandemic shuttered the world. Businesses closed, families became homeless, and no one was going anywhere. Money became harder to earn, and toilet paper became a highly valued resource.

Every belief that Jupiter had created during their time in Sagittarius was put to the test.

Not only was Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of its traditional fall, it was copresent with Saturn. The wise elder had no real help to offer sky daddy because there was only more patience and discipline given to see things through.

It felt cold, distant, and lonely, just as Saturn’s earth indicated.

As if that wasn't sufficient, Jupiter enters Aquarius right after Saturn, with the two practically smooching during New Year’s Eve. They spend another year copresent, showing us all just how much work is required to achieve the dreams we share.

With air to keep things somewhat moving, Jupiter had room to stretch while still inside a holding cell.

The collective started approaching thought together, and a glimmer of hope emerged that there was a better world than the isolated individualism we’ve all been sold.

The brief time of Jupiter in Pisces over the summer of 2021 was the blissful preview of what is to come. The not so blissful reality was how quickly people bought into the illusion of the pandemic being over.

Jupiter and Saturn will again be both in domicile, in signs right next to each other. With both of their favored tools and ideal environments, they can act out their intended will without any sightline to the other that could either hinder their activities or extend a helping hand.

Let’s talk lessons…

Jupiter has been tested. For all of their dreaming, they’ve been required to consider the consequences first. Saturn has kept Jupiter’s nose to the grindstone, never letting them forget who’s the boss and who's been running this shit.

This timing lined up for a very specific purpose. Jupiter, and all of us, needed a reminder that we absolutely do have limits. We: as souls, as humans, as communities, as cities, as countries, as a world sharing one planet that depends on the same interconnected ecosystem to sustain all of us. We all have limits.

Saturn demarcates the endgame. Saturn asks us, “why would you ever believe that this frivolity would continue into perpetuity?” Everything that is started will eventually have an ending.

Jupiter loves to learn, but learning the hard way has been the name of this game.

And just like that, this game has ended.

For the first time in years, the joyous god is able to play without constraints. Jupiter will not be copresent again with Saturn for almost 20 years. While there will continue to be aspects between the two planets, their time together is finished for this cycle.

Unbridled belief runs freely, for better or for worse.

Jupiter in Pisces things to look forward to: hope for easier days ahead, spiritual and emotional sensitivity, prayers of harmony and healing, collective sighs of relief.

Jupiter in Pisces things to be aware of: believing without thinking, buying into an idea before assessing the cost, fairytale illusions, flowing into distraction.

Beginning a new year with Jupiter moving into a new place ignites a more abundant celebration than one without this planetary motion. The planet of making everything bigger, grander, and more wonderful can’t help but to sauce it up for a new year.

Jupiter’s strengths have always been in their ability to layer on more. New Year’s Eve is a holiday where overdoing it is seen as tradition. Go big or go home, as they say, even though many people celebrate this holiday at home.

Let’s look ahead…

In December of 2022, Jupiter will move into Aries. They will have already been through the beginning of Aries during the summer and early fall of 2022 before dipping back into Pisces for a month and a half. Jupiter will enter 2023 in the ferocious and fiery domicile of Mars.

Again we have a Jupiter celebration. This one will be full of steam, spitfire, and self-righteousness, especially with Mars being retrograde and stationing direct during New Year’s Eve.

This will mark the completion of the Jupiter/New Year’s Eve cycle that occurred from the end of 2018 until the beginning of 2023.

Jupiter as a planet and New Year’s Eve as a holiday hold so many similar themes that it was impossible to ignore the significance of this cycle between planetary transits and an annual calendar event.

We will look back on this five year period of time and recognize how much growth happened while there was so much despair. Everything changed, and nothing was the same after. Jupiter had the spark of inspiration to get the world shifting, and Saturn swooped through to solidify that brainstorm into reality. As a world, we’re all changing. It might feel like stagnation at times, but the celebration can’t wait until it’s all over because progress is constant.

Celebrate every moment, even when it feels like there’s nothing to celebrate. Rejoice in the simple delight of being able to feel. Praise the passing of time. Let fresh vigor kick start your days, and wake up every single morning as if it’s a whole new year. Let that juicy Jupiter medicine keep you alive.