RELATIONAL POLITIC: JUPITER + SATURN CONJOIN IN AQUARIUS
December 16th
9:04pm PST: Saturn enters Aquarius
December 19th
5:07am PST: Jupiter enters Aquarius
December 21st
2:02am PST: Sun enters Capricorn ~ Winter Solstice
10:20am PST: Jupiter conjunct Saturn at 0°Aquarius29’
Every year on or around December 21st (depending on your time zone), the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn, marking the winter solstice. The solstice is carried in many mystical traditions around the world as a critical turn in the Earth’s path around the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the longest night of the year. It is often held in reverence as a time for deep reflection on the precipice of renewal. In some pagan traditions, it is a time for celebration, as we call the Sun back to us through music and dance, feasts and candles, welcoming the return and growing of the light.
In relatively modern history, solstice celebrations have been reappropriated to December 25th and Jan 1st, abandoning elder pagan observances and alluring people to Christian faith in an attempt to control how, when, and to whom the masses pray. The structure of the Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. But long before the rule of the Church, people around the world were attuned to the path of the Sun and its measured presence throughout the wheel of the year.
Whatever your faith, the winter solstice can be held in reverence as the time when the light comes back. It’s also when light is the faintest, marking the shortest day of the year. The winter solstice is the night when we pray for light by embodying it; by adding our own to the fire.
It’s hard to imagine building a hearth after all that was engulfed in 2020’s flames. And yet, in this year’s magnanimous fashion, even the solstices bear a twist. While the Summer Solstice darkened the hot season’s brilliant daze with an uncommonly poised eclipse, the Winter Solstice wears a mark of another uniquely timed cycle: The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius.
Due to Jupiter and Saturn’s particular orbits, they conjoin about every 20 years. These conjunctions happen in zodiac signs of the same element over the course of a 200 year cycle.
Let’s go over that again. We are looking at two cycles:
1. 20 year cycle: Jupiter and Saturn meet in the sky every 20 years
2. 200 year cycle: The conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn take place in a new element every 200 years
Since 1802, Jupiter and Saturn have been conjoining in the signs Virgo, Capricorn, and Taurus, all earth signs.
In 1980, they conjoined in the sign of Libra, giving us a taste of Jupiter/Saturn in Air. Then, in 2000, they conjoined again in Taurus, making their final meetup in Earth complete. On December 21st of this year, they will conjoin in Aquarius, kicking off the beginning of a new 200 year cycle of conjunctions in Air signs.
Each time Jupiter and Saturn make a conjunction, they mark the start of a new phase that structures the principles by which society lives. Jupiter represents the wisdom, ideals, and truths which we as a society hold self-evident. Saturn represents the structures, rules, and time it takes to develop, manifest, and express Jupiter’s ideas. Jupiter can be indicative of expansion, abundance or wealth (to the point of extremes) and liberation. Saturn offers us traditions, channels, restrictions, judgement and sometimes, oppression.
When these two planets were joined in earth, we saw an emphasis on the power of the material.
The principles of
hard work as higher-than-thou,
endurance as end-game,
property as power,
and production as priority
reigned unholy.
In that time we saw the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism. Today people are realizing that there is enough on this planet to feed, clothe and shelter us all. We know that most of us don’t need to work to keep the wheel of life turning. We also know that overproduction is shattering the habitability of our planet for humans (and other critters), that exploitation is adding to the wealth of the rich while wreaking havoc on the minds and bodies of the 99%, that property ownership is old news and that reparations + rematriation of land to indigenous stewardship is a key step in the direction of collective sovereignty.
In other words, owning earth, or any kind of matter, is making its way to game over.
Each time Jupiter and Saturn shift elements, society begins to see through the cracks. While the old element served to refine our politic in some ways, we start to understand where we may have gone too far (Jupiter). Hence, we begin to rein in and restructure in an effort toward a more ideal world. This means re-examining our collective ideals and perhaps aiming for different heights. Creating new traditions to free ourselves from outdated ideals.
As Jupiter and Saturn renew their vows in Air Signs, we are likely to see a rise in our emphasis on relational thinking, and the systems which support it. This notion is reinforced by the unfolding events that occurred between 1980-2000, when we experienced a “preview” of Jupiter/Saturn in Air. The birth of the internet, a communications and digital revolution, and the overwhelming growth of education as its own industry (ICMY, college in the United States is a scam) are examples of a society that prioritizes connection, thought leadership, the value of relationships, networking, access to information and tools to build something from our ideas.
Things we might expect to see with Jupiter and Saturn’s 200 year cycle shifting into Air:
-a rise in SAAS technology
-shifts towards socialist and/or communist politics, perhaps even the creation of new political and economic theories
-an increase in intellectual property battles
-moves towards collective homesteading, land stewardship and relationship in place of ownership
-the expansion of technologies that prioritize connection, for better or worse
-data-farming
-strengthening, rupture, and restructuring of data privacy laws and systems
-people-led movements
-the swell of anti-capitalism and redistribution of wealth (not without our efforting of course)
-a revolution in the way we understand and use money - possibly becoming obsolete but not before a new wave of technological investment
-a revival of trade and barter economies
-rejection of individualist and workaholic culture
-welcome of frameworks that value all skills as contributions to collective wellbeing
On a personal level, the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction on the solstice gives us an opportunity to set specific intentions for long-term goals relevant to the part of our charts that contain the sign of Aquarius. These intentions might address:
-how our work interacts with our community
-how we define and uphold our boundaries with our friends, family and other community members
-any work-related projects that place an emphasis on how we think and/or relate
-group plans to design or birth communities centered around shared ideals
-research or design that reframes old ideas with an expanded perspective
-development and growth of diligence or responsibility to a personal goal, especially if meeting said goal means gaining new freedom
“Your no makes way for your yes.” ~adrienne maree brown
It’s important to note that while Jupiter and Saturn might be working together in this cycle, they are playing on Saturn’s home turf. Jupiter is traditionally a planet that brings luck, ease and abundance. However, in Saturn’s sign, Jupiter is more likely to help Saturn do Saturn-like things than it is to persuade Saturn to do Jupiter-things. Jupiter in Aquarius with Saturn might help us:
-work harder and faster, accomplishing more on a project than we normally would
-see the big picture concerning the systems we are creating and working within
-create limits that liberate us
-see the lessons that emerge from obstacles
-give us fuel for enduring efforts
-ensure that longterm projects started during this moment bear rich rewards down the long road
Ultimately, Jupiter and Saturn kicking off this new cycle gives us an opportunity to shape the socio-political sphere that conditions our individual and collective behavior. This moment proposes a fresh start at participation. It is an occasion to take a risk on revision with an eye for stability. It offers us a chance at building something more ideal and also more abstract, to support our collective well-being while offering us the opportunity to adapt as we grow.
Take this time to consider what you hold in high regard, how you want to hold it and who you’d like to share it with. Make your mission relational and co-creative. And enjoy the effort of designing a whole new way of thinking.
If this resonated with you and you want to talk about the Jupiter Saturn conjunction and where it is featured in your personal horoscope, you can book a natal chart session with me.