JUPITER AND SATURN CYCLE

2006 has been an intense year so far, with planetary dances creating a cycle that alternates between a building of tension through the hard aspects: squares (between Jupiter and Neptune and between Jupiter and Saturn) and oppositions (Saturn to Chiron); and an opening of the doors of consciousness and awareness through the flowing aspect of the trine (Uranus and Jupiter).

The two planets that dominate these cycles are Jupiter (expansion and possibilities) and Saturn (contraction and boundaries). These two planets have been dancing in a square (challenging aspect) since December of 2005 and this cycle will conclude in late October of this year. Jupiter wants to expand our awareness, and Saturn wants to impose limitations. Jupiter believes all things are possible, and Saturn can be cold and judgmental, sowing the seeds of discontent. Saturn is often seen as the bad guy in this cycle, throwing a wet blanket over Jupiter's exuberance and spoiling the fun. However, while Jupiter's influence is no doubt a more enjoyable one, it is Saturn that teaches wisdom and practicality, providing the security that is needed to live on Planet Earth.

The Jupiter/Saturn cycle teaches us the balance between faith (Jupiter) and secularism (Saturn), between optimism (Jupiter) and realism (Saturn). The current 20-year cycle began with the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Taurus in the year 2000. We are currently in the waxing square phase of this cycle, in which new ideas and business frameworks are introduced, and then tested as the planets begin to form a 90 degree angle, or “square”, to each other. The Jupiter/Saturn square cycle deals with our ability to balance an openness of mind and optimistic viewpoint (Jupiter) with our ability to be practical and reasonable and be aware of our limitations (Saturn). Often the square aspect between these two planets creates expansive periods (Jupiter) that are followed shortly by a heavy dose of reality (Saturn).

The 20-year Jupiter/Saturn cycle is associated with the adjustment of social and political structures, including economic and ideological elements. At the hard angle points (squares and oppositions), there is a correction of any imbalance that exists between the exuberance of Jupiter and the hard realism of Saturn. For example, the conjunction in 2000 coincided with the end of an “irrational exuberance” (Jupiter) that brought the stock market to a screeching halt as the dot-com boom busted (Saturn), causing a recession that lasted for several years. The Jupiter/Saturn cycle is associated with volatility in the stock market as well as social and political relationships, and since the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in 2000, political forces have been extremely polarized not only in the US but abroad as well. Many financial experts who seek geocosmic guidance predict a financial downturn as the current square cycle concludes in October 2006.

On a more personal level, the square of Jupiter and Saturn this year has most intimately affected those of us with planets in the fixed signs of Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius but all of us have been affected to some extent by the need to balance our need for expansion and fun (Jupiter) with our responsibilities and duties (Saturn). On a spiritual level, we may have found ourselves aligning with structured modalities of spiritual or healing practices (Jupiter) that we seek to impose on others (Saturn). Despite the challenges inherent in the “square” aspect between these two planets, they are both strongly present as teachers now and we can learn their lessons if we open our hearts and minds by asking ourselves where we may be out of balance. Are we being held captive by our responsibilities? (Saturn imbalance.) Are we holding on to unrealistic expectations? (Jupiter imbalance.) Do we impose our views on others? (Saturn) Are we spending more money than we earn? (Jupiter) The more we make a conscious effort to balance these powerful influences, the more we will flow through the conclusion of the cycle without having to learn its more painful lessons.

Other planetary cycles of 2006 that will conclude this fall are:

The square cycle between Jupiter (expansion, theology and faith) to Neptune (delusion, confusion, getting lost in fantasy) began in late January of 2006, hit for the second time in March of 2006, and concludes in late September of this year.
The trine of Uranus and Jupiter began at the end of November in 2005, hit for the second time in May of 2006, and will complete its passage in late August/early September of 2006.
Because Jupiter is the keynote speaker of the other cycles, it is useful to really take a look at what Jupiter means astrologically. Jupiter is said to rule the sign of Sagittarius, and because Pluto is traveling through the tail end of Sagittarius the issues of Jupiter are in the process of being transformed by Pluto. Jupiter is said to be the "greater benefic," and bestows good fortune and positive thinking. Jupiter is the principle that positive thoughts reap positive outcomes, and tends to be optimistic and expansive, ready to take advantage of all opportunities. Jupiter, of course, was King of the Gods, and as such he was the ruler of all and created his own laws. Jupiter is associated with law, theology, and our search for the meaning of life. Often this finds us in the realm of religion, which is the sharing of personal ideals with others. Jupiter represents blind faith - it also can show where we may find ourselves bigger than we actually are in life. It also rules expansion, and tends to bring an exaggerated manifestation of planets with which it comes into contact.

The current cycle of Jupiter transits throughout the year are creating opportunities and expanding awareness, but as we have seen with the Jupiter/Saturn cycle, the danger with Jupiter is that like a balloon that becomes too full of air, our confidence could pop and the air could drain out of the lives we have built. The confidence of Jupiter creates debt, it expands the housing and stock market, it can create an illusion that things are better than they actually are. On the other hand, Jupiter opens us to fresh possibilities that we haven't before noticed.

We are experiencing simultaneously the trine of Uranus and Jupiter, which opens our awareness (Jupiter) to new ways of thinking (Uranus) and creativity of which we were previously unaware. However, the square of Jupiter to Neptune brings in the possibility of deception ( Neptune ) and an overblown sense of our own abilities (Jupiter).

Each of these planetary cycles is a powerful combination that is working to transform our own sense of our world view (Jupiter). The key to successfully managing these planetary cycles is to stay open (Jupiter) to new possibilities, be prepared to radically change your thinking (Uranus), keep you feet planted firmly on the ground and work hard (Saturn), while following the call of your inner self to realize that there is more to life than this mundane reality (Neptune).

Jupiter is still in Scorpio where it has been since late last year. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, the god of death, and therefore relishes the journey through the underworld of darkness and emotional baggage. Scorpio seeks power and emotional intensity and Jupiter is the planet of buoyant abundance, so this is an odd combination that expands (Jupiter) the focus on death, secrecy and sexuality, the domains of Scorpio. Scorpio is rather ruthless in its aims, and Jupiter, being the King of the Gods, can be somewhat arrogant and self-righteous and an unfortunate aspect of this combination can be the ruthless slaughter of innocents. Jupiter was last in Scorpio in 1994, witnessing the beginning of the Rwandan massacre and the murders of Nicole Simpson (wife of OJ Simpson in case anyone needs a reminder) and Ron Goldman. That year also witnessed the destruction of part of the planet Jupiter by the Shoemaker-Levy comet that coincided with the conjunction of Jupiter in Scorpio to Pluto.

Jupiter in Scorpio is not all death and destruction; it also opens our minds (Jupiter) to issues of sexuality (Scorpio), and opens up (Jupiter) trade and economic systems (Scorpio). For better or for worse, the processes that take place during Jupiter's travels through Scorpio create permanent transformation. For example, the 1994 NAFTA (free trade) agreement created a permanent flow of jobs from the US and transformed the American economic system. Although this process has created problems for US workers, it has expanded the economies of other countries and transformed the global balance of power (Jupiter/Pluto). The passage of Jupiter through Scorpio this year has been marked by the square of Jupiter to Saturn. Where Jupiter expands, Saturn creates limitations and restrictions. Saturn's purpose is to keep Jupiter from expanding too fast and in an ungrounded way.

The final phase of the Jupiter/Saturn cycle ends in October (watch for a new article on this cycle which will be posted shortly on my website). Jupiter is known as the "greater benefic," but as in most things astrological that which we think of as "good" is often difficult, and that which we think of as "bad" can be exhilarating catalysts for change.