On December 3rd Jupiter has entered Capricorn, the sign of its fall. Let’s see together the meaning of this transit and why it is not necessarily a bad thing.
So first of all, what does it mean that Jupiter has entered the sign of its fall? As you might know planets represent different kinds of natural energies. Changing sign, these energies are modulated differently by it. Simply put, it’s like having the same material used for different purposes. You can try using paper to make a dress and a piece of fabric to take notes, but the other way around is better.
Sometimes planets find themselves in the same situation. They are modulated in a way that does not resonate with their own nature. This is not necessarily a problem but it comes with some issues we can’t ignore.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 2minutesI look at the Sun. My eyes closed, I can feel the warmth on my face as a blessing. The winds of fall have come, and the sunlight shines weaker full of nostalgia. Candles are lit, little beacons in the night that grows stronger.
Jupiter has entered Scorpio. Which kind of wisdom lies in the shadows? What can we learn from darkness? The swamp transforms everything by means of its secret fire. But its stinging mud is a mystery to us. Still, we are asked to dare and have faith: beneath the smelly dirt the treasures of the earth are waiting for the brave.
A philosopher walks alone in the mist. He carries an orange-gold lamp that illuminates his thick beard. His eyes are deep as the secrets he keeps. A silent man who’s alone only because few are willing to follow him. Still, he is smiling full of confidence and trust: death is just an illusion.
We die to ourselves again and again. Change is the little death that chases our shadow. But what if we were actually able to master change? Uncertainty wouldn’t be so painful and the croak of anxiety in our head would stop. Maybe.
Jupiter in Scorpio
Expansion in the depths of the Underworld. Exploring the Unconscious. To dare, to risk. Tasting taboos. Testing the extremes. Learning how black can turn into white, coal into diamonds. Rescuing life forces stuck in hell. Dosing sufferance for the greater good. Occult powers and knowledge. Experience from confronting the shadow. This if all goes well.
Otherwise the landing might be rough. To the negative, Jupiter in Scorpio becomes the door for nasty exaggeration. Plunged into psychic swamps. Narcissistic mind-games. Sex addiction and dysfunctional relationships. Spiritual intoxication. Black magic. Wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. Financial manipulation. Power over ethics. Abusing elites. Poisonous truths. Political blackmailing. Blood for oil.
A Philosophy of Darkness
Without Sloth we would not rest. Respect your body.
Without Envy we would not be looking for who we really are. Find yourself.
Without Lust we would not be interested in others. Consider other people.
Without Pride we would not stand up for ourselves. Know your worth.
Without Rage we would not be looking for justice. Do what it takes.
Without Gluttony we would not feel the emptiness of what is meaningless. Search for meaning.
Without Avarice we would not restrain ourselves. Discipline yourself.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesSometimes the Universe wants us to be aware. And to do that we can’t rely too much on the outside world; we have to count on ourselves. The following weeks are going to be demanding, since today Saturn is joining the Retrograde Club.
When Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Saturn are all retrograde things are not easy. This because usually awareness comes with struggle: it is the impact with reality that makes us open our eyes. But it is also true that we can’t learn the lesson always the hard way. And maybe, this time there is too much to handle.
I know it’s wrong to generalize. We all have our own battles to fight, and the meaning of each planet strongly depends on the individual. But despite any particular interpretation, the level of emotional processing that we are asked this time is very high. We are challenged at the same time on our beliefs (Jupiter), relationships (Venus), sense of security (Mercury) and now also on our moral sense.
Let’s see together what this Saturn Retrograde is all about.
Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius
Saturn is a very slow planet. In fact, it is going to be retrograde for almost 5 months: from April 7 to August 26. This means that its effects are not necessarily going to manifest right away. Nevertheless, they will inevitably be felt. This is after all how Saturn usually works: it gives you all the time to get ready, but you’d better be when it hits.
Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius is about ethics and morality. We could say that it’s a sort of moralizing energy that easily turns into bigotry. Do you usually feel morally superior to other people? If that’s the case, this long lasting transit could be very important for you—as an opportunity.
When a planet turns retrograde, it mainly affects us inwardly. In that sense, Saturn acts like the super-ego: it constantly reminds us our moral flaws, making us feel guilty for everything. The more you resonate with this behaviour (if you are a person who tends to blame other people, for example), the more this inner voice is going to torture you. It literally turns on you.
The lesson to learn here is to be just. You shouldn’t judge other people on the basis of your moral standards without trying to put yourself in their shoes. Also remember that the way you treat other people is going to reflect on the way you treat yourself. I don’t usually quote the Gospels, but this verse makes the point quite nicely:
“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).
When will all this end?
Usually, I don’t like this question. But in this case I think it’s totally understandable. So, here’s the list of the end dates for the retrograde planets I mentioned above:
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesWe have reached the second round of Mercury Retrograde for this year. From April 10 to May 4 Mercury is going to move backwards in the sky. As always, this is an important opportunity to tune in with the rhythms of the stars, and use them to our advantage. I say this because many people love to complain about Mercury Retrograde. Finally, they have an excuse for everything.
But the point is that Mercury Retrograde is about awareness. The retrograde motion suggests—and facilitates—introspection. The mind turns inwardly, and it’s time for retrospectives. So let’s see what lies ahead for the next three weeks and how we can handle it.
Sense of Security put to the Test
Mainly, Mercury Retrograde in Taurus is about money concerns. Usually they are triggered by delays or misunderstandings in payments—which sadly are very common. But we need to understand that this is only the outer side of the matter. We don’t have to fall in the everyday materialistic mindset: there’s more than that. There’s a lesson to learn.
As always, you are going to make it through. What’s really important here—the lesson—is the way you react to the situation. In other words, you have the opportunity to better understand the way you react to uncertainty. In fact, even though Taurus is strictly related to wealth, we can’t reduce this transit to money issues.
Please note that money is just a symbol. In this case, the meaning behind it is: “what makes us feel safe” or “the source of abundance”. Everybody knows that people with strong taurine traits love to stock food and money. For them it’s important to feel they can always afford what they love. Mercury Retrograde puts this sense of security to the test.
This is the way I interpret the entrance of Mercury back in Aries on April 21. Basically, our warrior personality (Mars-Aries-Fire) activates when we feel threatened. For this reason the second part of the transit is going to be about boundary issues, being Taurus the sign of our territory. The initial sense of insecurity can turn into the feeling of being invaded.
How to Handle this Mercury Retrograde
Give it a Context. It is very important to understand where this challenge is going to manifest. To do that, simply check where 5° Taurus and 25° Aries fall in your Natal Chart. Which houses (areas of life) are involved? If you don’t know it, prick up your ears. You will realize it soon by yourself.
Double-Check the Information. When it comes to Mercury Retrograde, communication is key. Most concerns can be contained—if not completely avoided—by an effective communication. Misunderstandings are very common during these transits, so you must learn the art of not worrying until you are a hundred percent certain of the actual problem.
Know Yourself. How do you react to uncertainty? For example, I react trying to plan everything up and keep things under control. Like most of us I don’t like uncertainty at all. So what I usually try to do is to make the uncertain, certain. This is a clear expression of my Mars in Virgo—my warrior side. Efficiency and effectiveness are my weapons, what are yours?
Practice Mindfulness. Taurus are hard workers, but they usually have a very calm pace. Sometimes this makes them look lazy, even though they are not. What we want to do is to embrace this attitude inside, bringing it in our mind (Mercury). To do that you can try with mindfulness, a widely practiced discipline that can give you extraordinary results.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesThe Spring Equinox is upon us! Temperatures are rising and the days are getting longer and longer. Have you already gone for a walk in nature? You definitely should, the Sun is smiling at us (here in Italy at least). But what about the stars?
As you may know according to Astrology the Spring Equinox is the first of the year. It is the moment when the Sun enters Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. A new cycle starts, and since Astrology holds beginnings in high regard this event is huge. As your life is affected by the moment of your birth, so is the next year.
Let’s take a closer look to the chart of the Sun entrance in Aries.
A Pressure Cooker
First of all, we have an excess of fire energy here. Usually it’s not uncommon to find—as in this case—both Mercury and Venus in Aries as well. This because they never stray too far away from the Sun. But this year we also have Uranus, the Moon and Saturn: six out of ten planets in fire signs. Uranus is nothing new: it is in Aries for several years. On top of that, Saturn is in Sagittarius since 2015. But the Moon? Seriously? Do we really need other fire?
Fire is the element of action, will, passion, desire and ultimately transformation. No need to say that the last year has been quite… eventful. So we can expect this trend to continue the next year.
But how is it Mars? We want to check it out because the relief valve of all this fire is usually the god of war. It is in Taurus, though—duh! Taurus is about stability, consolidation and tranquility… so basically the relief valve is not going to work properly. He tends to defend the castle and never come out! And those left out—well—they can go to hell.
The Cardinal T-Square
So, what’s cooking? The Cardinal T-Square, of course. We have already discussed about it, so let’s sum it up briefly. Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter are battling in the sky, so to speak. They represent respectively the financial elites (Pluto in Capricorn), the people who stand up all around the world protesting for social justice (Uranus in Aries) and the legal systems (Jupiter in Libra) that abide mainly what is formally correct rather than what feels right for the people.
In the chart of the year we find Saturn conjunct the Moon. This means that the public opinion (the Moon represents the mass) is going to feel blocked and oppressed. The conjunction with Saturn is always very challenging; and in this case it is partile, meaning that the planets are on the same degree at 28° Sagittarius. In the end, having a weak Mars we can expect that the general discontent will increase. Coincidentally, the Saturn-Moon conjunction makes a trine with Uranus. This means that the protests will definitely rise, but their effect for this year will still be very weak due to Saturn.
On top of that, Mercury in Aries will set the media on fire. This will contribute to the above mentioned general discontent. Nothing new, right? This is after all a very well known media strategy to make us feel vulnerable and scared, as the Moon conjunct Saturn aspect suggests.
Both the Benefics are Retrograde
In the chart of the year Jupiter and Venus are both retrograde—which doesn’t help at all. Usually the benefics are able to balance tension with harmony (Venus) and pessimism with confidence (Jupiter). But in this case they are retrograde, which means that mainly they are going to make us question ourselves.
We can say that all that rising frustration can be an opportunity for questioning what we think to be right or wrong (read Jupiter Retrograde in Libra 2017 for further details) and the way passion affects our relationships (see Venus Retrograde in Aries 2017).
In Conclusion
I am not going to lie: this year is going to be tough. Obviously this is a very general interpretation that concerns the collective unconscious on a global scale. Each single country, as well as each single person, is going to be affected in a very specific way that doesn’t necessarily match this reading. However, the dynamic aspects involved (T-Square), the benefics retrograde, the Moon-Saturn conjunction, the excess of fire and a very weak Mars are all symptoms of both tension and energy stagnation.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesVenus is going to be retrograde soon. From March 5 to April 16 we are going to see her moving backwards in the sky. In this article we will explain the general meaning of Venus Retrograde, as well as her entrance back into Pisces.
First off, Venus Retrograde. As every planet moving backwards, Venus Retrograde directs her energies inside instead of outside. This means she is mainly going to affect your inner life. This is a moment for second thoughts, because among other things Venus represents our judgment. And in Aries (where she is in detriment) she is not good. She is the cause of decisions made on a whim, rushed conclusions and self-overestimation issues. This because Aries simply can’t listen to reason and always wants to be right.
Hard Self-Criticism
As you can see having second thoughts comes naturally here. Venus stops (literally), turns and says: what am I doing? The first step of this process is ruled by a very strong Mars in Aries. This means we can expect us to be very hard on ourselves. That self-criticism will regard the particular House (area of life) affected by the transit—especially if we have messed it up. Just check 13° Aries on your Natal Chart.
My advice is to simply accept it. Everybody is hard on themselves sometimes. After all we need to be, in order to grow and learn. It’s all right. But if your Saturn (basically your super-ego, the voice of your conscience) is very strong, it may be distressing. So keep that in mind and don’t overdo it.
Overwhelming passion
Venus is of course the Goddess of Love. From this perspective, her transit in Aries (which also featured a conjunction with Mars) had a strong passionate symbolism in the last month. But was it maybe too much? When retrograde, Venus tends to second-guess her feelings: “Was it just sex? Am I really in love with him?”. To answer such questions is not going to be easy, since the passion of Aries clouds your judgement.
My advice is to just take your time. Let everything settle down a bit. Again, Venus stops because she needs a break. All this has been intense, maybe too much. Her personal boundaries are at risk, and she feels like she is too involved. Just slow down.
Venus Retrograde back in Pisces
On April 4 Venus will be back in Pisces. This is a happy ending scenario since she is going to be in the sign of her exaltation. We are talking about universal love and compassion, fueled by both romanticism and wisdom (Jupiter). This means that although in this process you will encounter many doubts and second thoughts, eventually you will be able to shed light on your feelings.
At best, it is true love. In the worst case it wasn’t, but you will be nevertheless able to clearly recognize your mistakes, to the point you won’t be angry with him (or her).
In conclusion, I’d like to point out that Jupiter is still retrograde (and it will be up to June 9). When both the benefics are retrograde, it can be a challenging moment, since we can’t count on them for protection. Still, we are definitely encouraged to transform both our belief system (aka Shadow Work) and the way we judge people.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesOnce a year Jupiter becomes retrograde. Basically, a planet is retrograde when we see it moving backwards in the sky. The Sun and the Moon for example never go retrograde. We always see them going forward, right? Well, the other planets sometimes don’t. They turn around—so to speak—and go back.
So, what does it mean? You can think of it as a person who stops in order to think better. [ictt-tweet-inline]Sometimes we all need a break[/ictt-tweet-inline]. In that period of time we can observe the situation from afar, and then start again. They are indeed precious moments of awareness.
In other words, a retrograde planet turns his energies inwardly—towards our inner life. Some planets are not always comfortable with that, but it really depends on the sign. A retrograde Mars in Aries for example is like dynamite; but the same planet in Scorpio is in its element. Perfectly at ease.
Jupiter retrograde in Libra
Jupiter is our inner wisdom. It is the voice that draws us closer to the spirit. It comes with no surprise that a retrograde Jupiter is—generally speaking—not so bad. Everybody knows how annoying a Mercury retrograde can be. But if nobody complains about Jupiter retrograde there’s probably a good reason for that.
The truth is that a retrograde Jupiter could also be a blessing. [ictt-tweet-inline]Our society is so deaf to the call of the spirit that sometimes a little push is needed[/ictt-tweet-inline]. But as I said—it really depends on the sign.
So, what about Jupiter retrograde in Libra? As we have discussed before, Jupiter in Libra is the good magistrate. And sometimes even the judge needs to stop in order to think if he is doing the right thing.
Are you going through a phase where you are second-guessing yourself? Is the voice of your conscience knocking at the door? Don’t get me wrong. It’s not about feeling bad for something. Guilt has nothing to do with that. It is about clarifying what you deeply consider right and wrong.
Knowing that gives you power. There’s nothing worse than living a life without knowing what you genuinely believe in. We all bear inside a moral compass—even criminals. They might believe in the law of the jungle, nevertheless they still believe. And Jupiter retrograde in Libra can help you remember that you have that compass.
In which house of your Natal Chart is Jupiter transiting at the moment? Knowing that allows you to nail down the matter at one of the aspects of your life. For instance, if it is in your seventh house it’s going to be about your relationship values. You can check the general meaning of each house on this page.
The Power of Beliefs
Please do not underestimate the power of your beliefs. They are able to determine the course of your existence. The decisions you make in your life are based on what you consider possible. If you feel you can’t place your trust in a person, a project or even a perspective on life you will never go that way.
Your beliefs are also your limits. [ictt-tweet-inline]When your trust is betrayed something is broken[/ictt-tweet-inline]. The very essence of your motivation dissolves, and with it every sparkle of enthusiasm. The engine that turns any inspiring idea into reality stops simply because you don’t believe anymore.
This incredible power—which is the power of faith—is what makes Jupiter such a crucial force in the human soul. So remember, as the old motto goes: “know thyself”.
Transit Details
Jupiter is going to be retrograde from Febraury 6th (23° Libra) to June 9th (13° Libra). During its retrograde motion the Great Benefic is going to perform the following Major aspects (only outer planets are considered):
27 FEB: Mars opposite Jupiter
03 MAR: Jupiter opposite Uranus
30 MAR: Jupiter square Pluto
12 MAY: Mars trine Jupiter
In your Natal Chart you may want to check mainly where its stationary points fall (again, 13° and 23° Libra). Thanks for reading and have a good week.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
