By now, you’ve probably heard about the “The Great Conjunction,” AKA the rare meetup of Jupiter and Saturn. Every 20 years, the two largest planets in our solar system cross paths. Jupiter takes roughly 12 years to complete a trip around the Sun and Saturn takes about 30. When their orbits intersect, they form what is known as a conjunction. This year’s configuration is occurring predominantly in the sign of Aquarius and is a bit more significant than their usual song and dance for a couple of reasons.
What is the Jupiter Saturn Conjunction?
A conjunction occurs when two planets occupy the same sign. From our view on Earth, it looks like the planets are very close to one another. Eventually, the fastest moving planet (the one closest to the Sun) surpasses the other. In astrology, a conjunction is thought to blend the energies of the planets involved.
In this case, Jupiter, the planet of growth and abundance, is harmonizing with Saturn, the planet of structure and restriction. Jupiter wants to expand rapidly, but Saturn is there to keep it in check. As Jupiter builds, Saturn makes sure it’s on a steady foundation. Every time Jupiter and Saturn meet up, they work together to advance our personal journeys and our collective experience on this planet.
The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn isn’t always visible, and the two planets haven’t gotten this close since 1226, in the Middle Ages. The conjunction will be exact on December 21, 2020 when Jupiter and Saturn will be 0.1 degrees apart, bringing them so close that they’ll appear as a double planet.
CBS reports that 2020’s Jupiter Saturn conjunction will be visible in the southwest sky of the Northern hemisphere just after sunset. They’ll remain in our sight for a short window and as the night goes on, they’ll descend over the horizon. The further north you are, the shorter the window. This is certainly a once in a lifetime spectacle for stargazers creating what some call a Christmas star. They’ll remain close over the holiday season, as Jupiter will slowly move on and surpass Saturn in early January of 2021.
How does the Jupiter Saturn Conjunction affect the collective?
From an astrological standpoint, this is quite an event and is referred to as The Great Mutation. For the last 200 years, this conjunction has solely occurred in earth signs such as Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The only exception was in 1980 when they met up in air sign Libra for a quick preview. This time around marks a huge societal shift, and the beginning of a new 200-year cycle where their conjunctions will occur in all air signs, beginning with the most advanced air sign of Aquarius.
When Jupiter and Saturn started their earth cycle in 1820, we saw a rise in imperialism, industry and capitalism. This led to greater consumption of the earth’s natural resources. With business booming, our society became fixated on climbing the social and economic ladder for personal gain. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as we saw the rise of the middle class and it allowed many people the opportunity to provide a better life for themselves and their families.
Jupiter and Saturn at daybreak. Photography by Mishal Ibrahim
On a global scale, we’ve experienced a number of wars and disputes over land and territories. But while all this was happening our world became physically connected, with the advancement of the travel industry. Furthermore, the Jupiter Saturn conjunction of 2020 has a great effect on one’s December horoscope.
The Great Mutation and the Age of Aquarius
For a better understanding of the air influence, we can look to the themes that The Great Conjunction in Libra brought about from 1980-2000. In this 20-year period, the internet became a public domain and we saw advances in technology like cell phones, video games and computers. As the internet grew and access to computers became the norm, the ability to acquire information was literally at our fingertips. These advancements led to quick communication and a means to escape everyday life in the virtual realm. Information, communication and entertainment are all air-based themes. In this time, we also saw the rise of the gay rights movement, as the LGBT community came together to seek acceptance and fight to reform social structures.
Where earth energy restricts and puts up boundaries, air energy is transparent and breaks them down. While earth is exclusive, air is inclusive. Earth is concerned with the tangible, material and the individual. Air is concerned with the intellectual, creative and the community. This paradigm shift is all a part of the natural advancement of humanity, as we move into the so-called Age of Aquarius. With this segway into air, we can expect advances in technology beyond our wildest dreams and the intelligence to reform outdated societal structures.
The Air Influence in 2020 and Beyond
In 2020 we have already seen the air influence, with the Black Lives Matter movement, people gathering to support their local communities in a time of need, and the ability to work or attend school from home, thanks to technology. Air will bring an open-mind mentality to humanity as a whole. This will place greater importance on the exchange of ideas, intellect, discussions and community, possibly on a global scale. Air wants us to work together and create a better world for all its inhabitants over the next 200 years.
About the Author/s
A writer and astrologer, sustained by iced coffee, sunsets and decorating her home. For more on her services and where her insights can be found, visit cosmickait.com.
1 comment
Wow so informative thanks!