Dear Friend and Reader:
Jupiter wraps up the past year in its home sign Sagittarius tomorrow, Dec. 2, entering Capricorn at 1:20 pm EST (10:20 am PST / 18:20:03 UTC). Capricorn is the home sign of Saturn (and Saturn is there, moving into its big conjunction with Pluto, in January). Jupiter moving through Capricorn merges a planet and a sign with quite opposite tendencies.
Think of this as a little like mixing oil and water. Jupiter and Sagittarius relate to such things as expansion, vision, spiritual concepts, wisdom and optimism. Saturn and Capricorn relate to themes like structure, containment, discipline, practical application and conservatism (even pessimism).
Yet like emulsifying a salad dressing, there are ways to find some balance and interplay between the two rather than just having one sit on top of the other. You can use the qualities of one to enhance, focus or flesh out the other.
Such is a rather more modern take on the dynamics of this situation. Jupiter is said to be “in Fall” in Capricorn — the term for when a planet occupies the sign opposite that of its “Exaltation” (which is different from the sign a planet rules).
According to The Arkana Dictionary of Astrology by Fred Gettings, “In the ancient astrological system, a synonym for the term [Fall] was ‘prison’, the idea being that a planet’s influence was imprisoned in the sign opposite to its Exaltation.”
Things are not necessarily so strict as that implies, however, even in Saturn’s domain. Jupiter has just exercised considerable expansiveness in Sagittarius this past year, especially while in aspect to that other diffuse and permeable influence, Neptune in Pisces. We can think of that energy as infusing and buoying Capricorn.
Here’s what some notable astrologers have to say about Jupiter in Capricorn (in terms of natal chart placement):
Isabel Hickey writes in Astrology: A Cosmic Science, “Jupiter’s expansiveness is often held down by Saturn’s cautiousness. Necessary to learn giving-outness for there is a tendency to be miserly with the expression of loving feelings, as well as with money and material possessions.”
As negative as that might sound, note that Hickey spells out the way through the situation: the generosity and warmth needed to balance Saturn’s cautiousness can be learned. It’s possible to become aware of the need to shift perspective to one of abundance and openness. Giving and offering and sharing are not simply actions some people perform innately. They are habits you can practice and cultivate.
Julia and Derek Parker offer another perspective in their Parkers’ Encyclopedia of Astrology: “Rather soberly placed in Capricorn, Jupiter will assist with the achievement of [the native’s] objectives, and often denotes considerable ambition. It will also contribute an off-beat sense of humour and fun to a generally rather serious outlook on life.”
They add that, “the ability and desire to look at every aspect of a situation and carefully calculate every move in advance will be an enormous asset,” and further note that the optimism of Jupiter and the pessimism of Capricorn both have their positive uses — which can be balanced and used to great advantage.
Ideally, you can blend the best of these two opposite forces. For example, by using your sense of humor to see the absurdity in serious, troubling or restrictive situations. You can make a conscious practice of expressing generosity and warmth as you harness your ambition to move ahead in your life. Doing so is a tool for keeping your aspirations from morphing into avarice, without denying your goals.
Debbi Kempton-Smith takes her characteristically no-holds-barred, tongue-in-cheek approach to natal Jupiter in Capricorn in Secrets from a Stargazer’s Notebook: “You know how to connect with the right people, talk them into deals, and make them like your weirdness. No one glides through the Old Boy Network better than you do. Politics, in the world or in the office, intrigues you.”
Yet Kempton-Smith also describes the dynamic of liberally giving and receiving favors, writing, “You believe that bread cast upon the waters comes back to you tenfold.” She’s slyly referring to Jupiter’s association with religion (and excess) by paraphrasing a Biblical quote, and combining it with a magnified version of the Pagan Three-fold Law, which describes the tripled return of the energy we put out into the world.
You can think Jupiter as the spiritual concept, the knowledge and the wisdom, and Capricorn as its practical application. Or imagine a person of actual faith and justness entering a codified institution that purports to be about such things, but which is mainly concerned with enforcing old rules. In Thursday’s issue, Eric illustrated this with the image of “God goes to church,” and also “the chief justice (a Sagittarius thing) visiting the capitol (a Capricorn thing)” (which is about to happen).
Circling back to politics for a moment, Eric quipped in an email exchange about Jupiter’s move to Cap, “Political season has officially begun. So you’re sick of politics? There’s about to be a lot more.”
How will you need to grow, and where will you need to reinforce boundaries, to navigate and engage with that environment without completely fleeing it?
Note also that the Sun and asteroid Pallas are exactly conjunct in Sagittarius when Jupiter makes its ingress Monday. This looks like the ability to tap into and express a broad-view strategy, or political idealism.
You can be optimistic, if you personally take action toward making the right thing happen, and have a sense of humor. This is the practical application (Saturn/Cap) of vision and faith (Jupiter/Sag). “The right thing” does not happen by magic, or by magical thinking; it is a choice, backed by action.
You have the power to make that choice every day. Indeed, it will likely take many of us making that choice ongoing — as one of my colleagues suggested, with humility, faith, and a measure of frugality. In that way we may just bring through the most constructive possible merging of Jupiter and Capricorn.
Yours & truly,
Daily Birthday Readings from Planet Waves
Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019 (The Day of Mirthful License)
Follow through on opportunities that came your way over the past year, and focus on bringing projects you’ve begun to completion. It’s up to you to capitalize on what has been a major cycle of expansion, and your efforts now lay the groundwork for tangible rewards. Financial security is the foundation for greater freedom.
Monday, Dec. 2, 2019 (The Day of Larger-Than-Life)
Values, strategy and security; these over-arching themes in your birthday chart hint at big changes and opportunity on the horizon. Your first order of business is getting very clear about what you wish to grow, and what support systems you’ve actually outgrown. With disciplined effort and shrewd self-assessment, you’re well positioned to draw toward you the resources to support who you’ve become.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019 (The Day of Ingenuity)
The passionate drive necessary to build greater financial security is yours to harness this year. To access it successfully, pay attention to what your inner-being tells you. Intuitive prompts will be fueled by desire that you need to acknowledge, so tune in. Trust your gut, but also use your head. A methodical, process-oriented approach to resource management is your winning ticket.
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019 (The Day of Fortitude)
Honor your emotional sensitivity this year, and respect urges for privacy or introspection. Yes, there’s a lot on your plate, and business to take care of; action directed toward financial security will help you create the personal sanctuary needed to feed your spiritual well. Processing issues from the past or from your family, and tending your living space, are important to your evolutionary path.
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 (The Day of Confidence)
Opportunities to generate essential, material support in the coming year are indicated by Jupiter joining the planetary crowd in your zone of resources and security. Understand these will come wearing work clothes. Focus your efforts and practice delaying gratification. You’re playing the long game, here. Discipline is your key to creative satisfaction and joy.
Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 (The Day of Extraction)
Steps you take to enhance financial security have the potential to generate results beyond what you’d imagine, and this is the year to direct efforts to do so. Avoid risking precious resources, or splurging on unnecessary expenses. Have fun, just don’t be reckless. Foster creative relationships through self-knowledge, i.e. honesty about your own emotional history. Value yourself and others will follow.
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 (The Day of Idiosyncrasy)
You’re starting this new birthday year more profoundly aware of who you are, where you’ve been, and what past imprints must transform to get where you want to go. Old images of nurturance or support no longer suffice, and you know in your bones that self-worth is an inside job. A grounded, one-step-at-a-time approach to consolidating foundational security is your path of mastery.
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019 (The Day of Abandon)
Draw upon the wellspring of inspiration bubbling up from your psychic depths to help dispel confusion or uncertainty. You’re on the verge of a conscious breakthrough, and clarity will emerge soon enough. Creative work of some kind looks promising, in terms of your quest for greater financial security, just don’t waste time chasing rainbows. Your open heart works best with open eyes.
— By Victoria Emory
Monday Morning Horoscope #205 for Dec. 2, 2019 | By Amy Elliott
Aries (March 20-April 19) — Jupiter enters Capricorn this Monday, joining Venus, Saturn, Pluto and a bunch of other points, and adding its considerable stature to an already massive gathering. For you, this mostly describes a shift in gear toward a more active way of being. This will be especially true in terms of the values you hold. What’s the use of principles if you can’t live by them, act on them, or work with them to create positive change in your environment? In addition, it helps to check your ideas for consistency, by following them through to their logical conclusion and noting the other issues on which they touch. If needs be, examine all of your theories and be prepared to overhaul everything that isn’t fit for purpose.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your 9th house is the zone of philosophy, higher learning and aspirations, among other things, and the planet of expansion is about to arrive there. Consider this an invitation to open your mind, perhaps further than it has been for a long time. You’ll be encountering new and exciting ideas, which is especially interesting with Uranus in your sign. If you want to enjoy this moment to the fullest, stoke your curiosity by every means available. Get off the well-trodden path, which in this era generally consists of social media and banal TV, and find interesting and novel ways to exercise your little gray cells. Creative works count, especially those with a well-defined purpose — as do new friendships and explorations of intimacy.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — The increasing number of bodies in Capricorn, your 8th house, is pointing the way to some deep-level emotional healing. In part, this is becoming available to you through personal relationships, specifically intimate ones. That doesn’t necessarily mean marriage or serious commitments — though this house is associated with them. It could refer to close friendships, or any meaningful connection in which you thrive. Regardless of specifics, it’s important that you use these interactions to understand yourself better, and not as a way of losing yourself and your uniqueness. The recent work you’ve done around this alone has given you a sense of who you are, which is invaluable and well worth preserving.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — On Monday, Jupiter (which is exalted in Cancer, and therefore a personal planet for you) enters your opposite sign. Your chart describes this as a revelatory moment, in which the threads of the past year integrate and form a pattern. Lately, events in your life have amounted to a journey through unfamiliar and sometimes rather dark places. Jupiter is about to turn on a powerful flashlight, which will help answer some of the questions you’ve formed in recent months. Look for illumination in particular from other people’s actions, and from your general environment. You’ll benefit from some patience; the explanations are unlikely to show up all at once. Yet each new piece of information will open up more layers to your scrutiny.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — An increasing focus on your zone of daily work and routines reflects the ever more busy period that to an extent we’re all experiencing. Jupiter is encouraging you to consider the big picture, which means strategy and organization. Step back from the fray regularly and check over your plans, to make sure you’ve not overlooked anything, and that you’ve accorded yourself enough space in the schedule to relax and have breaks. Likewise, avoid taking on anything new until you’re sure you can safely accommodate it. Finally, it’ll almost certainly help if you keep your larger goals in mind, in terms of both prioritizing those tasks that forward them, and also remembering why you’re doing all this in the first place.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Part of what makes creative work interesting is its quality of thinking outside the box — or perhaps dispensing with the box altogether, or traveling to a parallel universe in which the concept “box” doesn’t apply. Your artistic or inventive gifts, in whatever shape they come, will blossom most effectively if you allow yourself to relax the rules. Better still to have no rules at all, except for variations on ‘do no harm’. You’ll need to work actively to embrace the feeling of freedom, which includes opening yourself to the inspiring messages of the universe. These appear often in synchronicity, and in small gifts such as the beauty of a flower or the shapes of clouds in the sky. Listen, absorb and breathe deeply.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Current aspects are drawing you inward more than usual, resulting in your attention being necessarily centered in quieter pursuits and also turned to various longstanding matters. As you’re doing this, keep an eye on the temptation to feel frustrated or stuck. Once you see past that, you’ll realize this time of reflection and introspection has a purpose, which is helping you recognize the gifts of your character and the strength you’ve gained through past trials. This is a phase you’ll need to pass through for a while, before your focus can return more completely to forward motion. Follow your instincts, physical and emotional, and allow yourself to slow the pace of events and changes. It’ll pick up again when you’re ready.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your ruler Mars is back in your sign, which suggests a sense of being on more solid and familiar ground, and coming home to yourself. That said, Mars can also manifest as an agitating influence, especially if you have unresolved material to work through. Take extra care with your communications. We’ve all said things in a fit of temper that we’ve regretted, and it’s possible to make amends if sincere in that regret. What’s less easy to recover from is deception — not simply outright lies, but also deliberate skewing of the truth, however small. This sort of action erodes trust; you would be well advised to avoid any temptation to resort to it. Instead, cultivate your honesty and sense of justice as a personal ethic.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Jupiter’s Dec. 2 sign change heralds an opportunity for you to engage with your most profound sense of self in a wholly new way. The structure and groundedness of Capricorn can help you use your divine spark to ignite a flame, and keep it burning. In other words, it’s a base from which you can stoke your passions and direct them into productive works. If you’re in need of a purpose or calling, this will help you find one. If you’re already on to something, this moment could help you refine your methods, expand your goals or broaden your reach. This is likely to transform the way you see yourself, especially in terms of understanding your capabilities. Look for where you may have underestimated your potential.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The Solar System’s biggest planet is about to join the already well-attended party in your sign. While it’s already pretty crowded and the intensity is increasing, note that both of the traditionally benefic objects, Venus and Jupiter, will now be present. This implies a more positive environment in general. For you in particular, it’s likely to present some clear signals as to how you could channel the impending Saturn-Pluto conjunction energy. By now you’re already aware of the general direction in which you need to be heading, thanks to the amplified voice of your higher self, which has been gaining in strength. What the next six weeks or so represent is the crystallization of that knowledge into a solid plan.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Let go now of any conception you have that you need to be perfect or faultless, or that you need obstacles removed before you can get anything done. All this does is hold you back, and prevent you from understanding yourself clearly. The pressure in your 12th house is building, though Jupiter’s presence will help you shine a spotlight on certain elements you’ve been hiding from yourself. It’s important that you accept all your feelings — and all your gifts — without judging them or trying to suppress who you are. What you’re experiencing now, and are about to experience, will only be as positive and life-changing as you’ll allow it to be. Which essentially means that if you want to, you can heal and grow from the inside out.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — With your ruler Jupiter’s imminent move into your 11th house comes a change in how you view your aims for the future. One result of Jupiter’s recent long square with Neptune has been an abundance of castles in the air, some of which will now be shown to have structural flaws. Consider re-examining your approach to a specific idea or plan you’ve clung to during the past year, which potentially places heavy emphasis on the importance of one component. Whether or not you’ll need to do some significant rebuilding, or just apply extra paint and a bit of sanding, depends on a number of factors. A few thorough and methodical accuracy checks, however, would certainly come in useful.