Jupiter Luck, Full Moon Choices and the End of Pretend
The Astrology Blog 19 November 2018
All times given are stated in GMT
Allow more time
It’s another busy week coming up with Sagittarius as the dominant sign and Mr Big Jupiter as the dominant planet.
Just before we look at the specific patterns, bear in mind that the current backdrop is not just Jupiter travelling through his own sign. There is also Mercury, who turned retrograde at 13 degrees Sagittarius in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Mercury, always retrograde for 3 weeks at a time (3 times a year) will slide back into the late degrees of Scorpio on 1 December and turn direct there on 6 December. So until then he’s in mischief mode.
Allow more time
I’ll post the usual checklist at the end of the blog but if I had to single out the top guideline for this next 3 weeks it would be to allow more time for everything.
I’m a culprit for leaving things to the last minute and taking things to the wire – maybe that’s a Sag thing – so I’ll definitely be doing my best to follow my own advice.
Sagittarius is associated with speed. As the Centaur, this sign and Jupiter between them, rule the equine world – and Sagittarians tend to do everything at a gallop.
This isn’t normally a big issue but retrograde Mercury is flagging up the need to do the opposite. No galloping.
The first news I received on Saturday, when Mercury had turned, was not great. Two car accidents, both involving people I know. One wrote off her car and the other one wrote off two lamp posts. Fortunately apart from being shaken up they were both okay. But it’s olive season here, and so the olives that are not caught in nets and taken to the olive press are basically scattered around all of the roads.
Everyone’s picking them up in their tyres, so the roads are smeared. Throw in the fact that our glorious Indian summer came to an abrupt end and it’s now raining, so the need for caution and slowing down is self evident.
Mars square Jupiter
The first aspect of the week underlines the general easing back message:
Tuesday 20 November
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Mars 2 Pisces square Jupiter 2 Sag 01.32
Mars the action planet and the god of war in the sign of mutable (spreading) water in square (conflict) with the galloping planet says it all!
Slow down
This applies especially to any touchy dealings as well.
Pisces is super sensitive and is Jupiter’s other (feminine) sign, so this combination has an over-the-top quality about it.
Jupiter’s main principle is expansion – in other words, whatever he touches gets bigger – and this square signals the risk of things getting angry, combative, painful and totally out of proportion.
It’s all potentially uncontainable.
There are times, of course, when feelings have to spill out, but nobody wants to feel emotionally battered – so think in terms of damage control and be very clear about your own boundaries.
For example, we can avoid doing anything on impulse and we can do our best to stick to the facts.
A soaring imagination and creative talents belong to Pisces – but the flipside is delusion, disappointment, feelings and fears that grow arms and legs in the middle of the night – or floods of tears.
Keep it real, keep your feet on the floor and your head out of the clouds. If you’re drowning your sorrows try not to lose the brake pedal, especially tonight or you’ll feel like **** tomorrow.
Neptune turns direct
These messages are in turn underlined by Neptune, co-ruler of Pisces, who is now stationary, ie “stuck” at 13 degrees 42 minutes of Pisces, as he gets ready to turn direct at the weekend:
Sunday 25 November
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Neptune stationary direct 13.42 Pisces 01.10
The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron) all have long cycles so when they turn retrograde they stay retrograde for a long time. Neptune has been retrograde since June, and in that five month period has backtracked only 3 degrees.
So when the outer planets switch direction – to go either retrograde or direct – they take ages to do that too.
Between now and the end of the year, Neptune will travel only a quarter of a degree. So it’s a long tortuous journey but the turning points are worth noting, especially if you have planets or angles between 13-14 degrees of the Mutables (Pisces – and also Gemini, Virgo and Sag).
The End of Pretend
Generally any planet turning direct is good news and Neptune turning around in his own sign of Pisces is setting his sails for a new journey rather than floundering in unchartered waters.
Again this is great for checking in with how you really feel about something – or someone – and for getting to the truth with regard to any murky, troubling or emotionally draining situation.
It can be the turning point for any unhealthy stuff connected to guilt, fantasy or falsity.
It’s the end of anything that keeps us in a victim role ie anything that smacks of “poor me” or “it’s not my fault” or “it’s happening TO me” and so on.
Listen to your own language because words reveal attitude – they can weaken or empower.
Listen to other people’s choice of language, especially the person who’s really good at making you feel bad. How do they DO that? It’s all in the words and in the body language. Recognize that you can sympathise but that you don’t have to climb into the hole with them.
Neptune is hugely connected to fusion – such as empathy or falling in love – but how we protect our separateness in the process is now a crucial component to happiness.
The best of Neptune’s re-launch is the end of pretend. It’s the start of new dreams that, with a major rethink and reality check, can become real. Otherwise it’s like pouring water into a leaky bucket and wondering why it’s never full.
New resolutions carry a lot of weight right now, but note that the Mercury – Mars square that’s taking shape over the coming weekend may well run a repeat on the issues connected to the Mars – Jupiter square at the beginning of the week.
Otherwise the mood is optimistic and future orientated rather than about feeling stuck in the past, as the Sun leaves emotionally demanding, all or nothing Scorpio and enters the positive fire sign of Sagittarius, and with a fanfare.
Full Moon
With the Moon immediately lining up opposite the Sun we then have the Full Moon. And, as the Sun moves 1 degree a day, we then have a glorious Sun – Jupiter conjunction (included in this week’s blog as it’s exact in the early hours of next Monday).
Here’s the sequence:
Thursday 22 November
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Sun ingress Sagittarius 09.03
Friday 23 November
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Full Moon 1 Gemini 05.40
Monday 26 November
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Sun conjunct Jupiter 4 Sagittarius 06.34
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Mercury 6 Sagittarius square Mars 6 Pisces 08.07
Full Moons are always slightly nutty times – they don’t call it lunacy (lunar) for nothing. And as I’ve commented before it’s a fact that A & E departments and police stations are notably busier at these times. As someone who worked in the police force once told me, Full Moons were always synonymous in his department with “get ready for the domestics”.
This week with those squares to Mars the atmosphere is definitely already touchy and Full Moons sensitize.
With this full moon being in Gemini, sign of the Twins, look out for themes of duality – such as important choices, how we can’t be in two places at the same time, or affairs and the other woman (the Moon rules women).
Full Moons illuminate – so take special note of whatever comes to light for you – and especially in connection to the other Gemini themes of communication and multitasking.
Jupiter Luck
The most important aspect of the week and in fact the whole month (even the year for some) is the Sun – Jupiter union.
This aspect happens only once a year as Jupiter takes a year to travel through each sign, and the Sun travels through all 12 signs once a year, so they catch up with each other every 13 months. So the last one was 26 October 2017 at 4 Scorpio and the next one will be 27 Dec 2019 at 5 Capricorn.
This conjunction is especially powerful as Jupiter is now in “dignity” – in his own sign of Sagittarius – and the blazing Sun is happy in any of the fire signs.
It’s a shame that we’ve got retrograde Mercury messing around in the background and being a total nuisance, but nothing can detract from the pleasure of good news or lucky breaks, even if they do come with unwelcome conditions or delays.
In other words, don’t expect instant gratification – but be happy in the knowledge that Jupiter just loves sowing seeds. A little patience will go a long way and be worth the wait. Take special note of unfolding events this coming weekend as they’re packed with potential.
In particular look out for the major Jupiter themes, primarily if you have planets in the first decanate (first ten degrees) of Sag, but also the other fire signs (Aries, Leo) or the opposite sign of Gemini.
Jupiter Rules
Jupiter is the Greater Benefic, he’s good for us, and his nature is benevolent, optimistic, encouraging, extrovert and generous, and he rules:
- Good fortune
- Freedom and liberation
- Long distance travel
- Anything and anyone connected to overseas
- Publishing
- The law and all legal concerns
- The truth and all matters of justice
- Education
- Philosophy and the Higher Mind
Mercury retrograde reminder
To end, here’s the reminder of things to look out for between now and 6 December while Mercury is retrograde. In keeping with the other themes of the week I’ve added two new ideas at the top of the list:
- Write the letter you can’t send or you’ll never send – whether it’s to someone you’ve lost or to someone you want to strangle. It’s great therapy!
- Stop trying to fix others – just focus on yourself
- Guard against trying to construct situations or distress yourself with regard to anything beyond your control. Forcing any kind of round pegs into square holes won’t be worth the effort and could cost you dearly
- Try to operate by “re” words – review, revise, research, reappraise, rethink, repair, redress the balance and so on. Also remember rest and relaxation, give the brain some time off and try not to put yourself under unnecessary pressure
- Buy yourself time wherever needed – Keep options open
- When in doubt, check it out – second hand opinions are a dead cert for getting hold of the wrong end of the stick – and don’t believe everything you hear
- Write things down and double check everything – forgetfulness, being distracted, inattention etc can be a troublesome theme
- Back up all your computer work
- Don’t delete any documents – you may need them at a later date
- Getting back to ideas on the back burner
- Getting back in touch with those who’ve been neglected or important to you in the past – let them know how much they matter
- Keep a close watch on all belongings – especially keys or anything linked to communication such as phones, laptops, tablets, cameras etc and don’t even think about buying new ones for the time being
- The same for cars – never buy any mode of transport under a retro Mercury
- Plan any journey with extra care, don’t trust to luck and don’t travel unless you have to
- Kill your speed when driving – allow extra time for getting there slowly but safely
- Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines
- Assume nothing. No matter how certain a situation might seem there is a good chance that it will morph into something else over the next couple of weeks – the “x” factor is at work …
- And finally reserve the right to change your mind, and keep an open mind. As you start to see something from a different angle you may then also start to question the truth, reality or logistics involved
Until next week,
With love from Greece
Joanna