Jupiter Opposite Saturn: “Growing Inside the Flower Pot”

From May 2010 through March 2011, the outer planets Jupiter and Saturn are forming an opposition (180°) with one another for the first time since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. This pits the planet representing form, structure, rules, resistance, and fear (Saturn) at odds with the planet representing freedom, growth, exaggeration, fortune, and confidence (Jupiter).

Just like with the Moon’s phases, the other planetary bodies go through their own phases relative to the Earth. Like a New Moon, the start of any coupled planetary cycle begins with their conjunction (same location in the sky). As the faster planet moves away from the slower planet, eventually it comes to a 90° angle (waxing square) to it, followed by the 180° opposition (like a Full Moon), the second 90° angle (waning square), and then the cycle finishes when a new cycle between the planets is born at the next conjunction. See below for the basic outline of the process including the associated energy of each of these important climax points in the planetary cycles:

Conjunction (0°) – Birth and creation.
Waxing Square (90°) – Tension due to growth.
Oppostion (180°) – Culmination and results.
Waning Square (270°) – Tension due to decay.

The Jupiter/Saturn cycle takes approximately 20 years to complete and represents a social and financial cycle as the resistant energies of Saturn seemingly oppose the freedom-seeking growth energy of Jupiter. This cycle represents things like finances, social order, and laws for example. Usually, at the start of these cycles, regulatory decisions (especially financial) tend to be hatched and these decisions and values are reflected in how money is invested and distributed during these times.

As time moves on, there is usually some tension related to those decisions that come up for review around 5 years later when Jupiter and Saturn make their first (waxing) square to each other. Then another 5 years goes by and Jupiter makes an opposition to Saturn. Just like our current period, this is the time where the culmination or results of those ideas and of the decision making that started at the conjunction bear their fruit. Then the second (waning) square represents a time of decay and last minute decisions related to the same energies birthed at the start of the cycle.

**********************************************************

Jupiter/Saturn Cycle (May 2000 – December 2020)

Jupiter conjunct Saturn (May 2000)

The conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn is often referred to as a ‘Grand Conjunction’ and the most recent one ushered in the present US economic situation which included the bursting of the dot.com bubble in the spring of 2000 as the NASDAQ crashed. Unsustainable real-estate speculation also started around this time with the obvious consequences easily seen in the present time.

Jupiter waxing square to Saturn (December 2005 - October 2006)

This period represented the peak of the real-estate market which had been growing rapidly since the beginning of the decade. But it was only growing rapidly due to unsustainable banking decisions which put people in situations where they were destined to foreclose. The waxing square marked the period when the growth (Jupiter) of the market was strained by the reality (Saturn) of the situation.

*Jupiter opposite Saturn (May 2010 - March 2011)*

What are we in for here? This period marks the culmination of these poor real-estate decisions. If you thought the worst of the foreclosures and the dropping prices of homes were over, think again. Watch for the foreclosure problem to break into the commercial real-estate market which will lead to a re-structuring of how business is done due to the lack of office space and traditional structures. Fortunately the internet era will offer more technological options to help businesses grow but in a new way.

Jupiter waning square to Saturn (August 2015 - June 2016)

Perhaps regulations are put into places that ensure unsustainable schemes for real-estate cannot be developed. Or this could represent a time when people change the way they live and work (i.e. more communal and telecommuting situations) in response to the inability to own a home or a business in the traditional sense.

**********************************************************

The themes for the most recent previous Jupiter/Saturn cycle (1980’s and 1990’s) on a world-wide scale appear to have involved a heavy emphasis on a changing of the guard in terms of social orders. During the Jupiter/Saturn opposition (culmination phase) of that cycle from September 1989 through May 1991, we saw both the fall of the Berlin Wall as well as the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This culmination phase certainly bared some fruit.

Regardless of what actually occurs during this current time period, the Jupiter/Saturn opposition of which we are currently in the midst is about the battle or tension between growth (Jupiter) and reality (Saturn). In the US, this ‘coming to terms with the reality of growth’ period is likely to reveal the true consequences of unsustainable real-estate growth schemes established a decade ago. Watch the time periods within a week or two of the following dates for indicators of these kinds of revelations.

Jupiter/Saturn EXACT oppositions for the current phase

May 23, 2010
August 16, 2010
March 28, 2011

Advice

When Jupiter and Saturn oppose one another it is time for assessing how and where we are trying to grow (Jupiter) while recognizing the realities (Saturn) of that growth. This is true personally in our own lives as well as on a larger scale. Realty is abundantly clear during these times and the level of tension due to the growth we are trying to attain is directly related to how willing we are to look reality in the face and adjust our growth accordingly. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' side in this case. There is just a beneficial approach or a harmful approach to growth at this time.

The beneficial way to approach this time period is to redirect growth relative to the newly revealed boundaries. But if we continue to expand in certain ways without regard to reality then we will experience a harsh resistance.

Remember that the ultimate intention of this time period is embracing much needed boundaries to create growth (Jupiter) that better reflect these new realities (Saturn). Laying our frustration with restrictions to rest is the first step in the process.

How might this be reflected in someone’s personal life?

From May 2010 through March 2011 expect to feel this battle between growth and resistance in your own life as well. Where this finds its way into your life depends on what part of your natal birth chart that this opposition falls.

In my own chart, Jupiter is traveling through my 7th house of relationships, partners, and clients while opposing Saturn in my 1st house of self-definition, personality, and sovereignty. I have recently done a lot of personal work on defining my own space both professionally and personally by establishing my own independent contracting business (actually more than one) while I have worked to consciously remove codependents from my personal life as well.

On a business level, I expect to encounter a growth in clientele that will require me to more firmly establish my own boundaries of operation so that I can handle the volume of work. On a personal level, I have been single for some time now as I have been developing a better sense of boundaries. I can see this time period bringing the growth of a new serious relationship that will challenge my recent self-development as I try to maintain the growth of a relationship while keeping my boundaries defined so that I am not drained in the way that I have been with past relationships.


And so it is…



Are you interested in where this opposition between Jupiter and Saturn will fall in your natal birth chart and what it may mean for you?

If so, contact me through my website (www.myastrochris.com) and we can set up a consultation.

Also, if you enjoyed the content of this type of article, please check back as I will be posting articles soon related to other planetary cycles which are at major turning points over the next few years as well. Stay tuned!