Jupiter in Taurus meets Mars & Pluto

Jupiter has today (May 17) moved into the earthy sign of the bull.

Its ongoing square with Pluto in Aquarius intensifies an already intense transiting aspect. This fixed sign Square between Taurus and Aquarius symbolises the friction between the Taurean sensual urge for security and the airy detachment of Aquarius. This aspect can turn into power struggles, with neither party willing to let go of firmly held beliefs. Worked with, this aspect offers enormous drive and the willpower to achieve great things, most especially if this transit makes aspects to the planets and angles of your birth chart.

Mathematically, it’s a fairly fleeting transit - Jupiter makes only one exact Square to Pluto (on May 18) - but as we know, transits are processes not one-off events. If you’re feeling this transit, consider your relationship to power, both for the good and the shadow side of power. Do you try to control others or yourself? Do you give your power away? Reflect upon your feelings about money and wealth, because in this world, money and power are often interchangeable.

Jupiter is Conjunct the North Node as it enters Taurus, so take notice of what opportunities you are attracting into your life, and also where you might need to have a good ol’ Pluto purge. Secrets revealed or buried is another potential theme of this potent planetary mix. It’s also is a good transit for practical inventiveness and environmentalism.

Be aware that Mars in Cancer is also a part of this mix, forming a T-Square with Jupiter and Pluto. Mars in Cancer is a defensive, protective energy, which might get in the way of putting that willpower and drive into action. The fear of emotional vulnerability can be a blocker, but when Mars moves into Leo on May 21, confidence can grow, along with the desire to be seen and recognised,

In my meditation this morning I had a moment of Jupiterian optimism. Tuning into the birdsong in my environment, I had a sense of the freedom of the birds (Aquarius loves freedom and is also associated with flight and birds). I then received the message that when more of us humans reclaim our own freedom (from fear, from our mental beliefs and constructs, from the idea that wealth only refers to money) and learn to better respect the wealth and abundance in nature, the birds (which have been in decline) will come back. Food for thought.

With love, as always,

Mandi 

Jupiter is the planet of faith, expansion, growth and opportunity. Want to know more about what Jupiter and the other planets have in store for you personally? Consider booking a private consultation with Mandi. 

How did we get here from there? The Jupiter Saturn Cycle

Happening tomorrow (31st July)!

Mandi Lockley is discussing the relationship between the Jupiter-Saturn cycle, the rise of globalism and extraordinary breakthroughs in human development and I ask How Did We Get Here From There?

It's a timely topic, as we started a new 20 year cycle at the end of last year during a period of turmoil and change. This new cycle also heralds over 200 years of Jupiter-Saturn Conjunctions in the Air signs.

The written word, the Enlightenment, industrial revolution, tech revolution, climate change and global pandemic, are all examined through the lens of the Saturn-Jupiter mutation cycle.

Join us on Saturday 31st July, 5pm UK time (convert to your local time here)

Suitable for all levels

http://www.academyofastrology.co.uk/how-did-we-get-here.../

How Did We Get Here from There? The Jupiter Saturn Cycle & the Rise of Globalism

I'm very excited for my upcoming talk for the Academy of Astrology UK on 31st July. Here are the details:

How Did We Get Here from There? The Jupiter Saturn Cycle & the Rise of Globalism

The Conjunctions of the Jupiter and Saturn cycle, as they move through the four elements, are a reliable witness to how ideas and potentials become reality and the backdrop for humanity's most important developments.

Our journey begins thousands of years ago in ancient Sumer, when the seeds of our modern global connectedness were sown. Tracking the Jupiter Saturn Conjunctions through the elements, we will seek to answer the question: how did we get here from there?  

Along the way, we’ll look at how history has been transformed by developments in how we communicate and spread information. We’ll also consider how the speed of global change has dramatically increased over the last 40 years as the Conjunctions transitioned from the Earth signs to the Air signs. And we look at how the 2020 Aquarius Conjunction found the world battling an airborne virus and wondering: what is the new normal? 

Here's the booking link:

 http://www.academyofastrology.co.uk/how-did-we-get-here-from-there-the-jupiter-saturn-great-mutation-cycle/

It's part of the Academy of Astrology's Mundane Series of Lectures and it's a fabulous opportunity to hear some of the world's top astrologers discuss world astrology, the big outer planet cycles and much, much more...

https://www.academyofastrology.co.uk/mundane-astrology-series/

While we're here... here's the AOAUK's latest podcast where we have a very lively conversation, with loads of examples, about the current Venus-Mars Conjunction, triggering the ongoing Saturn-Uranus Square ... enjoy!

With love,

Mandi xxx

Empathy in the Birth Chart, Part 2

 In Part 1, we defined empathy and saw how, when we are in defensive mode, empathy is not always possible. Concluding that empathy itself can’t be seen in the birth chart, we discussed, with an illuminating case study, how our chart aspects suggest where our empathy-blocking defences can kick in. In Part 2, more signifiers for defence mechanisms in the birth chart…

Saturn aspects suggest defence mechanisms because Saturn tests, blocks and controls. It represents where we have fears and doubts and lack confidence. All of these are fuel for our defences.

With Venus-Saturn, for example, there might be defences against getting hurt in relationships, manifesting in a fear of letting others get too close. The Venus-Saturn person therefore might un-empathetically hurt and reject someone else before it can be done to them. (See Part 1 for a case study example of how a generational Mercury Square Saturn played out).

Lack of empathy can also come through some of the aspects we might think of as easier. Jupiter types, for example, who are confident, upbeat and optimistic, can sometimes lack tolerance and empathy for those who are struggling with low self-esteem or who, for whatever reason, lack the faith, courage and self-belief to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Aspect patterns are also a good place to look for defences, especially T-Squares, which so often describe the nitty gritty issues in a person’s life. Grand Trines are also associated with defence mechanisms, because they represent where we hesitate to step out of our comfort zone.

If we think about the zodiac signs, Aries types might lack empathy for those who aren’t fast-paced go-getters; Taurus or Libra might disapprove of Aries' need to be numero uno and label them as aggressive or selfish, not understanding the Aries mission to go through life as a warrior. A Gemini type might be unfairly labelled as someone who can’t commit to one thing, with others not getting that Gemini is here to experience variety and needs to keep their options open. And so on, through the signs…

Back to those sensitive Water signs mentioned in Part 1 and why they might not always necessarily be empathetic. It’s because that emotional sensitivity, if it gets too much, can be defended against to protect the Water person from pain and suffering. I recently watched a Netflix show about teen fairies learning to harness their powers. One of them was an empath, who wore headphones constantly to protect herself from becoming overwhelmed by the feelings of others. Sensitive humans can also feel overwhelmed by their empathy at times and that’s when their psychological defences can kick in, which while offering protection, but can also block empathy.

The Cancerian retreating into their shell is a well known astrological symbolism. Cancerians need to feel safe and at home. They are drawn to people who help them to feel comfortable and once they find them, they seek to keep them close. Whether it’s their blood family or the ‘family’ they choose, Cancerians need to feel cushioned by their relationships. However, this can lead to clannish cliques and those who don’t make it into Cancer’s close circle might feel rejected. This is where a defence might make someone else feel the hurt that the defended person is trying to protect themselves from. The hurt doesn’t go away, it’s just passed on.

Scorpio of course has its famous defensive sting. Using that sting to point out others’ flaws, often with merciless honesty, is Scorpio’s way of protecting themselves from such searing scrutiny. Last of all, we have compassionate, empathetic Pisces; but feeling everyone’s emotions as if they are their own can make porous, sensitive Pisces retreat into victim mode. When Pisces feels that nobody’s problems are as bad as theirs, it’s hard for them to feel empathy. Conversely, Pisces, with a genuine desire to stop someone’s suffering, might go into full rescue mode, but if this is done with pity rather than real empathy, the support they offer can feel dis-empowering.

These examples show that while you can’t judge levels of natural empathy from a chart, you can see areas where empathy might potentially be blocked. Astrology can help with self-understanding and the recognition of where we fall into our defences. We all need defences of course, they are very useful, but by becoming more aware of them we can potentially see where they have become unhelpful and where we might be unwittingly hurting others or not recognising when they might need support and compassion and empathy.

Click here for Part 1 - Empathy in the Birth Chart?

Wondering about life post-pandemic?  A consultation can help you clarify what it might look like and better understand your opportunities, stumbling blocks and options.  Details here: Consultations and Other Services  

With love,

Mandi

 

Jupiter, Saturn & The Superego

 

The Jupiter Return

Is the Jupiter Return simply a jolly good time, or does it have a deeper meaning? 

Here we discuss the astrological transit we all look forward to. Rod shares a fascinating parallel between the Jupiter Return and the 12-year Chinese astrology cycle. We also get to the bottom of Jupiter in Scorpio and look forward to Jupiter in Sagittarius.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1A5rSGkbi8

Jupiter in Scorpio: everything looks big under a microscope

Jupiter goes into Scorpio today…here’s a short video introducing some of the major themes: 

Or click on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9539a2csbM

Also, check out Rod Chang's excellent new article on Jupiter in Scorpio, discussing the economic, cultural, political and social impact of this ingress against the background of the other current significant transits:

Jupiter will soon move into Scorpio on 10th October. This undoubtedly will unfold a year of Jupiter-in-Scorpio experience, in which our society, culture and politics will focus on Scorpion issues including crisis, fear, darkness, withering, death, transformation, reintegration of resources, reallocation of power, reorganization of affairs, and issues of safety, control and protection, etc. When considering what might come up in this upcoming year, we should never overlook those other planetary placements that happen within the same time-frame. From October 2017 onward, there will be various powerful planetary ingresses and patterns besides this Jupiter ingress – Saturn will enter Capricorn on 20^th December 2017, Chiron will move into Aries on 17 April 2018, and more importantly the ingress of Uranus into Taurus on 15^th May 2018. All these ingresses symbolise significant changes on economic, cultural, political and social development.

Before the discussion of Jupiter ingress into Scorpio, we must make sure that we understand one thing – the ingress of a single planet or a single aspect often only gives us part of the whole picture. We should take into consideration the placements and aspects of other planetary transits in order to have a clearer vision of the global situation before us. At the moment, we need to pay attention to these following transit aspects: Jupiter-Uranus opposition, Uranus-Neptune semisquare, and Saturn-Chiron square Carry on reading>

With love, Mandi

http://www.academyofastrology.co.uk

Jupiter in Leo - Internationalism & Iraq

Jupiter's in Leo from July 16th through August 11th 2015.

What's highlighted when the planet of growth, expansion, luck, hope, optimism and expanded horizons enters the proud, stubborn, loyal, generous, kingly sign of the lion?

Hype; exaggeration; melodrama; idealism; confidence; fixed viewpoints; spotlight on authority (especially after Saturn in Scorpio comes out of Retrograde on July 20th). It’s also great for creative expression and acts of immense generosity, so long as there's an appreciative audience.

Want some clues to how Jupiter in Leo might affect you? Look to the House Jupiter in Leo travels through in your chart (get your free chart at alabe.com) and any planets or angles it hits along the way. And think back to the last time Jupiter was in Leo - August 2002 through August 2003. What happened?

Jupiter in Leo is also about fixed ideas around wisdom and knowledge; religious faith (including fanaticism); morals and ethics; law and justice.

It also puts a spotlight on internationalism and globalism. See these themes reflected in events from Jupiter’s last transit through Leo:

·       Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country and Timor-Leste (East Timor) join the United Nations.

·       NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.

·       The enlargement of the European Union with the announcement that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members

·       The International Criminal Court held its inaugural session in The Hague.

Iraq will be a country to watch closely while Jupiter is in Leo.

Jupiter’s last transit through Leo (August 2002 through August 2003) marked the period of the Iraq disarmament crisis and the subsequent Iraq War. 

During this transit, Jupiter made three hits to Iraq's natal Uranus at 10 degrees Leo in the 1st House, between Sept 02 and May 03. In Mundane (the astrology of countries and leaders), the 1st House signifies the country and its people as a whole, its ego and national identity.

Additionally, Jupiter in Leo Squared Iraq's Neptune at 2 Scorpio in the 4th House in August 2002. The 4th represents the land a country occupies, its regular people (vs. its elite) and politically, the opposition to the ruling regime. 
 

Here's a timeline of events:

·         In August, a group of Iraqis opposed to the regime of Saddam Hussein took over the Iraqi Embassy in Berlin for five hours before releasing their hostages and surrendering.

·         In November, The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution, forcing Saddam Hussein to disarm or face "serious consequence." Iraq agreed to the terms and the UN sent in its weapons inspectors

·         In Feb 2003, an estimated eleven million people around the world took to the streets to protest against the looming war with Iraq, followed by the largest coordinated worldwide vigil in March as part of the global protests against an Iraq war (that internationalism theme again). British Cabinet Minister Robin Cook resigned from government over plans for the war with Iraq.

·         In March, Iraq was invaded by an American and British led coalition,  without United Nations support and in defiance of world opinion. Shortly afterwards, The Arab League voted 21-1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of U.S. and British soldiers from Iraq.

·         In April Baghdad, fell to U.S. forces.

·         In early May, President George W. Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.

·         In July, the US military attacked a compound in Iraq, killing Saddam Hussein's sons.

·         It was in December of 2003, with Jupiter moved into Virgo, that Bush announced the capture of Saddam Hussein.

This is all important because Jupiter in Leo is about to hit those same points in Iraq’s chart again and already Iraq is in the news.
 
The toppling of Saddam Hussain’s government in 2003 marked the start of years of violent conflict with different groups competing for power. This is now coming dramatically and violently to a head, with current events directly linked to those of the early 00's. This year has seen the ascendancy of Sunni rebels led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) with reports that thousands have fled amid reports of atrocities and Iran and the US have offered their assistance.

We can also expect new questions to be asked and new doubts raised over what happened back then, particularly around the UK's involvement. The 1801 UK chart has Jupiter in early Leo and Saturn later in Leo, so we are looking at a Jupiter return for the UK this month, but will possibly see the country's luck turn when Jupiter hits the UK's Saturn in around a year's time (it almost hits it at the end of this year before Jupiter turns backwards - so we will no doubt get a taster then). I wouldn't be surprised to see talk of British troops going back into Iraq before this year is out. Certainly there will be a new sense of purpose in the UK generally.

The US Sibley chart has the North Node (destiny/lessons/the mission/key relationships/significant meetings) at 6 Leo in the 8th House (financial relations with foreign countries). Jupiter will hit that point in August this year. Jupiter will also Conjunct Obama's Leo planets - Mercury and Sun in the 6th  (national services including the army and the navy) and the Uranus and North Node in the 7th (foreign affairs, relations with other countries, open enemies) and the DC in Leo. This is of course the first time Jupiter has crossed those planets and points since he has been in office, so these transits will be interesting to observe.

The 2014 transit timings for Iraq are as follows:
 
Jupiter in Leo, travelling through Iraq's 1st House squares Iraq’s 4th House Neptune in late July (as stated, the 4th represents the land a country occupies, its regular people and the opposition to the ruling regime) 
 
In September, Jupiter conjuncts the 1st House Uranus (which describes, along with Cancer rising and Mercury in the 1st, the country and its people as a whole, its ego and national identity).
 
Iraq is also taking a battering from the Uranus-Pluto squares, with Uranus currently hovering around the MC (upset of the status quo, rebellion, overthrow of the government etc).

The Iraq chart is below - click to enlarge

 

Of course, Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction were never found and it’s now widely accepted that the dossier on Iraq’s weapons capability - used as justification for the 2003 invasion - was at best ‘sexed up’, at worst a lie. Google Iraq September Dossier to read more. It’s of note that the dossier was published just after transiting Jupiter in Leo squared Iraq’s Neptune. As Jupiter in Leo prepares to square its Neptune again, it would be wise to be wary of what we’re told about the situation in Iraq.

Finally, a couple of other fascinating events from when Jupiter was last in Leo:

The Human Genome Project was completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.

In August 2003, the highest temperature ever was recorded in the UK - 38.5°C (101.3°F) in Kent, the first time the UK has recorded a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Astroair News

This is my first Astroair article in a while. Life has been busy. With two big book projects on the go (hopefully both will be published next year), it’s left me little time for blogging. However, I post regular updates on the Astroair Facebook page. Please like it. Here’s the link.

Saturn is now half way through its transit of Scorpio. To mark the occasion, my ebook Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through the Dark is now half price on Amazon. Go straight to your local Amazon site to purchase, or click here to find out more about what’s in the book 

You can also purchase a Pdf version of the book direct from this blog via paypal.

May your cosmic journey continue to be interesting and full of joy.

With love,
Mandi

Feeling good about Jupiter in Cancer

Ready for some good news at last?

Well, Jupiter moves signs this week, a yearly event which is always a cause for optimism.

After just over a year in Gemini, the planet of growth, hope and expansion, moves into watery, sensitive, moony Cancer.

The major themes of Jupiter in Cancer are explored below and where Jupiter touches something in our chart we are presented with an opportunity:

 ~ A chance for integration and self expression where Jupiter touches planets in Cancer by Conjunction

~ Easy creativity and emotional flow, if we're prepared to tap into it, when it Trines planets in Scorpio and Pisces

~ Opportunity knocks when it aspects planets in Taurus and Virgo by Sextile, but it's up to us to seize it when it comes

~ A chance to overcome challenges and breeze through obstacles a bit more easily when it Squares planets in Aries and Libra

~ An opportunity to reach out to others and improve relationships when it Opposes planets in Capricorn

Tips for your Jupiter transit:

~ You need to put a little effort into it, so if opportunity comes a-knocking, don't forget to answer the door. You've got to be in it to win it!

~ Don't court disappointment by expecting too much. Jupiter transits don't tend to be transformative, but they can make life a little easier and help set you on your way

~ Your Jupiter in Cancer transit may coincide with a transit from another planet, such as Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto or Chiron, particularly if your transited planet or point falls early in its sign...

~ ...If this is the case, Jupiter may expand and inflate the influence of that transit. It may add a sense of purpose and responsibility to a Saturn transit for example, intensify a Pluto transit, exaggerate/stimulate a Uranus transit or glamorise/discombobulate a Neptune transit

~ Cancer is cardinal sign. It calls for action. It's up to you to answer the call, but your patience could be tested if you don't see immediate or far reaching results.

Why Jupiter into Cancer is an important ingress:

First up, it's not in Gemini any more. In the tradition, Gemini is the sign of Jupiter's detriment so it wasn't very comfortable there. In Cancer it is much, much happier. It is exalted.

To exalt, according to the dictionary, is to extol - glorify - elevate - praise - raise - extol - honour. Jupiter just loves that! In essence, in this sign its influence is more positive.

Secondly, Jupiter in Cancer makes significant connections with other current planetary alignments. Here's an edited extract from my Saturn in Scorpio book, which places these alignments in the bigger picture:

Between October 2012 and July 2013, Saturn in Scorpio forms a Trine aspect with Neptune in compassionate Pisces. During the course of this Trine, the human effect of all the change and disruption we’ve been experiencing in the world will become more and more obvious and its victims harder to ignore. We will be made to understand the emotional effects that the long running financial crisis has reaped. For those sitting safe, it will be easy to sweep this under the carpet, but hopefully this Trine will inspire individuals and the collective to feel compassion for those who are suffering and take some responsibility for supporting them.

In June 2013, ethical Jupiter moves into Cancer and forms a Water Grand Trine with Saturn and Neptune. If we are being optimistic, throughout Saturn Trine Neptune, but especially while Jupiter is in the picture, we can predict peaceful resolutions, treaties, new understandings and a more compassionate idea of morality. This is an opportunity to show that we care and to do something practical about it. If we want to be cautious, we should be wary of those who merely pay lip service to compassionate actions and humanitarian causes, while surreptitiously pursuing their own agenda.

At the same time that Jupiter in Cancer forms a Grand Trine with Saturn and Neptune, it also opposes Pluto and Squares Uranus, forming a cardinal T-Square. This links the Grand Trine with the Uranus-Pluto Squares, giving the closed-circuit energy of the Grand Trine a channel for release. The hope here should be that the reactionary, rebellious nature of the Square will be injected with a loathing for violence and a longing for peace and harmony. This could turn into a new mass movement, perhaps marking out the summer of 2013 as the new summer of love.

Looking at it from a less positive perspective, this Grand Trine could also open the way for floods, landslides, tsunamis and other water based calamities.

The Grand Trine could also dilute the forceful message of Uranus Square Pluto, causing disillusionment, misplaced idealism and deception. While Uranus and Pluto are busy re-writing the rule book, Saturn in Scorpio provides the opportunity for society’s powerful to furtively re-write their own, secret, rule book, thus rooting their control over the rest of us ever deeper. 

Jupiter in Cancer will exaggerate the effects of Uranus Square Pluto and Saturn Trine Neptune.

The major themes of Jupiter in Cancer explored. These can be applied personally to your own chart or to world events:

• the wise mother / mom knows best / super mom
• moral and ethical issues around motherhood and childbirth 
• family values
• the extended family
• protecting one's family and oneself, which is essential but can be detrimental if taken too far
• exaggeration /over idealisation of the caring, nurturing female archetype
• getting your 'feet under the table' at home
• home affairs vs. foreign affairs
• foreign homes / foreigners abroad / expats
• an increased need for emotional and physical security
• learning about our roots, particularly the maternal, matriarchal line
• emotional over-reactions / exaggerated emotions
• letting moodiness / crabbiness get out of proportion 
• increased awareness of old, ingrained habits, bad and good
• a chance to use and develop our intuition
• increased instinctual reactions
• finding or becoming a coach or mentor
• the role of the carer in society
• the feeling that we are all one big family here on planet earth
• the goddess archetype, mother earth, Gaia
• the environment, our habitat
• rising waters / release of water
• spiritual growth
• a focus on international aid and charity and the ethical issues that arise from it
• stretching the emotional boundaries
• letting your feelings guide you
• emotions spilling over
• overwhelmed by emotion
• absorbing too much of other people's 'stuff'
• developing empathy and compassion
• life flowing better
• increased awareness of the cycles that guide and inform our life - both personal cycles and cycles of nature
• feeling bloated - physically, emotionally, spiritually
• acting on gut instincts
• questioning what we are prepared to 'stomach'
• stomach complaints
• water retention
• having a full belly
• real, big, wet, healing tears, vs. crocodile tears
• striving for self improvement
• showing kindness and generosity
• giving and receiving big hugs
• being a comfort for others / receiving comfort
• becoming comfortable

Jupiter enters Cancer June 26, 2013 and leaves July 16, 2014.

I hope you enjoy Jupiter's transit through Cancer.

Jupiter photo credit: Water map: ESA/Herschel/T. Cavalié et al.; Jupiter image: NASA/ESA/Reta Beebe (New Mexico State University)

A Jupiter Extension

To celebrate my Jupiter Return I discounted my e-book Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through the Dark until the end of June, but because I'm excited about Jupiter moving into Cancer and because it will be making a nice opposition to my Sun in early Capricorn, I'm extending the sale to 14th July.

It is now available on Kindle from Amazon at $3.99 and equivalent in other currencies (normal price $5.99) or you can buy a PDF via PayPal direct from this blog for £4 or equivalent (normal price £7), just click the Buy Now button at the top right of this page. Please note all PDF orders are sent out manually so there may be a delay of up to 24 hours between placing your order and receiving your book.

For more info click here

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com

The Jupiter Return - A Cause for Celebration?

It's my Jupiter Return. Three cheers, hip hip hooray and let's all drink a toast to that!


Jupiter is like a balloon

Call me an old curmudgeon if you like, but the Jupiter Return feels like one of those celebratory occasions that force us to be jolly, whether we want to be or not. These days promise so much, but deliver so little. For me, they include New Year's Eve (it's just a date) and Christmas. The pre-crimbo stress and expense rarely seems worth it and the magic feels sadly absent, but perhaps that's because it only really exists in the Hollywood version. Birthdays also come under this category for me, but no doubt that's because my birthday falls on Christmas day, when everyone is too busy to make the effort or give a s**t, myself included.

I sound very Saturnian, at its grumpiest best, don't I?  Certainly I don't sound like someone who has a sort-of maybe Sun-Jupiter aspect in my birth chart. Perhaps I should explain a little bit more about my Jupiter and Jupiter in Gemini generally, so you know where I'm coming from.

Jupiter in Gemini is in its detriment, meaning that it can't easily function to its optimum level in this sign. Jupiter in our chart speaks about how we express and pursue faith; hope; optimism; growth; opportunity; prosperity; morality; higher understanding and the higher self. In Gemini, Jupiter needs help, support and focus to express these qualities.

Gemini's energies can be too scattered and superficial for Jupiter. At worst, Gemini can lack the moral compass required to get the most out of Jupiter. However, there will be times when the Jupiter in Gemini native will seem to 'get it' and we see a glimpse of the best that Jupiter can offer, but it's very often at that moment that Jupiter in Gemini seems to get bored, or restless, or will tap into its self-sabotaging twin, or whatever, and will revert to some of the less attractive expressions of Jupiter.

Those with Jupiter in Gemini are also at risk of suffering from anxiety, or at the least will worry too much and overanalyse everything. Because of this, it's difficult to trust in oneself and in the world in general. It can be hard to make decisions based on the instinctual higher mind. Instead, it's easy to make what seem like rational decisions, but which are in fact not, because the lower, worry-full monkey mind has made the decision maker lose perspective on the issue at hand.

But life is nothing if not a journey of discovery, growth and learning, so a mistake made is a lesson for future success and those scattered Gemini energies can sometimes come together quite magically for Jupiter in Gemini people or those experiencing a transit from Jupiter in Gemini. Communication is key for this placement, connections need to be made, shared and verbalised. Through doing this, we can connect to something bigger than ourselves. In this space life becomes infinitely more meaningful.

My own Jupiter at 25 degrees of Gemini falls in my 1st House. That almost-maybe aspect to my Sun is an Opposition. It's just over 8 degrees in orb, out of sign and separating. That's why I don't count it. Sun-Jupiter natives are supposed to be over-confident, jolly, bubbly, bouncy, super-optimistic, indulgent. While I like to think I have many fine qualities, I wouldn't say they include any of the above. Consider that my Sun is in Capricorn in the 8th House! Jupiter in Gemini in detriment needs help and it's not going to get much from my Sun!

My Jupiter has a much more intimate relationship with my Mercury in Sagittarius. This planetary pair in these signs are in mutual reception (each falls in the other planet's detriment).  Mercury, therefore is where Jupiter in Gemini in detriment must look to for its support. The trouble is, Mercury in Sagittarius is also in detriment, so its a bit like the blind leading the blind. What this mutual reception and alignment (the two planets are in a 165 degree Quindecile aspect) begs me to do though is communicate effectively. This is both an obsession and a challenge. I have had times, particularly when I was younger, when I was so quiet I was almost mute, but as I get older there are more and more times when my mouth runs away with me and it takes a great deal of perceptiveness to know when to shut up. Often I'll say the wrong thing or be too honest and hurt the other person. Then there's the feeling that nobody's listening anyway. I wrote about this in The Curse of Mercury in Sagittarius.

The lesson is to find the perfect balance between quietness and noise. To speak up when needed and to recognise when it's time to let the silence speak. I strive to communicate with an open mind, intelligently, diplomatically and elegantly. I try not to worry too much and I try to have hope. I don't always get it right, but I do mean well. Perhaps this is the message for my Jupiter Return.

A Shameless Plug and a Special Offer:

To help me 'celebrate' my Jupiter Return I'm discounting my e-book Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through the Dark until the end of June.

It is now available on Kindle from Amazon at $3.99 and equivalent in other currencies (normal price $5.99) or you can buy a PDF via PayPal direct from this blog for £4 or equivalent (normal price £7), just click the Buy Now button at the top right. Please note all PDF orders are sent out manually so there may be a delay of up to 24 hours between placing your order and receiving your book.

Here's a bit of blurb to whet your appetite:

Find out how you and your loved ones may be affected by Saturn in Scorpio.

Saturn in the intense, inscrutable and controlled sign of Scorpio may feel worrying, especially given the disruptive and unsettling changes the world and many individuals are facing.

This new book from Mandi Lockley - Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through The Dark - is designed to help you successfully navigate the cold and deep waters of this transit and tap into its healing and transformative potential.

The major themes of Saturn in Scorpio are explored in-depth including issues of safety, fear and control; sex and intimacy; the power of love; rejection, anger, vengeance and forgiveness; the power of the unconscious and money, debt and taxes.

Discover how these themes and more may be relevant to you personally and how best to cope with them, but also discover how they will be reflected in the wider world.

Anxious about your Saturn transit? Saturn in Scorpio’s transit to your own birth chart is covered in detail, including its transit through your natal houses and to your planets. Many books and websites deal with astrological Saturn in general and Saturn transits in particular, but this book is specifically tailored to the unique experience of Saturn in Scorpio. It also includes an extended section on Saturn to Saturn transiting contacts and the Saturn Return.

This comprehensive astrological guide also examines how Saturn in Scorpio fits into other current and upcoming major planetary alignments including the ongoing revolutionary and disruptive Uranus-Pluto Squares and the Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune Grand Trine of 2013. Find out how we might see these energies manifest in the world around us.

Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through The Dark also includes a bonus chapter on the Secondary Progressed Moon cycle - an important and very personal cycle of emotional maturity - and explains how it links with your personal Saturn cycle.

This book is suitable for all levels of astrological knowledge. Whether you are a beginner to astrology, a serious student, or a consulting astrologer working with clients, Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through The Dark will be a valuable resource to help you through this challenging transit.

For the beginner, the book has instructions on how to calculate your Saturn transit and includes a Saturn in Scorpio ephemeris, for quick and easy calculation.

What readers have said:

Get this book! It will be a go to reference that you’ll return to again and again.
Auntie Moon

“Just to tell you how much I am enjoying your e-book ‘Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through The Dark’. Congratulations for the excellent, informative, enlightening, deep book. It is worth every cent.” ME via Facebook

“I’ve purchased this e-book and can recommend it very highly. She’s an accessible writer. I’ve gone though it forwards and back, and re-read many passages over again, and each time I gather a bit more. It’s great to find a writer you can feel like quoting.” EJR, online

“I finished reading it, loved it, and will be re-reading it to my other half who has his Saturn return looming.” LL via Facebook

“I find it to be a wonderful guide...the descriptions of the Scorpio and Saturn themes are covered in an orderly fashion and Mandi Lockley offers not just some examples on how they may or may not manifest, but she also offers ways in which to work with these themes in a positive, more conscious manner. This e-book is just in time!” NR via email

“I’m in a heavy Saturn period and everything she said rang true, even things I don’t want to admit or face. But that’s what Saturn in Scorpio is for, right? Book Rec at ElsaElsa Boards

“Bought it, downloaded and read it (well most of it) and it rang true indeed. I liked it. Very good read.” ES, online

The Jupiter-Pluto Cycle

click on picture to enlarge

Jupiter and Pluto have been making a series of square aspects since July 2010 (an aspect that was part of last summer’s cardinal-t-square) and the last in the series occurs in February 2011. These squares mark an important point in the current Jupiter-Pluto cycle.

Themes for the Jupiter-Pluto Cycle

• The need for growth at a deep level
• The urge to expand
• Optimized potential for growth
• Keeping growth/inflation under control
• The need to seek new perspectives
• A questioning of received values, morals and ethics
• Power struggles, shifts in power, desire for power
• Deep issues about faith and belief, transformed beliefs
• Tensions between different faiths and philosophical beliefs, zealotry
• The emergence of new world philosophies
• The need to find a new relationship/new perspective to ‘foreign’ beliefs and those of differing faiths
• Issues around wealth and prosperity
• The significance of power and influence
• Opportunities for shifts in power
• Trying to improve one’s position in life
• Becoming a law unto ourselves
• Powerful urge for change vs. strong resistance to change
• The collective call to adventure
• A growth in underground activities, the ‘black market’
• Dark journeys of the soul

This current round of this 12-13 year cycle began with the conjunction in Sagittarius in December 2007, its orb of influence spanning roughly from October 2007 through January 2008. The conjunction marked the end of the previous cycle and the beginning of the new one and like a New Moon, was a seeding time, when the themes that would come to define the current cycle were sewn. What was planted during this time determined what will blossom and bear fruit later in the cycle.

What was happening economically at the end of 2007? Associated Press reported in Jan 2008 that “the economy deteriorated considerably during the October-to-December quarter as worsening problems in the housing market and harder-to-get credit made individuals and businesses more cautious in their spending. Fears of a recession have grown, even as inflation remained elevated. For all of 2007, the economy grew by just 2.2 percent, the weakest performance in five years.” Wikipedia states that “the US entered a recession at the end of 2007 and 2008 saw many other nations follow suit.”

This is curious, as we might expect this cycle to lead to expansion. However, the first Jupiter-Pluto square of this cycle starting summer 2010 – an alignment of tension and crisis - was just one element in the cardinal t-square. It overlapped with the Saturn-Uranus oppositions (a cycle which typically brings an upset to the status quo and ‘out with the old, in with the new’ – this was the alignment that Obamo was elected under) and the Saturn-Pluto waning square (an alignment of crisis, restriction, contraction and grim reality). Jupiter it seemed was to run with the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto themes, exaggerating and expanding them.

When Jupiter and Pluto oppose each other in 2013/2014 – the half-way, culmination point of the current cycle - it will align with the upcoming revolutionary energy of the Uranus-Pluto squares. Restrictive Saturn will have moved on to Scorpio by then so won’t be a direct part of this picture. Perhaps during this opposition we will start to see growth and expansion. Certainly, economic inflation is set to rise, as a direct result of events that occurred under the conjunction and the square. Let’s hope that growth and change, when it comes - be it economical or spiritual or philosophical - will be fair and just for everyone.

The final, waning Pluto square of this current cycle occurs in late 2016 through 2017. Any prediction depends upon what happens during the 2010 square and the 2013/14 opposition. The best we can do for now is have faith that will we will end the current cycle in a better place than we started it.

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Jupiter in Pisces Retrospective & the Jupiter-Saturn cycle [Redux]

[This is an updated version of an article first published in early 2010]
[Scroll down for analysis of the Jupiter-Saturn cycle]

At the time of writing this update, Jan '11, Jupiter has just left Pisces and moved into Aries, making this a retrospective look at Jupiter in Pisces...How was it for you?

Jupiter signifies the principle of growth, expansion, faith, wisdom, higher learning and reward. In Pisces, Jupiter symbolises growth through idealism and the expansion of spirit, wisdom from the higher realms, faith through connecting with the ephemeral and intangible and reward through creative involvements, healing energies and acts of compassion.

Sensitive types may have found that their emotional, material and psychic boundaries were more fluid and more porous during Jupiter’s time in Pisces, as they opened up to the vibes, energies and feelings of those around them. If you were affected, it was a good time to brush up on your psychic protection techniques, to guard against absorbing negative vibes. William Bloom’s book on the subject is my personal favourite. It's never too late to start. Even though Jupiter has now left Pisces, don't forget that Neptune will be entering Pisces in 2011. Also, don’t forget that others are also sensitive to your ‘stuff’ so check in with yourself now and again to ensure that you are projecting positive vibes.

Jupiter raced through Pisces, entering Aries on 6 June 2010, then turned Retrograde in July 2010, re-entering Pisces in early September before turning direct at 23 degrees of Pisces in mid November. Jupiter then settled into Aries from January 2011.

Jupiter was very busy in Pisces and is busy in Aries too. From the spring of 2010 through to the spring of 2011, Jupiter forms a series of opposition aspects with Saturn, marking the halfway point of the current 20 year Jupiter-Saturn cycle.

The Jupiter-Saturn Cycle

The Jupiter-Saturn cycle is reliably reflected in world economic cycles. Starting with the conjunction, the first 10 years of the cycle (the waxing phase) represents a period of growth, expansion, risk taking and extravagance.

We began the current cycle in 2000, with Jupiter and Saturn conjoining in materialistic, luxury loving Taurus. As we rang in the new millennium, the economy was in a state of low inflation, high output and low unemployment, with government assurance that the boom-bust economy was over for good. They were wrong. The stock market had soared, but in 2000 share prices fell dramatically when the dot-com bubble burst. But the lessons weren’t learned and a largely unregulated economy recovered quickly and started to grow unbounded as we collectively discovered easy credit and bought into the idea that we could have everything we wanted and now. The jet-set lifestyles of the rich and famous suddenly felt within easy reach, with many ordinary mortals becoming rich and famous in their own right thanks to the ascent of reality television. The huge rise in house prices turned many of the baby boomer generation into property millionaires, with the younger generation and others who had previously found it difficult to get credit, given easy access to huge mortgages. It couldn’t last though and the collapse of the property bubble in 2007 and the subprime mortgage scandal made credit harder to get, forcing many businesses into receivership and many families out of their homes when they couldn't keep up repayments. Many more individuals were cutting up their credit cards and facing up to debts resulting from the extravagance of their easy credit lifestyles. The truth about the credit crunch was revealed in late 2008 with the collapse of a number of the world’s best known financial institutions, with most of the rest receiving tax-payer funded bailouts to keep them in business.

So, where are we now? While the recession has officially ended (although there is still some debate about that, depending on how you define recession) many economic commentators acknowledged that significant risks remained for the world economy in 2010 and remain through 2011. This of course is the period of the oppositions of this Jupiter-Saturn cycle, with the opposition representing a crisis point in the cycle

The first opposition was in May ’10 with Jupiter in Pisces and Saturn retrograde in Virgo. In the UK, this coincided with a general election and with no overall winner, a Con-Dem coalition was formed, warning that savage cuts to public spending and services were on their way. This opposition coincided with the waning squares of the current Saturn-Pluto and Jupiter-Pluto cycles in cardinal signs and the last of the ongoing Saturn-Uranus oppositions, in Libra and Aries. With all of this action occurring around the very public Aries point (the first degree of the cardinal signs), there was no hiding, it was time to face grim reality. All of these measurements represent crisis points in their own right, so it’s not surprising that these collected measurements - a cardinal t square - have been dubbed by many astrologers as the ‘cardinal climax’.

By the time of the second opposition in August 2010, the UK government were preparing to announce their promised savage cuts to public services and public spending, with resultant mass job losses (see, politicians do sometimes keep their promises). Meanwhile, the City and Wall Street ‘masters of the universe’ proclaimed  business as usual and continued to award themselves huge bonuses, after a bumper couple of years benefiting from low interest rates, quantitative easing and financial restructurings caused by the recession. Politicians on both sides of the pond seem powerless or unwilling to do anything about it. Meanwhile, unemployment is growing, especially amongst young people, but even the educated, professional classes are joining the dole queues in increasing numbers. Those in work are facing pay freezes, a rising cost of living, higher taxation and the promise of  rising inflation to come, which will drive up costs even more but will not promise a rise in pay (unless you're an executive fat cat). While we may have all felt richer during the naughties, we are now discovering that the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than ever, particularly evident in the split between the now suddenly struggling professional middle classes and some of their old university roommates, who ‘got lucky’ and joined the new ranks of the super-rich.

But, as the upcoming Pluto-Uranus squares predict, the masses are stirring and we are seeing fury from the general public who are taking to the streets in huge numbers, such as the student protests in the UK. In other countries too...a people's revolt in Tunisia ousted the government and now the people are marching again against the interim government and demanding democratic elections. There have been general strikes and protests against austerity measures in Greece, with similar scenarios across other countries in the Eurozone. Meanwhile other economies continue to grow, with China on track to be the world's biggest economy by 2024.

After Jupiter and Saturn make their last opposition in March 2011, we enter the second half of the cycle, the waning half, historically marked by retraction, caution and withdrawal.

We shall have to wait and see what happens next, but let’s hope that Jupiter in Pisces has done a good job of paving the way for Neptune’s ingress into Pisces in Spring 2011, ushering in a new era of compassion, healing and philanthropy and does not merely offer us the opportunity to continue to bury our head in the sand about the state of our world and its financial structures.

With love and blessings,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Astrology research: Mundane Astrology by Michael Baigent, Nicholas Campion and Charles Harvey
Additional research: Wikipedia

Finally, here is the link to the Disasters Emergency Committee website, if you would like to make a donation to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal: http://www.dec.org.uk/