Think Pluto, the Sun, Mars, and the Full Moon all caught up together in a very challenging conversation ... all while Jupiter and Mercury Station Direct. Yikes!
Click the links to quickly navigate through the article:
Current Astrological Weather (There's a lot happening.)
Galactic Centre of the Milky Way (trine the Aries Full Moon)
Jupiter's Retrograde Season: 22° 20' of Aquarius to 2° 11' of Pisces
Key Dates to consider for Jupiter's Retrograde Cycle
Gathering Invitation for all Alumni Members, at the end of the article (for this Wednesday night).
Hello, beautiful people!
So, it's a big astrological week! (Understatement, much??)
With all that is happening in the Heavens, this Aries Full Moon, making courageous choices from a place of Knowing Thyself is the name of the game.
There are many blessings and inspirations being offered to us at the moment (Jupiter and Mercury are both turning Direct; Jupiter trine the Sun & Mars; Jupiter sextile this week's Full Moon; and the Full Moon trine the Galactic Centre). Having said that, there's a fair bit of tension in the Heavens, too (Sun & Mars square Pluto; Full Moon square Pluto).
With the Moon involved, we'll definitely be feeling it. But it's this underlying tension that will hold our foot to the flame, so to speak. As uncomfortable as it may feel, it'll ensure we are being honest with ourselves in making our decisions.
Squares are dynamic. They demand action. They call from us the determination, strength, and willpower to do whatever is necessary. And this is amplified by the fact that it's a cardinal T-Square involving the Sun & Mars (in Libra), Pluto (in Capricorn), and the Full Moon (in Aries) . . . all while Mercury turns Direct in Libra, and Jupiter turns Direct in Aquarius. (It's all very close to a natal T-Square of my own, I might add!)
It's like the Cosmos is pulling out the "big guns" to help propel us into a powerful, new chapter of our lives . . . if we're willing to do the work. Part of that work, with Pluto as the apex planet of this cardinal T-Square, will be to not shy away from the emotional intensity; demand for self-awareness & self-honesty; and psychological stamina being asked of us.
No, this is not a particularly "easy" configuration, to say the least. But if we heed it well, we may find ourselves undergoing a complete metamorphosis. And this is exactly what is being asked of us, now . . . particularly if we have planets or angles being impacted in our natal chart.
"Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking, but a full-on metamorphosis." - Martha N. Beck
Absolutely! But how daunting (albeit liberating) it feels to even consider such radical change, right?
The Galactic Centre of the Milky Way
I'm also reminded that when the Galactic Centre of the Milky Way is involved like this, we can be looking at a situation where we're "suckling at the wrong breast," like Heracles at the breast of Hera in Greek mythology. Depending on which version of the myth you read, Hermes or perhaps Zeus Himself placed the newborn Heracles at Hera's breast to suckle, hoping to endow the child with immortality. When Hera realised she was suckling a child she loathed (yet another of her husband's illegitimate children), she angrily tore Her breast away, streaming breast milk across the vault of Heaven. That's how the Milky Way earned its name.
As Melanie Reinhardt wrote: "Astrologically, when the Galactic Centre zone is activated by transits, Hera’s breast is withdrawn, metaphorically speaking. Meaning that the places, people, ideas, notions and events in our life where we have previously projected our own sense of ‘Higher Self’, or ‘Deeper Centre’ as a source of nourishment may collapse, let us down, crumble, turn against us, or simply quietly depart. That which promised ‘immortality’ fails us. Through these transitions or crises, our consciousness develops. This may require a great deal of psychological processing, allowing grief and confusion to give way to peace and clarity. Both our physical bodies and subtle bodies may need attention as toxins begin to be eliminated when we travel the ‘celestial pathway’."
The greater our level of self-awareness, the more we realise that mere substitutes will not serve us. If you have been trying to draw nourishment from the "wrong" source (e.g. the "wrong" Bachelor Degree, career path, spiritual discipline, or beliefs), then you may find it collapsing around you. Or perhaps you have simply become aware of the need to step away. Never fear. It's definitely not weakness to adjust your course. In fact, it takes great maturity, courage, psychological stamina, and an immense self-awareness to know how to align yourself with your Path's true source of nourishment.
It may feel wretchedly difficult, with Pluto in the mix, squaring the Sun, Mars, and the Moon, but you are being asked to make the hard calls. And yet, with the Galactic Centre trining the Full Moon, I feel your true source of nourishment is being brought to your awareness. You are being pointed beyond what you think you know to what you have always known, deep down. You simply have to make the decision to reach out to it.
Key Questions:
Who are you, really?
What are you passionate about?
What are you being asked to do? (Or to stop doing???)
Who are you being asked to become?
What sort of deep transformational process do you need to be willing to undergo?
What needs to change?
Where have you been "suckling at the wrong breast"?
Where is a greater source of nourishment being offered?
What is commanding your focus and energy?
Where do you feel empowered, or disempowered?
Where have you underestimated yourself?
Where have you copped out on yourself, or settled for less than you know you're capable of?
What is your deepest desire for your life? Look ahead five or ten years. How do you want your daily life to look and feel? What inspires you? Excites you? What is your passion?
What is in your way??
Do you wholeheartedly understand that THIS IS YOUR LIFE? That you get to call the shots?
Are you mature enough, courageous enough, and self-aware enough to be present with the necessary questions? To even know what those questions are?
The questions are all around you, right now. Listen. Listen to the still, inner voice rising up within you. It is guiding you, challenging you to step into your rich, full potential . . . to transform. Be prepared to take courageous, soul-aligned action, from a place of deep self-knowledge.
Now, let's focus on Jupiter's Retrograde Cycle.
Jupiter is Stationing Direct at 22° 20' of Aquarius, today. Can you feel it? He's coming back online, after months of being in retrograde motion. If you've been feeling frustrated, stuck, or aimless, this will feel like a breath of fresh air! Jupiter is the planet of our hope, optimism, abundance, success, potential, and opportunities.
It's important to understand Jupiter's Retrograde Cycle, though, if we're to work effectively with His energy. Significantly, Jupiter is the planet of expansion, cohesion, and integration. He consolidates our efforts, because He wants to know that any new territory we gain, is kept.
Expansion. Consolidation. Expansion. Consolidation. Expansion. Consolidation.
This is the name of the game during Jupiter's annual retrograde cycles.
Each expansion moves us further forward towards our ultimate goals and aspirations.
Each consolidation ensures a new, solid foundation to continue growing from.
Jupiter's cycle offers us this annual opportunity to consolidate our growth and gains. It also gives us the chance to realise (and deal with) any issues that need our attention. On top of this, the retrograde cycle supports us with integrating our progress into the greater structure of our lives.
Without this annual process, we'd eventually lose any ground we might have made. In fact, handled poorly, the retrograde phase may leave us realising that our recent progress was just a stroke of luck . . . and then life would simply return to how things were beforehand. (Ugh. Shudder to think.)
Handled well, though, this retrograde cycle ensures that we can truly own whatever gains Jupiter has brought us, both internally and externally. If we take the time to address any questions or weaknesses illuminated throughout this period, we'll be able to firmly establish our expansion phase as our new foundation; a solid jumping off point for future growth. (The Sun/Jupiter opposition on 20 August will have illuminated such questions for us. See below.)
Jupiter's retrograde cycle is so important!
There are a few Key Dates to look at, if you're interested?
Firstly, Jupiter entered Phase 1 (i.e. the Shadow Phase) on 27 March, 2021, hitting 22° 20' Aquarius for the first time in twelve years.
I invite you to look back through your journals, social media posts, photos etc, to see what was happening for you back in late March/early April. (You could also look back twelve years to 2009, when not only Jupiter but also Neptune and Chiron were transiting this degree, if you're interested?) What was arising for you earlier this year, back in March? What epiphanies were you having? What projects were you working on? What questions were you pondering? No doubt, there'll be similar themes arising for you, now. It's astonishing to realise these underlying threads, weaving through our life and connecting seemingly disparate moments in time!
Seriously, you could have blown me over with a feather when I looked back and realised just how perfectly aligned today is with what was unfolding for me back in late March. If I didn't understand astrology, I'd be hearing the Twilight Zone theme song spookily playing in my mind!
The next Key Date to look at is 20 June, 2021. This is when Jupiter entered Phase 2, and turned Retrograde at 2° 20' Pisces. From this date, Jupiter began to retrace his steps all the way back to this point, today. Considering the fact that Yule was 21 June this year, this was a particularly powerful and poignant time for Jupiter to turn Retrograde. It's well worth looking back through your journal entries etc to see what was unfolding for you then. (If you'd like more information on the Yule season, click here to read a post I wrote earlier in the year.)
Also, consider 20 August, 2021.
It's important to ponder any questions, lightbulb moments, or weaknesses that were highlighted throughout this entire retrograde period. But this particularly applies to those questions raised by the Sun on (or around) the 20th of August, when Jupiter and the Sun were in opposition to each other. The Sun will have critically shone His light on your path and aspirations at that point, illuminating any issues and weaknesses that He found. This is when you may have felt keenly aware of any obstacles that need to be overcome, if you are to retain your progress and growth.
You may have felt astonished by what you realised at that point, and inspired to make the necessary changes. Or you may have found your faith and optimism challenged, your hope waning. You may have even lost some ground; lost some of what you'd earned. Perhaps you realised that you needed to adjust your expectations or your approach regarding your path forward? Ultimately, you'll need to engage any issues highlighted by the Sun at the end of August, if you are to consolidate your path.
And now Jupiter is enter Phase 3. He is Stationing Direct on 18 October, 2021.
From now until 10 January, 2022, Jupiter will be traversing the exact same ten degrees for the third time, all the way back to 2° 11' Pisces. We have until then to really consolidate the work we've been doing. Done well, we can use this consolidation work as a launching pad for our next chapter of life.
As Jupiter begins to move forward, we'll feel our sense of optimism, possibility, and hope return. After potentially feeling frustrated or stagnant for some time, everything will feel like it's flowing again (especially as Saturn and Pluto also turned Direct last week). We may have been feeling worried that we didn't take action quickly enough or courageously enough on our inspired ideas . . . that we'd left it all too late; that we'd lost too much momentum to make it all work.
But, now that Jupiter is turning Direct again, we realise that we actually CAN achieve our goals! It's not "too late," after all! There's still time to do what we wanted to do. There's still a chance to make good on our aspirations. We can still make the most of our inspired ideas and opportunities. Phew!!
The question, as always, is: Are you willing to do the work? To do your own push-ups? Look back at all that arose within you during this Retrograde period. What has come up to be addressed? And, importantly, are you willing to engage it?
Remember, no one can do this work for you, especially at the level of metamorphosis being required by the cardinal T-Square that heralds Jupiter's turn Direct.
It's time.
Summary
So, there are LOTS of dates to consider, but it's highly worth making time to research them, and find the thread running through them. Make time for stillness, art, collaging, conversation, journaling, and contemplation—whatever helps you to connect with Great Mystery, and your Soul's higher guidance.
Where are you frustrated? Where are you excited? Where are you being called to? What are you being asked to do? (Or stop doing???) Listen to the still, inner voice rising up within you. It's guiding you to your full, rich potential.
I hope this is helpful?? As always, I would love to hear of your experiences or your lightbulb moments in the comments below. Please feel free to share this article, if you feel it may be of service to others.
Thank you for journeying with me!
Peace and Great Big Blessings
Juliette xo
Alumni Gathering Invitation:
For my Alumni . . . Would you like to connect this Wednesday night (20 October 2021) to share stories; insights; and Twilight Zone realisations about your experience of Jupiter's retrograde cycle? You'll find the Zoom link in our Slack Workspace at 7:00 pm. Looking forward to seeing you there!