Jupiter Opposition Saturn in 2010 and 2011

by Robert Wilkinson

Today we experience the second of the three Jupiter opposition Saturn aspects. As these are outer planets, the effect is extremely strong for at least two weeks to either side of when the aspect is exact. So what is this opposition about?

An opposition shows a polarization, a butting of heads, a pulling apart, or any other situation of tension between "the pairs of opposites." It also indicates something is coming to the surface relative to the slower moving planet, in this case Saturn. So Jupiter is bringing some part of Saturn to the surface.

I have this aspect in my natal chart, and have seen it work as Jupiter tempered by Saturn, and Saturn tempered by Jupiter. I have had no Saturn experience that Jupiter didn't balance somehow, and had no Jupiter experience that Saturn didn't balance somehow. Sometimes this has made for bittersweet events, other times a sense that in my life events are somehow perfectly balanced between the energies of Jupiter and Saturn with never too much of either one before the other restores the equilibrium.

There have been situations where my natural optimism and exuberance was blunted under Saturn's proverbial "wet blanket," but also situations where any possible risk was blunted by Saturn's sense of caution. There have been other situations where I felt oppressed, but at the same time protected or forced to wait out the crystallized condition knowing that in the end I would be offered whatever was perfect for me in order to say goodbye.

Dr. Marc Edmund Jones states the opposition between Jupiter and Saturn shows the need is to develop an adequate ideal and/or find situations that challenges our creative capacities. It also shows us if our ambitions and values are working together or apart.

If there is a conflict between these, we'll experience a sense that "the price of achievement is beyond its worth," generating a sense of defeatism. We are also told that to use this aspect successfully, we need to discover a justification for a cherished ambition. This can help us hold steadfast through every possible discouraging development.

In this sequences of oppositions, the first opposition was in May, when Jupiter was at 28 Pisces opposed to Saturn on its stationary direct point at 28 Virgo (coincidentally very near my own opposition from 26 Pisces to 29 Virgo!) We are now experiencing the second opposition of the series, with Jupiter retrograde at 3 Aries and Saturn at 3 Libra. The third opposition will occur in late March 2011, when Jupiter is direct at 15 Aries and Saturn is retrograde at 15 Libra.

So the first set of awarenesses balancing each other and bringing a Jupiter in Pisces energy to the surface happened in May. We will understand more about this polarizing awareness in September, when Jupiter retrogrades back over 28 Pisces, and finish a form of understanding what this was/is about in January 2011 when it moves through late Pisces for the last time.

The opposition between Pisces and Virgo showed as a set of crystallized late Virgo lessons expressed through a promise, vision, or higher truth via Jupiter in Pisces. These involved bringing our Virgo training to the surface in an expanded Pisces sense, or expressing our Saturn in Virgo maturity in ways to achieve closure through Jupiter in Pisces methods. We will get a review of the Pisces forms in September, so that we can complete our way of doing them while saying goodbye to many things next January.

The current opposition in early Aries and Libra shows a receding of the Jupiter force while Saturn continues to move into the new roles, ideals, and archetypes indicated by early Libra. Here we can glimpse how we may identify with a larger life so we can become a potential source of inspiration beginning February 2011. Here Jupiter expresses the new day dawning indicated by 3 Libra, where we can find protection in newness as an expression of a transformed world.

These energies are the prelude for what we'll experience in late March 2011, when Jupiter can show us glimpses of a greater fulfillment as an expression of a more perfect, cyclic, and effortless approach to our lives. While the current identification with a larger life and reality will be set into renewed motion in February, by next April we'll be bringing our new archetype to the surface in very strong and direct ways.

We'll get signs and signals about the emergent Aries potentials from Mercury crossing mid-Aries and conjunct Jupiter opposing Saturn in mid-March. After that, we have the Sun opposing Saturn while conjunct Jupiter in early April, followed by Mars doing the opposition the third week of April then conjuncting Jupiter in early May. Mercury retrogrades back to the opposition to Saturn in late April, then moves forward pretty much close to Venus which also opposes Saturn the end of April with both conjunct Jupiter in late Aries in mid-May.

What this indicates is that the larger Jupiter opposition Saturn lessons will take specific shapes between mid-March and mid-May. After that these oppositional lessons will be done, and we'll all be ready to use those awarenesses of the early Aries-Libra and mid-Aries-Libra oppositions in personal ways that will give our new lives more energy and reality.

We've all glimpsed a newer, larger life, reality, and role to play. Now we get to be moved to profound transformation through getting in touch with the larger process of "Divine creation." We can also glimpse elements of the fulfillment of desire as an expression of a more effortless approach to our lives on August 21-22, so pay attention to what's happening then. It will show us some of what we'll be living by late March 2011.

Copyright © 2010 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Dcu777]

When I think of Jupiter and Saturn it reminds me of the two pillars of Mercy and Severity in the Tree of Life. Also in the Tarot and in Freemasonry symbolism the two pillars are identified as "Boaz" and Joachin." Check out the two pillars on the "High Priestess" and "Justice" cards (Ryder-Waite Deck. Perhaps Justice, as administered by the Lords of Karma, is the result of this balance of Jupiter and Saturn. Not that this Libra is fixated on balance...LOL
Saturn's card, "The World" should be more accurately translated as "The Cosmos." And Jupiter's card is "The Wheel of Fortune." Can I call a friend?

[caliban]

It's the craziest feeling. Being pushed out the front door is not working, never really worked. I have to go out the back door to move on out. Must be the service door.

[Ro]

Dcu777 that was a good reminder. Yes, neat (and this fixated Libran likes the symmetry there!).

Caliban: what about simply removing the walls?? :-)

And thank you Robert as always. Rollercoaster here with wave after wave of serious family health issues and now me too: my saturn is conjunct natal sun and venus (oh and pluto and uranus somewhere not very stable in the mix, though can't quite remember where/why)! Any advice re surfing these breakers very welcome though NB not expected.

I like the images.

[caliban]

Ro, you are too funny. Love it. The walls exist. That is the problem. I'm not militant.

That home makeover show is down the street a ways and right up the street from my friend's house. They do it so fast. So I kinduv took the house image and spun it around switching the doors.

I've been running into closed doors. The closed doors have been guiding me on the path. It's the path of least resistance I guess.

You like images. Well here goes. I carry my pain in my physical structure. Saturn house 1, karmic ouch. So I go into the pain and release the pictures I'm carrying. Alot of work and not for the feint of heart. No romance about those images, mine are for letting go. I'm getting pretty fast about it. Coughing up the fur balls. LOL. Crap my second text talk thing. I said I wasn't gonna do that.

[caliban]

Oh boy, this is transiting Merc Rx opposite natal Mars rx with maybe some snode squaring going on. I do believe I am off to ride the whale. Note to self: Put in a call to the chiro. Thanks for all the input.