by Robert Wilkinson
On May 18, the Sun conjuncts Jupiter at 29 Taurus just hours after Venus conjuncts Uranus at 24 Taurus, the same degree where the Sun conjuncted it on May 13. This is important, as it marks a new Sun/Jupiter cycle of “illuminated adventure,” or “enlightened promise.” Now we begin a year of “compare and contrast” experiences so that we may confirm something of our individual spirituality wherever we have 29 Taurus.
Each year the Sun conjuncts Jupiter, illuminating and powering up the Jupiter lesson of that degree for the next 13 months. Where the conjunction falls is where we get a new set of truths, higher and/or broader understanding, or maybe just opportunities to expand our lives.
Obviously, as Jupiter moves through the signs, it brings a different “tone” to the houses where we have Sagittarius and Pisces. Think back on recent years, and see how each year Jupiter occupied a given sign that “colored” your experiences in Jupiterian ways. As Jupiter shifts signs, it also changes the backdrop to planets we have in Sagittarius and Pisces.
In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and January 2021, we had the Sun conjunct Jupiter in the first decan of Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius. In 2022 and 2023, the Sun was conjunct Jupiter in the second decan of Pisces and Aries. In 2024, the conjunction falls in the third decan of Taurus. In 2025, it will fall in the first decan of Cancer.
One of the peculiarities of Jupiter is that some years we skip a sign. For example, in 2025, we will not have a conjunction in Gemini, but rather at 4 Cancer. In 2006-07, we skipped a conjunction in Sagittarius and instead it was in early Capricorn. In 2013-14, we skipped a conjunction in Cancer and instead it was in early Leo.
As the Sun conjuncts Jupiter, it lights up the Jupiterian promise, or message, or grace, or possibility in those parts of our life. The degree of the conjunction becomes “an enlightened promise,” or “illuminated adventure” in the life area shown by the house it falls in. We now power up a new truth, a new vision, a new freedom, a new promise, and a new quest on our eternal “Hero’s journey.”
Past, Present, and Future Sun-Jupiter Conjunctions
Because of irregularities in Jupiter’s orbit, the conjunction doesn’t always fall in successive signs. In 2010, the conjunction was at 10 Pisces in late February. In 2011, it was at 17 Aries in early April. In 2012, the conjunction was at 24 Taurus in mid-May. In 2013, it fell at 29 Gemini in mid-June. In 2014, the conjunction was at 2 Leo in late July.
That means there was no Sun conjunct Jupiter in Cancer giving us a renewal in that sign. As noted above, the next time a sign is skipped will be 2025 when the Sun skips a conjunction in Gemini and meets up with Jupiter at 4 Cancer. Those first decan conjunctions will continue through 2030. Because of the speed of Jupiter's orbit, every so often a sign will be skipped, which has its own interesting implications.
Resuming the string of conjunctions, in 2015 it was at 4 Virgo in late August. In 2016, it was at 4 Libra in late September. In 2017, it was at 4 Scorpio. In 2018, it happened at 4 Sagittarius. In 2019 it happened at 6 Capricorn. We didn’t have one in 2020, and resumed the string with the 2021 conjunction at 10 Aquarius, obviously activating a larger expansion based in what we left behind since Mars went retrograde at that degree in June 2018. 2022’s conjunction was at 15 Pisces, which was been in play until the Sun conjuncted Jupiter at 22 Aries in April 2023. We now have a new 13 month influence at 29 Taurus which will last until the next conjunction in June 2025 at 4 Cancer.
How the Conjunction Manifests After the Event
Each of these conjunctions lights up a “hot spot” of illuminated opportunity, truth, or adventure in our charts that lasts a year. However, it is triggered different times in different ways by the transits of other planets over the degree of the conjunction.
In fact, often we will see major results of that promise activated as Mars transits the degree, with the other planets each bringing elements of that promise via its “department of labor.” This can mean through people or opportunities in circumstances described by the sign of the conjunction.
For example, the 2016 conjunction at 4 Libra wasn’t really activated until the subsequent Mars transit in October 2017 and boosted in October 2019. The 2017 conjunction at 4 Scorpio was activated in a big way when Mars transited Scorpio in December 2017 and boosted in November 2019. The 2018 conjunction at 4 Sagittarius was activated by Mars in January 2020 and again in December 2021
The December 2019 conjunction in Capricorn launched in February 2020 and got a renewed boost in late January 2022, and the 2021 conjunction at 10 Aquarius was crystallized by Saturn in early March 2021. The 2023 conjunction at 22 Aries is about to be activated when Mars transits 22 Aries in May 2024, and this one at 29 Taurus will be activated when Mars transits 29 Taurus in mid-July 2024.
Sabian Symbol for the Conjunction
This conjunction is at 29 Taurus. The symbol for the 29th degree of Taurus is "Two cobblers working at a table.” In the original Jones notes published in The Astrology of Personality, Rudhyar says this symbolizes "a symbol of discursive reason, the battle of ‘pros and cons’ within the inner being” and “analytical, recapitulative judgment.”
We are told in the Astrological Mandala that this degree follows the “rejuvenation” and “rebeginnings” of 28 Taurus, and is a technique learning perspective through comparing and contrasting different viewpoints. He tells us this is about “the two-fold character of (our) mature understanding,” where we use two or more points of view or approaches to gain understanding and a sense of perspective through “dispelling shadows.”
He continues that the “two cobblers” are about different “contrasting ways of approaching the understanding of an experience” giving us form “which may clothe and protect the understanding.” He speaks of this being the way mature minds gain perspective, where “a true perspective becomes the foundation upon which to build a new approach to life.” He says it falls in the Span of Enjoyment, Act of Differentiation, and Scene of Confirmation on the Individual-Mental level.
Dr. Jones says this is a degree of “the cooperative wisdom by which (we) make the world (our) own, solving all its special problems through (a) communion of functions performed in a genuine division of labor.” He says this is about “discursive reasoning,” a “balancing of the pros and cons” as we are assisted by others in working through ideas. He says “there is high reward for the creative operations (we are) able to claim as peculiarly (our) own”
He gives us the keyword CAPABILITY. He states that when operating in a positive way, it's said to be a degree of "a recognized integrity as an outer sign of exceptional talents.”
So the theme of this conjunction shows the Light of wider, brighter, and more intensely future oriented Jupiter energy over the next year is illuminating a year of learning to see multiple angles of understanding, exploration, or dialog to come to a well-rounded approach to any project involving a shared “division of labor.” We’re learning how to confirm something about our individual spirituality in grounded straightforward ways which require strength and flexibility. Here the Illumination principle unites with the Expansive principle on a degree of a technique to confirm something of our individual spirituality, so be optimistic, adventurous, generous in your view, and enjoy the discussions!
Summing Up
So we’re rapidly expanding into a new adventure wherever we have late Taurus, and prepare for the “explosion of ideas” to come when Jupiter enters Gemini! In previous years, when Jupiter transited the “harvest zone” in Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, we finished a very long wave cycle and began new ones as Jupiter and Saturn both conjuncted Pluto in 2020, after which we experienced the Grand Mutation of Jupiter conjunct Saturn, setting a 20 year Aquarian pulse into motion.
In Capricorn we organized truths and visions into organized effective power. Then we moved into a great promise related to the emerging Aquarius energies in 2021, expanding into compassion, forgiveness, and allowing many things to close when Jupiter was in Pisces.
We then renewed our Aries sector when Jupiter conjuncted Chiron for a new 15 year healing cycle, and have nailed a lot of things down with Jupiter in Taurus. In 2023, that involved seeing how the old answers and old approaches won’t work for us or anyone else any more, and had to build bridges in order to embrace the new time, new way, and new day promised by the recent Jupiter conjunct Uranus at 22 Taurus, the “white dove flying over troubled waters.” We now prepare for the expansion of the mind and perception wherever we have Gemini, so buckle your seat belt and get ready for an explosion of ideas!
Any conjunction to Jupiter ends an old view and begins a newer, broader vista of perception as a result of our movement since the last conjunction. 10/2017 to 11/2018, we had a year of Stable Water. 11/2018 to 12/2019 we had Distributive Fire, 12/2019 to 1/2021 we had a year of Activating Earth, 1/2021 to 3/2022 we had a year of Stable Air, 3/2022 to 4/2023 was Distributive Water, and from 4/2023 to now, we’ve had a year of Activating Fire. We now have a conjunction in Stable Earth which will last through late June, 2025.
So consider a new adventure has been launched wherever you have 29 Taurus, which in some way will be related to the larger 14 year adventure which began with Jupiter conjunct Uranus at 22 Taurus. Both of these adventures will be easy or hard on other parts of your life depending on what aspects are in play. Much that is promised by this conjunction will unfold quickly in May and July 2024, as Venus, Mercury, and Mars transit this degree during that time.
We’re solidly expanding into the new 200 year Era which began with the Capricorn and Aquarius conjunctions of 2020! The organized structures we built in 2020 which yielded new visions, new group work, new future oriented efforts in 2021-2022 are now well established foundationally and creatively, and having left old methods and answers behind in 2023, now can compare and contrast all we have opened of the prior Jupiter harvests and move forward into new vistas of understanding.
We now can each do our thing in our own way within the greater interrelatedness we’ve begun to experience the past 4 years. This is a time to enjoy exploring various ideas and points of view within the new land we’ve arrived at. Be gentle with calm confidence as you express your genuine Self, ready to dance with the emerging vision and collective work.
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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