by Steven Forrest

Jupiter dominates the astrological headlines this month. As most of you probably know, it crosses out of Sagittarius and into Capricorn on December 2nd. The old astrologers called Jupiter the "Greater Benefic." One piece of corroborating evidence lies in how nicely it cooperates with astrologers, taking about twelve years to get around the Zodiac – and thus conveniently spending about one year, give or take a little bit, in each sign. This passage is no exception – Jupiter remains in Capricorn until December 19, 2020, when it crosses into Aquarius.

When Jupiter does that, Saturn will have already been kept waiting for it there for three days. The two heavyweight planets of the solar system form their every-two-decade conjunction in very early Aquarius on December 21, 2020. 

That conjunction is a big subject. If you are interested in my take on it, here’s a link to a two-day program about it:

Jupiter Saturn and Their Ancient Dance

“Lucky” Jupiter and “unlucky” Saturn – that attitude toward these two massive planets, while extremely common among conventional astrologers, has created an enormous amount of confusion. Glowing promises about Jupiter have often led only to disappointment, while baleful predictions about Saturn have often actually manifested as “Great Works” reflecting enormous productivity, inspiration and achievement.

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Here’s another link to a much shorter webinar I made for one of those wonderful Astrology University Summits: 

High Stakes and Wise Choices with the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction

With so much of the action in Capricorn and with Pluto in the mix, this is not going to be a typical Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. What it guarantees for each one of us next year is that there is a pot of gold on top of a very tall mountain. The trouble is, picking the right mountain isn’t easy. That’s because there are a dozen more mountains, all of them looking about the same. Each one – apart from the one with the gold – is topped with a sign that says, “Sorry, wrong mountain.”

Only by bravely stepping into the court of Lord Pluto can we find the real treasure map and thus harness the formidable engines of Jupiter and Saturn in a way that truly serves our souls.

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My ambition in this short newsletter is more modest. Let’s just reflect on the personal meaning of Jupiter’s passage through the sign of the Sea-Goat as it affects each one of us.

Let’s start by emphasizing a core astrological principle: Jupiter in Capricorn is not the same beast as Jupiter in Sagittarius – or Gemini or Aquarius, for that matter. “What does Jupiter mean” sounds like an innocent question, but answering it can get an astrologer into worlds of trouble. The best response is always, “Show me your chart.” In astrology, context is everything. A sign flavors a planet with motivations and values – and Capricorn’s values are quite different from those of Sagittarius.

Here are three really dumb statements. As you reflect on the reason that they are dumb, you can learn a lot about how astrology actually works in human terms.

• Everybody should get married.
• Everybody should like anchovies. 
• People are crazy to live in the country when they could live in a big city.

The problem with each of these statements is that we have left out a critical ingredient: exactly who are we talking about?  In each case, it’s “different strokes for different folks.” In every one of these examples, some people will benefit from turning left, while others will benefit from turning right.

It works exactly the same way with planets. Signs give them specific tastes, interests, and values.  For example, Jupiter likes to have some risk – and therefore, some sense of serendipitous possibility – in its life. But risks come in a lot of flavors.

"Hey, Jupiter – how’s about going bungee-jumping over shark-infested waters with me this weekend?"

Jupiter-in-Sagittarius: "Let’s go!"

Jupiter-in-Capricorn: "Are you nuts? I mean, why would I ever want to do that?"

Capricorn tends to be practical – although there are deeper words we can use. From Capricorn’s perspective, the best possible outcome from bungee-jumping over shark-infested waters is that nothing goes wrong and you survive. And that raises the question of why you put yourself in that position in the first place. What was in it for you? Capricorn’s answer: nothing at all. Why do it?

All of this could make the Sea-Goat sound pretty boring – and from the Sagittarian perspective, it is. Again, there are good people who like anchovies and good people who don’t. The risks that excite and motivate Capricorn are less present-tense and more long term in their orientation. It’s a lot like that famous child psychology experiment where you ask a bunch of kids if they would like one cookie right now – or four cookies if they wait for half an hour. You guessed it: that experiment will nicely sort out the Sagittarians from the Capricorns.

Capricorn, in a nutshell, likes a long-term project. It likes to keep its eye on the prize – and if the prize takes a while to win, the joy is intensified.

Let’s add Jupiter to the mix – and let’s let go of the silly, ungrounded notion that Jupiter is simply “lucky.”  That word has some relevance, but it can also get into a lot of trouble with this planet. To me, the key question with Jupiter boils down to this: How have you been underestimating yourself? Jupiter wants you to believe in yourself. It wants you to act like the king or queen of the gods. That’s not about being haughty or bossing anyone around; it’s about comporting yourself with confidence, faith in your abilities, and high aspirations.

Put Jupiter in Capricorn, and here’s what happens – at least here is what is supposed to happen: you set a worthy goal for yourself and you work relentlessly, logically, and systematically to attain it. What kind of goal? To answer that, we ask a few more questions: where does Capricorn fall in your chart? What is the condition of your natal Jupiter? What planets will Jupiter be contacting by aspect in 2020? Answer those questions, and you will see that worthy goal clearly illuminated.

Remember that the prize might not be something obvious or worldly – it doesn’t have to be about any of the usual obsessions around money, reputation, and career. It might be a spiritual goal or a psychological, attitudinal one. Again, the specifics of your chart come into play here.

If you set that goal and harness the energies of Jupiter-in-Capricorn in pursuit of it, magic happens. That is where that slippery word “luck” steps onto the stage. Get it right, and doors open. The right people show up. Resources become available. What triggers those lucky synchronicities? The answer is your own faith in yourself. It boils down to believing that you are capable of meaningful accomplishments that go beyond any victories you have won previously. You are ready to take a significant step forward in your soul’s journey – and the universe is ready to support it. All you have to do is to believe in yourself, stretch beyond your old limits, and roll up your sleeves and actually do it. Capricorn is not about dreaming; it’s about doing.

Listen to the podcast version of this newsletter here. 

I’ve made an hour-long video for you this month detailing how Jupiter in Capricorn plays out specifically in each house. Adding that personal dimension to our understanding goes a long way toward letting you know where that fabled luck lies waiting for you.  It’s not free, but I think you might find it helpful and encouraging. Here's how to watch it:

Jupiter in Capricorn through the 12 Houses

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