The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

On December 21st, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will be in conjunction for the first time in 20 years, the last time was in May of 2000. This is known as the Great Conjunction. It is a time when the planet of structure and restriction, Saturn, meets the planet of growth, expansion, and miracles, Jupiter. This marks a societal shift we’ll see leading into 2021. It’s a new day- a new era.

The Great Conjunction happens on the solstice - which is a powerful time of year. Solstice and Equinox points mark the change of seasons, but they’re also when the Sun enters a cardinal sign. This means a time of action and taking a step forward to initiate change.

This is a 20-year cycle, and, for the past century, Jupiter and Saturn have met right at the start of a new decade. In between each conjunction, we have the opposition of these two planets - these have also coincided with the change of decades. The opposition point of the synodic cycle reveals for us the challenges and opportunities the two planets wish to teach us. Think about what was happening in your life in 2010. What was happening in the world? That was the last time Jupiter and Saturn were in opposition. You’re wrapping up that cycle and beginning a new one- we all are.

For the past two hundred years, Jupiter and Saturn conjunctions have occurred in earth signs. 2020 marks the beginning of the next two-hundred-year cycle. This time, Jupiter and Saturn will conjoin in an air signs and start a cycle that lasts until 2199. This year, they pave the way for Pluto’s entry into Aquarius in 2023/2024.

Saturn enters Aquarius on December 17 and Jupiter enters Aquarius on December 19. The two will conjoin on December 21.

Saturn and Jupiter last conjoined in Aquarius in 1405, the end of the Mongolian empire. It was an end of the Dark Ages in Europe when the knowledge that had funneled into the West from Asia and the Middle East had been taken out of common circulation. But, it was also the start of the Renaissance period - a time of rebirth, where art, medicine, and new ways of governance flourished. Cities began to become hubs of art and culture, and Europe began its age of expansion.

There was another Great Conjunction in Aquarius in 1345, which was around the time when the plague came to Europe, and England and France were locked in the 100 years war. We’re seeing a similar storyline with this year’s Great Conjunction happening at the time of COVID.

When Jupiter and Saturn come together, there is a restructuring of our legal institutions, judicial systems, and we see new leadership rising into power. We stand at the bridge between our history and what’s possible for the future.

Together, Jupiter and Saturn combine expansion and opportunity with the structure and discipline needed to make real and lasting changes in our collective beliefs, ideals, and philosophies. Not to mention the societal structures that promote and uphold those ideals. We can manifest the future we envision as well as clear what no longer serves us.

Jupiter is the “greater benefic,” and as such, correlates to opportunities, luck, and expansion. It’s generous. It’s also the biggest planet in our solar system - the bright light that makes us believe anything is possible. On the other hand, it can also represent fanaticism and greed. Saturn says, “Slow down! Be careful.” It’s the building, stabilizing planetary influence. When the two come together, we see strategies for real and lasting change. Manifestation is possible because of work and concentrated effort. Dream big, and then lay the foundation for those dreams to come true. Saturn helps bring us all down to earth and keep our egos in check.

So what does all this mean for the upcoming conjunction in December?

Saturn and Jupiter will come together in Aquarius, the humanitarian sign of connection, community, and organized groups. It’s also the sign of technology, invention, and innovation. How can you use your unique gifts to contribute to the whole?

With the Renaissance as an example, new technology arrived in Europe in all sectors that enabled people to have more leisure time to pursue knowledge and culture. We saw breakthroughs in education, the arts, technology, science - in all aspects of life. It was also the time of the Humanistic movement, that brought religion from being above the people to the people, and allowed for the rebirth of Western Science, and laid the framework for the philosophy that would be used in the age of Enlightenment and beyond.

Hopefully, with this year’s Great Conjunction, we’ll realize ways to create more inclusive and just societal structures.

So, we could see innovations in technology. We’ve already seen a massive jump in communication technology as a result of COVID-19. We see themes that played out in the 90s when Saturn was last in Aquarius. At that time, we saw email becoming accessible and the Internet becoming more widely available in our homes. We saw the start of Prodigy and AOL. Chat rooms and online forums connected people from all over the globe. Now, we see Zoom connecting businesses and individuals in our everyday lives.

In the US, this is an integral election year. Historically, when a Great Conjunction occurs in an earth sign during an election or inauguration year, the president is likely to die in office. We've seen this in every election year since 1940 except for the last two - there were assassination attempts against those presidents, though. While this year's great conjunction will occur in an air sign, it will still be interesting to see what unfolds politically as we start a new administration a month later. 

This conjunction will also be forming a challenging square aspect with Uranus in Taurus that will be a big theme in 2021. We’ll see more and more crumbling of old governmental, religious, economic, and corporate systems that we’ve outgrown. We’ll also be more forward-thinking when it comes to climate, environmental concerns, and our communities. As these planets enter into Aquarius, they encourage us to see ourselves as one humanity. This is where we’re moving, but it will take some time to arrive at that destination.

This transit marks a new beginning that follows a year of transition for us, personally and societally. For many, this is a welcome shift bringing us more into the ideals of the Age of Aquarius.