Jupiter in Capricorn: Don't Dream It. Be It.

Jupiter in Capricorn: Don't Dream It, Be It

It's time to say goodbye to #Jupiter (Tzedek), leaving his home sign of #Sagittarius and entering #Capricorn territory at 10:30am Pacific time today (do the math for your own time zone).

Now as everybody either knows or should know, Jupiter is the ruling planet of Sagittarius, so an entire year of Jupiter in Sag has been like a homecoming. A big, loud, raucous, expensive, over the top homecoming party with several bands and of course nobody’s parents at home. Nobody to tell you to clean up the mess.... until now. 

Everything is about to change as Jupiter enters Capricorn, a place its expansive self finds a little too restrictive for its abundant, over-the-top extra extra supersized self. Jupiter is about going big, expanding, bringing abundance, enlarging wisdom. But there’s a reason the zodiac is ordered the way it is. Now it’s time for all the expansiveness we’ve enjoyed over the last year to learn how to actually manifest in the real world. That’s what Capricorn is all about: it’s the Cardinal (initiating) Earth (manifestation) sign – it’s the sign of Initiating Manifestation. 

Capricorn makes things happen because they’re REAL things. Jupiter in Capricorn is about taking the grand and glorious ideas of Jupiter in Sagittarius and manifesting them in real time in the real world. It’s about building the changes we want to see in ourselves and this world. As Dr. Frankenfurter says in the Rocky Horror Picture Show: “Don’t dream it, be it!” Jupiter in Capricorn takes our dreams, the ones we dreamed for ourselves during Jupiter in Sagittarius, and applies them to concrete real life. Are they viable? Can they live outside our imagination? Jupiter in Capricorn will answer these questions, tachlis, bottom line. It’s not a feel-good position: Jupiter in Capricorn will not lie to you to make you feel better. Jupiter in Capricorn isn’t about giving everyone a gold star simply for trying hard. It’s about making dreams and ideas real, viable, sustainable, practical, and material. 

In Jewish astrology, Capricorn is G’di, the mountain goat, and is associated with the Tribe of Dan who fiercely guarded the borders of ancient Israel. Saturn (Shabbtai) is the ruling planet of Capricorn, and “borders” and “boundaries” are the function of Saturn/Capricorn. This is because in the era of classical astrology, Saturn was the furthest visible planet from earth and thought to guard the boundaries / borders of our solar system (this was before the discovery of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, of course). I dare say that Jupiter, with his function of expanding everything he touches, will also be expanding the concept of “borders” and “boundaries” in our own personal, individual lives (which will depend on the placement of Capricorn in our own individual natal charts). How Jupiter in Capricorn will play out on a global scale may also see an expansion in border security and boundaries between countries. 

Jupiter will make three conjunctions with Pluto during 2020. Each of these conjunctions hovers around the sensitive point of the Zodiac (22 degrees Capricorn) where the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in January 2020 will occur These are the dates:

April 5th: Jupiter 24 Capricorn conjunct Pluto 24 Capricorn
June 30th: Jupiter 24 Capricorn conjunct Pluto 24 Capricorn
November 12th Jupiter 22 Capricorn conjunct Pluto 22 Capricorn

Jupiter = expansion, Pluto = raw power. It may be a gigantic power grab, or it may be the death or downfall of individuals or organizations which have blatantly abused power. 

This is all about Jupiter's journey to "THE GREAT CONJUNCTION" of Jupiter and Saturn at zero degrees Aquarius in December 2020. Everything Jupiter has to do on his way to that Great Conjunction will be HUGELY practical, GIGANTICALLY pragmatic, and IMMENSELY realistic. For the most inflated planet, this transit through Capricorn is all about deflating the hot air and revealing Jupiter's most tachlis gifts: growth (into maturity because Capricorn), wisdom (based on practical reality not dreams or imagination because Capricorn), and optimism (but not the wild kind: optimism based on an adult understanding of life rather than a child's untested desire for utopia). 

Jupiter in Capricorn: Don't dream it, be it!

Celestial Trifecta: Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Capricorn / Rosh Chodesh Shevat!

Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Capricorn on Sunday, January 6 at 3:28am Jerusalem time. Molad of the new month of Shevat on Sunday at 11:13 (14 chalakim) AM, followed by Rosh Chodesh Shevat on Monday.

 Yes, this year Chodesh Shevat begins literally in the middle of Solar Capricorn (15 degrees). Both Capricorn and Aquarius (the constellation of Shevat) are ruled by Saturn ("Shabbtai") in classical astrology. Saturn himself, old Father Time, sits only 3 degrees away from the Sun/Moon conjunction that is the New Moon / Solar Eclipse. 

Jupiter ("Tzedek") in Sagittarius semi-sextiles Saturn in Capricorn, and the Sun/Moon eclipse.

Some possible reflections of these celestial portents include but are not limited to:

- Resolving financial matters in a "Lucky" way. This does not mean "gambling," it means a lucky break, a payoff, recognition of your mature and responsible decision-making which manifests in good fortune or a significant upgrade in a long-term and somewhat stressful material world austerity period.

- A greater degree of Self-Acceptance and the ability to integrate work-in-progress, imperfect parts of Self into waking consciousness. 

- Expanded joy of accomplishment. Not a giddy happiness but a deep, profound, and perhaps surprising joy springing from the internalization of your own competency, developed by the combination of time and hard work.

- The regenerative power of joy triggers a greater ability to reestablish affinity with your own body and experience your own vitality and life-force, regenerating and reviving both body and soul.

May the celestial reflection of the terrestrial conditions shine beautifully upon you, and unfold with astounding grace!

Rosh Chodesh Kislev Tov! (and not a moment too soon, because Scorpio/Cheshvan was killing us!))

"Kislev" by Shoshanna Brombacher

Chodesh Kislev is here!

Thank G*d - because if you, like me, have been suffering from a Scorpio overdose these last few weeks, you'll be so relieved to know that the BEST Month of the Jewish Year is finally here!

Of course some people would say I'm not entirely objective, since Kislev is my birthday month. Others would say because I myself am a Sagittarius it's impossible for me to be objective. I say: Who cares? Kislev is by far the best month for many reasons, not the least of which is that Kislev is the Month associated with the Tribe of Benyamin, the tribal inheritance of the Beit HaMikdash.

Kislev comes at the darkest time of the Jewish Year, bringing the biggest opportunity to reveal light. The festival of Chanukah comes during Kislev, reminding us that no matter how obscured our reality seems, a little light illuminates the darkness. What is that “little light”, aside from the obvious metaphor for the Chanukah candles? It’s the light of our own soul, and this is the time of year we’re most able to shine.

Chodesh Kislev is related to the Tribe of Benyamin and the “Mazal” (Zodiac Sign”) of Sagittarius. Kislev is the third and last segment of the “Rachel” Quadrant of the Jewish Year (Tishrei to Kislev / Autumn to Winter, when the Tribes associated with these three months are the descendants of Rachel – Ephraim  for Tishrei, Menashe for Cheshvan, and Benyamin for Kislev). 

Note the "Rachel" Side of the Jewish Year: Tishrei to Kislev

All the Signs of the “Rachel” side of the Jewish Year are RELATIONAL. Tishrei/Ephraim describes how we relate to partners in the realm of love and marriage. Cheshvan/Menashe describes how we relate to what we share with others (intimacy, possessions, and responsibilities). Kislev/Benyamin describes how we relate to our belief systems (religion, philosophy, higher education) and how we PERCEIVE ourselves, others and the world we live in.

During Kislev, our powers of perception are the greatest. Kislev is linked to the Hebrew Letter “Samech” and associated with the attribute of sleep. No other month in the Jewish Year has so much to do with sleep and dreams! Every Parsha we read during Kislev has some kind of prophetic dream associated with it. Yacov (Jacob) dreams of a ladder reaching to the heavens. Yosef (Joseph) dreams that the sun, moon and stars bow down to him. Later when he is wrongfully imprisoned, his fellow inmates have dreams which he successfully interprets, leading him to Pharaoh, whose dreams of cows and corns portended years of plenty followed by years of famine.  

"Samech" by Dani Antman

The Hebrew Letter associated with the Month of Kislev is Samech. Samech has the numerical value of 60.

60 is the number the Sages saw as the minimum manifestation of spiritual into corporeal reality, as it is said in the Talmud in various places:

"Sleep is one sixtieth of death." 

"Shabbat is one sixtieth of the world to come." 

"Dreams are one sixtieth of prophecy." 

"Honey is one sixtieth of mannah". 

"Visiting the sick removes one sixtieth of the illness." "Fire is one sixtieth of Gehenna."

Samech is a closed, round letter shaped like a womb, it encloses and supports (Somech), it provides a safe, nurturing place in which to dream, and to bring forth prophecy. Divine protection and shielding from spiritual harm belong to Samech.

How best to get your Samech on during Chodesh Kislev? Open yourself up to joy! Jupiter, the Planet associated with Kislev and Sagittarius, is currently transiting the Sign of Leo, which makes a supportive and positive Trine to the Sun in Sagittarius and invites us to warm ourselves and others in the glow of friendship, love, positive energy. Jupiter is called "Tzedek" in Hebrew - the same root as the word "Tzadik" (righteous person), "Tzedaka" (giving of charity), etc. 

Jupiter's energy focuses the attributes of generosity and righteousness upon us right now, especially in regards to how we perceive ourselves. Let's be generous and not judgmental - starting with ourselves, and then with each other. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov reminds us to always look for the "Nekudat Tovah", the "Good Point" in ourselves, in others, and in every situation, no matter how weird and scary it might be. Jupiter (Tzedek) helps us with that effort more this month than any other month!

May Chodesh Kislev bring SO MUCH LIGHT into our own hearts and lives, and into a dark and scary world that has been traumatized by too much Scorpio in the past few weeks - in fact, the past couple of years! Saturn will be moving from Scorpio (where it's been since early October of 2012) into Sagittarius near the end of December, and that's going to be a major game changer. More about that later ... but for now - Chodesh Kislev Tov Mayod!!!