A raven soars overhead at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Utah, September 2018; photo by Chad Woodward.
"The positive Sagittarian has....the inner conviction that he has it in him to give much. If others are less fortunate than he, it is his privilege to give to them out of his abundance. He gives not so much material things as the gifts of the spirit--leadership, moral courage, self-respect, sparks for flagging faith and waning energies, a lift to the whole world that comes from contact however fleeting with the warmth, and the verve, and the dash, and the directness, of the Sagittarian."-- Grant Lewi, Your Greatest Strength
Jupiter will transit its home sign, Sagittarius, from Nov. 2018 through Dec. 2019. Jupiter changes signs every year but reaches Sagittarius once every twelve years. Classically, Jupiter is the greater benefic with optimal dignity in the mutable, fire sign Sagittarius. We know Jupiter as the God/Goddess of abundance, growth/expansion, luck, success, optimism, hope, and altruism. Jupiter opens doors, inspires confidence, and paves the way to opportunities.
In its negative face, Jupiter can tempt us with glitzy yet empty promises of fame, happiness, and fortune. It can provoke laziness while opportunities glide past due to a misguided sense of satiation. And trickster Jupiter can inflame arrogance, dogmatism, and ego-aggrandizement. While Jupiter transits Sagittarius the next year, there will be a magnification of both its positive and negative qualities because Jupiter's home sign bolsters its power.
Sagittarius stimulates Jupiter's extroverted side. This is the most adventurous, audacious, and enthusiastic of all Jupiter cycles. But it might also be the most fanatical. Consider that Sagittarius correlates with the zealous pursuit of faith in oneself, an ideology, or a mission. We can imagine empowerment of radicalized followers of various faiths in synch with the restoration of hope or optimism about one's purpose.
Look to the house ruled by Sagittarius in your chart. You'll likely experience increased growth and newfound success in that area over the next year. However, as with anything in astrology, Jupiter needs your involvement to bring out its most auspicious blessings. Success almost always comes from consistent effort and hard work, and opportunities need to be acted upon. Discernment will be the key to optimally managing Jupiter's transit through Sagittarius.
Too much of a good thing can lead to ruin, and overextension can result in missing the target. Overconfidence in one's abilities or potential can inspire foolish leaps and downfalls. Jupiter in Sagittarius is a momentary cycle which can help us all increase faith, confidence, and expand into new areas of experience. But we'll need to be careful and remain realistic about how much we can handle and what we're capable of. When opportunities arrive, they won't last long. Staying where you are is sometimes a safe choice, but one you may later regret with Jupiter in Sagittarius.
Breaking With Routines
Routines can feel extra suffocating under Jupiter in Sagittarius. This is a cycle which inspires us to break free of predictability and expand our horizons more than ever. Reflect on the area in your chart affected by Jupiter's current transit. If you've been treading safely there, you'll begin to notice gradual dissatisfaction with the topics of the concerned house, and a growing sense that you need to take some risks and actively look for escape routes.
Jupiter in Sagittarius Archetypes
As archetypes, Jupiter in Sagittarius is the emigrant, vagabond, crusader, preacher, prophet, or philosopher taken to the extreme. We’ll likely see these archetypes as significant figures in major media events. And if we have strong placements in Sagittarius, or if Jupiter aspects planets in our chart from this sign, we can take on these archetypal qualities ourselves, or they may show up as significant people in our lives.
Whether we experience these archetypes within ourselves or as outside influencers, the Jupiter in Sagittarius energies motivates us to move beyond our usual boundaries, escape the trappings of safety and predictability, inspire us to take bold leaps of faith, boost our belief in a higher purpose, seek new adventures, and actively engage with opportunities to further success or understanding. With Jupiter in fire sign Sagittarius, it asks whether we have the courage to reach for greatness and if we're willing to take some chances to get there.
Jupiter Square Neptune
While Jupiter transits Sagittarius, it will make a square aspect to Neptune in Pisces. We can view this aspect as active throughout the entire cycle, though the peaks will be experienced Jan. 13, June 16, and Sept. 21, 2019. On the collective level, Jupiter's square relationship to Neptune can serve to puncture illusions, hope, faith, and beliefs. In other words, this is likely to be a cycle of severe disillusionment, especially for those who have fallen for false promises of greatness or abundance.
In considering this aspect, it's important to remain skeptical about anything hyped or overpromoted while Jupiter transits Sagittarius. Jumping into “get rich quick schemes” or alluring ideologies could lead to disappointment. Jupiter square Neptune certainly adds to the element of fanaticism and religious fervor, and during the peak squares, we're likely to witness the decline of a prescribed dogma or creed. Failed prophets, messiahs, and gurus are expected to make some headlines.
However, both personally and collectively, the square of Jupiter/Neptune is a severe test of our ideals and faith. If we can endure resistance to our convictions, and if our dreams can undergo significant reality testing, then we'll come out of this cycle with a greater sense of confidence in what we believe. Jupiter's square to Neptune suggests that the karma has ripened for a vision or dream, and whether or not it survives depends mostly on how much basis it has in reality. Many will fail, but some will learn to fly and lift the world.