This article was originally published on Jilly Andromeda's Patreon page on 4/11/2022 at 8:49 PM EST. It was moved to www.virgomoonalchemy.com on 10/10/2022.
On April 12, 2022, during the Cardinal Fire season of Aries, while the Moon transits the Mutable Earth of Virgo, Jupiter aligns with Neptune in the Mutable Waters of Pisces - an alignment that has not occurred since 1856 and will not occur again until 2188.
Jupiter and Neptune form an alignment approximately every 13 years - the alignment prior was in the Fixed Air sign of Aquarius on 12/21/2009. The next alignment will be in the Cardinal Fire sign of Aries on 3/24/2035.
Each time these two giants meet in the heavens, they initiate a new cycle of expanding upon our spirituality and ideals. Jupiter is our active agent of expansion, wisdom, meaning, hope, morality, and trust in the Universe; when the energy of Jupiter is channeled at its highest expression, we experience good fortune, abundance, prosperity, and an overall positive belief that life and our experiences of it are good and just. When Jupiter is over or under functioning, we see dogmatism, arrogance, reckless grandiosity, religious fervor, mania, cynicism, exaggerations of the truth and overextension. Before Neptune was discovered in 1846, Jupiter was the planetary ruler of both Sagittarius and Pisces - each sign activated different processes of Jupiter - Sagittarius was connected to the moral wisdom and higher knowledge that Jupiter offers, while Pisces is connected to the higher wisdom and ever-expanding faith of Jupiter. Jupiter is still connected and associated with the sign of Pisces, and when Jupiter transits the mutable water sign it is as though Jupiter has traveled to its second home.
Neptune is our active agent of transcendence, non-attachment, unitive consciousness, bliss, compassion and forgiveness. Neptune takes Jupiter's hope and wisdom and elevates it to ethereal, enchanting heights. Jupiter may preach, "morality is what separates man from animal," but Neptune would sing, "we are all one - nothing separates us from plants or animals." When the energy of Neptune is channeled at its highest expression, we experience heightened states of bliss, inspiration, unconditional love, effortless flow, and a spiritual oneness with the Universe. An over or under functioning Neptune can be seen in those who martyr themselves for others, who are seemingly helplessly self-destructive, and who enable the self-destructiveness of those who are capable of helping themselves by acting out a savior role. Whenever we make excuses or allowances for abusive behavior, whenever we abandon ourselves or sabotage our success and whenever we deceive ourselves or others, we are experiencing the lower states of Neptune. Neptune is like a drug - the dose makes the poison.
When the energies of Jupiter and Neptune are merged, we experience elevation of our foresight and trust (or distrust) in the Universe, though we may express it as delusional dogmatism, unconscious recklessness and massive waves of grief & despair. The veils are extraordinarily thin, boundaries have dissolved, and it becomes difficult to separate our fantasies (or delusions) from reality. We may feel pulled to be overly generous and understanding of the suffering of others, which could be healing and noble, or it could be detrimental to our well-being. We may feel lost and depressed, drowning in a sea of hopelessness, which may be proportional to our current experience, but it could very likely be an exaggerated distortion.
In this particular alignment, the Aries Sun is conjunct Pallas Athene and perfecting a sextile to Saturn in Aquarius - the Sun is our solar principle, it illuminates our decision processes and how we wish to be seen and admired, it can also be representative of the ways in which we feel unseen. Pallas Athene is an asteroid goddess that is representative of our militant strategy and also, our fears towards success - in mythology, Pallas was a woman who was considered to be the most intelligent and capable military leader, but due to her gender and patriarchal perceptions of what a woman is capable of, she faced enormous pushback from men and women alike. It seemed no matter what she did to improve the relations between men and women, she wasn’t accepted or respected - the women saw her as a traitor and the men saw her as a woman - unfit for the positions she attained. Saturn is our experience of reality - the rules and regulations we must follow to prove our commitment to structure and that we are deserving of respect and a position of authority.
The sextile between the Sun and Pallas to Saturn is showing us that there is stimulation between these archetypal dynamics - the Sun and Pallas are exchanging information with Saturn and hoping to coax the authority towards a change in priorities (Uranus, current planetary ruler of Saturn, is in Taurus, the Fixed Earth sign that is associated with our values and priorities) that would facilitate progress, interconnectedness and awareness of the needs of others. Though, with the heavy Piscean influence of the Jupiter-Neptune alignment, along with Venus (current planetary ruler of Uranus) in Pisces, this exchange of information is greatly influenced by the environmental factors and our perceptions of the situational truth - if we are blind to our own unconscious guilt or repression towards sacrifice and compassion, we may sabotage our intentions and undermine the success of ourselves or others by silencing. It is incredibly important to sit with the information exchanged and reflect upon it - see where our ego could be getting in the way of progress, strive to put ourselves in the shoes of another, listen to those with less power than ourselves, and create a course of action that respects the limitations of others. Aries is the archetype of instincts, competition and aggression - which means we could have sharp reactions towards those who have been committed and loyal to our vision and who have been trying to awaken us to all that we’re not seeing that has directly been obstructing our success.
In the longterm, this alignment of Jupiter and Neptune provides us with a glimpse to the dream or image that will find the greatest opportunity and prosperity. Take for example the last alignment in 2009 in the sign of Aquarius, since that time we have witnessed the glamorous growth and spread of social networking and technology. Ordinary individuals rose to inspirational heights and global influence through viral media means - before 2009, most celebrities were discovered by talent scouts, but with the growth of technology and its ability to spread images and videos all over the globe, the gatekeepers (Capricornian figures) were cut out and the average person was given a world wide platform where the amount of people their image could inspire became limitless. Aquarius is associated with breaking away from the status quo and with returning power back into the hands of the people. Average, everyday humans became the Universal symbol of hope and wisdom. Opportunity and good fortune was found when diversity, inclusivity, technology and humanitarian progress became spiritual ideals. I believe the effects of the 2009 alignment amplified disruption and change not only due to the fact that it occurred in the sign of Aquarius, but also, Uranus was in Pisces - so, Neptune and Uranus were in mutual reception during the last alignment. When planets are in mutual reception, they are in constant communication with one another and they are overstimulated. It was in 2009 that Apple released the iPhone3S - the first iPhone with a decent camera, and the first model that made it to every corner of the globe. Then in 2010, Apple released the iPhone4 which had FaceTime and a front facing camera - people could now see themselves as they created videos. These two models of the iPhone are directly connected to the exponential growth of instant image/video exchange. Do you know what else was founded in 2010? Instagram…and it was exclusively available to iPhones until 2012.
The rise of social media thanks to the iPhone has elevated our lives and so many have found prosperity, hope and faith from the expansion of our connections. Following the Jupiter-Neptune opposition in 2015 (the “Full Moon” of the Jupiter-Neptune cycle, in the signs Virgo and Pisces, respectively,) Instagram (now acquired by Facebook) introduced 30-sec video ads and Instagram ads go global (they were previously only available in the US.) The highest point of the 2009 Jupiter-Neptune cycle. Though, there is always a shadow when light is emitted. Starting in 2014, scientific studies began rolling out their findings on a new mental health concern: social media addiction. In 2016, the article “The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem” by Cecilie Schou Andreassen, Stale Pallesen, Mark D. Griffiths was published in the journal “Addictive Behaviors.” In a matter of 7 years from the start of the 2009 Jupiter-Neptune cycle, we found ourselves with a new mental health issue. Previous to the 2009 cycle, Jupiter and Neptune had met two times in Capricorn between 1984-1997 - that means from 1984-2009 we were all under the prosperous spell of Capricorn. Individuals born during these times were born into a world that elevated, expanded, and glorified status and prestige above all else. They were also born into a world that silenced the grave dangers of workaholism. From all of the articles I’ve scanned about workaholism, it seems all of them are on the fence about it being a valid health concern due to the results of workaholism - success, wealth, authority. It seems we have all accepted (or been deceived) that the ends justify the means.
So, what can we expect these next 13 years? What dream will be growing? What escape will prosper? My prediction: the higher arts, psychedelics, alcohol, numinous experiences, altered states of consciousness, spirituality, charity, eastern philosophy (especially traditional Chinese medicine;) anything that provides (or claims to provide) transcendence and God-like consciousness…but most notably: the glamorization of foreign knowledge. A topic that has recently seemed to explode is Medical Astrology. I’ve personally been trying to discuss this subject with the various doctors I know, and I was surprised to find that within the past couple of years, doctors have been a little more receptive to this discipline. I believe humans are beginning to accept that there is so much that we don’t know - there is a wealth of wisdom to be explored in the unknown. Journeying to the unknown will become intoxicating. It is interesting how much discussion there has been surrounding boundaries lately. Of course, with Neptune transiting Pisces since 2012, it is understandable why we are becoming attuned to this dilemma - especially the boundaries surrounding our work (remember for 25 years we were following a grandiose Capricornian vision of prosperity and glamour.) Though, I’ve also noticed there has been an increase in discussion surrounding empathy - more people are speaking out about the need to “hold space” for those who are struggling with their mental health, which is most likely a byproduct of workaholism and social media addiction. As I had mentioned earlier, it is noble to help those in their darkest moments, to offer a hand, but we also must stay aware of our potential to unconsciously identify with them and to feel responsible (guilty) for their suffering. Something I try to remind myself of regularly: not everyone has the same heart as you. There are some people who will accept your offered assistance without any intention of using it to better themselves. There are some people who are truly committed to their self-destruction. These next 13 years, do your best to be discerning with your spiritual endeavors, charity and use of substances. All will offer a vehicle for escape...while I don’t think escapism is bad, as I don’t really see things as good or bad, but I do think indulging in too much escape poses a threat to every part of our lives.
Exercise for you:
Look at the list of dates I provided for the Jupiter-Neptune conjunctions and oppositions from 1900-2070 - what cycle were you born within? Where did that cycle start within your natal chart? What insight is coming through for you?
Look at your Pisces house(s) - specifically find 23° Pisces - what house does it fall within? Is it making any connections to your natal planets - anything at 18-28º? Especially of the mutable signs: Pisces, Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius? If you have any mutable placements between those degrees, you are likely to be feeling this transit the most and you may experience substantial growth and awareness of those areas (houses) and archetypal needs (planet + sign.)
Fun bonus: Write down messages to yourself - reminders - of what is possible during this cycle for you - the highs and the lows. Refer back to these messages during these next 13 years whenever you need to (but please do not obsess over it!)
Jupiter conjunct Neptune in Pisces -A New 13 Year Cycle of Expanding Upon Our Ideals
