When astrologers look at the path of how the planets will travel through our sky, there are a few signature “meet-ups” they look out for that mark auspicious days.
Some of those days might portend challenges and others are said to bring us blessings.
One of the most significant meet-ups to bring blessings is any favorable aspect between Venus and Jupiter.
Venus and Jupiter are considered the two great “benefics” of the solar system. When they meet in a helpful aspect, it can show us where we might experience some ease in life, and where we can look for blessings.
The most potent aspect they can make is a conjunction. A conjunction happens when two planets meet up at the same point in the sky. From our perspective on Earth, the lights of the two planets look like one bright star.
A conjunction is the same aspect that happens between the sun and moon at a new moon. It marks a new beginning to a cycle, and opportunity to seed new intentions.
Venus and Jupiter meet up roughly once a year, but not always in the same place. It takes Venus about a year (measured in Earth time) to travel around the solar system. Jupiter takes 12 years to travel around the sky.
This means that each year, when Venus and Jupiter meet up, they meet in a new place in the sky — a different sign of the zodiac.
On March 2, at 12:36 am EST, Venus and Jupiter will meet for their annual rendezvous, in the sign of Aries.
The energy is with us all week. If you look up at the sky this week facing west, you’ll be able to see the lights of Venus and Jupiter coming closer together.
The Ultimate Blessings
In terms of astrological transits, a Venus/Jupiter conjunction is basically as good as it gets.
Venus is the planet of love, desire, relationships, money, art, and beauty. Jupiter is the planet of wisdom, expansion, and blessings. Jupiter brings more of whatever it touches.
It encourages us to expand our scope, our dreams, our desires — and also, sometimes, our expectations.
This is, potentially, feel-good astrology at its best.
You will likely read many articles about all the blessings this transit will bring.
A Venus/Jupiter conjunction is beautiful for anything related to relationships. In Aries — a cardinal sign that likes to initiate things — it can also be great for launching new projects.
And, perhaps you’re not feeling it.
Personally, I’ve noticed that whenever there are particularly “good” aspects happening, the days when I “should” feel buoyant and optimistic, I often feel the opposite.
Maybe it’s my sun in the eighth house (which deals in grief, among other difficult emotions), but I tend to feel better during the hard transits. And, it’s also part of my work to learn how to see and receive the good that exists in my life.
If you’re not feeling the abundance of love and hope at this transit, here are a few things to remember.
(1) The Planets Are Mirrors, Not Forecasters
Astrology doesn’t tell us what will happen. The movement of the planets doesn’t dictate our fate, tell us what to do, or tell us how to feel.
Rather, the planets are a mirror of what is already happening.
Many astrology articles will lead with a headline that “Venus conjunct Jupiter brings blessings.” This can lead us to place expectations on ourselves to feel a certain way.
Astrologer Chani Nicholas reminds us that we can’t “do astrology” “wrong.”
I like to think of the map of the sky like a treasure map. It shows me where to look for the blessings already coming into my life.
In our rush of daily life, we often miss the blessings that are right in front of us. It’s easy to become acclimated to certain parts of our life. Astrology like this gives us an opportunity to slow down, step back, and look at the blessings that are alway there.
Knowing the sign where this activity is happening, and what area of your life that sign relates to (called a “House” in astrology), shows you where to look for the blessings.
(2) Environment Influences Activity
Astrology tells a story in which the planets are actors, with each one having a specific job or function. The sign in which they are located is their current office or working environment in which they are tasked with their job.
Just like in life on Earth, environment influences activity.
You might do your job differently in your office than you do it working from home.
In the same way, how a planet does its job is influenced by their sign where that planet is residing.
Last year, Jupiter and Venus met up in Pisces.
Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces; Pisces is said to be its “home.” Venus is exalted in Pisces, meaning that it has a place of honor. Both planets have access to their full resources in Pisces, which helps them do their best work in their most optimal way.
Aries is a different vibe. Aries is cardinal fire sign with a “me first” energy. It’s the first sign of the Zodiac; a leader eager to be off to the races.
Venus is said to be in its “fall” in Aries; it struggles.
Astrologer April Elliot Kent explains that
Planets in Aries can also be a little bit impulsive, and Venus in this sign can set its cap for something before it’s really had time to think it through and make sure that what we want is what’s right for us. Add Jupiter to the mix, and it’s like having a close friend who is supportive of even your most wrongheaded decisions.
Kent cautions that the Aries factor can create a little bit of frustration and impatience.
Remember that Jupiter magnifies everything, which includes our expectations. Releasing our desires is as important as formulating them. Easing expectations can ease our frustration and impatience.
(3) Nothing Happens in Isolation
In life, nothing happens in isolation. There’s always a broader context.
Sometimes we have moments of extreme joy while also going through moments of profound grief. Elation and despair often co-exist.
Venus and Jupiter are not the only planets in the solar system. Other planets are doing their jobs in other places, and we might feel the energy from those transits as well.
Even the Venus/Jupiter conjunction isn’t happening free and clear of interference. The two planets are meeting almost exactly next to Chiron, an asteroid that represents the wounded healer.
To see the blessings that the Jupiter/Venus conjunction is showing us in our relationships, we may need to do some deeper inner work to explore our attachment wounds. There’s no free lunch in the solar system.
Uranus, the disruptor, is still working its way through the fixed earth sign of Taurus, which is like an earthquake in slow motion.
Also, shortly after the Venus/Jupiter conjunction, Saturn and Mercury will meet up in Aquarius. Where Jupiter expands, Saturn restricts.
This is life: the blessings and the challenges often co-exist.
Allow yourself to feel how you feel. If the planets teach us anything its that the sky, life, and our emotions are always in transit.
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