January 11th ~ 18th
View of Capri, by landscape artist Oswald Achenbach who had Jupiter square Neptune
God to me, is the universe unfolding, the power and potential within all life, the oak within our acorn selves. Not one bit separate, but fused with us like salt and the sea, ever-present in the faces, the scenes, the feelings that pass through our lives day to day. ~ Jan Phillips (God is at Eye Level)
In these spaces between eclipses we often feel as if our energy is draining, that we are just floating in the void. This could be made all the more so by the square between Jupiter and Neptune that becomes exact on January 13th. This is going to be a long-term trend for 2019, which is just drenched in ambiguity and steeped in mysticism.
With Jupiter in Sagittarius this year we are being asked to bring ourselves into alignment with our highest ideals, our most superlative goals, our most outlandish dreams. However, the square to Neptune is here to remind us not to bite off more than we can chew, or make promises we can’t possibly keep, and to keep our eyes wide open. Nonetheless, some of the most successful and visionary people I have encountered have Jupiter and Neptune in hard aspect.You will see successful people in the arts, writers, actors, entrepreneurs, Myth expert Joseph Campbell has the square, Joseph Damien, the compassionate priest who gave his life to aide the lepers in Hawaii had the square, leaders and royalty, the list goes on and on. They are willing to stretch beyond their limitations, and rarely accept no for an answer. When Jupiter and Neptune meet there are no bounds, and our vision becomes vast.
Visionary, unlimited, vast, are just some of the adjectives to describe Jupiter and Neptune, which are both also extremely strong in their own signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. The issue is that with a hard aspect such as the square, there is some sort of conflict that either serves as a catalyst to make the changes necessary to make our dreams and aspirations a closer reality; or exaggerates the qualities of someone or something out of proportion to reality. And there lies the danger. This is the sort of transit that can give birth to charismatic leaders, but also scam artists. Fulfill an ideal, but also stretch financial bubbles in danger of collapsing. Lucky for us, Saturn, also strong in its own sign of pragmatic and reality based Capricorn, will be sextile Neptune this year, keeping us grounded. It will be so important to keep our wits about us, and be able to discriminate between Truth and Falsehoods. Here are some of the obstacles or challenges we could face this year with Jupiter square Neptune:
Lack of Reality: Putting our faith in something that has no basis in reality. Gullibility. Falling for get-rich-quick schemes and scams. Putting faith in someone who has no moral substance. Putting trust in someone or something that is untrustworthy and deceptive. Far-fetched ideas. Financial bubbles. Not everything that glitters is gold. Exaggerating the value of someone or something. Charismatic leaders. Scam artists.
Propaganda and Big Lies: “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” (Adolf Hitler) Subterfuge, glamour, and pulling the wool over people’s eyes are the name of the game. It is hard to discriminate between truth and fantasy, when the truth is severely battered or hidden.
Differences in Ideology: My view is the right view; my God; my Religion; my politics; my beliefs. Everyone else is wrong. This could be confounded by hidden agendas disguised as ideology.
Dissolution: Diasporas. Floods. Tsunamis. Displacement. Diseases or disasters that cross multiple boundaries. Ramifications of the global climate crisis come to mind.
Limbo: Feeling like you are stuck between worlds; not able to go back; and unsure about what the future has in store. That feeling of ambiguity, of not knowing, can contribute to feeling like a stranger in a strange land.
Escapism and Loss: Not wanting to deal with reality; feeling ungrounded; no place to land; losing a sense of personal identification. This could benefit the liquor lobby.
Disenchantment: Tests of faith. Not knowing who to believe; who to trust. False gods. Cults and cultish personalities. This could also benefit the liquor lobby.
There are also things that we can learn and take advantage of with the square:
Faith, Spirituality, Religion: At times like this we dare to ask questions. And those questions push us to tests of faith and deeper understanding. Disenchantment can lead to further exploration of what we do or do not believe.
The Nature of Reality: The square between Jupiter and Neptune dares us to question the very meaning of life, and the way things actually exist. There is much taught on this profound subject of the nature of reality, and it is at these times that we begin to ask these very important and deep questions.
Deity: Through Jupiter/Neptune we experience the deific principle, spirituality, as an inner experiential reality. Rather than looking for confirmation without, which at best is unreliable, we are cautioned to find confirmation within, in our own hearts and minds, which then is reflected in the outer world.
Fantasy, dreams, and Space: Fairy tales, imagination, art and romance. Jupiter dares to discover and explore the far reaches of time and space, which can be both disorienting and mind-blowing at the same time.
Compassion: When boundaries erode, and walls dissolve, we come to understand our relationships and interdependence with one another and with all of nature. Divisions are seen as fabrications. Empathy, kindness and compassion thrive when we come to recognize that we are all here struggling together in this great cosmic experiment we call life.
I believe that God is in me as the Sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower ~ the Light in my darkness, the Voice in my silence. ~ Helen Keller
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: