March 1st ~ 8th
“View of Capri” by Oswald Achenbach
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach all of them, but I can look up and see their beauty believe in them, and try to follow them. ~ Louisa May Alcott
On March 3rd we have an exact semi-square between Jupiter, now in the sign of Taurus, and Neptune in the last degrees of Pisces. This is the first challenge to a 13-year cycle that began with the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction (in the sign of Pisces) in April of 2022. At that time we were tasked with sowing seeds marinated in its own pure Pisces essence. Jupiter and Neptune are the co-ruling planets of the sign of Pisces. We do get a Jupiter/Neptune conjunction every 13 years, but rarely do we get one in their own sign of Pisces as we did in 2022.
At the conjunction in 2022 we were being inspired to sow seeds that would allow us to fulfill our ideals and apply them in our daily lives. Where we could have gone off course would be in getting caught up in unrealistic ventures, over-romanticizing our hopes and goals, or by allowing ourselves to be led down the garden path of deception.
But even though it may not have appeared to be so, the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction was influencing us on these very subtle planes, leading us to want to experience the spiritual, the creative, the dreamy, the transcendent and the beautiful in our everyday lives, while also asking us to be inspired by the Good, the Ideal, the True and the Just. We were being asked to live out our highest ideals, and to do so with conviction.
At the semi-square whatever ideals, dreams and aspirations were being seeded 2 years ago are now being tested for stamina and validity. And so we are either being asked to further commit to the sorts of ideals that were much of the driving force 2 years ago; or we are being asked to make whatever adjustments are necessary. If the ideals that you held at the conjunction are still valid and true, it may take a little effort at this time to maintain that vision and keep it moving in the right direction. For it is at this point that you are learning to make those ideals that once seemed so wistful, more real and more sustainable.
Some of the challenges that we might expect at this point in the Jupiter/Neptune cycle:
Disillusionment and Disenchantment: Our Faith is challenged at this juncture, we do not know what or who to believe. We feel bewildered and tricked by false gods, cults and cultish personalities. The world is jaded, no one cares, and our dreams seem to fade like feathery wisps of smoke caught in a breeze. This is when we are tempted to throw in the towel.
Fantasy vs. Reality: In Jupiter/Neptune weather we ask ourselves; What is True, and What is merely an Illusion? How much of what we believe is actually being colored by the imagination, by what we want to see?
Despair: It could feel like it is unrealistic to try and make our dreams a closer reality. Jupiter/Neptune can soar above the clouds, but can also bring us in for something of a crash landing, when things don’t work out the way we had hoped.
Escapism: Not wanting to deal with the real world, we could find ourselves escaping into our own little fantasy world bubble. Intoxicants only complicate things. And doing so only leaves people feeling ungrounded, nursing an awful hangover, and sinking into further despair when we realize that the fantasy or pipe dream was only so much smoke and mirrors.
Distraction: It is really hard to focus in this weather. And it could even feel overwhelming: All these Feelings; Mirages; we See, Hear and Notice more and move from one thing to the next, just exacerbating those feelings of loss, distraction and disenchantment.
What we might want to cultivate at this juncture in the Jupiter/Neptune cycle:
Faith, Spirituality, Religion: At this juncture we might dare to ask questions. And those questions push us further towards a deeper understanding. In turn, disenchantment can lead to further exploration of what we do or do not believe, and where we can find the answers to our questions.
The world of Art, Inspiration, and the Imagination: One of the avenues through which Neptune finds its expression is through the world of the imagination: Fairy Tales, Art, Poetry, and Romance. Jupiter aims to inspire us through discovery and exploration all the way out to the far reaches of time and space. Jupiter combined with Neptune can even carry us to realms of expression heretofore unexplored.
Acts of Compassion and Service: Jupiter and Neptune both have the capacity to help dissolve the boundaries between us. This can then also allow us to better understand our interdependence with one another and 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. Putting these attributes into application in our everyday lives, through service, kind acts, and conscientious compassion can help to make our ideals a closer reality.
The Nature of reality: The semi-square between Jupiter and Neptune challenges us to question the very meaning of life, and all its wonders. Both these planets are symbolic of our evolving relationship with God/the Deific Principle/the Higher Self/Spirit. Whether we believe in that sort of thing or not, this same relationship can also be found when we connect with our: Conscience, the Creative Mind, Intuition, Our Dreams and our sense of Compassion.
We have a tendency to live our lives in a state of utter distraction. Distractions serve as a panacea, but also places our attention outside of ourselves. But the Jupiter/Neptune cycle is begging us to look for the solutions within, not without. This is done by listening for the still, small voice of intuition or conscience, or to connect with our own inner guides, or that divine spark within. If we continue to bustle through our lives we could miss the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) messages that the Jupiter/Neptune cycle is bringing us. So it is necessary to turn down some of the noise and the distraction and the commotion in our lives in order to hear that still small voice in the silence.
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 this week’s horoscopes, click below: