It’s been a season of retrogrades… The final planet to glide backwards across the sky this season is Jupiter (known as The Greater Benefic), starting on September 4 and lasting until December 30. In astrology, Jupiter is considered to be an extremely lucky planet, even when it is retrograde. If you’re looking to expand your mind, travel across the globe, place bets, or take a chance in any situation then know that Jupiter is the primary planet for granting us access to these amazing possibilities. Jupiter is also known for its good vibes and energetic spirit. The world’s your oyster and the sky’s the limit whenever Jupiter is active.
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Jupiter takes a full year to transit each constellation: it completes a cycle around each zodiac sign every 12 years. Within the year, Jupiter retrograde occurs only once for approximately four months. So, while the planet of expansion and growth isn’t a frequent backwards walker, the annual retrograde is major for this philosophical celestial body. Jupiter is currently in the sign of Taurus, so we can expect to see the elements of the Bullish sign exaggerated and highlighted by Jupiter. Yes, the same vibe applies when Jupiter is retrograde, except we proceed with a tad more caution than before.
Jupiter retrograde urges us to think before we leap. Jupiter has been calmly wandering in the sign Taurus since May 16, so we have not been putting the horse before the chart (usually Jupiter transits push us to do the opposite). We haven’t been wearing our hearts on our sleeves, making extreme declarations, taking financial risks, and have been planning our vacations instead of impulsively wandering around a foreign town. The flip side is that our creativity has been on fire, the desire to connect intimately with others is high, and it’s been challenging to understand another perspective — especially if it juxtaposes with ours. All of these sentiments will be reflected on a deeper and broader level when the retrograde commences.
Now that Jupiter retrograde in Taurus is asking us to take time before diving head first into matters, we’ll be rethinking financial investments, relationships, artistic endeavors, and how we take care of ourselves. The need for decadence, indulgence, and self-care will be very important, as we will begin to notice that others have taken precedence in our personal lives. Rest and relaxation is a crucial part of this transit, since the zodiac sign Taurus likes to work hard and rest hard. However, that doesn’t rule out partying. Play time won’t be limited (a sentiment that Jupiter retrograde in Taurus will raise a glass to), it’ll be something that we find ourselves doing more of at this juncture, which is why it’s crucial to spend the extra energy giving ourselves some TLC.
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As with every retrograde, we should try to read between the blurry lines. Respecting other people’s boundaries (and keeping up our limits) might be hard. But, we have to recognize that we cannot ignore the wishes and needs of those we care about. This also means understanding that we won’t always get our way and we must lighten up on stubbornness. Learning to adopt to new situations isn’t bad, and it’s all the more reason why we must keep an open mind, be less rigid, and go with the flow at this moment even though that could prove to be extremely challenging.
The one thing to watch out for is trusting people before they’ve earned it, which could lead to us overlooking red flags. Instead of intellectualising matters, lead with your gut instincts. If anything doesn’t feel right, then it’s time to let it go — at least for now. Move on to the next best thing and focus on that for the duration of the retrograde.
Important Dates For Jupiter Retrograde:
September 4: Jupiter retrograde in Taurus commences.
October 28: Mercury in Scorpio opposes Jupiter retrograde, opening our eyes to new ideas or giving us another insight into an older situation.
November 3: The Sun in Scorpio juxtaposes Jupiter retrograde, bringing confidence to us.
December 9: Venus in Scorpio aspects Jupiter retrograde, pushing us to indulge in our bad habits and old relationships.
December 18: Mercury retrograde in Capricorn aspects Jupiter retrograde, making us reflect on the past.
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December 27: The Capricorn Sun harmonizes with Jupiter retrograde, bringing positive vibes our way.
December 30: Jupiter turns direct, ending the retrograde.
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