The Great Conjunction – the start of a new era! And in many ways!
Believe it or not, the Great Conjunction (the union of Jupiter and Saturn in the skies) coming on December 21st is a great thing! Don’t worry about the doom and gloom some people would have you believe. The Great Conjunction has typically heralded stabilizing energies and in the wake of a highly unstable year, I’m sure we could all do with the reassurance that ups and downs will be less extreme in 2021!
Now before I get into all the exciting astrological details, I’m going to backpedal and give you some background information on what the Great Conjunction is, then I’ll get into the personal and global effects and lastly, I have a magickal exercise for you to work with. Being both an astrologer as well as a Wiccan High Priestess, I know how beneficial it can be to work with astrological energies using simple forms of magick.
So, what do you have to look forward to in this article?
1) What is the Great Conjunction and why is it “Great”?
2) How has the Great Conjunction showed itself in history?
3) What are the personal and global effects of the Great Conjunction?
4) Personal Magick to harness the power of the Great Conjunction
What is the Great Conjunction and why is it “Great”?
The Great Conjunction is the union of Jupiter (the planet of fortune, philosophy, and growth) with Saturn (the planet of karma, stability, authority). Astrologically, these two planets are of opposing essences. In fact, if you take the symbol of Jupiter and turn it upside down, you get the symbol for Saturn – a hint at their contrary natures. When they become conjunct, meaning that they occupy the same zodiacal degree from our earthly perspective, it signifies the union of 2 contrary natures.
Astrologically, the Great Conjunction is used to measure generations and historical eras as it occurs every 20 years approximately. The reason that it is referred to as the “Great Conjunction” is because it has always ushered in the energy of fertility and stability. And knowing that every 20 years, there’s an infusion of these qualities, well…I’d call that great too. And given the nature of 2020, I’m sure that many of you will find it great too!
But here are a few other super cool things about the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction that make it Great:
· Every 20 years, it will renew itself in a sign of the same element (Earth, Water, Air, or Fire)
· The Great Conjunction spends 220 years in a single element before moving on to the next
· As it cycles between zodiac signs of the same element, it tends to return to the same degree forming a triangle in the skies over time or what is called a grand trine in astrology (the perfect harmonious flow of energy between 3 planets, or in this case, 3 conjunctions over time)
· This particular Great Conjunction will be the first of the series in the element of Air, leaving the previous epoch of Earth
How has the Great Conjunction showed itself in History?
Would you believe me if I told you that this is not the first time it was thought that the Great Conjunction would usher in world devastation?
True story here – In the year 1583, there was a Great Conjunction that was the last of the series in the element of Water. In the metaphysical communities at the time, it was commonly held that as the final Great Conjunction in a particular element, it would usher in chaos and destruction. The fear behind this astrological event spread so much that a Papal Bull was issued in the year 1586 discrediting and condemning Astrology. When nothing had happened by the year 1603, Astrology found further discredit in its failure to accurately predict the end of the world.
The Great Conjunction was of particular interest to medieval metaphysicians, astrologers, and philosophers. Their knowledge of it came from Arabic sources of Astrology. A great deal of medieval astrology was influenced by old Arabic knowledge of Astrology and even notable magicians like Agrippa were very well-versed with the astrological knowledge that came from the Middle East.
Here’s another true story – Johannes Kepler, the German Mathematician and Astronomer/Astrologer, traced the Great Conjunction back through epochs and held a theory that the Star of Bethlehem was actually a super close conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that was highly visible. I don’t know if that’s true (I wasn’t there), but it would be interesting as the story of Christ’s birth was part of the ushering in of a much larger era (greater than 20 years for sure)!
More recently, Astrologers have also used the repetitions of the Great Conjunction as demarcations of the generations in the last century, delineating the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z based on the repetitions of this conjunction.
It is an interesting approach to dividing the generations and would leave the even more tantalizing question of: What will the next generation be like?
What are the Personal and Global Effects of this current Great Conjunction?
If I were to sum up the effects of this Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, it would be this:
Stability through service and care
On a global level, this Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is stimulating us to bring about stability through Aquarian means since that it where they are moving into conjunction. And Aquarius is all about the use of intelligence, research, technology, inventions, and rebellion to benefit, improve and ultimately save human lives. Jupiter’s union with Saturn in Aquarius offers humanity the ability to take our wildest dreams, theories, and philosophies and to see them grounded in the physical.
Doesn’t that make you feel hopeful?
You know, there are many interesting things about this particular Great Conjunction but what I love most about it comes from the teachings of Esoteric Astrology. Both Jupiter and Saturn have a certain dignified status in Aquarius, let me explain:
· The personality ruler of Aquarius is Saturn
· The soul-based ruler of Aquarius is Jupiter
So, the personality and soul-based rulers are conjoined in the very zodiac sign that they rule together. This has the potential to bear many good fruits for the world if we can make sure of a few things. There one’s really key piece that you need to remember about the next 20 years though:
This will be a time of experimentation – you may not necessarily see the final results of the work done for the next 20 years.
Indeed, the Aquarian influence of this Great Conjunction will slowly chip away at the authority structures in society re-orienting systems of governance from self-preservation (the influence of the previous elemental epoch of Great Conjunctions in Earth signs) to higher humanitarian functions. What will start to become obvious is that these systems must have a relationship with the people they are meant to serve – be it governmental bodies, corporations, or other large societal structures.
Also, this Great Conjunction will wake up the humanitarian within all of you. Reminding you that every other human alive must breathe the same air, experiences the same joys of life that you do, and can be hurt too. The disenfranchisement created by societal separation will start to heal with the unification of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius – and thank goodness! There’s enough evil in this world caused by separation and the opinions that result in forgetting that others love and hurt just as we do.
The further good news is that the energies of the year 2021 also support healing those societal rifts that create conflict, hatred, and chaos. If you want to know more about the energies of 2021, I definitely encourage you to attend the online 2021 Astrology Forecast where you’ll get all the details of astrological energies in the coming year, how they will affect the planet and how you can best work with them!
Now, on a personal level, there are several great things that you may experience:
1) Opening yourself to the humanity in others
2) Feeling the call to serve others in meaningful ways
3) Desiring more intelligence and wisdom
4) Increased drive for creative expression coupled with a stronger connection to the Higher Mind (Mind of God) – where all ideas and inspirations exist
5) Being more willing to look into and understand viewpoints counter to your own
6) More clarity around the functionality of all the different aspects of your life (work, home, relationships, health, etc.)
7) Becoming more technical and detailed about how you want to manifest your goals and desires
If you’re really taking in and incorporating the energy of the Great Conjunction in Aquarius, you’ll feel capable, well-prepared, idealistic, and excited to manifest. Aquarius can be a sign that can also be easily distracted, however the stabilizing effects of Jupiter and Saturn in conjunction here restore focus so that you can not only dream, but also follow through on the actions that will make those dreams a reality.
I know it’s happening just prior to the Christmas holidays, but I honestly encourage you to spend as much time as you can in creative mode so that you can make the most of this energetic wave. In the last section below, I have an exercise for you that can help you focus that energy.
Personal Magick to Harness the Power of the Great Conjunction:
This exercise is also influenced by my background as a Wiccan High Priestess. The Great Conjunction happens on the Winter Solstice – the Rebirth of the Sun. In the Wheel of the Year, the Winter Solstice is a time of hope, renewal, and a time of joy. Yule logs and fires were lit to help keep the flame alive inside the heart.
So, working with the magick of the Great Conjunction in Aquarius (air), let’s invigorate the flame of spirit with some magick!
Here’s what you’ll need:
· 2 candles (appropriate colours: blues, purples, white)
· 2 candleholders
· Pencil or pen
Instructions:
1) Contemplate and meditate for a few minutes and make 2 lists. The first is areas of life or aspects of self that you would like to stabilize. The second is areas of life (or aspects of self) that you want to grow or serve in
2) Choose one candle for Jupiter and one for Saturn
3) Carve the symbol for Jupiter into one candle, and the symbol for Saturn into the other (See below)
4) On the Saturn candle, carve the areas of life or aspects of self from the first list
5) On the Jupiter candle, carve the areas of life or aspects of self from the second list
Light the candles (preferably the evening of the 21st) and take some time to meditate with them and receive an infusion of the Great Conjunction as well as guidance about your own growth and stability
The Great Conjunction will return!
As I mentioned, the Great Conjunction happens every 20 years and so we will see it again! In fact, the next one will take place on October 31st, 2040. Yes, the Great Conjunction seems to have become Wiccan, moving from the Winter Solstice to Halloween!
But in the next 20 years, we get to look forward to significant strides in humanitarian development, improvements in how science and technology can serve us (if we can keep up the emphasis on the importance of humanity in that equation) as well as shift in relationship that various authorities have with the people they are meant to serve.
There will also be a whole generation of children born who value all facets of the human experience and will grow up determined to use every tool at their advantage to make the world a better place for all beings.
So, as we enter the rest of this decade, perhaps we can get the engines going better than we have this year!
May the Great Conjunction bless your life with fertility, growth, and stability!
Aleks