Jupiter in Capricorn – A Necessary Contraction

Bountiful in optimism, knowledge and resources, Jupiter has been in great shape in this past year being in his own home of Sagittarius where he feels most comfortable to freely dream, grow and expand. He has also managed to dodge the pressure cooker of heavy emotions of 2019 caused by some pretty challenging planetary aspects and intense eclipses in the cardinal signs.

But all of this is about to change when Jupiter finally moves into the next sign of Capricorn on the 3rd December 2019 at 5.20am (AEST), shifting the way we grow and expand our lives.

Jupiter will operate under the austere ruler of Capricorn, Saturn, for the most part of 2020, where accountability and consequences will be its key mission.

Let’s look at what happens when the lucky planet, Jupiter, enters into the uncompromising and practical realm of Capricorn and how we may see this in the world, and feel this in our hearts.

Getting real with our dreams

I recently saw a headline to the effect of “Ten years in the making of my overnight success” which immediately caught my attention as the perfect Jupiter in Capricorn statement. Saturn is here to teach Jupiter that there is no such thing as the proverbial ‘overnight success’. Hard work, know-how, patience and dedication will be the root of all success under Saturn’s rule.

So for 2020, no matter how attractive the deal is, it’s never as good as what it seems. Don’t buy into grandiose and inflationary projects; look at what it’s going to take to get you there then think about whether you’re prepared to do all of this.

This will also be a good period to assess whether the things you’re currently doing are aligned to what’s best. So, if you find yourself continually having to justify your actions, this may be the time where endings occur in order to set you on the right path.

Jupiter’s optimism will be forced into stringent reality checks to test the viability of any project that’s been dreamt of in the past year. All of a sudden, the glasses may not look so rosy anymore. Rather, the daily grind and scrutiny of our plans will become viscerally apparent to us as we get down to the nitty-gritty work. But there’s a deep sense of accomplishment and purpose when you can finally sink your hands into the work of manifesting dreams. The work might not seem glamorous, but navigating through the practical details of making things happen is what we can look forward to. After all, Jupiter is the benefic and lucky planet so he will do his darn best to put our big picture plans on the agenda.

Living the law of cause and effect

Ruling the concept of time, Saturn or Chronos as he’s otherwise known, teaches us the value of patience as we must wait for all good things. Whatever Saturn does, it does it well and with an intention to endure the test of time.

Saturn is here to teach Jupiter the important lesson of consequence – that we must sow our own seeds and wait for the harvest in due time; that we must put in the hard work in order to achieve success; that we must adopt a realistic approach over fantasy or exaggeration in pursuing our goals.

Like a wild brumby forced to live in a stable, all of this can be very stifling for the ever-expansive Jupiter, who operates on inspiration and an inherent trust that attracts the opportunities needed to propel any project.

Coming from his home sign of Sagittarius where he has been able to operate on trust and inspiration to get by, Jupiter now finds himself in a very different place – a temporary home for the year that can feel a little too cold and dry for his warm and moist nature.  In Capricorn, Jupiter will need to curb his enthusiasm and insatiable drive for growth and expansion because the consequences of excessiveness will be stalking his every move.

Contraction-led growth

Jupiter in Capricorn won’t be the happiest Jupiter around, but the austerity measures are imposed for good reason. Under the ambitious Capricorn agenda, we will all benefit from getting the job done right in a way that’s sustainable.

Our over-consuming ways have irreversibly destroyed the planet we live on, and we can all benefit from some time in an earth sign like Capricorn, to evaluate our basic survival needs whilst honouring that of the earth’s, before we make our grand plans for the future. Sometimes we must contract in order to expand.

The last time Jupiter entered Capricorn was between December 2007 to January 2009. Enter the global financial crisis, that shook the whole world to its core and displaced many people off their lifelong plans. The inflationary bubbles and extravagant spending prior to the global financial crisis saw no escape once Jupiter entered into the austere domain of Capricorn. Something had to give, and Saturn had to exercise his heavy hand of prudence and accountability. Try to reflect on what you were doing during this time between December 2007 to January 2009. This could allude to similar themes that you may encounter from December 2019 until December 2020.

If we can let go of our expectations of growth as we know it, Jupiter in Capricorn can be experienced as a time of expansion based upon a solid foundation of sustaining and natural methods. A slow and steady approach to growth with integrity and substance will no doubt set us up to move mountains under the guidance of wise old Chronos. Saturn brings practical wisdom to the more naïve and idealistic Jupiter, and when these two planets meet in Aquarius in December 2020, we are installed for a paradigm shift within our psyche as well as on the world stage (stay tuned for this article!).

But for the meantime, Jupiter’s initiation into the Capricorn and Saturnian rites will prepare the us for the ripening fruits of change. Economic and environmental pressures will continue to be the norm and our reality will have to encompass a way of living that’s simple, thrifty and sustainable. With Saturn, Pluto and Ketu dancing together for the past two years in Capricorn, we’re already in the mode of austerity measures. But seeing Jupiter managed to escape the gaze of these intense planets all year in 2019, it’s as though he never quite got that memo about tightening the budget. Until now. For the next 12 months, Jupiter will be co-present with this heavy cluster and he will need to learn how to adapt his extravagant ways in order to conform and survive. A conservative approach with minimal risk – a must.

Jupiter in Capricorn in your chart

Jupiter in Capricorn will be a somewhat uncomfortable placement for all of us in the next 12 months as it will challenge us to question our excesses, extravagances and ego-driven pursuits. This may look like an added sensitivity to the skepticism or negativity around us. Perhaps we may feel blockages across our paths that were previously free-flowing. We may feel a dark cloud looming over us and hurling wet blankets on all our ideas. Or perhaps there could be a feeling of getting a raw deal; that things aren’t panning out as you had expected.

On a personal level, we will most likely feel the tightening grip of this transit in some way, especially for people with prominent Pisces or Sagittarian energy in their chart. For example, people born with the Sun, Moon or Ascendant in Pisces or Saggitarius will most likely feel the heavier downward pull of earth, and a little less spring in their naturally bouyant steps in life.

In addition, the area  of your chart where Jupiter is entering Capricorn, as well as the houses ruled by Pisces and Saggitarius, will highlight where you may feel a contradictory push-pull effect. On the one hand, you may want to grow and expand in this area of your life, but on the other hand, something is getting in the way of all of this. Blockages to your plans may be more consciously experienced in this area of life, which can come in many forms, even from within yourself as we lean towards more self-limiting tendencies.

There may be a theme of disappointments coming with Jupiter in Capricorn in the area of life represented by the house he is travelling through. As discouraging as this may be, try to imagine these hurdles as the hand of Saturn diverting you towards a better path. This path may not be easy or quick, but unbeknownst to us at this stage, it may lead to the abundance that you’re seeking.

This 12 months will be the time where our trust and belief systems will be tested, whether that be a religion, devotional practice or whatever philosophical orientation you lean to. When times get tough, it provides us with the opportunity to exercise these spiritually-orientated practices to access our deep personal resources and connect to our true meaning of life.

Jupiter in Capricorn in your personal chart

If you have access to your natal chart, look to see where Capricorn is in the wheel, as this house will signify the area of life where you will most likely feel what I’ve described above. If you don’t have access to your chart, click here to receive a copy of your personalised natal chart in your inbox (date, time and place of birth required).

Using the house meanings below…

• Identify which house the sign of Capricorn occupies
• Identify which houses where Pisces and Saggitarius are
• Contemplate the meaning of these three houses in context to Jupiter in Capricorn as described in the article and what this could mean for you

Looking at the bigger picture

If we consider Jupiter’s 12-year cycle where he spends approximately one year in each sign, this next year, along with the year he is in Virgo, are considered to be his two most challenging years. We’re all about to head into a year where Jupiterian opportunities, abundance and freedom is drastically scaled back.

Perhaps there is a deeper purpose at work here wherein these two earth signs (Capricorn and Virgo) intervene for two years of Jupiter’s 12-year cycle to ground his excessiveness and inject a sense of practicality to his idealism. As such, we must honour Jupiter’s time in Capricorn as a necessary contraction in our evolution and growth.

As the end of 2019 approaches, I hope this article has been helpful as you contemplate your year ahead. If you would like to explore Jupiter in Capricorn in your chart in more detail, along with a comprehensive assessment of other cycles affecting your natal chart, you could consider booking a Year-Ahead Consultation to help you navigate through 2020 more consciously.