Stellar Insights: December 19 - 25, 2022
Expansive Jupiter has been swimming in and out of Pisces all year. It sailed into this sensitive sign the end of last December, blazed into fiery Aries on May 10, and then floated back into Pisces on October 28. On Tuesday, it will finally leave Pisces (until it returns again in about eleven years).
For a while now, I’ve been thinking a lot about what Jupiter’s proverbial Piscean swan song may look like, how we might experience a flood of the watery, dreamy, boundaryless, and numinous when it was at the final degree in the zodiac’s last sign.
And while there has been a lot happening, one of the key hallmarks to me seemed to be some very upsetting news that came out of Berlin on Friday…
…that the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium, located in the Radisson Collection Hotel, had burst, sending over 260,000 gallons of water throughout the hotel and the streets, and killing the 1,500 exotic fish that had been housed in it.
Why do I say that this event held this archetype? Because not only is Jupiter the planet that represents growth and expansion, but it also can show us what occurs when we push beyond natural limits. And, of course, Pisces is the sign of the Fish, and a sensitive sign that can be connected to an overflowing of feelings. And so, here we have a devastating event involving marine life, occurring in a structure with largesse; and with that, an ocean of grief-related emotions that this event inspired in many.
I’m curious how you may have been experiencing the culmination of Jupiter in Pisces the last week? Have you found yourself more sensitive? Discovered a deeper ability to attune to subtle perceptions? Noticed anything about your relationship to boundaries? Felt yourself connecting more to the spiritual and soulful? Noticed water trying to catch your attention? If you feel so inspired, please share your reflections in the comments below.
With Jupiter moving back into Aries, we may find that what begins to feel larger than life are new beginnings. Warriors, champions, and soldiers capture our attention. During this first week or so of Jupiter in Aries (when it is at 0 degrees Aries), things may feel especially heated up, incited, or galvanized. We may experience that in our will to be active and pursue our desires. Yet, it also may manifest in an urge to move fast and be more frustrated than usual if things stand in our way of getting what we want. Watch your anger; of course, that doesn’t mean don’t feel it but that if you do, be conscious of what inspires it, how it moves you, and how you how you express it.
That said, even with all the temperature turned up, we may feel a bit in the dark until the New Moon arrives on Friday. After all, each month during the days leading up to this lunation, the Moon is in its balsamic phase. As I note in my book The Complete Guide to Living by the Moon, this lunar phase—one in which outer darkness prevails—urges us to look for the light within us through quietude and reflection. It’s a time to relax, release, and find closure.
When the New Moon does arrive it seems to carry quite a punch. Not only is it in Capricorn, the sign that extols us to be diligent, structured, hard-working, and aware of time; it also makes a tense square to Jupiter in Aries. As such, as we find ourselves wanting to shine more brightly and expand our reach, it seems important be aware of our natural limits, as going to extremes may pull us off course.
As Megan Skinner and I shared in this month’s episode of our So Divine! podcast, the possible clash between Aries and Capricorn may be experienced as a struggle between those that are young and those older. Instead of experiencing this as a split, see how generations can share and learn from one another.
Not only that, the New Moon arrives on the day that Chiron, which embodies the healer archetype, shifts direct in Aries. As such, it seems like we have an opportunity to be more aware of wounds we have related to asserting ourselves. The outcome may be that we begin to give ourselves more permission to let ourselves go after what we want as well as the ability to do so in a conscious, compassionate, and graceful way.
For much more on this New Moon and the invitations of this day, watch for the latest installment of my New Moon articles, which I will post and send by Friday morning.
Last but definitely not least, I wanted to wish you Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays. Whether you celebrate Hanukah (which began last night), the Solstice (which arrives on Wednesday) and/or Christmas (occurring this Sunday), I wish for you only the best and that the light of joy shines down on you, your family, and your community.
xoStephanie
Astrological Highlights
December 20: Jupiter enters Aries
December 21: Sun enters Capricorn (Solstice); Sun/Jupiter Square
December 22: Venus/Uranus Trine
December 23: Chiron Stations Direct; Capricorn New Moon
December 24: Mercury/Neptune Sextile
All days reflect Eastern Standard Time (- 5 hours GMT)