Dear Friend and Reader:

Jupiter wraps up the past year in its home sign Sagittarius tomorrow, Dec. 2, entering Capricorn at 1:20 pm EST (10:20 am PST / 18:20:03 UTC). Capricorn is the home sign of Saturn (and Saturn is there, moving into its big conjunction with Pluto, in January). Jupiter moving through Capricorn merges a planet and a sign with quite opposite tendencies.

Think of this as a little like mixing oil and water. Jupiter and Sagittarius relate to such things as expansion, vision, spiritual concepts, wisdom and optimism. Saturn and Capricorn relate to themes like structure, containment, discipline, practical application and conservatism (even pessimism).

Yet like emulsifying a salad dressing, there are ways to find some balance and interplay between the two rather than just having one sit on top of the other. You can use the qualities of one to enhance, focus or flesh out the other.

Such is a rather more modern take on the dynamics of this situation. Jupiter is said to be “in Fall” in Capricorn — the term for when a planet occupies the sign opposite that of its “Exaltation” (which is different from the sign a planet rules).

According to The Arkana Dictionary of Astrology by Fred Gettings, “In the ancient astrological system, a synonym for the term [Fall] was ‘prison’, the idea being that a planet’s influence was imprisoned in the sign opposite to its Exaltation.”

Things are not necessarily so strict as that implies, however, even in Saturn’s domain. Jupiter has just exercised considerable expansiveness in Sagittarius this past year, especially while in aspect to that other diffuse and permeable influence, Neptune in Pisces. We can think of that energy as infusing and buoying Capricorn.

Here’s what some notable astrologers have to say about Jupiter in Capricorn (in terms of natal chart placement):

Isabel Hickey writes in Astrology: A Cosmic Science, “Jupiter’s expansiveness is often held down by Saturn’s cautiousness. Necessary to learn giving-outness for there is a tendency to be miserly with the expression of loving feelings, as well as with money and material possessions.”

As negative as that might sound, note that Hickey spells out the way through the situation: the generosity and warmth needed to balance Saturn’s cautiousness can be learned. It’s possible to become aware of the need to shift perspective to one of abundance and openness. Giving and offering and sharing are not simply actions some people perform innately. They are habits you can practice and cultivate.

Julia and Derek Parker offer another perspective in their Parkers’ Encyclopedia of Astrology:

“Rather soberly placed in Capricorn, Jupiter will assist with the achievement of [the native’s] objectives, and often denotes considerable ambition. It will also contribute an off-beat sense of humour and fun to a generally rather serious outlook on life.”

They add that, “the ability and desire to look at every aspect of a situation and carefully calculate every move in advance will be an enormous asset,” and further note that the optimism of Jupiter and the pessimism of Capricorn both have their positive uses — which can be balanced and used to great advantage.

Ideally, you can blend the best of these two opposite forces. For example, by using your sense of humor to see the absurdity in serious, troubling or restrictive situations. You can make a conscious practice of expressing generosity and warmth as you harness your ambition to move ahead in your life. Doing so is a tool for keeping your aspirations from morphing into avarice, without denying your goals.

Debbi Kempton-Smith takes her characteristically no-holds-barred, tongue-in-cheek approach to natal Jupiter in Capricorn in Secrets from a Stargazer’s Notebook: “You know how to connect with the right people, talk them into deals, and make them like your weirdness. No one glides through the Old Boy Network better than you do. Politics, in the world or in the office, intrigues you.”

Yet Kempton-Smith also describes the dynamic of liberally giving and receiving favors, writing, “You believe that bread cast upon the waters comes back to you tenfold.” She’s slyly referring to Jupiter’s association with religion (and excess) by paraphrasing a Biblical quote, and combining it with a magnified version of the Pagan Three-fold Law, which describes the tripled return of the energy we put out into the world.

You can think Jupiter as the spiritual concept, the knowledge and the wisdom, and Capricorn as its practical application. Or imagine a person of actual faith and justness entering a codified institution that purports to be about such things, but which is mainly concerned with enforcing old rules. In Thursday’s issue, Eric illustrated this with the image of “God goes to church,” and also “the chief justice (a Sagittarius thing) visiting the capitol (a Capricorn thing)” (which is about to happen).

Circling back to politics for a moment, Eric quipped in an email exchange about Jupiter’s move to Cap, “Political season has officially begun. So you’re sick of politics? There’s about to be a lot more.”

How will you need to grow, and where will you need to reinforce boundaries, to navigate and engage with that environment without completely fleeing it? Note also that the Sun and asteroid Pallas are exactly conjunct in Sagittarius when Jupiter makes its ingress Monday. This looks like the ability to tap into and express a broad-view strategy, or political idealism.

You can be optimistic, if you personally take action toward making the right thing happen, and have a sense of humor. This is the practical application (Saturn/Cap) of vision and faith (Jupiter/Sag). “The right thing” does not happen by magic, or by magical thinking; it is a choice, backed by action.

You have the power to make that choice every day. Indeed, it will likely take many of us making that choice ongoing — as one of my colleagues suggested, with humility, faith, and a measure of frugality. In that way we may just bring through the most constructive possible merging of Jupiter and Capricorn.