May 23, 2010

Jupiter Opposite Saturn: Expect Extremes


On May 23, Jupiter in Pisces will be exactly opposite Saturn in Virgo at 180 degrees to one another. This is called an opposition in astrology and means they are quite literally pulling against each other, wanting to go in quite contradictory directions. Jupiter and Saturn are polar opposites of each other and when they oppose each other, they test the balance between our desire to grow and expand, while at the same time they expose the limitations of what we can do.

Jupiter is the planet of possibilities – happy, optimistic, enthusiastic, confident, though not always realistic, whereas Saturn is cautious to the point of pessimism, grounded, practical and dismissive of Jupiter’s grandiose ideas. Yet, both need each other.

Dreams and visions inspired by Jupiter sometimes turn into disappointments when they are not anchored and Saturn helps us deal with these. On the other hand, Saturn’s discipline and hard task-master ways need some of Jupiter’s joy and expansiveness to make them palatable. You can almost say that Saturn may be the dough for good bread and Jupiter is the yeast that makes the bread rise. You cannot have one without the other.

What a Jupiter - Saturn opposition demands is the capacity to see that our hopes can be carried forward if we are willing to accept a few compromises and imperfections. Life is never perfect – there is always the shadow between our ideas and how they pan out – and it is our ability to deal with troubles that shapes us. A Jupiter – Saturn opposition can make us swing between extremes – from high to low, complete confidence to utter despondency in a short time. If we want to use the positive energy of this opposition for real achievements, we will need perseverance, a strong sense of purpose, unflinching focus, concentration, and determination and tenacity to work on our own to further our real interests. We need to take steps to grow, but be careful about overextending ourselves since we are bound to face limitations.

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