Next month we have the much-anticipated Jupiter Neptune conjunction at 23°58’ Pisces on 12 April. It’s conjunct by degree from 8 – 12 April and in orb from late March into early May when Jupiter goes into Aries. Jupiter returns to Pisces at the end of October and will form another wide conjunction with Neptune into November, although it never goes exact. So what can we expect?
Jupiter and Neptune form a conjunction every 12 to 13 years, and it takes about 166 years for the conjunctions to move through the whole zodiac. The previous Jupiter Neptune conjunction was in 2009 in Aquarius, and the last conjunction in Pisces was way back in 1856.
Jupiter Neptune alignments tend to coincide with the expansion of ideologies and beliefs, cultural developments in the arts, as well as film and photography, new drugs and medicines, increased travel, fraud and deception, and issues around water and shipping. These events will be filtered through the sign placement of the conjunction.
For example, during the Jupiter Neptune conjunction in Aquarius 2009 (May, July, December) we see technology and social law added to the mix:
UNESCO launched The World Digital Library in April to promote international and intercultural understanding
The Sri Lankan Civil War ended after nearly 26 years of fighting
North Korea announced a second successful nuclear test
H1N1 swine flu pandemic was announced
Greenland gained self-rule
Michael Jackson died due to an overdose triggering huge outpourings of grief worldwide
Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in jail for running a massive Ponzi scheme
Iceland voted to join the EU
Bolivia allowed indigenous peoples to govern themselves
The Treaty of Lisbon came into force, the constitutional basis for the EU
Avatar became the highest-grossing film ever, and was filmed using new techniques
We could also add Barack Obama becoming President of the US and the invention of Bitcoin which both happened in January, but Jupiter and Neptune weren’t technically in orb yet.
Going back to the previous Jupiter Neptune conjunction in Pisces in 1856 (March) we have more Piscean symbolism:
Two American clipper ships left Liverpool and London, and were lost without trace in the Atlantic
Wagner completed the score for Die Walküre
Lewis Carrol chose his pseudonym and not long after took up photography
The first synthetic organic dye, mauveine, was discovered, which led to the start of the chemical industry
The Treaty of Thapathali was signed which ended the Nepalese-Tibetan War
Russia signed the Treaty of Paris marking the end of the Crimean War
The Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law abolished privateering and regulated shipping
The paddle steamer RMS Persia completed the fastest westbound transatlantic crossing
Sigmund Freud was born in May (a wide 10-degree conjunction)
The Death of Chatterton painting was completed by Henry Wallis and shown at an exhibition with a quote from Marlowe’s Faust.
The Death of Chatterton – a famous depiction of suicide by poisoning
As in 1856, the Jupiter Neptune conjunction will magnify the Pisces archetype, with Jupiter boosting the Neptunian energy. This can be highly enjoyable or incredibly confusing, and probably both. Neptune is in Pisces until 2025 so we have a few years left to explore the depths of this sign, and this conjunction provides the perfect opportunity to dive in.
We’ve seen many of our illusions dissolve in recent years and that process will continue, inspiring awakenings but also massive disillusionment and disorientation. That’s likely to get worse from next year when Saturn joins Neptune in Pisces. In the meantime, we still have to deal with enormous levels of misinformation, propaganda and mass psychosis caused by the merging of truth and illusion.
The Jupiter conjunction with Neptune may help to bring more positive energy to the mix, increasing optimism and hope and inspiring people to find faith in the future. But it could also increase deception, turbo-charging the illusion and encouraging people to live in a fantasy world. Many will choose to believe lies because they don’t want to face reality. That bubble may burst when Saturn enters Pisces in 2023.
This transit reinforces the longing for redemption and the urge to merge with something greater than yourself. This can be life-enhancing or destructive depending on how you handle it. The dark side of Jupiter Neptune befuddles and misleads, reinforces addictive behaviour causing drug and alcohol problems, or escapism into false ideologies and worship of dodgy gurus.
Be careful of unrealistic expectations and delusions of grandeur, self-deception and wilful blindness. Jupiter Neptune could give you rose-tinted glasses, making you think you can’t lose, leading to unnecessary risks. Be careful of anyone selling anything, especially if it seems too good to be true. And be extra careful of everything the government and media say now – that’s always the case, but you need your bullshit detector turned up to 11 these days. 😉
Strong Wind by Ivan Aivazovsky, painted in 1856 – couldn’t be more Piscean!
At best, this transit will help you to see through the illusion of separation and recognise the interconnected nature of reality. This makes it a great time for meditation and spiritual practice, and you could dream up a new future for yourself. Jupiter Neptune may inspire or bring visionary insights and expand your consciousness. You may have inspiring dreams which you can channel into imaginative and creative work.
Now is the time to start those creative projects you’ve been putting off – music, art, film, photography, fashion, poetry and creative writing – anything that communicates through symbolism and visions that bypass the rational mind. Or you may want to reconnect with the natural world and spend more time exploring and find inspiration through travel – just be extra careful around water.
You may be inspired to create a utopian society where everyone lives in harmony, which is harder than either Jupiter or Neptune would have you believe. Or you can help others through healing work, increased psychic sensitivity and compassion, or by spreading inspiration and upliftment through teaching.
With any luck, we’ll all feel a little more joyful and optimistic, at least for a few weeks, and that might encourage us to find positive solutions to the many problems we face. Now is the time to believe in yourself and imagine a better, more hopeful future for everyone. But take a moment to reality check your visions or when Saturn goes into Pisces next year, you might get a nasty surprise.
Having said that, the Jupiter Neptune conjunction happens just after the Mars Saturn conjunction in Aquarius and it’s still in orb on 12 April. Along with the Virgo Moon, this should provide some practical grounding and a willingness to work hard and take responsibility for your ideas and how they affect others in society.
Obviously how this plays out for you depends on where the Jupiter Neptune conjunction falls in your chart. This area is currently being bathed in enchantment so make the most of it – but keep your feet on the ground!
More on the history of Jupiter Neptune conjunctions from Mel Priestley here, and a post on the spiritual side of Jupiter Neptune from Steven Forrest here.
Images: Chatterton; Sea
