“Do you know where you’re going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to
Do you know?” ~ lyrics sung by Diana Ross
The present 20-year Jupiter-Saturn cycle began in 2000. In May that year, the two biggest planets came together in Taurus. A conjunction or joining forces of two (or more) planets is a powerful event signifying a new beginning. As the union of Jupiter and Saturn coincided with the new millennium, Planet Earth, with its nations, governments, societies, families and individuals, braced itself to plough through unknown territory.
A decade later, on August 17, 2010, the two planets stand facing each other at opposite points in the sky, marking the midpoint of the great 20-year cycle.
An opposition presents a stalemate as two opposing planets struggle to hold their own ground. This is a counterbalancing alignment, although a frustrating one. With the two planetary giants in a stand-off, it may be very difficult to know, much less predict the direction the trends in your life are taking.
All the more when the the two planets in opposition by themselves represent contradicting principles—Jupiter for expansion and idealistic liberalism, Saturn for contraction and conservative realism. This translates to a conflict between the urge for greater freedom, mobility and opportunity (Jupiter) and the desire to hold on to the safe and predictable (Saturn).
You may be pushing the accelerator one moment and slamming on the brakes the next. You might say it should be easier to just break away and start over (which is very Jupiterian), but that is easier said than done! Ah, Saturn. Father Cronos represents the weight of past experience that holds you down! However, if you decide to plug on and maintain the status quo (very Saturnian), think of where it will land you ten years down the road. You may be safe, but are you any more accomplished, let alone happier?
On the positive side, the planets have their own way of resolving an impasse. The nice thing about oppositions, tension-ridden as they are, is that they allow us to see both sides. Jupiter provides a moderating influence on Saturn, preventing our thought patterns from becoming too set. On the other hand, seasoned Saturn can teach Jupiter a few things like adjustment, making wise choices and self-control.
With the Jupiter-Saturn opposition, consider the things that life has shown you in the last ten years. Would you have done differently then to bring about the outcome that you desire? No matter how long and arduous (Saturn), you can reach your star so long as you pin your hopes on it (Jupiter). Jupiter and Saturn CAN work together if you make them. Use Jupiterian courage and Saturnian cautiousness in the right proportions and you can make a dream come true. There’s ten more years to produce the perfect mix!
Still, we need to give credit where credit is due. Saturn needs to have the edge, at least in my point of view. Without the time put in and the responsibility to actualizing a dream you hold dear, there would be little else to work and live for, or no?