During my interview on Tales From the Hearth, Elair and Kristen asked which transit I’m most excited about. Without hesitation, I said Jupiter in Taurus. Traveling through each sign in about one year, Jupiter graces the meadows of Taurus from May 16th, 2023, until May 25th, 2024. On December 30th, Jupiter stations direct at 5° 34’ Taurus, ending a four-month retrograde.
Jupiter has many names. Zeus, the gas giant, the greater benefic, to name a few. Jupiter is generous, jubilant, and full of faith. Jupiter is the Sage, a wise mentor or teacher guiding us through life. Well-known fictional Sages include Dumbledore, Gandalf, and Yoda. Wherever Jupiter transits our natal chart, we experience growth and insight. Jupiter transits, for the most part, bring good fortune.
Taurus is the fertile, lush, fixed earth sign of the zodiac ruled by Venus and the exaltation of the Moon. Taurus season is the heart of spring in the northern hemisphere. Renewal arrives with spring flowers, budding trees, and migratory birds. For northern farmers and gardeners, Taurus season marks the final frost and time for planting.
A journey through the three decans of Taurus is one of labor, procreation, and forces of nature. For those unfamiliar with the decans, they are a division of the zodiac into 36 10° segments. There are 12 signs, and each has three decans. Austin Coppock says of the first decan of Taurus, “In this face we gaze upon the ways that we might make use of our world. Understanding resources wisely, we consider how we might multiply their value. The power this decan grants is that of understanding how to create growth, how to achieve abundance. Its use reveals the ways one may work with whatever one has to gain more.”
How might the Sage relate to the first decan of Taurus? The greater benefic brings good fortune and wisdom. Yet, the fields of Taurus lack dignity for Jupiter, who finds goodwill in the realms of Sagittarius, Pisces, and Cancer. In Taurus, cultivation, hard work, and faith earn us Jupiterian luck. The adage, luck is when preparation meets opportunity, encapsulates this. Jupiter in Taurus is fertilizer. It’s one tool in the gardener’s belt, and when combined with dedicated tending and knowledge of plants, it nourishes a bountiful garden.
Flowers bloom in the second decan of Taurus. Austin Coppock says, “Jupiter’s time in the second face of Taurus is sufficient fuel for a variety of blessings. Health and wealth – the goodness of the manifest world, can be approached fruitfully here.”
The thoughtful preparation of the first decan leads to abundance in the second decan. However, dedication is paramount. Austin says, “Yet the matter is not brought to fruition solely by means of a single conjunction, no matter how vigorous. Once planted, the matter must be attended to carefully and consistently.” The second decan is a balancing act of hard work, desire, and pleasure.
Finally, in the third decan of Taurus, we encounter forces of nature beyond human control. “While in the first decan of Taurus great plans were laid and in the second, success was obtained, the third represents a confrontation with destructive factors which impede completion. Flood, drought, and pestilence enter here to ravage what has been planted,” says Austin Coppock.
We live in an age of ecological collapse caused by industrial capitalism. The harrowing scenes of this decan are the sober realities of our present and future. Wildfires rage, the air becomes toxic to breathe, and forever chemicals taint our water. A select few generate domination, power, and profit at the expense of our precious Earth and the lives of the many. How will we, our children, and grandchildren survive ecological devastation? This burden weighs heavy on our shoulders.
“This decan shows victims of circumstance and hubris and offers images of their subsequent destitution. Yet such ruin is never final, for the good spirits of the Litai reside here. Attributed to this decan in the 36 Airs of the Zodiac, a fragmentary Hellenistic astrological text, the Litai are a group of daimones whose name can be translated to ‘prayer’. They carry the litanies of the miserable to the ears of the gods themselves for remediation,” says Austin.
As a Catholic turned agnostic turned mystic, prayer left a sour taste in my mouth for many years. Millennials and Gen Z have received thoughts and prayers from those in power for most of our lives. These platitudes never stop the mass death of climate catastrophe, gun violence, or global pandemics. Collective action births transformation, not prayer.
Yet, as I follow the path of mystic, my relationship to prayer changes. Studying astrology brought me back to prayer. I learned to leave offerings for the Moon and Venus and recite their Orphic Hymns. These practices opened me to ancestor veneration and conversing with the dead. Now, when I’m anxious and full of despair, I pray. Jupiter, please help me see the good in life again. Great Grandpa Rupert, please protect me and keep my family safe.
Jupiter is the planet of faith and prayer. The greater benefic helps us believe in ourselves and one another. Austin Coppock says, “Jupiter in this decan highlights the positive side of this face, exemplified by the Litae. There is great luck in recovering from and avoiding disaster here, as well as an ability to learn from one’s lapses in character and judgement.”
For seven months, Jupiter in Taurus has guided me through climate anxiety. As my collapse awareness increases, I imagine worst-case scenarios and spiral. The love of my life is a type one diabetic, and I’m haunted by the potential collapse of medical supply chains, making insulin inaccessible in our lifetime. I want to deny this scenario, but COVID-19 showed how easily fractured supply chains are during crises. Whenever I spiral, Jupiter in Taurus sends me a lifeline. I cannot control global supply chains or forces of nature, but I can choose how to prepare for what’s to come.
As Jupiter revisits the first decan of Taurus, he invites us to prepare. Reading any IPCC report, we know our collective future is dire. The IPCC’s AR6 synthesis report says, “Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health (very high confidence). There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all (very high confidence).”
Rugged individualism will not save us. Corporate-controlled governments will not save us. Tech billionaires will not save us. Only we can save us.
I read an interview with Dean Spade, author of Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (And The Next). “I want us to be building the kinds of skills we actually believe in, which is how do we share with each other, how do we prepare, how do we think of who's the most vulnerable, how do we get really creative about making medicines people are going to need, or stealing and commandeering the equipment that keeps our beloved people who are sick and disabled alive, or how do we carve out survival through collective community defense and community mutual aid rather than through individualized warring and hoarding?”
Dean said everything I feel as I grapple with the realities of collapse. His words are Jupiterian guidance. The greater benefic is a collectivist, communal, generous planet. He joys in the 11th house of community and collective aspirations. Jupiter is the antidote to capitalist isolation and individualism. Jupiter wants us to build and create together, share resources, and ensure everyone’s survival.
As Jupiter transits Taurus, the Sage guides us to build climate-resilient communities. He encourages deep connection with the Earth. He inspires faith in the face of crisis. My partner and I contemplate our role in this. How do we contribute to our collective survival? What skills do we need to build? The Sage shows us the way.
Will and I are Leo Risings, and Taurus is our 10th house of ambitions, achievements, and public reputation. The 10th house is a place of ethics, principles, and serving as an example for others. Jupiter is a planet of opportunity, and he’s presented us with many. He helps us cohere a vision for our future. Will is a Virgo Sun, and I’m a Taurus Sun. We are meant to cultivate growth together in this lifetime.
In June, Will received the opportunity to complete a workshare on a community-supported agriculture farm. For 18 weeks, he had hands-on farming experience, bringing him fulfillment and joy. The same month, we attended Four Element’s open farm day. Four Elements is an herbal apothecary making our favorite tea blends with plants grown in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin. In my journal, I wrote the farm day was a glimpse into our future.
Jupiter in Taurus affirms our path of becoming farmers to grow herbs and vegetables for our community. Jupiter shows me I’m destined for the path of the astro-herbalist. Although I still struggle with collapse anxiety, Jupiter helps me find faith. I have two favorite Mariame Kaba quotes. “Hope is a discipline.” “We can, we are, we must.” These are my mantras for navigating a world in crisis. With five more months of Jupiter in Taurus, let us sow seeds of faith.
Astrology Readings
Mercury retrograde is encouraging me to take a break after the holidays. Except for the readings already scheduled, I will not be available until mid-January. If you’d like to receive a reading in the new year, my January books are open. I also have gift certificates which make great gifts for the holidays!
As a reminder, my offerings are Constellation of the Soul and Cycles & Seasons. Constellation of the Soul is an in-depth natal chart reading helping to answer questions such as, who am I? What is my calling? Cycles & Seasons is a celestial forecast of the themes, opportunities, and struggles of the year ahead, a review of the year behind, or a combination of past, present, and future. You determine the 12 months, and I find the celestial patterns with techniques like solar return, annual profections, progressions, and transits. Reach out with any questions, and book a reading or buy a gift certificate here.
Happy Winter Solstice!