JUPITER STATIONS RETROGRADE IN GEMINI
Tomorrow, Wednesday October 9th 2024 at 12:04am Pacific Time, Jupiter will station retrograde at 21 degrees of Gemini. From our earthly perspective, it’ll travel backwards through this sign until February 4th 2025, when it’ll station direct at 11 degrees of Gemini. So Jupiter will make a total of three trips across this 10-degree stretch of the zodiac, and if you have any planets there in your birth chart (especially near one of the station points), they’ll be getting very familiar with the “king of the gods” over the next few months!
As the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter symbolizes expansion. It’s a larger-than-life character: adventurous, generous, confident and resilient. This is the “Greater Benefic” of traditional astrology, representing abundance and luck - which we can view as random, or as interwoven with our faith in and connection to the universe. Jupiter is also a bridge between the inner and the outer planets, linking us as individuals to the larger global collective.
Retrogrades symbolize reflection, as a planet retraces its steps through territory it has already recently covered. Under the influence of a Jupiter retrograde, we may seem less open and more serious on the outside, as the cheerful energy of this planet is directed inwards instead. But this provides us with an excellent opportunity for spiritual growth, as we can more easily expand past the limiting beliefs we’ve internalized.
Jupiter spends about a year in each zodiac sign, and has been in Gemini since May of 2024. This is the sign of perception, information and communication, so Jupiter’s stay in Gemini marks a period of rapid learning and mental expansion. This mutable air sign is the fastest-moving energy of the zodiac, and I find that it particularly benefits from retrogradation and reflection - because what Jupiter and Gemini have in common is a tendency toward overextension.
As a Gemini Rising, I can’t help but be happy to have the planet of abundance in my first house of self for a whole year! But many are less enthused about this transit, since Jupiter is traditionally in its “exile” or “detriment” in Gemini (since it rules the opposite sign of Sagittarius). We live in an overstimulating age, constantly inundated with information and media, technology allowing everyone and everything to clamor for our attention at all times. This is certainly reflected (if not heightened) by Jupiter in Gemini, expanding our desire to experience everything and not miss out. That makes this retrograde a perfect time to really reflect on what information and media we spend our time consuming.
Are you sticking your head in the sand because current events are too frightening and depressing? Are you escaping into the trashiest entertainment you can find? Or are you obsessively checking the news and social media, never giving your nervous system a chance to unwind and reset? With Gemini’s ruler Mercury currently moving through Libra (and in a harmonious trine with Jupiter), our minds need an opportunity to calm down and recalibrate so that we can move forward with clarity and empowerment. This allows space to align with our authentic values, rather than whatever ideas we’ve absorbed from toxic mainstream culture.
The coming months are an invitation to make sure we’re using our curiosity and intelligence for good, and to reflect on our greater roles in the world. If you are financially able to do so, embody Jupiter’s generosity by donating to mutual aid initiatives in your area, to relief for those impacted by devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton, and to all the struggling survivors of genocide in Palestine (as we solemnly observe the one-year anniversary of this heightened conflict and ethnic cleansing). As the US government continues to send billions of dollars to fuel the death machine of the Israeli military - while allowing residents of this country to fall into ever-deeper financial desperation - we need to remember to take care of each other and build collective resilience for all the changes to come. Jupiter and Gemini are both mutable energies, and their flexibility and adaptability is crucial in weathering all kinds of storms.
Along with stress and anxiety, Gemini’s shadow sides include falsehoods and manipulating information. This retrograde reminds us to be careful about jumping to conclusions or taking things at face value. Jupiter asks us to notice patterns, to keep an eye on the big picture and not get lost in the details. But this planet has its darker sides too, including arrogance, denial and unrealistic expectations. Revolutionary optimism is crucial in this day and age, but that doesn’t mean waiting for a deus ex machina to swoop in and save us. On a personal level, now’s the time to look around at what you may be taking for granted, and to express gratitude for all the blessings in your life - which also gives us the energy to keep going day by day.
To see what areas of your life are now most ripe for reflection and expansion, check what house or houses of your birth chart contain 11-21 degrees of Gemini.
1st house: self, personality, identity, appearance
2nd house: income, resources, values, confidence
3rd house: perception, thought, communication, local environment
4th house: home, family, roots, inner world
5th house: play, pleasure, creative expression, dating
6th house: health, service, routine, mentorsip
7th house: one-on-one relationships & partnerships
8th house: sex, death, magick, surrender
9th house: beliefs, philosophy/religion, higher education, long journeys
10th house: career, reputation, calling, mission
11th house: goals, allies, organizations, society
12th house: subconscious, spirituality, solitude, mental health
If you have some astrological knowledge and skill, you can check what aspects Jupiter will be making as it stations retrograde (for example, it’ll be conjunct my Mars and square to my natal Jupiter). If you’d like some help unpacking those relationships and what this Jupiter retrograde means for you, my books are currently open for astrology readings. Regardless, I hope that we’ll all embrace the chance for fruitful reflection and beneficial growth over the coming months!
