This is a pretty big week in the astrology world, as three planets all begin retrograding around the same time. No need to worry, though. All retrogrades are not bad retrogrades, least of all Jupiter, which is one of the planets that will start moving in reverse this week — on May 14 to be exact, lasting until September 12. In fact, Jupiter is one of the least chaotic retrogrades of all time.
Every year for around four months, the gas giant appears to track backward. But it keeps its distance from Earth, never getting as close as planets like Mercury, Venus, and Mars do during their retrogrades, according to Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer at Astrology.com and Horoscope.com. Because of this, the effects of Jupiter retrograde aren't as intense as others we experience (#bless).
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Jupiter tends to spend about a full year in one sign. This year, it's been hanging out in stoic Capricorn. "We experience growth and expansion in the particular area of our chart that's ruled by that sign while Jupiter is direct," Montúfar says. "Once the planet goes retrograde, that growth, as well as the learnings we have gained, are up for revision. This helps us realign ourselves with our true purpose."
Unfortunately, Jupiter and Capricorn aren't a great match, as far as planets and signs go. Nonetheless, the Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn is a good time for us to connect to the areas of our lives that we need to evolve and grow, astrologer Lisa Stardust tells Refinery29. "We can expect to assess how we give to others, and how we can become less selfish with our finances and affections," she explains.
What does that mean for you right now? Maybe it's time to take a closer look at how you're lending a helping hand during the coronavirus pandemic, or what you're asking from loved ones while you're quarantined together.
Jupiter is one of the most positive planets in astrology, Montúfar says. "The planet is able to bestow good fortune our way even when retrograde," she notes. "During its retrograde journey, Jupiter will be forming two lucky aspects. One will be a trine to the Sun in Taurus on May 17, and the other one a rare conjunction with Pluto retrograde in Capricorn on June 30. Both days offer ideal opportunities to focus our energy on making things happen when it comes to an important goal or passion project."
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"You may have been working on accomplishing something big or getting better at what you do with no real structure or plan for getting there. Jupiter retrograde will be the time to step back and look at the bigger picture and how you will approach things," explains Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com. "It does not necessarily mean loss, but is more akin to working smartly and directing your actions along the most profitable and fortuitous lines."
Oh, and about that Jupiter-Pluto meeting... It's the second time the two planets will link up in 2020. (The first was on April 4.) During our conversation, Stardust dropped this spooky bit of intel: November 12 will be Jupiter and Pluto's third connection of the year. "The last time we had this particular connection between these planets in Capricorn was in the 1770s during the Russian Plague," Stardust notes.
My ears pricked up, as they do around any plague-related news these days. (Though the Russian Plague was an epidemic, not a pandemic like coronavirus.) "The cure [for the plague] was mandatory quarantine, which is why we can look at these dates in 2020 as a marker for when shifts will occur in how we help to flatten the curve," Stardust says.
November 12 may sound like a really far ways away, especially since right now, many states are starting to create timelines for loosening some of the restrictions that were put into place during the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. While Stardust can't say exactly what will happen, it's certainly possible that something big could happen in the fall — especially with officials predicting that a second wave of the virus could occur.
When it comes to this week's cosmic events, though, remember: Not all retrogrades bring doom — even when there are multiple planets moving backwards at once. Take Jupiter retrograde with ease, and try to reflect on where we can evolve and grow during the next four months. If you do, you could come out of this retrograde feeling like a winner.