by Erica M Cornelius
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. –AL I:40
Follow Your Own Star
All Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions signal important shifts in the order of our lives. But the one that occurred on December 21st, 2020 is big. It announces that each of us will be held more accountable to follow our own Star.
Following one’s own Star implies powerful freedom. But to be free, each one of us must now take a more critical approach to thinking. It’s with thinking that we shape our individual reality. Further, each one of us also has to use mass communication more wisely. In short, every individual is challenged to think their way out of mob mentality.
Learn to Think Critically
Everyone must align with their unique Original Intent (True Will) for taking their incarnation. For whoever doesn’t, disorder will spread in their world—like a virus. Yet for anyone who takes up the challenge, Order will emerge naturally. Order will emerge in their outer world as well as inner.
To get a bullshit meter is only the beginning of what this Great Conjunction requires. In addition, each one of us has to devote ourselves to knowing self. That means we have to accept self, as well as hold ourselves responsible for our own Universe. The Law is within. So it is up to each one of us to find it. Further, we each must live by our own right structure. Likewise, the Cosmic Order is our own to interpret and make, according to our unique Genius. These are the lessons of the big shift coming up on December 21.
To Follow Your Own Star, Use Thought as a Tool of Freedom
Even Jupiter–Saturn Conjunctions Are Not a Fixed “Thing”
Since no later than the founding of Baghdad in 762 AD, astrologers have linked conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn with momentous events. We have done so in different ways. Yet, a symbolic thread persists through millennia of change.
Specifically, Jupiter has always symbolized the law-giver and divine blessing, whereas Saturn denotes restriction and what I would call the unyielding Law itself—Fate, if you will. The co-occurrence of these two planets always signals a shift in the symbolic landscape. That said, the size and exact meaning of the shift depends on other indicators.
It’s important to realize that astrologers have interpreted Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions by various methods historically. More than that, they’ve defined them differently. Likewise, you must come to your own understanding, rather than following blindly. That’s an Aquarian-Age “must.” Recognize that different cultures approach these “Grand Conjunctions” in ways that make sense to them. Yet they still “work.” In other words, there’s no one right way.
The Right Answers are Never “Out There”
Looking at a cross-cultural example helps us get over this illusion that there are right answers “out there.” Rather, there are no answers everyone must follow. In reality, it doesn’t so much matter what you think, but how. Any structure you create must be well-tested and well-organized. Yet you must do the quality-control checks for yourself. Take an example of the different approaches to Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions. Most of the great Arabic masters who originally developed them examined the two planets’ mean conjunctions.
Without getting technical, their Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions were mathematical objects. They were not phenomena viewed from Earth as ours are. The Arabic astrologers’ approach creates a different set of conjunction dates than does using apparent conjunctions. Most people today look at apparent conjunctions. Yet this difference is not a problem. Rather, any method based on solid measurement works as long as you stick with it. This is an example of how we have to approach thought critically. You have to approach thought as the tool that it is. No single way of thinking is “right.”
Follow Your Own Star: Interpret Your Own World
Most of the Arabic astrological scientists did not erect their charts for the conjunction itself. Rather, they did so for the entrance of the Sun into Aries in the year containing that conjunction. For the Islamic scientists, the conjunction said, “Look here for something important.” Then they had their methods of learning the fate of the king, the religion, the crops, and so forth. They generated their knowledge in a historical context completely different from ours. Yet they regarded Jupiter and Saturn in ways broadly similar to today’s astrologers.
Genuine knowledge is universal at its core, yet formulated for a specific time, place, and need. Today, groups still retain responsibility for how they make knowledge. Yet now the responsibility further filters down to the individual. That’s a big shift.
Jupiter–Saturn Conjunctions Mark Out Sacred Time
The great Islamic astrologers developed Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions to provide foresight to the rulers they advised. More specifically, they created them as but one of several astrologically significant measurements of sacred time.
Greater Conjunctions: Trigons
The astrologers observed that Jupiter Saturn conjunctions happened regularly. Specifically they happen slightly less than every 20 years. Further, they noticed that approximately 12 of these conjunctions happened in signs of a single Element (such as Fire) before shifting into the next (such as Water).
Al-Qabisi, for instance, wrote, “And the second [most powerful conjunction] is [Saturn and Jupiter’s] union at the beginning of every triplicity, and that is every 240 Years; and they unite in 12 conjunctions in every triplicity, then their union shifts to the next triplicity which follow it.” The medieval Christians who learned from the Islamics would call these greater groupings of Great Conjunctions ‘Trigons.’
Greatest Conjunctions
Arabic astrologers defined a “greatest” cycle of Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions as the Trigons moving through all four of elements. They held Aries and Fire to be the start of this vast series. Thus Al-Qabisi says, “The most powerful [conjunction] is the union of Saturn and Jupiter at the beginning of Aries, and that comes to be every 960 years.”
So, the Jupiter–Saturn conjunction itself significant. It is more so if a change of elements happens. Further, it is even more so if the entire cycle of Trigons is completed and a new one beginning. To put the present Jupiter–Saturn conjunctions into perspective, this one is a shift in the Elements (Trigons). However, it is not a shift into an entire new cycle of Elements.
To Follow Your Own Star, Avoid the Pitfalls that Thinking Presents
Senses and the Earth Trigon
We’ve recognized that apparent conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn fall on different dates than mean conjunctions. But it still makes sense to discover great significance in them. Based on the theory of Trigons, the conjunction of December 21, 2020 marks a big shift. Yet it’s not the biggest shift type. On that day, the series shifts from Earth into Air.
Since the mid-1800s we’ve been living under an Earth Trigon. That means there’s been a mass tendency to build our societies on what we can sense. More intuitive societies have been under pressure to rebuild around what we can see, feel, and measure.
A cult of empirical science has been gaining in ascendancy. In Earth, empirical science has been shaping the world, for good and for ill. We can debate whether it was done well or badly. Yet that empirical turn was a response to Piscean-Age lessons under an Earth Trigon. Generally, the Earth dogma tries to reassure us that Nature itself will dictate what’s real.
The Air Trigon: To Follow Your Own Star, Recognize Thought as a Human Tool
However, in the run-up to this shift into the Air Trigon the field is changing. Now we’re beginning to witness the decadent side of interpreting reality as quite so solid. During the Earth Trigon, we mastered the lesson of how to tease out the secrets of the physical universe. Actually, in theoretical physics, we even reached the limits of that Earthy approach.
But now we are facing harder lessons about Air—thought itself. We are facing the hard limits of fashioning our lives according to other people’s theories. There were always pitfalls in swallowing other people’s knowledge. But now, in an era of rapid information-sharing, the old “if everyone believes it, it must be true” will destroy actively destroy lives and even societies. In the Air Trigon, we’re going to have to get much more critical about the mind itself. The point is not in order to reject the intellect, but to use it wisely.
Follow Your Own Star: A Great Conjunction in Aquarius
Follow Your Own Star with Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius
It’s particularly significant that the December 21, 2020 Jupiter–Saturn conjunction happens in Aquarius. Aquarius’ key phrase is “I know.” Everyone is going to have to get a lot more sophisticated about how they make knowledge in their life. Now each individual must grasp the Universal Law as it comes through their incarnation in particular. Further, they must take personal responsibility for following their own Law. Likewise, they must now interpret that Law for themselves.
Remember, Saturn in your chart is your Law. Your Law is for you and you alone to discover and follow. And Jupiter in your chart is how you are being guided to express that Law in everything you do. In Aquarius, their conjunction means you must discover and interpret your personal “law and order.” You must follow your own Star.
Entering the Age of Aquarius
As you’ve probably heard, we are leaving the Age of Pisces and entering the Age of Aquarius. This means Aquarius is gradually taking over symbolic governance of the world. So, we humans need to align ourselves with that way of being. That is, we must become free and self-governed wisely from within.
Precession of the Equinox
There’s no easy way to agree on exactly when the Age of Aquarius begins. Yet, we are definitely in the neighborhood. That is, the Equinox is about to precess into Aquarius. To explain, the Earth’s axis wobbles over time. As a result, the point from where the Sun rises on the Spring Equinox has been gradually moving backward through the sidereal zodiac.
You see, if you instead look at the actual constellation behind the Sun on the Spring Equinox, it changes over time. For the last approximately 2,000 years, the Spring Equinox point has been moving through Pisces. On the Spring Equinox 2021, it will reach the last degree of Pisces.
Aquarius is taking over. And the fact that this Jupiter–Saturn conjunction on December 21 happens in 0 Aquarius (tropical zodiac), it seems to be screaming, “For all practical purposes, the Age of Aquarius is upon us!”
Facing the Shadow of Aquarius
Cyberwars
The Aquarian Age challenges every one of us to take individual intellectual responsibility. To understand, consider how we spread misinformation on the internet. Often, bad actors intentionally spread false information online. They do so in order to widen social divisions, inflame social unrest, and manipulate elections. And it works! It works because we fall for it.
In Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth, author Theresa Payton notes that misinformation campaigns are nothing new. They are as old as politics itself. However, what’s new is the lightning quickness with which information now flows. Now misinformation can wreak catastrophic devastation.
Payton warns about how easily clickbait moves in a connected world. She notes how we tend to read, comment on, and repost juicy, fake stories that reinforce our pre-existing points of view. We wield viewpoints and dogmas as weapons. That is, we act to try to convert or silence other people. In doing so, we believe we will somehow become more secure. Ironically, the exact opposite is true. Instead, by engaging in this ego-inflating behavior, we are being manipulated as pawns for interests other than our own. Payton writes:
Research shows that a false story about any topic, not just politics, reaches 1,500 people six times faster than does legitimate news. … A lie or a twist on the truth regarding politicians or political issues is the most likely to engage social-media communities and go viral. … Researchers reviewed Twitter-based rumors following several high-profile new events…. What they found was astonishing: Social-media users were more likely to share unsubstantiated news, also known as rumors, they had picked up than they were to pass along news from trusted and vetted news organizations. … Why let the facts get in the way of broadcasting your own point of view?
(p. 2-3)
This temptation to spread rumors that affirm what we already believe is the shadow side of Aquarius.
Other Aquarian-Age Shadows
And of course, rumor-spreading is only one example of Aquarius’ shadow. We also see cyberbullying and “doxing” (publishing someone’s private information on the internet in order to harm them). Additionally, we witness revenge porn (publishing naked photos of someone on the internet). Further, we see tele-scams, hacking, conspiracy theories—and the list goes on.
We Must Exercise Caution to Balance the Shadow
Of course, the internet also brings people together. It makes music, research, education, art, and friendship widely accessible. The point is not that Aquarius is evil. Rather, it is that we must discipline ourselves far more than we have—and quickly.
This Great Conjunction in Aquarius announces we must get religion about fact-checking and fact-spreading. It urges us to remain content to be our most authentic selves regardless of what the crowd believes. It says, to become strong intellectually, we must conquer ourselves and leave others alone.
A Winter Solstice Great Conjunction
Another really significant piece of the December 21 symbolism is the Winter Solstice. That piece announces, “This is the moment to get in the right attitude to welcome the New Age.” Granted, folks in the Southern Hemisphere will actually be welcoming Summer on December 21. But in the traditional seasonal symbolism from which the tropical zodiac draws its meaning, the December Solstice is the dark womb of what’s to come.
For agricultural cultures in the Northern Hemisphere, the December Solstice is a time for praying and rituals to ensure a fortunate year to come. It is a time for cleaning up, preparing, and surviving until planting can happen again in the Spring. Much like midnight, the December Solstice symbolizes that silence and stillness from which everything new will grow. It’s the death between lives. On that day, the Sun enters Capricorn. Capricorn is governed by Saturn, that great planet of limitation and even death. So it is a moment of greatest restriction and—in Northern regions—the least sunlight. Symbolically it is the great Unknown.
The Aries Influence
Yet another big piece of symbolism worth noting: just hours after the Jupiter–Saturn conjunction in Aquarius, the Moon enters Aries. Then, about an hour later it squares the Sun in Capricorn. So, the Moon enters its Waxing phase in the war-like sign of new beginnings.
Furthermore, Aries’ governor, Mars, will also be in Aries on December 21. As such, the Waxing Phase announces that we’ve previously been challenged to wield a sword against dogma. After all, the Waxing Phase signifies it’s now time to grow Aquarius in our lives. Plus, all the Aries energy adds, “And it’s do or die.” That’s why I say, it’s not going to be pretty for those who are still living by external authorities. People who are unwilling or unable to look within for structure and order are going to suffer like never before. If you’re looking for a “tribe,” make it a tribe of supportive, affirming free-thinkers.
Follow Your Own Star: Aquarius is the Star Card
Aquarius means, follow your own Star. More, it means get a theory of what you are about. Then allow that theory to attract your own Genius. As fixed Air, Aquarius tends to be rigid and ruled by intellect. Thus it can tend to be a little dry and cold—thus, harsh, and for this reason its ancient governor was Saturn. Its modern governor is Uranus, meaning that Aquarius is rebellious and follows its own star. Today it has the well-earned reputation for being wacky. This is because Aquarius will not follow convention. Remember, Uranus is the True Will, which is the Universal Will. In other words, it is the pure outrushing of Divine Energy that is channeled through Form.
Aquarius corresponds to the Star Tarot card. Thus, we understand that under Aquarius, every human must follow their own Star. In the same way, each human must recognize every other human as a fellow divine. Of course, that doesn’t mean we fall for their nonsense. After all, some people are lost in their illusions. However, it does mean recognizing the fellow Traveler within each of us. Aquarius also means thinking and theorizing as a way of organizing your life. That’s because Uranus also governs long-distance communication, especially mass communication. Uranus is the lightning strike of genius. So, in this Age you have the duty to find and express your unique genius.
Balancing with Leo
Strange to say, Aquarius is one of the less self-confident signs. You see, Aquarians are uncommonly aware that “anything can happen.” As such, they tend to look around themselves while figuring out what’s happening, how to move, or what to do next. This hesitating and looking toward others is the opposite of the Aquarian ideal. Yet it happens because excess intellect trips over itself.
Likewise, Aquarius cares about the fate of humanity. Therefore it cares excessively to do the “right thing.” As if anyone could know the grand designs of the gods! Aquarius must learn to trust itself and stop overthinking. If it did, Nature would take care of everything. In the Aquarian age, this is a lesson for all of us.
To remedy these excesses, balance them with Leo qualities. Leo lies opposite Aquarius on the Zodiac. It is fixed fire. Sure, it is not always the most self-reflective sign, but that’s just the point. Leo wields dramatic presence. It naturally moves as a leader. This confident leadership is just what Aquarius needs in order to follow its inner Star.
Figure out What the Grand Conjunction Means to You
Finally, remember that this Jupiter–Saturn conjunction only means something within a specific astrology chart. It could be the chart of a nation, an organization, or an individual. But the conjunction doesn’t just “affect the world.” It means nothing in the abstract. You can be certain it is in every chart that matters to you, but where?
Depending on where and on what other relationships it makes, this Grand Conjunction will have slightly different meaning in every chart. You might at least check in what house 0 degrees Aquarius occurs in your birth chart, because that will tell you the special area this Great Conjunction emphasizes for you specifically.
Love is the law, love under will. –AL I:57