Greetings, and welcome back to Journeys! This month I present the first part of my look at the astrology of 2024 covering the transits of Jupiter, Saturn and Chiron.
As I have done in previous years I will work from the graphic ephemeris showing the major transits of the year in motion:
This graph shows the positions of the slow moving planets (Jupiter is blue, Saturn is black, Chiron is brown, Uranus is pink, Neptune is lilac and Pluto is grey) and Mars (the red lines) throughout the course of the year as curved or straight lines. Mars is included because it acts as a trigger mechanism and also because (excepting the Moon) its movements are less predictable than the other inner planets because Mars is not as bound to the Sun. Along the left-hand side of the graph you can see the glyphs for each planetary line with the sign it is in at the start of the year and the degrees that the planets are in from 0° at the top to 30° at the bottom. This means that when a line reaches the bottom of the graph at 30°, it then changes signs and goes to 0° of the next sign, reappearing at the top of the graph (you can see Pluto, the grey line, doing this as he moves between Capricorn and Aquarius in January – and Jupiter, the blue line, does it in May as he moves from Taurus to Gemini). When a line does this the glyph for its new sign appears with its line at the top of the graph.
When the coloured lines curl back and start moving towards the top of the graph the planet is retrograde, and when they curve towards the bottom again the planet is going direct. You can see that most clearly in the black line which represents Saturn – it starts to curve back at the end of June/start of July, moving towards the top of the graph, meaning that Saturn has turned retrograde. You can also see it quite clearly in October following the blue line representing Jupiter. When one or more lines cross one another there is the potential for a major interaction between the two planets, it will depend upon which of the signs those planets are in since some signs do not form major aspects with other signs. Most of the time, however, there is some kind of result. For example, the blue line from Jupiter crosses the black line for Saturn in August. Jupiter is in Gemini and Saturn is in Pisces, and these two signs form a major aspect with one another, a square. Therefore, this is a major interaction between Jupiter and Saturn. On the other hand if we look at the black line representing Saturn we see that it also crosses the red line for Mars in February, but Saturn is in Pisces and Mars is in Aquarius, signs which do not form a major aspect and so there is no major interaction between Saturn and Mars in that time.
Don’t worry about understanding all of this as I am going to explain it all piece by piece over the course of this journey and the next. The format that follows first describes the overall path of the planet along with any keys it may be activating, including birthdays that are strongly emphasised as being affected, regardless of what year you are born into. Then I discuss the general meaning of the planet according to that sign position and finally present a series of major and minor periods in which that meaning is being amplified by faster moving objects. Major periods are longer and more ongoing while minor periods are shorter and occur as part of the seasonal cycling of fast moving planets. I offer some suggestions for how each of these periods could be used but a more detailed explanation of them will be provided in the reports I send out to my Patreon supporters at the 5 dollar a month or more tiers, a forecast which comes out once a month. So let’s look at Jupiter, Saturn and Chiron for this Journey, in the course of which we will touch upon the positions of the other planets which I will examine more completely next month.
JUPITER in TAURUS and GEMINI
Jupiter begins 2024 at Taurus 05° in direct motion, enters Gemini on May 26th, turns retrograde in Gemini at 22° on October 9th and ends the year at Gemini 13°. This means it will activate any key between Taurus 5° and Gemini 22° over the course of the year. This includes the Sun signs (and Sun key) of everyone born between April 25 and June 14 of any year. Special emphasis is placed on Gemini 13°-22°, the territory Jupiter stays longest in.
During this year Jupiter makes major aspects with Uranus (conjunction in April), Neptune (sextile in May), Pluto (trine in June), Saturn (squares in August and December) and Chiron (a sextile in October as Jupiter retrogrades). His strongest interactions with Mars are in January, April and August and are non-confrontational. This is an active Jupiter but not a rough riding one, only the square with Saturn and perhaps the Uranus conjunction are an omen of obvious challenges.
The positive potential of Jupiter in Taurus is economic and financial prosperity, fruitful gardening and agriculture, cultivating patience, simplifying things (un-complicating them), building something, material growth and expansion, receiving spiritual inspiration from nature, grounding the spiritual laws in work, putting in a massive effort through persistent labour, saving and conserving, sharing of the riches of the Earth, embodiment of compassion, people working together and the growth of support structures and stability. The negative potential is great stubbornness, greed, avarice and envy, land grabs, excessive materialism, possessiveness, mudslides, sinkholes, super high inflation, excessive cost of living and huge prices.
The positive potential of Jupiter in Gemini is freedom of movement and thought, mind expansion, learning and acquiring knowledge, travel that truly broadens the mind, open discussion and debate of big topics, major talking points and energised social activity, lightening up, diversifying interests, widening the scope of belief, getting things unjammed, breaths of fresh air and big ideas. It’s negative potential is instability and chaos, lack of predictability, rampant change, gossip and bilious innuendo, mad dashes, stampedes and destructive winds.
Growth and expansion in general will be more obvious while Jupiter is direct and then faster still, more fruitful and diverse, once he is in Gemini. Seeds planted late in 2023 will sprout more vigorously this May and June and spores will be released into the wind (projects, news and ideas will find it easy to spread). This will help free up a lot of things that have felt stuck in mud for some time. Traditionally Jupiter in Taurus is said to be good for money matters, but history shows it can also lead to inflated prices and just big trouble, big events. These events are more likely in the times Jupiter tangles with Uranus (April) and Saturn (from August, pretty much all the way through to the end of December). Major financial institutions may be struggling in these times.
Major periods: April, May, June, August, October, December. In April, use the conjunction with Uranus in Taurus to generate income, make a fresh start, renew a garden or outdoor space, build something quickly or connect more with the Earth Element. Just be careful of situations getting out of hand, of wild changes from out of the blue disrupting plans – be ready to be spontaneous. In May try to expand your spiritual horizons, open your consciousness to more abundance, put more into meditation, seek inspiration for greatness, let go of outgrown beliefs and be open to dreaming and daydreaming. In June, the Air trine with Pluto will really help you transform anything that needs regenerating, to open your mind to deep mysteries and questions of existence, to discovery and exploration and the possibility of collective rebirth. In October go for healing, seek teachings from wise mentors, find a way to say sorry or to show someone you care, diversify your goals, look for other paths and short cuts, possibly by backtracking slightly. The square with Saturn that occurs most strongly in August and December but which is active for the latter half of the year is the main stumbling block, a time when growth meets blockades, barriers and bumps in the road, a turning point in which we need to assess the current state of reality and readjust our beliefs and overall objectives. We become aware that either the rules have changed, or we need to change them.
Minor periods: January brings the chance to move forwards swiftly but surely as a trine from Mars in Capricorn brings a highly productive and lucrative thrust. Use this month to earn money, work successfully with nature around you, advance uphill to a summit or develop your physical body. April sees Mars in Pisces make another productive period with Mars in Pisces. Use this period to ground your spiritual progress, enjoy a moment of peaceful satisfaction, soften your harder edges or give yourself over to a new motivational or inspirational belief. The big conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in Gemini in August may have some sparks, some fireworks, some hot headed words, but most of the time this aspect just gives enormous boost and thrust to things, it is a propellant, a fuel being ignited, and a blessing for getting from a to b. We might see major launches occurring and can use this time to get something off the ground.
The seasonal path of the Sun brings days in which we can easily tap into the flow of Jupiter in Taurus – March 1st (Sun in Pisces, sextile Jupiter) and May 18th (Sun in Cancer, sextile Jupiter). These are both Water sextiles that will help us to grow and mature emotionally or through the emotions, they bring a feel good vibe, a buzz to being alive and the temptation to spend large amounts out of love and devotion. For Jupiter in Gemini there is one date, October 14th. This sees a trine from the Sun in Libra, an Air connection which smooths away disagreements in relationships, makes for memorable dates or parties, it finds the write words to say or write, brings people together and lifts spirits. As with all Sun influences described in this journey you can allow a few days on either side of these dates too, providing about a week for each instance. The Sun is of course not alone, it has the family kids of Mercury and Venus tied to it, and those will also trigger Jupiter sometime before, after or at the same time as the Sun, providing both mental (Mercury) and emotional (Venus) support for what Jupiter represents, but since these would bog this Journey down in too many details I will only mention them here and cover them in my monthly forecasts at the appropriate time.
More difficult days in which the Sun interferes with an easy expression of Jupiter occur around January 27th (Sun in Aquarius squares Jupiter in Taurus), September 12th (Sun in Virgo squares Jupiter in Gemini) and December 7th (Sun in Sagittarius opposes Jupiter in Gemini). The January date is different because it involves Jupiter in Taurus and this square is about the conflict between the avant-garde and tradition, between the way things have always worked and how they should work in the future. Adjustments have to be made according to your needs. The other two periods involve Jupiter in Gemini and are more about how too much fluidity and adaptability lead to a shapeless blob, a lack of definition and clarity, and so a need to focus and concentrate diverse streams into a single or more unified flow. They can therefore be about tying things together or seeking new directions to grow towards.
SATURN in PISCES
Saturn begins the year at 3° Pisces, retrogrades in June at 19° Pisces, turns direct again in November at 12° Pisces and finishes the year at 14° Pisces. This means it will activate any key between 3° Pisces and 19° Pisces, placing special emphasis on those between 12° and 19°. This path means that Saturn will be working very directly with people born on or between February 22 and March 10 of any year. During its journey through the sky it only meets with Mars and Jupiter, with the squares with Jupiter in August and December already described above being its major encounter. It’s major interaction with Mars occur in January, April, July, August and September and are non-confrontational with the exception of August, although April could be tough going.
Saturn in Pisces brings a need for persistent and dedicated spiritual progression and work. We have to grapple with a thicker, denser atmosphere of gloom and depressive news cycles that seem to go on wearing us down (see the wars in the Ukraine and Israel/Gaza, the reemergence of the Cold War environment) but which are also training grounds for the development of deeper empathy. Weariness sets in and people experience more depression as the heaviness of what we feel becomes more tangible. As a result, we learn how to temper our sympathies and set emotional boundaries that protect us from being so vulnerable. The things that make us feel miserable become generally unbearable and so we are more likely to make sacrifices, establish limits and learn lessons which bring those things to an end.
With Saturn in Pisces we have a collective tendency to become trapped in escapism, whimsical fantasy, evasiveness, nostalgic memories and an overactive imagination which may cause fears where there is little or no justification for them (paranoia). On the positive side it fosters a high degree of emotional understanding and compassion and the willingness to work hard on behalf of the less fortunate. Deep meditation and reflection on the feelings will make possible profound spiritual insights into the nature of reality and helps to dissolve the potential for limiting confusion and illusion. We need more peace and quiet, time in tranquil solitude and must make a strong effort to avoid self pity. We must learn to take responsibility for what we feel now and have felt in the past and progress in understanding the ways we block our own emotional and psychic expression. The karma of the way we have treated others is a major issue that we need to face. We may need to let go of something, as Pisces often involves sacrifices and Saturn brings things to their appointed ends in time, but that letting go need not be a sadness it can instead be an unburdening, or both at once. Pisces is a dual sign capable of crying with joyous laughter and heartbreak at the same time – it is emotionally transcendent in this way and the exact definition of what it feels is often elusive because of this, a nebulous conglomeration of different states, and Saturn can actually help sort this out. Key to Saturn in Pisces is learning how to create and maintain healthy emotional and psychic boundaries, between us and the external world and within our own interior. Pisces also emphasises everything connected to the ocean.
Major periods in which Saturn in Pisces is powerfully active this year are located in August and December through the two squares he makes with Jupiter as it retrogrades. These are times in which things which are being gradually built up go through turning points and challenges as they seek to assert themselves. We have to push harder in order to achieve a lesser result and be satisfied with that, manage our resources more wisely, be patient, be willing to re-institute or redesign our big plans and be wary of overextension, overdraft or hyperbole. The Mutable nature of the square in Gemini and Pisces also heralds a degree of chaos and slipperiness as things get out of control and spiral due to the effect of multiple data points. Jupiter and Saturn only get to around 7-8° apart from this square beginning in August and so it sets this weather system over the latter half of the year.
Minor periods: In January Mars in Capricorn is sextile Saturn in Pisces and this is generally a sign of progress and hard work producing dividends and meeting goals. We can strategise and push ahead with long-term objectives and plans, find more moments to recoup and recover, push ahead with surprising amounts of force and energy, endure more and generally get more done. Mars finally catches up with Pisces and Saturn in April, and the conjunction can be troubling as it requires us to endure something like a trial or tribulation, it has a gauntlet energy which we have to push through and so it fosters toughness and a harder shell or skin. Poor Pisces is practically defenseless and so the arrival of the threat of Mars, which always brings pressure and a need to act, can act to spook some souls. However the positive potential of this conjunction is that we will find a way to convince ourselves and/or others that we are a force to be reckoned with. It may be time to stand up to danger rather than evade it. Their next encounter is a sextile with Mars in Taurus in July, the companion of the January sextile. This time however the energy is warmer, Taurus being ruled by Venus rather than Capricorn, and the output of the sextile is therefore more towards taking care of others rather than ones own interests, but overall it is good for making tangible progress towards a dream or vision. The big challenge from Mars to Saturn comes in August with Mars in Gemini, a square which throws a spanner in the works and invites mishaps, accidents and general chaos as things fall out of shape or get behind schedule. Be careful of what you say as words can have long-lasting consequences now. Moving into late September we see Mars in Cancer smoothing over any potential trouble that may have been caused in August, finding ways to calm things down and pacify, but this aspect can also be used to put across our emotions forcefully and strongly but gently and considerately enough that they are heard.
The seasonal path of the Sun interacts with Saturn in easy and flowing ways, opening up the connection to it, around February 28th, May 11th, July 11th and November 4th. In late February the Sun in Pisces conjuncts Saturn, bringing its principle to life and allowing us to experience it more vividly. Use this time to buckle down, tighten your belt, discipline yourself, work persistently, meditate and stabilize your feelings. In mid May the Sun in Taurus can help us to make money or secure ourselves both physically and emotionally, it can be fruitful in connection with the land and enables us to put the wisdom we have learned into practice. In mid July the Sun in Cancer opens up the emotions and allows us to feel very acutely and precisely what the people closest to us are feeling, it stimulates devotion and care giving and can be good for family and home improvements or restructuring. Finally in early November the Scorpio Sun enables us to feel what Saturn in Pisces desires, what drives us more deeply and what we must overcome, it gives us the spirit we need to tackle those things and can be profoundly positive for all spiritual progress. This trine also shines light upon any threats or dangers on the path and helps us to flow around them.
The Sun creates challenges with Saturn in Pisces on and around June 9th (with Sun in Gemini), September 8th (Sun in Virgo) and December 4th (Sun in Sagittarius). These can be hard-going, uphill periods in which we are carrying a lot of heavy emotional baggage and weight, many worries and anxieties feel more burdensome or serious, we experience blocks and it is that much harder to perceive any glimmer of hope in the gloom. Chaos, instability and lack of cohesion or consistent direction may also be causing changes.
CHIRON in ARIES
Chiron begins the year at 15° of Aries in direct motion, goes retrograde in July at 23°, and turns direct again just before the end of the year at 18° where it finishes the year. This emphasises 15 to 23° of Aries with special emphasis on 18 to 23°, which includes everyone born as an Aries in any year between April 5th to the 14th. During this journey Chiron has one major interaction with Jupiter in Gemini in October, a sextile. It has five interactions with Mars in January, March, May, August and October. The interactions in January and October are challenging while the interaction in May can be quite forceful and direct. The interactions in March and August are easier to handle.
Chiron in Aries is a wounded warrior seeking healing, a classic myth in which the heroism is not just about defeating some titan but also enduring a tragedy or injury (see for example the Greek story of Theseus). We are shown the injuries and wounds of war and conflict – within and without – in often graphic detail, the blood, fire and rubble it leaves behind, the broken spirits and aspirations, the terrible marks, and individually we experience an acute and sharply piercing awareness of the battle scars we carry. These should spur us into restorative actions, deeper into the desire to be whole, to be healed. We are seeking to mend broken confidence, to harness the power of light, to burn like a torch leading the way, to be pioneers through pain. I am reminded of the struggle for the recognition of being that many people now fight for in the sexual identity arenas, the talking points around toxic masculinity, the need for us to recognise our own love of things being exploded and set alight (not just physically but socially too), the sense that many people feel broken in their power to act and the corruptive influence of the military-industrial complex (war and the influence of overpowering force in the economy). Aries is a sign of leadership, like Leo and Capricorn, but of a leadership which is bent on kicking against something. It needs rivals and competitors to prove its mettle because it does not possess the charisma of Leo or the wisdom of Capricorn to win people over. Yet with Chiron here, these approaches bring pain, they split and sunder, they divide to conquer, which is ultimately a self inflicted wound that diminishes power. In 2016 I wrote a detailed journey into the meaning of Chiron in Aries, so you can read more about what this placement means if you take a trip back in time.
When Chiron is direct (until July 26th) we can more easily connect with external sources of healing – we can find the right healer, the right medicine, the right path to where we want to be, we can externally transform ourselves into the more whole being that we have reached internally, while when it is retrograde the road leads inward, we must dig in the dirt to find the places we got hurt, the integration that needs to happen to be whole (or more holy), in other words we must identify the need for healing in this phase (from July 26th to December 29th).
Major Periods: In October spilling into early November Chiron in Aries meets with Jupiter in Gemini by sextile, a stimulating and positive influence for healing. Healing though Jupiter/Chiron involves understanding natural laws, coming to mercy or forgiveness, putting faith in your own beliefs, understanding the bigger picture and how it all fits together, appreciating the growth that suffering and pain bring and finding the lift needed to move on or rise above. This sextile is an extended one due to Jupiter retrograding at the time, this means it is building up in September and does not really fade out until the very end of the year. This also means it has two exact hits this year, one on October 12th and another on Nov 2nd, and that there will be a third one in 2025 (May 18). Therefore this is quite a long story being told by Jupiter and Chiron, one that will not reach a full conclusion until mid 2025.
Minor periods: Mars brings progress and the motivation needed to heal when he interacts co-operatively with Chiron on March 7th (Mars is sextile from Aquarius), May 29th (conjunct Chiron in Aries) and August 24th (sextile from Mars in Gemini). These three months are very good for any kind of healing progress but can also provide creative momentum for any kind of quest. Patience may be running thin everywhere in late May, though, as this conjunction has something of a ‘reached my limits’ breaking point. More troubled interactions with Mars arise around the weeks of January 25th (Mars in Capricorn squares Chiron) and October 13th (Mars in Cancer square Chiron). These two squares form a pair, a kind of hinge around which the years healing energy pivots. At these points, sharp turns are forecast as the healing path must break away from prior momentum, which means these can actually be dynamic turning points in which our focus shifts from being ill to getting better. Quests of all kinds also reach various challenges, the first type being more emotional (Cancer), the second in October being more material or physical (Capricorn). These two signs also both emphasize family matters.
The seasonal path of the Sun interacts with Chiron in easy and flowing ways, bring healing vital energy, on and around February 5th (Sun in Aquarius), April 8th (Sun in Aries), June 13th (Sun in Gemini), August 15th (Sun in Leo) and December 10th (Sun in Sagittarius). As far as these interactions go with Sun in Aquarius we can find new and original sources of energy and motivation, be inspired to take on new quests, invent something extraordinary, bring invigoration and refreshment and find ways to motivate a crowd. Sun in Aries can bring healing Fire, an enthusiastic embrace of the adventure of life with all its risks, a reset determination to overcome crippling situations and the motivation to shine. Sun in Gemini brings healing words and information, advice and opinions that move a quest forwards, the discovery of new paths, allies or sidekicks, welcome changes and exciting news or movements. Sun in Leo repairs confidence and inspires us to take command, it emboldens, encourages and shines light upon what needs fixing and how to fix it. Sun in Sagittarius brings healing journeys and visions, the ability to focus on a remedy, the light of truth, integrity and honesty, optimism, good cheer and the spirit of battle (often much needed in the shopping period!).
More difficult days/weeks occur January 6th (Sun in Capricorn), July 15th (Sun in Cancer) and October 14th (Sun in Libra). Things hurt more around these times, but we can also make very big adjustments towards Chiron in Aries in these periods.
That’s all for this month, come back next month for Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Eris. Thank you for reading and supporting my work and astrology and let me know in the comments if you have any questions about next years astrology.
journeys in the astral light 