We’ve been singing about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius since the Sixties. Even though astrologers argue about when that’s actually happening, the upcoming conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius on December 21, the Winter Solstice, should have us all feeling that a major shift has occurred. This planetary event is known as the Great Conjunction. It marks the start of a 200-year cycle and it’s going to be a big deal, a very big deal. To understand what we’ve been dealing with this year and get a hint of what’s to come, we need to consider the profound differences between the energies of Saturn and Jupiter. Put simply, Saturn is the establishment, the government, boundaries, and limitations. Saturn restricts change because he doesn’t like to break with the established way. Jupiter on the other hand is all about expansion, moving forward, and generosity. Saturn is inherently conservative. Jupiter is, by nature, liberal. Saturn and Jupiter have been in close relationship all year long. Will we stay the old course, or will we move into some new way of doing things? Just look at the state of the U.S. presidential election to understand the struggle between these two mega planets. The old guard battles to hold onto its position, while the contender fights for change. At times, it appears that Saturn is winning. That’s because the dialogue has been taking place in the earth sign of Capricorn, the sign of the head-of-state and government. Saturn rules Capricorn which means he is stronger in that sign than Jupiter and likely to have the dominant role in their interactions. This explains the government-imposed limitations and restrictions of 2020, not to mention, some of the shenanigans during the election. But there is hope…eventually. In December, Saturn and Jupiter take their relationship into air sign Aquarius. Aquarius is about the collective, community, intellectualism, and bottom-up leadership. When the planets move into this realm, we should begin to see a very substantive transformation to just about everything. The old will fall to the new. (NOTE: To see where this will have the most impact on you personally, see where Aquarius is in your chart.) The collective will take center stage. Science and intellectualism will triumph over dogma. Wonderful! Right? Maybe…eventually. Nothing dies without a fight, and the current era isn’t going to simply move over and give way to a new age of peace, love, and harmony. The old guard will battle with everything it has to hold onto its position. That fight is already underway and will intensify throughout December. We’ll begin to see some light when Jupiter and Saturn finally wave bye-bye to Capricorn. The two planets will be exactly conjunct, appearing to sit on top of each other, at zero degrees Aquarius on December 21. From the solstice onward, the new will begin to win over the old. The individual will recognize community membership. Greed will give way to compassion. Reason will prevail over dogmatic belief. Before you dust off your copy of the 5th Dimension singing about “golden living dreams of visions,� let me clarify one crucial point that many modern astrologers leave out. In traditional or ancient astrology (which is what I practice) Aquarius is also ruled by Saturn, so the planet of boundaries and limits continues to be the stronger of the two. Do not expect an immediate transition into a period of wild and unbridled change. Saturn will ensure that Jupiter’s tendency toward unlimited expansion is kept sensibly in check. Still, once the death throes have calmed, we will begin to discover what the new era is going to look like. It will be different, for sure, but change brings new challenges. I don’t know about you, but I’ll gladly take new problems. At this point, I’m just happy to be moving forward. Sing it with me! Harmony and understanding Sympathy and trust abounding No more falsehoods or derisions Golden living dreams of visions Mystic crystal revelation And the mind’s true liberation Aquarius!