Reflections on the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction (Part I)

The Emperor's New Clothes

As we come to the end of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction that has presided over the past fourteen months, I would like to share some reflections on what I believe to be significant correlations between this world transit and the general zeitgeist of the past year or so. This conjunction has coincided with another major alignment of the outer planets that is somewhat longer in duration, namely the square alignment between Saturn and Uranus, which has been building in intensity over the past few years. In my view, these powerful world transits have been reflected in all of this period’s major events, as well as in the broader patterns of human experience during this time.

As the archetype of ascent and good fortune, Jupiter is naturally associated with those who occupy privileged positions in society: royals, celebrities, leaders, the extremely wealthy, etc. By extension, the alignments that Jupiter forms to other planets tend to color our perception of the elite sections of society for the duration of those alignments. In the case of our current Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, our overriding perception of the rich and the famous has been mediated by the distorting influence of the Neptune archetype, which, among its multivalent potentials, can indicate tendencies towards idealization, deception and entrancement.  

Conversely, but still within the range of potentials indicated by Neptune, the Jupiter archetype (and the many things that it symbolizes) has been rendered increasingly vulnerable, impotent, and transparent; this side of the Jupiter-Neptune complex was given a literary expression by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen in his famous folktale “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. First published during the exact Jupiter-Neptune opposition of April 1837, it tells of a vain emperor who is deceived into appearing naked before his subjects by a pair of swindlers who are posing as weavers. This deception (Neptune) is predicated on the belief that the emperor is wearing illustrious clothes (Jupiter) that are invisible to the unworthy. The story illustrates the ambivalent nature of the Neptune archetype, which can at once be subtly enchanting and profoundly misleading.

As the archetype of spiritual transcendence, Neptune signifies those processes which soften and dissolve the rigid structures of the ego. When properly integrated, Neptune can help us to recognise our inherent unity with all that exists and surrender to the flow of life. This process of egoic dissolution is not without its pitfalls however, and the unravelling of our worldly affectations can be a humbling experience. When the townsfolk see that the emperor is naked, they recognise that he is essentially no different to them; the apparent hierarchy between them is dissolved and their shared vulnerabilities are emphasized. 

Many of the past year’s most widely discussed figures, such as Queen Elizabeth, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kanye West and Elon Musk, are notable for having a Jupiter-Neptune conjunction or opposition in their natal charts, and we can arrive at a better understanding of this archetypal pairing by exploring the significance of these people throughout the time of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. Each of these individuals has expressed the qualities of the Jupiter-Neptune complex in one way or another, and by holding them in mind we can get a sense for the multivalent potentials—the light and shadow—that are indicated by this planetary alignment. 

More broadly, I see the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction as being related to the pervasive entrancement with the world of celebrity that has characterized the last year, present in the excessive news coverage and gossip that has surrounded figures such as Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Will Smith, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, etc. The glamor and mystique that Hollywood celebrities cultivate and thrive on, in addition to their well-known tendencies towards intoxication and excess, are symptomatic of the more superficial impulses of the Jupiter-Neptune complex, which can correlate with addictions, delusions of grandeur, and tendencies towards narcissistic inflation. These tendencies reflect a Jupiterian amplification of the Neptune archetype.

In considering the various celebrity and social media spectacles that have unfolded throughout the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, I am led to the conclusion that the personal crises that have thrust these celebrities into the spotlight are best understood within a wider astrological perspective that incorporates both the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction and the longer lasting Saturn-Uranus square, with its tendencies towards sudden separations, rifts and psychological breakdowns. In my view, the convergence of these two planetary cycles is key to understanding the events of the last year.  

The live-streamed courtroom spectacle that played out between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, with its shocking twists and turns, was emblematic of the volatile archetypal zeitgeist that is indicated by the Saturn-Uranus square aspect. The highly erratic nature of the trial, which seemed almost farcical at times, made it a target for ridicule on social media and made a mockery of the seriousness of the courtroom setting in which the events were unfolding. It was as if the Saturnian domain of law and order, with all its sombre formalities, was suddenly turned into a laughingstock by the unpredictable and highly destabilizing influence of the cosmic trickster (Uranus).

The trial was also used to fan the flames of the bitter US culture war as part of a backlash against feminism and the #MeToo movement. The extremely polarized nature of the response was expressive of the tension between progressive social change (Uranus) and reactionary-conservative backlash (Saturn) that is inherent to the Saturn-Uranus dynamic.

Throughout the proceedings, Johnny Depp was able to leverage his extremely dedicated fanbase to tip the social media discussion heavily in his favor, and to rehabilitate his public image to a considerable extent. The savviness with which Depp played the media was a masterclass in the kind of public relations acumen that Jupiter-Neptune aspects can sometimes indicate (Depp has an exact quincunx in his natal chart). The willingness of his supporters to overlook his obvious shortcomings illustrates the other half of the Jupiter-Neptune equation, which can tend towards misguided idealism, and a tendency to view one’s heroes in an unrealistically positive light; to pretend that the emperor is in fact wearing magnificent robes.

While Depp may have been successful in reviving his career, the trial was deeply exposing to both parties. Over the course of six weeks, televised testimonies from numerous witnesses laid bare the extent of Depp’s spiraling drug and alcohol addictions (Jupiter-Neptune), while painting an unsightly portrait of marital breakdown (Saturn-Uranus). The revelation of the most intimate and embarrassing secrets (Neptune) of these outwardly glamorous lives, the glimpse behind the curtain of fame and fortune (Jupiter), was enthralling to millions of viewers in a way that reflected the mutual activation of the Jupiter and Neptune archetypes.

More recently, these same archetypal dynamics have been apparent in the media circus that accompanied the publication of Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir Spare. In the extremely candid book, Harry (born during the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction of 1984) spilled countless secrets about his life as prominent member of the British royal family, including an altercation with his older brother (the heir apparent to the throne), a revelatory experience with psilocybin, and a story about losing his virginity in a field. In this royal expose, Jupiter—the archetypal king—is once again laid bare to the gawking amusement of millions.

The larger context for this memoir is the familial schism that came about as a result of Harry’s marriage to actress Meghan Markle, which reflects the Saturn-Uranus square in both its rupturing of an establishment structure, and its associated culture war dynamics; as public representatives of “wokeness”, Harry and Meghan have been the focus of widespread conservative backlash. The convergence of this rift (Saturn-Uranus) with the publication of the memoir (Jupiter-Neptune) constitutes one of the countless situations that have occurred during the past year which reflect the intersection of the two planetary cycles I have been exploring.

Over and over again, this pattern has been manifested in numerous different forms. Consider the debacle that overshadowed last year’s Oscars ceremony—“The Slap Heard Around the World”—that exposed the physical and emotional vulnerabilities of two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and which immediately dissolved any prestige that might have been derived from Will Smith’s Best Actor win for his performance in King Richard. As Smith made his conciliatory and tearful acceptance speech, the pageantry and grandeur of the award ceremony (Jupiter) was exposed as a sham by the dissipative and enfeebling influence of Neptune. The King, once again, stood exposed for the whole world to see. The subsequent split between Smith and the Academy likewise reflected the Saturn-Uranus theme of sudden breakdowns and separations.

The cyclical unravelling of celebrated individuals (Jupiter) and the revelation of their very human weaknesses (Neptune) would seem to be part of a universal rhythm that is correlated with the Jupiter-Neptune cycle. In order for the collective psyche to maintain some kind of equilibrium, it seems that it is necessary that events should happen which cause us to withdraw our collective projections of ‘success’, ‘greatness’ and ‘royalty’ from the privileged few that have been elevated above the masses. Like the crowd who burst into laughter upon recognising that the emperor is indeed naked, we can all breathe a sigh of relief upon having realized that they are, in fact, just like us.