Emotional drama may reign supreme during a full moon, and miscommunications abound during Mercury retrogrades. But while there are astrological events that affect all of us simultaneously (albeit not exactly in the same way), there are others that you experience as an individual on your own unique timeline, based on your birth chart.
When planets come back around to the very spot they were in when you were born, you experience a “return” of that planet. For instance, you might be familiar with your Saturn return, which hits for the first time when you’re between 27 and 30 years old and is sort of like your official astrological welcome to adulthood. But Saturn is just one of the planets that will return every so often to deliver astrologically charged life lessons.
A planetary return you’ll experience more frequently is Jupiter, the planet of learning, philosophy, and abundance. The largest planet in the solar system takes about 12 years to make one trip around the sun, and when it returns to the point where it was when you were born, it expands your thinking, stirs you to embrace new philosophies, and urges you to broaden your horizons. Each Jupiter return presents a new chapter of personal growth and, in turn, that particular type of fortune and optimism that stems from seeing the world in a bold new way. Here’s everything you need to know about your Jupiter return.
What Jupiter Means in Astrology
In order to wrap your head around your Jupiter return, it can help to get comfy with how Jupiter functions in astrology. The largest planet of our solar system, Jupiter, is referred to as the “Great Benefic.” When it comes in contact with other planets or luminaries (the sun and moon), either as it transits through the sky on a regular basis or when interacting with your natal chart, its effect is usually to magnify what’s already in play. Say it’s pairing up with romantic Venus: an existing focus on relationships, beauty, and money will be further underlined, emphasized, and, likely, become a source of good fortune and abundance.
And as the natural ruler of the ninth house, adventure, higher learning, long-distance travel, philosophy, spiritual awakening, knowledge, and even publishing are all considered Jupiter’s domain.
Also important: what Jupiter symbolizes in your natal chart. You may already know that your sun sign speaks to your self-image and identity, and your moon sign is your emotional personality. Your Jupiter placement – aka the sign, degrees, and house it’s in – color how you make your luck, how you express generosity, how you gather wisdom, take advantage of opportunity, and how you nurture your faith in others and in the world around you.
What It Means When Jupiter “Returns”
The sun, the moon, and the planets all move at different paces. The moon takes a month to move through all 12 signs, the sun takes a year. That’s why you’ll experience your lunar return once a month, and your solar return is your astrological birthday – aka your annual return of the sun to the precise point at which it appeared to be exactly when and precisely where you were born.
Every 12 years, Jupiter comes back to the same exact spot it was in when you were born. For that reason, you’ll experience your Jupiter return at ages 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, and 96.
Yes, it’s that simple. There’s no need to plug your birthdate into a Jupiter return calendar, but if you want to find your Jupiter sign and see when Jupiter will be back in the same spot, you can see that on Cafe Astrology.
What to Expect From Your Jupiter Return
From being presented with surprisingly lucky opportunities to being nudged to think about your life in a big-picture way, here are the usual themes of a Jupiter return, no matter your Jupiter sign.
Your growth is front and center
The key word to hold in mind when it comes to Jupiter is expansion. The planet has a hugely amplifying effect, serving to bold, italicize, and underline your journey of personal, spiritual, and intellectual growth. You may tend to be more optimistic, open-minded, and adventurous, and feel like you’re in sync with the universe.
You can gain clarity on the big picture
As with everything in astrology, even your Jupiter return can present both rewards and challenges for the sake of learning. Jupiter’s job is to encourage you to look at the big picture of your life. So during your Jupiter return, you might reflect on that and realize that your life just isn’t syncing up with what you see and want for yourself in the grand scheme of things. In turn, it’s a time to step up how you’re gaining knowledge, expanding your mind, and making your own luck. You’ll also be presented with opportunities you’ll have the choice to seize.
You’ll begin a new 12-year cycle, which requires moving beyond the past
When you’re in the midst of a Jupiter return, you may feel like you’re beginning a whole new era of your life. And the truth is, you are. Whatever’s gone down over the past 12 years has come to a close, and the vibe of completing one cycle before embarking on a new one can be rather epic! Maybe you’re starting a new career path or relationship, or pursuing a passion project that will take years to complete. But in order to see the seeds that you’re planting during your Jupiter return fully flourish, it’s a must to lay the past to rest.
How to Tap Into Your Jupiter Return
To make the most of this big, abundance-bringing astrological moment, consider making the following moves.
Embrace your worthiness
During your Jupiter return, you’ll be living your best life. As if that wasn’t enough, part of the beauty of this moment is that abundance will beget abundance. You could end up hitting it off with someone at a party who you could see becoming your new bestie, and it turns out that they work for a company you’ve always dreamed of submitting work to. Knowing that you’re worthy of seemingly unbelievable good luck and gifts from the universe is key to making the most of them.
Reflect on your beliefs and behaviors that you’d do well to limit
As transiting Jupiter connects with your natal Jupiter, you can really benefit from being especially open to new ideas, philosophies, and ways of thinking about your own big picture and the world around you. And given the planet’s magnifying effect, it can also boost your awareness of patterns that have gone too far and need to be reined in.
Do your best to see the glass as half full
Ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarians tend to be full of wanderlust and desire to get out of their comfort zones every possible chance they get. They’re also ridiculously positive and downright jovial at times. Depending on your natal chart, you may not be quite as fiery, buoyant, or thrilled about navigating uncharted terrain. Still, we all have it in us to be a little bit bolder, more optimistic, and have more faith – in ourselves and in others – and your Jupiter return presents a time in which you have even more power to do just that. Basically, by allowing yourself to believe that your wildest dreams could come true, they very well may.