Saturn and Jupiter Conjunctions

Some suggestions for reading the Charts of Saturn (SA) and Jupiter (JU) Conjunctions

(The fruits of my historical and other research) by Winthrop Rowe

I. The most important conjunctions of SA and JU are when the whole cycle starts to repeat itself, the Maxima, or Climacteria, the Greatest Conjunctions. This is when the whole cycle has run its course, i.e. gone through the Fire signs, then the other elements, and back to Fire again. (This chart, which falls close to a thousand years from the last one, (906 years), is the basis of the “Thousands” of Abu Mashar, connecting this practice to the thousand year cycles of the Persians, and others. None of us will ever see this, the next series of conjunctions after they move out of earth for good in 2060 AD will be in Air – Gemini).

II. The next most important conjunctions are the Media or Trigonalis popularly known as the Great Mutation Conjunctions, when the conjunctions move from element to element. We are in the first stages of such a shift of the Trigonalis at the moment, the most recent SA –0- JU (1981) has fallen not in an Earthy sign, (the element in which the cycle has occurred since 1842) but in an Airy sign (LI).

III. The least important Conjunctions also termed Minima or Specialis are the ordinary conjunctions which fall about every twenty years, though these conjunctions are more noticeable in the literature, particularly in the U.S. due to the Zero year “Curse” phenomenon for the American President (which coincide strongly with these ordinary Conjunctions, as was pointed out by L.D. Broughton).

IV. These Conjunction charts should be read at an appropriate and high level of abstraction, i.e. about the tendencies of the time span, long term goals and developments and so forth. A Great Mutation Conjunction for example holds sway for about 240 years. Don’t be too specific.

1. For the Greatest Conjunction in the cycle, the Maxima the “thousands” tradition gives very general meanings. The Age of Christianity, The Age of Paganism, The Rise of Island, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. These are very large movements of human history. The “thousands then are huge cycles, and thus can be interpreted only at a very high level of generalization.

2. For the second level of conjunctions in the cycle, the Media which are known now mostly as the Great Mutation Conjunctions, again we must find an appropriate level of interpretation. Tradition suggests such things as the temporary supremacy of one European power or another, France, perhaps Spain, then England, then the U.S. (westward the course of Empire doth ever wend its way); though these national hegemonies are not uniform in time span, and some may be far too brief. In addition, we should consider mid-range historical periods such as the Renaissance, the Reformation, Nationalism and the like.

3. In order to interpret the last category of the cycles of conjunction of SA and JU, the Minima, the sort of “regular” conjunctions, the plain vanilla variety, you are looking for the signature of an era: examples; The Fin De Siecle, The Lost Generation, or The Age of Anxiety. Something general, abstract, cultural as well as political or economic, and all pervasive, a trend, even a long-lived fashion. Try not to get bogged down initially in the U.S. cycle of presidential deaths, much more research is needed on them.

V. If the Conjunction of SA and JU is in an angle of one of these cyclical charts, that is a more important chart. Remember that in Mundane Charts we usually read the 10th House as more important than the 1st.

VI. For assessing the other houses in these charts the normal strengths prevail.

VII. In assessing SA and JU the normal rulerships, i.e. SA in Aquarius and Capricorn; and JU in Sagittarius and Pisces, are effective. However if they are both equally dignified essentially in the degree they both occupy, then the planet with the greatest celestial LAT prevails. (They will obviously both be in mostly the same accidental dignities.) Their speeds may also affect their strength, but remember JU will almost always be faster than SA, what matters is which if either of them is moving faster than its average speed.

VIII. Possible key phrases by Triplicity of the sign in which the Conjunction of SA and JU occurs; (Adapted from readings of William Lilly in England’ Prophetical Merline (London 1644) pp. 58-64). You will notice a certain attention to religion in them, but this is indeed a development of the original method of Abu Mashar, who used this cycle to track religious “Ages” from the “Creation”. Notice also that Lilly himself lived in a time when what we now consider “political” considerations were defined in a “religious” context, Parliament vs. King, for example.

• Fiery Triplicity – Some new power rises in the world, hegemony shifts from a dominant power, or system to another.



• Earthy Triplicity – Building of new nations, cities, fortresses, purging and reform of corrupt systems. Attention to infrastructure of states. Advances in agriculture. Possibility of revolutions. Sometimes it may be religion, which is reformed.



• Airy Triplicity – Developments in science, philosophy, logic, theology, all kinds of ideologies, political, scientific, economic; some danger of fanaticism, some possibility of advance of occult studies and unusual systems.



• Water Triplicity – Splits in churches, and other religious institutions; rampant emotionalism as a driver to ideological developments, political choices, and artistic expression. Religion is a path of advancement for many in this period.

IX. Note that these readings by element ALSO create a phased interpretation, i.e. starting in Fire; Earth = Waxing –90-; Air = -180-; Water = Waning –90-: which can help you fit them into the methodology expounded in the Text.

X. Don’t forget to read the whole chart, not just the conjunct bodies, and the sign in which they are found. One of the two (SA and JU) will be stronger most of the time. Their aspects will be similar, but remember that their Parallels of Declination may not. Aspects (especially the Conjunction and Opposition) are significantly strengthened by a Parallel. The chart as a whole may have a strong (or ruling) planet which is not either JU or SA. All of the other planets and sensitive points will have their usual Mundane significance.

XI. The most important thing to do about a great conjunction is to keep an eye on where the place of it’s occurrence, (which can now be regarded as a “sensitive point”) falls in the various Ingress and other Mundane charts, especially the Aries Ingress. The Conjunctions of SA and JU are traditionally considered to “rule” until the next recurrence of that part of the cycle. The Greatest holds sway for at least 960 years. In practice most astrologers who use these tools keep an eye on the last Great Mutation conjunction, and the last regular conjunction before the time of their mundane work. This in fact duplicates the original methodology of Masha allah and Abu Mashar as far as we can tell. Treat it as a point, which reminds us of the atmosphere of the era, the general tendencies of the time. Obviously it will be much more important to your chart if it falls in an angle, or is conjunct to an important planet (i.e. the ruler of the year) or part of a prominent aspect formation.