Astrology

Mars conjunct Jupiter: Seize the silver lining in Mercury retrograde mayhem

Despite being in the midst of a mighty Mercury retrograde, we’ve got some good good going on this week, folks, as Mars, our planet of will, is aligning with Jupiter, the planet of faith, luck and amplification.

The two planets are forming a conjunction in the quick-witted, fleet-footed, silver-tongued sign of Gemini.

A conjunction conjunctions when two planets are within a few degrees of one another, creating a kind of magnetic pull and energetic mash-up between them.

We’ll feel the effects of this transit from now through the end of this week, but the efforts we make and the buttons we button can be of great benefit and consequence from here on out.

Meaning of Mars Jupiter conjunction in Gemini

The conjunction can be seen with the naked eye before dawn on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Matteo Viviani – stock.adobe.com

The last time Mars and Jupiter tangoed this close was on May 29, 2022. After Wednesday morning’s tongue kiss, they won’t cross paths with each other again until Nov. 15, 2026.

To see this conjunction in action, look up to the eastern sky in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, between 2 a.m. and daybreak. As NASA promises, “They’ll appear just a third of a degree apart, which is less than the width of the full moon.”

How to make the most of this conjunction

Mars and Jupiter are meeting up in Gemini, a sign as sharp as it is scattered. Yü Lan – stock.adobe.com

Mars is our planet of action and intention. While rightly associated with aggression and conflict, when it joins forces with Jupiter, the planet of boons and benefits, that momentum can — if we’re careful — be transmuted in the best possible way.

The conjunction is happening in Gemini, the sign of cognition and conversation, and this transit could make it difficult to sit still or shut up.

The energy here is pure helium, enthusiastic and ambitious, flying high with nary a ceiling to restrict us … with the exception of Mercury retrograde, that coyote car salesman mucking up our momentum and our own habits of self-sabotage.

Jupiter expands all that it touches, but the true lesson of this transit is to channel that abundance purposefully. Artsiom P – stock.adobe.com

As the sign of the twin and the mirror, Gemini shows us that we are always and ever our own worst enemies.

Yet if we manage to bind and gag the critic and the second-guesser within, we can take the prodigious, brilliant mental energy of this transit and channel it faithfully and fully.

Owing to Gemini’s reputation for scattershot antics, now is not a time to initiate a slew of schemes but rather an invitation to commit, focus and dig deep into a current project that you plan to push forward or finalize when Mercury stations direct and clear its shadow next month.

This conjunction asks us to marry an open mind to faithful action. primipil – stock.adobe.com

This conjunction can be read as our will (Mars) meeting our conviction (Jupiter). In this sense, we’re asked to consider: “What am I fighting for?” as well as “Do I believe I deserve what I desire?” and “Are my efforts in alignment with who I want to become?”

Gemini’s greatest challenge is trusting itself and balancing operating with both an open mind and a clear course. Use the power of this transit to write (Gemini) a new belief system (Jupiter) that supports and sustains your actions of advancement (Mars).

As Libra Florence Schovel Shinn assures us, “Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving.”

See, believe, move purposefully — and make it so.

To determine what areas of your life this conjunction will affect, look to the house in your birth chart ruled by Gemini.


Astrology 101: Your guide to the star


Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience.