Supernegroes and Stars
By: Robhyne K. Jewelle
It is time. The leaves have been falling, light disappearing, winds growing colder, colors becoming more
muted, and here we are. Things have changed. This is the essence of winter – one of finality and
stillness. This solstice is the same as all before in its essence, but different in its own way. This year the
solstice is occurring with a grand conjunction (what astrologists call an alignment) of two major planets.
Jupiter and Saturn will be meeting together in the beginning of the sign of Aquarius. These two planets
haven’t danced together in 400 years, so what new moves they bring us this time has everyone
wondering – and hoping.
It is time. The leaves have been falling, light disappearing, winds growing colder, colors becoming more
muted, and here we are. Things have changed. This is the essence of winter – one of finality and
stillness. This solstice is the same as all before in its essence, but different in its own way. This year the
solstice is occurring with a grand conjunction (what astrologists call an alignment) of two major planets.
Jupiter and Saturn will be meeting together in the beginning of the sign of Aquarius. These two planets
haven’t danced together in 400 years, so what new moves they bring us this time has everyone
wondering – and hoping.
A few weeks ago someone innocently shared on their social media account that Black people would be
unlocking their superpowers on the day of the solstice. Not ready to pass up on making some awesome
internet fodder, the slew of joke memes ensued. Marvel characters with kente cloth kufis and glowing
eyes come to mind. Some of us laughed and started picking our cool super monikers. Some of us offered
a strong “Ase!” to usher in the blessing. Regardless of the reaction, there is something hanging in the air.
Especially with people who follow astrology. What exactly is winter solstice of 2020 bringing us? After
the year everyone in the world has had, many people believe it could bring just about anything, and
everything, and I believe it will do just that.
What’s important to keep in mind is that no planet exists in a bubble, so no planetary conjunction exists
all on its own. What’s happening with the other planets/signs at the same time as the conjunction also
bears a significance, particularly, the ruling planet of the sign the conjunction is in. This solstice
conjunction will be in the sign of Aquarius, which is ruled by the planet Uranus. The planet Uranus
moved into Taurus in 2018 and will stay there until 2026. To understand more about how this all works
together think about if Jupiter conjunct Saturn was a couple having a dance, then the surrounding
planets are the context clues – the music, the fashion, the vibe. When put all together it tells us more
about what kind of party this is and what brought this particular group together at the same time.
The first one to start with is the conjunction of Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn in January of this
year. The Pluto/Saturn conjunction has been reoccurring roughly every 36 years (1947, 1983,
2020) and brings big shifts on a global scale. I remember sitting in wait in December of 2019,
knowing that something big was coming on January 12, 2020, but not knowing what. I told my
friends that we astrologists knew that the world was going to change and in a big way, we just
didn’t know how. Two months after that conjunction I was wiping down my groceries and
reaching out to people I had all but forgotten about. Covid made us all collectively fight for our
lives and this indeed has changed the world. We learned in real time the truth that is
interconnectivity.
That’s kinda what big conjunctions do, they’re a match thrown on a dry heap swept together.
Conjunctions are the marriage of two planets that needed to be together, to complete one another
at that specific point in time. A merging of energies that becomes its own unique energy with its
own unique purpose. Exploring that purpose is how we become aware of what things within
ourselves and within the world we should be mindful of.
Just as January 12, 2020 didn’t come with fire and brimstone, I don’t know if December 21,
2020 will come with superpowers. However, it is fair enough to say that it is a mounting of
energies that mark the ending/beginning of SOMEthing.
Getting to know Jupiter and Saturn individually, and understanding what they each have to do
with Aquarius, tells us why they are here now.
Jupiter is associated with: long journeys and travel, world cultures/indigenous people, what is
natural, beliefs, rituals, symbolism, personal narrative and group narrative, adventure, search for
meaning, search for truth, inner journey, higher education, teachers and professors, higher mind,
theories, religion, spirituality, growth, expansion, overindulgence, luxury, alignment, luck,
change of fate, the collection of the past/present/future
Saturn is associated with: restrictions, delays, long term goals, old age, maturity, wisdom,
mastery, leadership, public position, career, authority figures, government, the law, spiritual law,
morality, judgement, karma, consequences, responsibility, the majority of society, our collective
body, the status quo, societal conditioning, the world as a whole, the structures and institutions
that hold up the world
The Aquarius archetype is associated with: air travel, fast travel, speed, the elite and elitism,
avant garde, intellectualism, technology, electricity, innovation, the future, the next generation,
the mind, the brain and nerves, astrology, the study of science, space, things not of this world,
different dimensions of phenomena, the rebels of society, expanding laws to include more of
humanity and nature, progressivism, the power of the collective, activism for society especially
those left out or harmed by the status quo, liberation, freedom, society as a whole, the ideal, our
biggest dreams, group power over individual power and individual leadership, groups of
like-minded people, the tribe, friendships, communal support, the astral plane, the ethereal or
energetic body, frequencies
When you put these things together it can certainly give us reasons to hope. Are we beginning to
understand the nature (Jupiter) of our reality (Saturn) through the different dimensions
(Aquarius)? Will we have a change of fate (Jupiter) in our world structures (Saturn) for the good
of society (Aquarius)? Will we start to see the consequences (Saturn) of our spiritual beliefs
(Jupiter) and how they affect the greater good (Aquarius)? To be fair, it could just as well be the
growth (Jupiter) of government (Saturn) through science or technology (Aquarius). Or the
limitation (Saturn) of international (Jupiter) air travel (Aquarius). We’re the ones who ultimately
write the story, the planets just open the gates of possibility.
Of all of the possibilities that hold great potential, the one I find most exciting is that the planet
of spiritual law (Saturn) and the planet of truth/what is natural (Jupiter) could help us in our
collective push back towards matriarchal law – our natural law, and away from the harm
patriarchy has had on our planet and bodies. Just imagine that we could lose our taste for
imposed hierarchies based on systems of oppression. Is the feeling that remains what freedom
feels like? We’ve been saying that the future is femme. Is our past, present, and future (Jupiter)
colliding with our reality (Saturn) sooner than we realize?
It's great to look out on this great sky of possibilities and dream about what could be. COVID19
forced us all into our homes and in that way the entire world was under one long winter. Most of
us who could, clung to what comfort we could find and bunkered down. As our work life/home
life balance shifted, so has our social pretense. You’re a different person when you’re in your
own space. Our homes represent our families, our place of security, our place of unconditional
support, and our own identity. We were all made to go inside and sit with what was there, draw
our attention to it. Our collective time-out forced us to reflect on seasons passed to see what was
working in our “before lives,” and what really wasn’t. Some people thrived this year, and some
flailed, sinking deeper into the abyss. If you’re like me, you may have experienced some of both
in different ways. Either way, we are all a lot clearer about who and what we value and what we
truly need. Real life 20/20 vision!
The ruler of Aquarius, Uranus, is in the sign of Taurus – which represents our individual values.
Our self-worth, our gifts, our beauty, our senses, our pleasure, our material needs, our assets and
security, our bounty, the earth, the land, the body, the woman. After centuries of colonial and
patriarchal belief systems that value mind more than feelings, and spirit more than the body,
maybe we are finally seeing a push towards more balance. The growth (Jupiter) of wisdom
(Saturn) through liberation (Aquarius) by changing (Uranus) our values (Taurus). The rise of the
Buddha, the Christ, the old souls and ancient ones. Now that Neptune is in its home sign of
Pisces (until 2025), we are witnessing our greatest illusions and delusions wreak havoc on us
before we find the creativity and compassion to replace them with a new consciousness.
While squinting into the night this solstice I’ll be thinking about what it all means. Both planets
and the sign involved in the grand conjunction relate to the most mature of the fire, earth, and air
signs. There’s certainly more on the table about now. But superpowers? Can people here evolve
into other-worldly beings? There are certain indigenous cosmologies that suggest we have
origins elsewhere. But regardless of whether any of us will get to levitate in unison, we can all
choose to aim higher, together. This winter we’re to reflect on the rise of the tribes and what that
looks like for us and the amazing potential it holds. Grand Rising indeed.
Robhyne K. Jewelle (she/they) is an evolutionary astrologist based in St. Louis, MO. She specializes in transformational counseling using the EA paradigm and liberation astrology with a Black, womanist, queer, neurodivergent, and trauma-informed lens. They are a holistic wellness advocate, certified WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) facilitator, and the founder of Jewelle Home a healing and empowerment collaborative. Lover of music, art, andwonders…IG: @robhyne.k.jewelle
Photo by Simiya Sudduth
Pronouns: she/her and they/them
Simiya is a mother, visual artist, designer, spiritual and healing arts practitioner currently living and practicing in St. Louis, MO.
www.sagemoondoula.com
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