The Great mutation
Before we talk about the influence of the Jupiter Saturn conjunction in the Air element, I’d like to talk about the great mutation.
You may already notice that although most Jupiter Saturn conjunctions are in the different signs of same element for about 200 years, they are not always. Towards the end of the 200 year cycle, Jupiter Saturn conjunction will change between two elements, it will first go to next element for 20 years ( sometime 40 years ) and then back to the the element before for another 20-40 years.
For example, Jupiter Saturn conjunctions occurred in Air signs between 13th and 14th centuries, however they conjunct in 1365 at 7 Scorpio announcing the element of the next two centuries, then went back to the Air sign for 40 years:1385 they conjunct at 25 Gemini and 1405 at 23 Aquarius, and finally moved to a water sign in 1425 at 17 Scorpio.
Astrologers call this situation the great mutation and the starting point of this period is when Jupiter Saturn conjunct in the new element and the influence of the great mutation finishes when they conjunct in the new element again, and as every Jupiter Saturn conjunction will have an influence for 20 years, so this element’s influence slowly settles down. The great mutation is like a transition period, it fades in and out. Some transitions take 60 years or even much longer, like the great mutation between earth and air elements from 332 to 471 AD which was 139 years.
Using a previous example the great mutation between Air and Water that started in 1365 and finished in 1425, the influence of the Jupiter Saturn conjunction in 1425 lasted for another 20 years, this great mutation between Air and Water lasted 80 years. Another example is the great mutation between Fire and Earth, which started in 1802 when Jupiter Saturn conjunction occurred in an Earth sign, Virgo, and moved back to a fire sign, Aries, in 1822, then moved again to an earth sign, Capricorn, in 1842 and from there took another 20 years to finish the great mutation.
Why does the great mutation take so long and why not see the end of the great mutation once Jupiter and Saturn conjunct in the new sign? I think the symbols of a Jupiter Saturn conjunction are the development of society and every 200 years we build up society based on nature of the dominate element. When it changes, it changes slowly as we may need take down some old structures. We may need to slowly change our view and eventually migrate to the new era.
The great mutations can be divided into 3 parts
First Jupiter Saturn conjunction of Great mutation will introduction of new ideas
Second Jupiter Saturn conduction make people focus on the old ideas, mixed with the new ideas
Last phase start when Jupiter Saturn conjunct again in the new element, this time we take down the unnecessary old structure and step into the new world.
We have to know that World events are not like some machine that can switch on or off instantly. Everything happens slowly and sometimes we cannot trace back to exactly how it started, however the beginning of a great mutation usually brings something different.
Let us examine what happened between 1365 – 1444, the great mutation between Air and Water. As I mentioned, before this was the age of discovery in Europe. Led by the Portuguese and Spanish, Europeans reach the American continent and crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
1345 Jupiter / Saturn 19 Aquarius ( Air sing dominated the world development )
1365 Jupiter / Saturn 7 Scorpio ( First time Jupiter Saturn conjunct in Water sign, Great mutation started , First phase, bring new ideas )
1385 Jupiter / Saturn 25 Gemini ( Second Phase, Jupiter Saturn conjunction back to Air sign , mixed new ideas and old patterns )
1405 Jupiter / Saturn 23 Aquarius ( Second Phase, Jupiter Saturn conjunction stay in Air sign , mixed new ideas and old patterns )
1425 Jupiter / Saturn 17 Scorpion ( Last Phase, Jupiter Saturn conjunction move to Water sign ,take down the unnecessary old pattern and slowly settle down, End of Great mutation )
1444 Jupiter / Saturn 8 Cancer
The start of the great mutation between Air and Water occurred in 1365 in Scorpio. Around the second half of the 14th century, trade between Asia and Europe was controlled by the Venice Republic in the Mediterranean area and, at the same time, the Black Death in the 14th century and the rise of the Ottoman Empire also limited overland trade. Europeans slowly drew their attention from land to the sea, with fishing and trading in coastal areas. They also wanted to avoid Muslims in north Africa and the Mediterranean. They were trying to find new direct sea lanes to trade with India by Sea. This all happens slowly, they reached the Atlantic islands of Madeira in 1419 and the Azores in 1427, two years after the last Jupiter Saturn conjunction of Great mutation happened in Scorpio again.
Ship design and navigation skills evolved around this time. However, the knowledge and trading represented by Air elements were essential keys, for example in 1400 a Latin translation of Ptolemy’s Geographia reached Italy, coming from Constantinople. This rediscovery changed the world view of medieval Europe and helped map-making and navigation. Also, Portolan charts (a type of nautical chart) began to appear in Italy at the end of the 13th century but the first reports of the use of nautical charts was not until 1489.
Before the 14th century, the galley and the cog were two types of popular ships in the Mediterranean. However, they needed bigger, faster and lighter vessels. Hulks were a popular cargo vessel for the Hanseatic League, between 14th and 15th centuries replacing the single masted cog. Carracks and caravels were two different types of three or four masted ocean-going sailing ships, these were developed in Europe (mostly in Portugal) and allowed people to travel further, move faster and store more, eventually helping them to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Most astrologer notice that last time when we have Jupiter, Saturn conjunct in Aquarius was at 16 Jan 1405, if we check the important event of this year, it was about the first time Zheng he presented China (Ming Dynasty) set sail to explore the world. Although Jupiter, Saturn conjunct in the Air sign, but we have already stepped into Water sing’s influence. On 1413 Zheng he’s treasure fleet arrived east side of Africa in Kenya, this was furthest place Chinese fleet ever travelled. Zheng he’s last journey departed at 1430 this was his 7th journey, however, he was unwell and die during the journey and the fleet return to China in March 1433. Zheng he’s sea voyages has its important state in Chinese history, before this time China has never travelled this far on the sea. Zheng he’s voyage has increased China’s political and economic influence in the world especially in southeast Asia.
Those events happened between 1365 and 1444, the great mutation moved from Air to Water slowly leading Europe to the New World by crossing the Oceans. We know it does not happen immediately when Jupiter Saturn conjunct in a water sign in 1365, but it gives people the reasons, knowledge and techniques to cross the ocean when it moves back to Air signs between 1385 and 1425. They also successfully reached Maderia and the Azores, around the time Jupiter and Saturn conjunct in the water sign, Scorpio, again. We know it wasn’t until 1492 that Columbus finally crossed the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in the Bahamas ( Some suggest João Vaz Corte-Real arrived Newfoundland 1473 but there is a lack of corroborating evidence).
The experience we are having now between 2000 – 2020 was indeed the second phase of a Great mutation between Earth and Air. The new ideas and new thoughts of the Air element were introduced around first phase of the great mutation, in the 1980’s. In that time, we worried about how heavily we depended on material life, also in this time the movement of “Political correctness” marked the influence of Air sign on language. But from 2000 we start to focus on the material again, as the Jupiter Saturn conjunction occurs in Taurus, the earth element, reminding us one last time that there is an urge to finish our work or fix the problems and damage we have caused while we were only focussed on economic growth, from humanitarian crises to climate change and global resource depletion. Also, during this second phase we notice the world is different, you may notice the movement led by Millennials and other political movement groups are against the establishment , this is not only left wing against right wing, this is also the Earth quality trying to “take back control” “grab by … something” against the coming Air element quality or simply having difficulty leaving our earthy comfort zone.
