Sun Juno Conjunction 28Gemini June 2023

Following on from my talk on the Sun Juno conjunction on 20th June 2023 I’ve expanded on a few points discussed and for anyone who missed it, here’s the video again and please keep an eye out for further information regarding my Juno workshop. https://youtu.be/59Vebifcyi8

And a very quick post script; last night, 19th June, on the eve of the Sun Juno conjunction falling on Boris Johnson’s natal 9th house Sun Venus conjunction, MP’s voted overwhelmingly in support of the report which found that he deliberately misled parliament, that he blatantly lied. Juno sees through everything – the wool cannot be pulled over her eyes……..

Many astrologers are probably familiar with Juno as Jupiter’s wife,  representing the marriage or “ideal” longterm partner in the natal chart, but there is so much more to her than this. In Roman lore Juno’s mythology and theology was complex and multifold, reflected in her numerous epithets and roles. Highly revered in Roman culture, many towns had temples and cults devoted to her. She was also part of the Capitoline triad of deities along with Jupiter and his daughter Minerva, honoured in temples built in prominent hubs of political and religious life in Rome. So in this overview I hope to open up Juno’s world and therefore the scope of her use astrologically.

One piece of artwork is particularly captivating and has inspired me greatly, Jupiter and Juno on Mount Ida, by Antoine Coypel:

Here she is more than just Jupiter’s consort. She sits above him beguilingly, in a position of power while he’s gazes up at her adoringly. To understand the context of this scene we will switch momentarily into Greek mythology and Juno’s counterpart, Hera.…

Hera was enraged at not being chosen by Paris as the fairest between herself,  Athena & Aphrodite. In retribution she joined the Greeks in the battle against the Trojans, and seduced Zeus on Mount Ida causing him to fall asleep, a pivotal point in the war which allowed the gods to step onto the battlefield and support the Greeks contrary to Zeus’ orders not to

….which suggests Juno has considerable political power, guile and influence as well as her own agenda. Two of Juno & Jupiter’s children are also present – to date I have been unable to confirm which of their four children these are, but possibly they are Mars and Vulcan rather than Bellona and Juventus. That they are both playing with fire suggests strong creative impulses and perhaps a message of “mess with Juno and you’re playing with fire.” Finally, there is Juno’s ever present peacock, more of which later.

Mythology

Juno is very much part of an impressive dynasty as Saturn’s daughter, therefore sister to Neptune, Pluto, Juno, Ceres, Vesta and Jupiter (as well as his wife). One of her more well-known myths involves notoriously unfaithful Jupiter’s infidelity with her priestess Io. Juno, although loyal as a wife, was extremely jealous of Io and incensed with Jupiter’s betrayal. In an attempt to conceal the affair he disguised himself as a dark cloud and Io as a white cow, however Juno saw through the deception, requested the cow as a gift then placed it under the watchful care of the giant Argus. Argus had a hundred eyes, never closing more than two at a time even when asleep, but coerced by Jupiter, Mercury succeeded in putting all Argus’ eyes to sleep with the sound of his magic lyre before killing him, allowing Io to escape. Discovering Io’s escape, Juno sent a gadfly to bite and torment her forever. Jupiter begged her to set Io free on condition he would never pursue her again to which Juno complied, showing potential for compromise. The wool cannot be pulled over Juno’s eyes, she sees everything, misses nothing and in essence, one’s true colours cannot be concealed. Ironically by today’s Covid standards she is quite test, track & trace!

The afore mentioned peacock is one of the birds sacred to Juno, and in tribute to Argus she placed his eyes on its tail.  In Aesop’s Fables as well as looking beautiful the Peacock desired a pretty voice but Juno said, “No. Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything”, hence the peacock is associated with pride, one of the seven deadly sins.  Juno appreciates everyone’s best qualities but doesn’t tolerate hubris. Additionally, Jung (who was also interested in alchemy) associated the peacock with renewal and change, so Juno is also associated with that which is cyclical.

Astronomy

Juno was discovered in 1804 by Karl Ludwig Harding. Located in the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, a somewhat fiery masculine domain, despite being one of the ten larger asteroids her small size and irregular shape ultimately stopped her gaining dwarf planet status. To give some perspective she is roughly 10^th the diameter of Mercury. As the first asteroid for which occultation was observed this echoes that Juno is familiar with anything hidden or concealed.[ii]

Her elliptical orbit of approximately 4.4yrs meaning her time in each sign varies, averaging 2-3 months but can last nearly a year as she retrogrades every eighteen months for around 2-3 months.

At the time of Juno’s discovery[iii] Napoleon had become the first Emperor of France with the French Empire dominating much of Europe. Romanticism Art was in its heyday, therefore two contrasting energies clearly described by the Aries Libra opposition.

Even a cursory glance at the chart is enough to see show how multifaceted and complex it is, resonating with Juno’s many roles. She sits on corner of a proactive Cardinal Grand Cross familiar with varied crises, but aided by the nodal Mystic rectangle is able to utilise opportunities to help move forward. She is multi-challenged but multi-talented and in the driving seat in fiery, cardinal, warlike Aries trine Leo Moon Venus. Usually associated with Libran qualities, she’s actually full of feminine fire, a home-base of feminine courage, loyalty and leadership.

Her Cardinal T-Square has diplomatic and responsible Mercury Saturn in Libra which is of course about committed relationships and contracts but also about objectivity. However, the Cancer Mars apex shows she is emotionally reactive when provoked, defensive and protective of domestic issues and indeed the feminine principle – note the grand water trine with Jupiter and Pluto also. In brief, we’re looking at an assertive, fiery female carrying a lot of matriarchal weight.

Interestingly Juno aspects all personal planets apart from her dutiful, humble Virgo Sun which perhaps suggests some form of disconnect from male relations yet with its opposition to Pluto she is unlikely to suffer fools, so power dynamics will be familiar territory – Juno’s marriage to Jupiter certainly wasn’t wedded bliss. Saturn Chiron is her stoicism, the weight of responsibility and perhaps also the “sins of the father.”

From a mundane perspective, the applying Saturn Uranus conjunction[iv] (using Richard Tarnus’ suggested wider orbs, Cosmos & Psyche) brings Juno into the realm of change, progression and upheaval – the conundrum of not accepting the current status quo yet trying to balance a new status quo.

Juno’s numerous epithets are clearly reflected in her chart, often crossing over and multitasking which is useful to keep in mind when interpreting her astrologically:

Juno Curitis is Juno the warrior, bequeathed with sword and shield. Curitis is derived from curis, ‘spear’, so an obvious Aries manifestation.

Juno Sospita (pictured[v]) is Juno, Saviour of Rome, protector of rights, defender of home and family, very Cancer Mars.

Juno Moneta, is financial, monetary & martial protector – indeed money was minted in her temples. Moneta is from “monere”, to warn” advising and alerting people to danger so there is a survival instinct here. Also, Juno sees through the fog(as with Jupiter’s cloud) sometimes with a sting in tail which is very Scorpionic. Interestingly, peacocks are synchronised to sunrise/sundown and renowned for their early morning trumpeting, similar to an alarm, alert or warning system.

Juno Regina is Queen, Consort of Jupiter, the pure Libran energy of partnerships, legal contracts, committed partners, political influence and perhaps sometimes turning a blind eye to protect the status quo.

Juno Lucina is the Bringer of Light, a vital lifeforce. She is protector of women in labour and childbirth, women & the feminine principle in general, again very Cancerian. The origins of Juno’s name are associated with iuvare, “to aid, benefit”, & iuvenescere, “rejuvenate” [vi] the latter which can be connected to the cyclical  renewal of the moon and the peacock’s plumage. Perhaps this is about starting over or moving to new phases in relationships or contracts.

Planetary glyphs also reveal much, Juno’s consisting of a cross of matter with another two cut through the top – matter rising into matter and Juno is very physical, often manifesting in material events. It’s no stretch either to imagine her glyph as a lantern, beacon or luvenescence, Juno Lucina lighting the way.

Finally, what might Juno show us on a collective level? Using 2020’s Great Air Mutation (that the previous one was in 1226 adds some perspective on the scale of its significance) Juno tightly sextiles the Jupiter Saturn conjunction. She is very much part of this societal shift and its fresh new, eager energy.

In Sagittarius she may well be a bringer of hope, optimism and justice and with Venus she will be focused on change in our value systems, what matters and new awareness of our differences. The shift from earth to air is a move away from materialism and just as Juno would say to the peacock, “be content with your lot.” Both Juno, Venus and the 2021 Summer Eclipses highlight the Gemini/Sagittarius axis which is very much the way we speak to and think about each other, indeed the shift to Air until 2219 is very much about raising communication and thought processes to a higher octave. Just as the Peacock rejuvenates and gains new feathers there is opportunity to see life though a new lens, our eyes opening in particular to societal inequality.

The narrative behind her sextile to the Jupiter Saturn conjunction cannot be overlooked – they are her husband/brother and father, they are patriarchs. We are in the lengthy and momentous process of moving away from a patriarchal society, watching it continue to crumble after the 2020 Saturn Pluto conjunction with Pluto remaining in Capricorn until 2024. But with Saturn now in Aquarius we have opportunities to reform power dynamics on a personal, social, political and collective level. Fairness and inclusivity will be topical particularly regarding new freedom and appreciation for not only women but progression, inclusivity and continued evolution of gender and minority rights. This is also suggested by Venus opposing the Aquarius North Node in Juno’s discovery chart.

Might Juno Lucina  support the birth of a new era in the way we relate to each other if we grasp the opportunity she offers to reset our thinking, grow in wisdom and reach for a fresh, new status quo?

Copyright L.C. McCafferty 26/07/2021

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Endnotes

[ii] 3 Juno – Wikipedia & Asteroid Juno | Space Reference

[iii] Juno – Astrodienst Astrowiki

[iv] A 45 year cycle, exact in Nov 1805 Nov at 28LIB. 

[v] Statue of Juno Sospita from the Vatican Museum

[vi] Juno (mythology) – Wikipedia