Jupiter tends to be retrograde for about 4-5 months every year. So, you can expect Jupiter moving in the apparent reverse motion in about 22% of your client’s charts.

Retrograde motion happens quite regularly, most of us have at least one graha retrograde in our horoscopes. These retrograde planets affect deeply on the psychological levels, on growth and development. Their energies are channelised differently, turned inwards towards the non-rational dimensions. They offer subtle challenges, and if you can over come these, you are granted greater access to your inner self. If you consciously use their energies, they will support heightened intuition and self-awareness, but if left to themselves they will deny access to these. These are the subjective, unconscious motivations of your self, you cannot understand them in the context of your rational, objective, conscious and motivated actions.

A planet gains more power when he is retrograde because he is in the reviewing, redoing, reevaluating Re-mode.

Jupiter is considered the biggest benefic planet in the chart, benevolent and gentle. He is the agent of knowledge and wisdom. Depending on what he signifies in your chart, he can help you on the material or spiritual paths. Based on what Jupiter means in your horoscope, he will make you understand and experience its true value. Education, career, law, religion, metaphysics, spirituality, philosophy, marriage, children, he gives and expands the potential for all these. Jupiter is also about being ‘visible’ in public, fame. Jupiter matures rather early in life so generally by the time the individual enters active society his thought processes have already taken a definite direction. Colleges and Universities are the places where these thoughts are first expressed, this patterns then continue throughout life.

A retrograde Jupiter increases the psychological dimensions of the experiences he controls. He will be successful in the roles assigned to him, but now he will look for the inner subjective meanings, the patterns linked to these roles. He might have money and fortune, but he will question the use of these things in life and in a broader social perspective. Jupiter retrograde is the courage of conviction. Questions like ‘what is good for me/society’, ‘what is personal/societal progress’, ‘what is personal/societal good’, are pondered upon. He will think very deeply on the matters of the house he is placed in. Jupiter retrograde will have an inner hope, righteousness and faith. He knows himself to be right, will never give up hope and can turn into a crusader of his faith, in benevolent but insistent ways. He is quite positive in approach. A retrograde Saturn thinks for a change in material benefits for the society. A retrograde Jupiter thinks about the society’s collective ‘soul’.

Jupiter is the natural owner of Sagittarius and Pisces. Both these signs are located in the second half of the zodiac. These energies are directed outward from the person, more social in context, more distributive. This is where the personality diffuses, the larger picture comes into focus. He sacrifices his individuality for the sake of the larger perspective. So when Jupiter turns retrograde, he thinks and rethinks on larger issues very deeply. He develops his unusual perspectives on philosophy, religion, law, learning, losses of the material, gain of the spiritual, etc. Such a Jupiter values subjective humanitarian values, like kindness, generosity, compassion etc in an abstract way. He might not actively give money to a charity but might prefer being a spokesperson motivating others to contribute. This ‘visibility in public life’ usually happens after mid-life, for the simple reason that in his younger years, his unusual opinions will not be taken seriously or he may lack opportunities. The initial years may be accompanied with self-doubt or lack of self-confidence but there is usually a complete change with middle-age.

Retrograde planets are always linked to a ‘inner voice’ who evaluates the gifts linked to the planet very strictly. You will not bother about how your opinions are being received in public as long as your inner conscience is satisfied. You prefer to learn from your own experiences and reactions to them, rather than from others. You will also not expect returns for the actions you perform, e.g. you know that this is your life path and you are following a greater force, so walking on this path is satisfaction enough.

Retrograde planets in the horoscope invariably delay some things in life, e.g personal achievements, marriage, wealth, etc can come later than you expect. And spiritual growth and philosophical understanding will invariably come earlier than you’d expect it!

If your retrograde planets are conjunct with a direct moving planet, e.g. retrograde Jupiter conjunct Sun, you should analyse the Sun and Jupiter as a combined unit, as Jupiter will subconsciously influence the actions indicated by the Sun in your horoscope. Jupiter will in a way, use the Sun’s energy to express himself. And the Sun will use retrograde Jupiter’s thought processes as his back up.

As with Saturn, Jupiter is retrograde for a significant period, 4-5 months, every year. So if you have retrograde Jupiter in your birth chart, these transits of retrograde Jupiter will  be felt quite intensely. You will seem to work overtime without a break during this period. If you observe yourself over the years, you might notice that you take decisions which have far-reaching impacts during this period. Jupiter retrograde at birth has marked out whatever is stunting your personal and spiritual growth. Transiting Jupiter retrograde will make you resolve these issues in earnest. And this will happen every year. These 4-5 months is where life will be in fast-forward for you. So try to remain aware of events. Try to clarify your internal understanding. You will reap the benefits of your this hard work when Jupiter goes direct in transit again.

‘Fulfilment’ is a very subjective. To be really satisfied about the aspects of life controlled by retrograde planets, you will have to tread on unusual paths. There will be hard karmic lessons or extra effort required this life to be genuinely happy and content. So be patient and persevere.

And finally, because he is Jupiter and he is retrograde, replaying the lesson of faith, ethics and values, you will not follow established religion blindly. You will find your own truths and deeper meanings, with time. There may be disappointments on your spiritual journey as you follow others. Try and listen to your own inner voice and have faith in yourself. Be kind to yourself and you will find your own way, which will be perfect for you, with time.