Greg Tufaro is a second-generation astrologer and segment producer for "Good Morning America."
Hold on to your hats everybody — Jupiter is going retrograde today, April 10!
"But, how can this be?” you ask. “I thought only Mercury went retrograde and that just ended on March 28. Those three weeks were rough!”
Well, the reality is, all planets will appear to move in retrograde (i.e., backward across the sky) from our vantage point here on Earth as they complete their revolution around the sun but Mercury, being the planet of communication, is the one we often find ourselves talking about the most. Why? Maybe because Mercury actually represents communication and we like to talk about it the most!
(MORE: 6 types of astrological relationships: How do you and your partner match up?)So, what’s the deal with Jupiter? Are we about to be beset with another potentially difficult chapter? And, more importantly, how long will it last?
In astrology, Jupiter represents good fortune, expansion and abundance. Where it falls in your chart is the area of your life in which you are more likely to be experiencing lucky breaks. When it goes into retrograde from April 10 to Aug. 11, the effects will be similar to those of the Mercury retrograde period, when there is a breakdown in all things Mercury symbolizes. With Jupiter retrograde, you’re more likely to experience a pull-back of the exterior forces that propel you forward with seemingly out-of-the-blue lucky breaks, chance meetings and moments where you find yourself in the right place at the right time. To enjoy and appreciate the concept of luck in your own life, for the next several months you’ll be challenged to rely more on your own efforts to get where you want to go!
This isn’t a time to sit back and be lazy. It’s a time to go after what you want because you need to show the universe that you have the strength and conviction to do the things you want to do despite anything that may hold you back. As the Roman philosopher, Seneca, once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Jupiter in retrograde is the time to build upon your preparation, keep on the lookout for opportunity and then seize the day on your own.
Here’s a look at how it might impact you in the coming months and what you can do to make the most of it:
If you’ve found yourself dealing with foreigners of late, or people outside your usual sphere of influence, and appreciate how they approach their lives, intrigued by their differences, now is the time to implement some of their thoughts and ways of doing things into your own life. The next few months will be less focused on expanding your borders internationally and more focused on expanding your ideas and ideologies internally. True growth comes from within!
If you’ve been anticipating a sizeable tax return in the coming months and it doesn’t quite turn out as you’d expected or ends up getting delayed, don’t be surprised or disillusioned. Your finances are being tested to see if you’ve truly been taking care of business. You shouldn’t be spending money that you don’t already have in your pocket. If this means putting a pause on some grand plan you have to reinvent yourself, do yourself that favor. It will be worth it and several months from now, you’ll look back on this moment and be glad that you did!
(MORE: New Starbucks zodiac chart finds the drink to perfectly match-a your personality)For the past few months, even if things have gotten rocky in your relationship, you’ve felt yourself riding a wave that’s strengthened your bond to one another. Now, take whatever tools you’ve developed and put them into practice with intention. Things may not go so smoothly over the next several months, but that’s okay. Even the best of relationships get tested from time to time. The true strength of a relationship only reveals itself in the most difficult and trying of times. Knock on wood this isn’t one of those so that you’re already ahead of the game.
Lately, if you’ve been able to balance your daily work schedule with a health or fitness routine for the first time in ages, keep it going! One of the two is likely to go off-kilter in the coming months. It could be a pile-on of new clients and/or a sudden sprain that you didn’t see coming. In any event, it will take extra effort to stay on track. If you can’t keep both things going and flowing, don’t stress yourself out needlessly. Work ebbs and flows as do most of our waistlines with age. It’s all OK. If you can’t work everything out right now, give it a few months to reset. The opportunity to balance your heart, mind and spirit will come back around again in no time!
If you’ve been able to find the time for all of your favorite pastimes of late, over the next few months, you may suddenly feel as if you’re running up against the clock to fit everything in. Prioritize what really gives you pleasure and let the rest fall away. Living in the moment and having “fun” doesn’t always come naturally. Sometimes, it takes a bit of energy and effort to get yourself in a positive mindset and set your priorities straight. Know that right now, you’re more likely going to have to fake the smile until you can smile naturally if it doesn’t come as easily as you’d hope!
If you’ve recently moved or have been in the process of upgrading your housing situation and everything has been going swimmingly with little to no effort, be thankful that it has, because now you’ll have to put in a bit more work to make sure everything continues to run smoothly in your home. Be sure to check and double check the references of anybody who may be working for you as a contractor. For the next several months, they’re less likely to be able to complete the job on the timeframe you’ve requested of them. Your safest bet? Allow for a contingency plan, and a more reasonable amount of time, to get through all of the remodeling you hope to get done.
You’ve been quite the social butterfly of late, taking short trips here and there and everywhere. Whether to visit family or friends nearby, your schedule has seemingly allowed the impossible and for once in your life, you’ve been able to make sure all of the important people in your life know that they matter. What you need to know now, however, is that for the next couple of months, your schedule will not be so freewheeling and you’ll have to make the extra effort to stay in touch. So, pick up the phone. Send an email. All you need are small tokens of appreciation like those to demonstrate to your loved ones that you care.
If you recently came upon a windfall of money or received a raise at work toward the end of last year, good for you! It probably came in handy for any unexpected expenses that may have cropped up in the New Year. Hopefully, you were able to put that money away in the bank and allowed it to accumulate interest. For the next several months, you probably won’t be as fortunate with financial news as you have been, but that’s okay. Money comes and goes. It’s making sure your income stays greater than your outflow that matters most. Be extra careful until August that this remains the case for you!
(MORE: How to handle an argument based on your zodiac sign)With Jupiter touring Sagittarius since November, you’ve been the belle of the ball. Without having to put yourself out there, you’ve found yourself the center of attention with people listening to and hanging on your every word. Well, things are about to change a bit. Now that you have their attention, it will be your job to keep them focused on what you have to say. Revisit all of the projects you already have in motion and make sure they’re built on solid ground so you can have them ready to launch in August. This year will still be yours for the taking!
If you’ve been inclined toward introspection for the past several months and were able to find the time to retire away from the world, now may be the time for that to flip. You may suddenly be called upon to help uplift others through whatever difficulties they may be going through and be less able to focus on yourself. For the time being, that’s okay. It’s the way things are meant to be. Everything goes in cycles. Your solitude has served its purpose. It’s time to help others achieve the same peace of mind you’ve successfully found for yourself!
Those friends in positions of power that you’ve turned to over the past several months to aid you in getting where you want to go may suddenly be focused on their own priorities for the next several months and unable to assist you. Don’t worry. They’re not abandoning you. They have other things to contend with and you, being the Aquarian that you are, are certainly going to be completely fine doing things on your own. That’s how you operate best. You’ve already laid the groundwork for everything you hope to achieve. Now is the time to put your nose to the grindstone and do the work to get there!
Have you been on the right career path or, for the past several months, have you been less sure of what you want to be doing and where you want to go? No worries. Take the next several months to assess the different directions you can apply your skills and actually put them to work. Now is the perfect time to figure out what is a good fit for your career. If you happen to be unemployed or suddenly find yourself out of work, don’t rest on your laurels. You have to get up and go, and put yourself out there time and again. It won’t be easy and do not play the martyr. Anything you achieve now will be the result of the effort you put into things and have a real potential for growth!