by Daniel Giamario
One of the most important and unique features of the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School paradigm, is the understanding and experience of the synodic cycles of the planets. The foundational philosophy of “As Above So Below, As Within So Without” best expresses the soulful magic of the Earth’s cosmology.
The Impact of Multiple Planetary Cycles
The greatest revelation of meaning and purpose emerges whenever two or more planetary cycles correspond with each other. The discovery of this “mystery” confounded and amazed the ancients. This understanding forms the very foundation of the calendric wizardry of the Maya, among others. More recently, the eminent astrologer Robert Hand writes that what makes astrology really “work” is when one has the closest approximations of cycles corresponding to whole numbers. The Shamanic Astrology Mystery School agrees with this understanding.
The Importance of Synodic Planetary Cycles
The synodic planetary returns are far more important than a regular planetary return cycle. A synodic planetary return occurs for an individual when a given planet revisits it’s natal zodiacal degree closest to the natal Sun, meaning the planet has returned during the same season it was when the person was born. This is because the Sun sign locates an individual chart in time, or places it within the yearly seasonal cycle. Therefore, a synodic planetary return cycle relative to an individual chart is the numerical replication of the planet’s original cycle with the Sun.
We know this is important because the ancients had a fascination with attempting to fit various planetary cycles “evenly” into the solar year. This brings us to the magic of synodic planetary returns. Below are examples of the ages when inner planetary synodic returns occur:
Venus—8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88 etc.
Mars—15, 32, 47, 64, 79 etc.
Mercury—7, 13, 26, 33, 46, 52, 59 etc.
One of the lesser known examples of synodic planetary magic relates to the cycles of Uranus and Jupiter. It turns out that exactly 7 Jupiter cycles of 11.5 years equals 83 years. This means Jupiter returns on the birthday very near the exact sign and degree it was in when a person was born. The first 6 Jupiter returns that occur in a person’s life do not occur at the solar birthday – meaning those Jupiter returns are not with the Sun so are NOT a synodic return. However, the 7th Jupiter return occurs near the age 83rd birthday within a day or so of being exact. Thus, this represents the synodic return of Jupiter.
Said another way, 83 years later, Jupiter is near the same sign and degree on the exact date it was 83 years prior. For example, the table below shows where Jupiter and Uranus were 83 years ago and where it is now on or near the same date (one reason for the dates being off slightly is that 2012 is a leap year and 1929 was not):
| January 1, 1929 | Jupiter 0 Taurus 29 | Uranus 3 Aries 37 | |
| January 1, 2012 | Jupiter 0 Taurus 25 | Uranus 0 Aries 50 | |
| June 13, 1929 | Jupiter enters Gemini | Uranus 10 Aries 54 | |
| June 12, 2012 | Jupiter enters Gemini | Uranus 8 Aries 08 | |
| July 17, 1929 | Jupiter 7 Gemini 22 | Uranus Rx 11 Aries 22 | Uranus turns retrograde |
| July 13, 2012 | Jupiter 6 Gemini 44 | Uranus Rx 8 Aries 32 | Uranus turns retrograde |
| September 3, 1929 | Jupiter 14 Gemini 43 | Uranus 10 Aries 31 Rx | Stock Market peak |
| September 3, 2012 | Jupiter 14 Gemini 47 | Uranus 7 Aries 33 Rx | ??? |
| October 5, 1929 | Jupiter Rx 16 Gemini 24 | Uranus 9 Aries 18 Rx | Jupiter Retrogrades |
| October 4, 2012 | Jupiter Rx 16 Gemini 22 | Uranus 6 Aries 21 Rx | Jupiter Retrogrades |
| October 24, 1929 | Jupiter 15 Gemini 49 Rx | Uranus 8 Aries 34 Rx | Black Thursday crash |
| October 24, 2012 | Jupiter 15 Gemini 44 Rx | Uranus 5 Aries 33 Rx | ??? |
| October 29, 1929 | Jupiter 15 Gemini 29 Rx | Uranus 8 Aries 23 Rx | Black Tuesday |
| October 29, 2012 | Jupiter 15 Gemini 18 Rx | Uranus 5 Aries 25 Rx | ??? |
| December 17, 1929 | Jupiter 9 Gemini 35 Rx | Uranus 7 Aries 27 Direct | Uranus goes Direct |
| December 13, 2012 | Jupiter 9 Gemini 57 Rx | Uranus 4 Aries 36 Direct | Uranus goes direct |
| January 1, 1930 | Jupiter 7 Gemini 52 Rx | Uranus 7 Aries 32 Direct | |
| January 1, 2013 | Jupiter 7 Gemini 46 Rx | Uranus 4 Aries 45 Direct |
The table above clearly shows how the 7th Jupiter return is a true synodic return. If you have an ephemeris you can try this out….pick any date and check the same date exactly 83 years later and you will see the wonder of it. Next, note how closely Uranus is near the same degrees as it was 83 years prior.
Jupiter and Uranus return together every 83 years
What we are seeing here is that 7 Jupiter cycles very nearly equal one Uranus cycle or Uranus return. It’s due to this remarkable correspondence that generated the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School insight that Uranus, is very much like a higher octave of Jupiter. We recently explored this subject in greater depth during the December 2011 Shamanic Timeline Intensive.
Over the years of looking at lots of charts, I have noticed strange connections between synodic planetary returns over the course of a person’s lifetime. One example is the “spooky” similarities people experience during the 60 day underworld periods that occur during the 8 year Venus synodic planetary return cycle.
The question then is what about larger planetary cycles with reference to the world? Decades ago, Mark Lerner was the one who alerted me to this phenomenon through his publication “Welcome to Planet Earth”. I hadn’t thought about this much in recent times until last month during the timeline intensive when we realized that 2012 is 83 years after 1929. That was the year of the biggest stock market crash in US history and the beginning of a twelve year Great economic Depression that affected all western industrialized countries.
This is worth noting as we enter into the long-awaited year of 2012 and are considering the impact of the galactic alignment, Mayan calendrics, and the Uranian/Plutonian square. Now we can add to this, as if the other events were not enough, the dramatic interplay of the Jupiter Uranus connection harkening back to 1929. As Mark Lerner suggested, it can be useful to compare newspaper headlines from 83 years ago to get clues about what may be happening now. I am open to your feedback and insights about what you come up with around this.
Note: For those who are doing historical research, don’t forget to compare the relevant 1929 dates to what is happening in 2012.