What a Jupiter return means
Jupiter takes just under 12 years to circle the zodiac, so it returns to its birth position around ages 12, 24, 36, 47, 59, 71 and 83. In astrology Jupiter stands for growth, opportunity, faith and learning, and a Jupiter return is read as the start of a new 12-year cycle of expansion: a good moment to set a direction, study, travel or take a well-judged risk.
Because Jupiter turns retrograde for about four months roughly every 13 months, it sometimes crosses your natal degree three times: forward, backward and forward again. Astrologers usually treat the whole period between the first and last pass as the return.
How it is calculated
The calculator finds every moment Jupiter crosses its birth position, using the same planetary positions as our birth chart calculator, which are checked against the Swiss Ephemeris. Each crossing is located to within a minute of time.
Questions
Do I need my birth time?
No. Jupiter moves only about a twelfth of a degree a day, so the date is enough. The time only fine-tunes the exact day.
How long does a Jupiter return last?
The exact crossing is a single day, but astrologers often feel the theme for a few months either side, and for most of a year when retrograde passes are involved.