The universe wants you to think bigger — what Mercury Conjunct Jupiter in Leo means for your rising sign

In this piece, our guest contributor Mizza Osuamkpe explores the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction in Leo and how this powerful transit can encourage us to think bigger, reconnect with our authentic selves, and envision a reality that truly aligns with who we are.

 

Between August 14 and 16 (exactly on the 15th), Mercury, the planet that holds the key to the mind, conjuncts Jupiter- the great benefic which bestows luck by providing the right place/time to those who hold belief beyond reason, a.k.a the Optimistic amongst us.

Jupiter transits allow us to draw from abundance in different ways. When it is in conjunction with Mercury in the sign of Leo, we are capable of thinking up the grandest thoughts, fanned by Jupiter’s optimism. During this conjunction, you can hone in your mental energy on the area of life this energy is vibrating in (as shown by the house the conjunction resides in our natal chart), to envision an ideal reality that is attuned to your Solar Self.

 

 

Thus, you can imagine a reality worthy of creating because it feeds the part of you that makes you feel you at your core. A life that is not only an expression of who you know your Self to be and the values that make sense to you as an individual, but also, through that true Self knowledge and expression, one that allows you to achieve a position of social standing as you fulfil your purpose as a member of your generation in society. You must be careful, however, that you do not focus your mental energy on the latter, as is the temptation with this transit- imagining a reality that looks good to others rather than one that feels good to you

This conjunction also opposes Pluto, allowing you to lift the veil of the conscious and delve deep into your psyche to answer the questions of “who am I really?” and “what do I truly want?” If you have already been doing some shadow work, you are 10 steps ahead and able to use the knowledge of your compulsions, deep-seated fears and primal desires to inform your imagined reality, rather than allowing them to take over your mind at this time, therefore warping the manifestation process.

On a more mundane level, you are likely to communicate from a place of ego (Conscious Self Identity) at this time, which will help expand your horizons if you are being true to yourself, as people will receive you and your ideas positively. But being arrogant, stubbornly thinking you know best or communicating from a place of self-aggrandisement will only lead to verbal and, in some cases, legal disputes. Mercury also governs travel and money, so depending on the planets in your natal chart, this transit could bring opportunities for financial luck. Want to know how to tap into Jupiter’s energy? Keep reading! 

 

PS: This specifically refers to the rising signs, not Sun signs

 

Read also: This is what the stars hold for every zodiac sign in 2026

 

 

Mercury-Jupiter Conjunction for the Rising Signs

 

 

LEO/VIRGO Rising (Conjunction in 1H)

Who are you? Who do you want your Self to be

You have begun a major cycle of growth in your life where self-knowledge and the ability to express that Self attract the people and resources you require to grow into who you were always meant to be. Your relationships in the past few years have forced the darkest parts of your Self into the light of consciousness.

At this time, you can examine your Ego with somewhat greater objectivity and detachment than usual. By transmuting the pain which accompanied those relationships/parts of your Self that have been destroyed through self-acceptance and compassion, into true Self Knowledge, you can manifest a more authentic and abundant life- to become someone you are proud of.

 

CANCER/LEO Rising (Conjunction in 2H)

What do you value? How can you provide resources for yourself by staying true to your values?

At this time you can manifest and actualise whatever it is that you value, whatever you take pride in “having”. You’ve been learning a master class in detachment as Pluto transits your 8th house, forcing you to consciously recognise the ways and to what degree you have allowed yourself to become entangled in other people’s resources or relied on others for your sense of value.

This may be quite a trying time financially, but this transit allows you to begin to think your way out of it. Do the possessions/resources you want fulfil egotistical purposes, or do they provide a life that is truly valuable to your growth? You must focus on what you really want, not what looks good or what others think you should have — lest you find that your desires run your life rather than making it more pleasant and fulfilling. 

 

Read also: Cancer, this is what the stars hold for you in 2026

 

GEMINI/CANCER Rising  (Conjunction in 3H)

What are your mental limitations? How can your everyday experiences expand your horizons?

Your mind is incredibly active at this time and primed towards learning, planning and expansion. Already, Pluto, transiting your 9th house, has been destroying the ways you think about the world, your personal philosophies and deeply held beliefs- outdated philosophies that do not serve your personal evolution.

At this time, through the places you go and conversations you have, you can recognise where you have been holding yourself back mentally due to pride or societal conditioning. In expanding your mental limitations and allowing logic to flow easily with highly optimistic belief, you create fertile ground to manifest a reality beyond your wildest imagination.

 

 

TAURUS/GEMINI Rising (Conjunction in 4H)

What does safety feel like? Or a home that feels like you?

This is the best time to manifest safety, stability or even a change of residence that feels like an upgrade! The past few years have seen you quite restless in your career/whatever it is that you consider to be your legacy, and your home life may have also suffered in the process. There has been a lot of change in your life, and you have found yourself wondering whether you are indeed on the right track quite a few times in the past year or two.

Under this transit, you are more introspective and can examine your domestic life to evaluate whether it is truly meeting your requirements for safety and stability. But first you must understand who you are at your core, so that you don’t end up creating a home for yourself that your family may approve of, but that makes you feel powerless or recreates the very environment that caused your childhood traumas. By understanding your familial wounds and desire for safety, you can manifest real belonging and security now that will prevent psychological crises when things get rough in the future.

 

ARIES/TAURUS Rising (Conjunction in 5H)

How can you find pleasure that feeds your Soul?

At this time you have the opportunity to manifest the most pleasurable reality you can imagine.  Over the last year or two, there has been a marked shift in your ideals, the things you dream about and the ways you experience the people you align yourself with. You may have experienced power plays, grief, or unresolved childhood trauma through your friendships or the groups you find community in, that force you to evaluate your principles and long-term goals.

During this transit, your creative self-expression is heightened, and you are presented with many opportunities to have fun and express yourself. Allow yourself to be playful at this time and notice what and who brings you utmost pleasure, who in your circle makes you feel most alive- hold on to those feelings and examine them. What is it about that thing or person that brings you so much pleasure, and how can you create a life that holds such joy?

 

Read also: Taurus, this is what the stars hold for you in 2026

 

PISCES/ARIES Rising (Conjunction in 6H)

What does a healthy life look like to you?

If you’ve been wanting to start a new diet or workout routine, now is the time to plan it! Your attention to detail is heightened now and focused on work and everyday responsibilities. How can you create a routine that feels like freedom? How can you find fulfilment and purpose in your responsibilities? How can you ensure a healthy life through your routine? 

Over the past year or two, you have been forced to confront aspects of yourself that had been buried deeply in the psyche, denied or repressed- whether that be insecurities, unresolved complexes or repressed gifts. This Mercury-Jupiter transit allows you to transmute those unnerving experiences and feelings, and through self-acceptance and compassion, put them to work to create a solid foundation for a more purposeful and authentic life.

 

 

AQUARIUS/PISCES Rising (Conjunction in 7H)

Who do you want to spend your life with?

Your focus at this time is attuned to intimate partnerships of all kinds- romantic, financial, platonic, etc. — specifically, the people you want to be with for the long haul. Over the past year or two, your identity has shifted as drastic changes in the way people perceive or relate to you have forced a deeper understanding of yourself.

Now that you are getting to know yourself on a deeper level, how can you manifest relationships that fulfil your individuality? In what ways can the people around you help you to meet your goals, and how are you able to support them? What do you need to feel loved? Hold that thought and begin to manifest a more loving and supported reality.

 

CAPRICORN/AQUARIUS Rising (Conjunction in 8H)

How can you create financial stability through partnership?

Over the past year or two, your finances have taken a hit. Money has been leaving faster than you can earn it, and relationships that you have placed your self-worth in have fallen apart. This transit brings you a bit of reprieve and an opportunity to manifest financial gifts. I must make this clear: this is not about manifesting a new job or source of income- while Pluto is in your 2nd, maintaining stable finances will be a challenge. Rather, it’s about understanding in which ways money can be attracted to you.

How can you indirectly create resources for yourself through collaborating with others? Think business partnerships/investments, ajo/microfinance communities, loans, etc. Other people are more willing to help you out in some way at this time; use that to your advantage!

 

Read also: These four zodiac signs have a rare kind of intelligence which no one else develops so much

 

SAGITTARIUS/CAPRICORN Rising (Conjunction in 9H)

Where do you want to go? What would you like to learn?

Your mind is eager for new experiences, and you have what it takes to expand your horizons! Over the past year or two, your understanding of the world around you has deepened as energies that previously operated under the surface in your immediate environment have been shown for what they truly are. Do you truly understand the power of your mind or its capacity?

Do you understand the purpose of experience and how knowledge impacts the lives of those around you? What do you need to know/experience to raise the human potential in your environment? 

Under this transit, you can effectively manifest broader horizons — whether that is a foreign trip or higher education. The world is your oyster!

 

SCORPIO/SAGITTARIUS Rising (Conjunction in 10H)

What would you like to be recognised for?

If you’ve been eyeing a promotion, now is the time to manifest that reality. This is the perfect time to make plans for your professional life and to seek recognition in any club or organisation you work with, to pursue ego expression within it, especially if this area of life is not bringing you much fulfilment.

Over the past year or two, you have been forced to face your childhood conditioning through external events. If work is not going how you want, it may be that you have been trying to create a legacy that does not actually align with your authentic self but is still living in the shadow of your parents’ desires. How can you gain fulfilment and recognition for the work that you do? Use this time to understand what you truly want from a career and start doing the work to get it.

 

LIBRA/SCORPIO Rising (Conjunction in 11H)

How can you reach your goals?

Your focus is attuned to your wishes, goals and expectations for your life. At this time, you are called to examine your hopes for the future to find out exactly how well they have served you and to what extent you have attained them. Do your goals reflect your authentic ideals, or are you just doing what your friends are doing? Do the groups you belong to and the friends you spend your time with fulfil you? Are your goals and philosophies aligned with these groups and people? If the answer to all these questions is yes, but you are not yet where you want to be in life, then at this time, through conversations within your chosen community, you can figure out what you need to do to reach these goals and begin to work towards that reality.

On the other hand, at this time, your perspective is broad enough to dream new dreams and manifest a more fulfilling community. Just remember that Jupiter’s gifts are most abundant and last longer when you are able to align your goals with the needs of your community. So, in manifesting friends and communities that align with your goals, make sure that those goals are not purely selfish and work to also improve the community around you

 

VIRGO/LIBRA Rising (Conjunction in 12H)

What in your subconscious needs healing?

The past year has seen drastic changes in your physical and mental health. Some of these are as a result of you encountering subconscious conditioning related to your everyday routine and the ways you care for your body. At this time, you are called to go inward and ask yourself what you are truly afraid of. 

This transit brings you face to face with the parts of you that you may usually hide away, repress or consider undesirable. However, through radical self-acceptance, compassion and Jupiter’s optimism, you can begin to embrace the parts of yourself you may have denied in the past — even those you once viewed as flaws — and recognise how they can contribute to your growth and self-development. At this time, you can seek the Divinity in yourself and make sense of things that have previously seemed senseless. Within this understanding, you find the comfort and meaning necessary to create a truly authentic and holistic life.

 

Read more: The star signs’ glow guide for finding your spark this season

 

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