Jupiter’s transit December 5th has doshic influence of which we need to be aware. Jupiter is considered a kapha planet but his element is ether. This is because Jupiter requires great space in which to expand and spread. Jupiter currently is in Aquarius, an air sign. The symbol of Aquarius is a man holding a pot; kumbha in Sanskrit. The function of kumbha is to both hold and provide space which is vata by dosha. Kumbha is also the Sanskrit name for Aquarius in Jyotisha.
Kumbha is the root word for the pranayamic breath practice called kumbhaka, which means breath retention. There are two parts in kumbhaka of which one is the internal breath and the other the external breath. Kumbhaka as a breath practice goes beyond simple inhales and exhales. At the end of the external breath, there is a resting…a pause…before the next breath comes. This pause is a kind of gandanta which means knot.
Loosening knots
When a planet transits from one sign to the next, it is also called gandanta. Depending upon the nature of the elements associated with the constellations, this knot can be very difficult to unravel indeed. The more you try to untie the knot, the tighter it becomes. What gandanta represents for ourselves is the knot of challenges we are trying to reconcile and dissolve within.
Jupiter’s tendency to spread has been held, retained in Aquarius, similar to how our breath is held and retained in Kumbhaka. As Jupiter moves into Pisces, a dual water sign, ready yourself for both a collective and personal exhale, a release of the retention. The symbol of Pisces is two fish going in opposite directions. In this way however, we can expect vata to increase even though Pisces is a water sign.
A dual sign in water is vata-kapha and just like in the human body, a difficult dosha to manage when aggravated. Vata goes up and down and by 
nature contracts however under water’s influence, the nature will be to spread and expand in extreme. In the human body, this is the tenancy for weight to go up and down and for emotions to fluctuate to the extreme.
Breathing lessons
Remember Jupiter’s breathing lessons while under the influence of Aquarius, his kumbhaka as we move into Pisces December 5th. Allow the knots at the end of self to dissolve and loosen like moorings tethering a boat to a dock.
Jupiter’s transit through the last degrees of Aquarius and into Pisces will bring a rise in the metaphorical water level (water represents the emotions), a displacement in which we need to be flexible and adaptable as a response and while our boat’s line may completely loosen and fall away from it’s docking, we can find anchor in spiritual practices like yoga and pranayama.
Rhythmic inhales and exhales of the disciplined and conscious breath is one of the best treatments for vata as it provides order and containment for air and space just as Aquarius has held space for Jupiter over the last year on the eve of his transit into Pisces. Allow knots of past expectation to dissolve trusting the next breath to be filled with life’s power and resiliency even as we move toward short days and longer nights. The Light of winter’s solstice will dawn just as the inhale follows the deep pause at the end of a long exhale.
