Once a year, Jupiter changes sign — and Vedic astrology treats that shift as one of the most reliably hopeful moments on the entire astrological calendar.
Jupiter — Guru or Brihaspati in Sanskrit — takes approximately one year to move through each sign of the zodiac, completing a full circuit in roughly twelve years. That measured, unhurried pace is a large part of why its transit (commonly called Guru Gochar) is treated so seriously: unlike the Moon's transit, which shifts by the day, or even Saturn's, which shifts by years, Jupiter's yearly rhythm gives it enough dwell time in each house to genuinely shape a meaningful chapter, while still moving on before that chapter overstays its welcome.
Among the slow-moving planets read in transit, Jupiter carries by far the most consistently favorable reputation. Its natural significations — growth, wisdom, higher learning, teachers and mentors, optimism, and good fortune — mean its transit through a particular house is generally watched for opportunities: career growth, the arrival of a mentor or guide, expanding family (children), or a wedding. It's also the transit most classically associated with the timing of marriage and childbirth, precisely because those events are themselves expansions of one's life and responsibilities.
Jupiter's transit is conventionally judged from two separate reference points at once: the house it currently occupies counted from the Ascendant (Lagna), which colors overall circumstance and outer life, and the house it occupies counted from the natal Moon, which colors emotional experience and inner state. A transit that looks favorable from one point but more neutral from the other is common, and an experienced reading weighs both rather than leaning on just one.
Classical gochar texts describe certain houses, counted from the Moon, as generally more auspicious for Jupiter's transit than others — broadly, houses associated with growth, resources, and supportive relationships tend to be read more favorably than houses associated with loss, conflict or isolation. Different classical sources vary somewhat in the exact list and finer nuances of this rule, so rather than overclaiming one precise textual formula here, the simple, practical takeaway most astrologers use is this: Jupiter transiting a house that is naturally supportive of growth from the Moon tends to bring smoother, more visibly positive results, while a more challenging house from the Moon tends to soften even Jupiter's naturally generous nature.
Jupiter doesn't force change the way Saturn or Rahu can. It simply opens a door, once a year, and waits to see who walks through.
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Approximately one year, though this can vary somewhat due to Jupiter's occasional retrograde motion, which can extend its stay in a sign slightly beyond twelve months.
Jupiter is the classical significator of expansion, growth, and in many traditions, of children and good fortune — its transit through relevant houses is therefore commonly watched as a favorable window for these life events.
Generally, yes, more consistently than most other slow transits — but its results still depend on Jupiter's natal dignity, the house it transits, and how that house relates to your Moon and Ascendant.
Both are conventionally checked together — the Ascendant for outer circumstance, the Moon for inner, emotional experience — rather than relying on just one reference point.
Guru Gochar is simply the Sanskrit-rooted term for Jupiter's transit — Guru being one of Jupiter's names and Gochar meaning transit.