Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Drops of Jupiter

Astrologers have always, as far as I know, categorised Jupiter as signifying a benign rather than malignant influence. No doubt its huge size, when compared with sizes of the innermost planets, seemed to signify excess, generosity, exaggeration, and all manner of things springing therefrom, such as travel far & wide, and publication - sending out information to the masses. There's another side to Jupiter though.

Some regularity has been discerned in the distances between planets in our solar system. Bode's Law is a rule devised centuries ago by astronomers to demonstrate the regularity, it's a rough rule but an interesting one. If Mercury is 4 units of distance from the Sun, the Venus is 4+3, the Earth 4+6, Mars 4+12. Then there's a gap - Jupiter is 4+48, and Saturn more roughly 4+96. That huge gap between Mars and Jupiter, breaking a pattern, and leaving a gap where otherwise another planet might have been expected to form, is thought to have remained empty because Jupiter's gravity prevented another planet from forming in that area. Another theory is that several smaller planets were formed and they collided with one another; or that a single planet was formed but was then destroyed by Jupiter's greater gravitational field. Bearing those theories in mind, it's odd that Jupiter hasn't gathered a rather more negative reputation in astrological lore. Astrologers were quick to attribute eccentricity and the unexpected to Uranus because of its eccentric orbit, so why not attribute something like a hint of ruthlessness, eradication, destruction to Jupiter, the juggernaut planet?
Now that she's back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's a time to change, hey, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey, hey

From Drops of Jupiter by the band Train

We all have at least one drop of Jupiter in us somewhere, for good or ill. Jupiter is ruler of Sagittarius, but traditionally also ruled Pisces before Neptune was recruited for the task. In Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson's book Here and There in Astrology (1961), from which I quoted last Thursday, she embraces the standard interpretations: Jupiter is the planet of abundance, generosity or over-generosity so that he also rules obesity; great respect for formality, protection when in an angular house (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th), and for the bestowal of honors when well aspected to the ruler of the ascendant. He rules philosophy and all forms of higher wisdom including religion, and also philanthropy. As a rule, he represents wealth.

Mrs. Jacobson's notes relate to astrological houses. Houses are a tricky concept - a kind of overlay to the signs, relating to areas of life where the "flavours" of the planets and signs involved are thought most likely to manifest.

Mrs Jacobson listed some potential results when Jupiter is found in particular houses in a natal chart. To establish the exact position of the house cusps (dividing lines) in a natal chart an exact time of birth is needed, exact to the minute, ideally. Few people are lucky enough to possess such exactitude, in which efficiency of hospital staff or relatives' memories play a big part. An additional snag: there are several different systems for calculating house divisions. Astrologers cannot agree which is best, so tend to use the one which works best for them. Bearing these variables and imponderables in mind then, and as a basis for a bit of light "suck-it-and-see" type investigation, here are a few of Mrs Jacobson's notes.

Jupiter in any house increases the number there of whatever that house represents. In 7th house, more than one marriage. In 11th - many friends. In 3rd many blood relatives/neighbours. In 5th many children, and so on.

Jupiter in 10th gives the native great luck in achieving his chosen career.....

Jupiter in or ruling 4th house gives a large home and family, generous father and many gifts from him unless badly afflicted. Some affiliation with a religious organization. Many changes of address - will not continue to live at the birthplace.

Jupiter in or ruling an angular house (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th) denotes the wearing of a uniform at some time of life.

Jupiter in 6th - expensive pets, indulgent habits difficult to overcome.

Jupiter in or ruling 9th house or any angle promises long journeys or voyages not necessarily at the native's own expense. Friends are easily made.

Jupiter in aspect with other planets brings out the best the other planets have to offer.

In my own natal chart Jupiter in Pisces is in 9th house.... long journeys or voyages not necessarily at the native's own expense. Half right! Lots of long journeys, including one which led eventually to emigration from my homeland. All, unfortunately, at my own expense though! Something similar regarding travel is signified by my natal Venus in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter. So if, in my case, house placements aren't exactly accurate due to slight discrepancy in my time of birth, there's back-up!

8 comments:

mike said...

Jupiter in western, tropical astrology is viewed as a benefic planetary influence, but in vedic, sidereal astrology has both benefic and malefic quality attributes. In Greek and Roman mythology, Jupiter is the son of Saturn and overthrows Saturn (some lore states Jupiter simply succeeded Saturn)...both sat in the same throne, but at different times.

I used to ascribe the positive to Jupiter with the mental note that the expansive qualities of Jupiter can lead to excess or too much of a good thing. I now view Jupiter as highly related to Saturn...both have the same potentiality and represent flip sides of the same coin: Jupiter presents opportunity and possible excess, Saturn presents contraction and possible constraint. The two planets balance each other. In terms of duality, the gifts of Jupiter can be a bit like wishes from Aladdin's lamp that burden and encumber the recipient...the strife, toil, and burden of Saturn can eventually provide a firm foundation and clear path for the receptive.

I've had too many experiences with blessings that turned to burdens and, likewise, burdens that evolved into blessings. Jupiter and Saturn can both yield results when worked in tandem with wisdom.

Twilight said...

mike ~ Thanks for those helpful additional points. :-)

Agreed, Saturn and Jupiter can be interpreted as opposites, as can Saturn and Uranus, but for different reasons.

I seem to remember having conversations, years ago, on one or more astro message boards, about Jupiter often, or sometimes, showing up prominently in the timed chart of a person's death. I think, at that time, we were assuming it was a benign indication of "release from pain" etc. I'm not as convinced by that now though - more likely connection to Jupiter's more negative destructive force perhaps.

mike (again) said...

The asteroids are fascinating in their astronomical sense and have certainly made it into astrology. Here's something that's interesting as an oddity:

From http://astrologynewsservice.com/articles/is-there-an-asteroid-with-your-name-on-it/

Is There an Asteroid With Your Name On It?

"Astrologers read conjunctions as powerful unifying or intensifying aspects that are made more purposeful when aligned with other celestial objects. For example, on President Clinton’s birth date, the asteroids Hillary and Gingrich were also conjoined and aligned with Monica, Paula and Williams in a stressful 180-degree angular aspect astrologers call an opposition – for good reason. Invariably involved with oppositions are conflicts with others that must be resolved in some way.

A coincidence? The odds that asteroids conflicted in the President’s birth map would so significantly match up with real life people and conflicts during the Clinton Presidency are so long they defy calculation.

When dealing with asteroids, getting the names close is sometimes as good as it gets. When George W. Bush was elected President in 2000 and again in 2004 the transiting asteroid Busch conjoined the asteroid Washingtonia. When Germany, Italy and Japan formed the Axis nations before World War II, representative asteroids Germania, Italia and Nipponia were participating in mutually harmonious astrological aspects. All three were discovered and named decades before the war."

LB said...

While Jupiter can sometimes make things better, it can be a mixed blessing in that it makes whatever it touches BIGGER, more pronounced. I agree with much of what you wrote, mike, although I'm not so sure about the wish part.

My natal Jupiter in Scorpio is in the 3rd, conjunct Neptune and Mercury (rulers of the angles of my chart) - Jupiter rules my 4th (and 4th house Saturn) and squares my Moon. Let's just say I could write a novel about my experiences - LOL! Today while I was out walking, I chased after someone who'd dropped his keys without realizing it, helped make up the difference for a nanny who was a dollar short paying for something, and gave Reiki to a small, sweet, furry friend who plopped herself down in the street when I passed and refused to move.:)

Every significant transit or progression seems to uncover some new secret, shatter some illusion and teach me something new. And to ask/require something of me in return.

Twilight said...

mike ~ Spookily interesting! %-/

LB said...

mike ~ The asteroids can be amazing and very telling. As an example, my maiden name is fairly unusual, yet there's an asteroid by the same name which is exactly conjunct my Sun.

And I discovered I could channel healing energy through my hands right when asteroid Reiki had returned to its natal position in my chart. I became a certified practitioner soon after.

Unknown said...

Talking of asteroids, there is an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. I've always thought that that may the leftover debris field from some sort of collision with Mars. From various things I've read on the 'net topographically Mars has one side that is almost blanked out and the other has the usual mountain ranges, valleys etc that seem to indicate that at some point it had an atmosphere (though not necessarily like ours).

Maybe a Moon or another planet between Mars and Jupiter, that somehow collided with Mars. Too big to be just a comet or asteroid as though they can cause significant damage and may have even caused things like the extinction of the dinosaurs, to wipe out an entire atmosphere would be a pretty BIG bang!

Same goes for the Kuiper Belt from where asteroids and comets appear to get drawn into the heliosphere.

Twilight said...

Rossa ~ I don't think anyone could ever be certain of what wnet on aeons ago, your idea could be as plausible as any other.

There's another theory here:

http://www.ibtimes.com/asteroid-belt-between-mars-jupiter-melting-pot-diverse-celestial-objects-1552803

SNIPS According to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, CfA, the main asteroid belt contains millions of these rocky objects that failed to develop, the result of Jupiter's gravitational influence. The composition of these asteroids varied, from wet to dry, based on the distance from the sun and new research revealed these objects did not all originate from the same location..................

DeMeo said in a statement, "We found that the giant planets shook up the asteroids like flakes in a snow globe." Jupiter traveling inward could have pulled nearly 90 percent of the main belt with it, leaving just a tenth of the asteroids behind. On its way back, the gas giant would have pulled objects from Venus back to the main belt. Traveling outward, Jupiter and Saturn could have pulled objects from as far away as Neptune to the main asteroid belt.


But that's relating to extending and expanding an already there asteroid belt, I guess.