Housing Jupiter

These notes are taken from Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson's book "Here and There in Astrology" (1961).

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.

So, the relationship between Sagittarius and Jupiter, its ruling planet, becomes clear.

Mrs. Jacobson's notes relate to astrological houses. Houses are a tricky concept to explain, it would be all too easy for me to create a huge muddle for any passing reader not familiar with this facet of astrology, so I'll skim over it by saying that the houses are a kind of overlay to the signs. Houses relate to areas of life where the "flavours" of the planets and signs involved are most likely to manifest. There's straightforward explanation at Astrologyzine: "What is a House in Astrology?"

Mrs Jacobson goes on to list some likely results when Jupiter is found in particular houses in a natal chart. Now, while her assertions are no doubt accurate, there's a problem. To establish the exact position of the house cusps (dividing lines) in a natal chart an exact time of birth is needed - ideally exact to the minute. Few people are lucky enough have this type of exactitude, having to rely on the efficiency of hospital staff or relatives' memories. An additional snag: there are several different systems for calculating the house divisions. Astrologers cannot agree which is best, so tend to use the one which works best for them. Bearing these imponderables in mind then, and as a basis for a bit of light investigation, here are some 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 - sign ruled by Jupiter. So if, in my case, the house placements aren't quite accurate due to some slight discrepancy in time of birth, there's back-up!

The Archer, The Fishes, and Their Boss: Jupiter.

The Sun is currently romping through zodiac sign Sagittarius once again. What follows is an edited version of something I came up with for Sagittarius (and sister-sign Pisces) years ago. I still enjoy reading and refreshing the information; perhaps other passing readers, who haven't seen it before might like to do so....

Sagittarius and Pisces are traditionally both ruled by planet Jupiter. 20th century American astrologer Carl Payne Tobey in his book An Astrology Primer for the Millions (1965) defines similarities and differences between the two.

This author focuses on something to which I hadn't previously given much thought: links between pairs of zodiac signs with a common planetary ruler in traditional astrology.

The Sun is now in one of Jupiter's governorships: Sagittarius. All Sagittarius-types qualify as Jupiter's people, as do Pisces-types - i.e. people with heavy emphasis on these signs via Sun, cluster of planets, Moon or rising sign. Sagittarius and Pisces, it has to be remembered, are zodiac signs, not people - that's the reason for my addition of "-types". Too often we see people referred to as "a Sagittarius" or "a Pisces" (or "a....." - any other of the 12 zodiac signs). It's a bad habit, it breeds misunderstandings of what astrology is all about.

Whereas Gemini-types and Virgo-types (Mercury's People) are said to be linked strongly to their nervous systems, Sagittarius and Pisces, the signs, Carl Payne Tobey tells us, are connected to

.....something beyond the nervous system, which is in some way connected to it. These signs relate to some of the phenomena, that orthodox science and academicians are afraid to investigate.The psychic powers are related to Pisces while intuition is related to Sagittarius.

Mr Tobey points out that, in modern astrological doctrine, Pisces is ruled by Neptune and Sagittarius by Jupiter. Traditionally, though, both came under rulership of Jupiter, hence some similarities.

Both of these signs have a strong curiosity about the unknown and something akin to a religious interest, although it may not be a church type of interest. The consciousness of both signs goes beyond the usual, everyday affairs of life. Survival and money making isn't enough.

Some similarities between the two signs:
They are less inclined to live by rules and regulations, not inclined to be atheists, less likely to doubt life after death, or existence in form prior to this life, both recognise the vastness of the unknown and less likely to accept what authorities say about it. Both signs like to travel and explore. Yet in other respects, these two signs are the opposite of each other.

Sagittarius is direct and to the point, outspoken with no heed for consequences-

.....plain simple honesty, the sort of thing society requests, but can't take. The Sagittarian is in a constant state of evolution. Seldom do we find one of these people who remains within the church in which he was brought up. Not easily brainwashed, truth is more important to them than loyalty to any church, family or heredity. Interested in all branches of knowledge, anything to do with hidden truth. The average Sagittarian is more jovial than other signs. If you need help he won't walk by. If you are down he will want to cheer you up, and he may then try to indocrinate you with his philosophy, not to indoctrinate you but to cheer you up and give you a better, more optimistic outlook...

Pisces is the opposite of Sagittarius in many respects. In place of intuition it is likely to have psychic powers. It may dream things before they happen. It lives partly in some other, unknown world. It can have mental and emotional problems that Sagittarius is not likely to know about, unless it has some very negative Neptunian afflictions. In place of outspokenness, Pisces is secretive. Instead of wanting to tell the truth, it will tell you what it thinks will have the best effect on you, or the effect that it desires. Nobody ever knows just what the Pisces person thinks because it never tells its true thoughts to anyone .....because it knows that society is too brainwashed to to be able to face the truth. Pisces people are sympathetic and compassionate, like Sagittarian folk they have a good sense of humour, Piscean humour is subtle though."

Whereas Pisces recognises that most moral codes are strictly phoney and born of hypocrisy, it doesn't try to change them, it goes around them and does what it wishes, secretly. Sagittarius on the other hand crusades to change the laws and is too apt to mistake hypocisy for ignorance. It can't really believe that human nature is dishonest because its own nature is not dishonest.

Weekend Cyclic Wandering

I've not fallen down an internet rabbit-hole for a while, but did so this week, though this rabbit-hole was not as deep as many, and did eventually lead me back via a T-junction to my very own archives!
My stumble really began outside the internet, in reading an article in a February 1974 edition of The Saturday Evening Post I'd bought in an antique/vintage store on our last trip. I'd been attracted by the magazine's cover illustration of an astrological chart, with Henry Kissinger's photograph at its centre. Title of the article heralded by the cover:
Astrology - Who Believes in It?

The article which, oddly, is not credited to any specific author, is a long one - almost receiving the tl:dr from me(too long did not read). It's printed in fairly small, close font. I did skim it initially, going back to special tid-bits at different times. The piece is certainly not as dismissive as a comparable piece in any current national magazine would be, but then the 1970s were still under a fairly "New Age" atmosphere, astrology back then was enjoying a short respite from ridicule.

My tipping point for rabbit-hole entry was the snippet:

What has astrology to say further about mankind's future? The long-term 794-year recurrence of the two giant planets Jupiter and Saturn in the same part of the Tropical Zodiac correlates closely to a cycle found in history by the great British historian Arnold J. Toynbee. During about half of the cycle the component states of a parochial civilisation engage in civil strife and a "time of troubles". Then during the balance of the cycle they combine as a Universal State or Empire. Northern and Western Europe and North America comprise such a civilisation.......

A 794 year cycle, thought I - Saturn/Jupiter, astrological opposites: Saturn the restrictive limiter, Jupiter the excessive expander. When they come together in conjunction I'm not surprised they make a mark of some kind.

I then began my descent, finding the words of several astrologers on internet pages crossing my eyes, jangling my brain.

If Saturn/Jupiter cycles were the only cycles to watch it'd be easy-peasy, but there are numerous other cycles, certain of my archived posts have explored these. I'm thinking, though, that Saturn and Jupiter, though categorised as inner planets, and still far away are much, much nearer to Earth than outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto whose various cycles are discussed over and over again by mundane astrologers. Whether this fact makes Saturn/Jupiter cycles more significant to us here on Earth isn't clear.

From astrologer Mark Lerner:
[It's necessary to read the whole piece, but just a taster -]

It turns out that Jupiter and Saturn – major planets connected to the social realm, religion, philosophy, education, profession, government and economics – keep energizing the same elemental quality (fire, earth, air or water) in a series of 20-year conjunctions for almost 200 years. Then the Jupiter-Saturn unions shift to the next elemental quality for another series of conjunctions for around two centuries. After a long cycle of 794-800 years, the entire Jupiter-Saturn pattern begins over although never exactly energizing the same degrees of the zodiac as during the previous 800-year cycle.

What is particularly interesting to us, here in mid 2017, is the fact that the 794 year long Saturn/Jupiter cycle will hit a change point in December 2020, when the conjunction will occur in an Air sign, Aquarius, for the first time in around 180 years. Conjunctions have been occurring in Earth signs for the past 180 years. This could reflect the materialistic atmosphere the developed world has experienced during this almost two century time span. Does it indicate that, very gradually (VERY gradually) materialism might recede making way for more a more humanitarian, thoughtful and caring feel? Change of atmosphere will probably be kick-started by an Aquarian revolutionary period, gradually, oh so gradually, morphing into calmer airways during the Gemini and Libra phases.

Whether humans will still be around on planet Earth to encounter these changes is another matter. If climate change proceeds apace, perhaps only the very wealthy who have de-camped to the few safe places Earth will still afford, will be left. How long they could survive without an army of servants and protectors from who knows what, is questionable. So, in the end all speculation is somewhat, as they say, academic.

From my own archives, for any passing reader still interested in this topic, I'd recommend a look at these posts, not missing the comment threads attached too - some interesting stuff there!

http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2010/08/ramblings-on-capitalism-astrology.html

http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2012/09/600-year-arcs-capitalism.html

http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2012/10/600-year-arc-capitalism-astrology-part-2.html

Amalgamating the Jupiter/Saturn pattern with other, outer-planetary cycles is a bit like trying to follow a complex knitting pattern. The full beauty, or otherwise, of the item or garment will not be fully discernible immediately; in the case of planetary cycles, really not fully for centuries, or until, continuing the analogy, we've completed a good few "repeat the above pattern [...] times more". That's a bummer for the average human's less than one century life span!

Sagittarius Considered

 Sagittarius by Erté

In his book, Astrology published 1964, Louis MacNeice, not an astrologer, but a poet and scholar, gathered together much of interest from a variety of sources, ancient and modern. On zodiac sign Sagittarius, through which the Sun now travels, he wrote the paragraphs below, quoting from some professional astrologers, whose works may now be lesser known by the average astrology fan.

(This extract was not copied and pasted from elsewhere, but copy-typed by my own fair fingers; illustrations were added by me.)

Sagittarius the Archer
November 23 to December 21

Ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarius is accordingly an expansive sign. From ancient times it has been represented by a centaur drawing bow, which is why Ptolemy classed it as a "bicorporeal" sign, and many astrologers nowadays lay stress on this double nature. So after all it is not 100% straightforward. With its animal half and its human half, it provides a good theme for a sermon or, as Barbault puts it, gives "the best image of sublimation". It has four feet (or hooves) firmly on the ground and yet is shooting at the highest targets. On its centaur makeup Varley comments that whereas its human half signifies "the deliberation or temperate resolves of humanity", its latter half "often exhibits more of the excessive impulses and nature of a race horse, an animal most specifically described by Sagittarius." It is the latter half that may affect you if you were born roughly between December 6 and 20; it can lead to nasty accidents.

As one would expect with a ruler like Jupiter, it is a success sign. Abraham Lincoln and Cecil Rhodes were born with Sagittarius rising, and Winston Churchill had it as his Sun sign with Venus also present. (Countess Wydenbruck, however, did point out that Churchill's horoscope shows him "likely to be subordinate to others in his profession.")

As to the fire of Sagittarius, Barbault describes it as purifying fire, very different from that of either Aries or Leo, and suitable to later or middle age when the desires of the flesh are waning but the spirit can still have a burning desire for social, political, intellectual, or spiritual objects. Morrish writes "Whereas Aries represents the red, smouldering fires of creation, and Leo the yellow-golden fire of organized mentality, Sagittarius represents the blue fire at the heart of the flame. This is the hottest part of the flame." Sagittarius always wants to go further: He is born explorer and adventurer and loves the wide open spaces. Everything he does is done in a big way. In music the Sagittarius type is Beethoven.

In the Zodiacal Man Sagittarius is concerned with the thighs, which brings us back to the power of horse and horseman. Many astrologers use this horse motif literally as well as symbolically. We are told that many Sagittarians are very horsey (and for that matter doggy) people: the eccentric and dynamic Queen Christina of Sweden, who dressed like a man, was mad about horses and also had something of a "horse face". (So had Milton, who was born with Sagittarius rising.)

America's James Thurber (1894-1961) often illustrated his humorous essays with cartoons of which the best known are probably "Thurber's dogs." An affinity with animals is a key characteristic of Sagittarius (Thurber's Sun sign) - an association that perhaps originated from the idea of the sign as half-man, half-beast. We are also told that the typical Sagittarian is "as strong as a horse."





He has a very healthy appetite and in middle age has a tendency to embonpoint [plumpness, stoutness].

 Sagittarius by David Palladini

He is a very strong individual but, like Jupiter his ruler, is a good mixer and, indeed, finds himself only in communal concerns. Barbault does suggest that there is an introverted subspecies (where Saturn dominates) whose member is concerned with the "beyond" within himself, but the typical Sagittarian throws himself into things outside himself, sometimes even achieving "global vision." He has a hearty handshake, slaps his cards on the table, and tends to be euphoric. It is a little hard to recognize him in Morrish's system, where he stands for the "abstract, higher consciousness."

But then Sagittarius has to conclude the second of Morrish's four stages, the stage of "control emotion." In this sign human emotions have to emerge from animal desires (the centaur again) and these emotions, in turn, must be directed into lofty aspirations - the arrow must leave the bow. Morrish squeezes his next and third stage, the "control of wind". into the confines of one sign only, which is naturally our next sign. [Capricorn]

Astrologers mentioned:
André Barbault
John Varley
Morrish (L. Furze-Morrish?)
Countess Wydenbruck

More Sagittarius posts can be accessed via Label Cloud in the sidebar.

Jupiter Here and There

ONE FROM THE ARCHIVES:

The Sun has just moved into zodiac sign Sagittarius. Jupiter, being ruler of Sagittarius makes this a good time to investigate the giant planet's place in our natal charts.

These notes are taken from Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson's book
"Here and There in Astrology" (1961).

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.

So, the relationship between Sagittarius, the sign and Jupiter, its ruling planet becomes clear.

Mrs. Jacobson's notes relate to astrological houses. Houses are a tricky concept to explain, it would be all too easy for me to create a huge muddle for any passing reader not familiar with this part of astrology, so I'll skim over it by saying that the houses are a kind of overlay to the signs. Houses relate to areas of life where the "flavours" of the planets and signs involved are most likely to manifest. There's straightforward explanation at Astrologyzine: "What is a House in Astrology?"

Mrs Jacobson goes on to list some likely results when Jupiter is found in particular houses in a natal chart. Now, while her assertions are no doubt accurate, there's a problem. 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, really. Few people are lucky enough have this type of exactitude, having to rely on the efficiency of hospital staff or relatives' memories. An additional snag: there are several different systems for calculating the house divisions. Astrologers cannot agree which is best, so tend to use the one which works best for them. Bearing these imponderables in mind then, and as a basis for a bit of light investigation, I'll add 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 - sign ruled by Jupiter. So if, in my case, the house placements aren't quite accurate due to some slight discrepancy in time of birth, there's a back-up!

Transiting Jupiter is currently (November 2016) to be found moving through Libra, around mid-sign right now, and in square (challenging) aspect to Pluto. Here's a link to astrologer Chani Nicholas' thoughts on this week's astrology, including Jupiter's aspects.

JUPITER SQUARE PLUTO HOROSCOPES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21st

Jupiter + Libra

A very good essay by astrologer Eric Francis: What the World Needs Now is Jupiter in Libra
is well-worth a read. I've always admired Mr Francis's style, since I first encountered his astrologising long ago and far away, when he sometimes would stand-in at vacation times for the late Jonathan Cainer in his newspaper column and website. He'd also show up occasionally on Astro-chat, Jonathan Cainer's once very lively message board.

In the linked essay Mr Francis tells of some personal luck he attributes to Jupiter and its position, during a past transit. I have a few Jupiter-related tales of my own - some are told in a 2009 post, Of Jupiter, Aquarius and Me. None of those tales relates to Jupiter in Libra though Here's one nearer to that mark:-

Back in 2004 I reached culmination of my struggle through the red-tape of UK/USA immigration laws. It was late August 2004 when I eventually received the required visa. Detail of the story to that point is at a post: Engraved on my Heart. In late September 2004 Jupiter had moved into Libra, as it has done this month.

Late September 2004 also brought the sale of the house I'd inherited from my parents, then spent a lot to modernise it, and lived in it for five years. I got a very, very good price for the house, far more than I'd ever contemplated. Completion date was around a month later. My new husband and I travelled to the USA on 24/25 October 2004, when Jupiter was at 6 Libra in exact trine to my Aquarius Sun!

At this stage in 2016, with Jupiter heading for a trine to natal Sun, once again, I'm awaiting long delayed news of a windfall coming to me, and several of my cousins, following the death of a cousin in England, two years ago. He died intestate, leaving cousins as his next of kin. Distribution of his estate has been delayed for two years, so far, due to complexities involved. Perhaps Jupiter's return to Libra will be the trigger for some definite news on this matter. While Jupiter in Libra will almost certainly not affect all the cousins in similar ways, it might be ringing bells for me. In both examples related to Jupiter/Libra transits, 2004 and 2016, money matters involved linked to inheritances. My natal Sun is in 8th house, a house said to relate to inheritances,legacies and wills (among other things). Sometimes astrology turns out to be highly pertinent!

Any Answers?

Last week commenter "Audrey" posed a question under a 2010 post titled
Jupiter's Children (Sagittarius and Pisces).
Her question:

Sun in Pisces, Sagittarius rising is a very Jupiter ruled combination, right? How do others view a person with this combination and what are people's first impression upon meeting someone with these placements?

Anyone care to kick in with an answer?

JUPITER in VIRGOLAND

 Jupiter

Online astrologers have recently been regaling us with theories of how Jupiter's recent move, from Leo into Virgo, will "affect", or be reflected in, both mundane and personal ways.

 Virgo

Jupiter takes around a year to travel through a zodiac sign. To find out whether Jupiter's previous transit through Virgo brought anything of note into one's personal world or into the world at large, there's a list of Jupiter transits through signs at Dr.Standley.com, here:
JUPITER MOVING THROUGH THE SIGNS CALENDAR


The last Jup/Virg meetup was during late August 2003 to late September 2004. Well now...during that time (in August '03) I was involved in sorting out a "doable" visa/ route for me to emigrate UK to USA, were anyjazz and I to decide to marry; then (September '04) having got me a visa and married Himself, we were embroiled in selling the house in the UK where I then lived, and getting rid of most of my "stuff". I don't think Jupiter in Virgo had much to do with any of that, to be honest, but who knows? It's coincidental though.

By Sun Sign, several astrologers have predictions for us all. Not to be self-indulgent, but simply as a guinea pig test, here's a sample of mine - Aquarius Sun:

Aquarius: (at astrostyle.com)
Under the radar? While Aquarians aren’t exactly the hermit type, Jupiter’s move into your intense and intimate eighth house could find you consumed by research or a new obsessive interest. This could be a bountiful year for joint ventures, investments, real estate, spirituality, sex and marriage (yes, the eighth house rules all of these things). Is it time to make things official? You could make a large sum of money through a smart investment, a sale of assets, an inheritance, a divorce settlement or royalties. Think: passive income.

Aquarius (at harpersbazaar.com - by Jennifer Angel)
You connect with people who have expertise of business and monetary matters, people who can help you build security through clever financial knowhow. Business partnerships are favored. This placement of Jupiter in your chart can also indicate an inheritance or lucky windfall, but above all, it implies support, or benefit from other peoples' resources. Your life can become richer with a greater understanding of life itself. During this transit, relationships can be physically rewarding with a sensual chemistry connection.

Hmmm - notice the word "inheritance" in both. Interesting! Regular readers will know why.

Virgo in my natal chart, by the way, contains only Neptune at 23*, in 4th house, probably. Neptune is in trine to Mercury in Capricorn and (rather widely) to Uranus in Taurus. My natal Jupiter is at 6* Pisces in exact semi-sextile to Aquarius Sun.

The Oxford Astrologer wrote:

• Jupiter in detriment in Virgo opposes Neptune empowered in Pisces, and that aspect is functioning right now. It’s a fascinating one because Jupiter and Neptune are both rulers of Pisces, and here they are pulling opposite directions on the wheel of the Zodiac, with one side much stronger than the other. The last time this aspect happened was 27 Aug 1849: it’s rare.
Look at the axis of Pisces-Virgo in your chart and planets around 8° Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius. The aspect becomes exact in mid-September and carries on until early October. There is only one hit, so pay attention around September 17.

Ooh--kay!

Anyone else have Jupiter in Virgo stories or "great expectations"?

Music Monday ~ Holst, Jupiter, Hymn, and surprise, surprise...Rugby!

The only radio I listen to these days is music from BBC Radio 2 via internet, sometimes live sometimes "on demand". While listening to one such show the other day I heard a song with a very familiar melody but unfamiliar lyrics. Its title: World in Union. The song's melody originates in Gustav Holst's The Planets suite, is part of its 4th movement, Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity. The melody, known as "Thaxted", was originally adapted by Holst for its use in the patriotic hymn, I Vow to Thee My Country, based on a poem by Sir Cecil Spring Rice.

So...that was the reason the melody was so familiar to me. We sang "We Vow...." in school assemblies, long ago, back in England, and it pops up regularly at almost every state funeral, royal wedding and other such events in the UK.

If in the right sort of mood, I'll enjoy a stately, full blast version of I Vow to Thee My Country, but I do like this gentler version by Beck Goldsmith - a recent use of the old hymn is as theme to a British TV series, The Village, which I intend to search for on Netflix. (Update: not yet available).




World in Union, with lyrics by Charlie Skarbek, uses the same melody, its words present a more all-encompassing loyalty, envisioning a time when people of the Earth might embrace our whole world rather than one individual nation. This is far more appropriate to Jupiter's astrological association with philosophy and expansive good feeling; music dedicated to that planet surrounds these lyrics.

World in Union is theme song of the Rugby World Cup. These lyrics attempt to capture a spirit of international friendship which, it is said, pervades rugby union culture the world over. (Rugby Union is something like American football - but not really, or so I'm told. I'm a complete ignoramus on sport). The song was commissioned by the sport's governing body in 1991, it has become synonymous with the "gathering of the nations" that the four-yearly tournament represents. 2015 is a Rugby World Cup year, as it happens.

New Zealand's Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's superb rendition of World in Union
~ Holst would be proud!



World in Union

There's a dream
I feel so rare, so real
All the World In Union
The world as one

Gathering together
One mind, one heart
Every creed, every colour
Once joined, never apart

Searching for the best in me
I will find what I can be
If I win, lose or draw
It's a victory for all

It's the World In Union
The world as one
As we climb to reach our destiny
A new age has begun

We face high mountains
Must cross rough seas
We must take our place in history
And live with dignity

It's the World In Union
The world as one
As we climb to reach our destiny
A new age has begun

Build a world
A World In Union
A new age has begun

Jupiter & Sagittarius

Above is by Ronald Searle, Searle's Zodiac

For a variety of posts touching on zodiac sign Sagittarius and planet Jupiter, please go to the Label Cloud in my sidebar and click accordingly. A scant few dregs more follow:

From Mythic Astrology by Liz Greene:

"Whenever we look around us and imagine possibilities bigger and better than the world in which we live, we are expressing Jupiter. When we say to ourselves, "Surely there is some lesson to be learned from the experience!" it is the voice of Jupiter telling us there is an intelligent pattern hidden beneath seemingly chance events. Yet many people find it difficult to express the mythic giver of gifts in ordinary life. Fearful of the future and lacking faith in both themselves and in life, some individuals cling too tightly to what they know rather than open doors to the possibilities of what might be...............................

A hopeful spirit depends, not on the concrete props of a reliable job or a solid bank account, but on a deep intuitive conviction that life is ultimately on our side. The urge to journey into the future, and the belief that we will somehow find the resources needed to get there, are both expressions of the bright planet which physically dominates the sky with its bigness, and equally dominates our dreams of the future with its message of enthusiasm and hope."

Words of three famous Sun in Sagittarius types:

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
― Winston S. Churchill (born November 30, 1874)

“For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use to be anything else.”
― Winston S. Churchill

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.”
― Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928)

“I'm not much but I'm all I have.”
― Philip K. Dick, Martian Time-Slip (born December 16, 1928)

“If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others.”
― Philip K. Dick.

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!

Goddess of Prophecy and More

 Carmenta

Another day, another Roman festival - how they loved their festivals! 15 January, in Ancient Rome, marked the second of two festivals honoring the goddess of prophecy, Carmenta, first day of Carmentalia was 11th January. Carmenta, as well as being a prophetess was goddess of childbirth and midwifery. There was originally one Carmenta worshipped by the "flamines," her priests. Later there were said to be many Carmentes, female deities who appeared to assist women in labor and to tell the fortune of the newborn child. Romans made offerings of rice to the goddess and feasted on cream-filled pastries shaped like male and female genitalia or in triangle-shape filled with raspberry jam.(Link)

Carmenta (known as Nicostrata to the Greeks) was famous for chanting her prophecies in verse.She is also credited with naming Rome's Palatine Hill and in a vision predicted it would be the future site of the Roman Empire. She laid the city's first stone, instituted a system of laws for the surrounding region, and invented the Latin alphabet and language. Quite a gal!

Still on the topic of prophecy and returning to the book from which I quoted yesterday C.E.O. Carter's Encyclopedia of Psychological Astrology:

PROPHECY
It is probable that such prophecy as may truly be the result of inspiration or revelation from higher entities would be shown horoscopically by a strong 9th house, and by Jupiter and Neptune, as well as sometimes Uranus. Such cases, however, are rare, and their possibility is admitted by comparatively few at the present day. Natives of watery signs and also Sagittarius are prone to have presentiments, but it is probable that in most cases these are purely fanciful.

Astrological prophecy, properly so called, has nothing to do with such methods, but depends upon the interpretation of present and future influences mathematically obtained and intellectually apprehended. At the same time it is undeniable that many astrologers, and particularly those with strong Jupiter 9th house influences, develop an intuitive accuracy of judgment that may in time act so promptly and surely that it may appear to partake of the nature of inspiration.

On the other hand, those in whose horoscopes Mercury and Jupiter are afflicted should be cautious in making forecasts, especially when under bad directions to these planets.

Flicking quickly through Astrotheme's lists of well-known people with Jupiter (and other planets) in 9th house, a few well-known astrologers emerged:

Patrick Walker (Jupiter Neptune, Mercury in 9th)
Alan Oken (Jupiter and Pluto in 9th)
Julia Parker (Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune in 9th)
Jonathan Cainer (Jupiter in 9th + Sun in Sagittarius)

I have a lonely Jupiter in 9th, as it happens, but all I can confidently prophecy is that there'll be another anniversary of an Ancient Roman festival along soon.

The Ides of September & Chocolate Day

13 September: Romans called it the Ides of September, and on this date celebrated with a feast known as Epulum Jovis.
Wikipedia:

In ancient Roman religion, the Epulum Jovis was a sumptuous ritual feast offered to Jove on the Ides of September (September 13) and a smaller feast on the Ides of November (November 13). It was celebrated during the Ludi Romani ("Roman Games") and the Ludi Plebeii ("Plebeian Games").

The gods were formally invited, and attended in the form of statues. These were arranged on luxurious couches (pulvinaria) placed at the most honorable part of the table. Fine food was served, as if they were able to eat. The priests designated as epulones, or masters of the feast, organized and carried out the ritual, and acted as "gastronomic proxies" in eating the food.

Another description of the proceedings, this from The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic by William Warde Fowler:

........We may agree with the latest investigator of the Jupiter-cult that the origin of the epulum is to be looked for in a form of thanksgiving to Jupiter for preservation of the state from perils of the war season, and that no better date could be found for it than the foundation date of the Capitoline temple. This epulum was one of the most singular and striking scenes in Roman public life. It began with a sacrifice; the victim is not mentioned but it was no doubt a heifer, and probably a white one. Then took place the epulum proper, which the three deities of the Capitol seem to have shared in visible form with the magistrates and senate. The images of the gods were decked out as for a feast and the face of Jupiter painted red with minium, like that of the triumphator. Jupiter had a couch, and Juno and Minerva each a sella (chair), and the meal went on in their presence.

The Capitoline Triad was introduced to Rome by the Tarquins, and perhaps was an Etruscan creation. It is possible that the Etruscans looked on Minerva as a goddess of destiny, in addition to the royal couple Uni (Juno) and Tinia (Jupiter). In Rome, Minerva later assumed a military aspect under the influence of Athena Pallas. With the advent of the Republic, it is thought that Jupiter became the only king of Rome, rather than simply the first of the great gods.

That was then, this is now - today we content ourselves by celebrating International Chocolate Day (who knew?) Hey, at least we don't have to sacrifice a white heifer!

Abbie Hoffman - He Made His Own Revolution

Among events listed at Wikipedia for 24 August, through history, is the following"

24 August 1967 – Led by Abbie Hoffman, the Youth International Party temporarily disrupts trading at the NYSE by throwing dollar bills from the viewing gallery, causing trading to cease as brokers scramble to grab them.

More about that incident from a chapter from Hoffman's autobiography. See HERE.

It reminded me of an old post of mine from early in 2010 dealing with Abbie Hoffman's natal chart, an edited version of the old post follows:


Described as flamboyant and colorful, Abbie Hoffman emerged from 1960s counterculture, prominent in demonstrations against the war in Vietnam, he founded the "Yippies" (Youth International Party). His trademarks were sharp satirical humour and a flair for organisation. These were effectively used on behalf of many causes, including civil rights, anti-war and ecology.




Snips from HERE:

At the end of the 1960s Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman became an American celebrity and the wild-and-woolly face of youth activists protesting U.S. involvement in Vietnam. A graduate of Brandeis University with a Master's degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, Hoffman was a co-founder of New York's "Yippie" movement, a loosely-organized anti-war group called the Youth International Party. Their 1967 anti-establishment pranks included dumping dollar bills (mostly fake) onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and surrounding the Pentagon in an attempt to levitate it.

After a street fight with police during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Hoffman and his cohorts were arrested and charged with conspiracy to incite a riot. The trial was a media sensation, and the so-called Chicago Seven (originally there were eight, including Black Panther Bobby Seale) spent more than a year mocking the court of Judge Julius J. Hoffman with shenanigans that resulted in more than 150 contempt citations. In the end it all amounted to acquittals and convictions overturned, and Hoffman became known more as the guy who wrote Steal This Book (1971) or the guy who was arrested for wearing a shirt that looked like the American flag (1968).

Hoffman was arrested in 1973 on drug charges, but he skipped bail and spent the next seven years on the lam, going by the name of Barry Freed. In the early 1980s he resurfaced and, after a little jail time, embarked on a career as an organizer, activist, author and lecturer. At the age of 52 he was found dead of what a Pennsylvania coroner called a "massive overdose" of phenobarbital. His books include Revolution for the Hell of It (1968), Woodstock Nation (1969), Soon to be a Major Motion Picture (1980) and Preserving Disorder: The Faking of the President (1988, with Jonathan Silvers).

The coroner ruled Hoffman's death a suicide, saying the amount of the overdose suggested that an accident was unlikely.

Abbie Hoffman was born in Worcester Massachusetts on 30 November 1936 at 1:30 AM (Astrodatabank).



Sun, Mercury and Jupiter in Sagittarius (Jupiter's rulership). Jupiter, planet of excess and philosophy; I guess one could say that political activism consists of expanding philosophical ideas to their limit - to excess.

Two tight oppositions: Jupiter/Moon and Saturn/Neptune reflect inner on-going conflict which may eventually have contributed to his bi-polar disorder.

Uranus, the rebel planet, not unexpectedly has a part to play here. There's a Yod (Finger of Fate) configuration linking the sextile between Sun and Mars (Mars in a strong position, close to the ascendant) via two quincunx aspects of 150 degrees to Uranus. Astrologers consider that the sextiled planets' attributes are channelled through the planet at the apex of the Yod, in this case what could be more appropriate than Uranus? Sun(self) & Mars(energy and aggression) chanelled through Uranus (rebellion/revolution).

Uranus is also part of a loose Grand Trine with Venus/Neptune forming a circuit of harmonious connection between rebellion, dreams/imagination and well, Venus? Venus can represent emotional contracts such as marriage, love affairs. Hoffman's love affair was with rebellion.

“The only way to support a revolution is to make your own.”

“Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit.”
― Abbie Hoffman

Question: Where is our Abbie 2013-style? Is it, perhaps, Edward Snowden ?

Arty Farty Friday 15 March

15 March 44 BC : Julius Caesar was murdered on the Ides of March.
Typogravure of a 19th century painting by Karl von Piloty:

Julius Caesar, the "dictator for life" of the Roman Empire, murdered by his own senators at a meeting in a hall next to Pompey's Theatre. The conspiracy against Caesar encompassed as many as sixty noblemen, including Caesar's own protege, Marcus Brutus. Caesar was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. The Republican senators, already chafing at having to abide by Caesar's decrees, were particularly angry about the prospect of taking orders from Caesar's underlings. Cassius Longinus started the plot against the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join.

Caesar should have been well aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before his assassination. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a warning note as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. After he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, hitting Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly about the head. Marcus Brutus wounded Caesar in the groin and Caesar is said to have remarked in Greek, "You, too, my child?

From This Day in History.






Nearer to our own time:

Janet Leach was born 15 March 1918 in Grand Saline, Texas, USA died 12 September 1997. She was a studio potter working in later life at St Ives, Cornwall in England. In 1956 she married Bernard Leach, a famous British studio potter. Janet was a potter in her own right before meeting Bernard and her independent spirit ensured that her work was quite different from much of her husband's in style. She never felt the need to pay reverence to her husband's work, was sometimes even critical of it. In return her own work was not always valued within the St Ives Studio, much of it remained hidden. David, Bernard Leach's son from one of his previous marriages, stated before his father's death: "Janet must be the one person who has worked closely with him for a number of years without being visibly influenced. She is so strong in herself that she has maintained more independence than anyone else who has been as close to that dangerous fire, my father!"

See more about Janet Leach HERE and HERE








Aldo Giorgini, artist and scientist, pioneer in computer graphics, was born in Voghera, Italy on 15 March 1934. He was one of the first computer artists to combine software writing with early printing technologies, leaving an aesthetic legacy in the field of the digital arts. He died in 1994.








Ruth Bader Ginsburg United States Supreme Court Justice was born on
15 March 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. Simmie Knox, under commission of the United States Supreme Court painted this portrait of her. She is the second female justice (after Sandra Day O'Connor) and the first Jewish female justice. She is generally viewed as belonging to the liberal wing of the Court. Before becoming a judge, Ginsburg spent a considerable portion of her legal career as an advocate for the advancement of women's rights as a constitutional principle. (Wikipedia)






Finally - another link to the date, and - stretching things a bit to achieve arty-fartyness - a famous ceiling painting by Caravaggio (the only ceiling painting by him).

The date:

Every 248 years Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for about 20 years. The period January 23, 1979 to March 15, 1999 was the last time Pluto's very eccentric orbit carried it inside the orbit of Neptune. During that time, Neptune became the outermost planet in the solar system.

For 35 interesting facts about Pluto, see Random Facts, HERE



The painting:

The fresco, features Jupiter, Pluto and Neptune as allegorical representations of alchemy. The artist used his own body and facial features as model for the figures. Jupiter stands for sulphur and air, Neptune for mercury and water, and Pluto for salt and earth. The fresco was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte for the ceiling of a small second-floor alchemy lab of his hunting lodge in 1597.

On his eagle, Jupiter swoops down towards Neptune and Pluto, who are standing at the opposite edge of the ceiling, as if he were making the sky light up with a crystal ball. Any interpretation of the gathering of the gods, seen, unusually, from below, must shift between mythology (the gods, identified by the animal associated with each: an eagle for Jupiter, a sea stallion for Neptune and the three-headed dog Cerberus for Pluto); astrology (zodiac signs can be seen on the globe), and alchemy.

Hat tip to Guia Bargigli at THIS BLOG for clear representations, information and interpretation of the painting.