Eternally optimistic, luck-bringing Jupiter is given a forensic makeover in Liz Greene’s latest book – By Jove! The Meaning of the Astrological Jupiter.
She emphasizes Jupiter is a good deal more enigmatic and less predictable than usually portrayed. At best it brings a connection to a meaningful and greater pattern, faith in the future, the courage to pursue a vision and can foster humour and joy.
But a natal Jupiter can also bring a reluctance to take responsibility for personal choices or honouring long term commitments and can lean towards self-aggrandisement and hubris, lack of empathy, gluttony, intolerance and dogmatism.
There is an extensive trawl through the background mythology surrounding Zeus and his many lovers which throw light on the multi-faceted nature of a planet often given a simplistically positive slant – promiscuous, a chancer, unpredictable, unreliable, not stable, refuses to be bound by rules.
Jupiter rules both Sagittarius and Pisces, both signs which thrive on connections, one mental and the other emotional. But both are also ‘innately subversive’ and ‘can put vision before reality, belief before logic, perceived truth before facts.’
It plays a part not only in religious belief but also in identity politics where individuals come together in a search for a meaningful connection and an identity.
This is a comprehensive overview of Jupiter in all its manifestations, appearing at death as well as moments of good fortune, with chart interpretations of house positions, its operation in synastry and composite charts. With a final sweep through Jupiter cycles in relation to the other outer planets – Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
One thought I will take with me is that when Jupiter transits a natal planet it ‘is given an almighty kick’ which can at times be painful but ultimately can produce a constructive result.
The other – which may be pertinent at the moment with Trump in full flight and a Jupiter Saturn square in orb and coming exact in mid June – is the necessity to keep a balance or find a middle way between hubris and nemesis. Jupiter flies high while Saturn its opposite cuts down to earth. The old Roman trope of ‘memento mori’ = remember you are human, is warning which the overly Jupiterian type ignores at their peril.
Published by The Wessex Astrologer: 14 April 2025
By Jove! The Meaning of the Astrological Jupiter
My Jupiter conjuncts Saturn in Capricorn (with MC in Sag), so I know never to count on good luck alone. That would lead some people who don’t know me to accuse me of pessimism. Whereas my experience has taught me that if I work hard, then luck (or what some call opportunity) will follow; an astrologer (who worked at the royal Cambodian court) I once consulted interpreted my fate thusly: “unfavorable conjunction: count only on your own efforts”; but also “miracles possible” (maybe those narrowly averted deadly accidents, and death from illness?). So it would appear both planets are very much at work.
I once tried to worry less (being the Virgo I am) and adopt my Sag ex’s attitude, who threw caution, planning and timetables to the wind, and it didn’t work at all for me – I realized I had to be true to myself. (It did for him, tho we’d always be just a bit late to the movies). So when a new job looks promising, it ends up being disappointing. But also vice-versa.
Mom has Jupiter in Sag, which explains why she kept believing she was ‘lucky’ and would play LOTTO. Never won much, and she no longer plays.
I have also heard of Jupiter being a harbinger of death: sadly, Dad passed away when Jupiter was in his sun sign.
Lorri: Love your post, especially about feeling free to find your own spiritual path. One of the greatest blessings of my upbringing was that I was never encouraged to attend Sunday School/Church, etc. My parents were not religious in any way—we never prayed, there was no Bible in our home, no mention of God or Jesus. My parents weren’t atheists—they were simply not interested in religion. They were good, caring people who somehow did just fine navigating life without even the faintest influence of religion. Because of my very secular upbringing, I have had the freedom and pleasure of exploring many different beliefs and metaphysical concepts, gaining lots of wisdom along the way. Astrology has been one of my most valued discoveries. Wow, your Sun in Pisces trining Jupiter in the 8th…..talk about the gift that keeps on giving!
Jupiter is very strong in my chart.with a Sag Asc and Sun in Pisces trining Jupiter in the 8th. Since I was a small infant I was imbued with a deep faith in God though never drawn to any organised religion. christianity is my culture and I am comfortable with it but see the deeper truth in Adwaita, a philosophical path, as incorporating all religions as varied paths to God. My mother (Cancer!) sent me to aconvent school and I loved it but felt free tofind myown spiritual path. And the right teachers, books and knowledge always came my way. Interestingly my dna turned out to be 23% Irish! So the convent school and gentle nuns felt like home. Jupiter in the 8th has also been like the story of Danae and the golden shower. I was poor in my youth but have been left dozens of large inheritances so that my old age is comfortable. Yet now I longer care about possessions and lead a very simple life! But people still keep leaving me money and so I give much away.
My Jupiter return next March may well be when I leave this body but this would be a joyful thing and a happy freedom.
In Nov. 2020 when Transiting Jupiter/Pluto (22Cap) were conjunct my little sister’s Sun in the 6th house, she went to the hospital with what she thought was a “bad cold.” Turns out she had acute myeloid leukemia topped off by Covid and passed 1 week later.
From a personal point of view, I have never found Jupiter transits to be ‘beneficial’. Even a Jupiter return with three ‘hits’ (because of retrograde motion) spaced over a number of months has proved to be a non-event.
I’m the same Ken – I’ve never noticed any thing happen when Jupiter transits planets. But then I have Jupiter making aspects to 8 of the other 9 planets in my chart. I have come to consider that perhaps I have always benefited from Jupiter’s optimism and ability to see opportunity whereas most people I know are scared to break out of their status quo so maybe that is why it has more of an effect for them
Years ago, when Jupiter was transiting my 6th house, my one cat was diagnosed w/ Feline Diabetes, Type 2. I have a natal Jup/Venus in my chart which must have been a factor also. He lived many years, but it was a struggle to regulate the little guy early on. He developed various complications at the end, but he had a pretty good quality of life throughout and a wonderful temperment.
I have Jupiter in Sag, conjunct Venus, almost exactly trine Uranus, ut it’s never been lucky for me. On the contrary, he generally heralds bad things in my life, especially deaths. Jupiter returns are particularly bad; I’ve learned to dread them.
Interesting, Gilly. I too have jupiter conjunct venus but tightly squaring uranus. I think Uranus gets in the way.
Jupiter plays a central role in my chart but I still do not quite know what to make of it. It is my Sag ASC’s ruling planet. It is exactly conjunct Uranus at 25 Cancer in my 8th. It is trine Mars at 27 Pisces and Saturn at 19 Scorpio. It is in opposition to the Sun at 20 Cap and Chiron at 28 Cap. It is square Neptune at 28 Libra. It’s all a bit much and can be overwhelming at times. I suppose I am a chancer who flies by the seat of his pants but is also deeply inspired by faith. Still, I am looking forward to a Jupiter return next year.
My mom has that same generation signature of Jupiter conjunct Uranus in Cancer. She lives to travel, can’t sit still at home when she is having rest days and worst she is not a planner but a last minute person, including trying to buy air tickets at exorbitant prices like 1 to 2 weeks beforehand. And she thinks she is lucky. The bad trait would be tight fisted with the family but always nice and generous to the outsiders. Something that goes against the nature of Cancer, where most will treat people as either family or enemies.
I’ve also noticed that Jupiter can sometimes bestow un-earned favouritism, privilege, or preferential treatment on its beneficiaries. Furthermore, rather than taking an ethical stand against such practices, it’s beneficiaries will instead take advantage of the gifts, practices, successes, attention, prosperity, fortunes etc offered to them – fully believing they deserve it
I’ve known a number of people, including my Mother, with Jupiter in Leo. What you say, Ava, seems to particularly apply to them! It’s quite astonishing! After my envy comes and then goes, I can think that “good on them!”…. everyone has to have something of benefit!!
Long ago a teacher described cancer… the disease… as possibly Jupiter run amok. One cell that morphs into an abundance of the same cell… the wrong cell… causing great harm. Soooo many situations describe “too much of a good thing”!
Still… I am very grateful for my Jupiter in Libra in 9th conj N. Node. It rules my Ascendant. It most certainly has pulled me out of deep soul holes. I am also blessed with just the right teachers, mentors and therapists coming my way at just the right time.
And yay Liz Greene!!… putting out another book!!
Same here…just that my ju is in Leo but only one in clan to not have in 1st house but have saturn in 1st house and algol in 4th house…it sextiles my north node in Virgo and asc so I have similar experiences of having right teachers at time of need appearing in way of strangers and yes, it always parachutes me out of trouble funnily making my clan with jupiter in 1st house defeated and extremely jealous and frustrated…:-)
Now, when I see them at this age paying bills of Jupiter abundance by jealousy and loss of youth etc…i now thank my saturn..it ends like the hare and tortoise story
My sister has Jupiter in Leo and it squares her Venus in Scorpio and trines her Mercury in Sagittarius. She is a travel addict, probably going abroad at least 3 or 4 times a year to sunnier climes, plus small breaks to Belgium say, or a long weekend in Berlin, etc.
Mine, on the other hand is right at the end of Capricorn, trines Venus and conjuncts Saturn, therefore I’m a saver and a low risk investor. My father also had Jupiter in Capricorn and also my grandfather who had Saturn/Jupiter too. It’s like, with Jupiter in this sign, there’s a Saturnian tone to it – you feel the need to prepare for the bad times as you know they will inevitably follow the good times. My Jupiter also is inconjunct Uranus which for some reason can be lucky – I remember reading that this specific aspect crops up in the charts of lottery winners! But being a Saturn/Jupiter in Cap, I never gamble because one tends to be risk-averse with these placements.
Loved Liz Greene’s ‘Saturn’ and so I’m looking forward to this new book.
All do and everyone should but trouble begins when it clouds thinking that it’s forever and that’s where the downside is not accepted so it gets painful leading to addiction etc as in case of celebs…
Indian weddings and indian astrology gives prime importance to jupiter and I find it hilarious since I know jupiter goes retrograde and the downside begins…it’s said that saturn gives eternal gifts and lifelong commitments done keeping jupiter at peak as auspicious times…”fly out of window when life’s troubles begin” as a story wrote about love…
I have found it merry, jolly so make hay while sun shines as last year taught me painfully
But maybe they have earned it from a previous life (good karma) which is why they’ve been dealt fortunate cards this time round.
In 1980 transiting Jupiter and Saturn conjoined in my 9th House before crossing over my natal Jupiter and squaring transiting Neptune in the 1st house. At this time my hope for an academic career was completely upended. I suppose the simple reading would be that Saturn and Neptune were the cause of this situation but the underlying reason was that I had developed a completely over inflated Jupiterian view of my own abilities. In retrospect I was so blinded by my ambitions that I could not see the harm it was doing to me personally. I had to change career course starting again at the bottom. Now I treat Jupiter in any chart with a degree of caution since I think one of its main characteristics is simply to make whatever it touches big whether for good or ill.
Ooh nice. Yes, her Saturn book was iconic. Her write up of that planet’s natal position in my chart was unmatched. I could practically recite what she wrote because I kept going back to it.
Please share a line or two that helped, if you can…
Sure. I have Saturn in 5th though, but I’d confidently recommend it to any seeker. There’s a line from Amazing Grace, “I once was lost, but now I’m found”. Yeah, Greene’s Saturn book was a huge, huge nudge in the “found” direction. I’m grateful for it.
“Saturn in the fifth house has a reputation for being cold and heartless; but this kind of
face is characteristic of Saturn and should not be taken literally. The heart of stone is
apparent in many people who are concerned with protecting their own vulnerability with
a veneer of callousness. Usually behind this veneer is a small child who cannot
understand his own importance. There is often an intense selfishness exhibited by Saturn
in the fifth house, and a desperate need to feel important, admired, envied, and popular.
Envy is most typical of this position, for the individual who cannot find his own centre is
often deeply resentful of what he thinks are the meaningful lives of others”.
I agreed with most that is being said about Saturn in fifth by Liz Greene except the envy part. I have a fifth house Saturn and I knew I have a heart of stone. But I feel more shame then envy from being not good enough. When I was diagnosed with auto immune disease, a lot of people said it might be guilt, I look in my life and there wasn’t much. It was only the last few years that I realised it was all shame, not guilt, not envy. Mars opposite out of sign retrograde saturn in fifth house.
Saturn in the 5th can also be a child who, for whatever reason is expected to be more adult and responsible by their parents, beyond the child’s years. I think it can occur in the charts of ‘parentified’ children or only children. It’s one of those aspects which definitely improves with age, often they’re people who were old when young, but youthful when old.
So glad I asked, thanks JY. That last line in particular is a universal gem.
I read Stephen Arroyo’s “Exploring Jupiter” book a few years back. I didn’t get much out of it other than, regarding its co-rulership of Sag and Pisces, Jupiter in Sag wants to experience the highest of peaks and jubilations. Jupiter in Pisces also wants to experience the extremes and while that can be the highs of ecstasy, it is also willing to dig into the deepest troughs of gloom and sadness (which Sag hates to do).
I liked Liz Greene’s Saturn book for its depth and detail so I will consider grabbing a copy of this. Some years ago, I also bought a secondhand copy of her Neptune book but ironically received a completely different book!! (Seller gave me a refund and let me keep the one I received)
That Neptune book sounds right on time abt now….
Hello Gnarly Dude and All, I wanted to share a different opinion of Arroyo’s “Exploring Jupiter”: I like this book a lot, and return often for Arroyo’s knowledgeable take on Jupiter in the signs, houses, and aspects. I think it’s a well-researched survey and exploration of Jupiter, highlighted with individual examples and short descriptions from other astrologers for reference (such as Mayo, Carter, Ebertin, Hickey).
For a comparison between these two Jupiter authors: Liz Greene has Jupiter in Libra, ever balancing and relatable; and Stephen Arroyo has Jupiter in Scorpio, ever examining and resourceful.
Thanks pdw – interesting that Arroyo has Jupiter in Scorpio. So do I – maybe somehow that is why when I read it I didn’t think there was much depth to it. As in, because I’d already read many astrology books by then so it didn’t seem to contain much which is new to me.
Jupiter transited my Pisces-ruled second house several years ago. I received an out-of-the-blue windfall and promptly went on a spending spree, the consequences of which have been challenging. I should have exercised some Saturnian restraint/wisdom and saved a good portion of that money. So, indeed, Jupiter has a downside. Ah yes, hindsight…..