Jupiter – not always wise, wonderful and supportive

Jupiter, supposedly the bringer of health, wealth and happiness was conjunct the midheaven when the first plane struck on 9/11. Other disasters also have a prominent Jupiter. So it does have a dark, destructive side.

When Maggie Thatcher was unceremoniously dumped as prime minister tr Jupiter was moving through her 9^th heading for her midheaven and 10^th house, normally thought of as a success phase, during a time when she melted down. Celebrities who die often have tr Jupiter moving through their 10^th, with their image back the spotlight, but they are no longer here.

In Michael Baigent & Charles Harvey’s Working with Astrology, there’s an example of a man who over the times (every 12 years) when tr Jupiter was opposing his Sun, lost his father, his mother and a long-standing relationship. Not what you’d expect, except that his Sun natally was in aspect to his Moon/Saturn midpoint. So when Jupiter came round to trigger his Sun it also, in its expansive way, homed in on a Moon/Saturn sense of mourning and sadness. So Jupiter’s tendency to exaggerate and expand can produce bad as well as good.

Indeed at 9/11, tr Jupiter was just over the conjunction to the USA 1776 natal Jupiter, Sun/Jupiter midpoint and within two degrees of being conjunct the US Sun – so on the optimistic view of Jupiter, it should have been an exuberant and successful time. But big and spectacular isn’t necessarily better as 9/11 showed. What you also have to watch is not (as we all do) prioritise Jupiter transits over others since it feels good. It will always be outweighed by tr Pluto, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn.

Which isn’t to say that a strong natal Jupiter doesn’t bring an ‘unfair’ advantage to those that have it in their charts. It brings a combination of luck and what I once wrote off as delusional optimism. Those who survive horrendous childhoods and emerge, if not unscathed, at least as functioning, usually have a prominent Jupiter. No matter how bad life is, Jupiter always thinks there’s a light at the end of the tunnel or a guardian angel somewhere who’ll swoop in for a rescue, and hey presto, they do, though usually at the 11^th hour and 59^th minute. Sagittarians, ruled by Jupiter, have that sense, as do the other two Fire signs, Leo and Aries.

JK Rowling, a Sun Leo, of the Harry Potter juggernaut, has a focal point Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn opposition Moon Uranus Pluto in Virgo. Her struggle to get published all hinged on an 8 year old girl liking her story and getting her a toe in the door with a tiny publishing deal, which then expanded and expanded, through winning competitions to a US contract, when tr Jupiter was starting to oppose her Uranus Pluto, and triggering her T Square. Success needs talent and a huge dollop of luck.

In mythology Jupiter was a sky god, part of a triad of brothers with Neptune (water) and Pluto (underworld). He was the wielder of thunderbolts (hence the disasters), ruler of weather and the flight of birds, from which predictions were drawn (the auspices). He was the divine witness to oaths, the guarantor of good faith and associated with justice and good government. He was not a god of war who wins through fighting, but one who changes the morale of the opposing sides.

The senior god, sometimes also associated with Zeus, king of Olympus, he radiates sovereignty and triumphalism. The expression ‘By Jove’ comes from Jupiter, who was thought of as jovial, optimistic – when he wasn’t casting down thunderbolts and lightning. Zeus was infamous for his promiscuity, being serially unfaithful to his jealous wife Hera – so not great at commitment.

Although Jupiter/Sagittarius always carries an image of a mischievous, happy-go-lucky, laid-back, comedian or sporting gambler who relies on the gods of chance to make it all come right, there’s a different side. The pedant, the philosopher, pompous, narrow-minded, the know-it-all who comes across as self-righteous. Lawyers are often Sagittarius, which relates back to the mythological witnesser of oaths. Sagittarians are often well-read, think and talk about social issues, are interested in how the world ticks.

In combination with the other outer planets Jupiter is not always beneficial. Jupiter Pluto does mix positive thinking with huge determination, so can move mountains; but it can also act as if it is above the petty rules and regulations which ordinary plebs have to respect, so ends up in conflict with authority and loses everything. Jupiter Neptune has dreams of stratospheric wealth; and can be overly impressionable when it comes to believing a master/guru has all the answers. Jupiter Uranus is a gambler but usually lucky, so not a bad mix.

Jupiter Saturn is an oddity. In square or opposition it can be wobbly, veering between optimism and pessimism, scared of failure. In conjunction it can be understated as the individual tries to balance their idealism with making their way in the world. But for a few, it shoots them sky high to an iconic reputation and then crashes them down as Saturn’s all-too-human, grim reaper cuts down Jupiter’s godlike hubris – John Lennon, Princess Diana, JFK. There is a manic, messianic side to Jupiter which can get out of control.

Jupiter in aspect to the Sun or Moon usually prevents the individual from getting a realistic view of that parent. They see them as better than they actually were. Jupiter’s positivity defends against seeing the shadow side of life. The Moon Jupiter mother tends to feed sweeties/food and platitudes rather than making a deep emotional connection.

Just a stray thought – Hillary Clinton doesn’t have a heavily aspected or well-integrated Jupiter; while Donald Trump does, in trine to his Sun and Uranus, sextile his Moon. Bill Clinton’s Jupiter is trine his Uranus, sextile his Leo Sun, so it has done him well over the years.