By Len Wallick
My heartfelt thanks to Eric for holding forth in yesterday’s Daily Astrology with a look at Venus and Mars. Now for a look at Jupiter, still keeping close quarters with Uranus in late Pisces. Turns out Old Jove has a hand in what both Venus and Mars and a good number of other planets are up to.
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You might say that it’s ruling the sky.
Today Mars traverses the handful of arc minutes separating the centaur planet Pholus from the Great Attractor in Sagittarius, conjoining them both. While that is taking place, the Moon will be making connections of its own in Pisces. The ruler of both Sagittarius and Pisces is Jupiter, which will be stationing direct in a few days, just a handful of hours before Venus also stations direct.
All over the place, Jupiter seems to be setting the tone without itself taking center stage. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to be watching for months on end while the largest planet sweeps across the night are not surprised by this turn of events. Ever since Venus disappeared from the western sky, nothing has dominated the dark hours like the Jovian presence, save the Moon.
Astrology, however, is first and foremost about the Sun. It takes a lot to tip the scales and balance the influence of Sol. Ever since Mars ingressed Sagittarius beginning the dispersion of the personal planet stellium in Scorpio — where the Sun still is — Jupiter’s presence is becoming more apparent — even if the feel of it is just beneath the surface. For now, it’s the turf through which Jupiter is expressed. Let’s break that down.
Mars and the asteroid Eros both entered Sagittarius just before the end of October. This combination of planet and sign seemed to synchronize with a slight but significant dampening down. What had before been unaccountable impulsiveness modulated just a bit to become understandable passion. One can see how Eros would have played an important role, but the decisive factor was probably turf. The move from Scorpio meant that Mars left a sign that it rules and came under the influence of Jupiter.
In addition to expansiveness, another quality sometimes overlooked with Jupiter is protection. This would seem to find correspondence in both legend and science. In the mythology, the single trait that distinguished Jupiter from his predecessors was a capacity for benevolence. With his ascension, worship evolved from a practice of fear to include faith in a sustaining order to things. Supplication replaced placation. That was a big step in human consciousness and our relationship to the world.
In astronomy, Jupiter’s huge gravity well takes the idea of protection from the symbolic to the literal. Many and uncounted chunks of metal, stone and ice have been deflected or absorbed by this gas giant into which a thousand Earths would comfortably fit. In fact our planet’s ability to sustain and evolve complex forms of life may in no small part be due to a Jovian shield.
In Sagittarius, Jupiter’s rulership corresponds to the evolution of the fire element associated with that sign. It’s no longer the wildfire of Aries where Mars also rules and it’s without the willful self-involvement of Leo’s bonfire expressed by the Sun. This is, at last, a fire we can work with. It is no less hot mind you, and in some cases more so. But the fire of Sagittarius is just not to be feared. It is a source of sustenance, a means by which we can participate and benefit from the processes of metamorphosis and transformation. That is where we can derive the promise of the triple conjunction today rather than fear it.
On the surface, it can seem intimidating. Centaur planets are often associated with the psychological term ‘shadow material’. That is to say burdensome patterns, originating in the past, that we carry along with us until they are resolved in a way to move us forward. In the case of Pholus, the past probably implies the experience of generations, not just one lifetime. There is also the idea that a small event can suddenly uncork all of that accumulated material with consequences reverberating for generations into the future.
On the other hand, the perceived enormity of generations is dwarfed into insignificance by the Great Attractor. This huge whatever-it-is dominates the inertia of literally millions of galaxies. It is the biggest thing we know of and yet we know almost nothing about it. That’s the paradox and the polarization of this thing smack in the middle of the sign for fire’s highest octave.
Drag the impulsive and insistent presence of Mars from Pholus to the Great Attractor in the course of a day, and it could very possibly feel like lighting a short fuse on a long explosive device except for one saving grace. This is taking place on Jupiter’s turf. That’s where we come in. Astrology is not destiny. It is an expression of the synchronous cycles of which we are a part, and to which we contribute the very real influence of our actions. We have come a long way since the emergence of the god Jupiter ended an age of fear. The emergence of Jupiter the planet in our current astrology heralds another age for human kind, an age of responsibility and an unprecedented opportunity.
Jupiter is in Pisces right now, the other sign it rules. It is no coincidence that this planet of hegemony should rule the signs that represent the highest expression of both the fire and the water elements. It is Jupiter’s rulership that mediates the polarity and instead renders it complementary. From opposite to compliment. From fear to faith. From helpless to empowered.
And when one speaks to us in astrology, the correspondence is to the luminaries. Fittingly, the Moon begins this day in Pisces, traversing about the same distance from a conjunction with Jupiter to a flowing water trine with the Scorpio Sun. Mars will spend the whole day covering the span from Pholus to the Great Attractor; same day, same distance, both in signs ruled by Jupiter. Complementary, not contradictory. Informative, indicative and instructive. Two days before, Jupiter precedes to lead Venus to their direct stations in signs they respectively rule.
If you are looking for a sign, this is it. Not a sign of what will happen to you, but rather an indicator of what could happen with you. Long ago, Jupiter did it by benevolence in action. Now it’s our chance to do the same. It’s time for another big step and it’s up to us to take it.
Offerred in Service
Thank you Len
With a sun Scorpio & natal Mars in 15 degrees Sadge conjunct Venus 18 degrees Sadge (1st house) conjunct the Great Attractor…
You are basically helping me to work harder in maintaining this fresh flow of energy which has infused my thoughts and energy field over the last couple of days. My natal Jupiter is in Cancer & I feel this tide to be characteristically Jovian.
I want to melt into it like a popsicle. x
“Woozy” Hazel 😉 — congrats on your B’day, on your new job AND congrats on getting more money!
Wheehoo indeed.
Good for you Hazel!!! It’s nice to hear positive news, especially from PWers. I hope it is rewarding for you in many ways.
be
“fire we can work with”. I finally got a second job at a veterinary clinic and my first day was yesterday, Nov. 16. Both my natal Mars and Venus are in the middle of Saggitarius and yesterday was quite a day, in a very good way. I felt a bit seasick at the end of it, but I remembered your words “fire we can work with” and the part about Jupiter deflecting galactic nasties that could have otherwise slammed into the earth all day long. So, for my birthday, which is today, I have started a new career, still kept the old job at the animal shelter, and I’m still a little woozy from all the change that’s been spinning me around like those fireworks that spin on the sidewalk. Plus, I’ll be making more money! WOO HOO!!!!!
Fe,
Sometimes i think it doesn’t pay to try to do the right thing, but when you weigh the alternatives you don’t have a choice. Voicing strong opinions gets in the way at times, and makes everyone mad, but you can’t allow wrongdoing to continue. It’s more wrong to turn a blind eye. It’s morally wrong, and the harm of that can go on for generations. Steal my money and I’ll recover in a week or so, but steal my soul and I will haunt you forever.
Patty, I have natal 1st House Mars in Aries and now Mars in Sag is really bringing whatever has been pent up close to the surface. Suffice to say I have incredibly tense shoulders and need a big bad massage – for two hours!!
kinda like the cupcake bakin’ kids in NY who got called out by a local politician:
“Dopey pol calls the cops on cupcake-selling kids”
“A half-baked town-board member called the cops on a pair of pint-size entrepreneurs for selling their cookies and cupcakes in a Westchester park without a permit.”
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/cookie_monster_Gd8TcyL3SPvzpwPYz89nYK
Consider poor Charlie Rangel who, at the age of 80, has been convicted by his peers of House Ethics Violations. This must have shocked him as his natal Uranus in Aries is opposed transiting Saturn in Libra (scales of Justice). But it was probably transiting Venus in Libra that is quincunx Charlie’s Mercury in Taurus and transiting Chiron who is square his Mercury where he will feel the pain.
As transiting Venus is trine transiting Chiron, along with transiting Neptune, they only want to heal the wound in the group (U.S. Representatives), not hurt Charlie. Transiting Uranus in Pisces is quincunx transiting Venus which reveals the added discomfort the committee must have felt, but Uranus, with Jupiter, has raised awareness that justice will be served and careless habits (Pisces) will not be tolerated in this government body.
The good news for Charlie is that today’s transiting Mars in Sagittarius conjunct the Great Attracter and Pholus is trine his natal Uranus as it also sextiles transiting Saturn. Len reminds us that Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius is setting the tone without taking center stage today, and we can “benefit from the processes of metamorphosis and transformation.”
So it seems that benevolent Jupiter will not be so hard on Charlie, after all he meant no harm. Charlie will benefit by becoming more conscious through his Uranian experience, or at least that’s the outcome we hope for!
be
I’ve had some major fights the last couple of days. Not at all what I expected. So do I need a drink? Better than the sword I guess.
oops…..natal mars is 13 cap – he are ceres are having a cup’o that tea just around now, been working with this stuff all morning musta got my head spinning. allll good. All Jupiterean.
Poetry. I like learning by way of your Poetry. Thanks Len!
And with natal Mars at only 13Sagg – surely I’m off the hook for any personal concerns in current astrological matters – hahahaha – and no need to take a look-see at whatever else is brewing!
Silly Me aside, what you said – we can Now conceive New Ways of Being and do not have to be caught in past cycles and past mistakes. The planets do what they do; what we do with what we’ve got is surely up to us.
You describe so perfectly what I’ve been going through right now dear Len. It’s quite a battle (both inner and outer, in my job) – but your words help me to stay on the side of optimism and give me courage to break on through to the other side. Thank you.
Love
Liz x
lovely to open up that space inside for benevolence, thank you for that len & co … I’ve been (tenderly) coaxing my inner scorpio moon-child a little rest as I listen for clues from the universe to strategize my way forward. I’ve never heard anyone talk of a Pallas Athena return but having spent eons in washington at the wrong end of the justice, I’m feeling the tables are turning and I’m all ears.
mare
Len, it’s good to see you, by Jove!
Thank you for brewing this tea “Benevolence in Action”. I intend to sip on it for the next couple of days, curling up under Jupiter’s protective shield.
(Whaddya think Be, might that type of drinking be the one to indulge in?! Eh up, kettle’s boiled……..)
😉
Dear Len,
So glad you are back and so glad to be reminded of Jupiter’s gentler nature as I tend to forget that. My bad. I have been thinking about Mars and Pholus and the Great Attractor, taking into account Sagittarius’ (Jupiter) bigness and smartness but not the benevolence part. Guess I was thinking of a big drinking (Pholus) binge sucking up (GA) all the energy(Mars). But that was yesterday and now you’re back. Yesterday the Moon squared Mars/Pholus/GA and, in Pisces, she leans negative and negative means, well, you know, drinking.
I also think we find you in the picture. Pallas Athene is just ahead of Mars and he will catch up with her just before Thanksgiving I believe. Pallas is also still in a tight orb sextile with Saturn who is in Libra. Saturn doing the containing and Pallas working out a good plan is what you have done to my big drinking binge. That’s a good thing my friend!
Especially with that Sagg bunch so close to the U.S. ascendant, you know what I mean?
be