Back to School: Jupiter and the 9th House, Part 3 of 3

  

© 2011 by Joyce Mason

All Rights Reserved

Jupiter in the Houses

In Part 1, we looked at Jupiter in the Signs. Part 2 is where we visited your 9^th House and any planets in it. Now for the grand finale of our Jupiter Journey, let’s touch on how Jupiter works in the houses, since most of us will have it located somewhere other than the 9^th.

House 1.  You identify with what you know. The first thing you’ll let people see about you is your qualifications, education, and authority on a subject. It may take others awhile to get past your brainy façade onto the real you—brains and a lot more. You may look down on others who don’t make “smart” decisions, since “smarts” are the filter through which you view life. Your personality tends to be big, and people know very quickly that they entitled to your opinion. You’ll go farther if you let out your Jupiter generosity and humor in front of your big opinions, especially if stated in a way that doesn’t hide being judgmental of others’ ideas. You seek educational opportunities that make you look good and degrees you can “wear” like jewelry since learning is so valuable to you. This placement can mark a “real character,” someone whose unique personality is unforgettable.

Jupiter in the 1^st: I like to look smart.

House 2.  Jupiter in the house of values, resources and finances sounds like you can afford a good education and would love the good life enough to manifest money and security or believe you can. (My mother, a great believer, liked to call herself Prosperity Vanderbilt as an abundance affirmation.) Facility at gaining material goods may or may not be your forte, depending on the thinking that permeated your upbringing. (Children of parents who survived the Depression have a special challenge with this issue.) One thing’s certain: You’ll value comforts, nice things, and will consider an excellent education a necessity, not a luxury that will help you get them. You’ll scrimp and save, if necessary, to go to school and you’ll believe that degrees give back in dollars and enjoyment.

Jupiter in the 2^nd: Education buys fortune, comfort, and beauty.

House 3.  You can’t get—or give—enough information. You’re particularly well equipped to be a writer, newscaster, journalist or purveyor of news and learning in nearly any medium. If it involves talking, writing, and educating the public, you’re in. Thus, your ongoing education may be out in the world of commerce, discussions, and current culture. Will you love to go to school? Yes, especially if it helps you be a better teacher and learner in your immediate School of Life. With the 3^rd house connection with short trips, you don’t mind going to a commuter college and working additional degrees into your big communications-juggling act.

Jupiter in the 3^rd: Gotta learn, gotta share, gotta keep talking and writing about what’s happening now.

House 4. You’d rather home school your children and take classes online at home—even better, go to school with your young adult children and make learning a family affair. You’ll insist your kids and grandkids watch a lot of educational television. You’ll enjoy taking the family on educational journeys—especially those with historical significance. You consider education in terms of its benefits to your family. Will it help me to provide more for them? Give them an example of life-long learning? As a writer or learner, you may be good at self-publishing, especially if it involves your clan. Example: Wildly popular author, Janet Evanovich, who writes humorous mysteries, has her entire family involved in her book business. (She has Jupiter in Cancer, similar theme.)

Jupiter in the 4^th: Learning is a treasured member of your family.

Jupiter in the 5^th.  Learning is fun and a creative outlet for you. You’d be particularly good at teaching children, since your own Inner Child is alive and well. There will be a flair for the dramatic in your teaching techniques, and as a learner, you’ll likely get a lot of attention for your pithy comments or humorous responses to questions in class. Education is the game of life to you, and you want to play as much as possible.

Jupiter in the 5^th:  Let’s play school!

Jupiter in the 6^th: Like the 3^rd, the other Mercury-ruled house, Jupiter in the 6^th  can’t know enough. You love learning that translates to service and work in the medical, health, or holistic welness fields. You are particularly organized as a teacher or learner. You’d make a good veterinarian or criminal justice major, since both pets and police are 6^th house concerns. You like to learn specialized topics, and you’re as into on-the-job training as “book learning.” You are a hands-on learner, as the hands are particularly associated with the 6^th house and the sign that rules it, Virgo.

Jupiter in the 6^th: Hand me some learning. I’ll make good work of it.

Jupiter in the 7^th. When I was in college in the 1960s, we used to joke about women who went to school to get their “Mrs. Degree.” This may still be the case for some women with Jupiter in the 7^th—and Jupiter-7^th men aren’t exempt from partner shopping on campus, either. School is about relationships for you. Learning expands your awareness of others and how to cooperate with them. You wouldn’t mind at all living with--or marrying--your honey while still in school and completing your educations together. As a professor, you’re well liked for being fair and listening to all sides of a debate. As a student, you might enjoy that kind of discussion as long as it doesn’t get too nasty and offend your sensibilities, what with Jupiter in this Venus-associated house.

Jupiter in the 7^th: Teach me about people. Find me my most compatible lab and life partner.

Jupiter in the 8^th.  You will research something to the ends of the earth, and since this is Jupiter we’re talking about, you may go there, literally, to do it. Learning is a deep, serious, and even compulsive enterprise for you. You resonate most to the mysteries of life and topics such a life-and-death, sex, psychology, and the criminal element. You’d make a great sex educator or learner on any of these subjects. You have psychic gifts, and when you can use them in your favor, they can shortcut the learning process by giving you the right hunch or hypothesis to begin with, avoiding many time-wasting wild goose chases when you’re writing a paper, thesis, or simply working on a research project. School is deeply satisfying for you, and it brings you a sense of personal power.

Jupiter in the 8^th: Knowledge is power. I get off on learning.

Jupiter in the 9^th: This was covered in the last post on the 9^th House. Revisit it here.

Jupiter in the 9^th: You are beloved teacher and as a student, quite often the class clown.

Jupiter in the 10^th: Teaching is likely to be your profession and/or you're known for your knowledge out in the world. You are often a consultant, if not an educator per se, someone whose executive and administrative powers are sought after—and you’re considered an expert in your field. You have the capacity to become famous and to be known by reputation. When you wear it well, you carry the responsibilities and power of your wisdom in a positive, paternal way—someone who protects, provides for and mentors others.

Jupiter in the 10^th:  Knowing is my job, my fame, and glory.

Jupiter in the 11^th: Learning is the Great Experiment for you, and you have original, inventive ideas about education. Whether as teacher or student, you tend to gravitate toward campus organizations from fraternity or sorority to student council. Group creativity feeds you, and your originality and insights, along with reformist tendencies, allow you to make your mark in the intellectual setting. You tend toward brilliant and may enjoy organizations, such as Mensa that allow you to celebrate your intellectual uniqueness in community with other unicorns. Friends figure highly in your learning needs.

Jupiter in the 11^th: Give me a group of friends at Free Thinkers U., and I’m happy.

Jupiter in the 12^th. Learning is a form of bliss for you, and you like to blend higher states of consciousness with higher education. Metaphysical programs attract you, as well as subjects like psychology, particularly the study of the subconscious and addictions. Aesthetically pleasing environments lure you, as does studying art, music, and mythology. You can seem secretive in your pursuit of knowledge, assuming others already know what you do—hence, no reason to discuss it. You also like, at times, to learn in seclusion. One caution is using school to escape “the real world,” where your visionary and mystical mind is much needed.

Jupiter in the 12^th: Learning retreats are your cup of tea. Your intuition is your path to sorting diffuse educational input into a grand aha.

Putting it All Together—Take Your Notes

Add Jupiter’s house to your notes as covered here in Part 3, using the Robin Williams example in Part 2 as a template. Also, consider any aspects to Jupiter from other planets. However, to keep this from becoming too complicated, simply focus on whether the aspect is flowing (trine, sextile, sometimes a conjunction) or challenging (square, opposition, quincunx, or sometimes a conjunction). That will give you a sense of which planets support your Jupiter or demand satisfaction before you can get the most out of your Jupiter. Take these notes along with some quiet time to contemplate them. They express what you need as a lifelong learner.

Now for the $64,000 Question: Are these needs being met in your current learning situations? Whether it’s an advanced degree, community self-improvement classes, or your astrology meet-ups—do they match your learning style?

If yes, bravo! And a nice confirmation to have. If not, what changes can you make to get to yes?

~~~

Photo Credit: © Norman Pogson - Fotolia.com

Back to School: Jupiter and the 9th House, Part 2 of 3

 House of philosophy, higher education, religion,

spiritual quests, and broadening your horizons.

© 2011 by Joyce Mason

All Rights Reserved

In Part 1, we explored Jupiter by sign. We covered how the flavor of your Planet of Expansion influences your quest for life-long learning. As astrologers and astrology students, knowing how your Jupiter ticks is nearly as important as having chart software. Playing to the needs of your Jupiter will help you learn, grow, and grasp new concepts better, make you a better spiritual adventurer, and give you the broadest view of life.

This second article will explore what’s going on in your 9^th house. You know how Jupiter likes to get bigger. This article series has expanded to three parts. Next time, in the final segment, we’ll explore the house where your Jupiter lives, if like most of us, it’s not in the 9th.

Door Number 9

Although we are mostly focusing on Jupiter’s association with higher education and life-long learning, I’ll add to the keywords under the 9 photo, above: long-distance travel, contact with foreign cultures, cultural trends, history, prophecy and educational institutions. These concepts, too, can have relevance to your best learning environment profile.

If you don’t have any planets in the 9^th House, whatever sign is on the 9^th House cusp will be the prominent influence of your 9^th House. It won’t be quite as strong has having your Jupiter in that sign, but it will nonetheless exert a significant influence on your learning atmosphere. Revisit Jupiter in the Signs in Part 1 to get a sense of how that sign will work on your 9^th House cusp. Jupiter in Aries is a lot like Aries on the 9^th House cusp. Jupiter in Taurus a lot like Taurus on the 9^th, and so on.

Get a feel for what color your 9^th House is painted—a red the color of the planet Mars for Aries, a beautiful earth tone for Taurus, yellow for Gemini, and perhaps an light blue for Cancer, the color of a spring-fed lake. Leo might be gold, Virgo a cool gray-blue, Libra a lush pastel, Scorpio blood red, Sag a fiery orange, Capricorn a business suit gray, Aquarius an electric blue, and Pisces the blue-green of the deep ocean. Visualizing the color brings the energy of your 9^th House to life.

Who Lives There?

Now let’s take a look at the planets that reside in your 9^th House, if any, and what they might do in this astrological “building” akin to a college campus, library, revival meeting, or a ship sailing ‘round the world.

Sun.  You “are” the 9^th House, a teacher and/or learner in some form, traditional or more informal, depending on the sign involved. Your creative self-expression is likely to run toward publishing, law, or spirituality. You shine in 9^th House enterprises, and if you aren’t doing something that’s 9^th-oriented, you are likely to loose your luster and feel depressed. Especially if you’re a fire Sun, you’re likely to be as much an entertainer as teacher. Regular travel is air to you. Without it, you can barely breathe.

Sun in the 9^th: To feel whole, you must get out and experience other people and places on a regular basis.

Moon.  Feelings are your guru. You feel your way through life and quite possibly have prophetic dreams and whispers that send you on the next leg of your journey to learn more. If you aren’t expanding and growing, you are in acute discomfort. The dark night of the soul is when so much is going on for you emotionally; you can’t sense your connection to Spirit and the All Knowing.  Spirituality and the quest for knowledge are supreme for you. Like Sun in the 9^th, Moon in the 9^th is often a teacher as well as a life-long learner.

Moon in the 9^th: Let the Moon lead you, and let travel feed you. Your best vacation is often a spiritual retreat.

Mercury.  You love logic and analysis in learning and the interaction of an educational community. Your many clever ideas find a home in any multiple of classes, formal or informal, and thrive at the pace of the Internet, a speed in keeping with Mercury, the Quicksilver God. You are also the press agent for the 9^th House, gathering articles and references that you share widely, if you aren’t writing them yourself. You love news, writing, facts, and practical education. You are the Professor of Gismos and will help your friends know just which electronic toys to buy to make sure they can Google on the remotest island.

Mercury in the 9^th: Nothing could be scarier to you than not having knowledge at your fingertips! Always bring the charger for your Smartphone.

Venus. Mix the planet of love and beauty with life-long learning. Envision a campus with rolling hills, autumn leaves turning, and a student fed by those surroundings, inspired to learn and grow. Ninth House Venus is likely to go to school or community classes as much to meet others as to learn the course content. There’s nothing wrong with that, inasmuch as relationships are the biggest university in the School of Life. For this person, friendships and beauty must be part of the learning equation—and teachers who are considerate, fair, and balanced in their approach to sharing knowledge.

Venus in the 9^th: You love to learn with and through others in a comfortable, peaceful, happy atmosphere.

Mars.  You are action-oriented when it comes to learning, and you’re likely to take a pioneering educational cruise—or to sign up for other such learning ventures on impulse. Years-long degree courses are hard for you to tolerate for their slow pace. You’re much happier with certificate courses that let you get in, get what you need, get out and get on with it. You love the competitive aspects of school, and if you feel you need a degree to get what you want, the “sport” aspect of school will keep you going—and probably the actual sports themselves. University sports are an important part of the spirit that keeps students stoked through the educational process.

Mars in the 9^th. You’re likely to be drawn to subjects with adventure potential like archeology. Surely Indiana Jones must have had Mars in the 9^th.

Jupiter. Lucky you, if you have Jupiter in its “own” house! Professor, minister, and spiritual teacher are all possible professions. You are the biggest “lifer” of all the life-long learners, and your quest to know truth will lead you to all kinds of adventures, both in the classroom and out in the world of multicultural influences. Your positive attitude and enthusiasm attracts students, fellow learners, and truth-seekers with your magnetic personality.

Jupiter in the 9^th: Think Santa Claus gone back to school with all his generosity, jolliness, warmth and goodwill. You are a beloved teacher and as a student, quite often the class clown.

Saturn. You don’t mind the discipline and structure that’s needed to get a higher educational degree or the most complex of astrological certifications. You are willing to deal with the structure, self-sacrifice and nose-to-grindstone needed to get a diploma and probably a few other special awards along the way. You’re wise and grounded, and you make a nice complement to some of the other Jupiter signs among your peers who need your rooted responsibility to make the organization work, whether it’s the university, the denomination if you’re a minister, or your local astrological organization.

Jupiter in Saturn: You provide the bones in educational organizations and endeavors and the framework necessary to make them lasting. As both a student and teacher, you are hard working and a dependable, often cherished authority figure.

Uranus.  You’re the Dean of the Experimental College and the University without Walls! The more untraditional the learning environment, the more you fit in. If you must be in a more conservative setting, you’re a reformer. You turn the powers-that-be on their collective ear with your innovations and bold objectives. As an astrologer, you are in hog heaven, as it’s the kind of learning system that appeals to you, especially because each chart is as unique as a fingerprint. As a social, friendly professor or student, you love the group learning process. You prefer it, even though you’re independent and have plenty of brainstorms solo that you bring back to your colleagues or students.

Uranus in the 9^th: You want to unleash the power and brilliance of the individual to innovate education, learning, and truth seeking. These great minds brought together constitute a think-tank that can change the world—or at least your corner of it.

Neptune.  Learning inspires you, and it’s just another way of getting to the truth of our Oneness. You learn by intuition and through many right-brain media: dreams, music, myth, spirituality and mysticism. With this placement, you may have difficulty at times grasping and grounding what you’re learning. You may have a tendency to escape "the real world" by becoming a professional student. School is bliss, but it can’t get you to Universal Love without being shared. As a teacher, you are intuitively inspired and often beloved.

Neptune in the 9^th: You’re an ecstatic learner or fantastic teacher, challenged to bring your visions of truth down to earth in a way that others can grasp what you’re seeing.

Pluto. Ninth House Pluto has deep and life-changing experiences around higher education, religion and philosophy. He or she is often the embodiment of current cultural happenings. Teachers change this person’s life. Sometimes there are deep relationships involved, even sexual. This individual can also be affected to the core by a guru or fellow student. Education might be this person’s “ticket out” of a difficult life and make a huge difference in the trend of where s/he was headed.

Pluto in the 9^th: You’re a zealous student and a powerful teacher.

North Node: With North Node of the Moon or the Dragon’s Head in the 9^th, your life purpose is deeply connected with learning. Fortune, prestige, and connections are likely to come in educational and/or spiritual settings. Stay true to your values and you will realize your dreams and visions.

North Node in the 9^th: Your path is the path of learning. Realizing your potential depends on keeping both feet on the path at all times.

South Node:  If South Node or the Dragon’s Tail is in the 9^th, you are likely to have teachers or professors in the family as a legacy—even a past life as a scholar or learned elder. You come from “brains” and wisdom. You may have the ability to draw on these roots as unconscious talents. For you, it’s not so much about learning as remembering.

South Node in the 9^th: Tune into what you know from your genetic or past-life memories—and don’t being afraid to trust your instincts.

Modifications/Taking Notes. Of course, all of the above will be tempered by the sign in which each of the planets expresses. It will also be further modified by having more than one planet in the 9^th. In one article series, even a three-parter, these permutations too large to tackle.  But here’s what I call some homeplay (as opposed to homework) that will help you better understand your Jupiter and 9^th House signature:

Start some notes from Part 1: Lift key words from the description of your Jupiter sign that really fit you. In this Part 2, jot down the key words from planets in the 9^th that stand out to you the most. Once that’s done, add key words for the planets in the signs from memory or your favorite reference, those that are most “you”. In Part 3, you’ll add the House placement of Jupiter, if it’s not in the 9^th. By the end of the three articles, you’ll have the most important nuggets of how Jupiter works for you.

9^th House Quotes by Robin Williams

Comedy is acting out optimism.

I'm sorry, if you were right, I'd agree with you.

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.

Example from the chart of Robin Williams, who teaches and entertains us by way of comedy:

Click to englarge

Jupiter in Aries (5^th) – Creative beyond most human boundaries, quick witted, fires one joke after another with machine gun speed, usually with profound punch lines. Loaded 9^th: Uranus, Mars, Sun in Cancer followed by Pluto and Mercury in Leo. Innovative, quick, intuitive, transformative, life-and-death and sexual issues. With Mercury right on the MC in Leo, he’s a look-at-me messenger of cultural angst and wisdom. Note Scorpio Rising and Pluto as chart ruler conjunct Mercury. His profession of stand-up comic seems to meet all his life-long learning needs and fits many of his other chart factors to a T, like Uranus trine Moon. (He’s so far out; we originally met him as Mork from Ork.)

It’s great to remember that laughter is both teacher and healer!

~~~

Next: Jupiter in the Houses for the majority of us who don’t have Jupiter in the 9^th—and the conclusion and synthesis of the series.

Photo Credit:  © Martina Berg - Fotolia.com

Back to School: Jupiter and the 9th House, Part 1 of 3

Knowledge is power! Your learning

needs and style shape your life.

© 2011 by Joyce Mason

All Rights Reserved

T

here are two things that mark fall for me, even when summer lingers and there’s no change in weather: listening to my husband hoot and holler while he’s watching football and seeing kids in the neighborhood go back to school. I feel cool breezes, and I see breathtaking rust and yellow leaves, even if it’s 99 in the shade in Sacramento.

 Football + School = Autumn. (And I thought I wasn’t good at math!)

I love school. When I was a child, I’d rather crawl out of bed with a temperature of 103 than miss a day. My idea of heaven would be a big sprawling college campus with a smorgasbord of classes. The best part would be having all the time, not in the world, to take them.

Astrologers and astrology students have to be life-long learners.

There’s so much to discover about the earth-to-sky interface. The nuances and applications of astrology are endless, and the sky is always changing. We’re constant explorers, learning more about the cosmic landscape and how it influences us here Below.

I’ll Show You My Jupiter and 9^th If You’ll Show Me Yours

F

eelings. I approach 9^th House issues feelings first because that’s the place where my Capricorn Moon lives. My Jupiter is in Scorpio in the 7^th House trine Mars in Cancer on the IC.

What does this say about how I learn? First, if I don’t feel comfortable (Moon), my 9^th House experiences won’t be very pleasant. College was a C- for me, overall, even though my grades were better than that and I went to an amazing school. I had no idea I was such a mama’s girl and so attached to my parents’ apron strings. I was miserable away from home the first time, a fish out of water on a huge University campus. Many times since, I have wished I could have had a do-over when I was more emotionally mature. I would have gotten so much more out of it. I feel cheated. This might be one of reasons I’m considering a graduate degree at my rather advanced age.

Bringing Jupiter in Scorpio into the mix, there has to be depth psychology and the mysteries of life involved or I’m bored. If there aren’t great friends (7^th house) who are like an active family to me (trine Mars on the IC), I am not interested. Jupiter trine Mars is why I am the president of my local NCGR chapter. I have found my star tribe. NCGR is an organization for astrological education. And, of course, there has to be fun! See our video, below to see what I mean.

Now Show Me Yours

As we round Labor Day weekend, think about your Jupiter and 9^th House and what you need for your ongoing education to rock. I needed emotional maturity (I think I finally got it!) and a fun family of friends to learn and play with in the process. Your needs might be completely different. Here are some tools to help you sort it out. Please Comment and share any insights!

A Self-Taught Class on Jupiter

 

During this three-part post, we’ll consider Jupiter, the house Jupiter is located, and any aspects it makes to other planets. We’ll also look at the 9^th House because of its relationship to higher education.  Let’s focus simply on the facet of Jupiter we share as astrologers and astrology students, life-long learning.

Let’s start with Jupiter by sign. Each Jupiter sign begins with keywords for its expression.

Jupiter in Aries - Self-starter, hurried, competitive, and assertive. Would likely excel in online classes that are self-paced. Pace is fast! Would be happier with many short classes rather than fewer classes over longer periods of time. If classes are taken in person, this student is likely to have his hand up a lot, waving it wildly. (Remember Hermione in Harry Potter?) Will enjoy the game of getting the top grade or in astrology class, getting the meaning first.

Jupiter in Taurus – Persistent, determined, steady, productive, practical and opinionated. This individual probably likes to study outside in the garden or sprawled under a campus oak tree. Long classes? No problem. Loves the physical aspects of learning—touching books, papers, and studying with his or her main squeeze. Will pursue those things most that bring material rewards. (Free advice: Study business astrology!) Needs regular coffee and snack breaks.

Jupiter in Gemini – Communicative, versatile, changeable, and inquisitive. How can Jupiter in Gem pare those classes down to something the Twins can manage? They can juggle twice as much as most of us. Still, they live in a body. This Jupiter sign need classes with lots of discussion, and when it comes to astrology classes, the mental stimulation might keep them up at night. A sensitive nervous system can accompany this Jupiter sign, so no coffee after noon. May need an advisor or counselor to help them determine a focus. In college, could change majors frequently. In astrology classes, might flit from specialty to specialty, tripping through Vedic, Uranian, an interest in Fixed Stars and astro-mapping, and never quite settle on a point of view. Can create great eclectic mixes of philosophies, if they can find the thread that sews them together.

Jupiter in Cancer – Sensitive, nostalgic, family-oriented, emotional, cautious, and protective. This Jupiter sign feels its way to knowing and needs a container that can hold its lunar approach to learning so all that water doesn’t spill onto his or her homework. Loves e-classes because s/he can take them from home. Likes going back to school with the kids. Needs a tight-knit campus or astrology group with a family feeling to feel safe and secure. Is likely to bring treats to class and make sure others feel comfortable there, too. In astrology classes, nurtures others through their Saturn or Pluto transits and passes the tissues, tea and sympathy.

Jupiter in Leo – Self-expressive, playful, childlike, authoritative, self-centered, dramatic, humorous. Would rather be teaching the class than going to it, but if learn he must, Jup in Leo is likely to want a big stage and a chance to be on it. Naturally, he loves drama and Astrodrama. Will spice up a dull lecture with playful repartee and look-at-me moments. In astrology class, wants the instructor and students to look at his chart and seems to think they work for him. Lady Leos are likely to wear gaudy, sparkly astro t-shirts and earrings that look like chandeliers of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Still, they sure punch it up, and watching Jupiter in Leo flirt with the instructor is kind of a kick.

Jupiter in Virgo – Analytical, practical, specialized, intelligent, orderly and particular. “Jupergo” likes to get to the point with sharp pencils and a sharpened wit. This is one serious student, and if the instructor does not meet her high standards, Jupiter in Virgo is likely to be a harsh critic of the professor on the student grapevine, not to mention the end-of-term evaluation. In astrology class, she will stick with an interpretation till she gets it right, which can sometimes feel like Chinese water torture to the rest of the class, which has now become sick of this person’s Moon quincunx Venus—or whatever. Luckily, Jupergo applies Jupiter’s generosity and Virgo’s healing touch and is bound to nurse the headaches she has created by retreating to shyness, once realizing that she has inflicted them.

Jupiter in Libra – Relationship-oriented, fair, impartial, sociable, detached, peaceful, and charming. Needs a beautiful campus or venue for astrology meetings. Will not abide a teacher who’s rude or an unfair grader. Likes taking classes with a partner, be it friend or lover—or classes with available singles, if solo—for now. Seeks kindred astrological spirits and needs to establish some sort of personal relationship with his teacher or mentor. That relationship is as important—if not more—than the teachings s/he has to offer.

Jupiter in Scorpio – Passionate, forceful, secretive, psychic, sexual, jealous, compulsive. This student dives into the deep waters of learning with the passion of a deep-sea diver and doesn’t come back up until she’s found a gold doubloon or other learning treasures. You’ll find few people more focused on a research project, and this Jupiter sign is often drawn into sexual relationships with teachers or mentors. No matter if it’s generally a bad idea; this Jupiter sign can keep the secret and learn things she might not have otherwise because the lure of sexuality is too strong to resist. She will bring out the Scorpio stinger if anyone steals her idea, and this Jupiter sign is the King or Queen of the Hypothesis. Hypotheses are just intuitive hunches that you then prove with left-brained research. “Jupio” is often spot on, but it may take awhile to back up what she knows, intuitively, to be true. When studying astrology, this person is likely to be passionate about the outer planets because anything else is too lightweight to mean as much to her.

Jupiter in Sagittarius – Enthusiastic, optimistic, farsighted, friendly, travel-oriented, straightforward, and philosophical. Lucky you if you have Jupiter “in its own sign.” This is likely to be everyone’s favorite professor, and if you’re on the student side of the equation, learning is so much fun for you; it’s near sport. You’ll learn as much through travel as sitting at a desk in a university, sometimes more. You have the capacity to see the big picture of how life works by seeing how nationalities vary the “window dressing.” Learning ventures on cruise ships or overseas are perfect for you. In astrology class, you’re likely to want to bring laughter to the heady discussions that many astrologers slip into. You’re generous in helping others with their homework, starry or otherwise. You ask many pointed questions. What’s an arrow for?

Jupiter in Capricorn – Organized, ambitious, hard-working, disciplined, down-to-earth, practical, responsible, wise, and cautious. I suspect many educational executives—deans and headmasters—have this Jupiter placement. A good one for the head of an astrology school, too. These are the educational executives, but naturally, that’s something one rises to, climbing Learning Mountain a step at a time, starting out as an ambitious student. Learning is grounding to these individuals, and they see it in terms of dollars and sense. Their equation is work in, reward out—and if they choose their profession well, they will be taken care of by pensions and/or by being regarded as an authority or sage. Like Taurus, this is a great placement for business astrology and the mark of someone who knows how to turn astrology into a thriving business. As astrology students, these folks tend to like traditional, tried-and-true methods.

Jupiter in Aquarius ­– Innovative, original, intuitive, unique, independent, experimental, tolerant, liberal, reformist and visionary. This individual does well with the most unusual curriculum and educational environment he can find. If it’s at the cutting edge of education, “Juparius” is in. Does not do well in stuffy, traditional educational institutions. Takes to astrology like a duck to Water Bearer, as this sign is so often connected to all things astrological. As an astrology student, he’s like likely to understand things quickly and intuitively and to like some of the more unusual branches of astrology. May have his or her own take on astrological interpretation but welcomes the conversation and camaraderie of discussing differences. Has brilliant astro-insights, but you’ll never know when. Expect the unexpected. Jup-Aquarius lighting and thunderbolts of brilliance strike out of nowhere.

Jupiter in Pisces – Imaginative, sympathetic, aesthetic, subconscious, intuitive, escapist, psychological, and psychic. Jupiter in Pisces learns by drinking in information and feeling her way to truth. Masters of story and song, the music scene on campus and listening to songs that fit astrological concepts are as important as books to this Jupiter sign. There’s a lot of right-brain in this person’s learning style, and storytelling is crucial. She’ll see the music in the math of astrology, making it more accessible in a language she understands. She’ll know intuitively the important lessons in the myths behind the signs. Excellent at connecting the dots between parts of an individual’s chart, this person learns astrology from compassion and reading between the lines of the client’s concerns and the cosmic Mandala. She’ll take all the time in the world with you and leave you wanting more.

~~~

Next: A look at your 9^th House and its role in life-long learning.

Photo Credit: © Inacio Pires - Fotolia.com

Postscript: A Report Card on Chiron 101 Summer School

While we’re on the subject of school and learning: In case you’ve been wondering how it went, my six-week online class on Chiron was wonderful. I learned as much as I taught, and I am still buzzing with new insights about Chiron that will find its way onto these pages and into the book I’ll be writing over the next two years. Thanks to the adventurers who went with me on this maiden voyage with Chiron into cyberspace. I will be unlikely to teach this class again before fall 2012, maybe later. However, I’m taking names for those who are interested in the next “semester.” Level of interest—and other priorities—will figure into how soon I may do this again. E-mail me, if interested. To the first Chiron 101 Class, many thanks for your excellent work and open sharing. You made it happen!

Jumpin’ Jupiter! Happy Thanksgiving

© 2009 by Joyce Mason
   All Rights Reserved

No holiday could be more “Jupiter” than the typical American Thanksgiving. We overdo everything—food, football, friends, family and acid indigestion. We hunt and gather at our local grocery store until we have acquired an overflowing basket of ingredients, the makings of a feast fit for a king or queen. Don’t forget their royal relatives.

This bounty hunting got me wondering about the history of Thanksgiving. Long story short: In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. Today many consider that meal to be one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This feast also became a symbol of cooperation and communication between the English colonists and Native Americans.

While many people consider this dinner party to be the very first Thanksgiving, it was actually part of a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native Americans had lavish harvest festivals long before Europeans arrived in America. This is one of the many gifts we owe to the Original Americans.

Thanks to a declaration by Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving in the USA is perfectly placed when the Sun is in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter—the pre-game warm-up to the most Jupiterian of all holidays, Christmas. While our Gregorian calendar, offbeat with natural cycles, places the birth of Jesus just after the Winter Solstice in the sign of Capricorn, all the lead-up is Sag to the max—tinsel and merry, journeys to the mall, buying too much, and more eating and drinking too much.

That Jupiterian spirit extends to the other winter holidays based on faith from pagan (Solstice) to Jewish (Chanukah) and the holiday spirit of more secular believers who simply enjoy cheering for peace on earth and goodwill to humankind. Although Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, it’s still during the harvest season while the Sun is in Libra, focusing on our relationship with others and how interconnectedness is what really feeds us.

The expression “jumpin’ Jupiter” originated as a mild expletive, but I think it describes how the ancient god Zeus (also known as Jupiter) would have celebrated Thanksgiving. I envision him in front of a 72-inch widescreen TV, watching all the games, leaping up in excitement during the hot plays, drinking beer, and snacking till he falls off his recliner. Don’t cheer for the other team. He has been known to throw thunderbolts!

“Everything in moderation, including moderation”


Many of us know this old saw that supports our excesses, as long as they don’t become—well, too excessive. It’s easy for me, as a person with natal Jupiter trine Mars, to overdo things with a flourish. What a perfect time of year to look at Jupiter in your own chart, both its gifts and challenges.

“Jumpin’ Jupiter” is also used to express surprise. I hope that will be the result of your journey to your personal Jupiter. Let’s take a trip, a Jupiter and Sag specialty, to discover your relationship to this planet’s bounty and drawbacks.

A Few Questions to Ask Yourself While Packing

This part of the trip is contemplative. While the metaphor involves packing, the real essentials you’ll be taking are a pen or pencil or your computer to muse on some of the following:


• What is the sign and house of your Jupiter?

• What planets does Jupiter aspect?

• Any aspect patterns? (T-square, Grand Trine, Kite)

• What happened on your last Jupiter Return?

• What were the icky parts of this supposedly great time? When you overdid things, whether you ate too much, drank too much, loved too much? What did you learn when nothing exceeded like excess?


While the first three questions seem elementary, the Jupiter Return holds the key to unlocking your personal Jupiter bounty. The Jupiter Return exposes your customized Jupiter themes.

My last Jupiter Return involved a new spiritual odyssey. I let my cosmic tractor beam lead me. Something felt “missing” in my spiritual life. It led me back to my spiritual roots and the church of my childhood, where I needed much healing in order to move forward into full realization of myself.

My Jupiter is in the seventh house, so there was something to discover about spiritual beliefs in relationship to others. Essentially, I got quite a lesson on the continuum of people who are both alike and different from me in their beliefs. From that introduction, I had to figure out where I fit in and where I belonged. I also learned how to stand in my own beliefs with loving kindness among people who do not see spirituality or the world in the same way as I do. These were definitely jumpin’ Jupiter/surprising revelations! Ultimately, they fulfilled Jupiter’s promise of expansion and getting to know “foreigners,” those whose ideas, culture, or beliefs are different from mine. I was delighted to learn that despite those differences, we were much more alike than different and many friendships could transcend them.

Next step: Once you’ve gotten reacquainted with the themes of your last Jupiter Return, trace it back to your other Jupiter Return cycles. Jupiter returns to its natal position every 12 years.

A Jupiter Journal

Inner journeys beg for a travel diary, just as we create travel journals in the outer world. We take photos; we annotate what we saw. That’s why I suggest that you create a little Jupiter Return Journal. Don’t rack your brain wondering what is important to write down. Write what first comes to you. Just as we're told when taking a multiple-choice test, the right answer is usually what comes to mind first. This is just as true when you consider the date of any Jupiter Return. After all, what you remember pops out of dozens of things that happened around that time. It must be important!

Using myself as the guinea pig (no permissions to obtain), here’s what I found out about my Jupiter Returns in reverse chronological order:

2006 – As already stated, this Jupiter Return brought me a literal spiritual journey back to my childhood religion and a journey in holding my core beliefs while honoring those who believe differently.

1994 - Chironicles newsletter was at its peak. It was my first foray into writing and publishing in a very personal way, where I was navigator of creating and disseminating information created by myself and others. I served as a teacher and mentor to those who wanted to learn more about Chiron during its early discovery years. It was higher education at its most practical, drawn from the laboratory of life. I also went on my first trip abroad to an astrology seminar in Greece. It was so loaded with blessings; this journey changed my life forever.

1982 – I was studying astrology and heading the production of the annual holiday party entertainment at my government day job. I was the team leader of a group that wrote and orchestrated a live show, personal to the audience, with countless belly laughs.

1970 – During this Jupiter Return, I enjoyed the blessings of my first professional job. It was more fulfilling than most people find at the peak of their careers. My work had a large teaching component. I played Jupiter to families of children with developmentally disabilities. Often devastated with little hope, I brought them resources, information and training. They spoke of me as a godsend, and I truly felt like Santa Claus.

1959 – We moved across town just as I entered adolescence, which may as well have been across the ocean for me when we left behind my happy childhood home. However, this journey kicked off all the inner growth expansion in my life and other surprises, such as meeting my first boyfriend. Little did I know then that 39 years later, as adults, we would marry. (For more on that story, read My Three Minutes of Fame.)

Putting It All Together

When I scan the very Jupiterian topics of my five Jupiter Returns, they involve love, inner expansion, teaching, astrology, international connections, entertainment, writing and publishing, and spirituality. These are the gourds, veggies and fruits in my cornucopia. If Jupiter brings joy and happiness, the ultimate joy for me must involve these topics, at best blended together in a big Thanksgiving feast. You’ll find the content of yours in your life review, too.

Guess what I discovered? My work now blends them all! I write and teach about love, expansion, astrology, and spirituality. I publish it on the Internet, the biggest long distance travel venue on earth. I do it in a way that’s entertaining.

When I’m down or blue and don’t feel the love, by Jove? Then it’s time to look to the configuration of my Jupiter by sign, house, and aspect for hints at how to feel in the flow of divine blessings. Trine Mars: Do Jupiterian things—give to others, act funny, write or publish something. Conjunct South Node: Find the blessings in my past, such as my reconnection with my childhood church and reunions with birth mom and my two most significant boyfriends/lost loves, one who became my husband. Your Jupiter configuration and cycles will tell you what makes you happy, too.

But don’t forget what gave you indigestion. It’s a compass in another direction. My excess is “all or nothing.” I don’t do anything half-way, and this takes its toll on me at times. The upside is that I “cycle through things” quickly, reap their benefits, and move on. However, I still overeat—literally. A work in progress!

Following my own Jupiter compass for expansion has brought me enough bounty for a lifetime of Thanksgivings. This holiday gives homage to my favorite feeling—gratitude. I invite you to take some introspective time after your big feast to do this exercise.

You may discover, as I did:

Happiness isn’t getting what you want; it’s wanting what you have.

~~

Photo credit: CORNUCOPIA DETAIL © Achauer | Dreamstime.com

Thanksgiving Note from Joyce: At this grateful time of year, I want to thank the readers of The Radical Virgo for your part in making this blog such a success from its very inception this past Spring Equinox. A reader of my original article, “The Radical Virgo,” inspired me to return to writing about astrology. I actually didn’t think I had much left to say on the subject after a seven-year hiatus. Apparently, I was wrong! I never cease to be amazed that I’ve been able to recycle old articles to new audiences and continue to find inspirations for many new ones. Your support and reports of how this information helps you is what keeps me going. I welcome your feedback in our continued adventure together at becoming better versions of ourselves. Boundless blessings!

University of Pelion Online

The Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter Conjunction in Aquarius

Every planetary meet-up has many layers of meaning. Here’s the one that speaks to me:

I believe this transit simply hollers healing, merging in a positive way, and big blessings. In the sign of Aquarius, networking and community are the context. We have finally discovered that we’re all in this world together and how to make the most of it. I call the triple conjunction an Aquarian Sandwich—Neptune and Jupiter are the bread, Chiron is the filling. As you’ll soon see, even though it’s not highly stacked, except in our favor, it’s a hero sandwich.

The trio reflects the way we are relating online through short films and music (Neptune/You Tube, Blip) and self-publishing (Jupiter/blogs and micro-blogging on Twitter, Facebook, and similar social networking sites). With Chiron in the middle, I feel the great mythical healer has gone high-tech and established a cyber Mt. Pelion. The time is right; the social networking trend is peaking. Chiron put his arm around the shoulders of Neptune and Jupiter, like old friends. He drew them in as team teachers at his Hero School. Famous graduates: Jason, Hercules, Asclepius—you and me.

My own social networking experiences overflow with inspirational quotes and links to articles on how to make my body, mind, and soul a better place to live. Then there are the amazing friendships, creating communities of mind and spirit. Helping each other—day in, day out.

Chiron’s key to wholeness is at our fingertips. He has brought Mt. Pelion to us!

Chiron rules hands-on healing. We are literally laughing, learning, and loving online through the medium of our hands. Who ever knew learning—and oneness—could be such a blast and so rewarding? The personal creativity I see people expressing surpasses my wildest expectations. So does the ability to reach anyone, anywhere.

This Hero Sandwich is being served at the graduation party of the human race. While some aspects of our collective life look like they’re falling apart, mostly in the area of finances, we are merrily saving our own day by this newly possible interconnection. I watched an old friend who lost her job after nearly 30 years nail a new one in no time flat thanks to online “word of mouth.”

We’ve become our own—and each other’s—heroes. What a reason to celebrate!

~~~

Photo credit: GRADUATION CAP CLOSEUP ©

Flashon Dreamstime.com