Comment Contest: Fiction Fest on The Radical Virgo

To keep things lively while I’m off writing a book, I thought I’d stir things up a little with a Comment Contest. We haven’t had one here in ages! The prize is a copy of Capital Crimes: 15 Tales by Sacramento Area Authors. It includes my darkly humorous short story, “Digital,” and a host of other fine offerings from members of my local Sisters in Crime chapter. All comments during the month of October count. Here’s how it works:

You can comment on any post on The Radical Virgo. The names of each commenter will be place in a hat for a drawing. The person who’s name is drawn on November 1 will receive a copy of the book. Your copy of Capital Crimes will be shipped via the most inexpensive option, and you must provide your postal address to receive it. (The winner has the option to pay the difference in postage to upgrade to a faster form of delivery.)

And if you just can’t resist buying Capital Crimes and reading it anyway, the Amazon link is included below. To pique your interest, my story has something to do with a very unusual taco.

Good luck!

Joyce

Capital Crimes: 15 Tales by Sacramento Area Authors

Photo Credit: HEART © Alexroz Dreamstime.com

Radical Departure: The Book Blurb

© 2011 by Joyce Mason

All Rights Reserved

In case you’re wondering what on Earth is going on here, see No Small Change on The Radical Virgo. During October and November, I’ll be doing short posts to take you along for the wild ride of rewriting and getting my humorous, metaphysical mystery book ready for submission to the St. Martin’s Press annual First Mystery Novel Contest.

Peeling out,

Joyce

Greetings, as I skid to a stop in front of my new home for the next two months. The address is OMG! How Am I Going to Get This Done by November 30^th?

The artwork in this post is a cover concept for my book. Of course, if it’s published by anyone but me, I’m unlikely to have the final say about the cover art. If money were no object, it would have an intricate drawing of some of the more wacky costumes at The Crystal Ball. That’s the costume party where much of the action in my book takes place.

The Crystal Ball

They’ve loved each other since they were teenagers.  He’s a chain-smoking, recently retired FBI agent—a crusty guy who has seen it all.  She’s an astrologer and president of a society dedicated to increasing longevity—as New Age as he is Old School.  A New Year’s Eve costume party brings them together in a way neither of them would have ever imagined in a race against time to prevent a crime.

They’re the new Nick and Nora Charles! –Carolina Montague, Author

My first job this weekend is to reread the original version of the book I wrote in 1990. Yes, I said 1990—no typo! Originally entitled Life's Companions, I wrote it for a contest Ted Turner sponsored. Obviously, I did not win or would already be a famous novelist. :) The contest had some sort of “ideas that will change the world” concept. I set it aside for a decade-and-a-half before picking it up again in 2005. That’s when I took a mystery writing class and saw ways I could redirect it that would work better and be much more exciting.

Timing is everything (said the Capricorn Moon). I figure if there’s anything to Saturn cycles, at 21 years old, this book is three-quarters of the way to its Saturn Return. It’s certainly time for it to grow up and leave home in the form of an emancipated book, not some manuscript still stuck in my computer and several notebooks full of research and old versions.

At least I proved to myself that I can finish a book. Now, to refinish it!

Till next week!

~~~

Photo Credits: Disco Ball - © Maxim Loskutnikov - Fotolia.com, Carnival Mask -  piai - Fotolia.com

No Small Change on The Radical Virgo

Bell Rock rings and whispers oracular things.

Dear Radical Readers,

Welcome to the World of Rapid Evolution! The current astrological patterns in the sky reflect that dramatic change is required of all of us in our current time/space continuum. The Radical Virgo is not exempt from this atmosphere. I have much to share about some transitions that I’m beginning to make on this blog. I hope you’ll enjoy the new direction as much as you have our adventures together in the past.

Voices on the Vortex. Last May, I was blessed with a huge cosmic hint near Bell Rock in Sedona, AZ. A sentence entered my mind out of nowhere: You need to get a master's degree in mythology. I knew I’d never think of such a thing myself, so I figured it was divinely inspired. Like anyone who follows her Moon as her inner GPS, I went right to my motel room and Googled "master’s degree mythology" plus my zip code. What came up was the Joseph Campbell School of Mythology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, CA.

To make a very long story short, after scratching my head for months on how I’d afford this program in both time and money, I ultimately realized that this message was figurative, not literal. This realization followed another aha. After being steeped in the Chiron archetype of unresolved pain for nearly two months with my Chiron 101 class, I was ready to have fun! A lighter weight project cried out to me, and in keeping with my vow to take on nothing new till 2013, an unfinished project on the back burner jumped to mind. Maybe it was time to complete the rewrite on my humorous, metaphysical mystery book. Hmm, I thought. The St. Martin's Press annual First Mystery Novel contest usually occurs in the late part of each year. If it were late enough, I'd have time to enter. The deadline is Nov. 30. I realized the Bell Rock message had another translation. A master in mythology is a master of storytelling or fiction.

The cosmos has opened in every way to say YES to this interpretation! When I first came back to astrology in 2009 after a long hiatus, one of my goals was to re-establish the great audience of readers I had enjoyed in the past. Not only did I want to share more cosmic ideas, but I'd hoped I could bring many of you with me to my writing in other genres. You probably won't be surprised to hear that the protagonist of my novel is an eclectic astrologer--and the president of a longevity association. Whether or not I win the contest, the Oracle at Bell Rock has spoken! I'll have a salable manuscript by December 1. If I win (visualize that with me), Yay! If not, I'll start looking for an agent or self-publish.

Transitions. This new direction means I can no longer devote the many hours to blogging and my monthly newsletter that I have done during the past 2.5 years. There are things I'll have to let go in order to claim what has been my dream for as long as I can remember. That's not easy for a Plutonian person who has more than her share of attachment issues!

When I was a college freshman, if someone asked me what I wanted out of life, I would say, naïve as it sounds, "to make people happy." I feel this new direction will allow me to slip readers a Mickey of wisdom through laughter, adventure, and storytelling. (I guess that's a pun, because my protagonist is named Micki.) I want to leave people smiling and thinking, and in the fiction genre, I can pull out all the stops for hilarity.

The Changes. My recent New Moongram will by my last monthly newsletter. The Moongram will now come quarterly at the Solstices and Equinoxes and offer more eclectic news. Even though it won’t necessarily be Moon-focused, the Radical Virgo Moongram still feels like the right title, because everything I share with you is colored with intuition and lunar guidance.

Many other astrologers blog about the New Moon, and I know you'll find new sources and perspectives to explore to get your monthly New Moon booster shot. (Those not on the e-mail list have probably done that already, since the Moonwalks and the Moongram merged and became exclusive to the mailing list.) After 23 years of conducting ceremonies at the Cardinal Turning Points, celebrating the solstices and equinoxes is one of my biggest contributions to my local community--and soon my virtual community through The Radical Virgo Moongram.

During the next two months of intense writing, I'm going to do short journal entries sharing the experience with you on The Radical Virgo. This transitional feature will be called A Radical Departure.  It will give my readers a vicarious chance to experience writing a book with me. I hope that you'll also share my excitement about where I'm headed.

I have several late-year posts ready, and there will naturally be some holiday fun. In 2012, I plan to convert The Radical Virgo to a website. It's likely to have blog component for alerting you to occasional new articles, if you subscribe to the feed or by e-mail. The beauty of the website conversion is that it will offer you easier access to material by topic. There are nearly 170 posts on The Radical Virgo, most of them full-length articles. (You’ve probably not read them all, and there are likely some new finds for you in the old archives.) Articles are more difficult to locate in the journal-style chronology by date that's the standard template of blogs. I'm envisioning tabs for major topic areas. As the spirit moves and time allows, there will be new articles.

And to you, my loyal readers, I say, Stick with me. The fun has just begun!

Jupiter is currently trine my Moon, and in late March (just about the time the contest winner is announced), T-Jupiter enters my 1st House. I hope you're as excited for me as I am about where the Moon has led me. And since you've gone with me to the Moon so many times before, I hope you're "in" for the next ride!

Once The Radical Virgo becomes a website/blog with occasional blog notices to alert you to new articles posted, it will be more important than ever to subscribe by e-mail or feed to be on top of what’s new. Joining my e-mail list is also worth your while! Discounts on books and services will continue to be given through the Moongram e-mails. If you haven’t signed up, take less than a minute to do it now on the top of the sidebar. You won’t miss a thing, and the communiqués are spaced far enough apart that I hope you’ll be happy to hear from me.

I can’t wait to share with you a mix of astrology and other esoteric arts mixed in with storytelling, adventure, and humor. In my next post, you’ll hear just what this novel is all about. I’ll be back between now and late November to share the process!

Thanks for your continued support,

Joyce

Semi-Circle/Autumn Equinox

© 2011 by Joyce Mason

All Rights Reserved

Turning point:
leaves
floating
changing
Cardinal reds
breeze cooling

Inside myself
I harvest
the learning
another year’s growing
reaping my sowing

mourning the loss
of beauty peaking
just before dying
comfort seeking

trusting rebirth
 

the circle completing
another half-turn
come Spring:

“To everything …”

~~~

Photo Credit: © ILonika Fotolia.com

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

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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

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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.

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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!