THE JUPITER CYCLE
In the traditional approach to astrology, Jupiter is known as “the great benefic”, the planet of all opportunities - personal wealth, social prominence, professional prestige and even high political office. When the astrological symbolism is related to psychology, this planet actually has a much wider significance, for all forms of inflated self-esteem, over-confidence and exaggerated self-importance also belong to Jupiter. Astronomically Jupiter is the largest Planet visible in the heavens, having a mass which is two and a half times that of all other planets combined. Its volume, too, is greater than the sum-total of all the other planets. Thus, the Jupiterian urge, both within an individual and within society as well, is an expression of the philosophy that “more is better”. Unlimited expansion, however, is not intrinsically good. Although traditional astrology often attributes the rulership of the disease “cancer” to the Sign Cancer, on the biological level it is a cellular manifestation of the Jupiter principle of unrestricted growth. The evils of unlimited expansion can also be seen on the social level as economic inflation and urban sprawl. Thus, the lesson of Jupiter on all levels of reality is the importance of limitations. Too much of anything, no matter how good or desirable, becomes an evil in itself. The consumption of too much food will lead to flatulence, sloth and obesity; too much liquor will result in a hangover. A balloon can hold only so much air before it bursts.
On all levels of reality - psychological, physical and social - Jupiterian expansion can only take place within defined limits. Those limits are symbolized by Saturn; Jupiter and Saturn therefore form a complementary pair. An astrologer can never really understand how Jupiter will work in an individual birth-chart without taking Saturn into consideration. Together these two planets will show how a person will manage to maintain (Saturn) and expand (Jupiter) the characteristic features of their personality within a specific geographical environment, and particular social, cultural and religious standards. Jupiter dominating Saturn in a natal chart is a strong indication that the person is prone to take in more than they can they can specifically use. Absorbtion outruns assimilation, and at the level on which this occurs - physical, psychic or mental - indigestion will result. The Jupiterian urge toward expansion is not of itself discriminating, and without the moderating hand of Saturn it will lack both direction and purpose. It would continue to take in “nourishment” on all levels of being until that individual or society eventually choked on its own abundance. What is absorbed must be assimilated if it is to have any value, If Jupiter is to participate in the fulfillment of an individual’s solar purpose, then its urge toward expansion must be channeled. This is stated symbolically by the Sagittarian archer who aims their arrow upward and thus gives a specific direction to the Jupiter energy.
Jupiter and Saturn are social planets, symbolizing the hereditary and environmental factors which provide both the potential for individual growth and the limitations on such growth. They describe the particular framework established by the social, cultural and economic conditions in which an individual lives, and their energies can never be separated from this framework. The striving for personal and social fulfillment always takes place within the values of one’s own society. Within the humanistic approach, the Jupiterian urge toward growth can lead an individual to fulfill the potential of their birth circumstances, namely, the family and society into which they were born. Social maladjustments, therefore, can be understood astrologically by studying the natal positions and aspects of Jupiter and Saturn, and also the phase relationship of their transit cycles, both at the time when the difficulty first appeared and also at the time when a solution is being sought. These will show specifically how an individual relates to the social current of the times.
The Jupiter Function in Jungian Psychology
Jung relates the Jupiter function to the persona, which is the compromise between the individual and society - between the demands of one’s social environment and the necessities of one’s inner constitution. It is a mask created by the social role one plays, and with which the conscious sense of “I” often identifies itself. Through the persona, an individual appears to be what they essentially are not. They build an artificial social facade behind which to hide their feelings of inadequacy or personal inferiority. Its essential purpose is to hide that person whom one is afraid they are - that person whom one fears the world will not accept. Under the influence of this social mask an individual will behave publicly in a way which may be diametrically opposed to the way they act in private. Moreover, the longer one identifies with this social venner, the less conscious they will become of their own identity, until the mask finally supplants the person. Socially they may be a very well-adapted person, while they may be thoroughly unadapted to their own individuality. The persona is built on collective agreement, comprising those qualities which an individual feels they must necessarily project in order to be accepted in society. It is a false self - a concept of how one thinks society wishes them to be, rather than an expression of their true experience of Self. As a person acts and reacts within their environment, they build this veneer layer-by-layer, modifying and perfecting it each time they encounter the outside world. This outer, social attitude will change like the skin of a chameleon to suit the particular situation, always with the purpose of gaining acceptance from and agreement with external world. Its aim is always social, and therefore it seems logical to relate it to the Jupiter function.
March Edmund Jones has referred to Jupiter and Saturn as “soul” planets. Taken in the Jungian context, this would relate them to the functions of the “anima-animus” which reveals the inner, unconscious attitude which will complement the conscious attitude of the persona. It contains all those general human qualities which are lacking in the social mask. When the social mask is thwarted in some way, or fails to produce the desired results of recognition or social acceptance (the social function of Jupiter), then the Jupiter function will turn inward. This identification with the subjective world is felt as a compensation for what one has found unsatisfying in their social or professional life. An individual will turn their attention away from outer success, social expansion and personal aggrandizement, and will seek instead - often in an over-emotional, compulsive and irrational manner - so-called “spiritual” values and activities. They will place the greatest emphasis of their life one delving into their own unconscious mind and seek to develop that rather than developing their contacts with the outer world.
When a person turns from the outer to the inner side of their nature, a certain introversion will result. A man will tend to project feminine characteristics, and a woman, masculine characteristics. This has nothing to do with their sexual identity but rather deals with the unconscious side of their natures. Such an introversion of the Jupiter function can often be related to the retrograde movement of the planet. The relationship of Jupiter to the persona and the anima-animus is a relationship in terms of the negative use of the Jupiter function in humanistic terms. For Jupiter to work in a positive manner, there must first be a vital sense of purpose in life. From this sense of purpose an individual will wish to participate with others in some greater whole of which they feel themselves to be a conscious part. Ultimately, the Jupiterian urge toward growth and expansion should lead one to a full manifestation of their solar potential. Deviations from this ideal Jupiter development are generally caused by Saturn’s role in the individual life. Saturn sets the pre-conditions to which Jupiter reacts - Saturn describes the society within which Jupiter participates.
Jupiter and the Permissive Society
A great deal has been said about the generation born after the last world war, especially in regard to its exaggerated use of the Jupiterian function. The old, established restrictions and controls of Saturn seem to have broken down - most notably in the area of sexual taboos, and this generation is often credited as having gone to the dogs. The problem facing contemporary society are clearly those of Jupiter run awry. Over-population, over-production, waste, pollution, inflation, traffic congestion and even military arms stockpiling are all facets of Jupiterian expansion. It seems that we have all been on a Jupiterian binge for the past thirty years, and are experiencing a Saturnian morning-after.
However, just as a Saturn-recession naturally follows a Jupiter-inflation, the converse is also true. The affluent society was born out of the depression years. Parents who had grown up with very little in the way of material possessions determined to give their children everthing they had missed. It was in reaction to the strong Saturnian emphasis in their lives that they created, through their children the “permissive society”. It is interesting to note that these children are now reaching young adulthood and are totally rejecting the materialism of their parents for a non-materialistic, spiritual life of contemplation. There is a general trend among young people to return to the soil and to rediscover the simpler joys of life. Young people today are rejecting the persona orientation of their parents’ generation, with its emphasis on driving large cars, wearing expensive clothes and generally breaking their necks and hearts in an attempt to “keep up with the Joneses”. Instead they have swung the pendulum 180 degrees to an animus-anima orientation. Their lives, like their clothes, have become unisexual. They are more interested in developing their spirit than their back-hand. They scorn the fruits of technology, even to the extent of wanting their babies to be born at home. The term “permissive” applies not to them, but rather to their parents.
The Seven Cycles of Jupiter
The cycles of Jupiter correspond to the numbers 12 and 7, principally because it takes approximately twelve years (actually 11 years, 10 and 1 half months) for Jupiter to make a complete transit of the zodiac, and because in an archetypal life-span of 84 years (one complete Uranus cycle) there will be seven complete Jupiter cycles. The general significance of the number 12 is self-evident,(Signs and Houses), but it also identifies the number of moons which orbit the planet Jupiter. This 12-year beat which describes the Jupiter pulse is a generic cycle which describes a condition of age common to all mankind. Everyone simply by virtue of the fact that they have lived that long, will experience a Jupiter “return” at the approximate ages of 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, and 84. The rhythm of these cycles will describe, in a potentially ascending spiral, an individual’s attempt to grow toward being “more than an individual”. They express the urge to expand not merely outward, but upward as well. Each new Jupiter cycle is potentially more than a simple repetition of the last. Each of these seven cycles, having its own significance meaning and purpose, will mark an important turning-point in the life of an individual. This does not mean, however, that they will necessarily correspond to significant events, for the turning-point may take place subjectively and may not even occur on a conscious level. What becomes possible at these times is the use of the Jupiter energy in a new and different way. As this new tide begins to unfold, it will affect one’s relationship to society and one’s participation in it.
The division of any cycle into seven periods is of universal significance and application. Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine gives numerous instances of such a seven-fold analysis and relates it particularly to what she calls the “Seven Principles in Man”. These principles are 1) The physical 2) The etheric or vital principle; 3) The astral, feeling and desire nature; 4)The inferior mental or intellectual; 5) The superior mental or true mind; 6) Buddhi - the spiritual soul; and 7) The Atma or pure spirit. These seven principles have their counterparts in all religions, in the ancient Egyptian and Persian doctrines, in the Kabalah, in Taoism and in the I-Ching. Plato speaks of them, and they are part of the Hermetic doctrine of Buddhism. The accomplishment of the alchemists’ Great Work also had seven phases. The seventh is the highest stage of illumination. Thus, the seven conjunctions of Jupiter with its natal position in an 84-year lifetime suggest that the complete fulfillment of the Jupiter function within the personality proceeds by seven stages and necessitates 84 years for completion.
The Twelve-Year Jupiter Cycle
Because the Jupiter cycle has been linked to the number 12, each year of this cycle is associated with a Sign of the zodiac. The first year of this cycle is an “Aries” year, the second a “Taurus” year, and so forth. It must be remembered, however, that this zodiacal correspondence is related to the placement of Jupiter in an individual birth-chart and is not to be confused with the Sign through which Jupiter is transiting. If the natal position of Jupiter is 18 Capricorn, then the “Aries” year will begin when Jupiter reaches 18 Capricorn by transit and will last until transiting Jupiter reaches 18 Aquarius. In this way, and in relation to Jupiter matters, the familiar meaning of each sign can give its coloration to the Jupiter year in question. Also, the astrologer must always consider each year of the Jupiter cycle in terms of the Age Factor. This is especially true of the “Aries” year.*
The “Aries” Year - The Jupiter Return
This year begins with the Jupiter return and signals a re-birth of the Jupiter principle in the life. If a person wishes to earn more money, gain more prestige or social recognition, or to assume a role of responsibility within the community, this is the time to begin working consciously toward those goals. People should use their power of initiative and leadership in Jupiter matters if they want this new cycle to bear fruit. They must take the initiative, make the effort, and try out their possibilities on social, financial, religious and political levels for success to come to them. The “Aries” year is not a culmination, but a beginning. It is not, as many traditional texts hold, a time when honours and rewards come rolling in, but rather a seed-planting time. Each person will begin their Jupiter cycle in the House in which natal Jupiter is found. This natal House position determines the type of initiative required and will indicate the area of life in which the Jupiter urge will manifest. For example, if the Jupiter return occurs in the 1st House, the new initiative will be less outward, as in business, and more inwards, as regards perhaps some new social or religious ideal. Inward preparation for some future new social function may necessitate retirement from habitual social or “religious” activities. The new social function of Jupiter must be related ever more effectively, cycle after cycle, to one’s basic life-purpose as it is revealed by the whole birth-chart.
The Aries period is especially useful for becoming more aware of the way in which the Jupiter function of assimilation works within one’s biological and psychological organism. The problems one meets in the social, religious and professional life of their community will also be brought to a focus at this time. If an individual is conscious that a new cycle is beginning and that they have a new opportunity to make more significant use of the Jupiter energies in their life, then, and only then, can something change in their habitual manner of growth and expansion. As another example, Jupiter in the 10th House indicates that a person is able to wield social power. The tests of their life, therefore, will be of the use they make of their social position, prestige wealth, or of their religious and psychological insights. Each new Jupiter cycle will present a new test in this area, base on the fruits of the previous cycle. Thus, the Aries year falling in the 10th House will not signal a time of inward retirement, but rather a challenge to grow beyond what one has been in the outside world. What will matter will be the end toward which one uses their influence in their social or professional field. To sum up, the Aries quality of initiative and leadership will be necessary at the beginning of each Jupiter Cycle, but always in terms of the natal House and aspects.
The “Taurus” Year
During the second year of the cycle, one should see the new Jupiter impulse become more concrete. The new initiative should now bear some fruit and so the person may get some idea of what will realistically be possible or impossible - necessary and unnecessary. They should therefore any line of endeavor that seems unfruitful. Using the example of natal Jupiter in the 1st House, the “Taurus” phase would coincide with the transit of the 2nd House. The new Jupiter impulse might demand an outlay of personal resources - financially, psychologically and physically. A new appreciation of one’s innate possibilities and powers, or better management and organization of one’s resources may be required at this time. The 2nd House accent will reveal whether or not the Jupiter opportunity, as it was understood in the Aries phase, has practical possibilities. It will reveal whether the inertia of one’s past habit patterns and prejudices is stronger than the new creative impulse, and whether the individual can break out of their self-constructed mold. If they are able to do this and tap deeper layers of their being, then unsuspected powers within their nature will be revealed.
In the case of the 10th House natal Jupiter, the Taurus phase of the cycle can coincide with the 11th House transit. This suggests that any Jupiter impulse initiated during the Aries phase must be related to the social means at hand capable of making the person’s vision a reality to others. One may have to tone down their enthusiasms, and they must not cut themselves off too brutally from the people who have made possible their social success in the last Jupiter cycle. Their ideals must be realistic, acceptable to their associates or community, or they may find themselves alone and friendless, powerless to act constructively in terms of what their society really needs. The new Jupiter impulse should consider true social needs, not personal aggrandizement at the expense of others. If it does represent a possible answer to a social need, then the power of the community will certainly try to act through the individual, who will become a representative human in the social sphere related to their competence.
The “Gemini” Year
This phase will stress the power of communication with the environment. One may find themselves reading and writing a great deal in the attempt to expand their mind and better organize their ideas. One may tempted to live only in the mind and thus must make the effort to utilize their new Jupiter impulse in a significant and practical way. New relationships should be established within the social sphere as one begins to externalize this Jupiter energy. As this is a time for experimentation however, those relationships should not be forced into set patterns, but allowed to flow freely. They are the first objective test of the new impulse. If the Gemini phase corresponds with the transit of the 3rd House, new contacts with, and concepts of one’s environment can help the Jupiter impulse to function better within everyday reality. A person should seek demonstrations and concrete proof of the value - or lack of value - of their new use of Jupiter. During this phase of the cycle an individual should see their new social or psychological outlook in its relationship to society.
If the Gemini phase corresponds to the transit of the 12th House, the person’s capacity to be a true and efficient manager of some group aspiration will be put to the test. In this phase, an individual will either succeed in finding an answer to the subconscious needs of their group, or else they will tend to be overcome by ghosts of the past cycle. One’s memories of past failures and one’s “unfinished business” clutter a person’s life and provide barriers to any forward movement. In this phase it will be decided whether the Jupiter cycle will really introduce new elements into the manner of one’s social adaptation, or whether, through a lack of courage and will-power, the “new” will be repetition of the old pattern in boredom or resignation.
The “Cancer” Year
The Cancer phase of this cycle corresponds to the first quarter or waxing square of Jupiter to its natal position, and describes a “crisis in action”. This time should be used to consolidate the new trend. The “Aries” through “Gemini” years are a time of experimentation - no firm decision had to be made, and no definite direction had to be chosen. At the Cancer phase, however, a choice is imperative. One must decide both the form and the direction which the new Jupiter trend will take, and then allow themselves to be limited by it. This does not mean that a person should give up certain goals or ambitions because of fear, or that they should limit themselves too much by trying to adapt their new Jupiterian urge to fit some already established form or doctrine. Limitation in this sense means concentration - aiming in a specific direction like the Sagittarian archer, rather than scattering oneself all over the universe. The Cancer phase is a turning-point in the Jupiter cycle. Whereas in the Gemini phase the urge was to communicate the new Jupiter trend, to talk about it, the waxing square is a call to action. At this time one must choose the Jupiter social activity which best corresponds to what one truly seeks and desires to achieve. This period will set the direction for the remainder of the cycle. So the choice must be a personal one.
If this Cancer phase corresponds to the 4th House transit of Jupiter, then the attempt to consolidate one’s position and to lay concrete foundations will be doubly emphasized. It is important not to feel that one has reached rock bottom and can progress no further; rather, the new impulse should be sufficiently well-formed and realistic to be developed further. In other words, during this phase an individual must find some stable base from which they may begin to act socially in a more dynamic and creative manner. Only an opportunity which offers a chance to lay the groundwork for later progress - especially during and after the “Libra” phase should be considered seriously at this time. If the Cancer phase corresponds to the 1st House transit of Jupiter, then “consolidation” will mean that the individual must now decide to put their personality at the service of the collective of group enterprise which corresponds to the vision of the Aries phase. An individual should be prepared at this time to devote themselves utterly and completely to that personage or collective work which best seems to represent their social ideals.
The “Leo” Year
As the Cancer phase is an important turning-point in an individual’s effort to expand both socially and personally in some new way, the following Leo phase can only carry forward what has already been established. A person must go forward with faith and imagination, giving free play to their creative ability and their social talents. The dreams of the first quarter are now becoming a reality, and one should be prepared to take certain risks to see them realized. This is a time when one should not be afraid to show in some concrete way the values for which they personally stand.
If the “Leo” phase corresponds to a Jupiter transit of the fifth House, one’s social expansion will depend more than ever on personal initiative. There may be problems due to over-optimism, especially in speculative ventures. An individual will act as if they have a real mission to accomplish, and they will be able to assume responsibility freely. At this time it is possible for a person to become the mouth-piece of some group which expresses those Jupiter values which they hold most dear. In any case, this is the time to gain social recognition for one’s Jupiterian aims, and to increase one’s self-assurance when acting socially. To be avoided are tendencies toward pride, arrogance and the type of mindless passion which blocks both the reason and the will. If Jupiter transits the 2nd House during the Leo phase, there will be a test of one’s ability to manage and expand the scope of those things which they value, be they material or spiritual. This test may involve a choice between the desire to possess the social power with which a person has been theoretically entrusted, and the proper management of that power - holding it in trust for the good of all. If an individual uses the social power at their disposal simply to feed their ego or to gain social or religious privileges, th4en the entire Jupiter cycle will turn spiritual negative.
The “Virgo” Year
During the Virgo phase one reaps the results of their manner of social expression, which often requires changes in one’s social behaviour. A lack of success during the Leo phase should lead now to attempts at self-improvement. Here an individual will reveal their true spiritual stature by the quality of their response to this lack or defeat. It may simply entail the development of some new social technique, or more comprehensively, it may signify a complete self-consecration to the social ideal envisioned at the beginning of the Jupiter cycle. The crisis which arise at this time will have to be met, especially in all those cases where the problems are due to one’s egocentricity or selfishness. During this phase, an individual must be ready to grow, to serve, and to obey. Greater efficiency will be demanded in terms of what a person tries to contribute to the productivity and growth of their community. One must not be afraid of increased work and the need to develop their capacity to serve. If this Virgo phase coincides with the transit of the 6th House, the person should work to relate themselves ever more effectively to some larger social pattern, and to develop their sense of participation in society. This is the last step on the way to either to some form of new social accomplishment (if the Jupiter cycle has developed in a positive manner up to this time) or to the realization that one have not been sufficiently realistic and therefore has not been able to mobilize their energies adequately in order to arrive at a positive result in their social life. If one’s social behaviour does not come up to the ideal they held at the beginning of the Jupiter cycle, then their 6th House Virgo phase will provide an opportunity to clearly realize the reasons for this failure. It is not too late to change. When the Virgo phase corresponds to the Jupiter transit of the 3rd House, there may be a need for discrimination in the manner in which one uses their new social or spiritual ideas. Here the response of one’s neighbors or relatives to their ideas may force one to realize that, as they express them or try to put them into practice, there is something which is not as worthwhile or practical as they originally thought. This can produce a crisis - the necessity to change something, either in one’s way of thinking or in their behaviour; therefore it may become necessary to acquire a new technique to remedy one’s social and/or persona failings.
The “Libra“ Year
The Libra phase marks the midpoint of the Jupiter cycle, the culmination of an individual’s external efforts to establish new Jupiter values in their life. As one tries to change the character of their interpersonal relationships, to perfect them and make them more fulfilling, the new tide of Jupiter energies related to one’s social and religious life reaches its high point. Whatever has been initiated during the Aries year and sufficiently consolidated during the Cancer year should reach a definite consummation of some sort in the Libra year. At this time a person may have to consciously adapt themself in some new way to everything Jupiter means in their life. If since the Aries year one has been purposefully preparing themselves for the development of a new social or spiritual consciousness, then this Libra year can bring this trend to a culmination through some definite “initiation” into that greater social or spiritual whole of which the individual now knows they are a significant part. The desire to run away from one’s self, to lose one’s sense of identity in social activities or in a relationship, may be especially strong at this time. Additionally, the Jupiter urge may tempt an individual to lose their sense of Self by entering into projects or assuming tasks which are too ambitious. At the same time, however, there is the possibility for acquiring greater social prestige during this phase - forming important business liaisons, marrying, or at least finding one’s true social or professional work.
If the Jupiter transit occurs in the 7th House during this phase, partnership propositions will offer opportunities for growth and expansion. This will be particularly true if such partnerships develop out ork already underway, or along a line which has been pursued since the Aries phase. Marriage is a possibility, as is some sort of promotion. In all cases, however, the sphere of one’s personal contacts should widen. Future opportunities for progress will come from the new social and interpersonal relationships established during this Libra year. When the Libra phase corresponds to a Jupiter transit of the 4th House, the culmination of the social or spiritual efforts begun in the Aries phase will now lead to a strong sense of personal power. This will enable a person to establish their life on more secure foundations. One can now become a true representative human, fully aware of the new social role which their personality can play. The inner life should be richer, the feelings more expansive, and there should be enhanced sense of self-confidence. On this one can build a broader and firmer foundation for their personal life.
The “Scorpio” Year
Whatever has been accomplished during the “full moon” Libra phase should now be consolidated in the Scorpio year. Those realizations should now be substantiated socially, and this usually leads to the necessity for some kind of reorientation or revision of the Jupiter trend which has been seeking social recognition or since the beginning of the cycle. One must consider closer the expectations one has from the new relationship of self to society initiated theoretically during the Libra phase. Problems in the practical working out of one’s life-purpose through new interpersonal relationships can crop up at this time. Unrealistic dreams must now be forgotten or set aside. In spite of the possibly idealistic nature of a person’s love and their desire to share, any new relationship on this basis must still take place within the existing social, cultural and religious order. Thus, in this Scorpio phase, there may be problems due to one’s defiance of traditional values. This phase of the Jupiter cycle is the most important in terms of one’s actual success. If a person is not realistic and conscious enough in their present social efforts, they are likely at this time to witness the failure of those efforts to relate their individual purpose to the social means at hand. Whatever happens, this 8th phase will reveal the concrete reality - success or failure - of the effort to become a socially harmonious and significant person.
If Jupiter transits the 8th House during this Scorpio phase, the need for some form of personal regeneration will be evident. If an individual wishes to be reborn as a person able to participate productively and effectively within the framework of their group, community, nation or culture, this is the most likely time. What must be avoided is the tendency to lose oneself in other people’s wants or values, or in the established patterns of social activities of the “greater whole”. It may be necessary to conform to certain procedures in order to be socially accepted; however, one should never lose sight of their individual purpose. Thus, even after conforming, one may work to direct the social energies at their disposal toward their own ends. When the “Scorpio” phase coincides with Jupiter’s transit of the 5th House, this period can be a test of one’s personal behaviour developed in the preceding Libra phase. The real worth of one’s theoretically new social personality must be proved. In this an individual will have to be true to their own purpose, acting in a way which convinces others without hurting them. In this transit is the danger of expressing oneself through the persona-mask, especially if one is feeling inferior. Pride, anger and lust must be avoided. They simply reveal that the person is not master in their own house, and that the energies of human nature are acting in place of the individual Self.
The “Sagittarius” Year
If the cycle has been positive up to this point, then the Sagittarian phase can be one of real social expansion. During this time one will see the new activities or meanings introduced
During the Libra phase begin to permeate society. The accent here should be on social management or organization, and on the extension of one’s social power. One should make an effort to transform those elements in their social or religious life which relate to their own current Jupiter cycle. Social and ethical principles become important. An individual’s assurance and expansiveness will come from the security they have gained by merging their energies with some group. If Jupiter transits the 9th House during this phase, the time is right for making long-range plans. Such plans should aim at the reorganization of one’s social relationships in terms of the new social vision which that individual has succeeded in developing. One must be careful here not to over-do things, not to be carried away by a fanatical desire for personal aggrandizement. It will be possible to accomplish concrete objectives in the religious or occult sphere, and there can be an ecstatic loss of self in mystical experiences. On more mundane levels,personal, professional and social opportunities may lead to contacts with foreign countries or a move to a new territory. One might also invest in new or distant projects at this time. Educational work, publishing, promotion, shipping, law, mail-order, or any work which requires traveling are among the possibilities of this 9th House transit.
When Jupiter transits the 6th House during the Sagittarian phase, there is the possibility of making good progress in one’s work and. If, necessary, it should not be difficult to find a new job. The person’s best chances will generally come through their ability to apply efficient methods to their daily routine, whether at home or in the business world. In some cases, this period can bring a crisis of response to some new social or national need. Some things may have to be changed either in the body’s responses or in the expression of instinctual urges and desires. One must be prepared to learn a new approach to the skills they possess, especially if the Scorpio phase has revealed weaknesses. A person must realize, however, that technique is not everything. Their personal, emotional or psychological approach to the possibility of crisis can defeat their ability to use that technique. On mundane levels, government appointments, the civil service, production or personnel positions, public utilities, nursing and dietetics can offer professional possibilities at this time.
The “Capricorn” Year
The Capricorn phase corresponds to the waning square of transiting Jupiter to its natal position, and therefore represents another period of readjustment. What one has been working for since the beginning of the cycle should now be firmly established in a concrete way in one’s social or professional context. One cannot expect further expansion along established lines, and it becomes necessary from this time forward to look objectively at the results achieved in terms of their value to the community and the growth of one’s true Self. One should now ask oneself certain questions: what does my present job or career mean to me personally? What do I expect from? Have I given all I could to my job or career? How much have I conformed to collective ideals and collective behaviour up to now? How much can I afford to be more myself in the future within the limits of what society expects from me? If the answers to such questions show that the social or professional activities which a person has chosen have not enabled them to prove their true worth or to demonstrate effectively in public who and what they are as an individual, then the time has come for one to revise the situation thoroughly. Ideally, each individual should contribute to society what they essentially are. One’s work in the world should serve to solve their personal problems and, at the same time, meet the needs of society in some way. It will not necessarily be the easiest type of work; however, it should be an occupation which will provide those experiences capable of stimulating one to be truly themselves and to give truly of themselves. Neither the job or the place matter, spiritually speaking, but rather the opportunity to contribute something of value to others in terms of their own personality and uniqueness.
If the Capricorn phase coincides with the transit of the 10th House, there will be a particular need for readjustments in terms of one’s career or public image. These will reveal publicly what one has managed to exteriorize of the Jupiter ideal established at the Ascendant. As this exteriorization is never complete and perfect, whenever the 10th House is emphasized, that is the time to admit to oneself that something is lacking and to accept the necessity of bettering one’s performance. During this transit a person will have the prestige they merit, and they will be asked to prove their social, personal and professional capacities and skills publicly. This is the time to present one’s creative work to the public and to rise to the social or professional occasion. If the Capricorn phase corresponds to Jupiter’s transit of the 7th House, then the readjustments demanded by the Jupiter cycle will affect an individual’s interpersonal relationships as well as their general attitude toward the world.; One must prove the worth of their social ideals by the way they act both in relation to other individuals and also to their community. In other words, one must re-adjust their social relationships so that they really do serve a purpose in some larger process.
The “Aquarian” Year
This phase of the Jupiter cycle is the time for a reconsideration of all one’s social ideas and ideals - for realizing the need to give a new value to one’s social activities. One will need common sense as they try to evaluate, as calmly and objectively as possible what they consider to be the actual needs of society, their friends and themselves. This is a period during which one tends to build dream-castles in the effort to compensate for what was found lacking in the Capricorn phase. It is also the time when an individual is inclined to be deeply affected equally by public approval of their efforts as by public condemnation. Although one can now enjoy the fruits of their public success and can even succeed in increasing the value and prestige of all that comes to them as a result of their Jupiterian expansion, this period should also awaken in them the yearning for new horizons.
In the Aquarian phase coincides with the transit of Jupiter through the 11th House, one can now enjoy the fruits of their efforts (providing that the 10th House phase has been positive). More importantly, however, this phase should see a clear understanding of what has been achieved in the complete Jupiter cycle. One must see the gap between the ideal and reality, and make preparations for a new cycle of Jupiterian development. Having decided what the new step into the future ought to be, one should concentrate their attention on the social means at hand, the friends and associates who have made their past ascension possible and who should be taken along in the new ascension. The principal danger of this phase is the tendency to be too utopian, or to cut oneself off completely from the past. In order to succeed one must do their utmost to formulate their new ideals in a socially effective manner, in a manner acceptable to those who have followed in their footsteps up to the 11th House phase. Social assets are the key to one’s future success. The people one knows professionally and the clubs and organizations to which one belongs will be their means to progress. The entertainment of important people, friends and family prestige can help in the realization of one’s plans.
If Jupiter transits the 8th House during the Aquarian phase, one must now substantiate in a practical way the relationships entered into during the Capricorn phase. Here a person must put their managerial abilities to the test in order to increase the fruits of their common work with other members of the group. One may be called upon to correct and adjust many different problems arising from their interpersonal relationships, and to develop a real sense of deep human sympathy. Success will still come through partnerships, provided one is ready to pool their resources for mutual benefit. A cooperative attitude and personal charm can smooth the way. It is essential to be forward looking at this time, and not allow oneself to be hampered by precedents. One must try to transform the ways of custom by demonstrating a new principle of conduct. Here it is important not to lose sight of the life-purpose which is described by a 10th House Jupiter. What one does during this 8th House transit will either help or hinder, on very practical levels, what one hopes to achieve as a public image of their individual reality.
The “Pisces” Year
This final phase of the Jupiter Cycle is a period of transformation. The actions or decisions taken at this time can retard one’s capacity to meet the new conditions and the new environment looming on the horizon. As one tries to go beyond the social, religious and political consciousness and activities which have until now commanded their allegiance, one may have to renounce much. The new Jupiter impulse will not be truly new unless, during the Pisces phase, one manages to discard those beliefs and attitudes which bind them to the past. During this phase one must assimilate as many unfamiliar and distant values as possible. The Jupiterian expansion should now include even more, especially that which challenges on by its striking difference or even antagonism. Only in this was can one prepare themselves for a new Jupiter cycle; for greater understanding and greater love depend on an individual’s capacity to include the alien and the unknown.
If Jupiter transits the 12th House during the Pisces phase, the trend of dissolution of attachments and of binding limitations takes on a very strong character. The natal Jupiter in the 1st House will never be a symbol of personal identification with some new social or religious ideal unless there has been some prior renunciation or relinquishment. Thus, the call to renunciation will come very twelve years when Jupiter transits the 12th natal House. It is only when the past no longer pulls and binds the soul and the mind that the spirit can act and lead one forward and beyond. During this final phase of the Jupiter cycle one must question their allegiance to society and social customs. If no change comes at this time, then one is not living as a free individual. The only true freedom resides in one’s ability to change their allegiances according to their growth in spiritual, moral and social ideals. If a person resists change, then they also resist growth. However, when one becomes conscious for the first time that they are not growing because they have not wanted to change, then the opportunity arises to use that freedom. By renouncing one’s petty values and narrow satisfactions, they may seek instead the attainment of greater and nobler goals. This is the pattern of opportunity presented every twelve years when Jupiter goes through its Pisces phase, and also when the planet transits one’s natal 12th House.
If the Pisces phase corresponds to a Jupiter transit of the 9th House, then it will signify the opportunity to reassess and renounce those values and beliefs which form the basis of their 10th House natal placement. It will specifically be in terms of “9th House matters” that one will meet the conditions through which their old feeling, thinking and behaving should pass gradually into a new way. It may be through some religious experience, or through reading some philosophical work or listening to a teacher that one will transform their Jupiterian urge; or it may be through travel to a distant place or meeting a person from a foreign land that one will gain a new perspective and change their allegiances. In any case, this 9th House transit refers to an individual’s effort to find out why certain things happen or have happened both in their interpersonal relationships and in their attempt to relate significantly to the outer world. The Pisces influence suggests the need to pass through crisis in order that one may approach the world in a new and freer way.
Jupiter’s Transit Through the Solar Houses
When the birth time is unknown the Solar House technique is often used. Because this technique is the one generally used when presenting astrology to the public through the mass media, it is often scorned by astrologers as too superficial to have any significance. In humanistic terms, however, Sun Sign astrology has a specific value beyond the scope of “popular” astrology. In terms of the Jupiter transit, this technique relates the general trend described by the sign position of Jupiter to the Sun Sign of an individual. Thus, the passage of Jupiter through the sign of Gemini in 1977 establishes first of all a collective mood and opportunity which will apply to everyone. The mentality of all human beings will be colored by Jupiterian characteristics, since Gemini rules the mind. People everywhere will tend to think more expansively, more optimistically; there will be much eager planning for more extensive relationships and a strong urge to grow through new contacts and new concepts. Each person will react to this general trend of thought in his or her own fashion, according to the individual natal chart. However, in a more general way, each person will also react according to their solar type. The general trend of thought related to Jupiter in Gemini will, of course, affect more particularly those people with the Sun in Gemini. Those having other natal planets in Gemini, or in other Mutable Signs, will also feel the Jupiterian urge to expansion in a more personal way; however, it is specifically each solar type (Sign) to which the “typical” interpretations are given. Thus, while Jupiter in Gemini will have a “1st House” meaning for those people born with the Sun in Gemini, it will have a “4th House” meaning for people born with the Sun Pisces.
In other words, when Jupiter in Gemini transits over my Sun in Gemini, a general social trend is brought to a focus in my life through a transformation and stimulation of my vitality, my will and my sense of purpose of destiny which the natal Sun represents. This will be particularly evident through the experiences related to the natal House in which the Sun is found. But in solar astrology it may also be interpreted in terms of the Solar House through which Jupiter transits. In all cases, however, the Solar House will not show an individualized response, but rather the area of life in which the pressure of a collective trend will operate. This trend is outside of the individual, and they react to it as a social being. Even if their life is changed by the pressure of such outside forces, the motivation is collective and not due to the individual development of the pattern of their own destiny.
While the transit of Jupiter through Gemini provides a general meaning which applies to everyone in the world, the fact that a particular person is born, for example, with the Sun in Virgo will give the astrologer a more specific framework within which to relate this transit. According to solar typology, Jupiter will be found in the 10th Solar House for the Virgo type. Thus, the astrologer may interpret this transit as indicating the expansive mental atmosphere - the trend to expand through the making of new contacts and new plans - will be particularly evident in the 10th House field of experience for the Virgo person. This could indicate the possibility of business opportunities or professional advancement, increase in social prestige or authority, a feeling of optimism and benevolent behaviour when dealing with public issues, and even spiritual growth through the wise use of social power.
Although this technique is more general in its implications than the relation of transiting Jupiter to its natal position by Sign and House, it is still valid and should not be dismissed. Each solar type will respond to the general trend described by a transit in relation to the Solar House; and the more true one is to his solar type, the more true the Sun Sign interpretation will be. Since so many astrologers seem to rely more on transit indications than on progressions and directions, this Solar House interpretation of their meaning according to Rudhyar’s humanistic approach will give them an added dimension.
The Individual Jupiter Cycle
In the humanistic approach, the individual cycle of Jupiter begins when that planet first reaches the Ascendant degree. Since the Jupiter cycle lasts about twelve years, and since the planet can be found in any of the twelve natal Houses at birth, the individual cycle will begin some time during the first twelve years of life. From that time forward, Jupiter can be used in an increasingly individualized manner in relation to one’s basic life-purpose. According to the basic ideas on transit cycles put forward by Rudhyar, the first three Houses of the chart counting from the Ascendant (the first or Winter Quarter) refer to growth of the essential nature of the planetary function being studied. Therefore, as Jupiter moves from Ascendant to Nadir, the Jupiter function and everything related to it develop new facets in a subjective, interiorized manner. Nothing much may show in the outer life. This stage of the process is like the seed during the winter quarter of the year. The next three Houses, comprising the second or spring quarter, refer to growth in the individual’s capacity to use the planetary function. Therefore, as Jupiter moves from the Nadir up to the Descendant, the quality of its becomes clearer in the person’s outer life. Something begins to happen, as if it were Springtime. The new Jupiter impulse begins to germinate and can be recognized for what it hopefully will be later on. New Jupiter faculties should be built as the individual tries to participate as the individual tries to participate in a new way in the life of their community and to influence more creatively their society in the field of their competence.
The third or Summer Quarter refers to further growth in the use of the Jupiter factors in the life. Therefore, as the planet moves up from the Descendant to the Midheaven, the individual will show how well, or how badly, they can function within the social context. The way in which a person uses their newly developed capacities and means for social action, IF they have developed any at all (which is by no means certain), will now be clearly seen. Whether they are capable of becoming wealthier or gaining greater prestige, or whether they are growing spiritually through more effective participation and sharing in some form of organized religious or cultural experience will become apparent at this time. In any case, when Jupiter comes to the Descendant, the individual is supposed to have developed certain “tools”, and, as the planet climbs to the Midheaven, they should try and use them with increasing skill and effectiveness. It will be during the Summer Quarter transit that the ideals which they have developed since Jupiter crossed the Ascendant in a truly conscious and responsible manner. From the moment Jupiter reaches the Descendant, one must reach beyond themselves and meet people as equals. One must choose those people with whom they feel able to work out the new social vision they have tried to make practical. With them one will gain new experiences which they could not have reached alone. The aim must be to cooperate and to love - to assimilate into oneself what were previously alien or unknown values. One must also be prepared to accept many modifications in their attempts to blend their ideal vision with that of others.
Then, finally comes the fourth or Autumn Quarter which refers to the growth of the person’s influence on the basis of actual social achievement. The individual has had the opportunity to put their Jupiter function to the test in social or religious livingand, if all has gone well, one should now become increasingly influential in the field of activity they have made their own. Their social actions and example should now lead to concrete results. At this time however, a greater question presents itself: what should one do with these results? A harvest will be made of the fruits of all their efforts since Jupiter crossed the Ascendant, and, especially during the 12th House phase of this cycle, the individual will be challenged to grow beyond what they have accomplished. Their inner decisions as to how to do this will condition the new seed which can develop when Jupiter again comes to the Ascendant for a new twelve-year cycle. In those case where the arrival of Jupiter at the Mid-Heaven does not spell success because the person has not known how to share their Jupiter abilities with their social group in a positive way, this Autumn Quarter should be used to understand as fully as possible the reasons for this failure. By doing this, they will not build the essence of this failure into the seed of the new cycle which is forming at this time.
Uncreative, non-individualized people will naturally tend to experience each new cycle at the same level as the preceding one. Because they do not work consciously with the rhythm of the Jupiter cycle, neither their social or their spiritual results can be clear-cut or individualized. They add nothing new to society or to their group and therefore cannot expect any particular reward or recognition. And yet it is just these unsuccessful people, often frustrated and fearly, who would benefit the most from the counsel of a humanistic astrologer. Through learning to work consciously with the tide of growth of their Jupiter function, they could certainly learn to live a more interesting and valuable life. When a person is living in a spiritually positive manner, they will not grow and expand through conforming to society’s traditional ways, even though such ways could possibly bring one vast profits and social power. They will rather try to find how, while submitting to a necessary degree of social conformity, they can impress their own vision and sense of social purpose upon society. The creative individual will direct those means generated by human beings working and producing together in business, cultural, or religious realms and use them intelligently toward some future goal.
