There is a particular wisdom in the zodiac as the planets make their way transiting from sign to sign. These transits are progressive in nature (one transit builds upon the other) and, as a planet moves from sign to sign, the time a planet spends in each sign makes a unique contribution to the next. In the case of transiting Jupiter, he changes signs approximately once each year and makes a full cycle around the zodiac in 12 years. Right now, Jupiter is guiding us from the sign of Cancer into the sign of Leo.
Jupiter's Role In The Zodiac
Jupiter rules the ninth house of the zodiac and the sign of Sagittarius. This archetype has many facets, which are well known: sense of humor, love of nature, big ideas and inspiration, love of all things foreign, desire to travel, searching for truth, etc.
The focus for today is the intention of Jupiter. In our natal chart, the qualities of Jupiter, the sign of Sagittarius and the ninth house all color and paint the picture of the vision or truth that is unique to us as an individual. This vision or truth guides us toward our highest potential or dharma in this lifetime when we 'bring it down to earth' and make it real. In transits, Jupiter provides us with inspirations and opportunities that energize us to take action on this vision.Jupiter has two symbols that are well known: the Eagle and the Lightning Bolt. |
Jupiter with Lightning Bolts and his Eagle.
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Regarding the Eagle, Jupiter wants us to travel and view the world from a different vantage point. He encourages us to soar, like the Eagle, high above the earth on the currents of air.
In this way, we leave the brush and brambles where the small-minded sparrows exist and we see the world with a broad lens. Hence, we are able to seek out a truth or a vision for our life that guides and directs us.
In this regard, Jupiter is regarded as the "Guru Planet", or the planet that guides us toward our highest potential or purpose in life - our dharma. Having said that, the quality of our dharma is defined by the North Node of the Moon. But, through Jupiter, we are able to develop a vision and inspiration that guides and instructs us.
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Symbol for Jupiter
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Regarding the Lightning Bolt, this represents the power of our inspirations and visions descending to the cross of the material world. This lightning bolt is both the symbol of Jupiter in myth and of the inspirations Jupiter brings us when he makes transits to our birth chart.
Moments of inspiration and opportunity often come along with favorable Jupiter transits. Our role is to be aware of the inspirations and opportunities he provides and to take action. In this way, we become Jupiter's lightning bolt and bring these opportunities into reality.
Jupiter wants us to have a grand vision for our life (Eagle) and
to bring this vision into reality (Lightning Bolts).
Jupiter is in the sign of Cancer from June 26, 2013 through July 15, 2014 at which time he will move into the sign of Leo (until August 11, 2015 when he moves into Virgo). Jupiter's year in the sign of Cancer plays an important role in understanding our opportunities with Jupiter in Leo.
Jupiter in Cancer - The Past Year
Cancer is the astrological sign that relates to the concept of home: our heritage or 'roots', our family and those emotions and things that bring comfort. For the past year, when Jupiter was in the sign of Cancer, Jupiter guided us to identify a deeper understanding or vision or truth of our heritage, family and emotions.
Some of us have been reconnecting with family, taking care of an elderly parent, healing their connections with their physical family during this time or redefining our home. Others have become drawn to a spiritual tradition or come to understand their spiritual heritage in deeper and more meaningful ways.
In this regard, during Jupiter in Cancer, we are each identifying with the foundations of our soul in this lifetime, those roots associated with our direct family and heritage and those that go beyond family. So, as we soar on the wings of Jupiter's Eagle, we see beyond our family and home to the larger world that we connect with related to spiritual guides, lineages, epochs and eras of prior lifetimes and those things that bring us comfort on the material level. We broaden our concept of home and heritage in this regard. Our heritage is the family we were born into and also the heritage of the soul and spirit.
The key this past year has been to be aware of your place, your role within the heritage that most honors your complete identity. When we recognize, with new clarity, our individual heritage, we have a greater degree of inner confidence and a clearer understanding of our path and the role we are meant to play (leading us toward the sign of Leo and our ability to shine).
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Late 1950's in Milwaukee
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As a child, I grew up knowing that I was an American boy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin from a "working family" that previously came from the area of Germany known as Vorpommern and who identified themselves as Lutherans. For me, this heritage still has meaning, but there is also a heritage beyond this that is essential to who I am.
Jupiter in Cancer guides us to a greater understanding or vision of our true heritage, our feelings and our ability to nurture others.
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Late 1990's in India
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Beginning with my years as a teenager, I came to understand my heritage in spiritual terms, from the yogis of India to the mystics of Europe, from Bavaria to Rome. Finding my grandmothers Rosicrucian books, meeting my gurudev Swami Rama and beginning my study of astrology all took place in my teens. In traveling to India, Germany and Italy as an adult, I came to discover aspects of a few of my past lifetimes that have added greater clarity to my individual journey as a soul and a broader definition of heritage, roots and family.
Like most people reading this newsletter, Jupiter has transited the sign of Cancer for us 3 to 5 times and with each progressive transit, those who are inner travelers, discover more about their true and complete heritage and firm up that vision and understanding.
The inner confidence of understanding the complete heritage of our soul is a gift that will be of particular value as Jupiter moves beyond the sign of Cancer into the sign of Leo.
Jupiter in Leo - Know Thyself & Shine
Leo is the sign associated with the Sun and therefore how we shine. The sign of Leo wants us to be radiant, to show our creativity, to share our warmth and gifts in a confident way. The sign of Leo is ruled by the Sun and hence we look to Apollo the Roman god of the Sun.
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Apollo and his Sun Chariot
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Apollo has a deep confidence in himself and of his capacity to command his Sun chariot into the sky. This confidence is quite important, as it supports his capacity to shine and for all the world to feel his radiance and warmth. When we are at our best, we have a clear sense of who we are, we embody a quality of confidence and then shine, like Apollo, and share our gifts with the world.
Apollo's temple at Delphi is known for the saying "Know Thyself". This may seem simple. I look in the mirror and say "This is me!". But, what does it really mean to 'Know Thyself'.
The progressive nature of Jupiter transiting the zodiac becomes evident here. With Jupiter in Cancer, we were guided to attain greater inner confidence by understanding the full and true heritage of our soul. This gives us the foundation to move into Leo and to 'Know Thyself' and shine.
The deeper vision we have our heritage (our soul's heritage),
the easier it is to avoid the false expectations
that keep us from our ability to "Know Thyself"
Now, think of Jupiter in Leo as the "Guru Planet" guiding us toward a clearer vision of who we are as an individual so that we can 'Know Thy True Self' and that, with confidence, we can shine and be radiant and share our gifts.
We might find that until we clearly understand our complete heritage, our identity via Leo will be limited. During these times when we are still discovering ourselves, we share skills with the world. Potentially, these are the things our family has encouraged us to pursue and these skills can often be connected with past life energies repeating in this lifetime. But, as our understanding our complete heritage expands, our inner confidence draws us toward our gifts and our dharma. With Jupiter in Leo we have an excellent opportunity to increase our confidence in our gifts and to share those with the world - to truly shine!
In my own case, when I traveled to India and then Germany and Italy, I discovered aspects of my deeper, spiritual heritage and formed a more complete view of my soul's heritage, beyond that of my family's heritage.
In doing so, I acquired the inner confidence that allowed me to truly know myself at a new level. I was inspired to understand the gifts I am meant to share and I acquired the confidence I needed to shine.
For me, this happened 12 years ago, the last time Jupiter was in Cancer. That is when I moved from sharing my skills on 'the road most traveled' to sharing my gifts via The Traveler's Well.
Because I gained inner confidence by understanding my complete heritage over my life (aided by the vision that comes with Jupiter transits), I was able to 'Know Thyself' better and understand my gifts and gain the confidence need to share those gifts.
Jupiter wants us take his Lightning Bolts and
bring the power of our vision and inspiration
down to earth and make them real
by understanding and appreciating who we truly are,
clarifying our gifts, and
being confident to shine!
Once we have a better awareness of our true and complete heritage, Jupiter in Leo will guide us to become more confident and provide inspirations and opportunities. Jupiter in Leo is about being inspired, passionate and taking the confident action that shares our individual gifts with the world. When Leo is confident and inspired, there is a natural desire and capacity to achieve something of significance.
Summary
As we transition over the next week from Jupiter in Cancer to Jupiter in Leo, you might want to take a few moments to consider how the events of the past year might have shaped a more complete vision of your heritage, family, home, emotions and your desire to nurture:
- Do you sense that you have a direct heritage and also a heritage of the soul that defines home, family and heritage for you?
- Maybe it is all just sinking in now or maybe you are inspired to carry this seed with you over the course of the next 12 years and look forward to what you might discover on Jupiter's next transit of Cancer.
- Ask if you have more inner confidence now.
- If you do not feel you have inner confidence, ponder the reasons why this might be the case and see if any of the reasons are connected with heritage, family and home.
- As we move into Leo, you might want to write down feelings you have about how well know yourself and how confident you are in your gifts and what is emerging.
- Time to take inventory so to speak.
The world needs each of us to share your gifts and to shine
so that we may bring greater light into the world!
May we all shine on!
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