I noticed Liz Greene has another new book, this time on Jupiter, following her work on Chiron. I was reading about it and came across some fascinating ideas. Definitely adding it to my reading list next month. Here is what she says: “Jupiter has been perceived for centuries as the ‘Greater Benefic’, and many astrologers assume that this planet will always herald good fortune, opportunities for betterment, and material and emotional rewards. Sometimes this interpretation is entirely valid. At other times it isn’t. Jupiter’s expression, in an individual life and on a collective level, is rarely simple and sometimes anything but benefic, and Jupiter transits can reveal a contradictory picture. Sometimes great opportunities arise and life is enhanced. Sometimes the transit coincides with the collapse of relationships, financial hardship, the onset of serious illness, and even death. Sometimes both expressions occur at once. And in natal charts, Jupiter aspects are not always benign in the accepted sense of the word. In astrology, several planets are associated with complexity and mystery, especially Neptune and Pluto. But Jupiter is in some ways the most enigmatic of all the heavenly bodies in our solar system. What does Jupiter really symbolise? These three seminars given by Liz Greene for CPA and MISPA students in 2021 explore the enigmatic, paradoxical, and unpredictable Jupiter to find a clearer understanding of this tricky and magical planet.”

Like any figure of myth, Jupiter’s true nature is far more complex than a bringer of fortune. Jupiter expands. This is its key action. So if you’re on a roll, Jupiter’s touch can be pure magic, promotions, holidays, love, and lottery wins. But if you’re coasting on illusion, excess, or denial, it magnifies it as well. Jupiter doesn’t ask whether what it’s inflating is good for you; it simply gives you more of it. In transit, this means Jupiter might open doors you didn’t even know were there, but it seems it might also open the Pandora’s box you thought you’d hidden under the bed. So we mustn’t fall into the trap of seeing Jupiter as a guaranteed gift-giver.

When we look to Jupiter, we are often told to expect fortune, expansion, and benevolence. The astrology books are full of promises, it’s a time to grow, to receive, to say yes! But like all archetypes, Jupiter is not so easily caged in a single dimension.  For many centuries, Jupiter has held the title of “Greater Benefic.” But even good things, when unexamined, can be burdens. Sometimes, the abundance we so eagerly crave becomes the very thing distracting us from our deeper purpose. Imagine, if you will, a person already inflated with pride, or floating on clouds of entitlement. Jupiter doesn’t necessarily humble them. It can make them feel untouchable, godlike. It expands what’s already there. Jupiter doesn’t necessarily correct it. And this, I think, is where the misunderstanding lies. We tend to think of the beneficence of Jupiter as inherently moral, handing out rewards for good behavior. But it doesn’t deal in moral certainties. Jupiter simply grows what it touches.

During a Jupiter transit you might fall in love, receive a job offer, have a big party. But you might also get carried away, promising more than you can deliver, taking on debt, gambling emotionally or financially. It will be interesting find out in the book why, if Jupiter is the planet of growth, does it so often accompany loss, illness, death, and collapse? Why, in its wake, are there sometimes tears rather than triumphs? It rules the “why” behind the “what.” So when Jupiter transits a critical part of our chart and calamity ensues , the end of a relationship, a health crisis, the unraveling of a career, it could be asking to find a deeper meaning.

Are Jupiter’s gifts now disguised as catastrophes? Or are we simply witnessing the expansion of other difficult transits? Or perhaps it’s about Jupiter’s love of freedom, hardship often arises so we can find meaning and a way out. Is this what she’s getting at? The mystery deepens, and I’ll have to read on. I’ll find out soon enough through Greene’s interpretation. If a Jupiter transit coincides with the death of a loved one, maybe you may discover a profound connection to spirit, a new purpose, or a sense of interconnection reshaping your entire worldview.

Even in natal charts, Jupiter’s aspects aren’t always sweet and breezy. A hard Jupiter aspect might manifest as arrogance, overindulgence, or blind faith in one’s own superiority. Too much confidence, too little introspection. And even so-called ‘soft’ aspects can seduce us into believing we’re invincible, which, as any Greek tragedian will tell you, is usually the beginning of the downfall.

So what does Jupiter really symbolize? I’ll find out more in July when I dive into the book. It’s on my reading list. Lately, I’ve also been reading Your Pocket Therapist. Some gold in there about why we’re drawn to unhealthy relationships. It’s incredibly insightful. Not astrology-based, but you could definitely draw some parallels.

Anyway, back to Jupiter and catastrophe , I can’t wait to explore it further, even though this sounds kind of wrong to say!