Jupiter is now settling into in the sign of Leo from 16th July 2014 – 11 August 2014. To read the first of my series of articles exploring various facets of this lively spell of planetary “weather”, click on What is the Jupiter Cycle?
When questing, philosophical fire – Jupiter – dons the clothing of fun-loving, dramatic, look-at-me, creative fire – Leo: what could be the result? Over the next year, we will all find out!
Jupiter in Leo
Jupiter in Leo natally
Here are a few well- known examples of people born with Jupiter in Leo: Bjorn Borg, one of the world’s most successful tennis players. Ian Fleming, author of the famous James Bond spy novels, known for being a bon viveur and womaniser. Simone de Beauvoir, one of the earliest feminist writers and lifelong partner of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund and eminent child psychoanalyst in her own right.
Edward Kennedy, member of a famous American family and well-known politician, not known for restraint in his personal habits.… Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the world’s greatest philanthropists. Alan Leo, famous Victorian astrologer who invented mass-market astrology. Pope John Paul the Second, the most widely-travelled pope in history.
Broad brush strokes – and first principles
Not everyone is born with the exuberant, restless planet Jupiter in Leo, the most playful, creative sign of the zodiac. However, we all have Leo somewhere in the twelve houses of our natal horoscope. It’s important to stress that in a general article like this, one can only offer broad brush strokes of what this exuberant energy will bring to the highlighted house or houses through which Jupiter will be journeying over the coming year.
I will be looking at some of the possible ways in which Jupiter will be lighting up those highlighted houses – hopefully with some more examples from readers! – in the next article in this series. One of the many gifts offered by astrological knowledge is this: used wisely, it can help us to set our sails, metaphorically, to the prevailing winds of our lives.
For now, in preparing to reflect on what this particular transit may bring for us personally, it’s a good idea to return to first principles, to consider the archetypal core of the energies we are contemplating.
It’s always worth remembering that from the core or root, many branches arise. So it’s always more creative and constructive, in my opinion, to pay most attention to those core meanings – and to align oneself with them as best we can when considering what transiting planets might bring into life at any given time.
We can never quite know what branches will manifest: this is down to an interaction between the essential nature of those energies which are currently ‘live’ in our lives, our levels of consciousness, self-awareness, the choices we make – and the x factors in life which no-one can ever predict with reliable accuracy….
Having said this, let’s look at the core principles of the Jupiter in Leo combination, bearing in mind that the planet is always the key driving force, with the sign its particular “tone”, colouring or clothing.
Jupiter – the Great Benefic
Jupiter, the “Great Benefic”
Astrological Jupiter is known as “the great benefic”, the planet bringing opportunity: personal wealth, political prominence, high social position, professional success – “kingship” of various kinds as befitted mythological Jupiter’s role as king of the Olympian gods. As Charles Harvey puts it in “Orpheus” : (i)
“ he was seen as the greatest good and his blessings were everywhere invoked. No one can doubt that his message of life, vitality, hope, growth, optimism, faith and the call to meaning are profoundly desirable.”
Psychologically, though, all forms of over-confidence, inflated sense of one’s own importance, arrogance and hubris were also assigned to the realm of Jupiter. These represent the shadow side of Jupiter’s undoubted blessings of robust faith in life’s essential value and goodness, the longing to know and to grow in wisdom, and the ability to have fun and inspire other people.
The restless drive to grow, to expand, to live a life rich in meaning, to push the boundaries of knowledge and experience as far as possible, lies at the core of astrological Jupiter. So does its shadow: restlessness which cannot and will not accept the limits set by age and time – Saturn’s domain…
Thus Jupiter’s energy brings great force, vitality and optimism. But watch out for its shadow, as set out above! There is always a tendency to overdo things with Jupiter: spending, eating, sex, consumption of drugs and alcohol, and generally “biting off more than one can chew”.
Leo
Leo
The three fire signs: Aries the first sign of the zodiac, Leo the fifth, and Sagittarius the ninth, represent in essence an arising, development, and focus of the life force. Mars-ruled Aries is raw, primal energy, effective but not very subtle. (Sorry, Aries people! No offence meant…) In Sun-ruled Leo, the energy is settling, looking for creative outlets. And in Sagittarius, Jupiter’s own sign, it is time to pull the energies of the zodiacal journey into a framework of meaning (Please don’t stay on that soapbox too long, Sagittarius!) .
Thus Leo is self-consciously aware of its specialness, its gifts (time to be rude to Leos now: ‘ok, you’re special – but not THAT special! ‘ note: I’m allowed to say this, with my embarrassing number of planets in Leo…) and in order to flourish and to grow, needs to be encouraged and allowed to shine, to contribute something unique.
Leonine creativity doesn’t necessarily need to operate in the obvious creative arts, although it often does: drama and performance art, writing, painting and graphics, dance, musical composition, making beautiful objects e.g. jewellery, are just a few of the obvious outlets.
But rearing stable and happy children, being a warm and loving partner and/or friend, shining Leo warmth and exuberance wherever one works, plays, and socialises: these are also wonderful ways of making people feel better, feel special themselves, as Leo shares that sunlit energy with the wider world.
Bringing the two together
Jupiter in Leo creates a bright, strong flame. This demands – and at best, ensures – that the person in whose life such a torch is lit bears it into new, creative endeavours which are not only life-affirming, but also productive of an enlarged perspective: both for the person bearing the torch, and for those illuminated by the light.
In collective life, which is usually less controllable than one’s personal domain, this energy can spill over and become destructive rather than illuminating. As I write this in late July 2014, with Jupiter establishing itself in Leo, we are currently witnessing in several world contexts the dreadful consequences of polarised positions where both sides are convinced they are in the right – and more literally, of the destructive use of firepower.
In individual life, how this flame works depends on the whole set-up of a person’s horoscope. But in the general terms of this article, as we have seen, the flame brings great potential for creative development and for understanding more deeply what being a creative person in the world means, as well as opportunities coming one’s way to bring that about.
Personal examples
As I write this, an image arises of a room full of astrology students, one moment laughing as their Leo teacher (me!) entertains them, another listening intently as the sheer magic and mystery of what astrological symbolism can reveal, penetrates their hearts and fires their imagination. I had to give up all my teaching and indeed all my work, at the end of 2001. Although I had largely recovered by 2008 and resumed part-time work in 2012, I never thought I’d teach again.
Now, as the New Moon in Leo backs up Jupiter’s entry into Leo, preparing to cross all my Leo planets (not telling you how many – but fortunately they are mostly in the Twelfth House!) over the next year, I am planning to set up and run a small refresher astrology class at the request of some of my ‘old’ students. That educational urge, along with the urge to entertain and perform, is proving irresistible as Jupiter moves into Leo, shining its light first on my eleventh house, the house of group activity and collective action. In my small way, I hope to make a bright and illuminating contribution.
I hope also to receive some more feedback on how my readers are experiencing the early entry of Jupiter into Leo. In the meantime, here is some brilliant, very illustrative feedback sent to me by a friend and fellow astrologer, extracted from an email she sent to a friend of hers. Jupiter in Leo, 12 years ago, was transiting her first house, and making a square (challenging aspect) to her Mercury:
“… I’ve been in a strange state of mind for a while now. Not bad, just strange. In fact quite positive really, I think – very much as if my brain has gone into overload – I’m always reading (usually 3 or 4 books at the same time) and writing and thinking about stuff, and researching stuff… it’s bizarre. And all sorts – astrology, archaeology, history, metaphysical, philosophy, occult stuff…. all sorts… constantly buzzing around in my head. It’s strange because I’m so hyped with it all that I can’t sleep at night – my head just keeps on going! Very wired….So my brain may explode really soon!!!! Aaaaargh! Still…. I’m never bored!!…”
I love this feedback. Says it all, really, about the combination of Jupiter, Leo, Mercury, and the first house…
Conclusion
Jupiter is expansive, buoyant and also excessive, so whilst enjoying its energy charge, try not to overdo it! I need to take my own advice! This is the second article generated by Jupiter’s entry into Leo. Last time I discussed the 11-12-year Jupiter Cycle. This time it’s been Jupiter in Leo. I’d like next time to spend some time exploring the effects of Jupiter in Leo through the houses, then follow that by checking out the repeating 12-year Jupiter through Leo cycle. This could go on for a whole year! See what I mean about excess?
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NOTES:
i) Charles Harvey from ‘ War of the Worlds : Jupiter & Saturn,’ essay in Orpheus -Voices in Contemporary Astrology (Consider, 2000) pp 103-4
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Here is the third article in the Jupiter series:
https://astrologyquestionsandanswers.com/2014/08/11/jupiter-in-leo-2014-15-what-will-it-bring-2/
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1800 words copyright Anne Whitaker 2014
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