"Approaching Jupiter, largest planet in this system, 300 Earth’s-worth of gaseous colors swirling in riotous flow...
"Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the Best and Greatest) for the Romans; Zeus for the Greeks—god of sky and thunder.
"For everything that Saturn pulls in and tightens, Jupiter loosens and expands. Rather than focusing on a clearly defined territory of meaning, Jupiter magnifies things to their widest potential. Instead of limiting, he amplifies.
"Jupiter’s full cycle is very close to 12 years and its meanings have to do with opportunities and how we give them birth, fill them with optimism, and reap their
rewards.
"In mythology, this character represents what most of us think of when the word promiscuous is used—many sex partners. In fact, this “god” impregnated many mortal women. (It's interesting that the word promiscuous comes from Latin roots that mean to mix very well.) Jupiter was also the supreme ruler of all the other gods, sat on his throne on the highest peak of the world, and issued proclamations that none dared to question. I’ve been mentioning some of the mythos of the planets as we’ve been traveling, and I think you’ve noticed that I don’t adhere strictly to the myths' "official" interpretation. It’s not that I think the myths have little to offer; it’s that there’s more than any one particular myth-meaning in every planet. The planets and their symbolic meanings predate the urge that societies had for making myths. The planets' cyclic meanings run deeper and spread farther than all the myths ever told.
"Fact is, we have the whole solar system inside us, including all the changes this system has gone through in its history. Our unconscious minds resonate and vibrate with the energy of the cosmos. And, when I say that, I’m just repeating something that’s been said in every culture and religious tradition since stories started to be told.
"This is something that Saturn would caution against—dangers abounding for those who go too far, dream too high, probe to deep! Jupiter shrugs and says, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
"There have been many times in my astrological career that I’ve wanted to rename everything, even astrology itself. Names carry so much power to bend minds and too often blind us to the true identities circling around us. I believe there’s a place in all of us (part of that deeper, collective unconscious mind) that knows well the names of Jupiter and Saturn, knows their exploits and their reputations. This is the part of the unconscious that needs a good airing out in the light of day. And while the dirty laundry is flapping in the breeze, we can dive even more deeply into what preceded these notorious characters."
We'll do that in the next post...
Your thoughts and feelings?