Jupiter and the Art of Risk Taking

Mr. Peacock by Maylis Curie.

Jupiter, that larger-than-life planet, is in 2016 currently moving through the sign of Virgo. It's the planet which represents our drive to open up, experience, know, perceive, and learn from experience. Often associated with luck, it won't actually bring you good luck, but if you can tune into the opportunities around and are prepared to take a risk and move beyond your usual boundaries, then luck and good fortune may well come your way. But don't bank on it - what we want in life usually requires work and effort as well! 

This is the planet that is associated with sight - how we see and perceive things. Perception can alter depending on where we're looking at things from. They may look rosy and positive, or dark and forbidding. Jupiter, with its innate optimism and large take on life, can encourage us to see things more as wholes, rather than fragmented parts. The way I look at charts, using Astrological Psychology, is Jupiterian because the whole chart is looked at first and foremost, and this offers a rounded and inclusive picture of the potential of the person it belongs to.

Jupiter encourages us to think outside the box, to take some risks and step outside of our normal comfort zones. In most instances, this is the only surefire way to grow and make changes in our lives, and challening though it may be, it's also rewarding as whole new vistas open up and life can become a lot more interesting and rewarding.

Here's what I have to say about Jupiter and risk taking on my YouTube channel:

 

David Bowie

  David Bowie

 8th January 1947 - 10th January 2016

Musician and style icon David Bowie was born on 8th January 1947 at 09.00 in Brixton, London. In 2013 he was the subject of an exhibition at the V and A Museum in central London, where a broad range of Bowie’s collaborations with artists and designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theatre, art and film  are on show. 

Bowie's change of image was a constant throughout his career, which began with the formation of a his first band when he was 15. One of his most famous alblums is A Space Oddity, and his cult Ziggy Stardust persona was massive in the 1970's.

His chart shows a predominantly fixed motivation which suggests the need for security, but with an excess of flexibility working alonside this. His Capricorn Sun, closely conjunct Mars in 12th house, is on the Balance Point, where both planets can work hard and efficiently together. They receive only blue and green aspects, reinforcing the overall inner, unconsious motivation shown in his chart via the aspect colours. With a high proportion of green aspects, and only one red aspect, Bowie would always have had a wealth of imaginative potential at his disposal. His chart contains two Projection figures; in themselves they create the drive to undertake new and, with so many green aspects, ever-changing projects. This enabled him to express creative and imaginative ideas.

Bowie used his own physical body as a canvas during his career, wearing strange, weird and wonderful costumes as well as stylish and sometimes rakish outfits. A glance at his 7th house Leo planets - Moon, Saturn and Pluto all close to the DC, the area of the chart where the individual and the outside world meet - personifies this use of his body as vehicle. Saturn relates to all things manifest, including the body; Pluto symbolises change and transformation and Moon in Leo suggest great delight taken in this as well as a natural ability to reach out to the "You"/others.

Projection figure

It's also interesting to see that Bowie's Sun/Mars conjunction is at the apex - the projection point - of a Projection figure. Here, these planets seek to project their ideas on to the "screen" formed by the sextile at the other end of this figure. Perhaps no coincidence then that the Moon/Saturn/Pluto conjunction is pinning one corner of the screen.

Bowie's Neptune, part of the large fixed Double Ambivalence figure, is on the Low Point of 8th house, suggesting a potent source of inspiration for him, coming from within. Venus, so fittingly in a linear blue trine aspect to his Moon and Saturn, is the highest planet in the chart. With a style like Bowie's where better to be placed? 

His passing comes with his Age Point in the 12th house, close to his Sun/Mars conjunction in Capricorn. He will be remembered as a true icon in the world of artistic expression, channelled through his music and personal style.

Pope Francis I

The cardinals have chosen their new pope. Jorge Mario Bergoglio has become Pope Francis I, naming himself after St. Francis of Assisi. He was born on 17th December 1936 in Bueonos Aires, Argentina. No time of birth is available so his chart is set up for noon. [Edit - see below for update 23rd March as correct data and chart added.]

And what an interesting chart it is visually. A zig-zag linear set of aspects looking like giant legs striding forward, intersected by one complete aspect pattern - an Irritation triangle.

In the chart set for noon it is positioned horizontally, but be aware that it would be in a different position if his correct time of birth was known. Pinned by Mars, Saturn and Neptune, and composed of green and red aspects, the Irritation triangle acts like a small green dagger which comes out and unexpectedly "stabs" by giving vent to something which has irked the individual. It may be that they speak out vehemently about injustice - in the case of Francis this is unlikely to be a personal injustice that is felt and could be far more likely to be about gobal rights and wrongs. I only speculate here....but it's something to watch out for. He comes into office with a record of being refreshingly humble and connected with the outside world. The pinning planets in this figure suggest an ability to stand up for himself (Mars and Saturn) but also to stand up for his faith and for inclusivity (Neptune).

Might there be a sense of humour at work too? His Sagittarian Sun is conjunct Jupiter but is also conjunct the North Node - as a spiritual figure we might expect that he's well aware of fulfilling his personal destiny, but we don't know in which area of life, according to his chart, as we don't know his birth time which would put his Node in the house/area of life which he'd need to develop.

His overall inner motivation shows two modes of behaviour - mutable and able to adapt using the triangular shaping (the Irritation triangle) and cardinal (pardon the pun) and restless, making him potentially edgy and initiatory using the disconnected linear aspects.

For more on how to spot motivation in aspect colour, chart shaping and aspect patterns, see my co-authored book The Cosmic Egg Timer.

Update 23. 3.2013
My thanks to Giovannina Celeni who has contacted me (see comments), saying: The birth time is 21h (9 PM). An hour ago, the Argentina astrologer Claudia Rizzi has sent a copy of the birth certificate. The pictures of it are on the Astro-Databank page. This gives the data the highest AA rating of being accurate.

Chart with correct birth time of 21.00

The updated chart for Pope Francis shows the main features discussed above still in place, but with an additional semi-sextile between Moon and Mercury, giving him an almost-but-not-quite-complete Small Learning triangle. This pulls his Moon/Venus conjunction into a more direct working and ongoing learning relationship with Mercury and Uranus. 

The correct birth time shows some very interesting features. A few initial thoughts on these: 

• Uranus is the highest planet in the chart, in the cardinal area of the 10th house; already he is establishing his own approach and is refreshingly different. He's already shown he has a mind of his own when it comes to pomp and ceremony.

• Neptune is now at the bottom of the chart, very strongly placed on 3rd cusp. Francis is reputed to be a man of the people, and more humble and "ordinary" than his predecessor.

• The new birth time places the Irritation triangle on the 3/9 communications house axis, where he can use it to speak out ( see what I previously wrote about this aspect pattern).

• Saturn is stressed before the 9th house cusp. Will there be issues about control, organisation, protocol, tradition?

• His Sun in Sagittarius is on the Balance Point of the 6th house, where it will find ease of expression in his calling

• The chart direction/motivation is a mixture of horizontal and vertical aspects - good for making contact with others and good for asserting his individuality as a leader.

Happy 100th Birthday

I'm sending very special happy birthday wishes today to my friend's mum, Sylvia, on her 100th birthday. Sylvia was born on 6th March 1913 in Harrogate, Yorkshire. She's no idea of her time of birth, so I've set her chart up for noon, just to have a look at the chart of a centenarian who also happens to be someone I know. This is the first time I've known someone who has reached their 100th birthday, so this post is my small tribute to Sylvia on her special day.

Sylvia has recently become a great-grandmother for the first time, and this is probably the best 100th birthday present she could ever have. Let's have a look at her chart.

Sylvia has a relatively uncommon aspect figure in her chart - a Detective - which means the person's motivation is to get to the bottom of things, absorbing information from the surrounding environment and never giving up along the way. Rather than focus on this aspect pattern, I'm going to take a look at the positions of the three Transpersonal planets - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - because these are generational planets and their placement by sign is shared by people of the same generation who experienced a similar background of national or world events.

In 1913, when Sylvia was born, the world and the social scene in the UK was vastly different from today. If you watch Downton Abbey you'll have an idea of how different it was. The First World War had not started, the Bullnose Morris Oxford car went on sale, women didn't have the vote and Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Later that year, Suffragette Emily Davidson ran to her death in front of the King's horse at the Epsom races and stainless steel was invented in Sheffield.

Uranus was in Aquarius - in Sylvia's chart it's conjunct Mars - and this reflects the spirit of the age in the UK with so much focus on the Suffragette's campaign to gain votes for women. By the time Sylvia was old enough to vote, all women had gained emancipation. New inventions would have been flowering under the generational influence of Uranus in its own sign.

Neptune was in Cancer, and in Sylvia's chart is unaspected (although as we have no time of birth this would not neccessarily be so). The generation of UK women born with Neptune in this sensitive, caring and family-oriented sign grew up to become mothers and housewives - as was expected of them at the time. Many women continued to go into service in this period, but with the start of the First World War this would change, with women taking a more active role in society.

Pluto was in Gemini, the sign of communication and discourse. Communication in all its forms was undergoing big changes as motor cars appeared on the roads, people who could afford telephones in their homes had them installed and the Post Office began parcel deliveries. On the world stage, the second Balkan War broke out in 1913, a precursor to the events which led to World War 1.

Sylvia must have plenty of tales and reminiscences of days gone by and of what life was like before air travel, TV, mobile phones and texting but I hope she gathers upa huge armful of good memories - and congratulations from the Queen - on her special day.

Happy Birthday Sylvia!

John Kerry

Chart of John Kerry, the new US Secretary of State, who was born on 11th December 1943 at 08.03, in Fitzsimons, Colorado.

 
John Kerry has recently become Secretary of State in Obama's second term of administration, replacing Hillary Clinton who has stood down for health reasons. Kerry is no newcomer to high profile politics, having run for President in 2004. Kerry based his 2004 campaign on opposition to the Iraq war, but he and his running mate lost the race, finishing 35 electoral votes behind the Republican ticket headed by President George W. Bush.
 
Kerry's chart shows some interesting features - a Bathtub aspect pattern which fills the upper hemisphere of his chart, leaving the lower half virtually untenanted; a lot of tension with 3 red oppositions on the 1/7 Encounter axis which spans the AC/DC area; a stellium of 4 planets in Gemini; an 8th house North Node conjunct Pluto; Neptune on the MC, and now, at age 69, his Age Point is opposite Uranus.

First the Bathtub, a quadrangular figure with 3 green quincunx aspects. Security comes from learning, asking questions, seeking out information - all features of the Bathtub figure with its excessive green aspects -  but it may be difficult to hold on to all of this as the Bathtub is upside down in the chart, and the contents can easily be lost. Pluto and the Moon's Node in 8th house are on one of the corners of this figure, reflecting the drive to make changes in society - he's not a Democrat for nothing! The Moon's Node here, alongside Pluto, demands a selflessness which Kerry has embraced. He comes from a strong faith background, served in Vietnam and has received military honours.

At the time his Age Point was moving over the 4 planets in the stellium - Uranus, Mars, Moon and Saturn all opposing his 1st house Sun - he was gaining experience and standing in the political field and developing his political career. Appropriate then, that his Age Point was also in the sign of Gemini, renowned for it's ability to gather information and communicate it readily. It looks as if his 1st house Sagittarian Sun, strong by both sign and house, is in control of those 4 stellium planets, decisively directing them from the rear. Idealistic Neptune is the highest planet in the chart and is stressed before the MC so will be drawing on the energies of the planets it aspects - Uranus, Venus and Mercury - and it may well embody a dream or vision that he's working towards. Right now, his Age Point is opposite Uranus - who knows what his ideas for the future are in his new role as Secretary of State? The press say "Secretary of state's choice of maiden voyage – to UK, Europe and Saudi Arabia – has a familiar 20th-century feel" following his recent meeting with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague in London. We shall see....

For more on the Bathtub and all 40 aspect patterns used in the Huber method, see my book Aspect Patterns in Colour available in conventional book format, and as an e-book. See previous post for details!