Jupiter and Saturn are the social planets, in contrast to Mercury, Venus, and Mars which are the inner planets. Unlike the inner planets that are highly individual and personalized in how they are expressed, Jupiter and Saturn urge us to go beyond the self and consider our place in the broader society.
Jupiter is the giant of the solar system, the largest planet by a wide margin. It’s more than twice as big as the rest of the planets combined. Fittingly, in astrology, Jupiter symbolizes bigness and expansion. It is the planet of supersizing. It is about living large.
Jupiter is called the big benefic. It is believed to bring luck and good fortune. In actuality it’s a little more complicated than that. If you just lie around doing nothing and expect Jupiter to shower it’s blessings, you might be disappointed.
The good fortune that Jupiter promises is more likely to happen when you are prepared. The reason is that Jupiter is the planet of opportunity. When opportunity comes knocking, the best prepared person is the one who is most likely to benefit, in the biggest possible way. It is what being at the right place at the right time means.
When you strive to expand and seek opportunities to grow, you are employing Jupiterian energy. Not all of your attempts might result in success, but the urge to keep going arises out of the Jupiterian sense of optimism, the belief that things will work out. Jupiter’s positivity is a great antitode to self-doubt. It is the ability to see the upside in any situation, the silver lining in every cloud.
With a strong Jupiterian influence, the beneficence that is bestowed on an individual usually also impels them to pass it on to others, by acting in ways that promote the other’s growth. These actions could range from philanthropy and material gifts, to providing opportunities for advancement, to teaching and mentoring. The word “guru”, is Sanskrit for Jupiter, meaning spiritual teacher.
Faith, belief, and religious leanings are all Jupiterian. But without humility and the openness to differing viewpoints, these beliefs could be imposed on others with a dogmatism and self-righteousness.
While Jupiter’s positive energy can give a lot of self-confidence, because of a feeling that things will somehow work out, Jupiterian excesses can result in lack of restraint, and impaired judjment. Without a countervailing sense of moderation, Jupiterian energies can run rampant, and can be too much of a good thing.
Keywords: Bigness, Expansion, Big Benefic, Opportunity, Optimism, Positivity, Benefaction, Philanthropy, Largesse, Spritual Teaching, Guru, Mentoring, Faith, Belief, Religion, Dogmatism, Self-righteousness, Self-Confidence, Lack of Restraint, Overreach