Jupiter in Pisces

January 2010 – January 2011

By Julie Loar

“When you come close to the edge of all

the light you have, and must take a step into

the darkness of the unknown, either there

will be something solid for you

to stand on,

or you will fly."

Patrick Overton

The constellation of Pisces resides in the “watery” portion of the sky, which also includes Aquarius, the Water Bearer; Cetus, the Whale, and Pisces Austrinus the Southern Fish. This group of stars has been associated with fish in all ancient cultures. The two fishes of Pisces are depicted swimming in opposite directions but connected by a cord. The alpha star of the constellation is Al Resha, the “knot” in Arabic and this star symbolically binds the pair together.

Pisces is sensitive and emotional and feels things keenly. Take to extremes, Piscean sensitivity can result in self-inflicted martyrdom. Pisces is also the most collective of the signs and has always been associated with those in society who suffer or who have been disenfranchised in some way. This includes those who are imprisoned, repressed, rejected, or mentally ill. The humanitarian response of Pisces springs from a spontaneous desire to ease the suffering of others because of a deeply felt empathy for their anguish. Pisces is connected with those who withdraw, or who choose to live an alternate life style such as mystics, poets, artists and recluses. This group includes those who just don’t fit in for whatever reason. Through their separation or isolation, they can offer great art on the one hand or drain society’s resources on the other.

Astrologically, Pisces is the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac and therefore represents the final stage in the hero’s journey and the last phase of evolving humanity on the path of return. The final stage is the transcendence of the self, or ego-based personality, through renunciation of self centered motivations. Therefore, compassion and willingness to sacrifice are hallmarks of conscious Pisces.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in our solar system. Along with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, Jupiter is classified as a gas giant. It is the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. However, at certain points in its orbit, Mars can briefly exceed Jupiter’s brightness. Known since prehistoric times as a bright “wandering star,” Jupiter is twice as massive as the rest of the planets combined. The famous Great Red Spot, which is larger than Earth, is actually a giant storm that is known to have existed since the 17th century. Jupiter has a system of faint rings; but unlike Saturn’s intricate and complex ring patterns, Jupiter’s simple ring system is composed of an inner halo, a main ring, and a faint Gossamer ring.

On July 19, 2009, something hit Jupiter and no one saw it coming. Thought at first to be another storm like the Red Spot, astronomers now believe that a comet or asteroid, as large as several football fields, impacted the giant planet. The object emerged from darkness, unknown and not cataloged; and before anyone could photograph the body intact, it had shattered and became a cloud of debris. The new spot on Jupiter is now called the “Wesley debris cloud” after the amateur astronomer who first observed it. The collision released 2000 megatons of energy. If an object that size were to hit Earth, there would be widespread devastation.

Mythically the Rome Jupiter was the earlier Greek Zeus and the Egyptian Mon-Amon, King of the gods. Zeus was the authoritarian sky father who appeared in many cultures around 1,800 BCE. Zeus was the son of Cronus, or Saturn, who escaped death because his mother Hera wrapped a rock in swaddling cloth and fed it to Cronus. Cronus has already gobbled up the rest of his children to stay in power. To protect him, the infant Zeus was hidden in a cave on Lykos and fed milk from one of the horns of the goat goddess Amalthea of ancient Crete. He horn was the origin of the cornucopia. In one myth, nectar flowed from one horn, and ambrosia, the drink, which gave the gods their immortality, flowed from the other. Later, her skin became Zeus’s aegis, or shield of protection. Amalthea was immortalized as the constellation of Capricorn, and the related goddess Aega became the bright star Capelle, “Little She Goat.”

Astrologically, Jupiter is larger than life and difficult to contain, but he is uplifting, and aspires to greatness. Jupiter is thought to bring abundance and prosperity and to have an expansive and preserving influence. Jupiter helps us look on the bright side and adds a generous does of humor. As a god of light, Jupiter is said to deal with the realm of super consciousness, and therefore he can be a widener of horizons. His domain includes religion and philosophy and he supports an expansive view of life.

Jupiter’s positive qualities include a jovial expansiveness, a sporting approach to life and unquenchable optimism. The glass is definitely half-full, and it is large vessel. Exaggerated, or used unwisely, the same qualities can become extremist in viewpoint, wasteful and disregarding of resources, trusting too much to luck. Because Jupiter always wants to take the larger view, there is a risk of dismissing details as insignificant.

Jupiter in Pisces

Before Neptune’s discovery, Jupiter was seen as the ruler of Pisces. Therefore, the giant planet maintains a co-rulership with the sign of the Fishes. So Jupiter’s presence in Pisces is comfortable and familiar. Here, Jupiter’s expansiveness energy operates in the emotional arena and on the challenging side of things can stir the feeling nature to an exaggerated expression and blow emotional response out of proportion. Acting in his role as a god of light and wisdom, however, Jupiter can bring insight into the deeper and unconscious level of our feelings, illuminating things hidden in the shadow side of the psyche.

As ruler of wide-ranging Sagittarius, Jupiter wants to look through a telescope, exploring far and wide, expanding his vast knowledge and eventually gaining wisdom through diverse experiences. Therefore, as he aims his lightening bolts into the deep waters of Pisces, a search for a deeper meaning is possible. When we gaze at the night sky in a place removed from the light of the cities, we can see about 2,000 stars with the naked eye. This is symbolic of our limited vision and scope before technology expanded our view of our solar system and universe. Jupiter expands the nature of whatever sign he visits, so this is an apt analogy for Jupiter in Pisces, shining light into formerly unseen places and causing us to reach for the stars.

Jupiter wants bigger of everything. As a planet of opportunity, he gives the ability to prosper; however, this can lead to excess if not constructively channeled. In Pisces he broadens relationships and expands consciousness, bringing his light to our collective existence. Here we are seeking wisdom and the evolution of consciousness itself, not just an increase in knowledge. Here Jupiter is receptive, impressionable and has the capacity to heightened imagination and mystical states. There is a desire for peace of mind, rather than exaggerated stimulation and a quick adrenaline rush. There is a potential for expansive introspection and a capacity for devotion. The combined energy wants to understand the meaning of life, not just explore for the sake of it.

The archetypal combination creates an energy of healing which engenders a desire to act for the public welfare. There is a spirit of sympathy and charity in this synergy, which could offer a conductive influence for health care reform. Jupiter in Pisces is seen as the quintessential good Samaritan but prefers to act from behind the scenes. However, this blend of energies can be overly sensitive to the point where common sense disappears in a well of self-indulgence. There is unwillingness to compromise integrity for material gain, so this influence may also help with the healing and reformation of current financial conditions, potentially providing a higher principle to aim for.

Jupiter orbits the Sun in about twelve years, so the transit through Pisces marks the end of a full cycle through the zodiac. When Jupiter enters Aries in January 2011, a new circuit will begin. Jupiter will move into Aries during the summer of 2010 for a short time, giving us a preview of this energy, and then Jupiter will retrograde back into Pisces until January 2011. While in Aries in 2011, Jupiter will join Uranus and become part of a cardinal T-square. This will create a three-way face-off between Jupiter and Uranus in Aries, opposing Saturn in Libra, while all three square Pluto in Capricorn. This will from an intense energy, which challenges the status quo, and has the potential to deconstruct outgrown paradigms. It is a tremendous growth opportunity.

Star Lore

Early in February 2010, as Jupiter reaches 4 degrees of Pisces, he will conjoin Formalhaut, one of the four Royal Stars of Persia, bringing the god of light into alignment with one of the great stars of the sky. Formalhaut is the alpha star in the constellation of Pisces Austrinus, the Southern Fish, and is one of the brightest. Formalhaut is the only first magnitude star in the autumn sky of mid-northern latitudes and is a solitary brilliant beacon in an otherwise unremarkable part of the sky.

Formalhaut made the news in November 2008. This star is at the center of a solar system with an extra solar planet. This was the first planet outside of our solar system to be seen with visible light and photographed. The striking image, showing the planet orbiting just outside Formalhaut’s debris ring, was captured in Science in November 2008. The planet, now known as Fromalhaut b, orbits its parent star once in 872 years at a distance of eleven billion miles. Astronomer Paul Kalas of Cal Tech thinks there might be other planets in orbits between Fromalhaut b and the star, possibly even a planet with liquid water.

The name derives from the Arab fum al Hut, ‘The Fish’s mouth.” The star’s influence is generally considered beneficial and has been associated with eminence, fortune and power. Said also to heightened awareness of the suffering of others. Formalhaut will infuse Jupiter’s energy with added power and compassion. Martha Evans Martin in the Friendly Stars, says Formalhaut suggests only sweetness and serenity. Astrologer Diana Rosenberg says this star gives a longing for utopia and a search for the ideal forms of human relationships.

Certain ancient traditions, such as Tibet, believe that stars are vastly evolved and conscious beings, each having their own great and unique nature. Some occult traditions teach that the planets act like lenses to capture and focus the energies of the stars. A planet in conjunction with a star blends and concentrates their light and radiates this towards earth like an intensified frequency. Considering Formalhaut’s lore, this star’s power, combined with Jupiter in Pisces may offer a glimpse of heightened wisdom, giving us a chance to sense what is best for collective humanity. Like a flash of lightening in the darkness, this vision illuminates the landscape. The light may be momentary, but it can reveal the path and gives us hope and a sense of direction.

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The secret of the Philosopher’s stone is to look with the eyes

And see with the heart.

Petrus Bonus, Alchemist