The Natal Chart in Synastry, Part 5 – Jupiter

Just as Saturn tends to get undeserved bad press, I feel Jupiter is on the receiving of too much good press. My position may be influenced by my Libra tendency to bring balance into everything but my experience with Jupiter inclines me to be more cautious in his praise. That being said, a strong Jupiter influence in the Natal chart does help a person bounce back from Life’s disappointments.

Sun/Jupiter aspects in the Natal chart do make for someone who will keep on looking for that special person to share their lives. I have an out-of-sign Sun/Jupiter conjunction (Jupiter is in the 12th House) and lord only knows, I needed that inner optimism because it took my Libra Sun/Moon self a looong time to find my partner – past my Uranus opposition cycle. The “hard” aspects (square and inconjunct in particular) can lead the Sun to unfounded optimism, leading to the occasional brutal smack of hard, cold reality but these folks are the “cock-eyed” optimists and will soon be chasing another rainbow.

The Moon in aspect to Jupiter, especially by square and conjunction, are those who like to inject some emotional drama into their lives and the lives of their loved ones. This I know because I live with someone who has Moon conjunct Jupiter. Fortunately his conjunction is in Aries, so the drama explodes on the scene in typical Fire sign fashion and dissipates just as quickly. Moon/Jupiter aspects do give an emotional resiliency, especially the trines and sextiles. The worst case scenario I’ve seen is a Moon/Jupiter/Pluto conjunction where the individuals fears (Pluto) were magnified by Jupiter to the point they practically immobilized themselves because they were so afraid of everything!

Mercury/Jupiter aspects can make a person a very good teller of tales or so prone to exaggeration you don’t know what the truth of the matter is. If Mercury is in a Fire sign, the result may be someone who blurts out whatever crosses their minds regardless of the impact of their words. Intent plays a big role with this aspect because it can cause us to laugh or create a great deal of pain as the result of the distortion of the facts.

When Jupiter goes dancing with Venus, we can expect the high, wide and generous romantic gestures. A man with Venus in aspect to Jupiter may be attracted to very voluptuous women and a woman with this aspect will really appreciate being showered with gifts and affection in the grand style. The conjunction, square and inconjunct can lead to living beyond one’s means because the hedonistic pull can be very strong. We tend to like people with Venus/Jupiter aspects because most of the time they know how to enjoy themselves . . .

Moving on the Mars/Jupiter aspects where the extreme expression is the daredevil. This person may create scenarios where he or she can be the hero/heroine riding to the rescue. Mars/Jupiter conjunctions in particular have great physical endurance and if you are not a hardy sort yourself, you may want to consider the ramifications of what it means to be around someone like this! Here again Jupiter “magnifies” the existing energy of the planet.

With an accurate birth time, we can also find out if Jupiter is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven in the chart. Those with Jupiter on the Ascendant tend to present a fun loving and sociable face in public even if they are very private people by nature. Jupiter on the Midheaven can be someone who excels in selling themselves or their ideas with flare and verve. Many of us are very different people when we are at home then out in the World and it pays to get to know someone in both settings.

As I was writing this I realized once again why discussing your natal chart with a competent astrologer who can see how the patterns in the chart all tie together is so important. The “cookbook” style on individual aspects just does not allow for the synthesis of information needed to see the whole person – and when we relate to others, the need for a balance, informed perspective is even more important.

This is the Wheel of Fortune tarot card from the Celestial deck. Jupiter is often tied to a willingness to take a gamble in life!

Love Triangle needs Resolution

When this Aries woman wrote me and gave me the birth data for all three people involved (relationships started when all were in their teens), it grabbed my attention. All of these people are now in their late thirties and she is feeling a strong need to untangle the threads binding them all together. The players are the Aries woman, her live in Capricorn partner and her first love, a Sagittarius man. Using the shorthand method, the harmonious aspects favor her Sagittarius love far more than her Capricorn partner. I decided to look at the natal charts of all three to see what jumped out.

Ms Aries has her Sun conjunct Chiron and the North Node in Aries – all indicators of the need to practice independence and being true to her most authentic Aries self. Then she has Uranus/South Node/Jupiter conjunct, all opposing her Aries stellium pulling her towards the Libra ideal of one-on-one partnerships. The opposition also suggests she is drawn to very independent, larger than life type people (her Sagittarius love fits that bill with Sun square Uranus/Pluto natally). However, she has Saturn/Venus in Aries conjunct her Descendant and that describes her Capricorn partner. Oh yes, her Rising is Libra . . . All these factors speak to me of someone whose greatest challenge from an astrological point of view is to integrate her need for independence with being a good partner.

When it comes to the Uranus opposition my experience has taught to do one’s best to integrate Uranus’s demand for freedom and independent action into one’s self. The priority here and for all of us really, is to work on the relationship with the person we see in the mirror first and foremost. There is a great deal of truth in the tired old adage about loving ourselves unconditionally before we can love others that way. Aries is all about self-respect and learning it’s OK to like yourself.

Her relationship with her Cappie man using the shorthand method has semi-sextiles and inconjuncts between the Luminaries and their Moons and Mercurys are square by sign. Taking a closer look at the synastry reveled Jupiter intra-aspects with Mercury and Venus lending a great deal of generosity, warmth and willingness to laugh together. Her Mars is square his Saturn creating a stabilizing, binding aspect between them; this aspect and the fact he fits the profile for her Venus/Saturn conjunction on the Descendant may account for the durability of this relationship. Unfortunately she did not have an accurate birth time for either man, making Lunar and Vertex aspects unreliable.

Now to take a look at the relationship with her Sagittarius love . . . the synastry here suggests why this one has lasted too. They have a Sun/Saturn intra-aspect giving it legs. Plus her Saturn/Venus is closely conjunct his North Node in Aries. This latter aspect may add to his desire to maintain a certain distance between them as North Node aspects in synastry can be uncomfortable for the North Node person. It draws and repels at the same time for some reason, possibly because we all tend to be reluctant to live out the qualities in our North Node and prefer the more familiar patterns found in the South Node.

After looking at the charts, my intuitive sense is if her Sagittarius lover would be willing to step up and truly be there for her, she would be happy to accept him into her life on a full time basis. But the T-square in his chart with the Sun at the apex and Uranus/Pluto opposing Chiron the bottom, show it’s very possible he has his own personal demons to wrestle before he can be a good partner. On the other hand, her Cappie man has Sun trine Uranus/Pluto and a possible Grand Trine in Earth if his Moon in Taurus is within in orb, which leads me to think he is a much more stable, well-grounded personality thus making him a better prospect for her.

Needless to say, I wish her well and send many blessings and kind thoughts . . . after all, Aries falls in my 5th House of children of my spirit.

The is the Queen of Wands or Staves from the Goddess tarot deck - a good card to represent a fiery Aries!

The Natal Chart in Synastry, Part 4 – Saturn

Saturn has gotten a lot of bad press over the years yet he has been my saving grace more often than not when Neptune, Uranus or Pluto embroiled me in their fun and games. As an astrologer, I look to Saturn in the natal chart to show how the individual handles their responsibilities to others and themselves. In fact, if we don’t learn to be responsible to ourselves first, the chances of us being there for others is not too great.

As a person with a natal out-of-sign Sun/Saturn square, I grew up with one or the other of my parents (Saturn) keeping my nose to the grindstone. We had a small family farm and we all had lots of chores to do. In general people with Saturn in aspect to their Sun, no matter the nature of the aspect, are often given responsibilities at an early age and are pretty much going to be made to attend to them. The effect of a Sun/Saturn aspect on how we relate as adults is often dependant on other aspects to our Suns. If we have a Jupiter or Venus aspect to the Sun natally, we will tend to develop a more optimistic outlook, and be less likely to choose a “parent” for a partner. If not, it may take several Saturn cycles including the Saturn Return to help us realize how valuable we are.

The Moon in aspect to Saturn has a sobering effect on our emotions and habits. We are often like Moon in Capricorn, very cautious and aware of where we fit into our social group; and likely to be “old” when we are young and “young” as we age. With a natal Moon/Saturn sextile myself, I know this pattern well. Saturn can have a dampening effect on the Moon, making one lean towards choosing friends and lovers based on whether they are reliable rather than exciting. That is unless Uranus is also aspecting the Moon, then all bets are off!

Venus in aspect to Saturn?! I have one of those too. With Venus in Sagittarius in the 1st House, having Saturn trine to it probably keep me from doing too many wild and crazy things. However, it’s possible with Venus in aspect to Saturn to be so conventional and hedged about by the need to fit in; all the fun can be drained out of life. This aspect is the one most associated with undervaluing our feeling of being desirable. Here again if we are patient with Saturn’s lessons we can learn how to unfold our wings and transform our self-image. People with Venus/Saturn aspects are sometimes the ones who undertake a healthy diet and exercise program to very good effect – mostly because they stay with it long enough to see real results. We attract partners who appreciate someone who demonstrates reliability, not very romantic but good for lasting relationships with others.

When it comes to Mars/Saturn aspects natally, I have to go with what I’ve observed in others, like my sister who has Mars conjunct Saturn in Cancer. She can work longer and harder without letting up than anyone I know – except for others with Mars in close aspect to Saturn. This aspect can cause deep frustration of the need to act but at the same time it gives great endurance. Mars/Saturn aspects function similarly to Mars in Capricorn, one of the placements of Mars said to give one a steady sex drive but very controlled. This aspect suggests this individual is going to take their time before committing to a relationship but if they do, they’ll be around for the long haul. Sometimes Saturn can give Mars a fear of taking action and lead to a situation of complete impasse.

With an accurate birth time, we can also find out if Saturn is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven in the chart. Those with Saturn on the Ascendant tend to present a dour face to the world even if they are fun loving and sociable in privacy. If we wish to draw a partner more in tune with who we are at home, we need to keep in mind to show this self more often. Saturn on the Midheaven is an indicator of someone who is all business on the job even if they are a party animal away from the office. In both these cases, it usually pays to take the time (Saturn) to get to know them in different settings.

This is more or less the cliff notes version of how Saturn works natally. I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy of Liz Greene’s book, “Saturn: a new look at an old devil”. Almost every astrologer I’ve ever talked agrees this book is the definitive source of information on Saturn. My copy is well read because it’s a staple reference book in my astrology library.

This post also appears on Lynn Hayes's blog, Astrodynamics, where she graciously asked Dharmaruci and I to guest post this week!! :-)

The World tarot card from Toni Allen's amazing deck. This is the card that represents Saturn, interestingly enough!