Since December I have been posting (irregularly) a series of Jupiter Transit articles. Now that I am done, here are all the links to the series in one place:

Dare to Dream- Jupiter Transits

Is Bigger Better? Jupiter & 1^st House Transits

This is What I Want What I Really Really Want- Jupiter & 2^nd House Transits

Speechless? – Jupiter & 3^rd House Transits

Door handles & Homes Sweet Home- Jupiter & 4^th House Transits

Love etc- Jupiter & 5^th House Transits

In Sickness & in Health- Jupiter & 6^th House Transits

For Better & For Worse- Jupiter & 7^th House Transits

For Richer or For Poorer- Jupiter & 8^th House Transits

Flying High- Jupiter & 9^th House Transits

Jupiter & 10^th House Transits- no catchy title, what was I thinking?

Hey Now- This is What Dreams Are Made of- Jupiter & 11^th House Transits

Watch Me Come Undone- Jupiter & 12^th House Transits

As a reminder, while Jupiter is in Pisces:

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Pisces- this will be in your 1^st house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aries- this will be in your 12^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Taurus- this will be in your 11^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Gemini- this will be in your 10^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Cancer- this will be in your 9^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Leo- this will be in your 8^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Virgo- this will be in your 7^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Libra- this will be in your 6^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Scorpio- this will be in your 5^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Sagittarius- this will be in your 4^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Capricorn- this will be in your 3^rd house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aquarius- this will be in your 2^nd house

While Jupiter is in Aries:

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aries- this will be in your 1^st house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Taurus- this will be in your 12^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Gemini- this will be in your 11^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Cancer- this will be in your 10^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Leo- this will be in your 9^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Virgo- this will be in your 8^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Libra- this will be in your 7^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Scorpio- this will be in your 6^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Sagittarius- this will be in your 5^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Capricorn- this will be in your 4^th house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aquarius- this will be in your 3^rd house

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Pisces- this will be in your 2^nd house

 And Finally

As with all transits, check out where your natal Jupiter is and what houses he rules.

If the transit is happening in your 1^st house, look also to the 7^th, 10^th & 4^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 2^nd house, look also to the 8^th, 11^th & 5^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 3^rd house, look also to the 9^th, 12^th & 6^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 4^th house, look also to the 10^th, 1^st & 7^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 5^th house, look also to the 11^th, 2^nd & 8^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 6^th house, look also to the 12^th, 3^rd & 9^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 7^th house, look also to the 1^st, 4^th & 10^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 8^th house, look also to the 2^nd, 5^th & 11^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 9^th house, look also to the 3^rd, 6^th & 12^th for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 10^th house, look also to the 4^th, 7^th & 1^st for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 11^th house, look also to the 5^th, 8^th & 2^nd for impacts

If the transit is happening in your 12^th house, look also to the 6^th, 9^th & 3rd for impacts

Pic by me

Jupiter Transits of the 11th House

In Hong Kong there is a Taoist temple called the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple*. As one of the busiest in Hong Kong it is like a small village of colourful roofs and pillars and amazing lattice work. The air hangs heavy with the smoke of hundreds and hundreds of sticks of burning incense.

Incense Sticks. Pic by me.

People come here for the usual prayers and devotions. Others come here to have their fortunes told using the chim**, bamboo fortune sticks. Essentially you shake the box of numbered sticks until one falls out. That stick is then taken to one of the many fortune tellers lining the outside of the Temple and its meaning told to you for free.

Behind the main temple is the Good Wish Gardens. They say they when you go to Good Wish Gardens you have to be really really sure that what you wish for is what you really want- because more often than not, wishes made here will come true. As with all of these claims there is, of course, the fine print that your wish should be made with intent and focus and not infringe on the happiness or free will of another.

I did the incense thing, I did the chim thing. A little dried up man who was wearing so many sets of beads that they clinked in time with his steps  grabbed the stick number, looked at my palm and told me I would make my fame and fortune with a pen and have my heart broken by a man. He also told me that my wish would come true- that some things we fight are inevitable. It hasn’t yet, but then again, I can’t swear that it was made with true intent and I did have so many hopes and dreams running through my head as I wished.   

When Jupiter goes through your 11^th house, your hopes and dreams for the future will gain wings.  Whether it is to fulfil a long held ambition, create a bucket list or plan to save the world- you will be dreaming, you will be idealistic, you will have hope. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your dreams will come true at this time, although they very well may. More often, it will be that you finally start to understand what you really want and begin to work towards it.

As with all things Jupiter, perspective is important and ego is secondary. Robert Hand writes in Planets in Transit:

The nature of this house is that if the improvements in your life do not affect others, the changes will not be meaningful or long-lasting.

Friends and groups have enhanced importance during a Jupiter 11^th house transit. You may find yourself interacting with many more like-minded people- this is never a time to attempt to go it alone.

Transits to the 11^th house will also form challenging aspects to the 5^th house (opposition) and the 2^nd and 8^th. During this transit friends may become lovers, your dreams may have you taking more risk or giving birth to some creative venture. In this way, and through additional social interaction, your personal resources (2^nd house) and credit cards (or other 8^th house issues) may also take a hit.  

The year Jupiter was travelling through my 11^th (2 years ago) it was as if all of my friends were leaving me. Five good friends left in the first few months of that year- 3 to move overseas, and 2 to move interstate. Two of those friendships lasted, one changed completely (for the better) and two drifted into acquaintance territory.

What this did was create a gap for more people to enter my lives and for other friendships to change in nature. I became more involved with some of the astro people I had met and made new friends in that community- something I probably wouldn’t have otherwise done. By letting go of existing ties, Jupiter had created the opportunity and room for this to occur. It sort of brings to mind that email that goes around every so often about how people are brought in and out of your life for a reason or a season.  

As I was making those wishes in the colourful hexagonal pavilion that is the Unicorn Hall in the Good Wish Garden, I did try to remember to be careful of what I wished for, that sometimes what we really want is not what we need. But then I closed my eyes and wished anyway. This is what dreams are made of.

Good Wish Gardens, pic by me.

*To get there take the MTR to Wong Tai Sin in Kowloon

** I bought myself a really posh set of chim from Shanghai Tang in the Pedder Building in Central

A couple of months ago I wrote about personal planet transits and how they often don’t deliver much more than a good or bad hair day. Transits by the more slower moving planets are a different story and rarely fail to deliver their promise- good, bad or ugly.

Jupiter has flown through Pisces extremely quickly. By 6 June, 2010 he will be in Aries for a short burst before turning retrograde in the middle of July and heading back into Pisces where he will stay until January 2011. I will have more to say about this as it gets closer.

So far the whole Jupiter 1^st house thing has not delivered the way it should. Sure the opportunities have been there, but what with Saturn marching through my 7^th house with his great big jack boots, in recent weeks I have felt as if I am straining at the leash only to be pulled back faster than I can move forward.

Saturn at present is sitting stationary opposite my Moon. Saturn was last in this position in October last year and for the period of the transit I felt shocking. That makes sense given that the Moon is about your most emotional and instinctive responses- the real deeeep, soul type of stuff.

 In fact, the whole 12 months it took for him to oppose all my Pisces planets has been pretty heavy. By the time he had moved past the 1^st few degrees of Libra I felt as if a lead weight had been taken from my chest. It was like I could breathe again and feel again and be excited again and feel like dreams can come true again. But then Saturn came back.

This last part of the transit has been the worst and the hardest and the heaviest. This time the weight has been physical and I literally can’t breathe.  I have felt flat, fat, lonely, low and old.

Robert Hand writes about the Saturn/Moon opposition:

This is one of the most emotionally trying transits. It is frequently associated with domestic of professional problems, emotional depression, loneliness… difficulties with personal relationships, often leading to breakups.

This transit represents an “alienation crisis”, that is, a crisis brought about by the discovery that you have neglected your emotional and psychological needs. As a result you feel alone and disconnected from others, like an alien in the world whom no one else can ever adequately understand.

Absolutely, all of the above is relevant for the way I have been feeling.

However, in the background Uranus has also been conjunct my Moon. The textbooks (again Robert Hand) say that this transit is a time of enormous emotional and psychological turmoil. This transit may also bring that wonderful heart fluttering infatuated excitement. As with all Uranus transits you should feel alive.

This time, though, I have felt far from alive. Yes, the turmoil has been there, but what I have been feeling has been more of the Saturn opposition than the Uranus conjunction. Given that Uranus is the slower moving planet, why haven’t I felt it more?

I have this theory that the reason is simply that Uranus opposes both my Sun and Moon natally, and contacts both of my chart rulers (Neptune and Jupiter) by sextile. It is, therefore, a relatively easy natal opposition and a contact that I live with every day. Saturn, on the other hand, aspects no other planet in my chart (using standard same sign aspects). Any contacts by transit will and are felt deeply.

Jupiter will move in to join Saturn on my Moon over the next couple of weeks. This will coincide with Saturn moving direct from that spot. This should be a most positive transit, but given the other stuff happening up there, I am not that sure. Having said that, Jupiter/Moon is a pretty important transit for me. Natally in my chart the Moon and Jupiter are in what is called mutual reception: Jupiter in Cancer is in the Moons’ sign and the Moon in Pisces is in Jupiters’ sign. Natally the promise is there. But will it deliver?

In the meantime, there is a lovely transiting Mars/Venus trine playing out tomorrow. According to the automated personalised forecast I get from Facebook this is what I have to look forward to tomorrow:

Love ballads float through the air. The time favors soothing feelings while building reservoirs of romance for one another. A Harlequin-like honeymoon refreshes your love. Creativity reaches new heights. Be on the lookout for an inspiration that becomes your next line of work or sideline. Funny how you get wonderful ideas when you’re doing something you love.

mmmm… not sure that I will hold my breath for that one, but then again, one can always hope…

When I started this series on Jupiter transits through the houses, I knew that there would be some transits I would find harder to write than others. This is one of those moments. I have delayed publishing this piece and have edited it substantially for that reason. It still feels a little too self indulgent…such is life.

Through this series I have tried to, in Jupiter style, put a positive spin on what a Jupiter transit can bring and dwelled less on the glass half empty stuff. I read a great piece by Donna Cunningham the other day which reminded me that I also have a responsibility as an astrologer to face up to the fact that there are potentially difficult transits that need to be acknowledged and explored. Whilst Jupiter transits may bring gain, they can also bring loss and can be quite painful- no gain without pain.

The 6^th house is a work house and it is a body house. It is not a glamorous house and it is not a particularly gratifying area of life- unless you enjoy duty, responsibility and plain hard work. It isn’t fun and creative like the 5^th or full of adventure and learning like the 9^th. This is the house associated with Virgo. It is also the house of sickness, servants and small animals.  

It is worth remembering that Jupiter transits of the 6^th house will also be felt in the 12^th (institutions, hospitals, confinement, escape, self un-doing) and the 3^rd/9^th axis- the stuff we learn and how we communicate it, our environment and beyond. As with all transits, you also need to look at what else is being triggered in your chart to get a really good idea as to how things will manifest for you.

When Jupiter was transiting the 5^th you were on creative fire, you may have commenced a really exciting affair or a new project. Now it is time for the hard work, the critical analysis to cement these opportunities. If you started a romance during the 5^th house transit, you are now going through the getting serious routine- maybe you are doing the new routines associated with partial co-habiting, maybe you are setting up the structure for your relationship. Either way, it is hard work, but work in which you are putting your ego aside for the time being. At the end of the transit your relationship will be different- one way or another.

Maybe it was a new business and you are doing the hard yards to set up the structure for your creative venture. Maybe you started a new job and are establishing yourself in a changed role. When Jupiter transits this house, he brings the opportunity for more work- tasks that you need to do to the best of your ability, not for any advancement now, but to increase your self- respect and that of your colleagues and superiors. Perhaps there has been a change in management and you have to prove yourself over again.

Quite often what you are having to do will be at odds with what you want to do and where you want to go- this is a service house and by definition the work that is done here is done out of responsibility and duty. It isn’t supposed to be fun- you may not like it, but you sort of understand that, so it is OK… for now…

Fortunately during this transit you are usually in good health- as Jupiter does bring extra energy and vitality. Although with the amount of work that is on your plate, you may find yourself instead without sufficient time for yourself. Your eating habits may be compromised and with that much work on your plate the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is hit the gym- the bottle or the fridge might be more appealing than the treadmill. For this reason, a 6^th house Jupiter transit often does expand your physical body… and not in a good way. In looking after others, you forget to look after yourself. This outcome is especially likely if you resent the duty, responsibilities and are fighting to keep your own ambitions and ego under wraps. The resentment can literally make you sick.

Which brings me to the other reminder about Jupiter- not only does it make things bigger, it can make things happen easier- which is great when it is something that you want- not so great when it is a health problem that can get very bad very quickly- as it did with me last time Jupiter was in my 6^th house.

In short, work was pretty shitty, very stressful and totally unrewarding. Training sessions started to drop off and were replaced by evenings on the lounge in front of the telly with some calming vino.  The little bit of extra weight multiplied (in true Jupiterian style) and before I knew it I was huge, anaemic, and barely had sufficient energy to get through the day let alone a Combat class.

After ignoring it all, in true Piscean head in the sand style, for 12 months, eventually I collapsed and ended up under the knife and with 4 weeks off work (coincidentally Jupiter moved into my 7^th house almost immediately after my surgery). The day before I went into hospital I received a delivery of flowers from some colleagues. This completely broke me up- I had been so sure that no one knew how sick I was or how scared I was so that one gesture put so much into perspective. In the weeks that followed I had to, for one of the 1^st times in my life, allow myself to do nothing and rely on somebody else to look after me (my husband threatened me with daytime television unless I behaved).

In hindsight, losing my health & my vitality, gave me a new attitude to what I had always taken for granted. In hindsight, it was one of the best things that had happened- although at the time it was one of the worst. And isn’t hindsight a hallmark of Jupiter transits?

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Libra, Jupiter will be tracking through your solar 6^th house while it is in Pisces. As always with Libra, moderation and balance are the keys to good health, so when it seems as though the call of duty is overwhelming, make like the fish and escape the tank. Clear some room in your head and your schedule for sanity breaks. If you can’t get away physically, at least remove yourself to a quiet place with a book and some music. Good routines will help you deal with whatever the day throws at you.

If you want to know where Jupiter is in your chart, find out here.

Want more information on houses and other astro terms? Check out my Astro Basics page.

(pic courtesy www.dreamstime.com)

What would you do if all the rules as you know them are gone? What would you do if there are no limits and you can do whatever it is that you want to do and be whoever it is that you want to be? How much would you risk for that? What would you risk for an opportunity like that?

The 5^th house is about risk. Yes, it is also about creativity, how we express ourselves, our children and where we have fun. Associated with Leo and the Sun, the 5^th is about the ego. The 5^th is where we fall in love. It is where we give birth to things- literally in terms of babies, but figuratively in terms of new ventures, love affairs, projects and creative expressions of ourselves. It is where we give birth to our hopes and dreams before sending them off into the world. It is a fun and exciting place, but it is also where we accept and take risk.

Every time you give birth to something you are taking a risk. A piece of you is involved that will never be the same again. If it is a creative venture, you risk damage to your self esteem; a business venture risks your personal resources; and a baby, well, that pretty well risks your entire life.

Remember the last time you fell in love. Maybe it was requited, maybe not. Remember that wonderful bubbly feeling in your chest, the need to check your cell phone 1000 times a day in case you missed a call or a text from him. That special ring tone just for him, even though you know he rarely rings it, even though you know that if anyone else hears it they will know your secret. When you just want to talk for hours, when even saying the words out loud leaves you exposed. Falling in love is risky. Dating is risky. Getting to know you is risky.  Sex is risky. Every little step of the process asks you to expose more of yourself and in doing so risks more of yourself. You are gambling with your own self esteem.  But it makes you feel so good and is so much fun and can be so addictive. Nevertheless, gambling it is. If you win, you progress through the routine of life into a relationship- but that is a 7^th house matter. If you lose? Well, I am sure we all know the pain of a broken heart and a bruised ego, but you still dust yourself off and head back to the table for another spin.

Jupiter transiting the 5^th house may not be enough to bring love into your life, but it will certainly help you to find the courage to express yourself freely and authentically. You may find yourself with added self confidence and perhaps an increased propensity to accept risk- all of which may help develop any relationship which starts at this time. You may finally find the courage to make the first move.

Creatively you will be on fire! Whatever you produce at this point will be truly reflective of you. Even if you have previously been influenced by others from an artistic viewpoint, your voice will now be heard loudly.

Without doubt, this is a fun time. Relatively speaking this is also a lucky time. Go ahead and buy a lottery ticket, your chances may be improved, but remember that the odds are still against you.

Transits to the 5^th house will also form challenging aspects to the 11^th house (opposition) and the 2^nd and 8^th. During this transit friends may become lovers, your dreams may be brought out into the world and your hobbies may move from the back room into the shop-front. Risks taken in the 5^th house, particularly regarding gambling and business ventures may impact your personal resources (2^nd house) via a personal investment, or the 8^th house (risking other peoples’ money). Take care not to over-extend yourself financially or romantically during this time- a bad risk is still a bad risk.  

Go ahead- play, fall in love, express yourself, take a risk or two, spin the wheel, but remember not to lose touch with reality. At the end of the day when the transit has passed your debts will eventually have to be repaid- whether you have taken the risk at the roulette table, the corporate table or with someone elses’ partner. But oh how much fun you can have…