Jupiter and Saturn, together, symbolize a regulatory function of the psyche, specifically that of expansion and contraction, respectively.  Ideally, these two forces act to balance each other and maintain psychological homeostasis.  They adjust temporally to accommodate the need or desirability for periods of expansion followed by periods of consolidation, stability or—in some cases—retraction. 

Jupiter symbolizes the expansive force within the psyche (and reflected or projected in the outer world).  This primal or essential expansive urge manifests in all the qualities with which Jupiter is associated, astrologically.  An important point to understand about this expansive energy is that it is a finite expansion, limited by its existence in time and space.  Jupiterian expansion does not go on forever.  As we shall explore further, boundary is an important characteristic to be associated with Jupiter.   While limits are certainly placed by the forces represented by Saturn, the idea of boundary is inherent in Jupiterian expansion.

Most basically, Jupiter is associated with expansiveness or the desire to expand and grow organically (or in an organized fashion).  Jupiter’s expansive energy is applied to anything with which the planet comes into contact.  We say this both astrologically and metaphysically.  Astrologically, Jupiter is seen as expanding the energies and functions represented by planet with which it forms aspects.  The idea of increase, being energized, or being stimulated to grow and expand are all concepts that can be linked to the archetype of expansiveness.  The energy may be particularly strong when a conjunction is involved.  If the aspect is traditionally “easy,” the expansive energy may be pleasantly felt, open up opportunities, or occur with little effort.  If the aspect is traditionally “hard,” the expansive energy may require effort to actualize, may present or activate challenges, or may be expressed with negative consequences. 

The house placement of Jupiter, natally or by transit or progression, is seen to indicate the area of life that is likely to be expanded.  Typical or traditional interpretations may indicate increase in possessions or wealth in the second house, an expansion of energy devoted to relationships in the seventh house, lots of travel and adventure in the ninth house, etc.  The same quality of expansiveness can be applied to deeper or more esoteric interpretations of the house meanings, of course.

Metaphysically, we can conceive of this expansive Jupiterian energy as a universal force, a fundamental principle of the Cosmos, the created world.  When this force is directed toward an “object,” that “object” will expand, or be affected by the expansive forces of the universe. 

Sometimes this direction of the expansive force appears to occur consciously.  When this happens, we say that our attention is directed toward a certain object or goal with the intention of expanding that object.  Some have concluded from this that we can direct this expansive force through our intention., thus engaging in a kind of magic.  However, I believe that this is an illusion of the mind.

Everything that happens in the world happens synchronistically.  Muslim mystics were well aware of this, declaring that cause and effect as we experience this in the world is only apparent, not real.  The Real cause of anything, the only cause of anything, is Allah, the One without a second, the only Existent.  The apparent, or contingent, cause and effect that we experience is the result of the synchronicity between the will or intent of the creature and the Divine Will.  According to Muslim mystics, the apparent “law” of cause and effect—and this extends to magic—is due to the Divine’s habitual action or manifestation on this plane of existence.  In a Hindu mystical frame of reference we could say that this creation is all Their Play and this Play happens in a certain way, with a certain pattern, according to Their sweet Will.  In a Christian context, we can say that everything occurs according to God’s Plan.  The common denominator in all of these conceptions is that it is not possible for anything to occur outside of the Divine Will.  Of course, this raises the seemingly unsolvable “problem of evil.”

A quality of expansiveness is its forward-motionness.  The direction of expansiveness, whether this is occurring in the outer or the inner world, is “outward.”  This is obvious in the material world.  In order to expand, a thing must increase in volume and, therefore, its boundaries are pushed outward.  It is less intuitive when we are speaking of the inner worlds of consciousness.  This is because of the paradox—illustrated by C.S. Lewis in his The Last Battle—that it is by moving inward through our consciousness (or mind) that we expand our consciousness.  This moving inward has an analogous effect as moving outward in the material world—more and more is taken in.  So, we will use this concept of outward direction with respect to consciousness to distinguish this from constriction (which we shall address when discussing Saturn). 

We can associate a number of Jupiterian concepts with the notion of forward motion.  This includes the idea of quest.  Quest may be broadly defined as the intent or desire to move forward in order to expand current boundaries.  The term quest also applies to the action taken to actualize that intent.  At the mundane level, the idea of quest includes travel, adventure and sport—all activities that are associated with Jupiter and/or Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius or the ninth house.  The Jupiterian desire to expand and to push past existing horizons (boundaries) extends to all forms of exploration, whether of the physical or the mental world.  (We do not normally think of exploration in connection with the emotional body but, if one identifies as an emotional adventurer, there is likely some Jupiter contact to an emotional planet.) 

Quest or exploration of the mental worlds is fundamentally different from the Mercury/Gemini imperative to collect and identify or categorize.  Of course, if Jupiter contacts Mercury, then Mercurian curiosity is likely to become more expansive, even obsessive or all-consuming. 

Mere collection, however, quickly becomes chaotic if some system or organization is not imposed.  Thus, when Jupiterian expansiveness is applied to the exploration of the mental world, an ever expanding collection of mental images will not be able to be sustained without placing them in an over-arching context.  It becomes necessary to view the world as a coherent system composed of interrelated parts that may form their own subsystems.  It can be said that Mercury’s penchant for classification cannot yet exist until the Jupiter function has established some sort of coherent framework within which classification may take place.  We can see here a manifestation of the Gemini-Sagittarius mutually supporting polarity.

All this is very consistent with Jupiter’s affinity for things large.  For, of course, however size is determined, when something expands, it grows larger.  In the mental world, larger is not measured by physical parameters but by the ability of a thought or a system of thoughts to contain or encompass other thoughts or concepts.  The more comprehensive a system of thought or concept is, the greater the number of subsidiary concepts it can bring together into a coherent framework or mental organization. 

Another way to think about such systems is that the more comprehensive system explains the existence or the behavior of its components.  It is significant here that the word “comprehensive” comes from the same Latin root—comprehendere—as comprehend: to understand, to grasp fully.  Jupiterian systems are systems of understanding the world and its components.  Thus, Jupiter is associated with all forms of understanding.

These systems of understanding include theories and paradigms.  The more comprehensive (expansive) a theory or paradigm is, the more explanatory power it has.  While Uranus is typically associated with science in astrology, I would argue that it should only be associated with the technological aspects of science (and also with the intuitive, revelatory moments through which many scientific break-throughs occur).  However, science in general—the process of systematically understanding the world around us—should be seen as ruled by Jupiter.

The process of comprehension and understanding also reveals another dimension of expansion and growth.  This may be conceived as an interior expansion and as a process of increasing (expanding) density.  We expand our knowledge and understanding by filling in the gaps in our model of reality.  Our understanding becomes more comprehensive not only by expanding the boundaries of the subject but by making more interconnections, drawing more conclusions and, thus, making our system of understanding more robust and more comprehensive.

This can be seen as a necessary counterbalance to Jupiter’s external focus on expansion.  As our systems of understanding become more comprehensive, they become more organized.  Organization may be defined as a coherent structure of interrelationships or interlinkages.  The opposite of organization is entropy.  Physics tells us that entropy becomes greater as space expands.  With extreme expansion, physical constructs are pulled apart and forces of energy weaken.  At the human level, we may see that excessive expansion leads to dissipation of energy.  I would put forward that the antidote to entropy is greater internal organization.

We see this occurring with respect to social constructs.  An individual living on the proverbial island alone is bounded only by their physical limitations and the limits to their imagination.  They may find it useful to organize their daily activities but little more organization is required.  The nuclear family unit requires a little more organization if tasks are to be efficiently distributed.  A tribe, even more so.  As the number of people within the social unit expands, greater and greater amounts of organization are required in order for that social unit to hold together and operate effectively for the common good.

As the need for organization becomes more complex, institutions are created in order to contain the prescribed methods of organization and social control.  These institutions are ruled by Jupiter.  They include government, religious institutions, and educational institutions.  They can also include institutions dedicated to the arts and culture, such as museums and galleries, libraries, theatrical or dance companies, and orchestras and opera houses.  Each of these institutions both provides an organizing framework for a societal activity and acts as a social repository for a body of knowledge or understanding, thus, combining two Jupiterian functions—systemic organization and understanding.

While “ruled” by Jupiter, these institutions also each bear the influence of other astrological planets.  Government is the repository of the knowledge called politics—politics in the sense that Plato and Aristotle used that term to denote the “science” of governing the body politic.  Its role in organizing society and providing social stability (countering social entropy, which is anarchy—the absence of government) is self-evident.  Elements of the institution of government are also viewed as being ruled by Saturn, which governs structure and control.

Jupiterian organization and Saturnian structure complement each other but are different.  Structure may be said to be the crystallization of organization.  Organization is first and foremost an idea.  When the idea of organization is implemented, it requires and generates structure.  Thus, the rules and laws by which government operates are Saturnian.  The State—the embodiment of the governmental institution—is traditionally ruled by Saturn.  Bureaucracy—the apparatus of the government—can be viewed as a combination of Jupiterian and Saturnian influences.  The organization of the bureaucracy—its “bureaus” and their relationship to each other—can be viewed as Jupiterian.  The functioning of the bureaucracy, by which it implements rules and orders, is Saturnian.  Its internal method of hierarchical control is a reflection of Saturn.  Its role as an institution to preserve public order and the smooth functioning of society is in the domain of Jupiter.

Religious institutions share an influence from Neptune, although these are predominantly ruled by Jupiter.  Functionally, these institutions preserve a body of knowledge and tradition related to humanity’s relationship with the Divine.  They are also, and have historically been since their inception, instruments of social control.  At their best, these institutions bind society together in a common belief system.  At their worst, the priesthood associated with these institutions use superstition and religious xenophobia to enrich themselves and accumulate power.  In fact, most Jupiterian institutions (except those associated with the arts, perhaps) easily become centers in which power and wealth are concentrated, resonating to Jupiter’s association with wealth and abundance (which we shall address later). 

Neptune comes into play on the positive side to the extent that these institutions are truly focused on spirituality or have an other-worldly focus (resisting the temptation to use the institution to establish worldly power).  Thus, pious monastic orders or sects may take on a Neptunian quality.  On a more negative note, Neptune may be evidenced when religious institutions use deceit and ply fantasies in order to captivate the masses and hold them under their sway.  Neptune’s influence can also be seen when religious institutions promote extreme positions based upon blind faith.

Faith and belief, themselves, however, can be viewed as associated with Jupiter.  There is an element of belief and faith underlying any acceptance of knowledge, any understanding of the world.  Jupiter’s mental systems—worldviews and paradigms—are composed of a series of logical assumptions and accepted axioms.  Even theories which are empirically tested rely upon underlying, undisputed assumptions.  Knowledge only becomes certain through direct experience—through Mercury with direct sensate experience and through Neptune for direct mystical experience.  Even then, there remains an element of belief as such direct experience can only be overwhelmingly convincing.

With respect to educational institutions, there is an element of Mercury’s influence here, as education necessitates the communication of knowledge, communication being ruled by Mercury.  Mercury’s association with educational institutions becomes stronger the more the transmission of knowledge, or instruction and training, is emphasized, such as in grade school.  Where understanding is assumed to be the priority, such as at the university, Jupiter’s rulership is predominant.

The higher education institution is an interesting illustration of the limits to expansion and growth that are inherent with Jupiter.  As much as academic freedom is heralded at our universities, in practice the curriculum and what is taught is bounded by the existing conventional paradigm.  Professors that stray too far outside this paradigm (or the particular paradigm for their subject matter) are ostracized and often not allowed to teach.  There is much room inside the conventional paradigm for differences of opinion and different perspectives but there is no room for transgressing the paradigm. 

This is a universal Jupiterian quality.  Jupiter, or Zeus to the Greeks, was after all the king of the gods and we may think about astrological Jupiter’s sphere of influence as a peaceable kingdom.  Within that kingdom there is room for much to go on and for many experiences to be had.  Good things are to be found in abundance and the kingdom’s ruler has the well-being of their kingdom and its inhabitants as their concern. 

However, in order for the kingdom’s abundance and well-being to be maintained, the kingdom must be well-ordered.  Transgressing that order creates discord and discord disrupts the balance essential to the kingdom’s well-being.  When the kingdom stops functioning like a well-oiled machine, the naturally benevolent expansive currents and activities that support the kingdom’s abundance may falter, creating hardship and scarcity.  Jupiter smiles on carefree expression and the freedom to explore new horizons—up to a point.  That point is reached when something challenges Jupiter’s rule or threatens to overturn the conventional paradigm.

We find, therefore, that the institutions that Jupiter rules all function to preserve the social order.  They are benign controllers.  They can be the epitome of liberalism—permissive until the System is threatened and, then, they will collaborate to repress the rebels with Saturnian rigidity and Plutonian ruthlessness.  Ordinarily, however, they function as institutions of acculturation, gently conditioning Jupiter’s subjects to live within the kingdom’s bounds.

Associated with this benign conditioning is the process of assimilation.  Assimilation also holds the key to why Jupiter’s boundaries do not normally feel repressive and restrictive, as do Saturn’s.  Jupiterian expansion and growth can be seen to occur through the process of assimilation.  Jupiter’s expansiveness takes place by expanding boundaries.  When boundaries are expanded, what was formerly outside those boundaries is now within Jupiter’s bounds.  The foreign content has been assimilated and is now part of the kingdom.   Assimilation is the process whereby what is outside Jupiter’s boundaries becomes safe.  It is absorbed into the whole.  It is understood.  It becomes another component of the paradigm. 

It is interesting to observe that, in the quest to go beyond the horizon, one never really crosses the horizon.   No matter how far we go, we are always where we are, gazing at some new horizon that lies eternally before us.  In progressing toward the horizon, we have assimilated the territory we have traveled.  We have come to know it.  It has now become familiar. 

In the same way, we explore what is foreign.  Xenophobia is a dysfunctional Jupiterian quality.  The wholesome Jupiter attitude toward what is foreign is to embrace it, to seek to know and understand it, to assimilate it so that it is foreign to us no more. 

The other side of this process is that we ourselves are assimilated by Jupiter’s social institutions and by the “kingdom” of the beneficial society in general.  That is not to claim, of course, that society is beneficial to all—for Jupiter’s rule perpetrates much injustice. 

With respect to society, the individual may be considered to be a “foreign” substance, in need of assimilation.  Notwithstanding whatever samskaras we may possess with respect to integration into the social fabric, when we are born we have no internal connection with the society in which we must now live.  Beyond the family unit (connect that Jupiter is exalted in Cancer), it is the job of the Jupiterian institutions to assimilate the individual into the greater social order and, through benign means, to ensure that we remain within the bounds of the kingdom.

Though Pluto is generally associated with the rule by the extremely wealthy (plutocracy), it is Jupiter that weaves the pattern by which society is governed.  I would argue that, though it is Saturn that has come to be associated with the State and, as a result, with the head of state—the king, historically—it is Jupiter that should be seen as establishing the template for the kingdom.  Again, we can turn to Zeus as the model for establishing the kingdom’s ground rules and maintaining harmony and good order amongst the gods and goddesses and amongst humans.. 

The king, historically as the ruler of the people, has been in the position to acquire and concentrate great wealth.  They have used this wealth to support the institutions of rulership and, in turn, have used those institutions to gather together the wealth of the kingdom.  By and large, we no longer have monarchs as our rulers.  Instead, that function has been transferred, over the course of many centuries, to what has been called the ruling class, heretofore the aristocracy.  The modern aristocracy is composed of those—chiefly capitalists—who have acquired and control great wealth.  This overweening abundance is quintessentially Jupiterian (although when that wealth is not redistributed for the benefit of society, it typifies a negative or dysfunctional Jupiterian quality—greed).

From one perspective, it is the need to preserve the ascendency of those with great wealth, the ruling class, that necessitates the existence of those assimilating institutions with which Jupiter is associated.  Of course, as noted previously, these institutions also play a more general role in maintaining the good order of society.  Nevertheless, it is this good order that allows the ruling class to continue in their role.  It is the absorption of the individual, the transformation of the individual from “foreign body” to an assimilated, functioning component of society that creates a compliant populace, obedient subjects.  Of course, one can also take the position—even holding it simultaneously with the more radical narrative—that this arrangement is necessary if the beneficial effects of social organization are to be enjoyed.

The idea of assimilation is also applicable to other forms of Jupiterian expansion.  We can recognize that physical growth happens through a process of assimilation.  Matter is not created out of nothingness.  When our bodies enlarge, it is because we have fed them and they have assimilated those molecules.  Understanding or growth in knowledge also happens through a process of our minds taking in mental content and assimilating that content. 

This may be a good place to address some of the more dysfunctional aspects of Jupiterian expansion.  An archetype for the shadow side of Jupiter is the Greedy Fat Man.  While Jupiter in balance maintains appropriate boundaries, when Jupiter’s energy becomes obsessed with expansion the idea of boundaries may be tossed aside.  This does not mean that boundaries have disappeared, only that the psyche becomes blind to them.  When we fail to recognize appropriate boundaries, we will push Jupiterian expansiveness past what is healthy and wholesome.  We feed our bodies but then continue to consume tasty food well beyond what is necessary for sustenance.  We grow fat.  The boundary of our body extends into obesity.

Greed, generally, is indiscriminate expansiveness.  It is indiscriminate in the sense that we no longer discriminate between what is good for us and what will ultimately harm us.  We lose sight of the “well-ordered kingdom” and equate expansion indiscriminately with our good.  In doing so, we frequently push ourselves (our boundaries) into others’ realms, violating their boundaries.  We take too much and give too little. 

Greed is not confined to excess consumption of material things or to the hording of wealth.  We can also have greed for experience.  This results in excess—a Jupiterian vice.  Excess can be experienced in any activity.  Overdoing of anything is a form of excess, of pushing expansion past what is healthy and balanced.  We can even have greed for excessive knowledge—Faust is another Jupiter shadow archetype.

As noted above, excessive expansion does not mean that we no longer have any boundaries to our expansiveness.  Sooner of later when we expand excessively, we will run into those boundaries and we will be thrown back.  The universe (or our subconscious psyche) will demand equilibrium.  Those boundaries may be experienced in the form of disease (disease resulting from excess should be treated as Jupiterian), financial collapse (a not infrequent result of Jupiterian speculation), exhaustion, humiliation or retribution.  Of course, those consequences have a Saturnian flavor and it may be viewed that when Jupiterian boundaries are ignored or not well managed, Saturnian limits will be imposed.

We now can turn to the next set of Jupiter-ruled institutions, those that are vehicles for the arts and culture.  Here, we can see the co-influence of Venus.  We can also recognize that these institutions serve as the arbiters of taste and cultural standards.  They tell us what is acceptable in society, informed by Venusian discrimination.  When new artistic trends or concepts are introduced by these institutions, it is to expand the boundaries of cultural tolerance rather than to challenge or overthrow them.  When the avant guard is successful, the new artistic style is incorporated, or assimilated, into what is considered to be acceptable and appropriate.  There is, of course, a bit of Uranian energy in this process but it is dominated and controlled (dare we say, co-opted) by Jupiter’s imperative to secure an orderly kingdom in which all is plentifully provided.

Venusian discrimination also plays a role in how expansiveness is perceived and in how a range of positive qualities becomes associated with Jupiter.  The Venusian imperative is to set up a polarity between the desirable and the undesirable.  When presented with the natural dichotomy of expansion-contraction, our tendency is to view expansion as more desirable than contraction.  Expansion is generally easy, especially if it occurs naturally.  Contraction is often painful.  Expansion is associated with gain.  Contraction is associated with loss.  Expansion generates plentitude.  Contraction produces scarcity.  We almost always will be attracted to expansion and will try to avoid contraction (unless we recognize and accept those situations in which some contraction is wholesome and in our best interests). 

Thus, Jupiter becomes associated with abundance and a general state of well-being, or freedom from want and suffering.  It is instructive to examine how we believe that abundance is created in order to shed light on other Jupiterian qualities.  While there is a strain running through the social consciousness that equates abundance with self-sufficiency (especially in Puritan/Calvinist-influenced nations such as the United States, England and Germany), abundance is frequently perceived as coming from some type of largesse.  This is the Jupiterian assumption.

Largesse can be seen as coming in two forms—intentional gift and luck.  The idea that abundance is the product of intentional gift has its roots in the idea that there is a storehouse of good things and that there is a benefactor who owns the storehouse and distributes those good things to those who lack direct access to the storehouse.  The historical model for this perception is the king—originally the tribal chieftain and later the city-state ruler—who has gathered the wealth of the nation.  If the king was good and beneficent, they would then distribute that wealth among their subjects to provide sufficient abundance within the kingdom. 

An archetypal model for the beneficent ruler is the paternalistic god (even if they were a feminine entity) who distributes abundance and favor to their human worshippers, often upon being supplicated.  Such supplication (including the practice of offering sacrifice) was performed in hopes that the god would be generous and shower good fortune upon their devotees. 

A variant of the storehouse model is the belief that the Universe is inherently benevolent and that there are riches to be had if we would only attune ourself to that current of abundance.  This, in actuality, is another form of supplication, or asking the divine figure to bestow wealth and the good things of life.  This is perhaps most clear in the Christian theology of abundance but it also applies to New Age practices of composing intentions or affirmations, or in the practice of magic generally.  When combined with astrology, these “law of attraction” practices are often performed in conjunction with astrological events involving Jupiter.

The other way in which we often view abundance being created is luck, or good fortune.  This is seen to happen without effort and even without a need to ask for it.  People with strong Jupiter connections in their chart are frequently perceived to be “lucky.”  They may seem to have an easy time in life, for opportunities to fall in their lap, or to be protected against mishap and misfortune.

All of these qualities have come to be associated with Jupiter.  They include: benevolence, charity, generosity, abundance, well-being, good luck and optimism.  Optimism is a Jupiterian quality in more than one respect.  First of all, the expectation of benevolence being received creates an optimistic attitude.  If our general experience is that our desires seem automatically to be fulfilled, we live in a condition of abundance, the world is “good to us,” then (unless we are plagued by some dysfunctional psychological pessimism) we will tend to be optimistic about the future.  The forward-looking perspective that is engendered by Jupiterian expansiveness also tends to favor optimism.  If Jupiter is afflicted by Saturn or Neptune (or the person otherwise has a fearful personality), that forward-lookingness may become a pessimistic dread of what the future may hold, however.

A special type of largesse is spiritual generosity.  Spiritual generosity is embodied in the figure of the guru and the guru also represents other Jupiterian qualities.  There are a number of strands that make up the fabric of spiritual generosity.  One is the idea of the storehouse, alluded to above.  Here, though, what is stored is not material wealth but spiritual wealth.  It is the guru who has access to the storehouse of spiritual wealth and who has the capacity to distribute this wealth among their devotees.

There is a story that has been told (by Farid al-Din `Attar if my memory is correct) about a shaykh who was presented with a valuable jewel by an admiring sultan.  The shaykh was living in what seemed to be complete poverty.  The jewel remained untouched by the shaykh for some time.  Finally, one of their disciples asked the shaykh why they did not sell the jewel and use the funds to improve their lot and that of their disciples.  The shaykh motioned their disciple to come closer and then pulled back their prayer rug.  Underneath the rug was the spectacle of an endless realm filled with a blinding array gold, silver and precious jewels of all description.  The shaykh responded to their disciple: “why do I need the dirt of worldly wealth when I have this whenever I close my eyes?”

The guru’s generosity is complete because the disciple is totally unworthy of receiving that spiritual wealth.  The guru distributes that wealth purely from their own sweet will and as the Lord commands.  The guru is also wise (another Jupiterian quality) and only shares that wealth when the time is right. 

There is another Sufi story about a disciple who, despite working hard on the spiritual path, had achieved nothing inside.  The disciple begged their shaykh for some inner experience.  The  shaykh initially advised the disciple to be content with whatever place the Lord chose to keep them.  The disciple persisted and the soft-hearted shaykh decided to grant the disciple’s request but, also, in the process teach the disciple a lesson, for the shaykh knew what the outcome would be.  That night, the shaykh asked the Lord to bestow just one drop of bliss on that disciple.  The next morning, the disciple was found wandering and completely disoriented.  They were overcome by the power of that spiritual bliss and had become stuck in one of the inner regions, helpless.  The disciple begged their shaykh to remove this condition and the next night the shaykh requested of the Lord that They withdraw Their bliss from that disciple.  The Lord responded, that the previous night, a thousand shaykhs had asked for this bliss for their disciples and so the Lord had divided one drop of Their bliss into a thousand droplets.  That disciple had received one-thousandth of a drop of the Lord’s bliss.  That one-thousandth drop was then taken away and the disciple returned to their normal state.

The guru’s storehouse is also a storehouse of wisdom.  The role of the guru is to instruct the disciple so that the disciple themself can attain the same spiritual status as their guru.  The meaning of the word in Sanskrit means “light bringer.” They bring the light of spiritual awareness, of spiritual knowledge, to any who are receptive to it.  They, thus, combine the Jupiterian qualities of generosity and understanding.  Their role is expansive, as well, as it is to expand the disciple’s spiritual awareness.  They are also the most beneficent of beings, since they bring the greatest treasure, the greatest good, to bestow on humanity.

The model of the spiritual guru, which is symbolized by Jupiter, is extended to include all forms of imparting knowledge to a student.  In fact, in India, the term guruji is used as a form of address for any teacher.  This ties in to the aforementioned rulership by Jupiter of institutions of learning, particularly of higher learning.  Jupiter, therefore, rules pedagogy and teachers of all stripes.  This includes our mentors and mentorship.  By further extension, Jupiter is seen to rule anyone who provides guidance or who bestows something beneficial in one’s life, especially if that figure is older and more experienced, wiser. 

This is the sixth in a series exploring the essential meanings of the planets in depth.  For earlier chapters, beginning with the Sun, go to the archives.

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