Jupiter in Virgo
Jupiter is expansive, passionate, magnanimous, amorous, undisciplined, uninhibited and generous. Nothing is over the top for him. As the natural ruler of Pisces and the twelfth house he has no boundaries and does whatever he pleases when he pleases. He is spontaneous, unstructured and flows wherever his fancy takes him. Jupiter often does things for his own gratification but then due to his generous nature effects some form of recompense to the object of his desire.
As the natural ruler of Sagittarius and the ninth house he presides over higher learning, long journeys, foreigners, spirituality and philosophy. Given his expansiveness, if he was malefic it would probably mean a much darker world for all of us. Fortunately he is benefic. He represents luck, optimism, faith, good fortune and prosperity. With Jupiter there is no end to higher learning or our quest for spiritual meaning in life. We become truthseekers. Those who, moved by Jupiter, begin the quest seem to never stop searching for answers.
The early etymology of his name suggests that he was seen as the sky father and he is also the planetary ruler of Thursdays. Have you noticed how some days of the week seem better to you than others? The songs never seem to say “Tell me why.I don’t like Thursdays!” Jupiter inspires us to go further, reach higher and better ourselves. He demands that we grow.
Virgo on the other hand, takes no nonsense. She is disciplined, service orientated, analytical, controlled and organising. She may also be fairly inhibited in sexual matters. She could even be accused of being prim and proper since she is the Virgin after all. Virgo rules pets and small animals, how we are of service and our health. Her intentions are pure. Her desire is to be of service to others rather than self-gratification and praise from others is not what motivates her. At her worst she can become a shrew – nitpicking, hypercritical and petty.
Virgo is the sign opposite to Pisces of which Jupiter is the natural ruler and so he is unlikely to be terribly happy in Virgo. She is the shadow of Pisces and so in this sense could be said to represent Jupiter’s alter ego. Jupiter behaving badly could become quite Virgoan in a negative way. Thus with Jupiter in Virgo, we need to be aware that there is a risk of becoming a carping, over analytical, neat freak when in a bad space. Virgo curbs Jupiter’s expansive nature. She makes him toe the line, become more focused, more contained and less exuberant. The higher learning and spiritual questing of Jupiter becomes more disciplined and directed in Virgo. The long journeys may be more spiritual than physical and may be diarised with Jupiter in Virgo. Alternatively a long cherished dream of going on an overseas trip may be brought into the realms of practicality by an analysis of what it would take to get there.
Jupiter in Virgo suggests controlled and disciplined growth. An image that springs to mind is a gardener capturing the long wild strands of an exuberantly flowering banksia rose and tying them to a lattice frame to stabilise and focus their display. Jupiter loves animals and Virgo is the ruler of pets so Jupiter in Virgo may inspire the acquisition of a pet larger than a dog or more focused activity in the area of helping pets, pet care or animals in some way. Jupiter as ruler of the ninth house is traditionally more interested in large animals but Virgo’s influence may cut him down to size and result in an interest in smaller animals.
Jupiter’s concerns include the law, religion and higher education. In Virgo his influence may be seen in activity that translates Jupiter’s ‘big picture’ thinking into a carefully organized plan for putting it into effect in service to others – whether it is suggesting how the church can be more efficient in getting its message and food baskets to the poor or coming up with a plan to study metaphysics at university or drafting legislation that pulls national health policy down into a practical level of implementability. Virgo is into project management and Jupiter’s big dreams might just come a step closer to being achieved under her careful guiding hand.
