Jupiter is seen as the divine being who becomes king. He is seen as the apostle of consciousness who slays the dragon, to bring order to chaos. He is a philosopher on the mountaintop, which gives him an expansive view of human activities. He is creative in that an abundance of children flow from him. He also signifies good fortune and he is an excellent associate, and his friends are kings and other dignitaries.

In the book, “Mythical Astrology by Guttman and Johnson” we read that Jupiter produces offspring with powerful goddesses, that embody the best of both parents’ genetic makeup. Jupiter created many new kinds of archetypes.  Archetypes in this case are the original examples set by gods and goddesses, similar to the “original idea” that we emulate subconsciously to express ourselves in a way to be accepted in society.

Jupiter’s purpose was to pair his Archetype with several goddess archetypes to create many archetypes for us to model our lives on, each of his children became archetypal figures in their own right for example, Mars, Vulcan, Bellona, Angelos, Lucina, Juventas, Minerva, Hercules.

We further read that Jupiter impregnated numerous goddesses whether they wanted it or not. Then went on to either dominate and keep his children as possessions or treat them as status symbols but he often remained detached from his offspring.

Jupiter as an archetypal figure is the Divine Warrior, socially well adapted, protector, and benefic who lives purposefully as a philosopher and creator. He rewards or punishes with supreme power. Hercules and Chiron were rewarded for their acts of kindness, whereas Cronus and Asclepius were punished for their ruthless acts.

Living with a purpose that benefits others can be as simple as showing kindness. All of us have the drawbacks of Jupiter, overindulgence, selfish living, greed, and being rash or harsh with ourselves and each other.  In Mythology Jupiter gains perspective as he mellows in his old age, forgets his rage, and forgives those he punishes, the tools to get unstuck are within our reach.

Jupiter directs our energy towards a spiritual goal that we can achieve and recognize in the world today. We can use other people for a selfish and greedy purpose to enrich ourselves or we can intentionally include people to the benefit of a common goal. We are retracing our steps, during the Jupiter retrograde, evaluating and determining if we are on track to reach that Spiritual goal.

At the moment Jupiter is transiting Taurus and is in retrograde this brings slow and steady growth. Taurus represents spring season and the words fertile, fixing, and fruitfulness come to mind. Jupiter is comfortable in Taurus because they both share a sanguine temperament.  If this brings the Midas touch archetype into play, the over-expansion of wealth.  Best beware not to get stuck in earthly possessions but to keep the spirit of generosity alive.

We find that Jupiter turns direct at the end of December, just after Christmas. It is still early November, and the stores are already filled with Christmas goodies. We are entering a time of giving and goodwill. We can also link Christmas to Jupiter Archetype, as the ruler of Sagittarius which falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a time when we overindulge in food and drink. Create merriment, with friends and family alike, even extended family comes to visit during this time.

Where is Jupiter in your chart, and how does the Jupiter archetype play out in your life?