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!