Will Aries Fire Ignite Jupiter in Sagittarius to Lead the Way?

B.A. Vierling artist

This question arose in my consciousness this morning as I looked at the latest ‘star map’ freshly printed out during this New Moon in Aires phase. Take a look yourself at this chart: Here rides Jupiter in Sagittarius leading the array of energies unfolding all the way down to Mars in Gemini. We now have a bit more Yang energies to unleash our brave search for meaning and truth.

Jupiter is about to turn Retrograde in its own sign on the 11th of April at 24+ Sagittarius. The Sabian Symbol for this degree is “A Chubby Boy On A Hobby-Horse”. A what????  Can’t you just picture this interesting image of a fat little boy rocking back and forth on his toy rocking horse? I can. According to Dane Rudyhar’s interpretation this symbol’s keynote is “The anticipatory enjoyment of powers one can only as yet dream of utilizing.” He goes on to talk about the horse as a symbol of power with great sexual energies implied within it. It brings to mind the old cowboy myths of men on horseback conquering wide open spaces such as the American Wild West. But this is a ‘well fed’ little boy, still quite young, innocently playing at being a big, strong, majestic man. After all, the pretend games of childhood are mimicking the adult world they see around them. They are practicing. Every fiber of their little beings is anticipating what it might be like to be grown up.

 Dane states that this symbol shows us “…a play filled with cultural and emotional expectation, unconscious though this expectation may be. We see here the FORESHADOWING of the mature experience of manhood.”  Interestingly the next symbol is “A Flag Bearer in a Battle.” Hmmm. Note the masculine gender implied here by image and word whereas today, with feminism on the rise, we could easily place a little chubby girl on that hobby horse, or visualize a woman flag bearer in battle. 🙂

Astrology as a cosmology is also a symbolic language; an archetypal language. Jupiter symbolizes outreach, expansion, growth towards or into something more abundant, perhaps even bigger than life. In Sagittarius it connects with the quest, the exploration into the unknown, both in the outer world and the inner world. Thus we have the physical, the mental, sometimes the emotional, and the metaphysical worlds implied as grounds for an enthusiastic (Jupiter word again) exploration.

A perfect modern example of this symbol would be Elon Musk’s desire to colonize on Mars as well as other planets eventually. The new ‘barons’ of the world such as Bezos, Musk, and Zuckerberg are techno wizards for sure. The open expanses of the web, outer space, and technology inform and fuel their drive. But where is the ultimate meaning in all of this? Where is it really leading us to? Are these quests of intellect and brilliance fueled by any grasp of mature wisdom connected with the concept of sacredness? IS LIFE SACRED TO THESE MEN? I wonder about that. Do you?

There are others who say we are heading for a cliff leading to an abyss of no return. There are others who say we are destroying the planet with our folly and greed for more and more and more. There are others who say that time is running out and we have but little time left until midnight strikes ‘end of game’. How long can we continue to take and take without giving anything back? Is the collective just a fat boy on a hobby horse, satiated with comforts, rocking back and forth to no where? I do think about these things today as I sit in my mountain home reflecting on my own life and the cycles I have witnessed over 75 years now.

What does it truly mean to become conscious and what is the archetype of Jupiter in Sagittarius really trying to teach us IF there is a higher consciousness at work in the Universe and we aren’t simply programmed rats in a maze? My husband and I discuss these things. Do you discuss them with your loved one or ones? Why are we here in these bodies that EXIST. Who brought us this existence called life? Is this life sacred? Is all life sacred?

This of course leads us to beliefs and Pisces/Neptune as well. But I wish not to digress too far from this Jupiter in Sagittarius theme which truly is leading the pack right now even if it is in square to Neptune coloring our dreams and illusions. I feel that Jupiter here seeks clarity and vision because it IS fire. Now that Chiron is in Aries bolstered by the New Moon in Aries perhaps we, as a collective, are given another jump start to get our batteries energized and moving forward with action which lead us somewhere constructive and good as the earth energies of Saturn/South Node/Pluto in Capricorn inform us of what is wrong and what must be tackled realistically before it truly is too late, and Uranus in Taurus wakes us to these earth realities.

Jupiter will be retrograde from April 11th through August 12th going all the way back to 14+ degrees of Sagittarius. That degree’s Sabian Symbol is “The ground hog looking for its shadow on Ground-Hog Day, February 2.” The keynote for that degree is ‘The value of anticipating new turns of events and ascertaining future prospects.” Good. We have four months time in which to plan. As Dane states, “…….it has become essential to plan with an eye on probable future developments. Such planning requires a study of past trends and the extrapolation of the results. What above all is implied in the symbol is a sensitivity to social or planetary rhythms, and the need to ensure at least relative safety by planning ahead.”

This will be a good time to apply this to our own lives personally, wherever Jupiter is traveling and whatever the aspects to our natal energies are being activated.  With so many dire predictions economically, for example, this makes sense in ensuring safety for ourselves and our loved ones. Hopefully those who are actively engaged as leaders for the collective will also utilize this energy consciously for the benefit of all, including the planet. They don’t necessarily need to use astrology but astrology proves to me over and over again a sure and steady archetypal quide in steering my own course through life and informing me of the added meaning I extract as I move along, hopefully not just sitting in my rocking chair nodding out! This is my time for reflection and distillation of the wisdom gained through the experiences I lived. If you are young this is your time to take your dreams forth and actualize them in a good and meaningful life. If you are in the middle of your productive years, this is a time to both reflect and move forward with renewed faith in your ability to make a positive difference in the world wherever you are called to serve.

Let Jupiter be your guide right now and allow the consciousness within the energy to inform your actions positively and meaningfully.