Rob Tillett has been an astrologer for more than three decades. In previous incarnations a poet, musician, magician, healer, dramatist & composer, he is the editor and publisher of Astrology on the Web and has written many articles on this website.
Rob lives in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, on the east coast of Australia.
Rob Tillett presents a short description of the astrological meaning of the planet Jupiter, the greater fortune, law-giver, cosmic joker, healer and ruler of the higher mind.
Jupiter, the ruler of the ancient gods, is a giant self-illuminating planet, the centre of a mini-solar system of his own (Jupiter has over 60 known moons). A massive force, he radiates more energy than he receives, in keeping with his role as lord and teacher of the gods. Ju-piter ("Father Iu") as he was known by the Romans was called Zeus by the ancient Greeks. Zeus also became deus (God) in Latin, but the origins of the name are from Sanskrit, the elder tongue of the migrating Indo-European peoples who eventually populated both Europe and India. Jupiter was Dyaus-pitar ("Sky Father"), the original creator.
Traditionally described as the "Greater Fortune" (or "Greater Benefic", Venus being the "Lesser Benefic"), Jupiter governs joy, luck and wellbeing. When well-aspected, he provides superb opportunities for expansion and success. Poorly aspected, he generates over-confidence and foolhardy actions with little care for the consequences. Jupiter is masculine, disciplined, co-operative and priestly. Planetary lord of Sagittarius and Pisces, he rules our potential for growth and expansion on many levels: physical, intellectual, spiritual and cultural, along with the accumulation of material assets, power and status. Exalted in Cancer, healing Jupiter describes our optimism and aspirations, but he also rules cultural pursuits, religion, powerful males, government and matters of state.
Jupiter also governs our interests in faraway places, travel, foreigners, academic and artistic types, cultural endeavours such as publishing, higher education, structured personal development, healing, government and religion. Jupiter is a risk-taker, so also rules gambling and speculation, adventure – and moving into unknown territory.
This massive planet spends about a year in each sign, taking twelve years to complete the journey through all twelve signs. He turns retrograde once a year for 120 days, being stationary for some 10 days. Jupiter's transits set the stage for the performance of the year, year after year. His colour is royal blue and his gem is the yellow sapphire.
Music of the Spheres
Ancient astronomers, starting at least with Pythagoras, held that the Earth was the centre of the universe and that the planets and stars occupied positions in a series of concentric, crystal spheres surrounding the Earth. Each sphere corresponded to a note in the musical scale. The spheres rotated and the subtle sound generated was called the Music of the Spheres. By attuning to the music of the spheres one could place oneself into harmony with the cosmos.
The music of the spheres is more than a beautiful poetic intuition. The dynamics of the solar system, first laid bare by Kepler's mathematical genius, are directly analogous to the laws of musical harmony. Interestingly, modern scientists have determined that planets broadcast unique radio signal patterns, which when translated into audible frequencies, make good listening. Thus planets could be said to "sing". Check out the "Sounds of Jupiter", recorded by the Voyager mission.
If the embedded sound controller does not show on your browser, click here to listen to the "Sounds of Jupiter". Or here for a another, RealAudio version. Or check out the video below!
Jupiter turns direct in Aquarius on October 18, 2009. 
