Jupiter - Who are the Mentors of Your Story?

“Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter” ~ Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi Order and beloved mentor of Star Wars.

We all need good mentors, guides and teachers like Yoda, those who see our luminosity and lightness, so our spirit can soar. In every good story the hero has at least one such person. They may be a parent, a grandparent, an elder they know, a book or belief system, or a stranger that just shows up in their life. They may be wise sages or divine beings or misfits and eccentric, but they have one thing in common they believe in the hero, they acknowledge his specialness and are committed to his success, and not their own glory.

Who are the mentors in your story? Are they prominent?
Are they wise or foolish, flawed or divine?
What about your inner guides, mentors and higher self?
Do you believe in your luminosity?
What is the code of honor that guides you? What are your deepest beliefs?
Can you access your inner guides?

In which area of life are you most in touch with your luminous and limitless self?

Is there congruency between what the personality wants and what your inner mentor and higher self wants for you?.
What inspires you?
What is holding you back from unfolding your highest potential?

When Astrologers study the placement of Jupiter in your horoscope they are looking for answers to these questions.  In Vedic Astrology, Jupiter is called the Guru, which means the teacher or mentor who dispels our darkness. In Hindu mythology Jupiter is a guide and teacher to both mortals and the gods.

Vedic Astrologers believe that when Jupiter is with us the whole universe can be with us that is why he is associated with luck, success, synchronicity and good karma.

Jupiter is associated with the eternal and unchangeable cosmic laws. Just as Saturn is to the changeable and evolving human laws.

Self is everywhere,” says the Isha Upanishad - The pillar of cosmic law of dharma states that Jupiter rules over is that whatever we see and experience is a manifestation of  our oneness. Jupiter in the horoscope can give us a glimpse of this unity, so under his influence even sorrows, obstacles and separations take on meaning,

You can always spot a person with a prominent Jupiter, they will philosophize and give meaning to even in the most mundane of situations.  One thing is for sure they will seek some type of religion, philosophy, a mentor, teaching or a cause greater than themselves to belong to.

It is said that our guides and mentor’s may not always be able to help us, but they will never hurt us.So Even when Jupiter is placed in, or rules difficult houses, like 6, 8 and 12 he still offers some support and guidance to ease our path in life.

People with a well-placed Jupiter effortlessly attract authentic gurus, teachers and teachings. With experience, they also become good teachers and inspirational mentors. They serve with a great deal of humility and never claim their greatness.

On a psychological level Jupiter shows the type of mentorship we received in childhood, and if we were shown the possibility of the limitless potential of our spirit.

In the Yogic system Jupiter relates to the Ajna chakra or the “third eye”. In modern neuroscience the prefrontal cortex lies in the same general area as the “third eye and is part of the higher cognitive mental processing system unique only to the human brain. It plays an inhibiting and calming role over the emotional and reactive limbic part of the brain. It also down regulates the production of stress hormone cortisol, which helps limit the automatic “fight or flight” response of our baser instincts.

Yogic practices of Asana, Mantra, Meditation and Mindfulness, especially those that bring focus to the third eye, can help strengthen our Jupiter in the chart.

One common characteristic of all mentors in myths and stories and real life is that they are not like everyone else, their self- preservation and emotional reactiveness, is down regulated in favor of doing the right thing.

As the spirit of our lineage, Jupiter also shows the ethical, spiritual and religious inclinations we inherited from our ancestors. The merit accumulated by our ancestors for all the good deeds they did, is seen through Jupiter’s influence in our horoscope.

Like bees drawn to flowers, our inner and outer guides appear when Jupiter planetary periods activate. When Jupiter shows up wider cosmic questions become the theme of our life. What is the purpose of our existence?"  “How can we live a more purpose driven life”? Without Jupiter there would be now awe of this vast universe of which we are a part.

Jupiter is associated with long distance journeys, because his influence can prompt us to set sail on voyages of discovery to explore distant lands, foreign cultures, in search for broader meaning and purpose than that offered by our own social circumstances. In today’s world this can also be achieved without physical travel by attending universities, lectures, classes, books and motivational events and meeting with counsellors. Indeed, Google and internet can now serve as a long-distance journey, much like this video on YouTube…

We must be careful not to confuse Jupiter with information gathering, which is mercury’s domain. Jupiter is interested in awakening our inner knowing which is already complete.

Jupiter is referred to as Bhagya, or kismet and fortune, because of the potential for self-growth and expansion. Combining an expansive mind with the pursuit of purpose, inspiration, he becomes a planet of good fortune. Jupiter determines our fate and fortune more than any other planet, because what ultimately manifests in our life is what we believe to be True our deepest core.

In the Hindu mythic tradition, the story that has most captured the imagination, philosophy and ethos of the Indian culture for thousands of years is the epic Mahabharta, which like most epics contains a grand battle of good and evil. Before the battle begins both the protagonist, Arjuna, and his evil adversary and half-brother, Duryodhana approach the help of lord Krishna, the guide and mentor of the story.

Both have access to the same mentor, and like any good guru, Krishna does not take sides. He offers both of them the same support - they can either choose him as his guide and counsel during the battle or choose his vast and advanced army. Arjuna the virtuous hero of the story without hesitation chooses Lord Krishna and his evil brother Duryodhana smirks at his foolish choice and happily walks away with the grand arsenal of Krishna’s army. Sadly, the story does not end well for the evil brother as he ends up losing the battle.

 While Jupiter is the law of attraction and manifestation, expansion and growth, we need to be careful not to use Jupiter’s generosity and choose only objects like Krishna’s army that help us expand in the world but keep us poor in spirt.

Jupiter’s grand schemes and limitless growth possibilities can also make us over reach and expand endlessly in possession and power.His enthusiasm can become unrealistic and get caught up in exaggerations, fantasy and hyperbole. His idealism can make him impractical and naïve. So While Jupiter is filled with cosmic creativity, he still needs the help of other planets like Saturn’s perseverance to bring his dreams to fruition on earth.

On a psychological level Jupiter shows the type of mentorship we received in childhood, and if we learnt to believe in the limitless potential of our spirit.

Psychologist tell us that we learn to build beliefs faster from harmful experiences than positive ones. Affliction to Jupiter can lead to beliefs that are harmful and counterproductive to our own as well as society’s well-being. We also risk filling our mind with ideas and beliefs and confirmation bias that can make us closed minded even as we expand our mind. Many religious, political and spiritual groups exploit the human longing to embrace Jupiter’s desire to have faith and belief, and keep people enslaved to the group.

A well-disposed Jupiter is always open minded, pluralistic and tolerant. It has faith and high ideals, but never gets boxed into just one way of thinking. It understands that there are countless paths to the divine Truth. A good Jupiter searches out teachings and traditions, which expose the pitfalls of unchallenged and unquestioned beliefs, even the most well-intentioned ones

Afflictions to Jupiter can also make our faith uncertain, impatient and extreme. When what we believe works only a little bit we are most at risk of fanaticism and imposing our beliefs on others. When we our solid and secure in our beliefs we have no need to convince others. Nor do we have the desire to convert or push our agenda on others.

“Teachers open the door… You enter by yourself.” Zen proverb.

Good mentors and teachings serve as guides and not as a crutch. They smooth the way but never prevent you from taking the hero’s journey of life. They provide equipment, motivation, and tools and training but never tell you exactly what to do.

Luke: “I Can’t believe it”.
Yoda: “That is why you fail.” ~ Star Wars

Like Yoda, Jupiter’s approach is cryptic and mysterious, as Cosmic law is intuitive and perceptive and not always rational.

Jupiter functions best when it is ed by faith and belief, which is the doorway to the hero’s success, but also offers the potential for failure due to naivety gullibility and getting caught up in pomp and ritual rather than pursuit of the Truth. This is why discerning teachers and teachings who can guide, us are critical on our hero’s journey.

Jupiter is also called the lord of light. The Sanskrit word for Vedic Astrology is Jyotish, which also means “light” or to “illuminate.” Vedic Astrology or Jyotish if approached with reverence and depth can illuminate our life path and become an incredible, mentor, guide and discerning teacher on our hero’s journey.

In Jung’s words, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Vedic Astrology sheds light on our unconscious, which makes certain events fated to occur.

As Yoda said, “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter”.

A well-disposed Jupiter is necessary for faith and belief in the higher cosmic purpose for our existence, otherwise, this great ancient knowledge system of Vedic Astrology can get us caught up in fear and dread of what the future holds, as well as a search for superficial remedies. But, if you manage to watch this video to the end, or read this article to the end, you probably have a pretty good Jupiter guiding and protecting you.