The year long transit of Jupiter in its sign of exaltation, Cancer, is ending on July 14th. However, like most major transits of this kind, it actually begins weeks in advance.

As Jupiter nears the edge of Cancer, becoming sandhi the first week of July, the transitions and changes start. Pay close attention at this time to themes that connect to Leo, the 5th house and the Sun. Simultaneously any final lessons and understandings from the Jupiter in Cancer transit will be intensifying. This is a time of crystalization, where the final offerings of the Cancer cycle are being shared with us.

Read more about Jupiter’s transit through Cancer.

Interestingly, Cancer is ruled by the Moon and directly connects to the mother, home, grounding and the emotional body. Leo is ruled by the Sun and correlates to the father, our sense of power, the ego and the solar plexus. There is a divine integration being shared with us, as the planet of wisdom, Jupiter, moves from the sign of “the mother” to the sign representing “the father.” Be aware of stories, patterns and threads of insight that emerge as Jupiter changes signs.

What parental wounds can be transformed and healed through wisdom and deeper understanding?

Jupiter: The Planet of Wisdom

As Jupiter arrives into Leo on July 14th, a new cycle begins for our inner guru. Jupiter is the planet of wisdom and in Sanskrit referred to as, guru, the teacher. The expansion and deepening heart wisdom of the previous cycle is replaced by an expansion and growth with our power. The balancing effect of Jupiter giving his gaze to Saturn in Scorpio ends, but Saturn continues to share his contractive, focused energy to Jupiter. The tables turn and Saturn’s effects will be felt in a more intensified way in the coming months. We will feel these effects on our sense of power and our ability to shine and be seen.

What is holding you back from standing in your power? Challenges and obstructions are Saturn’s way of helping us transform and change. What are your challenges teaching you?

Jupiter provides expansion, growth, wisdom, knowledge and is considered the most beneficial planet of the nine because he mostly gives positive results. Sometimes his results may not seem positive at the outset, but often he provides a silver lining or some protection ultimately in the long run. I like to think of Jupiter as a provider—the planet who offers us support and some sense of ultimate comfort because he gives us awareness and expanded thought.

Awareness and personal expansion are powerful tools if used properly. His satva (purity) is a sustaining force that brings happiness, grace and peace with him.

In Jyotish, we see the Sun as the maha (great) soul of all, but Jupiter is actually considered the support to the soul. He is our guru (teacher) and guide, the adviser who gives us knowledge and wisdom, growth and expansion, and connects us to our dharma (purpose). He removes darkness, ignorance, and aligns us with the higher realms, the positive tendencies of the mind and emotions. He connects us to the divine intelligence which is all pervasive. The extent to which we can perceive this divine existence directly speaks to our relationship with the guru, Jupiter. If Jupiter is able to share his balance in the Jyotish chart, then he brings harmony. If he imbalanced we see laziness and lethargy, missed opportunities for life and living, or a lack of nourishment and support in life.

It takes Jupiter one year generally to transit through each of the signs of the zodiac. He is heavy and Kapha in nature (the elements of earth and water) and thus slow to move. He will be transiting through Leo until August 11th 2016, at which point he moves to Virgo.

Jupiter and the Sun Converge: Soul Expansion

The planet of wisdom and expansion (Jupiter) will be transiting Leo, a sign ruled by the Sun and intimately connected to our inner light. The Sun, or Surya in Sanskrit, is responsible for giving light and energy so that all things can grow and prosper. Too much light, however, and the Sun burns and scorches. He reminds us that too much of a good thing can also be harmful. Sun represents resources and the things we need to survive. As the Sun brings light, it shows us truth, satya, while offering clarity, focus and removal of darkness.

In Jyotish, the Sun represents father and masculine energy. His attributes are like the king and he shares rank and position, power and authority, as well as respect and ruler-ship. The Sun will give us our dharma, the proper path to follow for our enlightenment.

Traditionally, the father is supposed to help guide the child on their path of dharma. It is the father who is responsible for instilling self-esteem and inner strength in us. Sun also represents the soul, our spiritual body, and will show us our relationship to spirituality in this life. Essentially, the Sun is the light of the soul. It is the light within us that guides our lives. The soul is what insures there is life; if the soul is not happy, the body grows sick and dies. On a psycho-spiritual level, the Sun in an expression of our spiritual body, the house of the soul. By extension, there is a connection to the physical body and the well-being of our physical structure.

Our sense of self, ahamkara, is also represented by the Sun. On a mundane, human level, the ego is also represented by the Sun. The ego is our shadowed self, the part of ourselves that identifies with the material, transitory, changing reality of life.

Having a healthy relationship with the ego, the sense of self, is vital for being a well-rounded human being. This must be a conscious practice- one that is invited into our human experience, while not negating the interplay of our spirit and ego. Deepening our relationship with the Sun and studying its expression in our jyotish chart can help us awaken to our karmas around power. There is a necessity to understand the dance between the spiritual and human dynamics at play within the Jyotish chart.

The Sun is the most consistent planet and it sets the pace of time through rising and setting daily. As a result we experience days, seasons and bio-rhythms. In fact, life itself is structured around the Sun as a light source. He is the rhythm of nature and thus represented through the rhythm of music and dance.

Leo and Fifth House Matters

Leo, or Simha, in Sanskrit is symbolized by a lion and connected to the fifth house in the jyotish chart. The qualities expressed by this sign are likened to its ruler, the Sun, and being seen in big, bold ways. Goddess Durga is often depicted riding a lion or tiger and is connected to strength, health, power and overcoming challenges. Her power is an invitation to strengthen ourselves during this cycle. Other themes arrive around leadership, dominance, authority and power. Leos often have to work with ego issues, their relationship with authority and power, as well as father issues and ancestral issues. The important body parts connected to Leo and the fifth house are stomach and abdomen, the seat of the solar plexus, our power center.

The fifth house is directly connected to our power and passionate- just like the energy of a Leo. It is also the house of children, creativity and creative life force energy, and the potency of procreation. Romance and lovers are also strong as a result of this energy. Since the stomach, or upper gut, is intimately associated with our instincts, this house combines with intelligence and intellect or buddhi, as well as the intuition. By extension, education and learning are fifth house matters as well as intelligence we gain through life experience—which can sometimes be formal, but not necessarily.

As Jupiter moves through the sign of Leo, many of these themes connected to power, creativity, romance, passion and being seen, will expand for us. Look for deepening awareness, wisdom and visibility with these areas of life as a result of this transit. The personal effects of this transit will be determined by your own Jyotish chart and how well Jupiter is able to express himself in your chart. Now is an ideal time to prepare for the upcoming transit with extra guidance and support, as well as having a Jupiter yagya for a smoother transition.

Need some extra guidance and clarity? Schedule a jyotish astrology coaching session with me.

Shadowed Power

Jupiter speeds through Leo in just over six months. As Jupiter nears the edge of Leo, he retrogrades, on January 7th. Jupiter is retrograde until May 9th, 2016. Multiple planets will also be joining him in retrograde during this lengthy backwards dance. No doubt this cycle will bring a powerful opportunity for self-development and self awareness. Retrograde planets act like the nodes, Rahu and Ketu, and invite us to work with our shadows very intentionally.

As Rahu and Ketu move into Leo and Aquarius on January 29th, 2016, a conjunction of Jupiter’s purity collides with Rahu’s shadow and confusion. Rahu has an intense appetite for worldly gains, has strong desires and won’t take no for an answer. Jupiter’s nature is one of gentle strength, expanding wisdom and pure intentions. Their energies oppose and negate each other. Wherever Jupiter is in one’s jyotish chart, he enhances and supports the other grahas (planets) and the house where he is placed. He is after all a strong support and ally. Rahu, however, will ruin Jupiter’s satvic (pure) nature and destroys that which Jupiter values most. Jupiter may be able to soften Rahu, but Rahu’s nature taints Jupiter’s benefic, spiritual qualities.

With Saturn giving his gaze to Leo from his position in Scorpio, he gives his pressure to Jupiter and now Rahu in Leo as well. We get increased pressure, stress and tension with all matters of Leo as a result. The collision of Saturn and Rahu’s energy in this powerful and dynamic sign will bring increased strength and potential, while simultaneously offering intensified storms and power issues.

This will be a time to temper one’s worldly cravings, as they will likely be stronger and more excessive. We may notice an intense strength increase within us, while we also struggle with our sense of power and identity simultaneously. There may be extra challenges with authority figures, our fathers and those in support roles as a result. If we are in these roles, we may experience challenges and obstructions with regard to sharing our power, strength and passion- depending on the placement of these planets in one’s natal chart.

Self identity and self awareness will be very prominent themes for this Jupiter in Leo cycle. Finding increased growth, wisdom and nourishment for the ego will be a part of the transit as well. Children, relationships and romance will be important factors at play, as well as creativity and passion. However, the personal effects of this transit will be determine by your own Jyotish chart and how well Jupiter is able to express himself in your chart.

The placement of the Sun, your 5th house and other factors in your natal chart will also play a role in the outcome of this year long cycle.

Now is an ideal time to prepare for the upcoming transit with extra Jyotish astrology guidance and support, as well as having a Jupiter yagya for a smoother transition.

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Relephant bonus:

In case you think astrology is too woo-woo, here’s some food for thought:

Author: Saraswati J. 

Editor: Renée Picard 

Photo: Pixoto/Zoe Walker Designs