Please note that I am a sidereal Vedic astrologer and my calculations are based on the sidereal zodiac, Lahiri ayanamsa, not on the tropical system used by most western astrologers.
Blessings on this Thursday, Jupiter’s day of the week. Jupiter is known in Vedic astrology as Brihaspati, the Lord of Sacred Speech. He is also called Guru, planet of learning and wisdom and the dispeller of darkness. Brihaspati/Guru is the preceptor of the gods, and master of sacred wisdom, hymns, and rituals. His day of the week is called Brihaspativaar or Guruvaar.
Jupiter transits in the Pisces constellation from April 13, 2022, until April 22, 2023. I previously wrote an article about the transit of Jupiter in Pisces, in case you missed it. Jupiter has been retrograde since July 28, and will station direct on November 23. It stationed retrograde at 14 1/2 degrees of Pisces, and will station direct at about 4 ½ degrees of Pisces, so it will have transited about 10 degrees backward from its starting retrograde position.
Jupiter’s stationary period is about 10 days before and after the actual moment of changing direction, so we may start to experience some of the blessings of its forward momentum toward the end of the second week of November. As the planet of dharma (Jupiter) starts moving forward, we may begin to feel some renewed faith, optimism, hope, and inspiration, and a new sense of focus and direction.
Jupiter has been called the vacuum cleaner of the solar system because its gravity sucks in asteroids and comets, protecting us from those objects. Additionally, a study reported in Scientific American “suggests that without Jupiter, Earth itself might not exist either. Where this and the other rocky planets now orbit there may have first been a previous generation of worlds destined to be bigger, gas-shrouded, utterly uninhabitable orbs. But Jupiter came swinging in, clearing the way for small worlds like Earth by destroying those older planets.”
It’s just so interesting because astrology also considers Jupiter to be a profoundly protective force: “Jupiter is the best benefic...the bringer of the cosmic good...known as Brihaspati, the deity who personifies the worship of the Gods. Hence, Jupiter represents the materialization of the Divine Grace...gives a positive approach to life...In the Rig Veda, Brihaspati is invoked as a mighty power capable of providing immense protection and great prosperity...the special responsibility of Jupiter is to teach and gently lead his students on the path of truth...Jupiter is Jiva, the principle of life..." (from Myths and Symbols of Vedic Astrology by Bepin Behari).
Tuning into the colors yellow, orange, or gold on Thursdays will help build creative energy and a sense of purpose. Thursdays are good days for spiritual practices, rituals, and ceremonies, as well as higher educational pursuits, financial transactions, charitable actions, love, and healing. Jupiter reminds us to get back on track and count our blessings rather than our problems.
Jupiter is currently the brightest celestial body in the sky (besides the luminaries/Sun and Moon). This is in part because of Jupiter’s massive size, and because it is very close to the Earth when it’s retrograde. Also, Venus, which is usually the brightest planet, is still absent from our view until around November 20. If your sky is clear, Jupiter can be seen high in the southeast after sunset, and sets earlier each night, after midnight, as the month of November progresses. On November 4, look for Jupiter next to the waxing gibbous Moon.