The Stars This Week — May 2nd v. 2/15

Jupiter-Rahu: too much of a good thing?

The astrological highlight this week will be the 120 degree or trine aspect between Jupiter and Rahu.  This is a fairly rare combination and occurs only once in every three years.  Jupiter, of course, is the Great Benefic that symbolizes optimism, expansion, wealth and wisdom.  As planetary portfolios go, it doesn’t get much better than that.  Jupiter is a fairly reliable indicator of positive events and having things go your way.  It is often prominent in the chart whenever something good happens: new love, new job, promotion, or a new house. 

Rahu is another matter altogether.  Rahu is the ancient Sanskrit name given to the North Lunar Node. The Moon’s Nodes are not planets in any real sense but are calculated points in space that mark the intersection between the planes of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and Moon’s orbit around the Earth.  These points move backwards across the sky at a rate of about one and a half degrees per month.  The nodes Rahu and Ketu are close by the Sun and Moon whenever there is an eclipse. While the Nodes Rahu and Ketu are not real planets, their effects can be very powerful.  And since eclipses have traditionally been seen as harbingers of change and misfortune, Rahu is considered a natural malefic in Vedic astrology.  However, it is important to recognize that Rahu is not all bad.  In some situations, Rahu can actually bring positive events.  The most recent example of this was this week’s Royal Wedding in which transiting Rahu conjoined Prince William’s Ascendant.  In this sense, Rahu is more of a chameleon that can assume the energy of planets with which it is associated.  Rahu is perhaps best understood as a source of change which disrupts the status quo.  This is derived from the idea that since Rahu conjoins the Sun in a solar eclipse, Rahu is the power to disrupt the light from the Sun.   Rahu also represents the breaking down of barriers and the transgression of norms.  Rahu is unconventional and often rude or indifferent towards traditions and authority figures.  It also has a tendency towards grasping at things beyond its reach.  This can translate into a greedy acquisitiveness or a shopaholic syndrome when it is let loose in the material world.  Because Rahu is somewhat unbalanced, its gains may be disruptive or unsustainable in the long run and may come at the expense of someone else.

When Rahu and Jupiter are in mutual aspect, there is a blending of Jupiter’s optimism and growth with Rahu’s change and disruption.   We could see a rise in exaggeration this week, as optimism gets the better of us as expectations become wildly inflated.  This could be the time when something looks too good to be true, as Rahu creates fantastic scenarios that appeal to our greedier sides or deeply held beliefs.  The risk here is that we may become captive to our narrow self interest and lose sight of the larger obligation we share with other people.  Jupiter-Rahu puts the emphasis on the material realm at the expense of ethics or tradition, so we may be tempted to let the ends justify the means.  The Jupiter-Rahu combination can be great for boosting our confidence for putting ideas into action, but we may need to take care not to trample on the wishes of other people.  So this week could be a good time to take advantage of any new opportunities but we should be make sure they are genuine and do not hurt others.  Doing due diligence is always worthwhile but perhaps no more so that here as Rahu may try to confound our better judgment.  Caveat emptor and all that.

I’ve added a write-up on the Royal Wedding to the site.  The marriage horoscope from the wedding is incredibly powerful and speaks to the high profile and immense popularity of William and Kate.  The 9th house is absolutely packed with planets and this will incline the couple towards a traditional and respected status as they will enjoy a high level of authority throughout their lives.  It is a very appropriate chart for a future King of England.  At the same time, Saturn is quite prominent in the chart as it aspects all of those planets in Pisces and the 9th house.  This suggests that the marriage will endure heavy burdens and responsibilities and there could be some significant difficulty along the way.  William’s own horoscope is also problematic in the marriage and relationship department, so I wonder if this marriage will stand the test of time.  There is a very real chance that there could be some major challenges that he will have to confront including, I’m sorry to say, the possibility of divorce.  His chart isn’t massively afflicted in this respect so there is still some element of doubt on that score, but it cannot be ruled out.   Nonetheless, his chart does look good for eventually assuming the throne.  Jupiter on the Midheaven exactly aspecting the Sun in the 7th house.  A very nice pattern indeed.  We should all have such a fortunate and powerful horoscope.   But most of us don’t, and that is what makes life interesting.

Have a great week,
Chris