Jupiter: the luck bringer, the philosopher, the great benefic in the sky. Jupiter is a boon in all our charts, helping us find perspective, ambition, and our worldview. But what about the third of us who have Jupiter retrograde in our charts? What does that mean for our world?
- Iconoclasts – One of the most powerful manifestations of Jupiter retrograde is a willingness to take the dominant philosophy and turn it on its head. Because retrograde planets turn inward, Jupiter retrograde creates many groundbreaking philosophers like Rousseau, Nietzsche, Gandhi, and even Karl Marx. No matter how you feel about their philosophies, it’s undeniable that each of them changed the intellectual landscape
- Revolutionaries – But Jupiter retrograde doesn’t stop with just thinking about a new world. People with Jupiter retrograde make it happen. It’s just not possible to see a brand new world shining in front of you and not do what it takes to make it real. Just ask George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Robespierre, Ben Franklin, Andrew Jackson, and Teddy Roosevelt. Again, they may have mixed histories, but there’s no doubt that these are men who took their vision for the future and put it into action.
- Genre-busters – Jupiter rules stories, and Jupiter retrograde gives the gift of looking at stories from a brand-new angle. People with Jupiter retrograde just don’t see clear lines and boundaries separating genres, and they certainly don’t think in a linear way. It’s because of this that some of the most iconic authors of all time have Jupiter retrograde. Think Charlotte and Emile Bronte, who helped invent women-led gothic literature, Mary Shelley, who invented science fiction, Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, who perfectly captured the social conditions of their era while still creating something timeless, Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, which was the first modern novel and involved the first use of an unreliable narrator. There’s even my favorite author, Shirley Jackson, who took horror from the monstrous and gory and instead displayed the small bits of madness in everyday life. Each of these people changed the world of fiction forever, and we all have Jupiter retrograde to thank.
- Truth seekers – Jupiter is known for broadcasting information far and wide, but it is not always known for its sharp, incisive questions and deep investigation. But when Jupiter is retrograde, every answer leads to more questions. The investigation never stops. Take Upton Sinclair, whose tireless work involved going undercover and exposing the underbelly of industrialization. It was his work that helped lead to worker safety protocols being implemented for the first time. He never gave up the fight, producing no less than 5 novels. With Jupiter retrograde, there’s always another stone to turn.
Despite all these well-known names, Jupiter retrograde is not the easiest placement. It creates a powerful urge to dig deep, to find new angles, to see things differently. And once those visions exist, the drive to act is sometimes overwhelming. But Jupiter retrograde also produces some of the most important new philosophies, genres, and perspectives to humanity. Without Jupiter retrograde, it would be a boring world indeed.
Do you have Jupiter retrograde? Have you noticed its effects in your life?
I do, in Capricorn and unfortunately, my second house.
This hits home with me and my Scorpio Jupiter is exactly on the 9th house cusp! I like the authors mentioned and this does spell out my world view. I also have Saturn (10th cusp) and Neptune (8th cusp) retrograde natally.
I completely resonante with everything word you’ve said especially they “don’t see clear lines and boundaries” and “every answer leads to more questions.” I have Jupiter conjunct Uranus so the qualities of both are emphasized and, to top it off, they are in a tight GT with my angular Pisces Sun and sextile my angular Moon. J/U are an important part of who I am. The conjunction straddles my 2nd cusp so influence the first house too. Since J is retro a lot I haven’t really thought of it as so distinctive. I also have mercury (9th) and venus (8th) in Aquarius so was born a seeker and truth teller.
Sorry for my typos! My Virgo moon hates that!
I do. Conjunct my moon in Leo in 5th house. And as an Aquarius I do have to say I’m not even close to the drama usually mentioned with this placement. 😀
This explains so much! Thank you
I have Jupiter retrograde in Pisces…conjunct Chiron in the 11th house. I’ve always been known as a weirdo and different. I have been looking for information on Jupiter conjunct Chiron and haven’t found much. Can you do some writing on this configuration? A bunch of people in my age group (born in 1962) have this. I seem to be the only one into astrology though.
Yep. Yep. Mine is in the second house trine my mars up top within 7 degrees of my midheaven in Gemini. I’ve lived in the most unconventional expansive places- including a tree.
I have Jupiter retro in Leo 8th house which in placidus is also shared with my moon in Cancer 8th house. I have tried to figure out what’s up with this but it can be difficult to see your Forest or even the odd tree.
Sun/asc/venus 1st house Sag. Mc/mars/pluto/utanus 10th house Virgo.
Saturn 4th Pisces Chiron Lilith
12th house Scorp Neptune/Mercury. True node 14 Taurus..yes a mess! LOL
I’m late to this one, but I always wondered what the effects of my natal retrograde Jupiter (trine Moon and Pluto, inconjunct Sun and Mercury). I was the kid who said the emperor had no clothes and then the adult who could read between lines or notice what few seemed to. Thank you for helping me understand this better!