In astrology, Jupiter is always considered to be the Great Benefactor, the planet of luck and success such as personal fortune, social prominence, professional prestige, high political position. The Jupiterian bounty is peerless!

In psychological terms, this planet has a much vaster significance. As the biggest planet in the solar system, it does preside over the process of personal expansion, interpreted to be fitting into society better and finding an appropriate match between one’s individual ambitions and the aspirations of the group. This growth is accompanied by a feeling of self-confidence, which, in turn, buoys up an even greater externalization and expansion of the ego – hence the planet’s flattering reputation.

But this snowball effect (Jupiter smiles and the world smiles with you), in which social skills magnify confidence and boldness reaps many rewards, betrays the negative side of Jupiter: extreme and excess. Although grandeur was the characteristic of the “king of the gods,” errors of judgment, poor taste, and sometimes selfishness and pride are also likely to be part of the Jupiterian package. It is important to note that the extension of the ego may be a form of escape; it is tempting to hide behind one’s popularity and social success, which are fairly easy to obtain, rather than be really demanding with oneself.

The Jupiterian has a tendency to amplify qualities out of compensation, to avoid seeing weaknesses and flaws. As a result, you must be aware of the risk of over-identifying with your social mask, which would cause you to neglect your inner self and deep nature.

According to Greek myth, Mercury (or Hermes, whose name derives etymologically from the piles of rocks which marked trails and guided travelers) was the messenger of the gods. He carried orders from Olympus to the mortals on Earth. The child of the illegitimate union of Zeus with Maia, Mercury was born “unknown to the immortal gods” and had to win his place among them by trickery, cleverness, and cunning. This is why he became the vagabond deity of travelers and wanderers. He is the instinctive foe of the settled who see him as an outcast roaming on the outskirts of society: a pariah, a thief, and a swindler. As ruler of the sign of Gemini, the Twins, he symbolizes the brother—the alter-ego who teaches us as much as we teach him and is associated with adolescence, a period of intense intellectual discovery. Mercury thus symbolizes lively, sparkling wit, mobility in any form, mental exchange, and interaction. As a result, a person strongly ruled by Mercury is quite likely to be clever and skillful. If Mercury is “afflicted” in one’s chart, their intellectual velocity may sometimes become mere mental hyperactivity. In any case, these skills are a great resource in the social realm. You communicate easily and effectively, orally or in writing. Your ability to unite and transmit would be a good resource in diplomatic or commercial endeavors.

Pluto is the planet of transformation. It rules the sign of Scorpio, the sign of death, redemption, and divine mysteries. Pluto’s energy is mysterious. Its discovery in 1932 associates it symbolically with the creation of the nuclear bomb and the development of psychoanalysis. In ancient mythology, Pluto was considered to be associated with all the aspects of the underworld – Hades, the Greek name for Pluto, was the god of shell. Today, the underworld is synonymous with the Mafia, and the two share many characteristics. Pluto occupies an important place in the horoscopes of great mystics and spiritual beings, as well as in the theme of certain dictators and tyrants, among them the most ruthless and greedy for power. In psychological terms, Pluto corresponds to the transmutation of instinctive energies into energies which are accessible consciously by the individual’s ego. This transmutation, which is never completely controllable, induces a power complex. On the social level, it might be symbolized by the nuclear disaster, the failure of Western man to master the energy of the atom – a power complex gone awry. On the individual level, Pluto is expressed either in a “power complex,” in which instinctive energy is completely transmuted into a personal resource, or as a “failure complex,” in which certain inhibitions prevent the instinctive energy from being transmuted.

Amanda Rawles, you should pay close attention to the seventh house because it contains several planets which will affect your theme.

According to astrological tradition, the seventh house is related to marriage, contracts, social life, and worldly matters. It can be read for indications about a future marriage partner (the first), and business partners, your “objective allies” as well as your enemies. Diametrically opposed to the Ascendant, the Descendant (the doorway into the seventh house) symbolizes everything that complements you or opposes you. This house thus represents the encounter with the other world, the non-ego. By extension, it embodies all the experiences which result from this encounter: interpersonal relationships, partnerships, marriage, rivalry, contracts, and conflicts, etc. When this area is especially significant, it indicates that a great deal of your energy will be invested in the domain of relationships. Bonds, contracts, partnerships, and perhaps the disputes and conflicts which may arise from them will be prominent aspects of your success. However, you will evolve fastest and learn most from friendships and partnerships. You will have to learn to be objective. Your goal will be to master the interdependency of your relationships, and go beyond a tender and dutiful reciprocity to a truly beneficial mutual exchange and sharing. By making a distinction between love (the fifth house) and marriage (the seventh house), traditional astrology shows us the difference between the projection of narcissistic self-love (simple self-expression) and the objective encounter with the other on a truly egalitarian basis. To reach the seventh house from the fifth, it is necessary to travel through the sixth: a reorientation of personal energies.

The third house is an area of the sky which is especially important in Amanda’s theme. In the following paragraph, we shall explain the general meaning of this fact.