Why is Jupiter associated with purpose? It sounds too high and mighty and fancy. Why not something simple as happiness? Wouldn’t the ‘purpose’ of Jupiter be about the pursuit of ‘happiness’? If it is, then is it easier when it is in its exaltation point, all other things being supportive?
Jupiter's ultimate purpose is take the consciousness towards God as that's were bliss and joy are found. That's why he is the brahmin planet - spiritual Guru while Venus being brahmin too is worldly Guru. Venus teaches how to act best in the world and Jupiter teaches how to unite with God.
A few weeks ago I posted some musings about Jupiter that go into this.
To expand on that example of Jupiter and children, there are a few examples of long term studies that measure parents' happiness in terms of amount of sleep, free time, disposable income, etc. and even just self-reported happiness. In almost all studies this indicator drops sharply after the birth of a couple's first child. Yet, the vast majority of people also consider the birth of their child to be among the most meaningful events in their lives. When asked whether others should have kids, their answer is a big resounding yes. Why?
It's because a child gives your life purpose that extends beyond you and your own happiness. There are many people who indulge in Venusian pleasures galore and at the end of the day, their life feels empty. (Not saying people without children lead meaningless lives btw. There are lots of other Jupiterian purposes. I'm just using children as a very common and obvious example in this post.) My understanding is that it's because happiness without purpose is only skin deep and needs an external source to be constantly replenished. Many people live in circumstances under which they should be happy, but are quite miserable, because they have no raison d'etre. Conversely, there are people so destitute financially that live in constant communion with source that they experience true joy because they are rock-solid in their purpose. I'd say life without purpose is just a meaningless chain of potentially pleasurable, potentially miserable events. Life with purpose gives you a reason to do it and want to keep doing it that pulls you out of navel-gazing and focusing on yourself (at least that's what it's felt like for me, though I'm still only at the beginning of that journey).
Think about the last time you followed a creative impulse that seemed as if to come from outside of you. Lately, I've had those a lot with pieces of writing. It's like a bug that is whirring in my ear and asking me to write. It won't rest until I've done it. I do it, even when I'm tired or would rather zone out. Ever since I've started doing that in my free time rather than just consuming other people's content, I've started being so much happier, because I feel like I have another purpose. I feel content afterwards because I followed an inspiration that was innate to me and saw it to fruition and because I feel I can tap into that source again.
Also as an aside adding to the connection of children and Jupiter: There are studies that measure activity in certain parts of a person's brain before and after having children and for both mothers and fathers (provided they are present, of course) there is a shift that happens neurologically. Essentially, parts of the brain associated with doing detail oriented work shrink, while there is an expansion towards big picture activity. I don't know what could possibly be more Jupiterian.
Here's a quote from the article I mentioned:
"This relates to a second point, which is that there’s more to life than happiness. When I say that raising my sons is the best thing I’ve ever done, I’m not saying that they gave me pleasure in any simple day-to-day sense, and I’m not saying that they were good for my marriage. I’m talking about something deeper, having to do with satisfaction, purpose, and meaning."
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/11/does-having-kids-make-you-happy/620576/
Anyway, these are just my two cents on the subject. Maybe it helps.
I agree that children help us grow and expand our horizons. But, after having raised a child, I would not say that it is the purpose.
Just as sadness comes from within and not because of circumstances, couldn’t we say that happiness comes from within, and not from a purpose?
Maybe, happiness comes from having the fulfilment of having achieved something or having overcome a struggle. Perhaps, having purpose gives us something to achieve or overcome and be happy as a result, and we associate that as Jupiter? Can I not just wake up happy, full of dopamine, just because, or because something has stabilised within myself, instead of because of something I am looking forward to do?
These are just some of the questions that are floating around in my head at the moment.
Exactly! It comes from within. That's what I was alluding to. Which is why I don't think it should come from overcoming an obstacle or achieving something. Obstacles and achievements are related to things that are external to us. Other planets are responsible for those.
Just for clarification Obviously, no child should bear the burden of giving a parent's life purpose. But many parents feel that having a child gives their life meaning in a way that it didn't have before, without having intended for it to be that way.
I think children are merely a very literal and evident manifestation of creativity and God's creative process and that they show us how we can be a part of that process in a way that's very on the nose. It can be short cut to accessing that job giving wisdom, in other words. The changes in brain chemistry support this. Obviously, we are only cocreators at best. We're not actually creating this person. My understanding is that none of us are the doers. It makes sense if you think of Jupiter being exalted in a receptive sign. Ideally, we are just receptive to what source sends us and able to nurture whatever that is into what it's meant to evolve into (Cancer).
This receptive/creative process should be the same with any "download", whether it is a child, a work of art, a song, etc. Also, like Ernst describes, if it is about the process, it is about the simple joy of creating in the moment, rather than the result. So ideally, it shouldn't matter what the outcome is, i. e. what the thing we've cocreated ends up being or how good or bad our relationship with it is. Then, finding joy in creating is no longer paradoxical. It IS about something that comes from within, or rather something we're able to tap into like a faucet within. And the act of creating connects us to God. At least that's my experience.
Wouldn’t the obstacles and achievements in the external reflect the obstacles and achievements within? Hence, I equated it to Jupiter. If Jupiter is life-giving, removal of that obstruction (within or reflected without) opens up the flow of that energy or it flows freely than before and perhaps, that’s why we feel a surge of happiness.
Similarly, with a child or husband or wealth (Jupiter in all cases), we revel if our child or husband has done something or we receive more wealth/income. Perhaps, it is a reflection of our creative aspect having overcome something, and we take joy in it?
Yes, but I don't think they're related to Jupiter. Mars is the planet that gives us the ability to overcome obstacles, not Jupiter. That's an entirely different step in my opinion.
And as I said, my understanding is that it's not about the concrete thing Jupiter rules (your husband or child), but rather what those things have the potential yo elicit.
Anyway, I'm not sure I am following your train of thought. Perhaps our experiences are just very different. I hope you find an answer to your question. Trust that it's already in you :).
😀 I think we are talking about the same thing, just in different ways.
Ernst says, Jupiter takes the Sun for a ride around the Barycenter (paraphrasing here). The planets are an extension of the Sun, having been broken off from it. Jupiter creates the opportunity for expansion, and the Sun gets the opportunity to play the conductor over all the planets in the orchestra.
So, even though Mars gives us the ability to overcome obstacles, the life force that is free to flow would be Jupiters. Hmmm, or would it be the Sun’s? That takes me down another rabbit hole.
Anyway, it was just something I was playing around with in terms of a concept. All input is helpful and helps me see things from different perspectives and clarify things in my mind.
@manisha My thoughts on this are: Jupitor (Jiva) is the noble puppet designed by ParamAtma(Supreme Jiva) who is job is to link Sun (Buddhi - Intelligence) and Mo (Mind- idea of separate existence) through the will of Ma to the supreme soul itself and defeat the maya (bad manifestation of planets in chart) (the highest purpose of all living beings) and when you see this connection playing well in anyone charts(ofcourse flavors will be different) they are usually very happy beings in area of life where this circuit of Jupiter is set up in their chart, so when you look at Ju also have a eye on how his friends are doing in helping him in overall life purpose.
For some, it could be finding purpose through their children's life (again maya) for some it could be money (false/Temp happiness), for some it could be knowledge)
The ultimate form of happiness is being in love with creator and his creations and believe it or not this can be horned practiced if you hear , see , feel the divine spark in each and every experience and existence of life (good or bad based on karmic balance sheet of past lifes - Ra/Ke axis)
Now, in the chart When Ju is severely afflicted it will may take time for an individual to find the purpose in this lifetime or may many more lifetimes, so usually such jivas will questions the idea of purpose itself and either get confused and get lost or cling to false idea of purposes (maya), I also have Ju and Ra conjunction in 9th/3rd Axis and right now I am in a realization phase that I am blessed with burst of divine intervention and getting closure to taste of how it feels to be purposeful, will share more as I walk little far on this new idea of life path and purpose
My apologies if this got over complicated than making it simple 🙂 but the bottom-line is in the game of life more sattvic life you lead more closure you get to the goal post .
From what I am reading in your post, you are basically saying that Jupiter’s role is to bring everything into balance, so that everything flows in harmony towards a focus, whatever that focus might be. Is that correct?
So, that focus then becomes the purpose, and we associate our happiness to that purpose. But, isn’t that still twice or thrice removed from the main objective and ‘purpose’ of Jupiter - of bringing things (or our internal planets, and hence our external world) into harmony? Doesn’t that kind of fit into the higher wisdom or the broader vision of Jupiter?