The Franklin Files

This article is currently appearing in the Summer 2006 issue of "The Astrology Quarterly"

INTRODUCTION

In Classic Greek Mythology, Zeus (or Jupiter to the Romans) was the son of Saturn, King of the Titans, a savage race of Gods who held humanity under a yoke of fear. When Zeus grew up and eventually replaced his father as King of the Gods, he banished the Titans and introduced a more benevolent group of immortals into power that were known as the 12 Olympians. As a result of these legendary actions, the archetype of Zeus (or Jupiter) has come to symbolize nobility, leadership, courage, and compassion.

Aside from the 12 Olympians and the various other Gods and Goddesses, Greek Mythology also contains stories of mortal heroes as well. One of these legendary figures is Odysseus, King of Ithaca, who distinguished himself on the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War. His exploits are recounted in “The Odyssey, an epic poem believed to have been written by the poet Homer that presents the Hero’s Journey as a metaphorical illustration of the path toward maturity and enlightenment that we all must experience.

On Thanksgiving Day in 2006, the planet Jupiter will end a year long trek through the Astrological sign of Scorpio and return home to its native environment of Sagittarius. Like the legendary Odysseus of Greek Mythology whose journey home after the Trojan War became a transformative adventure to the Kingdom of the Dead and back, what insights and treasures will the King of the Planets reveal to us on its current odyssey through the deepest, darkest sign of the Zodiac?

The preceding comparison of the coming Jupiter transit in 2006 to “The Odyssey” of classical Greek Mythology goes far deeper than being merely a catchy metaphor designed to excite a reader’s interest. In fact, the 39 major aspects Jupiter will enter into over the coming year (not involving the Moon) follow the actual plot of “The Odyssey” as closely as if some greater Universal Intelligence had intended for the 2006 Jupiter passage to be a live re-enactment of the ancient text. What follows is a recap of the 39 aspects of Jupiter and their correlation to the actual text of “The Odyssey.”

THE ODYSSEY

The plot of “The Odyssey” opens with the Goddess Athena pleading to Zeus and the other gods on Olympus to let the hero Odysseus return home to his native Ithaca after the close of the Greek war against the Trojans This debate is previewed by a semi-sextile between the asteroid Athena (also known as Pallas Athena) and Jupiter that lasts from December 28-30, 2005. In her speech, the Goddess emphasizes that Neptune’s vendetta against the legendary hero regarding the blinding of his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, has grown far out of proportion for Odysseus has not been home for 20 years. Upon hearing this, Zeus and the other Gods agree that Odysseus should return home, corresponding to the first aspect Jupiter enters into in 2006, namely a sextile to the Sun in Capricorn on the 4th of January.

(At this point, it should be explained that even though the Greek God Zeus would usually correlate to the Roman God Jupiter, because Jupiter and its 2006 transits will be used in this essay to represent Odysseus, the Sun will then subsequently symbolize either Zeus or some other relevant idea whenever it is in aspect to Jupiter.)

Once Zeus has decreed that Odysseus should return to Ithaca, Mercury, the messenger of the Gods, is then sent to the island of Ogygia where the Goddess Calypso is holding the hero prisoner. This development would refer to the second aspect of Jupiter in 2006, specifically a sextile to the planet Mercury on the 13th of January. Of the two remaining aspects to Jupiter in January of 2006, the first is an opposition to Mars in Taurus on the 15th, illustrated in the text by Odysseus setting out by raft from Calypso’s island (a Jupiter-Mars opposition symbolizing both restlessness and adventure). The second aspect is a square to Neptune on January 27th, corresponding in the story to the tempest sent by the God of the Sea to throw Odysseus off course.

There are 4 major aspects to Jupiter during the month of February. The first is a square to a conjunction of Neptune and Mercury on February 1st, the second a square to the Sun on February 6th. In tandem, these aspects would speak to the section in the story where Odysseus is knocked off his intended course from Ogygia by a storm sent by Neptune (the conjunction with Mercury symbolizing travel) and then shipwrecked in the land of the Phaeacians (the square to the Sun presenting a challenge to the attainment of a goal). The third aspect of the month is a sextile to Venus on the 14th, correlating in the text to when the shipwrecked Odysseus is found washed up on the shore by the maiden Nausica, daughter of the Phaeacian King.
The final February aspect on the 19th is a trine to Mercury, the planet of communication, and would represent the meeting of Odysseus and King Alcinous of the Phaeacians, to whom the stranded Hero recounts the adventures that have led him to his present condition.

JUPITER RETROGRADE

At this point, Jupiter enters into its retrograde period, coinciding perfectly with Odysseus recounting past exploits to his host.

The Hero begins his story by telling of the Greek victory at Troy and the sacking of nearby Ismarus as he and his men prepare to go home. The corresponding transit would be Jupiter trine Sun, an aspect of exuberance and victory, occurring on March 9th. A trine to Mercury retrograde on March 14th marks the beginning of the journey back to Ithaca, and a square to Neptune on the 16th would correspond to a pair of incidents in the story. The first of this pair would be the encounter with the Lotus Eaters and the near disastrous intoxication of the ship’s crew (Neptune rules drugs), while the second would refer to the battle with the Cyclops, the son of Neptune, who is permanently blinded after devouring 6 of the ship’s crew. The last aspect to Jupiter in the month of March is a square to Venus on the 25th, illustrated by the encounter with the Witch known as Circe and her turning some of the ship’s crew into swine.

April begins with another trine to the planet Mercury on the 4th, (this time the Messenger planet is in direct motion) coinciding in the story with the God Mercury appearing on Circe’s island with a talisman for Odysseus to use against the Witch. The only other aspect to Jupiter in April is a trine to Venus on the 20th that illustrates how with Mercury’s assistance Odysseus is able to outwit Circe and gain both her love and help. The subsequent advice by the Witch to the Hero for how he should deal with Neptune’s interference is for him to travel to the Kingdom of the Dead or “Hades” to consult with the blind prophet Teiresias.

The journey of Odysseus and his men to Hades would correlate to the four aspects of Jupiter in May. The first is an opposition to the Sun on the 4th, the interpretation here being that the Land of the Dead is in direct opposition to the life giving properties of the Sun. The second is a trine to Uranus that occurs on the 4th as well, the intuitive aspects of that planet being exemplified by the prophesies Tieresias shares with Odysseus regarding the cattle of Hyperion, other coming hardships, and his eventual return home. The third May aspect is a trine to Mars on the 7th, played out in the story when Odysseus is given an opportunity to converse again with his fallen comrades from Troy, namely Achilles, Agammemnon, and Ajax. The final May aspect is an opposition to Mercury in Taurus on the 11th, symbolizing the return of Odysseus and his men to the land of the living, exemplified by the fact that the planet governing journeys is in a fixed Earth sign.

June is a busy month in which Jupiter enters into 5 major aspects. The first is an opposition to Venus on the 7th, referring to the return of Odysseus to Circe and his subsequent departure from her again, at which time she warns him of coming dangers and offers him advice on how to overcome these obstacles. The first obstacle involves the Sirens, beautiful maidens whose enticing voices lure passing ships onto the rocks that surround their island. The other obstacles are the monster known as Scylla and the whirlpool named Charybdis. Odysseus following Circe’s advice would correspond to a trine of Jupiter and Mercury on the 9th, the combination of these two planets symbolizing a protected journey. The next two aspects are a square to Mars in Leo on the 19th and a square to Saturn in Leo on the 22nd. The first aspect to Mars symbolizes the theft and slaughter of the cattle of Hyperion (the Sun God) by the Greeks, while the second aspect to Saturn illustrates the punishment for the crime exacted by Zeus when he sinks the ship of Odysseus with a lightning bolt. It should also be noted that both Mars and Saturn are in the sign of Leo, the environment ruled by the Sun (Hyperion). The final aspect in June is a trine to the Sun on the 30th, illustrated in the story by the fact that Odysseus is the lone survivor of the punishment by Zeus, who then allows his daughter Athena to help the Hero by placing him on the shore of the island inhabited by the Goddess Calypso.

JUPITER DIRECT

Jupiter returns to its direct movement on July 6th, coinciding with the completion of the narrative told by Odysseus to King Alcinous. The Jupiter station-direct on the 6th is also in sextile to the asteroid Athena, symbolizing how the Goddess who serves as the protector of Odysseus throughout the story is influencing the Phaeacians so that they will help the Hero. The other aspect in July is a trine to Venus on the 26th that corresponds to the ship and supplies that King Alcinous generously bestows upon Odysseus to facilitate his journey home.

August 2006 begins with Jupiter squaring the Sun on the 2nd. This aspect would coincide with Neptune’s reappearance in the story and his ability to influence Zeus so that the God of the Sea is allowed to punish the Phaeacians by destroying their ship on its return from delivering Odysseus to Ithaca. The next August aspect is a sextile to Mars on the 8th, represented in the narrative by Athena’s strategy to disguise Odysseus so that he might surprise the usurpers of his home and gain an advantage. The third aspect of Jupiter in the month is a square to Venus, representing the stories told by the swineherd Eumaeus to a disguised Odysseus concerning the injustices done to the Hero’s wife and family during his absence. The final aspect of the month is a trine to Uranus, the planetary archetype of the unexpected, on the 29th. This marks the point in the story when a pair of omens appear simultaneously. The first is that of an eagle flying by with a goose in its talons, translated by Helen of Sparta to Telemachus (the visiting son of Odysseus) as a sign of his father’s return. The second omen is that of a hawk with a dove in its talons, translated by Theoclymenus, a visitor at the house of Odysseus, as a sign that the Lord of the House is in Ithaca.

September begins with Jupiter sextile Mercury the Trickster on the 3rd as Odysseus takes off his disguise and reveals himself to his son upon the return of Telemachus from Sparta. The next aspect is a sextile to the Sun which coincides with a clap of thunder in a cloudless sky, an omen sent by Zeus on the eve of Odysseus returning to his house in disguise. The next two aspects of Jupiter in the month have a direct relation to one another. The first is a sextile to Venus on the 19th, corresponding to Athena guiding Penelope (the loving, faithful wife of Odysseus) to challenge the suitors to string the bow of her husband as a delaying tactic. The second is a square to Neptune on the 24th (representing illusion) in which a disguised Odysseus astounds the suitors who had mocked him (as well as his unknowing wife) by being able to string the legendary bow.

The next aspect occurs on October 22nd when Jupiter conjuncts Mercury in Scorpio (revealing the truth) just as a New Moon occurs at 28 degrees 40 minutes Libra, the sign of Justice, 1/3 of a degree away from what is known in Astrology as a “Karmic Degree.” At this point, the suitors are beginning to feel uneasy as yet another thunderclap roars in a cloudless sky. Jupiter squares Saturn on the 25th relating to Odysseus passing yet another test suggested by Athena to an unwitting Penelope, namely to shoot an arrow through the rings on the handles of 12 standing axes set in a row. Upon doing this Odysseus brings the suitors to their feet, at which point he removes his disguise and immediately slays Antinous, the leader of the freeloaders. The aspect that coincides with Odysseus revealing himself is another Jupiter-Mercury conjunction on the 30th, except this time the Trickster Planet is in its retrograde motion symbolizing a return of something from the past.

The initial aspects in November leading to Jupiter’s long awaited return to Sagittarius are a conjunction to Venus on the 15th and a conjunction with the Sun on the 21st, the later aspect being at a “Karmic Degree.” Both of these conversations to Jupiter by Venus and the Sun would relate to the joy felt by the family and loyal subjects of Odysseus when they realize their beloved father and King is in their midst.

The final two major aspects of Jupiter in 2006 occur on December 10th and 11th with successive conjunctions to both Mercury and Mars. The aspect to Mercury would relate to Odysseus, his son, and two loyal subjects (Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetus the stockman) playing out their strategy of first locking up the storeroom that contains the weapons and then trapping the suitors in the dining hall. The conjunction to Mars would represent the slaying of the suitors to the last man for their dishonorable and disrespectful behavior while Odysseus was away.

CONCLUSION

I would hope at this point that the reader can share my amazement at how the Jupiter transit through Scorpio in 2006 coincides to a remarkable degree with the plot line of the “The Odyssey,” yet after one’s initial awe at this synchronicity what other conclusions can be drawn from such a phenomenon?

Unlike the blind prophet Tieresius, I would not feel justified in attempting to predict the future based on what I have just written. On the other hand, I can’t help but feel that a greater power is trying to reveal something through this uncanny relationship between a celebrated ancient text and the current movements of a planet Astrologers believe symbolizes the higher aspects of our individual nature. Could it be we need to be reminded of our nobility? Have we lost sight of the fact that every life is potentially its own odyssey and we are each the conquering hero of our destiny?

The way things are in the world now it would be very easy to believe that none of us as individuals can make a difference. The paradigm that seems to be defining the values of our society appears to be telling us that we should relentlessly consume and not question how such action may impact upon anyone else, effectively relegating us all to being typecast alongside the inconsiderate suitors in the House of Odysseus. However, just as Athena, the feminine archetype of justice, protection, and strategy comes to aid Odysseus in his times of need, so too is the energy of the transiting planets (the 12 Olympians led by Jupiter) at our disposal as they perform in real time a classic story of perseverance, strength, honor, and love for the inspiration of all those who are able to recognize it.