Kendrick has a special Jupiter. It’s not in its domicile or exaltation, but it has dignity by triplicity1 and face/decan, plus it’s angular (in a strong house), right on top of the descendant.
In terms of rejoicing, his Jupiter has it in spades. As a diurnal planet, it enjoys rising before the sun, but still being in the same hemisphere as the Sun, and Kendrick’s Jupiter does both.
Having these rejoicing conditions means his Jupiter has “more freedom to bring about beneficial outcomes”. Why? Because it’s happier. I love the idea of joy being a key part of a planet’s power, which I think we tend to neglect in conversations about productivity and function (but that’s another newsletter).
So how does this well-resourced, satisfied Jupiter play out? Well, Jupiter is a planet that connects us to the world in an expansive and edifying manner. They want us fed both materially and spiritually— true abundance. Being in the seventh house, it regards his relationships and how he appears to others.
The decans are where it gets extra fun, though. For the final 10º of Aries, the Picatrix gives us this image2:
a restless man, having in his hands a gold bracelet, who wishes to do good but cannot. This is the face of subtlety and subtle mastery and new things and instruments and similar things.
Agrippa echoes this sentiment in his 3 Occult Books on Philosophy, where he describes the face as one of a man who is “restless and angry because he can’t perform the good he wishes”. So even when planets in this decan of Aries of performing well, there’s still going to be some tension within the life of the native.
Of Jupiter in Aries III, Austin Coppock has this to say:
Here, a viewpoint, philosophy, or religion is performed — the antics and method of the preacher or standup comedian. Supported by other factors, this is a good position for gaining recognition or fame. If the position is unafflicted and prominent, the native brings others to their point of view and gains acclaim easily, but is subject to ego distortion and addition to the regard of their audience
If you are familiar with any of Kendrick’s life or music, I think it speaks for itself.
Jupiter is currently in Aries as well. Reflect on how the above themes may be showing up in your life right now.
“Angel” “Numbers”
This week, thanks for a lively conversation with fellow astrologer Shuly Rose about guardian angels, I have been going deep into the Almuten Figurus, or ruler of the chart. A certain planet is elected to be a daimon of sorts for each person, shaping their particular genius. “As soon as the soul chooses him for leader,” Iamblichus explains, “the [daimon] immediately comes into charge of completing of its vital endowments and when it descends into the body it unites with the body and becomes the guardian of it common living principle.”3
Our Almuten wants to help us. Knowing your Almuten can tell you which planet may be most likely to further your greatest potential and help you come into yourself. Normally, you would use Ibn Ezra’s method to give each planet points for their relative power and dignity, and the one with the highest number is automatically your Almuten. But Shuly pointed out that we shouldn’t disregard our own experience. The calculations should always be measured alongside the experience of the native.
For example: by numbers, my Jupiter is my Almuten. But, by feeling, temperament, and lived experience, the Sun, which comes in second place, feels more like my journey. Sure, I can stay in the library, tucked away in contemplation, but the real juice comes from sharing myself in public. It comes from the sudden insight of the Sun’s bright rays, the healing warmth of light, the creative outpouring of our bright luminary.
Don’t let numbers override what you feel to be true. “While there are right and wrong determinations of the conditions,” Demetra George tells us, “there are no absolute right or wrong evaluations by astrologers concerning what the conditions mean. This is what separates the art of astrology from the science of astrology”. Give the system a shot and then bring your experience into the conversation to determine what is your truth.
Bright Underworld
It’s interesting, though, to be ruled by the Sun but born at night.
In their beautiful meditation on Leo risings with night charts, Ari Felix mentions how “we’re seeing the world upside down, viewing things from the subterranean up…while also having access to the…Immortal Onlooker that is the Sun”. The moon, leader of the night sect, rules the body, “the depth of intuitive perception arising from the physical sense” (Ancient Astrology, 76).4 The Sun “represents the mind and the soul…and an inclination to bring things to light and illuminate them”. The moon burrows, the sun reveals.
To be a night chart usually means you are solely of the moon’s domain. But life is rarely so cut and dry. As a person who is claimed by both luminaries, I look for other symbols that embody the complex interplay of planets and archetypes we all contain. The jaguar immediately comes to mind. As a large, carnivorous cat, it has a natural affinity with Solar power. But, in Mayan cultures, the animal was an emissary of the Underworld. Perhaps because they only came out to hunt at night, jaguars were seen as facilitators between the living and the dead.
The Book of Symbols points out that “the jaguar is associated with the eclipsing of light, of consciousness undergoing encompassment by darkness and uncanny powers”. This animal symbolizes the light of conscious stretching itself for use in a world of shadows. The ability to see the truth is is not as important as getting deep into the murkiness of matter, where the truth is always covered in a shroud. How we cover or adorn that truth is perhaps more important than getting there.
I give you this exercise to encourage you to look into your own unique makeup and begin looking for symbols or models for what your path looks like. What would a Venusian Saturn look like? Or a Martial Jupiter?
Look for yourself and see where it takes you.
As always, I would be happy to dive into your Almuten, the decans of your chart, and all of the tangled symbols you contain in an astrology consultation. Find more info and book here.
In parting, I leave you with this “Description of the Faces and Degrees of the Zodiac” by Raphael, compiled in 1879. Find the degree of your rising (remember to round up, so 0º= 1st degree, 18º= 19th degree) and see what image it gives you. Here’s the description for the rising degree for Kendrick Lamar:
XO,
Chloe
Any questions? Comments? Insights? Feel free to share below.
Jupiter is diurnal, as are fire signs, so always has community support while transiting through them.
This, plus all quotes relating to this decan, come from “36 Faces” by Austin Coppock
“Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice,” Demetra George, 76
i have a venusian saturn and martial jupiter and everything you said up to that point hit so good. when you asked the questions what would they look like, i felt the feeling of looking in a mirror and seeing someone who's not me. and that begs the question, who do i think i am? and why do i think im someone else? i've struggled with recognizing who i am for a long time, and still am. the eclipse is in my 11h, not conjunct but in the same house as my domicile mars. i keep going over the idea that what i do defines who i am. i want to question it, to see it's configuration and decide if the belief is right for me, but my will only goes so far when i don't see any other ways. am i content, or comfortable? do i do good, or do i think i do good so i get to skip reflection? reflection always leases to question, for me. and they don't usually get answered. some say im my own worst enemy, but if i don't feel held accountable im the one who must do it, right? (what a weird ramble, thank u)