Jupiter Rejoicing in the 11th House
The scheme of Planetary Joys is an ancient Hellenistic principle, in which each of the 7 traditional planets are said to rejoice, or have an affinity with being, in one of the 12 houses. The Joys of the Planets are some of the underlying, foundational, principles that have informed the modern, significations we get for the twelve houses in astrology. This is the second installment of this series of exploring the interpretative principles of the planets rejoicing, and we’re going to dive into understanding the underlying principles of Jupiter rejoicing in the 11th house, to not only further unpack information about Jupiter, but about the 11th house. As of now, we’re descending in the Chaldean Order for analyzing the planets, moving onto Mars after Jupiter. For the article on Saturn, click here.
Underlying Rationale
There are a few themes that are fairly similar across the board with the rationale for any planet rejoicing in a particular house. For a more lengthy explanation, with more visuals, visit Chris Brennan’s paper about the Planetary Joys and their Origin. The main pieces I extrapolate from this scheme will be in reference to this what Chris Brennan has already laid out in this paper.
In the same way that Saturn is a part of the Air Triplicity, Jupiter is primarily part of the Fire triplicity (as it is the second triplicity lord during the day, and the 1st triplicity lord during the night). Jupiter is a planet of the day sect, as well as a benefic planet, and rejoices above the horizon, in the diurnal realm of the chart, rather than below the horizon. The Houses in the Fiery part of the sky are houses 11, 10, and 9 (as was discussed in the Saturn article). It’s interesting because the Sun rejoices in the 9th house, and only has rulership over the trigon element of fire. Which means it can only be in this part of the sky (Houses 11, 10, 9). In the Planetary Joys, scheme the benefics must be in a positive or constructive aspect to the Sect Leader (Jupiter to the Sun, Venus to the Moon), which means either a trine or a sextile. If Jupiter rejoiced in the 10th house, occupying the other house out of the 3 of the fiery angular triad, it would not be in any aspect to the Sun, or would be in aversion. Placing Jupiter to rejoice in the 11th house satisfies this requirement of where Jupiter should rejoice because its 1) above the horizon 2) in a positive aspect to the benefic and 3) It is part of the fiery triplicity in the Fire quadrant of the chart.
Jupiter is sextile not only the Ascendant but its Sect Light (the Sun), which is appropriate for Jupiter because it is of benefic nature, and the aspect of the Sextile and Trine are trined the Luminaries in the Thema Mundi (Jupiter in Sagittarius is trine to the Sun in Leo, and Venus in Taurus is sextile the Moon in Cancer). For more info on Aspects and the Thema Mundi, see my Youtube Video below.
3. One interesting thing about the Planetary Joys scheme is both benefics are said to rejoicing in Succedent Houses (Jupiter in the 11th, Venus in the 5th), and succedent houses are said to be what comes after the stakes (the 2nd comes after the 1st in zodiacal order of the signs, the 5th comes after the 4th, the 8th comes after the 7th, the 11th comes after the 10th). This is said to indicate, in timing, things that will happen after the climax or as a result of what has happened during peaks (angular houses). What does it mean for a benefic to rejoice
4. The Ancient Name used to describe the 11th house is called the house of “Good Spirit” (agathos daimōn). Similarly with Saturn rejoicing in the 12th house of Bad Spirit, we see a contrast with Jupiter’s description of Good Spirit. The common theme of Spirit is an overlap we run into. Spirit is synonymous with our will, drive, the faculty of consciousness, how one makes something happen, what compels them to act, and in this case with the word agathos, it is good things. It is something good for the Spirit. This is when someone chooses to do good or when they will good things into existence. It’s interesting Jupiter takes on the good do-er, role and Saturn takes on the bad do-er role.
Delineations of Jupiter and the 11th House
Vettius Valens in his Anthology describing the attributes to the Planet Jupiter:
Vettius Valens: “Jupiter indicates childbearing, engendering, desire, loves, political ties, acquaintance, friendships with great men, prosperity, salaries, great gifts, an abundance of crops, justice, offices, officeholding, ranks, authority over temples, arbitrations, trusts, inheritance, brotherhood, fellowship, beneficence, the secure possession of goods, relief from troubles, release from bonds, freedom, deposits in trust, money, stewardships [...]” - Anthology, Vettius Valens, Book I, Chapter 1.
On the 11th House: “The 11th Place of the Good Daimon. If the benefics are in the Sign of the Good Daimon, located in their proper places and in their proper faces, they make men illustrious and rich from youth—even more so if they are trine from the right with the Lot of Fortune or sextile with the Ascendant. [Blaze: He means to say if they’re in the 11th sign from Fortune] [...] If one of the benefics appears in opposition to the Good Daimon and its house ruler is also present, these stars bring bigger and better benefits and successes. If malefics are in conjunction with the Good Daimon, they cannot do any evil. It is most efficacious if the house rules of the Lot, the Ascendant, and the Good Daimon happen to be rising or if most stars are in conjunction or in aspect with these in operative signs; they then make men glorious and extremely wealthy. If Jupiter is [rejoicing] in the Place of the Good Daimon, the native will be fortunate, possess a good income, and have many children. If it is also the ruler of the Lot of Fortune, the native will be rich and blessed. If Mercury is in conjunction with it, the native will be an imperial steward and will be happy in his children.” - Anthology, Vettius Valens, Book II, Chapter 6.
One of the themes we see with Jupiter is the experience of good things happen, particularly within groups of individuals. Valens first mentions of groups of individuals are “political ties, acquaintance, friendships with great men”. There seems to be this theme overlapping with the 11th house, where a lot of modern significations, and even traditional ones revolving around friendship, alliances, and people we socialize with. In my own practice, I’ve extended the 11th house towards community or teamwork. Where do we work together with other people and work in collaboration? This is one of the great things about Jupiter rejoicing in this house is it can talk about people who come together and build union, trust, and honesty between each other.
As we go further into the passage, Valens describes Jupiter to signify “prosperity, great gifts, an abundance of crops” and to think of the 11th as a place for success is interesting, because it is literally those who are supporting you or aiding you in your success, since the Succedent Houses also talk about what supports the Angular Houses. The 11th is who is supporting us towards the 10th house, which is our aspirations in life. In our society, we see this through the lens of career and what we’re meant to do to be making money, but I always encourage folks to think of the 10th house outside of career. Think of it as your calling. What praxis and work do you feel called to do? Our support and the path to making those dreams possible comes through the 11th house. I often describe the 11th house to folks as someone who plays that fairy godmother role in their lives, not only providing them with opportunities to achieve their goals, but the wisdom to make the right decisions along the way. The abundance signification that gets attached to Jupiter also has relevance here, since the 11th House can indicate an abundance of support or team-building. People who are involved in teamwork or working in a collaborative effort are people ruled by the 11th house. I often think of how in soccer, having good synergy between your teammates so you can collaborate and work in unison is such an 11th house activity. People who work together and collaborate for a common vision or objective all fall under the 11th house (in the case of sports, winning is the common objective) and I actually think that’s a crucial part of what the 11th describes. The benefics generally talk about moderation and bringing harmony wherever they go, since they are harmonious aspects of life. Jupiter being of the Day Sect talks about harmonious experiences between the Spirits of other people, whereas Venus talks about harmonious experiences on a physical level between others. When people work in collaboration with each other, they have a common vision. They have a common goal or objective that they want to experience, and achieving that goal is a part of what Jupiter represents. With Saturn rejoicing in the 12th, it can often signify things that hold us back, or things that block us from being able to reach or achieve our goals, and our biggest obstacles. To some capacity, if people are supporting us, there is a level of faith or trust that is placed in us that others have in our capacity to go after our goals, hopes, and dreams. I had a client come in one time, and they were a Sagittarius Rising with the Ruler of their Ascendant in the 11th house, being Jupiter rejoicing there, and their whole career path and what they felt like their life’s work was to help other people have access to a platform, network, and support, to achieve their goals, and I couldn’t stop thinking that she embodied the entirety of what it means for Jupiter to rejoice in that house.
Politics and the 11th House
These significations of the 11th house and Jupiter do seem very straightforward, as they are just about support and goals, but one of the things I often think of being important for the 11th house is politics, alliances, and how the 11th House can represent what organizations or groups of people we affiliate with. Valens already states as one of the first significations “political ties”, and other significations in regards to the 11th are parliament, senators, congress and for Jupiter, William Lilly in Christian Astrology describes Jupiter as “Judges, Senators, Councillors, Bishops, Priests, Ministers, Cardinals, Doctors of the Civil Law”. There’s a lot of politics associated with Jupiter, and even with the 11th house as well, as it was representative of the King (or leader’s) favorite people, people who work for the King, or people who are part of helping the King make decisions and execute their vision.
If we take a look at the political parties in the United States, a Jupiterian and 11th house signification, Saturn Libra in the 11th house in the United States’ Birth Chart, we see the literal imagery of duality with Libra, and political organizations with the 11th house, manifest themselves as the constant tug-of-war between the bourgeoisie that happens every 4 years during the election. Political organizations, affiliations, and committees are all represented by the 11th house. One thing that always comes up with Jupiter is inclusivity and all-encompassing, but when we bring the topics of politics into the 11th house, where Jupiter rejoices, who is it inclusive for? What does inclusivity look like? And when we turn to the 12th house, where are we ostracized? Where are we alienated? Where do we feel alone? The relationship between the 11th and 12th house rulers in someone’s chart can show this. Jupiter is not always inclusive, and can signify the bourgeoisie, which would also fall under the 11th house topics since it is those who are favored or are employed by the King (10th house). Jupiter demonstrates how people combine their resources together to build networks of support towards achieving a certain agenda. There’s a vision that Jupiter has for the future, and getting to that goal, achieving the mission, and taking strides towards accomplishment is the 11th house. What are the agendas that someone has? These can be found in the 11th house, as well as with Jupiter. Even though Jupiter is a benefic planet, Jupiter is not beneficial for everyone.
If we return back to the United State’s Birth Chart, one of the biggest pushbacks I go towards the claims of the ancient authors is that they claim malefics in the 11th cannot do harm (as Valens says above). When we look at the Chart of the United States with Saturn, the Greater Malefic in the 11th house ruled by Libra, a symbol of law and justice represented by the scales, and Saturn exalted here is able to uphold the law and uphold the ‘justice system’. This Saturn demonstrates a high level of moral code or ethics that this country requires people to live by, however, Saturn as a malefic planet makes the experiences of the 11th house more challenging and pushed towards levels of extreme. Regardless of if it is in the 11th house or not, we can identify that the manifestation of this Saturn is a corrupt justice, prison, and police system that bends the will of others, through the use of excessive force.
From the argument of Valens, malefics conjunct the Good Daimon (and I assume can be extended to planets in the house of the Good Daimon) can do no harm, to the individual. This doesn’t mean that this planet can do no harm, but that it will not be an obstacle the individual, or country, faces in uprooting the stability or threatening the livelihood of this institution. However, the manifestation of these significations is the reality that marginalized folks feel every day, through police brutality, abuse of power, and authority. The Ruler of the 11th house, being a representation of people and the masses, are put in a deadlock where simply existing puts them into debt to the institution of the United States (the ruler of Saturn is Venus in the 8th house). When we take a look at the countless murders and acts of violence this country commits against Indigenous Tribes, the Black Community, the LGBTQ Community, Immigrants, Muslims, and anyone who does not fit into this standard and upholds the principles of white supremacy, it’s evident that malefics in the 11th house can indeed be harmful, because this has been the experienced of marginalized folks since the founding (and before) of this country.
Whenever we look at any Electional Chart (or any event chart) we are able to see the intentions and the goals someone wanted to achieve, and it is clear that the goal of the United States was to uphold the institution of White Supremacy through developing a system of government (Saturn in the 11th) that puts the people’s existence into debt to the government (ruler of the 11th in the 8th) and then exploiting those people through Capitalism, exploitation of labor, and selling them this illusion of being able to work their way towards freedom.
On one hand, we see how the 11th house is a beneficial place and is important for building community and the method in which achieves their goals, but in other instances like in the Sibley Chart, we see the excessive amount of harm (malefic planet) the United States perpetuates towards 11th house topics (citizens, masses, groups of people) that are strictly enforced. Saturn in Libra also makes me think of mass surveillance. When planets are exalted, they are supported in upholding whatever the sign they’re in represents. Libra and even the Justice Card are not necessarily always about what is on the scales, but who is holding the scales? Who is deciding what unit of measurement we’re balancing? In the United States, ‘justice’ is upheld by a corrupt bureaucracy (11th House). The aim to be unbiased in the justice system is impossible when those who are employed to bring justice work to uphold the system. Burn it all down. There’s a lot more to unpack with this chart, and all of the acts of violence the United States has committed should be nothing new to anyone. The chart won’t show us anything we don’t already know, as it is just a reflection of the life we are experiencing.
Paulus Alexandrinus
I want to introduce everyone to Paulus Alexandrinus from 376 AD. In his book Introductory Matters he gives a lengthy overview of how planets act in the 11th house and his general significations. Any bold letters are my own comments on this passage.
“The eleventh zoidion from the Horoskopos is called Good Divinity (repeating the theme of Good Spirit), the place proper to Zeus (Zeus is Jupiter). For, when Zeus happens to be present in this place, it rejoices beyond all the stars (as the Greater Benefic, when Jupiter rejoices it is supposedly good for everyone). It gives signs for the determination that concerns alliance and patronage (same themes as Valens); and in addition, it is indicative of good expectations.”
It’s evident how themes of Jupiter and the 11th house overlap in this short excerpt already. I’ve been reflecting that Jupiter shows where we aspire to achieve victory or accomplishment in our own chart, and what that looks like. What does accomplishment look like, and a lot of that depends on the aspirations one has in life. How someone wants the best for themselves, how they put that want into motion and action, and how do they wish to make their life pleasant and enjoyable all fall under the 11th house. Jupiter as a benefic embodies all of these things, and to take this a step further, the Lot of Victory, derives from the Calculation of the distance between Spirit and Jupiter. Wanting the best for others, or even for yourself, are themes we not only see with Jupiter and the 11th House, but with the Lot of Victory as well. Let’s explore the next portion of his examples.
“When the Sun happens to be in this place, it shows one who has sprung from an esteemed and wealthy father, and as time goes by it will make him blessed and able to acquire property quite easily. (Interesting how the father is emphasized as someone who brings benevolence and opportunity to the individual because people represented by the Sun take on the role of someone who opens doors for the individual)
When the Moon happens to be at this place, and especially when the birth is at night, it will make one who is born of an esteemed, wealthy, and well-off mother; and it shows him to be well-off and well-shaped when it makes an application to one of the benefic stars. (The same goes for the Moon but in the context of the mother).
When Kronos is of its sect upon this place, it produces those who attain their ends as time goes on, but it will make them more idle in their work and enterprises. When Kronos occupies this place for a nocturnal birth, it causes the diminution of what was formerly possessed, and it will make those who are slothful, unsuccessful, and unable to acquire property.”
Moving onto Saturn, a given word I like used to describe the 11th. Endeavors, which is what Paulus appears to be talking about. Enterprise is an interesting word to describe the 11th too, because it talks about a plan of action, a mission, an undertaking, but an enterprise is also a business. Frequent 11th house significations are wealth, money. and being pretty well off with money, assets, or financial support. It’s an organization, corporation, an establishment. When someone has enterprise, it’s used as a way to describe someone with enthusiasm, optimism, and feels as if they can accomplish their endeavors. The contrasting nature between Saturn in the Day and Saturn in the Night is this idea of the enthusiasm one has to accomplish their goals and there being a lack of that, or being some sort of struggle that is gone through in order to attain that. It’s for this reason why I feel malefics in the 11th can be harmful. I’ve seen with people who have their Natal Saturn in the 11th house and a repeated theme being that they are discouraged from achieving their goals, that they’re too much work, their goals are too ambitious, and that they may not have the strength to overcome them. When we have a planet like Saturn here, it can be representative of someone who works slower in their personal process of what achievement looks like to them. Saturn requires things are done slowly to ensure they can withstand the test of time and be something that provides longevity, whereas Mars might be someone who wants instant gratification.
“When Zeus occupies the eleventh place either by night or by day, it magnifies life and sets it in eminence and in acquirement, and makes those who are esteemed and more triumphant over enemies; and for the most part it keeps the natives free from harm and suffering. (The triumphant component of this passage is the most interesting to me because Jupiter rejoicing is great no matter what, according to Paulus, and it brings one victory over all obstacles. Lets keep reading)
When Ares occupies the eleventh place from the Horoskopos for a diurnal birth, it shows reduction of life, loss of things, changes of place and accidents; and it afflicts the determination concerning children. But for nocturnal births, it brings into existence many good things, and will make those who are deemed worthy of honor by the masses and those who are known because they rise above. (Mars in a day chart versus being in a night chart seems to be drastically different. When the out of sect malefics take place in the 11th house, they seem to be forces that destroy what the 11th house represents, by taking it to either end of an extreme. However, when the malefics are in sect, they’re more constructive, and even in this instance Mars is able to help the individual achieve their goals and rise above any challenges or obstacles they may face. This makes me think of winning a sports competition and being victorious.
When the star of Aphrodite has dealings there, it will make for those who are happily married, decorous, orderly, wanting nothing, and with good fortune as time goes on, especially if it is not scrutinized by the ray of the malefics.
When the star of Hermes happens to be upon this place at either a morning or evening rising, it will make those who have their living from writing, and it will keep the work plentiful, and will show those who increase their living as time goes by; sometimes it will be a cause of virtue, and will produce those who participate in knowledge.” - Introductory Matters, Paulus Alexandrius, Volume 1, Chapter 24.
The similarity throughout all of these passages is that their descriptions of what one’s aspirations look like vary based on what that planet signifies. The goals and accomplishments one will have. This makes sense because the 11th is Succedent to the 10th house, showing what happens after the changes we make in our direction of our future. When I talk about the 10th house, I think it can certainly be used as an indicator for career, but I like to take this further, and imagine what would life be like outside Capitalism. Currently, most people only chose a career field because they need to be doing something to exist in this structure, but the Midheaven will still exist regardless of if we are forced to pick a career. For this reason, I see the Midheaven as the future of the individual, and what path they’re headed on. What does this person want to do with their life? One of the names used to describe the 10th house is praxis, meaning action or what one is actively doing with their lives, and how the decisions of where they chose to invest their time define their reputation and the future. Our accomplishments are a result of the endeavors we take in our own lives are seen in the 11th house.
Another Chart Example
I want to look at a final chart example, that has a more positive spin (well...) of the ways the 11th house and Jupiter can show up in the chart. Now over the summer of 2020, I was in an abusive household and needed to raise money to move out because my mom and I were kicked out by my grandmother, in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In a frenzy, I created a GoFundMe to help raise money to move out safely and find a place to life. Now, although I am an Astrologer, I find beauty in not knowing and planning when to do things, because finding moments like seeing this chart, which was not planned, make Astrology even more real because even if we’re not looking at the stars, and still having to make decisions, the chart of the moment will always be descriptive of what happens. So without further ado, let’s take a look at this chart of a GoFundMe.
In this chart, some of the observations we can make are that this is a Pisces Rising chart, ruled by Jupiter in Capricorn in the 11th house, so Jupiter is rejoicing in its own house, but it is in the sign of its Fall or Depression. When we see planets in challenging positions, we usually see these as events where the individual is in a challenging situation where they don’t have the upper hand, and have to work against forms of resistance. Jupiter in the 11th house as the ruler of the Ascendant is a clear indicator that the people who initiated this GoFundMe (me) were in a challenging position where they had a lack of support, and were seeking it. In this case, the way this manifested was through my mother and I facing eviction, homelessness, and being deprived of our livelihood. Saturn in the 11th house can speak to the fact that there was a risk of losing what currently has or was working towards. Saturn as the ruler of the 12th house brings in these themes of loss, eviction (something I’ve seen as a topic with the 12th house come up), and challenges. Even though Jupiter is Retrograde, in the sign of its depression, and co-present with a malefic. There are some mitigating conditions. The main one being that this is a day chart, technically sunset, but it’s still bright outside and the Sun is above the Ascendant/Descendant axis. As a result, Jupiter as the benefit of sect is the most positively experienced planet in the chart. Jupiter in a day chart means Jupiter doesn’t only have support by rejoicing in the 11th, but it is supported by the Sect of the Chart (Diurnal). In addition to that, the Sun is at 5º of Virgo, applying to a trine to Jupiter (in around 10º), and whenever Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn trine the Sun, they will station either Retrograde or Direct. Because the Sun in Virgo is in the overcoming position to Jupiter in Capricorn (the same way Capricorn overcomes Taurus and Taurus overcomes Virgo by the Trine aspect), this means Jupiter is getting ready to station Direct, which is another good testimony for being supported. One thing I learned about the 11th house through this experience is that the 11th signifies crowdfunding, mutual aid, people helping you through their combined effort and resource. Sharing and spreading the word are all 11th house topics as well. Jupiter tends to bring up sharing, giving away, charity, donations, patrons, or being a patron. The Ruler of the Ascendant being in the 11th brings these themes listed above all to the forefront of the inception. According to most authors, Jupiter rejoicing in the 11th house is great, because, in the words of Paulus’ excerpt above: “It gives signs for the determination that concerns alliance and patronage”. The keyword in this excerpt is patronage, that’s what this whole inception of this chart is: a GoFundMe. Paulus also states in the passages above that Jupiter Rejoicing in the 11th house “makes those who are esteemed and more triumphant over enemies”, which was the case in this instance. Through the GoFundMe I started, my mom and I raised 5,000 to help us move down to Florida and live with one of our friends. We stayed in their house for 6 months after that. Granted, 5,000 really isn’t a lot of money, because all of the expenses went towards moving, travel, and just getting ourselves out of that abusive situation. We actually needed more money as a result, I had to work a lot more, however Jupiter in the 11th house gave us enough support we needed to get by and at least have some help. Even though Jupiter is Depressed in Capricorn, the effect of this GoFundMe may have been different if Jupiter was in a sign where it has strength like Pisces or Sagittarius, and possibly more people crowdfunding. One person alone donated $2,000. That person embodied that Jupiter in the 11th in a Day Chart and granted us a large sum of money. Jupiter helped in the way Jupiter could, and I am of course extremely grateful. When I saw this chart in Retrospect, I was in shock at how great of an electional chart this is because a lot of the Astrology was very tense during this time, and this is probably one of the most auspicious choices I could’ve chosen, and I didn’t even look at the time or elect this chart beforehand. It was all done without looking at Astrology. One other nice omen in this chart is Venus rejoicing in the 5th house. Both benefics rejoicing in their own houses is always a good omen for support and people uplifting you, and that was exactly the case with this. Jupiter and the 11th house can be really great for crowdfunding, mutual aid, GoFundMe’s, Kickstarters, patronage, anyone who invests in bringing your vision to life and who supports you in achieving your goals. The 11th house shows where we can look for support in achievement. That’s been a common theme I’ve seen in client work lately, where the achievement of a goal has been something that’s come up. I’ve recently had a lot of clients who have Jupiter going through their 9th house, and they’re currently graduating from college and getting their degree. That degree and badge of accomplishment is a manifestation of Jupiter, and it’s kind of interesting to see the way the landscape of education and college has changed since the South Node ingressed into Sagittarius in May of 2020, Jupiter’s home sign.
Wrapping things Up
In this article today, we’ve taken a good look at some of the topics the 11th House and Jupiter mutually signify. I will always have more thoughts about the planetary joys, but I wanted to give a brief overview of some of the themes that we can not only expect in where Jupiter comes up in our chart, but also how we can engage with the 11th house through real-world examples. I encourage if anyone is doing electional for to raise money, crowdfunding, or needs mutual aid, having Jupiter in the 11th house should be a priority in picking out a chart to launch where this endeavor will take place.
Sources and Further Reading:
Vettius Valens, Anthology
William Lilly, Christian Astrology
Paulus Alexandrinus, Introductory Matters
Chris Brennan: Planetary Joys and their Origin https://www.hellenisticastrology.com/the-planetary-joys.pdf
