It's Showtime! Jupiter in Leo: CLAIMING YOUR CROWN

"Your crown has been bought and paid for--all you need to do is put it on your head."
James Baldwin

When big-hearted, abundance-loving Jupiter transitions into noble Leo on July 16th, it kicks off a year-long theme of claiming our Divine uniqueness and letting it shine.

Osho (aka Rajneesh), one of my favorite trickster teachers, who, of course, had Jupiter in Leo, says it best:

"This whole mysterious existence belongs to you. It has existed for you. It has created you. You are a flower of it. Your consciousness is the greatest flower that has happened in the Universe--and for millions of years this earth was preparing for you to exist. When you are one with the whole, and existence exists for you--then you are not a beggar, you become an emperor."

Consequently, we have just ten more days to assess all the lessons and reasons for gratitude we've received in the past year from the passage of Jupiter in the sign of his exaltation, Cancer.

To review: JUPITER EXALTED: The Trip to Bountiful

Jupiter is the planet of good fortune and wherever we have Leo in our birth chart, we'll experience a flow of abundance--on all levels--lighting up this area of our life in the coming year and beyond.*

These positive energies will be encouraging us to explore, expand and grow into the next level of our authentic selves. Perhaps the only downside to any Jupiter transit is if we let it slip away without making the most of it. This is especially true in Leo--picture a lazy lion resting on his laurels after a big meal.

Leo, ruled by the Sun, represents the energies of the individual self--at the level of the ego/personality. When expressed positively, Leo wants to create and radiate his uniqueness--and receive a standing ovation of appreciation and applause. Don't forget: Leo represents the actor in us all.

At its highest expression, there may be no sign more generous than Leo in being: Warm and sincere, affectionate and loving, protective and inspiring. But Leo does cast a larger shadow than many signs, and when there's a misuse of these fabulous feel-good energies there can be: Egotism, vanity, self-seeking, extravagance, overindulgence and being a show-off and know-it-all.

When Leo's shadow side comes out, it's important to differentiate between the illusion of thinking of oneself as special in a way that separates through judgment and accepting one's true self without needing to compare.

More than a fair share of celebrities and famous people have Jupiter in Leo, but when you scan this list, be especially aware of variations of the shadow side peeking out from more than a few:

King Louis XVI (ya think?!:)), Voltaire, Colette, Leona Helmsley, (the Queen of Mean), and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Mick Jagger, Yo Yo Ma, De Niro, Elizabeth Taylor, Catherine Denueve and Nathan Lane.

Muktananda, founder of Siddha Yoga, and his disciple, Gurumayi, Sun Myung Moon (moonies), Tagore, Abraham Maslow, Desmond Tutu.

Neale Donald Walsch, (author of the series, Conversations with God), Raymond Moody, Alan Leo, Kierkegaard, Thomas Hobbes and Napoleon Hill. (Jupiter rules the 9th house of philosophy and religion).

Ted Kennedy, Juan Peron, Rudy Giuliani, Lech Walesa, George Wallace, Salvador Allende and Timothy McVeigh.

As we can see from the above list, if we want to claim our crown of Divine uniqueness this year, there's a karmic warning label. If we misuse the energies of Jupiter through excess, hubris and entitlement--or through hedonism, laziness and self-indulgence (you know whom I'm talkin to:)), it means that--in this incarnation or a future one--we'll get an opportunity for a karmic do-ever with perhaps a little less easy access to Jupiter's bounty to help us get the lesson of right use.

So, heeding these warnings, how do we make the best use of the year-long transit of Jupiter in Leo? Here are some tips to optimally utilize these most wondrous energies:

I. Owning our own uniqueness AND everyone else's on the planet as well.

II. Never comparing anyone else's success or path in life to our own: COMPARING IS A KILLER!

III. Cultivating an attitude that--since there is infinite abundance--there's ALWAYS enough to go around.

IV. Learning how to play well with others and share our toys joyfully.

Did you know that recent studies revealed that the happiest people on the planet are in places with the greatest poverty like India?

These studies have proven that externals comprise only 10% of the "happiness quotient." The other factors making up our happiness are: 50% is a set point, based on our personality (i.e. karmic) predisposition, and most importantly, 40% is based on our intentional behavior to be happy with what is

In fact, one of my spiritual teachers in India considers greed to be the most prevalent human trait on the planet--and the most harmful. If we look around us, we can observe that greed is a many-armed monster: Envy, jealousy, lust, judgment, arrogance, self-pity and anger can all spring from the insatiable craving for more, different or better.

This year, we can choose to make our happiness predicated on not comparing--or being greedy for more--but fully luxuriating in the magnificent abundance that we have--just as it is.

That means enjoying each moment with gratitude and sharing our abundance of love with others in whatever form makes our hearts sing and expand.

Happiness can be as simple as just enjoying being with the "non-toothache," i.e. the cessation of pain, gratitude for daily surges of vitality, when they come, and doing at least a little something--every day--that gives our life meaning and purpose.

For more on this: On Pleasure, Joy and Bliss

Other planetary factors add some contradictory energies to the Jupiter in Leo mix this summer. Karmic Teacher Saturn, stationing direct on July 20th, is keeping track for us of just how spiritually ethical we are in playing the game of life, as he moves through his last five months in unrelenting, never-forget-anything Scorpio.

This means that, while we need to dream big and take daily incremental steady actions to realize our vision, it would be a good idea to monitor our intentions and behavior so our egos don't get out of hand.

In fact, with Uranus stationing retrograde the day after Saturn goes direct (talk about full speed ahead with the brakes on!), and Neptune and Pluto already retrograde, we might be spinning our wheels if we push to get our biggest projects fully realized in manifest form before December. This is when Uranus finally goes direct, just as Jupiter, which has been speeding along all the way through to 23° Leo, stations retrograde AND Saturn moves into Jupiter's sign of Sagittarius.

So, what does it all mean? It means that late December is going to be a time of major positive changes for many of us--if we put in the work, on all levels, now. We could see our perserverence paying off with some lightening-quick green lights shining on our agendas. But, there will be a need for major flexibility in the Flow, as conditions may require our not being overly attached to rigid concepts of our creative vision.

In the meantime, we need to do the very best we're capable of by:

1. Working, day by day, to create our dreams, without pushing, alienating others or going to extremes.

2. Keeping our egos in check is by not taking anything personally and especially not comparing.

3. Holding the faith that the grand scheme of our life is unfolding in perfect timing in the Flow.

In closing, to enjoy this year's Jupiter in Leo energies to the fullest, remember: The Divine is ceaselessly applauding and supporting all our endeavors that expand our range and grow our souls. But if we're always desirous of only external validation and praise as gratification for our efforts . . . then we're looking in the wrong direction!

Wishing us all an ongoing coronation celebration!

Let's party!

J O A N

"There is a very fine line between loving life and being greedy for it" Maya Angelou

For a comprehensive look at all things Jupiter (and his shadow side), I encourage you to check out my newest article:

INFINITE ABUNDANCE: Owning Our Inner Jupiter

*If you'd like to really make the most of this Jupiter transit, so you'll be awake and alert to the opportunities coming your way for abundance on all levels, an astrological reading from a soul-level karmic perspective is a most useful tool.

Once you know which areas of your life will be positively highlighted this year, you can focus more energy and attention there. This will lay the foundation for a 12-year cycle of abundance flowing into those parts of you and your personal reality that Jupiter in Leo is shining on through July, 2015.

So, if you've been thinking about gifting yourself or a loved one with an astrology reading from Joan's unique psychic perspective--or are due for your yearly transit update--now's the perfect time!