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Ganymed
given a set of unusual gifts, and Io became a queen and the ancestress of dynasties, as
well as an ancestress of the hero Hercules.
Because many of the ancient gods (including the ones after whom the outer
planets are named) were portrayed as rapists, focusing on the purely sexual aspect of
these tales probably does illuminate the astrological/psychological principles represented
by the Jovian moons. Zeus differed from many other Olympian rapists in that
he showered his victims with gifts. This, of course, ties in with Jupiter’s astrological
characteristic as (among other things) the principle of generosity. With some reflection,
it is not difficult to see that these myths provide some less-than-pleasant insights
into gift-giving: Rather than being “freely given,” as the saying goes, gifts are often
given to compensate victims for abuse—or, to translate this basic principle into something
closer to home, to compensate for the more subtle abuse of neglect (as when
parents who feel guilty about not devoting enough time to their children shower them
with gifts).
In another myth, Zeus promised to give Sinope (after whom Jupiter’s outermost
satellite was named) anything in exchange for her favors, so she tricked him into
granting her the gift of perpetual virginity. This shows another shadow side of generosity—giving
gifts in order to receive something—that represents the polar opposite
principle of generosity: greed. This principle is usually associated with Saturn, but Saturnian
greed is a thrifty greed that flows out of a sense of deficiency. Jovian greed, by
way of contrast, flows out of a sense of abundance and expansion, an expansiveness
directed solely toward continuing to grow and accumulate. (In medical astrology,
Jupiter is often associated with cancer.)
An analysis of these myths provides another perspective on generosity: Most
people give gifts out of guilt or because they want something in return. Thus, the
placement of Jupiter by sign and, especially, by house tells where one experiences at
least one form of guilt (other forms of guilt are associated with Saturn) or where one is
prone to be generous in order to get something (greed). This analysis of the Jovian
moons provides astrologers with new meanings for Jupiter, meanings that were not
part of traditional astrological thinking about the planet. And, as astrologers continue
to explore the astrological meanings implicit in the Jovian system, more insights are
likely to emerge.
Sources:
Lewis, James R. Martian Astrology. Goleta, CA: Jupiter’s Ink, 1992.
McEvers, Joan, ed. Planets: The Astrological Tools. Saint Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications,
1989.
Room, Adrian. Dictionary of Astronomical Names. London: Routledge, 1988.
GANYMED
Ganymed is asteroid 1,036 (the 1,036th asteroid to be discovered, on October 23,
1924). It is approximately 40 kilometers in diameter and has an orbital period of 4.3
years. It was named after the youth who was kidnapped to become the cupbearer of
Zeus. Jacob Schwartz gives the astrological significance of this asteroid as “beautiful
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