Talent Writ Large: Natal Jupiter/ Neptune

When we have Jupiter and Neptune in aspect in the natal chart, we find a great deal of creative energy; the trick for the individual possessing this aspect is to channel the flood of creative ‘juice’ into accomplishment, rather than into the ‘Big Dreams’ that could easily dissipate potentials. We have a good example of the productive use of this combo with singer, songwriter, and actor Kris Kristoferson (June 22, 1936 3:30 PM CST Brownsville, TX USA). The interesting thing with Mr. Kristoferson is that, though Jupiter/ Neptune certainly sounds like the perfect descriptor of the professional in music or acting (16 albums, and a Golden Globe for Best Actor), he manifested a number of other significant life accomplishments before he ever hit Nashville. Kristoferson has Jupiter at 18 Sagittarius in the 2nd opposed Chiron at 18 Gemini in the 8th, with Neptune at 14 Virgo in the 10th forming a T-square. Also significant is a trine made to Jupiter by the Moon at 17 Leo, also in the 10th conjunct the Midheaven. Jupiter rules the 2nd and Neptune rules the 5th–so far so good, money and Self-esteem derived from the creative exercise–and Chiron in Gemini in the 8th suggests a gift in communication/ the ability to commune with others, perhaps through shared resources or experiences (and experiences are exactly what we share via the words to a song–we relate). But, the clue to Kristoferson’s early use of Jupiter/ Neptune is found in the Moon’s rulership of the 9th: he was an Air Force brat (no, I’m not being rude! That’s the term for those who grow up moving from base to base around the world–very 9th House!); speaks Spanish (foreign language–9th); attended Oxford (overseas higher education–double 9th) on a Rhodes scholarship; joined the Army Rangers, becoming a helicopter pilot at the rank of Captain (though this may seem to be more in line with Mars, the Rangers were created for military missions on foreign soil, flying is very Jupiterian, and in my personal experience the military in general attracts those with a strong and active Jupiter, perhaps due to the likelihood that at some point you’ll deploy to foreign arenas). Kristoferson attended Oxford for literature, and eventually turned down a position at West Point as an English lit instructor to go to Nashville and bring his Neptune into a more active role. That’s exactly what he did, with his songs having been recorded by more than 450 singers over the past 40 years. As many with intense Jupiter/ Neptune contact may do, he went too far in combining the two energies; he lived for many years as a functioning alcoholic, with accompanying drug problems as well. It’s interesting to note that the 80s brought immense change for him, with the deaths of both his agent and his manager, and the collapse of his record company, all in proximity to the Chiron Return. Kristoferson is clean and sober today, having taken advantage of that other valuable attribute of Neptune, the intuitive insight that told him things were going to have to change if he wanted to stay a while longer on planet Earth.

Two more examples of Jupiter/ Neptune should suffice, neither of which has an accurate birth time available. The first is director/ filmmaker Tim Burton (25 August 1958 Burbank CA USA). The father of Edward Scissorhands (his latest completed project is a film version of the musical ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’) has an out of sign Jupiter/ Neptune conjunction, with Jupiter at 27 Libra and Neptune at 2 Scorpio. His fondness for the macabre shows in Neptune’s exact sextile to his Sun/ Pluto exact conjunction at 2 Virgo–the Plutonian urge is part and parcel of his Soul, exemplified in the Gothic elements of his movies–and his unusual sensibilities show in the Venus/ Uranus conjunction in Leo. Of note with Uranus is its opposition to Chiron in Aquarius, suggesting a unique talent related to understanding, in this case shown in his grasp of the vulnerability and needs of human nature, which subject is a major player in all his works.

Our other Jupiter/ Neptune figure is that of painter Rembrandt Van Rijn (15 July 1606 Leiden, Netherlands). This artist produced approximately 700 oils in his lifetime and even more etchings; he also taught almost every important painter of the time, illustrated by his Jupiter at 1 Pisces, which opposes his Neptune at 9 Virgo, and this squares Venus–this is a true artistic signature of both the creative ability and the teacher of creativity in the natal chart. Pluto at 00 Taurus suggests that Plutonian sensibilities demanded attention as they enter a new ‘form,’ and Taurus certainly would channel this ‘darkness’ toward art, literally, in this case–Rembrandt is known for his explorations of light and shadow, and his remarkable ability to render the transparent nature of both (chiaroscuro). In a letter to a friend, Rembrandt wrote that he hoped to convey the most natural beweechgelickhijt possible; this word can mean both ‘motive’ and ‘emotion,’ and in his lifetime as well as in the 400 years since his death, the world has judged him to have succeeded.