AstrologyBy Jade Emory Grace BestowedFrom the Bible to Shakespeare, great writers have said that everyone yearns for Grace. Often people want it from other people, but the true Source of Grace is the Divine working through people. The kind of people who say, "Your needs are your problem. Why should I be expected to help?" are people who lack alignment with their Lord, regardless of the religion they claim to practice. I call them members of the "fan club", but not real students of the Divine. The kind of people who say, "How can I help?" are true students of the Divine, because they are emulating the merciful example that the Creator has given, the loving willingness to ease the burdens of others without making the recipient weaker. These people have strong placements of Jupiter in their charts. In India, Jupiter is called "the Guru planet." It is prominent in the charts of enlightened Masters and living Saints. It also is strong in the charts of sincere students with the humility to seek guidance from attained realized beings, and the purity of intention to accept their teacher's offerings by putting those teachings into practice. These students become responsive to the needs of others, instead of selfishly reactive, contracting in refusal. But once we receive grace, we can plummet downward if we become arrogant and self-righteous, inviting losses, jealousy from others and opprobrium which makes us unworthy of the blessings we have received. Therefore, it is imperative to be sublimely grateful and to share one's blessings with others. Confucius, in his commentary to I Ching Hexagram 55, "Abundance," said, "The only foundation necessary to keep abundance from turning into its opposite is to expand one's spiritual foundations and to include others in sharing one's bounty." Herein is another test. Some people proudly say they would only give to their own family, or to people made over in their own image. Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet said, "Ask not if the receiver of your gift is worthy. See first that you are worthy of being a giver." The "I Ching" uses nature as the best example of worldly giving, saying the sun shines equally on all; the flowers offer their fragrance equally to all. If we can use the examples true Gurus and of Mother Nature, we can also be bestowers of Grace and live up to the promises that our own placement of Jupiter offers. If a person chooses to cultivate or emphasize their own Jupiter placement, then they should seek out wise sages to help them become integrated with valid truths, as there is no room for hypocrisy on the path to enlightenment. Walk the talk.
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