Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’ll be using manicules (those pointing finger symbols) to direct your attention to something I’m pondering that delights or interests me. Each entry is somehow related to an unusual, obscure, or simply charming to me word.
Z is for…
zenography – study of the planet Jupiter
Zeno a root word meaning Zeus, who was the Greek god, and became Jupiter for the Romans.
Jupiter is bigger-than-life, both in his guise as a god and a planet.
As the largest planet, it’s been visible to the naked eye since humans first looked skyward. It was the Babylonians who first recorded their sightings in 7th century BCE, but it was the Romans who gave the planet its name – after the chief god of their pantheon. And It was Galileo’s study of Jupiter that helped prove the Earth wasn’t the center of universe.
As a god, Jupiter was named king of heaven and Earth and all the gods after overthrowing his father Saturn and forcing him to release all his other children whom he had eaten. (His brother Neptune became god of the seas, and brother Pluto god of the underworld).
Jupiter was definitely considered a sky god, known to be wielder of lightning and master of weather. In ancient Rome an altar was built to him in Campus Martius, and all places struck by lightning were made his property, guarded from the profane by circular walls. I always find it interesting to check out the epithets given to gods, and Jupiter has quite a few, including Optimus Maximus, best and greatest.
Astrologically speaking, at least in Western astrology, Jupiter is the planet known as the “Great Benefic” bringing fortune, favor, miracles and blessings. The energy is optimistic, compassionate, generous, and quite expansive. Depending on where Jupiter is in one’s birth chart, we can learn a lot about how we attract our own luck, and how we pursue our life experiences and open ourself to greater wisdom and expansiveness.
I really this admonition from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:
“Our duty, as men and women is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in creation,”
I certainly believe that to be true, but I also enjoy imagining a bit of collaborative help from Jupiter might be on hand as well.
Jupiter is associated with Thursdays. Although the name itself comes from the Norse god Thor, he was also a lightning/sky god and the connection to Jupiter is clear that way.
I love de Chardin’s words, and they feels so “Thursday-ish” to me – with its invitation to expand and feel the potential and possibilities available in everything. That feels like Jupiter’s touch to me – golden, beneficent, encouraging. I have a friend who calls Jupiter the fairy-dust-sprinkling planet, and that always makes me smile. Don’t you love the idea of stepping forward under a shower of fairy dust? Doesn’t it make everything seem more possible, more magical, more fun?
I like using Thursdays to explore this expansive energy, because truthfully this is one of the areas in life I find I continually need to find balance with. So I like knowing I can return to it regularly with the intention of looking and deepening my understanding. It feels like a continual dance to me trying to find comfortable balance stretching, embracing, moving outward without taking it too far or taking on too much to the point where I eventually feel overwhelmed.
Recently I’ve been playing around with the idea of white space. Creatives often talk about how important it is in good design composition. And I’ve come to think about how important it is for me to have “white space” around projects and around various tasks in my day. I’m trying to be mindful of this, but I can’t honestly say I’ve mastered it yet. So when Thursdays and Jupiter beckon with exciting new things to try, lavishing the abundance mojo all around, I try to keep in mind it’s a lovely flow like all of nature. I can go out with the wave, enjoying the expansiveness, and yet hold space that there is room for the ebb as well. A dance indeed.
And on that note, I want to say what an expansive, delightful dance this year’s A-to-Z blogging challenge has been. I’m grateful to everyone who played and everyone who stopped by here. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.
But now it’s your turn. Have any thoughts about Jupiter, planet or god? Ever think about the energies each day holds that invites exploration? Had a fun time playing in the challenge if you participated? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
And Venus and Jupiter are close to touching now! How timely!
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61259569
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
They make a beautiful pair don’t they?!
Oh! Thank you for that wonderful information 🙂
Hari OM
Phew – we made it! I adore Jupiter, the planet and find Thursdays an interesting day; the planet is known in Sanskrit as ‘Guru’ and is also assigned to Thursdays which are used for honouring our Gurus. It is the day in which we are tempted with thoughts of ‘weekend’, but in which work must still be attended and given due worth.
It has been a joy, as always, to take this April journey with you – albeit rather more sporadically this year due to peculiar happenings in the ether (and which are getting even more peculiar this week – perhaps we need to look for the answer to that in Mercury!!!). YAM xx
http://www.historickilmun.org/
I tend to think of “white space” like margins in a book. Leaving the right amount of space around your words/ideas makes them easier to read, and provides a place to make notes about what I’ve learned. 🙂
I’ve very much enjoyed learning so many delightful words from your A-to-Z this month, and found your reflections delightful to read. Congratulations on completing this year’s challenge! (And good luck completing your TBR pile, which grew — no do it exponentially — as a result!)
I remember Jupiter as the largest planet and that way it is special…
It is. Our own planetary giant!
For some reason I’ve always loved the word Jupiter. Life balance and white space are important and two sides of the same coin. In retirement (and with the pandemic), I’ve needed to adjust my balance and figure out my white space. Too much is usually my problem.
Ah, that’s an interesting point Margaret – too much white space. I suppose what it comes down to in all things is balance. And we need to keep reevaluating because things are never static. I love the name Jupiter as well – and had a beloved big orange cat named that.
Hmmm, ask Danaë what happens when you step under a shower of Jupiter’s fairy dust… Thanks, but no thanks.
But that aside, I totally agree with you about liking to have white space around my projects. You may be interested to know (or perhaps, dabbler as you are in various media, you already know this) but one of the things that’s fun about block printing is that every line you carve is white space. Unlike a pencil drawing, when you carve a block you’re actually drawing with white. It requires a slight readjustment to how you think about pictures, and I like to think of it as carving light into the darkness.
Congratulations on completing the challenge! Once again I enjoyed your words and your wanderings.
Z is for Zany
Point taken about Danaë. Although frankly I’m totally willing to rewrite the patriarchal mythologies to reflect strong strong women who aren’t victimized. So I’m willing to stand under the the fairy dust – and look forward to telling my tale.
I like your reminder about white space in block printing as well Anne. I have indeed done some in the past, but I’m been itching to return to it, as I have some ideas for a flower series that I’d like to try that way.
Planetary positions deciding a persons situation and fate – is practised a lot in my country in certain religions. Again its a matter of choice. Some choose to believe some dont. Keeping it aside I am always fascinated by Jupiter or any other planets. I recently watched saturn and jupiter through telescope. It was amazing!
I didnt know about Zenography till today 🙂
Thanks for ur visits. hope to stay in touch
Congrats on completing a to z. From “The Pensive”
Viewing the sky through a telescope is so fascinating isn’t it?! It’s literally like a whole different world.
Thanks for visiting so frequently Afshan, and may we all keep up with our new blogging acquaintances.
Do I have any thoughts about Jupiter, planet or god? Can’t say that I do. However, I have important thoughts about Pluto! I call BS on Pluto being demoted and kicked out of the planet group!!
Kidding aside, thank you for telling us more about Jupiter and Thursday, which happens to be my day off. More often than not it’s when I schedule my doctor’s, dentist’s and hairdresser’s appointments, but every once in a while I will be able to make Thursday = “Me Day”.
Congrats on finishing A- Z, I enjoyed your insightful posts!
Watch out for my reflection post, you’ll be featured 🙂
LOL – I don’t think we really need to worry about Pluto. He may not be recognized in the sky, but he’s still the god of the underworld. Somehow I think he’s amused by the absurdity. In any case, I hope you have plenty of Thursday you get to devote to you. Thanks for your kind words and visits, and I look forward to your reflections post.
Wonderful and interesting post 🙂
Thanks Damyanti.
I’ve come to embrace white space. I knew of it as a graphic design principle but now think of it in terms of interior design and planning my days. I have no opinion about Jupiter but I like Thursdays, so maybe I do have an opinion and I don’t know it. Congrats on completing the challenge.
I’m finding white space such a useful concept – it’s spaciousness in action (or maybe that should be non-action). And I’m sure Jupiter doesn’t mind that you hadn’t realized his beneficience. 🙂