108 is a magical number. It is found everywhere when you choose to look. It is a sacred and mystical number. There are 108 beads on a mala for good reason. A couple of examples of where this number can be found are in the Sun and Moon's distance from Earth (108 times their diameter) and the 12 signs of the solar zodiac and 9 'planets' used in Vedic astrology (12 x 9 = 108). The Vedic horoscope is more commonly divided up into 108 sections to make important calculations.
Jupiter is currently transiting through the sign Cancer (June 2014 - July 2015), where it finds its place of exaltation. When Jupiter is in a strong position it brings organization, pulling all necessary elements together to bring coherence. So, it is when Jupiter first moved to Cancer in the summer of 2014 that I decided to look for some magic in my own life. I decided to seek the number 108 out, as if seeking confirmation of the presence of magic.
I have Jupiter placed in the opposite sign, Capricorn in my own birth chart, where it is placed in debilitation. This has led me to believe in only that which I can see and verify through scientific means. From an early age I have noticed a lack of magic and mystery in my life, preferring only to believe in that which was presented to me. When very young, my parents told me that they had worked hard for the money to pay for Christmas gifts and were not going to give the credit to some guy in a red suit who mysteriously managed to make his way down the chimney!
If you want to know what having Jupiter in debilitation is like then there is your answer. It is a lack of mystery, a lack of belief in something which cannot be seen, i.e., faith.
I am religious in the truest sense of the word, but not in the way most people use the word. I see order and 'God' everywhere thanks to astrology. I hesitate to define whether I am atheist, theist or agnostic, because none of these labels suit. I like to use the term 'attentive optimism' to describe how I feel most of the time.
So, I decided to search for magic once Jupiter moved into sidereal Cancer. And guess what. I found it!
Not in any great, exaggerated and obvious way of course. I began to see the number 108 everywhere; driving behind a car with 108 on the registration plate; looking at the clock at exactly 10.08; simply seeing the number in papers, journals, in offices, passing signs etc. It was everywhere for me to see.
So what effect has this had on me? Well, I still have an attentive optimism and I believe that we choose to see what we want to see. At the same time, I have a sense of something happening which is beyond my comprehension and a quiet awe has descended upon me, giving me a deeper feeling of hope and optimism moving forward. Jupiter continues to transit through my 9th house of faith and good fortune, where it remains until July 2015.
Whatever area of your life you experience the sign Cancer, as well as the houses Jupiter rules in your horoscope, these experience a coherence which I hope you have also been able to tap into for the past year. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the magic in our everyday lives, even if it is not all pomp and show, but a subtle awareness of grace and Divinity.
OM TAT SAT
