Is optimism something we’re born with, or do we have to cultivate it? How are optimists viewed by folks who usually see life through a lens of negativity or realism?
The key indicator of optimism in a chart is Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius. Moon in Sagittarius, Jupiter conjunct Moon, Sun in Sag/Moon in Cancer ~ these are some of the other possible symbols of optimism in a natal chart.
I’ve chosen these examples because Jupiter is exalted in Cancer. Exaltation means that a planet has its greatest ease of expression in that sign. It’s comfortable there. I have a same degree Jupiter conjunct Moon on the IC in my own chart so I’m familiar with how these energies blend. I call it my “soft place to fall.” When everything seems at its worst, I am usually able to wrap myself in a blanket of hope and humor. That is the mood that makes me feel like I’m in the nest made just for me.
Cancer and Sagittarius are signs that are inconjunct, however ~ meaning that they are not especially comfortable with each other, there’s some level of uneasiness between them. So how does Jupiter find exaltation in Cancer?
And what happens when that astrological signature is pitted against something as confining as Saturn?
Well, the story goes…
Ops (Opis) was Saturn’s wife and the mother of Jupiter. Saturn wanted to devour all his children (and ate most of them), but Jupiter is the child that Ops saved. She gave gave Saturn a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to swallow instead. She protected her child. Jupiter got lucky. (You may be more familiar with this story played by Cronos, Rhea, and Zeus.)
So going back to the early Greek/Roman myths, we can find something that ties Cancer and Sagittarius, Jupiter and the Moon together. In a way, Ops exalted Jupiter by duping Saturn ~ she favored her son. We can take the metaphor even further by saying that reality (Saturn) will always want to consume optimism (Jupiter). It’s why those pie-in-the-sky, happy-go-lucky pollyannas irritate the hell out of the Scrooges of the world.
This unlikely pair also shares a generosity of heart and spirit. They each nurture ~ Cancer/Moon through her consoling empathy and Sag/Jupiter through the welcoming acceptance of the foreign and new. Both have hope for a better tomorrow by belonging, either to a family of their own blood ties or the banding together of kindred spirits.
Optimism is a beautiful thing that sometimes gets the rug pulled out from under it. If you want to change a life forever, break an optimist’s heart. Give them a dose of truth that will not only knock those rose colored glasses off their face, but essentially rid them of hope in any area of life. Maybe that’s a good thing in the long run. We all need a good dose of reality once in a while. Saturn seems to revel in it. Jupiter could be called the “Come-Back Kid,” though ~ he seems to be able to repeatedly rally his good humor and believe yet again that, yes, there is good in the world.
We see this Saturn/Jupiter rivalry play out with people who won’t give up on love. Maybe they are hopelessly in love with someone that is so wrong for them and they view a rather drab and lackluster world through the romantic lens of rose colored glasses. We all shake our heads at how deluded they are, but they just keep hanging in there. The Big Question “WHY?” has a simple answer. Hope.
Rose Colored Glasses is an old country love song by John Conlee that exquisitely sums up the optimist’s hope for a better tomorrow even if today isn’t so great. He sings of hanging on to beliefs, perceived beauty, and the escape from a truth one just can’t bear. Memories of good times outweigh a reality that has spiraled downward. There’s a strong Neptunian influence at work in this song, but Jupiter’s optimism ~ undying hope ~ is the backdrop for a love story where someone plays the fool.
Related post on this blog:
Sagittarius ~ The Truth is Out There
For a brief explanation of how exaltations were determined, click here.
Auntie Moon 
I still don’t get how Jupiter could be exalted in Cancer … I guess i’d better read up on Cancer again, it just doesn’t make sense to me.
We may not know. Here’s a quote from the article I cited at the bottom of the post. It’s sort of hard to figure. Since I look for symbolism, the Ops/Jupiter story worked for me.
Maybe it’s because both Jup and Cancer have a tendency to overeat. 🙂
“The exaltations are one of the most ancient astrological factors still in use. They are found in Mesopotamian sky omens, before the appearance of Horoscopic astrology. Why the Babylonians considered these placements to be dignified is not known. Although many speculations concerning the reasoning behind it have been put forth over the centuries, there are, as Hand[2] has said, still anomalies that are almost impossible to explain with any consistency, such as the exaltation of vigorous Mars in cold Capricorn. The Western sidereal astrologer, Cyril Fagan, has speculated that the planets all rose heliacally[3] at these degrees in the year of the erection of an important temple to the Babylonian god Nabu in the year 786 BC, but this is still very speculative.[4] Possibly the most accepted theory is that the Babylonians considered planets in exaltation to be the rulers of these signs, although these rulerships changed later with the development of horoscopic astrology in the early common era. Although the Ancient Greeks later adopted the more familiar domicile rulerships, they also incorporated the Babylonian rulerships, including both as different essential dignities in horoscopic astrology.”
Always make life a bit easier to have some Sagittarius in your life…it’s been my saving grace!!!
Rose colored glass is a good metaphor…I’ve never used it for Sagittarius or Jupiter only Pisces and Neptune…but let’s see…Jupiter was once the ruler of both Sagittarius and Pisces…so it works well…
Thanks cj
I absolutely agree, Pat. Sag can make life more fun. And I like the straight-shooter aspect of Sagittarius, too.
This was really interesting, but I get really puzzled over Jupiter in Pisces in my 4th. I don’t feel optimistic about family life at all, but neither am I negative. I call myself a realist, which means I see both the positive and the negative sides of things. But then maybe that is the duality of a Gemini:-)
There are always other conditions. Jupiter by itself is just Jupiter, but with aspects to planets or asteroids – a conjunction with Chiron, perhaps – there might be great healing surrounding your home life (4th house/mom/history), or perhaps you can bring healing there. With difficult aspects, like being in opposition to Pluto or in a t-square, Jupiter’s optimism is likely to be compromised or reformed into some kind of enlightenment surrounding the home. Maybe you were a source of education to your family – breaking free of old patterns. Something like that maybe?
We rarely get pure energy. I feel very fortunate with my Moon/Jup conjunction, but also realize that it can make me lazy…and hungry when I’m not hungry, you know?
i wandered upon this page searching astrologyand had to leave a comment. i am a sagittarius. for many years i have owned a pair of glasses that color the world rose just like the pair in the picture above. i call them my “optimisms”. i certainly look with hope and faith upon the future. i ordinarily would not leave a comment on a blog like this but the synchronicity is too much to ignore. the best part about this post? it was written on my birthday. thank you!
Happy Belated and Happy Early, Matt. I’m so glad that your wanderings brought you here. It’s affirming to know that there are optimists in our world. Hope is a beautiful thing. ~ cj