Returning client, new question. He’s got job offers in two cities: the one where he lives now, and another an ocean plus a continent away. But the way he carefully phrased his question revealed the true issue on his mind. He asked, “Which represents the best future for my son?”

(Chart data: 21 April 2008, 3:54pm EDT, Boston, MA USA. ASC 20 Virgo 23, Moon 17 Scorpio 29. Regiomontanus houses.)

(Click the chart to enlarge it.)

I’m taking the 1st house and its ruler to stand for “stay here.” I’m taking the 7th house and its ruler to stand for “move there.” The added twist of “Which is better for my son?” means we’ll take the ruler of the 5th house into account. The 5th is the house of the querent’s children.

With Virgo rising, “here” is represented by Mercury and by the state of the 1st house. How are things here? Mercury is in mixed condition, but improving. By essential dignity, it has strength by term and face. Term and face are minor pluses, suggesting this current city isn’t the querent’s ideal, but has some good things going for it.

By accidental dignity, Mercury is seriously suffering. Less than 6 degrees away from the Sun, Mercury is combust: burned up by the Sun’s heat. Ouch! Count that as a major affliction to “here.” The good news is that Mercury is separating from conjunction and quickly outdistancing the Sun, so there’s the sense that the worst problems are behind it.

Any benefits or afflictions to the first house? Yes, three serious afflictions. One, the ascendant is trine Jupiter in its fall. Two, it is sextile Mars in triplicity and fall. Three, it’s sextile Moon in its fall. These are Not Nice. But the same planets afflict the descendant as well (Jupiter sextiles, Mars trines, Moon trines). Since both “here” and “there” are similarly afflicted, these factors – though all really ugly – don’t tip the balance for or against either place.

So “here” has some natural advantages. At the moment, it seems to be in dire straits but, on the plus side, it seems to be escaping them. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the 7th house and see whether it promises a better future – or a worse one.

It’s just this side of too-early-to-be-awake, but I got out of bed just to get a good look at Jupiter before the Sun comes up. It’s at about 21 Capricorn, just about square the Sun now at about 21 Aries, so I can see it high in the southern sky, a bit east of south, as the dawn approaches.

Jupiter’s not happy in Capricorn, in plain terms. Consult a Ptolemaic table of essential dignities and you’ll see that Jupiter is in its fall in Capricorn. The Greater Benefic typically cannot act as a benefic here. I suppose it’s because Jupiter, a hot, moist planet and naturally associated with generosity and abundance, can’t find the fertile soil it needs for expansion in Capricorn’s craggy, mountainous earth.

There are two small spans of Capricorn where Jupiter has some essential strength. From 0 Capricorn 00 to 9 Capricorn 59, Jupiter is in its face, the least of essential dignities. From 12 Capricorn 00 to 18 Capricorn 59, Jupiter is in its term, the next dignity up from face. Jupiter will revisit its term from the end of June until the beginning of September, during its retrograde period.

Speaking of that retrograde period, did you know that whenever Jupiter is stationing – direct or retrograde – it is trine the Sun? This is a smart shortcut to remember whether you’re a horary or a natal astrologer. If you see Jupiter trine the Sun in a chart, keep in mind that Jupiter is on the verge of changing directions (or has just done so), and that it is extremely slow compared to its usual speed. Obviously this doesn’t apply to transits to your natal chart.

Jupiter’s first station this spring is at 22 Capricorn 22 on May 9th. Jupiter retrogrades back to 12 Capricorn 32 and stations on September 8th. So summer in the Northern Hemisphere will be a great time for Jupiter-spotting.