Floating Fountain: Jupiter & Venus in Cancer

floating: the buoyancy of joy, the elevation of safety, the waterfalls of sensitivity

fountain (of youth): soaring cascades, abundant squirts, streaming jets

A Brief on Jupiter

Abu Ma’shar says of Jupiter’s nature:

“the wise and doctors of the law and just judges, and firms and wisdom and intellect and interpretation of dreams, truth and divine reverence, faith and the teaching of the law, religion, and veneration and fear of God, charity, piety, also the union of faith and its foresight, and the fitness of morals and responsibilities”

Vettius Valens says of Jupiter:

“Jupiter indicates childbearing, engendering, desire, loves, political ties, acquaintance, friendships with great men, prosperity, salaries, great gifts, an abundance of crops, justice, offices, officeholding, ranks, authors over temples, arbitrations, trusts, inheritance, brotherhood, fellowship, beneficence, the secure possessions of goods, relief from troubles, release from bonds, freedom, deposits in trust, money, stewardship.”

Floating Fountain Core Values

Ambrosia Meadow might be the first official operation for my shop, but Floating Fountain gets the credit for initiating (so very cardinal!).

This collection marks my Jupiter opposition, the time frame I was eyeing for this shop’s launch for the last three years. During my Jupiter return (went exact in February of 2020, there might have been something major happening in the world around then…) I started a Jupiter practice. It began humbly by greeting Jupiter everyday during their hour and reciting their Orphic hymn.

I was going to the beach every Sunday for sunset on Jupiter’s night, simply hoping to show up and say hello. It didn’t take too many powerful lightning-filled thunderstorms while the Sun was slipping past the horizon to get the message through that my prayers might have been heard.

Picatrix says of Cancer: “Among the locations, it governs lakes, swamps, and places where waters meet, the seashore, and rivers.” And this collection was birthed by the sea.

Jupiterian virtues speak to piety, justice, generosity — and this is elevated to the highest level when Jupiter is in Cancer, in their exaltation.

There is a generosity of spirit found here where one’s good will is spread far and wide as you pour into another’s cup with no expectation of anything owed. There is nothing to be repaid when your own cup is already overflowing!

And what a privilege is it to feel that overflowing in any capacity — so why not share that when at all possible?

Justice speaks to equality, equity, and fairness where everyone has what they need, plus a little extra!

I’ve seen a trend on social media that goes “rich because…” and it’s always showing something other than money. A partner who knows you, a family who loves you, a career that supports you. It’s about richness of life, beyond a bank account balance.

Benefits such as material wealth are also very freaking wonderful, as this kind of abundance generally signifies a greater wealth of spirit and mind. “It means no worries for the rest of your days. It’s our problem-free philosophy.”

To have no worries means to be satisfied, to be safe, have what you need and to not struggle.

I taught kid’s ballet for three years at the local dance studio where I teach, and one move kept coming to mind while preparing for this operation.

Glissade literally means “glide” and figuring out this move always marked a shift in young dancers because it perfectly captures a central part of ballet: making difficult moves look effortless. The name of the move itself says you must glide, not always a simple task no matter experience level.

Once mastered, it does feel easy. Just how a ballerina wants to make the moves look simple, just how a business owner wants to make overseeing a company look easy, just how a good host want to makes managing a party look like a piece of cake.

And it can be a piece of cake. When a level of comfort sets in and safety is established, doing the thing actually gets easier.

But let’s be clear that “ease” in modern terms most often equates to money. It’s significantly easier to feel safe when you know where your next meal is coming from, when you have a safe shelter and roof over your head, when you’re not worried about making sure your bills are paid.

Yes, it would be wonderful to subscribe to gentle flowery language about “generosity of spirit” (I still do and know how foundational it is to a well rounded soul!), but it’s important to be realistic that one’s spirit does have limits. Those limits can look like not being able to afford to attend a friend’s birthday party because you can’t pay rent if you splurge on a fancy dinner and night out.

So how do we cure that, besides winning the lottery? …or defeating capitalism, which is a noble but much more ambitious goal. You have to start with getting yourself out of the trenches before you can help others — and that goes for spiritually and emotionally, not just financially.

Marsilio Ficino’s Three Books on Life discusses remedies and cures at length, and a great many of them contain the herbs that were chosen for the Infused Olive Oil of this collection: fennel, rosebuds, orange peel, lemon balm, and saffron. His work is heavily influenced by Saturn’s power in his nativity, which reflects many of his remedies being Jupiterian in nature. This also reflects Jupiter being the Greater Benefic and his remedies having applications as a cure-all, things which solve a variety of problems.

Some of the chapters which include these ingredients in remedies are Book 1 Chapter XII: On Those Things Which Support Special Parts, the Powers, and the Spirits; Book 1 Chapter XVI: On the Care of Sight; Book 1 Chapter XX: On Pills; and Book 2 Chapter XVII: On Nourishing the Spirit and Conserving Life through Odors.

Oils, nuts, and fats are widely known to be Jupiterian in nature and to aid in lubrication of the body, as Ficino says in Book 2 Chapter III: “Minerva—bearing an olive, the source of vital oil, and born, of course, from Jupiter.”

He states in Book 2 Chapter V: “People who are unable to digest viscous cuts of meat from larger animals will be properly nourished with pine and pistachio nuts…with starch to which sweet almonds have been added, and with almond oil…”

And speaking of the cure-all that Jupiter provides, in Book 3 Chapter VI he makes it very clear: “For no star supports and strengthens the natural forces in us—indeed all the forces—more than does Jupiter, nor does any star offer more or more prosperous things.”

This is where my desire to eat magic coalesces with Ficino’s work.

It’s not about eating a handful of Four Nut Mix and automatically turning into pious billionaire (I would argue that is a contradictory statement). It’s about being able to comfortably provide for yourself and your loved ones — and achieve higher levels of understanding through the process.

Having the time to think beyond your basic needs is a privilege, one that is easily forgotten once someone passes it. But when you are stuck in that place of worry, it’s difficult to see beyond that or to hold onto hope that things will improve.

As the the best overall helper, Jupiter is the bringer of hope.

You hope to feel peace when gliding from innocence and naivety into responsibility and maturity. You hope to experience ease when moving from being a beggar into having a savings account. You hope to witness your own fortune and never look down those with less fortune. You hope to have enough sustaining you to be able to share those blessings with others.

You hope. You hope. You hope.

And then you do — because hope needs action to get going.

Picatrix says: “In the second face of Cancer ascends a woman with a beautiful face with a crown of green myrtle on her head and the stem of a plant that is called the water lily in her hand, singing songs of love and joy. This is the face of games, riches, rejoicing, and abundance.”

Abundance is a word often given to Jupiter. I like to think of it very literally: being so overjoyed and fulfilled with life that you cannot help but dance. Rich in every way!

And Cancer II being a Mercury-ruled decan describes this well because who better to move blessings from one place to another than our fleet-footed messenger?

Austin Coppock describes Cancer II in 36 Faces: “Within the protected confines of the alembic, intimacy, vulnerability, and even frivolity are possible. However, the comfort and joy which occurs in such a place cannot occur without protection. Yet the barriers which surround and support the scenes of mirth are not visible in many of the images attributed to this decan. If the garden is not walled, then surely the wolves will find their way in.”

Crabs have a constant layer of protection thanks to their shell, and they have the constant luxury of carrying their home with them at all times. They exist in a walled garden; they bring their barriers everywhere! They have no need to retreat far when threatened and can find comfort and safety anywhere.

The word “generosity” comes forth mightily throughout time when discussing Jupiter, both in the bounty of ways Jupiter provides and how one can pass along their wealth. With great power comes great responsibility, as one who unfairly and selfishly hoards wealth does not deserve to have it.

“The Great Tablecloth” by Pablo Neruda was a driving force in this vision of this working. So much so that the name of this collection was almost The Greatest Tablecloth, but I didn’t want to rip straight from Neruda! The ending of the poem:

“Hunger feels like pincers,
like the bite of crabs,
it burns, burns and has no fire.
Let us sit down soon to eat
with all those who haven’t eaten;
let us spread great tablecloths,
put salt in the lakes of the world,
set up planetary bakeries,
tables with strawberries in snow,
and a plate like the Moon itself from which we can all eat.

For now I ask no more
than the justice of eating.”

Neruda is exposing all of his Cancer placements with the phrase “hunger feels like pincers, like the bite of crabs” as people understandably get crabby when they’re hungry — and as they do when they don’t have enough of anything that will help them feel safe. The amount of food on this planet and the amount of people who still go hungry daily does not match. There is a clear discrepancy between the amount of money going to the head of the company who constantly lives on vacation and the amount of money that the hard laborers in the lowest tier of the company will never see in their own bank account.

Being ruled by the Moon, Cancer gets significations of youthfulness.

There have been many stories about the mythical “fountain of youth” throughout time.

After naming this collection and doing further research when writing this article, I found Juan Ponce de Leon. He was a Spanish conquistador who became Puerto Rico’s first governor in the 16th century. When he lead an expedition to Florida in 1513, legend (and accounts from others!) says he was looking for the fountain of youth. Historians claim this is only myth, but around here we know that myths often holds truth.

While the books remember the Spanish Empire’s desire for expansion and search for gold, we can imagine that one colonizer might have had life-giving waters nagging at his mind.

The ever-pouring fountain of youth which, despite not being able to actually pull a Benjamin Button and keep us young (in years) forever, can provide the rejuvenation that keeps us feeling young.

The adage “you’re only as old as you feel” fits here.

This collection wouldn't be the same without the contribution of community and the free flowing open loving that was apparent between those of in Puerto Rico doing this operation together. We all had our own projects yet attuned to the same sphere and built the altar together.

A major through line of this was being in Puerto Rico during Bad Bunny’s residency, him being so Piscean and Jupiterian and intentionally using his power to bring money to the island and to his people.

And speaking of powerful, a massive hurricane went right by the night after the working! Thankfully we were all safe and well, with credit to Jove! There was a period of intense rain where water rushed under the door, so it was slightly moist and humid, but there are far worse things.

Looping back to the generosity of spirit, I’ve never encountered a culture that is so giving — even when the people have barely anything to give. People who are homeless are still offering you fresh fruit as you walk by because their hearts are that pure. For a culture that has been so poorly treated, they have not let that their tarnish their open hearts.

Floating Fountain is for safety, not just for yourself but to share. It’s about how the crab has the ability to feel protected while also being able to roam freely wherever they please. A true privilege! To be comfortable anywhere and to make yourself at home — and to be able to make others feel at home too.

The vibe is optimistic and hopeful, where the vision and the dream is attainable and within reach.

Jupiter is the Greater Benefic, meaning their gifts and blessings can be Larger than Life, just as you seek to Dream Big. This also means being willing to go bigger than you ever have before. And this is where hope is required!

Jupiter is famous for that “leap of faith” where you trust and believe that things will work out, and at some point you just have to jump.

And a jump into the fountain is guaranteed to grant you something, but what, that is yours to determine…

If you’ve read this far, then you’ll get the very short bit about how downright cute this collection is: the word fountain has multiple meanings. Fountains have jets and streams that cascade water. Sometimes quite unexpectedly! It’s a very wet place. And when used in combination with Ambrosia Meadow, it’s a wildly fertile and fecund place. Take with that what you will!

People who have worked with this collection have reported a lot of laughter, a lot of opportunities flowing in, and a lot of hope shining through despite things that might not be so sunny. It would be short-sighted to ignore how not-sunny many parts of the world are right now. I won’t pretend that this operation will fix world hunger or climate change; however, I know for certain that everyone who has used it has said that their own personal ecosystems have become sunnier.

There’s a lot of smiling and laughing when using Floating Fountain, certainly thanks to the community layer in the creation. It’s very social, but less “let’s hang out with everyone” and more “let’s hang out with my favorite people.” The social factor is less about status pandering and more about genuinely connecting with folks who share the same values as you.

This isn’t a “get rich quick” collection. Jupiter won’t bless anyone who doesn’t have a pious heart, and you can’t purchase piety.

Election Details

The offerings in this collection have all been layered and ensouled twice.

I was in Puerto Rico during the first operation and at home during the second operation, so there were specific things I could and couldn’t do in each location, and I wanted to utilize both of these elections.

The target planet is placed in the 1st during their planetary hour and moving direct. While Jupiter is not in their preferred sect, their ruler the Moon certainly is! And while Venus is not the triplicity ruler of Cancer by night, she is certainly boosted with dignity here. Jupiter is in their place of exaltation, with the Moon being either in exaltation or in domicile.

For the first chart:

The first election has Jupiter at 14º Cancer in the 1st with the Moon at 10º Taurus in the 11th, separating from a square to Mercury in Leo and applying to Jupiter by sextile. Jupiter is at their exact degree of exaltation here. It was dry work was done during this election: preparing, suffumigating, blending herbs, mixing nuts. This is Jupiter at full exaltation degree, a true birth.

For the second chart:

The second election has Jupiter at 15º Cancer in the 1st with the Moon at 21º Cancer, separating from a conjunction with Jupiter and applying to conjoin Venus at 23º Cancer. This election held the wet work: infusing, pouring, simmering oil, steaming vessels. This is both benefics and the Moon all spooning sweetly together in Cancer.

Both of these elections have Cancer rising, and thus, both malefics are angular with Saturn in Aries in the 10th and Mars in Libra in the 4th.

This is the only real downside of this election: the reality that you do have limits to how much you can give, that you can’t always make to look easy, that not everyone and everything deserves your generosity. More than causing any negative effects, I’ve seen and experienced this to be a welcomed dose of reality amongst such overflowing blessings or illusions of blessings that require discernment to understand clearly.

That which does not exalt has no place in your life, and Floating Fountain will only allow that which to flow forth to you which does exalt.

The syncs for this collection have been off the charts, so let’s finish by diving into a plethora of them!

A decade ago during my competition dance days I was in a contemporary piece titled Fountain of Youth. I was the oldest dancer, and there was one man in the dance, and the concept was me trying to turn him old and age naturally while the rest of the dancers tried to keep him young. This memory wasn’t buried but wasn’t as the forefront of my mind, so this operation brought that back forward. I was recalling how badly I wanted to hold onto my youth in terms of the studio world while also feeling a bit weird that I was supposed to be “old” for competitions yet still felt very young at heart. Internet proof!

Days before, while talking about the operation, passing a mural of a shiny crab…

Days before, while discussing Jupiterian virtues, a baby crab emerges from the sink…

Days after, while throwing our offerings out to the ocean, a huge crab emerges from the rocks…

Butter Ocean Spell Soap from Sphere + Sundry, gifted to me during the week of this operation…

I was lucky enough to get last minutes tickets to see Bad Bunny mere days after the working, a feat in itself because his residency shows were sold out and packed. And then I got a sweet treat for the show that came in purple and gold packaging, hi Jove!

The big batch of cookies I made upon returning home which was shared with my mama to honor the Cancerian and Lunar! Floating Fountain Infused Olive Oil was certainly incorporated.

One of the Jupiterian animals is the peacock, one that I’m intimately familiar with. My neighborhood has free-roaming peacocks that have left feathers on my doorstep for years; they know Hera when they see Her. A major sync from this working has been the baby feathers.

I’ve always been left full size feathers in all their glory. Yet in the month since Floating Fountain, I’ve received the most gorgeous little tiny baby feathers — including an albino one, which is such a big deal because I only had one single albino feather (full-sized!) until now.

Here is a photo of some (yes, some, not even all) of the baby feathers — all have been left for me in the last month since Floating Fountain. For comparison, one of my containers of full sized feathers to see the grandeur I’ve been blessed with over time.

And the real pièce de résistance — a small crab claw found right by the altar at the beach where I brought offerings upon returning from Puerto Rico and upon finishing my operation at home AND a massive crab claw pulled off a freshly deceased blue crab that had washed ashore as I was exiting that very same beach after finishing my ritual.