Frederick Woodruff is an astrologer and Corridor correspondent from Vashon Island in the Puget Sound. For this season's quarterly report, Woodruff ruminates on Jupiter’s connection to luck. Read below for his column, and Sun sign horoscopes for Summer 2023.
WOODRUFF ON ASTROLOGY | WOODRUFF ON ASTROLOGY | WOODRUFF ON ASTROLOGY | WOODRUFF ON ASTROLOGY | WOODRUFF ON ASTROLOGY
Frederick Woodruff’s career as a professional astrologer spans four decades. Artists, writers, and creatively motivated folks consult with him regularly to better comprehend the cycles that define their unique narratives.
Take 10 seconds and sign up for Frederick’s Substack newsletter to receive unique takes on astrology, the Tarot, and dreams.
Frederick is currently finishing up his new romance novel about Jeffrey Dahmer. Read about his writing process here.
Luck comes in two versions. There’s the capricious kind, with no rhyme or reason. The lottery winner tells you that she was just ‘lucky’—that sort of luck.
And then there’s the step-by-step version of luck. The version where life (and people in it) respond to optimism and upbeat vibes (no one likes being around a defeatist). It sounds old-school corny, but positive people attract positive events—and we all call them ‘lucky.’
Basically, what we call luck is the world around us responding to what uplifts, compliments, and nourishes—qualities that create magnetism.
Although there isn’t a planet in astrology directly associated with luck, there is Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet—which has a long tradition of fostering enthusiasm and joie de vivre in one’s horoscope.
Everyone is obsessing about money lately. Who can blame us? One minute, we’re tracking inflation, the other, we’re told that unemployment is down—and yay! Although COVID seems to be more and more in the rearview mirror, we’re still living through how it upended the economy.
Here’s what I suggest to my clients: make an effort to reduce the amount of time you spend worrying about money. Focus instead on the resources you have at your disposal. And then figure out ways to optimize those resources. Be that capital or talent.
Jupiter has recently entered the money sign Taurus. And so an opportunity is afoot—for the next twelve months—to attract luck.
And you can do this by emphasizing the optimistic expression of your Sun sign. Let’s consider what that might look like for each sign.
And best of luck to each of us!
Aries
When you cultivate courage, you also nurture confidence and self-reliance—and your magnetic abilities amplify. There’s much you can do to literalize this experience with simple gestures. Survey your world, see what’s opposing or holding you back, and aim to overcome it. Practice this practice. Find one annoying issue in your environment (probably something you've procrastinated about), then systematically take it on. With Jupiter in Taurus, it’s the pragmatic, bit-by-bit approach that wins out. There’s not a lot of room for magical thinking but plenty of space for strategizing a win. You’re a natural-born warrior; show the world your ability to crusade and activate.
Taurus
With Jupiter transiting your sign, you’re somatically attuned to the planet’s magnetizing effect. The next 12 months allow you to ‘ask and receive.’ But you need to formulate a precise ‘ask.’ Jupiter highlights your relationship to personal power—your ability to manage and oversee is increased and called upon. Levity and joy are rekindled. Your optimism attracts opportunities for creative engagement. And you need outreach and collaboration now. This transit can be a boon to your relationship with your body. If you’ve been bothered by health issues, this could facilitate turning over a new leaf. Exercise and nutrition become important themes. As your health improves, as your body tones, so too does your luck increase.
Gemini
Now is the time to finesse and amplify your communicative skills. A new degree of confidence evokes the courage to follow logic’s dictates. There’s little equivocation during this transit because you don’t need to waste time overthinking strategies—trust spontaneity. Your mode of speaking, writing, and editing become imbued with optimism and the potential for greater reach. The desire to acquire new knowledge, most likely about a subject you’ve flirted with in the past, becomes pronounced. If you’ve entertained ideas of showing your art, publishing your work, or networking further and wider in the business world—research the avenues to do so and let the world know that you're here. Your ability to multitask is epic. Take advantage of this skill for the next twelve months.
Cancer
We often take our homes for granted, and we don’t register the power of having a strong base of operation to ground and foster our dreams. Home also provides us with essential downtime—freedom from life’s incessant hustle. During the year ahead, bring some Tauri vibes into your home. Round up new plants (or buy some if your home is green-less). Purchase art for your walls, or rearrange your existing collection. Convert your home into something more than a place to crash. Consider opening your space up to the equivalent of an old-style European salon, where folks gathered together, shared food and drink, and philosophized about their favorite subjects. Opportunities arise when your home becomes a hub that enlivens yourself and others.
Leo
Sketch out a year-long plan to up your self-promotion skills. A lot depends on pushing yourself into the spotlight during the remainder of the year. Network and find like-minded folks you can collab with. Your sign's a dichotomy. You desire to show off your authentic self to the world, but you’re sometimes waylaid by the feeling that things aren’t original enough. This can turn into a defeating cycle that needs to be interrupted. You’re a hard worker (once you commit to what enthuses you), and you’ve developed some keen skill sets; now you’re ready to display them. People look to you for creative inspiration. Show them what you’re made of. Jupiter guarantees traction if you step out of your comfort zone. Commit to your birthright—your ability to shine.
Virgo
One of your central mysteries is that the small and ordinary are gateways into the macro and extraordinary. You prefer starting slow and being well-researched. From there, you build towards goals incrementally. Virgos balk if things become too fast, too grand, or opulent. Or overloaded with emotion. The Zen motto ‘chop wood and carry water’ becomes your clarion call to life’s richer mysteries. The key to success for you relates directly to specialization. This boosts your self-reliance and sureness of touch across the entire range of life. This attention to detail (and reveling in it) also boosts your luck potential. People are impressed with your ability to turn the ordinary into something noteworthy. Put yourself in a place where this skill is valued and rewarded.
Libra
Your ability to see all sides of an equation is fierce. But the glitches pile up when you must finally commit to one direction over another. This latter situation can keep you stuck in an eddy. Your luck factor jumps exponentially when you’re given a shove or a push that requires your reaction to outside forces. How to arrange this? Well, the logic might sound odd, but try it out and track the results. You’ll be surprised. To energize and up your enthusiasm, you need something to oppose. In doing so, you’re able to see more clearly what it is exactly you want to achieve. Your skill set involves your keen strategic abilities. Bring those to the fore, and you’ll move far during the next twelve months.
Scorpio
Your sign is drawn to the occult, the taboo, the strange, and the weird. Emotional intensity is your touchstone. Events in life that lack intensity bore you. So the question becomes: where does your next passionate experience reside? Jupiter is opposing your sign now, which puts pressure on your Sun to increase its shine factor, which can mean diving deeper into the secrets of the self—anything and everything that has to do with life’s hidden side. Let go of the: “What will other people say if I do this or that?” quandary. Comparison to the status quo won’t serve you now. The next twelve months require that you face what’s hidden or withheld from your conscious mind and embrace it.
Sagittarius
You’re being invited to contemplate life through a different lens, to see the bigger picture in a way that involves synthesis—the unity of opposites. The bigger questions arise suddenly—as if they’d been drifting under the ocean's surface for years, untouched. Questions like, “Who am I? What is life? Is there such a thing as ‘god’?” Your sign is inherently linked to philosophical or spiritual ideals that evolve into serious, committed pursuits. Jupiter, your ruler in Taurus, ups your lack factor when you delve into untried realms of the mind. Your intellect is preparing to move beyond everyday knowledge and into deeper wisdom. The search for meaning is officially on, and Jupiter has your back. Permit yourself to think big, wide, and freely.
Capricorn
Your sign tends towards low-key or cautious modes of asserting yourself into the world; doing so maintains your sense of control. This slower pace also guarantees that when you build something, it will remain for life. Legacy is an important feature of your sign. You do best when you have large chunks of free time—and solitude—to work with. Although, presently, with Jupiter trining your sign, you’re ready to experiment with stepping outside of your routine. You’re starting to see the necessity of self-promotion. Your luck will increase during the next twelve months when you bring unique, untried influences into your world. Find ways to attract people willing to assist you in broadcasting your creative work. Don’t be too proud to ask; be specific with what you need.
Aquarius
Jupiter is forcefully influencing your sign during the next twelve months. This increases the pressure to rework or reconsider the social dimensions of your life. Or lack thereof. It’s time you define your individuality within a group setting. Why? A collective environment allows you to bring to the fore your special talents—that of organizing, arranging, managing, or overseeing group endeavors. You also need this sense of belonging to feel emotionally fulfilled. Find and cultivate your tribe during the next twelve months. And then watch your luck take on dimensions you’d never considered. We all like surprises, and what Jupiter has in store for you will transform you come December.
Pisces
Yours is the sign of the mystic. This doesn’t have to have spiritual connotations, but you shine (and attract the most) when you allow the part of yourself wowed by wonder and amazement to influence your imagination. And of all the signs, your imagination is the strongest. You’re a fascinating mix of emotionality and rationality (remember, two fishes comprise your symbol.) Your ability to track trends and movements in the culture, especially in the arts or healing professions, is one of your gifts. Your assignment for the next twelve months is to devise a way for both sides of your nature to find expression. Striking the right balance between the magical and the pragmatic is crucial for attracting luck and new opportunities.
