Challenge of a Sharp Destiny – John McCain – 1936 – 2018

John Sidney McCain III served his country throughout his entire life, but it was during his tour of duty as a pilot in the U.S. Navy, and especially as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, that he unknowingly took on the challenge of the formidable Sharp Destiny, identified in his chart by the square between Jupiter and Saturn.

The naval captain managed to rise to the occasion, only after years of personal, agonizing struggles and peer criticism that the daunting configuration bestows on a soul in need of awakening. He gained a reputation from fellow airmen for recklessness in the cockpit, and later as a Senator, drew condemnation from the public for reasons that included racial remarks, (1) and for his involvement in the Keating Five scandal in 1989. There were character flaws to overcome, and the Sharp Destiny’s presence in the chart points to the need for correction.

Both McCain’s father and grandfather were distinguished admirals, and in 1954 their third-generation namesake followed in their footsteps by attending the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis Maryland. Unfortunately, however, he fell short by graduating 894th in his class of 899.

In spite of scoffing at rules and protocol, McCain was responsible enough to be trained to fly bombers from aircraft carriers. His headstrong and undisciplined nature may have led to carelessness, resulting in three flight accidents (2) before being assigned to the battle-worn carrier USS Oriskany.

There were younger pilots with better records and more experience, but McCain pressed for the combat assignment that would ultimately seal his fate as a prisoner of war. On his 23rd combat mission over Hanoi on October 26, 1967, his A-4 Sky Hawk was shot down by enemy fire. He injured himself severely while ejecting from the cockpit, but successfully parachuted into Trúc Bach Lake, only to be captured by North Vietnamese soldiers.

McCain would spend the following five and a half years in Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed “Hanoi Hilton” by U.S. prisoners, where he would be subjected to barbarous torture. Anyone shot down in military service is considered a hero, but because of McCain’s history of marginalizing proper procedures, his fellow airmen deemed the event pilot error. (3) Controversy often follows an individual with a Sharp Destiny. It comes as a result of the square aspect’s counter-energies and often manifests through demands from others who stand in judgment of a native’s acts and attitudes. External factors contribute additional pressures to a native’s inner crises normally felt under the influence of a square, especially one involving Jupiter and Saturn.

McCain’s notorious temper, coupled with periodic bouts of irresponsibility, set him up for condemnation. But ultimately he would confront himself, and tackle his shortcomings when forced to do so in the years of his solitary confinement. In his own words, “I had a lot of time to think over there, and came to the conclusion that one of the most important things in life – along with a man’s family – is to make some contribution to his country. . . I thought a lot about the meaning of life.” Time would give McCain the chance to achieve the lofty goals encouraged by the Sharp Destiny, so clearly defined by the renowned astrologer and creator of the technique, Marc Edmund Jones.

JUPITER AND SATURN IN  SQUARE ASPECT indicate an ordering of life’s fundamental motives, through which the native usually suffers very immediate consequences of the least neglect or abuse of his own potentials. He finds he must fight continually for the ideals in which he has come to take the most consistent interest, and also learns that his conscious well-being is wholly dependent on the moral struggles in which he becomes involved almost inevitably at every stage of his experience. If he does not relish the days in which he seems torn to pieces in self-uncertainty, he must discover ways to tear himself apart deliberately, and in equally painful fashion, on behalf either of some cause of real significance or some conception that he can dramatize through his own being. Personal existence under this configuration can become either great opportunity, or else a gradual disintegration of the soul in the very core of itself.(4)

A Sharp Destiny is identified by a conjunction, square, or opposition between Jupiter and Saturn within a 10-degree orb. The same orb allowance is given for a Loose Destiny and is defined by a sextile, trine, or lack of major aspect between the two planets.(5) The Loose Destiny differs greatly from the more formidable Sharp Destiny described in McCain’s case, and affords the native the freedom to resist ingrained cultural standards, allowing one to dictate one’s own life path with minimal resistance from outside sources. Of the three major aspects defining the Sharp Destiny, the square and opposition are the most exacting. They drive an individual through inner struggle or direct conflict, respectively, to seek and live up to an exemplary high code of ethics.

The Sharp Destiny is prominent in McCain’s horoscope because Jupiter is High Focus at the midheaven and in square to Saturn rising in the 1st house. Neptune from the 7th house applies in opposition to Saturn, and Saturn, in turn, opposes Venus in the 7th. These oppositions, create the necessary polarization of forces that form a T-Cross that has its expressive outlet through Jupiter in Point Focus. The Sharp Destiny forms one essential angle of the T-Cross and becomes the signature configuration that assists the native’s development into a notable figure on the world stage.

THE CAPTURE AND RELEASE

The most difficult aspects of Dynamic charting (6) are those that involve Saturn and Pluto, especially when aspecting each other. Saturn is notorious for its unrelenting laser-like role in the refinement of character, and Pluto is associated with a wide spectrum of possibilities, ranging from a demand for the ego’s total surrender in the process of transformation, to the opposite extreme, in a profound gifting of power and influence.

At the time McCain was captured by the Vietcong, Pluto was transiting the 7th house at 21 Virgo 53 and well-engaged in its approximate three-year opposition to natal Saturn. This vigorous activation of the Sharp Destiny manifested the more arduous attributes of the planets involved and corresponds to the fierce abuse the native suffered while imprisoned. Here is where the most persuasive forces in the solar system, manifesting through people, pit themselves against another’s greatest fears and vulnerability. During his incarceration, McCain transformed his struggle for survival into the opportunity to develop better character potentials. The victim of torment and misfortune took hold of inner strength that gave power to his higher motivations, thanks to the Sharp Destiny’s potential for turning a person’s life around under pressure.

Transiting Pluto’s effects are usually recognizable when it comes within a five-degree orb of a natal planet, and its long duration may include highly consequential stations when conjunct or opposite within one degree. During the first few years of incarceration, Pluto would station several times, intensifying the dangerous situation as it threatened McCain’s very existence. Pluto stationed once in opposition to natal Saturn in May of 1968, and twice in conjunction with natal Venus, in December of 1967 and June of 1969. Events related to these stations, and to Pluto’s aspects to natal Mercury in the early 1970s, are disclosed in McCain’s personal account of his imprisonment.(7)

McCain was released from prison on March 14, 1973, as the war was reaching its end. His homecoming corresponds to 4th house “end-of-the-matter” aspects to Point Focus Jupiter in the 10th. Aside from the transits to and from Venus, the real harbingers of freedom came from the progressed Moon and the transit of Saturn respectively, in tight opposition to the greater benefic. The Moon was just beyond its aspect by 1 degree 30 minutes, while Saturn was tighter, with 42 minutes before exact opposition. The Moon and Saturn in tandem charged the situation with emotional fervor as the release from prison became imminent.

The Sharp Destiny brought into focus the chasm between American ideals and the despotism McCain endured while a victim in captivity. Upon his return home, he received physical therapy, attended the National War-College in Washington D. C., and in 1977, accepted the position of naval liaison to the U.S. Senate, which was the bridge that would lead to his political career, first as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives and later as a Senator.

McCain believed in the importance of bipartisanship. He was not held back by differences of opinion or policy and would reach across the aisle to get things done with members of both political parties because he believed the individual was part of a greater whole. The Sun represents Will and Purpose (8) (its keywords) and its placement on the 7th house cusp encourages acting in partnership with others in the name of opportunity and cooperation for the benefit of all. The 7th house also rules open conflicts and outright warfare, and when compromise occasionally failed, McCain’s volcanic temper would surface in fierce confrontation.

THE VOLATILE SABIAN SYMBOL

McCain’s sporadic abrasiveness can be seen woven into his behavior through random planetary influences in his chart, including characteristics revealed through the Sabian Symbols.(9) In spite of his need for establishing relationships, his erratic and combative responses could repel others. He was known for his biting sense of humor and volatile disposition, but fortunately, those defining idiosyncrasies also contributed to lifelong friendships and camaraderie rather than proving a deterrent. When friends and colleagues gathered to eulogize him, each in his own way gave an account of an encounter with his destabilizing humor and fierce passion. Testimonials of his dark, as well as his light side, poured out from both Republicans and Democrats.(10)

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat from Rhode Island remarked;

“John could be annoying. In Munich, accepting an award for John, his beloved wife Cindy said, ‘I love him most of the time, but his temper could be explosive.’ I learned once about a man who was named for a South American volcano because he constantly fumed and regularly erupted. And of course, I thought of John.”

Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat from Illinois stated;

“Typical John McCain, A volcanic temper, but an embracing loving approach when it came to friendship.”

Senator Ben Sasse, Republican from Nebraska explained;

“After he was released, he wanted to make sure that he spent all of his time on big things. His impatience, his volcanic temper, flowed directly from the fact that he thought that life was too short to waste on the small stuff.”

These and numerous other statements reveal McCain’s temperament as it is symbolically reflected in his Neptune Sabian Symbol degree, 16 Virgo 08, A volcano in eruption.  Here is where a symbol’s phantasmal imagery affects actuality. In uncanny fashion, members of Congress and friends, described the statesman’s nature as “volcanic,” just as it is stated in the symbol itself. The symbol’s description, as Jones composed it, describes in detail the motives behind the native’s excessive emotional reactions, especially as it relates to the “mobilization of his deeper potentials.” And just as Senator Sasse concluded, the frustrations the native suffered were born of the need to achieve success with issues of grave public concern.

Neptune’s Sabian Symbol, 17 VIRGO,  A volcano in eruption. In Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Marc Edmund Jones writes:

This is a symbol of that constant expansion of self and nature which constitutes reality in its most fundamental terms, emphasized here on the side of physical force and the blind urge of life to continue to be. Implicit in the wonder and destructiveness is man’s ease of self-recovery in the critical phases of his experience, often aided by the sheer violence with which he acts to meet some major issue. His irresistible outbursts may be merely the total mobilization of his deeper potentials. The keyword is EXPLOSION. When positive, the degree is creative passion as a rejection of superficiality and a genuine ordering of self, and when negative, petulance and tantrums.

THE CANCER DIAGNOSIS

Businessinsider.com reported the details of McCain’s threatening diagnosis (11);

“McCain was scheduled for a regular physical on Friday, July 14, 2017,  at the  Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale Arizona. The brain scan, that McCain had undergone during his physical, had discovered something. He underwent surgery several hours later. And then a few days later, it was revealed that the blood clot was a primary brain tumor.”

During the discovery of the brain tumor, the fast-moving planets identified the timing of this event and linked the nuances of activity with the greater development of the slower celestial bodies. The swift movers fill in the details as the outer orbiting planets create the base-note foundation of experience.

Before the diagnosis of cancer on July 14, 2017, were several developing aspects involving the Sharp Destiny. Progressed Saturn was retrograding toward the closure of the five-degree aspect gap it had with natal Jupiter at birth, and at the same time was tightening its opposition with natal Neptune. Transit Saturn was also retrograding toward a station, that in the following month, would square its natal position within one degree. Transit Uranus was in a tight square with natal Pluto, and transit Neptune’s subtle effects were operating through an opposition to its own natal location. These compelling Dynamic aspects, to and from powerful outer planets, point to the seriousness of events, as they made an impact on the native’s health at the time.

Looking at the finer details of Dynamic charting, are the very effective and developing transit-to-progressed aspects of import. When McCain was informed of his rare and aggressive cancer, transit Pluto was retrograde, and moving to meet with the progressed Moon at the exact same degree and minute, 18 Capricorn 1. Also, at the time of the diagnosis, the speedier transit of Mars was approaching a conjunction with natal Pluto. Thirteen months later, on August 28, 2018, the same Mars would station-direct in exact opposition to Pluto, announcing the native’s passing that took place four days earlier. Mars’ potent forces joined the overall buildup of the slower orbiting planets, and all gave warning of the impending fatality of the illness.

THE SENATOR’S ACA VOTE

Ironically, at the time of McCain’s advancing illness, the Affordable Care Act was under scrutiny in the Senate. McCain’s own health concerns alerted him to make a profound statement by voting to defeat the bill to repeal the ACA. McCain’s thumbs-down vote was the decisive factor that resulted in the law’s continuance, although he had a history of disdain for it.(12)

Peter W. Stevenson from the Washington Post, relays the nuances of the historic congressional vote.

“In the early hours of July 28, 2017, Sen. John McCain slowly walked onto the floor of the Senate. It was a vote, for the GOP’s “skinny repeal” bill, — a measure that would have permanently repealed the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, among other provisions.  . . . As McCain’s turn to vote arrived, the Senate clerk nodded at him. The Arizona Republican paused, then gave a dramatic thumbs down, eliciting gasps from the Democratic side of the chamber, and grim looks of resignation from the GOP leadership, that had spent the past few hours trying to get him to change his mind.”(13)

The planetary configurations in the early hours of July 28th, just two weeks after his devastating diagnosis and surgery, were similar to those that were active during events on July 14th. Additionally, progressed Mars was in close conjunction with natal Mercury, giving impetus to take decisive initiative as a result of serious thought to the issue at hand. The maverick politician made the difficult decision “hard” aspects propose, and voted against what his fellow Republicans favored. His conscious concern on behalf of average Americans can be traced to the influence of the Sharp Destiny that solidified his commitment to his high ideals. He demonstrated his devotion to the welfare of others through the protest-vote against what he deemed a renegade Congress and administration.

McCain’s health was continually challenged throughout his life. He suffered permanent injuries from being tortured, had recurring bouts of skin cancer, and was finally diagnosed with the cancer that took his life. The Sabian Symbols have already proven to be revealing when pointing to McCain’s “volcanic” temper. Here again, they are highlighted, this time by Uranus at 9 Taurus 30, in the degree of A Red Cross nurse, as another example of the remarkable concurrence between symbolic imagery and actuality.

Like Jupiter, Uranus is also Point Focus, because it is the squaring participant of a T-Cross with the Moon and Mars in opposition. When in Point Focus, a Sabian Symbol’s meaning is amplified. A Red Cross nurse articulates clearly, the ideals McCain embraced and expressed in so many concerns during his life, including the now-legendary thumbs down vote that gave longevity to the ACA as established during the Obama administration.

Uranus 10 Taurus,

A Red Cross nurse  This is a symbol of human service, on the ideal or spiritual side, and it emphasizes the greatest of all roads to self-realization. The steadiness of concern, for the more extreme needs of others, is dramatization of the most consistent opportunity for the self to become momentarily a phase of all-self, and through that universal experience, to become more satisfactorily whatever it wishes to be on its own account. The keyword is ENLISTMENT. When positive, the degree is a complete dedication of the self, to the worthwhile and enduring projects through which it can lose all sense of separateness, and when negative, a superficial pretense of humanitarianism, in order to gain transient importance.

NAUTICAL SABIAN SYMBOLS

The Sabian Symbols examined thus far, have illustrated McCain’s outer persona as well as his deeper stirrings. A volcano in eruption points to his turbulent temperament while A Red Cross nurse celebrates his empathy toward others. Surprisingly, there are several nautical images that literally speak of the native’s naval background. The three symbols with brief comments are below. The degrees are rounded up to the following degree.

Moon, 3 Aquarius:

A deserter from the navy  This is a symbol of human independence carried to a point of extreme rebellion against things as they are, here emphasized in disregard of all consequences, for the sake of an immediate liberation of the spirit. There is a demand for a more rewarding expression of individuality, and the reversed symbolism suggests that any late acceptance of full and personal responsibility for life, is better than none at all. Except as man creates his own allegiances, his destiny holds no depth. The keyword is DEFIANCE. When positive, the degree is genuine psychological courage, in a repudiation of all meaningless loyalties, and when negative, complete inability to follow the rules of any game.

Though never a deserter, the Moon’s degree, alludes to the time when McCain was a P.O.W. The symbol reflects his impassioned refusal, to surrender to the communist dogma he witnessed in the autocratic North Vietnamese regime. The symbol’s original version, from Jones’s 1925 mimeographed series, expresses the degree in more detail; A deserter from the navy stands suddenly aware of the dawning truth, that freedom is never the result of compromise. McCain held to his integrity and resisted any compromise with the enemy while in prison, and again, later, when in contention with his peers on the floor of Congress.

The second symbol to review is An old sea captain rocking, and it is extraordinary because it mirrors the native’s actual rank in the navy. McCain retired as a captain in 1981, but maintained a longing to return to Vietnam, to come to terms with the trauma of his once harrowing internment.

Mars, 13 Leo:

An old sea captain rocking  This is a symbol of man’s great love for reliving his experiences in memory, and of his gift for achieving a mastery, in advance of whatever new situations he may face, by bringing all the ramifying relationships to a focus, in a personal and competent grasp of their more pertinent potentialities. He fights the battles of the world in his imagination over and over again. He knows that events repeat themselves, and so may be brought in leash. The keyword is RETROSPECT. When positive, the degree is each person’s unlimited capacity for calling up afresh, the powers he has gained in his struggle toward self-fulfillment, and when negative, insensibility to present reality, in a full surrender to the past.

The old sea-captain’s wish was fulfilled in April 2000, when he arrived in Hanoi, to review his past, and assist in the reconciliation, of the two governments that had been at war decades prior. He told reporters at an airport news conference, “I put the Vietnam War behind me a long time ago . . . I harbor no anger, no rancor.”(14) It was his “capacity for calling up afresh, the powers he gained through struggle,” as cited in the symbol, that gave him the fortitude to overcome justifiable resentments he held toward his prosecutors.

The 3rd and last maritime symbol to discuss is established by elevated Jupiter. Its influence is outstanding because of Jupiter’s distinction as both Point and High Focus and because of its participation in the all-important Sharp Destiny.  The symbol speaks of McCain’s unrelenting ambition which was fulfilled by his political career.

Jupiter, 16 Sagittarius:

Seagulls watching a ship  This is a symbol of the spirit’s demand for its full share in the privileges and rewards of human society, and of the individual’s realization that his personal interests are served only as he maintains an unceasing vigilance in his own behalf. There is a continual, and wholly impersonal give and take, in every phase of life’s overall economy, so that what loses its usefulness in one respect, will gain an immediate high potentiality in another. Moreover, what man fails to claim definitely for himself, is promptly surrendered to the devices of someone else. The keyword is ALERTNESS. When positive, the degree is a gift for recognizing every opportunity at hand, and when negative, aimless expectation.

A POIGNANT FAREWELL

John McCain died of brain cancer on August 25, 2018, just four days before his 82nd birthday. Referring to the title of McCain’s book, Character is Destiny.(15) Democrat, and former Vice President Joe Biden, in his speech at McCain’s funeral, said, “Character is destiny. John had character.” When asked to explain McCain’s character to those not knowing him well, Biden continued,  “He lived by a code where honor, courage, integrity, and duty were alive. . . Underlying values animated everything John did, everything he was.  He’d part company with you if you lacked the basic values of decency and respect.   Biden’s words paraphrase Jones, as they express the Jupiter-Saturn square’s positive encouragement to, “fight continually for ideals, and to tear oneself apart on behalf of a cause of real significance.”

The most significant astrological event, at the time of McCain’s passing, is shown in the ephemeris for 1936. Counting 82 days after birth shows progressed Saturn had arrived to station direct at 15 Pisces 47. The station in real-time was exact on December 19, 2017, and corresponds to the diagnosis of the native’s illness five months previously, and with the death that resulted eight months later. A liberal time allowance is given to ultra-slow stations when pairing them with earthly events.

Progressed stations are powerful, and are indicators of life-changing experiences. But their significance intensifies, when in tight aspect with natal planets. In this unique case, Saturn’s station emphasized the completion of its square with natal Jupiter, and became the high point of the Sharp Destiny’s promise; signaling the last opportunity for the aspect to express its deep meaning. McCain had gained mastery over the destined square, that “followed” him throughout the years. In acknowledgment of the good reputation he worked so hard to achieve, he was given the rare honor, to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. It was the decision of congressional leaders from both parties, calling McCain, “a great American patriot, a statesman, who put his country first, and enriched this institution through many years of service.”

In his youth, McCain was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s protagonist in the 1940 novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, (16) which sourced its title from the 17th-century poem by John Donne, wherein the poet professes the vital interconnectedness of society;

“Any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind. And therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.”

McCain revisited the story numerous times during his life, as it presented a complex war of ideologies with which he easily identified. It paralleled his own experience, and became the seed of his growing embrace of a cause greater than himself, that came in the form of American values and probity of spirit.

McCain writes his parting words in his last book The Restless Wave:

“The bell tolls for me. I knew it would. So I tried, as best I could, to stay ‘apart of the main.‘ I hope those who mourn my passing, and even those who don’t, will celebrate as I celebrate a happy life, lived in imperfect service, to a country made of ideals, whose continued service is the hope of the world.”(17)

The Sharp Destiny endowed John McCain with the “right stuff” to become the hero and role model for which he is ultimately known. The bravery he demonstrated as a naval airman and captive, and in his public service thereafter, are a testament and encouragement for future generations of Americans of both political persuasions to aim for their highest aspirations.

“Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely, and who rely on you in return.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        John Sidney McCain III

 

 

Chart Data – Chart wheels sourced through Matrix WinStar 6.0 software. Tropical, Placidus Houses.

John McCain, August 29, 1936, 6:25 PM, Colon, Panama – Rodden Rating AA, BC/BR in hand.

Capture by the North Vietnamese, October 26, 1967, 12:48 PM, Hanoi, Vietnam. Online resource, See: http://www.pythiapress.com/wartales/McCain-Shootdown.htm

Release from prison, March 14, 1973.

Cancer Diagnosis, July 14, 2017, 8:00 AM, Scottsdale, Arizona. Doctor’s appointment. See: https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/19/health/gupta-mccain-glioblastoma/index.html

Affordable Care Act – Repeal Vote, July 28, 2017, 1:30 AM, Washington, D. C… See: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/john-mccain-casts-decide-vote-to-save-affordable-care-act-obamacare-9540353

Date of death, August 25, 2018, 4:28 PM, Cornville, Arizona. See sidebar: https://www.verdenews.com/news/2018/aug/25/mccain-discontinues-cancer-treatment-year-after-di/

References and Notes (Online references accessed August to December 2018)

1. TeenVogue.com, The Problematic Things Senator McCain Has Done During His 35-year Career in Politics, See: ttps://www.teenvogue.com/story/5-problematic-things-senator-john-mccain-has-done-during-his-40-year-career-in-politics

2. History.com, Three flight accidents, See: https://www.history.com/news/john-mccain-navy-career-timeline-vietnam-pow

3. Factcheck.org and latimes.com, McCain’s flight record, October 6, 2008, See: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/06/nation/na-aviator6 and https://www.factcheck.org/2008/09/mccains-plane-crashes/

4. Marc Edmund Jones, The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1960, p. 125.

5. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, the Jupiter-Saturn square p. 125; conjunction p. 122; opposition, p. 124; sextile, p.127; trine, p. 126; no major aspect, p. 123.

6. Dynamic aspects are transits and progressions to the natal chart, including planetary stations.

7. USnews.com, McCain’s account of the times before his release, See: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2008/01/28/john-mccain-prisoner-of-war-a-first-person-account

8. Marc Edmund Jones, Astrology, How and Why it Works, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1955, p. 308.

9. Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1953.

10. Excerpt remarks: Rhode Island Democrat, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, C-SPAN2, 8/28/18; Illinois Democrat, Senator Dick Durbin, C-SPAN2, 8/28/18; Nebraska Republican, Senator Ben Sasse, C-SPAN2, 8/28/18.

11. Businessinsider.com, Aug 26, 2018, See: https://www.businessinsider.com/mccain-reveals-how-he-found-out-he-had-brain-cancer-2018-5

12. PBS.org, McCain’s history on health care, See: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/mccains-complicated-health-care-legacy-he-hated-the-aca-he-also-saved-it

13. Washingtonpost.com, The ACA Senate vote, See: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/27/iconic-thumbs-down-vote-that-summed-up-john-mccains-career/?utm_term=.29f030d7ffd8

14. Deseretnews.com, McCain’s return visit to Vietnam, April 25, 2000, See: https://www.deseretnews.com/article/813634/McCain-returns-to-Vietnam—hails-dawning-of-a-new-era.html

15. John McCain, Character is Destiny, Penguin Random House LLC, October 25, 2005.

16. Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, October 21, 1940.

17. John McCain, The Restless Wave, Published by Simon & Schuster, May 22, 2018.

 

CHALLENGE OF THE SHARP DESTINY – Anthony Bourdain, 1956 – 2018

Celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain, took his own life on the evening of June 7th, or in the early hours of June 8th, 2018. His body was found in his hotel room in Kaysersberg France, while on location for the shooting of an episode of his popular television series Parts Unknown. Bourdain was a writer extraordinaire who artfully introduced his audience to exotic cultures through the lens of gastronomy.

Astrologers use diverse methods to analyze the components of a natal horoscope and then note the transits and progressions that set their findings into motion. The examination of Anthony Bourdain’s chart focuses on a small segment of the wheel to draw attention to what is called the Sharp Destiny. It is identified in his case by the square between Jupiter and Saturn. The technique is part of a collection of advanced procedures that were developed in the mid-20th century by astrologer par excellence, Marc Edmund Jones.  The Sharp Destiny explains Bourdain’s early struggles in life but also contributes to his growth and later successes. Failures and achievements are both born of this challenging aspect, and a native is clearly at an advantage when recognizing the blessing of its presence in the chart and works to actualize its elevated purpose.

Marc Edmund Jones

In his  Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Jones gives startling insight into the psyche of anyone with this aspect, and no exception is found in the life of the charismatic chef and storyteller, who would have benefited greatly from the following description.

JUPITER AND SATURN IN A  SQUARE ASPECT, indicate an ordering of life’s fundamental motives, through which the native usually suffers very immediate consequences of the least neglect or abuse of his own potentials. He finds he must fight continually for the ideals in which he has come to take the most consistent interest, and also learns that his conscious well-being is wholly dependent on the moral struggles in which he becomes involved almost inevitably at every stage of his experience. If he does not relish the days in which he seems torn to pieces in self-uncertainty, he must discover ways to tear himself apart deliberately, and in equally painful fashion, on the behalf either of some cause of real significance or some conception that he can dramatize through his own being. Personal existence under this configuration can become either great opportunity, or else a gradual disintegration of the soul in the very core of itself. (1)

The lifelong tension between the energies of Jupiter and Saturn is the celestial factor that brought Bourdain’s attention to the anxiety and feelings of guilt he struggled with when weighing moral concerns of right and wrong.  In his own words,  . . . “oh God, whatever I did yesterday is really shameful and embarrassing, and that’s the story of a lot of my life . . . I’m constitutionally unable to wake up in the morning and to know that the show we did was really cynical, stupid and I don’t  care if people like it.”(2)  Bourdain was prone to confront his actions in hindsight, and those feelings of guilt are the mark of the Sharp Destiny’s ultra self-reflection. He was unaware that periodic crises were provoked by the square of Jupiter and Saturn and lacked an understanding of the forces at play. This left him at a disadvantage when dealing with his sensitivities and insecurities, and so at an early age, he sought solace through drugs and alcohol.

Addiction can be compulsive escapism that becomes a hindrance to true self-discovery, and for the person with a Sharp Destiny, the urgency to find answers is very real. In the face of formidable challenges, Bourdain admitted to taking a good hard look in the mirror and saw someone deep inside who was worth saving. He candidly opened up in an on-screen therapy session about his past substance abuse by stating,  “Something was missing in me. Whether it was a self-image situation, whether  it was a character flaw … some dark genie inside me, that I very much hesitate to call a disease, led me to dope.”(3)

The Sharp Destiny acts as a reality check that makes the native uncomfortably aware of personal shortcomings. Bourdain often showed traits of humility and compassion but also was a self-confessed narcissist, and his self-defeating “bad-boy” demeanor blocked the utilization of transformative principles he was exposed to through Buddhism. One can view the Sharp Destiny as a celestial non-doctrine incentive encouraging personal growth, however, in spite of periodic revelations the native was left to battle his “demons” on an ongoing basis.

THE PLANETARY DEPARTMENTS

Jones’ innovative techniques were based on early astrological practices, and he expounds on them in his writings to give a deeper and more comprehensive scope to chart interpretation. In his chapter on Self-Ordering in the Essentials, he begins by pairing the planets into four distinct departments of Self-Determination.(4) Each departmental pair is then assessed for a possible major aspect between their positive and negative significators. To complete the analysis, with what Jones calls the  Mode of Self-Integration, he pits two pairs in major aspect against two that are not, to define how a native psychologically approaches external circumstances and opportunities. The four planetary departments of Self-Determination are,

1) The Sun and Moon of Vitality, as the organic will-to-be of the Greater Light, coupled with the  Lesser Light’s emotional response to its surroundings.

2) Jupiter and Saturn, as they define the soul’s personal Motivation through Jupiter’s enthusiastic outreach, paired with Saturn’s complimentary sober self-restraint.

3) Mars and Venus are paired to establish Efficiency in experience, through the initiative of Mars in concert with Venus’s gratifying completion.

4) And Uranus and Neptune, the planets of Significance, as they work together to encourage the elevation and expansion of consciousness.

Mercury and Pluto are supernumerary and are not active in this departmental categorization.

THE SHARP AND LOOSE DESTINY

Each planetary department is vital for a well-rounded involvement in the business of everyday living. However, it is the role of Jupiter and Saturn, as the department of Motivation, to introduce to the native, the responsibility to develop self-awareness and personal accountability. Their process unfolds the necessary foundation for higher consciousness, represented by Uranus and Neptune, which are the planetary pair of Significance. The prominence, or lesser influence, of the department of Motivation in the chart, is determined by the major aspects between them, signifying whether life is lived through a Sharp or Loose Destiny.

An aspect allowance between Jupiter and Saturn has an orb of 10 degrees. A Sharp Destiny is identified when the pair of Motivation is in conjunction, square, or opposition, with each aspect characterized by its own definition. These formidable aspects produce continuous self-monitoring, which should lead to a dedication to high moral standards.(5) A Loose Destiny is found in the chart with Jupiter and Saturn in sextile, trine, or not in major aspect, allowing the native to be more relaxed in the judgment of their own or others’ acts and attitudes, and with relative freedom from the pressures of environmental influence.(6)

The contribution of the Sharp and Loose Destiny, as they relate to all other chart configurations, helps form the basic differences in personal life potentials. Jones elaborates, “The fundamental distinction is between the life with its course rather well-determined at birth, or before, and the one where there is little preset in its development.”(7)

BOURDAIN’S SHARP DESTINY

Using the Placidus house system, the chart shows natal Saturn in the 4th house of the soul’s deeper impulses as it applies in square to Jupiter near the cusp of the 2nd house of personal and financial resources. The aspect is in a mere 45 minutes of separation. Natal Pluto conjuncts Jupiter with an orb of 1 degree 13 minutes, and at the same time applies in square to natal Saturn with an orb of only 28 minutes. Pluto’s intimate participation in the square, buttresses the effects of the Sharp Destiny and greatly amplifies its over-all power in the chart. Its presence in close contact with Jupiter increased Bourdain’s already good fortune and was the indicator of his at times brutal honesty, considering one of Pluto’s keywords is Probity. This formation of planetary influences reveals a portion of the native’s promise in natal terms, but it is the transits and progressions to this unique configuration, that signal the timing of events that propel its potentials toward self-actualization. Natal Venus, Sun and Neptune flank the complex square with sextiles that ease an otherwise solely tense situation.

PROGRESSIONS to the Jupiter-Saturn Square

The activation of the Sharp Destiny in Bourdain’s chart focuses primarily on Saturn and Pluto as they transition from natal characteristics to the roles they play as Dynamic catalysts. Natal planets, within their aspect networks, manifest on a subtle level throughout life, but the promptings of transits and progressions put the native on alert to deeper possibilities latent within. Saturn and Pluto awakened the full force of the Sharp Destiny with three important progressed aspects. In chronological order, they are; a progressed Saturn station direct, the progressed Pluto conjunct natal Jupiter, and progressed Saturn square natal Pluto.

The Progressed Saturn Station Direct  

Progressed stations mark pivotal life changes even when they are not in close aspect with natal planets, which are a prerequisite for transit stations. Whether turning retrograde or direct, a  progressed station signals a halt in time and space, to change and rearrange things in life’s ever-pressing journey. According to Jones, “The phenomenon in the secondary directions, always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course in life, such as requires a critical regrasp of experience.”(8)

Neptune, Venus, Saturn, and Mars, all stationed in Bourdain’s progressions during his lifetime, stationing at ages 14, 19, 36 and 47, respectively. In this chart interpretation, the focus is on the station of Saturn, because it takes part in the formation of the Sharp Destiny.

Saturn was retrograde at Bourdain’s birth and was separating from its square with Jupiter for 36 years when at that time it stationed to go direct. After turning direct, it is calculated to complete its square with Jupiter at the age of 82, when it arrives at 22 Scorpio 57. Since this is beyond the span of the native’s lifetime, the climactic potentials of this chart’s primary feature will not be a part of this delineation.

On September 3, 1991, Saturn stationed to go direct at 26 Scorpio 10, approximately 36 days after birth, and corresponds to age 36, the time of the native’s dramatic career advancement. The progressed station is shown in an ephemeris on July 31, 1956. Stationary planets are effective for a period of time, before and after the exact pause in their motion. The slowly developing station of Saturn tracked Bourdain’s evolution from dishwasher and line cook to executive chef. He matured into his new position by realizing his latent integrity, enabling him to live up to more demanding responsibilities. Jessica Lindsay of Metro News stated, “By 1992, Bourdain was executive chef at Manhattan’s Brasserie Les Halles, where he remained for a number of years.”(9) This advancement corresponds with a station going direct, marking an outward step in life, rather than an inward withdrawal, synchronous with how a station retrograde would manifest. It was rewarding for one who had long paid his dues, to be elevated as overseer of the then prominent New York brasserie. Jones further explains a progressed station,  “. . . it often proves to be an adjustment over an appreciable span of time, whether marked by some single sharp event of easy identification, or by a complex syndrome of changes of less obvious interrelation.”  The turning point in the early 1990s came from both a single event and a tireless work-ethic over an appreciable span of time. Menial labor, at last, gave way to an illustrious and prosperous career.

The Progressed Pluto Conjunct Natal Jupiter

Pluto’s ultra-slow movement in its orbit of the Sun can have only limited Dynamic contacts with natal planets during the span of a lifetime. However, in Bourdain’s chart, Pluto is already in close conjunction with Jupiter and has only a short distance to progress to complete its aspect. The conjunction was exact on March 11, 2000, occurring at age 44, when the Greater Benefic, prodded by powerful Pluto, launched him from executive chef to become one of the world’s most influential and celebrated food and travel television hosts.

The progression synchronizes with Bourdain’s groundbreaking article, Don’t Eat Before Reading This, published in the April 1999 issue of The New Yorker Magazine. The article opened the door that year for his tell-all book and best-seller,  Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.(10)  These writings marked the author’s rise from relative obscurity to fame and fortune. About his past difficulties and new-found fortune, Bourdain told Wealth Simple,  “I didn’t put anything aside, ever. Money came in, money went out. I was always a paycheck behind, at least. I usually owed my chef my paycheck: again, cocaine. Until I was 44, I never even had a savings account.”(11) And in  Kitchen Confidential,  he wrote,  “Only one in four has a chance at making it. And right there, I knew that if one of us was getting off dope, and staying off dope, it was going to be me. I was the guy.”  These statements illustrate Jones’s positive potentials of a Sharp Destiny. For at least 17 years hence, the native tore himself away from financial ineptitude and obsessive drug abuse, for a cause he could dramatize through his creative role as the philosophical wandering gourmet.

The Progressed Saturn Square Natal Pluto

Exact on April 2, 2016, at the age of 60, Bourdain’s progressed Saturn, now in direct motion, completed its square to natal Pluto. Squares in progressions are considered fulcrum because they play the crucial role of giving the native the emotional leverage for change, which Jones described  as “a critical self-mobilization required by the native under the pressure of objective events.”(12)  The characteristics of this particular square correspond to Bourdain’s official split in September 2016, after years of marriage, from Ottavia Busia.

The aspect also marked the start of a new and captivating love affair. In an article in Eonline.com about the parting of ways with Busia, an insider stated, “There was no one else involved.”(13)  It is not certain if that is factual given that shortly after the separation, news reports proclaimed his budding romance with Italian actress Asia Argento, who appeared in the December episode of  Parts Unknown filmed in Rome. Obviously, the couple must have had contact before the episode aired, and although there is no date published for their first meeting, it was undoubtedly before their romance became public, and perhaps closer to the exact date of the life-altering square.

A COMPARISON OF POTENTIALS  – Venus to Pluto Cross Conjunction

In a comparison of charts between Bourdain and Argento, the conjunction and opposition aspects are the important planetary connections to look for when seeking longevity in a relationship. Synastry between the lovers reveals two planetary conjunctions, within, or in the proximity of the allowable 1-degree orb. The first of the two conjunctions to note is Argento’s Venus at 25 Leo 31, as it applies in a 1 degree 8-minute conjunction with Bourdain’s Pluto at 26 Leo 39. Due to Pluto’s proximity to Jupiter, their irresistible mutual attraction drew her sensibilities into the confines and influence of his Sharp Destiny. And here is the astrological validation for the Plutonian obsession displayed by the storyteller toward the actress. His fixation on her alarmed his friends who likened him to a love-struck teenager, as documented in their remarks made to People.com.(14) On the positive side, the conjunction stirred Argento to great affection for him, and as a film director, she contributed her artistic Venusian touch to several episodes of Parts Unknown. Bourdain reciprocated with the loyal support of her involvement in the #MeToo sexual abuse movement.

Saturn to Uranus Cross Conjunction

An equally important conjunction is Saturn at 0 Leo 17 in Argento’s chart, applying to Bourdain’s Uranus at 0 Leo 49. This is well within the accepted 1-degree orb allowance. Positioned in the exact same degree, their planets share the Sabian Symbol,  A case of apoplexy.  Both cross pairs between the couple show Argento holding the reins of the relationship because the planets in her chart apply in conjunction with his planets which are separating from their mutual placement.

Interestingly, this contact draws Argento’s Sharp Destiny into the picture with Bourdain’s Uranus in this instance providing stimulus to her own fated square. When both individuals contribute a Sharp Destiny to the relationship, it is cause for some concern. In this case, the tension is exacerbated because their Sharp Destinies are tied through the synastry of the cross pair of her Saturn to his Uranus. Jones explains, “The partnership develops its best potentials for them, as they are able to survive strains and crises that often prove very tragic.”(15) Examples given by Jones are the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, and the accidental death of Queen Astrid, while married to King Leopold of Belgium.

Without consideration of its tie to Argento’s Sharp Destiny, their Saturn-Uranus pairing, of itself, hints of contrasting proclivities that the natives would need to endure. For her, Saturn leans toward sobering resistance because of their age difference, professional careers, and family obligations, while his Uranus, on the contrary, tends to minimize restraints, as it vies for unconventionality. Apparently, the couple resolved conflicting demands by the agreement to exercise the necessary freedom to pursue their separate careers and lifestyles. This seemingly liberated arrangement and the influence of the duel and linked Sharp Destinies set the stage for the unfortunate tragic end of their relationship.

There is the possibility of a crosstie from Bourdain’s Moon to Argento’s Saturn, however, because the time of birth noted in the Rodden Rating is not taken from a document, but from memory, and considering the tight orb-allowance of one degree, a discussion of this possible opposition will not be explored in this analysis.

TRANSITS TO CROSSTIES 

Eclipses are transits and are supplemental to the all-important progressions. Together they simultaneously create a complex platform of multi-dimensional experience. There were several solar and lunar eclipses throughout 2017 and 2018 that were interacting with Bourdain’s natal planets. The most impactful was the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, that fell within a few degrees of his Pluto. Besides being a stimulus for his own independent involvement, the eclipse energized the couple’s Venus-Pluto crosstie.

An eclipse that stimulates a shared zodiacal point draws a powerful focus on relationship potentials. It intensifies the interaction characterized by the planet’s meanings, the function of the signs they occupy, and the circumstances of the houses involved. It is likely that the total eclipse lifted the couple to emotional sublime heights, enhanced by demonstrative Leo and its association with the glamour of the entertainment world. They appeared together on the Red Carpet at the Emmy Awards on September 17, 2017, just shy of one month after the total eclipse. Bourdain did not win an Emmy award that year, but the eclipse does correspond to his nomination in five categories.

From the beginning of their relationship in 2016, until its abrupt end in 2018, and not before or after, eclipses were perpetually energizing their ardent crosstie.  With an orb allowance of 5 degrees, there were 4 major eclipse contacts.

The penumbral lunar eclipse on August 18, 2016, opposite the crosstie at 25 Aquarius 52;

The penumbral lunar eclipse on February 10, 2017, conjunct their crosstie at 22 Leo 28;

And more powerfully, the previously noted total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, with its conjunction to the cross tie at 28 Leo 53;

And finally, the partial solar eclipse on February 15, 2018, opposing their crosstie at  27 Aquarius 08.

THE DYNAMICS OF 2018

On May 31, 2018, one week before the suicide, Uranus was transiting Bourdain’s Midheaven at 0 Taurus 49, and was in exact square to its natal position in the 12th house, bringing his hidden inner turmoil into public view. Uranus in transit was also just leaving its conjunction with the progressed Moon as it ingressed into the 10th house at 0 Taurus 4. The progressed Moon also was in square aspect to natal Uranus.

The lineup of challenging progressed Moon aspects appears on the Aspect List from March until June 2018. The progressed Moon alternated between squares to its own natal position, and to natal Uranus for four long months. Moon progressions have a two-month duration, with recognizable events on the days the progressed Moon enters, is exact, and when it leaves its aspect.

Bourdain’s suicide synchronized with the very day on which the progressed Moon was leaving its square to natal Uranus. One month later, Moon progressions turned toward emotionally easier sextiles and trines into early 2020. Had Bourdain been aware of this, perhaps he would have been encouraged to soldier-on. The chart and the Aspect List show the network of aspects leading to June 8, 2018, when Bourdain’s body was found.

Argento was also drawn into this astrological complex with both transiting Uranus and Bourdain’s progressed Moon making a tight opposition to her natal Uranus at 0 Scorpio 37. In addition, her Saturn, linked to Bourdain’s natal Uranus, was also stressed by the square from transiting Uranus, as well as receiving the square from Bourdain’s progressed Moon. While these aspects triggered the couple’s Saturn-Uranus cross pair, the February solar eclipse, still in effect in June, did the same with their Venus-Pluto tie. The eclipse fell in the native’s 7th house of relationships and confrontational challenges, bringing to focus the effects Argento’s infidelity might have on Bourdain’s state of mind. The eclipse was particularly strong, as it was within one minute of an exact square with his natal Saturn – one of the all-important planets defining the Sharp Destiny. All transits and progressions to Bourdain’s Pluto and Uranus affected Argento’s through crosstie, simultaneously activating their Sharp Destinies at the time of his death. 

The most visible event related to their mutual aspects near the time of the suicide is the publication of the compromising photographs of Argento with French-reporter Hugo Clement, taken by photographer Agostino Fabio, as they strolled affectionately down the streets of Rome. Paparazzi photographer, Rino Barillari, also took photos of them dancing after dinner at a well-known restaurant-bar. When Argento realized they had been photographed, she asked him to delete the images from his camera. She was obviously aware that if the images were in print or online, they could be seen by Bourdain, who might find them disturbing, in spite of her claim that they had an open relationship. Barillari did not delete them and they were promptly published, going viral on June 5, 2018, just days before Bourdain took his own life. After hearing of Bourdain’s death, Barillari expressed regrets for having sold them for publication and then pulled them from the internet. He told Italian newspaper  La Verità, “A picture is not worth a life. If that shot triggered suicide, this would make me suffer.”(16)

In an interview with Daily Mail, Argento said, “I understand that people wanted to blame me because he was so deeply loved, and he entered the hearts of so many people. Do people need to think he killed himself for something like this? He had cheated on me too. It wasn’t a problem for us.”(17)

Bourdain however, was prone to letting even minor things get under his skin. In his Argentinian Parts Unknown episode of 2016, he revealed,  “I will find myself in an airport, and I’ll order an airport hamburger. It’s an insignificant thing, it’s a small thing, it’s a hamburger, but it’s not a good one. Suddenly, I look at the hamburger and I find myself in a spiral of depression that can last for days.”  In that episode, he also expressed having trouble communicating with people he cared about. And unfortunately, he did not confide in chef and close friend Eric Ripert, who was with him on location in Kaysersberg, nor did he reach out to his lover before his suicide, though according to rumors he had been showing signs of distress for some time. 

A more penetrating understanding of the Saturn-Uranus dynamic between Bourdain and Argento is revealed in the following Sabian Symbol.

LEO 1  A case of apoplexy.  From his Sabian Symbols in Astrology.

This is a symbol of an overwhelming potentiality, and of an ever-pressing necessity for genuine self-establishment and personal stability.  Implicit in the reversed symbolism is man’s complete lack of inhibition in his everyday make-up, together with his ability to mobilize all his powers, and even risk his own existence rather than accept any thwarting of his desires.  Here is emphasis on the unbroken continuity between being and doing, or between identity and its continual manifestation of itself. The keyword is IRRESISTABILITY. When positive, the degree is creativity in the day-by-day expression of the self’s real possibilities, and when negative, thoroughgoing self-indulgence and imposition on others.

The pressure of squares by transits and progressions to this particular degree on the day of his passing undoubtedly figures in with Bourdain’s act of self-inflicted violence. The original symbol is described as,  A fat, and normally good-natured little man of affairs, is red to bursting with a determination to have his own way.  Although this is far from a literal description of either of the natives, the symbol does suggest that there was for both, an irresistible drive to achieve what they wanted at all costs, even to the extent that they would literally live out the negative description of the symbol, and forfeit life itself, as Bourdain did, for yet an undisclosed reason. But one can safely assume that there were thwarted desires to contend with, as the symbol implies.

Sadly, no one can know for certain what the cause of suicide might be when there is little forewarning, and no note left behind. However, the series of unyielding and stressful aspects to the couple’s crossties, give the impression that the indiscreet photographs were among the concerns on the native’s mind in the days before his death. While one cannot entirely dismiss Argento’s influence on Bourdain’s emotional state in June 2018, it is not the objective of astrology to find the cause or to place blame, but to note synchronicity between aspects and experience, with the limited knowledge available. In the words of Marc Edmund Jones,  “Astrology is the science of probability.” Although aspects may present a tempting scenario, the ultimate truth lies in the heart of he who has passed. Sadly, Bourdain gave way to the negative propensities described by the Sharp Destiny, as a result of the inability to rise to the challenge of its better potentials.

BOURDAIN’S SATURN SABIAN SYMBOL

Because of Saturn’s fundamental role in the Sharp Destiny, and its importance as a progressed station in midlife, and its fulcrum square to Pluto, it warrants a mention of the most illuminating Sabian Symbol in the chart. Rounded to 28 Scorpio, natal Saturn is in the degree of The king of the fairies approaching his domain.  In its original draft, published in mimeographed form in 1925, the symbol is more explanatory; A pageant of fairyland is made visible to mortal eyes; the king of the little people is welcomed to his domain.

There is a  “handful of elfin concepts,”  as described by Marc Edmund Jones, among the 360 images that collectively are the Sabian Symbols. Included are, A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy, Brownies dancing in the setting sun, Two fairies on a moonlit night, A man dreaming of fairies, and King of the fairies approaching his domain.  Of these five, King of the fairies holds a unique place in the series, by describing the sovereign of the community of elfin characters also known as the “little people.”

In his Essentials, Jones elaborates on these images when delineating the Sun degree of Prince Charles of England, explaining that the degrees,  “. . . carry an implication of otherworldliness, or of some psychological exemption from the common limitations of mediocrity, such as is the plague of all too many members of the human family.”  He continues to elucidate,  “that one cannot ever live for himself, but instead, must exist as a special incarnation of some social ideal. He must be the imaginative reality, in which others may have their particular self-fulfillment, and he  essentially  becomes a myth figure.”(18) This is truly how so many in Bourdain’s audience viewed him, as they lived vicariously through his travels and compelling commentary.

SCORPIO 28,  The king of the fairies approaching his domain

This is a symbol of the eternal promise underlying all inner self-realization, since any actual fullness of life is altogether independent of the passing state of affairs in a world of time and space. Implicit in the symbolism is the futility of man’s common reliance on people and things through some mere accident of contact. Outer reality takes the form with which he endows it as he exercises his sovereignty over its various potentials in the creative realms of his own imagination. The keyword is ALLEGIANCE. When positive, the degree is a special competence of inward vision, and a consequent outward perspective of high effectiveness, and when negative, capricious self-indulgence.

This description expounds on Bourdain’s imaginative writings of his worldwide travels and his intimate relationship with food. All limitations aside, Bourdain emanated an enchanting persona with which these special degrees endow an individual. His fans and followers honored him with the ultimate homage that was due a king, or at the very least, a great storyteller on the world stage. Everyone, everywhere, welcomed him into their realm and into their homes, and ultimately, into their hearts. His audience felt blessed to journey with him, whether on-screen or in some far-off parts unknown.

 

Low plastic stools, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer. This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together, to make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him.”

– Barack Obama, June 8, 2018

 

Chart Data and notes

Anthony Bourdain, June 25, 1956, New York, NY at 8:35 AM. Rodden Rating A – from memory.

Asia Argento, September 20, 1975, Rome, Italy at 8:07 AM. Rodden Rating AA – quoted BC/BR.

Date of death, June 8, 2018, Kaysersberg, France. Time unknown.

Ephemeris images used with permission from Alois Treindl, astrodienst.com.

Chart wheels sourced through Matrix WinStar 6.0 software. Tropical, Placidus Houses

References and Online Resources (accessed from July to October 2018)

1. Marc Edmund Jones, The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1960. Jupiter-Saturn square, p. 125.

2. Chefs at Google, YouTube, October 20, 2011.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cicCuAYkLjA

3. Parts Unknown, Argentina episode, June 2016 episode.

See: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gj8kd – segment 14:25

4. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Chapter 3, Mode of Self-Integration, p. 151. Self-Determination, pp. 108 -144

5. Sharp Destiny, Jupiter-Saturn, conjunction, p. 122; square, p. 125; opposition, p. 124

6. Loose Destiny, Jupiter-Saturn, sextile, p. 127; trine, p. 126; no major aspect, 123

7.The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, p. 343

8. Marc Edmund Jones, The Scope of Astrological Prediction, p. 49

9. MetroNews.comWho was Anthony Bourdain and what were his best culinary moments? Jessica Lindsay, June 8, 2018.

See: https://metro.co.uk/2018/06/08/anthony-bourdain-best-culinary-moments-7615910/

10. Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000.

11. WealthSimple.com, March 14, 2017.

See: https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-us/magazine/money-diary-anthony-bourdain

12. The Scope of Astrological Prediction, Fulcrum square p.46.

13. Eonline.com, Comment, “There was no one else involved.” September 19, 2016.

See: https://www.eonline.com/news/795894/anthony-bourdain-and-ottavia-busia-split-after-9-years

14. People.com: Friends’ comments about the Bourdain-Argento relationship, June 12, 2018.

See: https://people.com/food/anthony-bourdain-lovestruck-asia-argento-friends-concerned/

15. The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, p. 343.

16. Pagesix.com, Photographer, Rino Barillari statements.

See: https://pagesix.com/2018/06/12/paparazzo-who-snapped-asia-argento-with-french-reporter-regrets-shots/?_ga=2.10621492.1233964617.1528718531-300722313.1522585570

17. Argento’s remarks to DailyMail.com, September 24, 2018.

See: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6194885/Asia-Argento-reveals-open-relationship-Anthony-Bourdain-says-cheating-wasnt-problem.html

18. The Essentials of Astrological Analysisp. 317.

Book References

Marc Edmund Jones, The Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1960.

Marc Edmund Jones, The Scope of Astrological Prediction, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1969.

Marc Edmund Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington, first edition 1953.

Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential:Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000.

How Planets “Talk” to Each Other – What is an Aspect?

There are numerous branches of astrology and diverse methods of analysis within the art/science. The techniques used on this blog are predominantly those created by Marc Edmund Jones in the early 20th century, and they are found in his Essentials of Astrological Analysis. This approach makes use of the Major Ptolemaic Aspects*; the Conjunction, Sextile, Square, Trine, and Opposition. The geometric arrangements among planets are derived by a division of the 360-degree circle of the zodiac by 0, 6, 4, 3, and 2 respectively.

The nature of the solar system in terms of geometry must be understood by astrologers in order to interpret a horoscope. Besides the Major planetary aspects, there are highly sophisticated techniques that are based on the foundation of the five aspects. It is fascinating as well as informative to reveal the mechanism on which these planetary interrelationships perform and mirror life experiences. The origin of all events on Earth and personal human experience takes their cue from planets when they contact each other through a merging of electromagnetic fields. In one of their many YouTube videos, The Thunderbolts Project attempts to explain in detail the active result of planetary interactions.

From Symbols of an Alien Sky, The Thunderbolts Project:

“In an electrical Solar System, if two planets or Moons approach each other from regions of different potential, an electrical discharge will occur, producing plasma formations stretching between the approaching bodies.

Plasma laboratory experiments can tell us what the formations might look like. The backbone is typically a column of twisted filaments, but disks and embedded cylinders also arise to evolve in spectacular ways.

The counterpart to such formations looks like ancient depictions of the cosmic thunderbolt. But what an outrageous idea that exotic formations could arise between planets in close approach! The space between the two planets lights up and is set aflame by both planets and produces a train of fire.”

These celestial events are imbued with intelligence as well as fire and light. They are like the synapses that are sparked between brain cells in order to transmit and develop thought patterns in the brain and mind. The chakra system is involved as well. The entire solar system and life on Earth is a closed unit and its purpose is the enlightenment of humanity. All planetary aspects in a person’s chart are designed to bring growth and awareness to that individual.

For more about this subject visit other posts on this blog:

Planetary Aspects, the Electrical Connections of Intelligence

The Connective Electrical Planetary Powers and Human Receptors


*In astrology, the interaction between planets is called an ASPECT. They are geometric relationships that carry unique meanings that depend upon the nature of the configuration.

The five Major ASPECTS:

The Conjunction is 0 degrees and is an Aspect of emphasis and intensity.

The 60 degree separation of planets is called a Sextile, which is a harmonious interchange of energies because the discharge is not confrontational.

The Square is a 90 degree separation is indicative of struggle with the need to take action and change.

An ease of the interactions occurs with planets that are in a Trine ASPECT. It is the separation of 120 degrees. It refers to momentum and inner talents and abilities.

The 180 degree Opposition creates conscious awareness and can be combative because it is a direct confrontation of energies.

All of these geometric relationships have a 10 degree orb of allowance.

Total Solar Eclipse, the USA and War

The day of the Great American Total Solar Eclipse is the day Trump spoke for his administration’s decision to send additional American troops to Afghanistan. The Total Solar Eclipse activated Trump’s natal Mars because the planet is within a few degrees of where the eclipse fell. Mars is High Focus when Rising and in a Conjunction with the Ascendant. In its normal function, the keyword for Mars is INITIATIVE, but when in High Focus the keyword becomes INDOMITABLE. This non-stoppable drive is something that the public has witnessed in Trump’s character for some time, but now that he is in a position of real power it can cause shock waves across the globe. Leaders of countries worldwide must take the President’s words seriously.

When initiatives are set in motion, counter-actions from resisting individuals or groups can block the direction of energies coming from the original source. This is when confrontations can escalate into full-fledged war between contending entities. Mars means war only when initiatives are frustrated. Otherwise, Mars merely means, starting to put energy behind an idea to commence action.

North Korea poses a threat to its neighbors and to the United States because its nuclear initiatives bode ill in a world that wishes to keep a balance of peace among nations. From September 2nd to the 6th, 2017, transit Mars and Transit Station Mercury joined in Conjunction at 29 degrees Leo where the recently Solar Eclipse took place. In these few days, the conflict with North Korea’s missile testings accelerated the rhetoric within the US that is a block to the ambitions of the young North Korean leader. Mars’ signature is written all over this potential catastrophe, in the fact of Trump’s Mars being activated by the Solar Eclipse and the Transits of Mars and “supportive” Mercury. But the likelihood of outright war is also evident in the chart of the United States.

Transit Saturn has been making an Opposition Aspect with the US natal  Mars since late December 2016 and early January 2017 when Trump was inaugurated the 45th President of the United States. At this time, Transit Saturn was making a Conjunction with the President’s natal Moon, which also Opposes his natal Sun, because of its natal Sun/Moon Opposition. This means that Trump’s Sun is in Conjunction with the US natal Mars. This configuration is a powerful stress upon the core dynamic between the two entities of the United States populace and its surrogate leader President Trump. And Transit Saturn has been prodding the promise of war especially at the time of its Station at 21:11 Sagittarius on August 26th. It is another supportive indication of imminent danger shown primarily by the Solar Eclipse that crossed the continental United States. It will be interesting to see what takes place when Transit Venus visits 29 degrees Leo on September 19th and 20th.

The group of planets circled on the left of the chart show Trump’s natal Mars eclipsed on August 21, in Opposition to the US natal Moon. The US Moon, representing the populace, is directly engaged with the indomitable actions of a president who is not shy of touting his erratic, unpredictable urges off-the-cuff, toward enemies national and international.

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SOLAR ECLIPSE AUGUST 21, 2017

A solar eclipse is a Super-New Moon. It is a time to “plant seeds” for significant change in the daily pattern of our lives. Light is not the only influence the Sun and Moon have on living things. All heavenly bodies exude an electromagnetic field, which has its influence on other heavenly spheres and life in general. These invisible energies are activated in mysterious ways through interactions of the planets, the Sun and Moon, asteroids and other significant points represented symbolically in astrological charts.

Eclipses are strongest when near or opposite a planet in the horoscope. All other influences are general and are associated with the meaning of the houses where the eclipse falls.
An eclipse can indicate the end and rebirth of behavioral patterns hidden deep within the psyche. When drawing the substance of the unconscious into the sphere of the conscious mind, through meditation or breathwork, a natural catharsis can take place that clears outmoded content. Through courageous observation of personal issues, the need for transformation can be fulfilled. The theme of the crises to be cleared is determined by which houses the solar and lunar eclipses fall in your personal horoscope.

It is not an accident that the Sun and Moon are at the distances where when they are in line with the Earth that the diameter of their disks are the same size. This strategic alignment produces a powerful thrust of energy toward the Earth that motivates a comprehensive evolution of all matter. A solar eclipse occurs twice a year, along with a lunar eclipse either before or after. These are one of the most profound astronomical and astrological events that influence our lives, although there are many other significant celestial occurrences that promote great change.

The shadow of the moon travels the surface of the Earth and marks the countries and the people designated for reorientation. The current eclipse in the astrological sign of Leo represents the heart center and effects the way that we as individuals interact with others and where we express ourselves as unique beings separate from the collective. It is a time to acknowledge the shadows within that await the light of conscious day to be resolved through Love, as one of the features of spiritual enlightenment ruled by the sign Leo.

LEO 29 A mermaid This is a symbol of humanity’s insatiable appetite for experience on the side of psychological self-assurance, and of the nascent eagerness of the soul for a private and personal participation in every possible facet of self-fulfillment. There is an ineradicable purity of man’s make-up at core, and in consequence an ultimate repudiation of all the compromises which seem to be demanded in everyday relationships. The individual forever seeks and responds to the creative needs of life itself. The keyword is IMPORTUNITY. When positive, the degree is a completeness of quickening to inner instincts of the being and a real willingness to trust them, and when negative, a lack of discrimination and an awkward insensitivity.

 

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Is It True? Pluto = Probity – There are Levels of Truth

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Planets are like appendages of the Sun. They are like the colors of the spectrum as light is broken into its more elementary characteristics. The Sun and planets work together as a cohesive whole. Each planet is representative of its own special vibration and frequency of intelligence. Each planet represents a unique domain of influence and it is mirrored in the bio-field of the human body. Planets are the materialized portion of the Sun’s magnetic field as it vibrates outwardly into space. They pulsate to the dictates of the Sun’s source of power and they are the visible portion of the Sun’s influence in the realm of the unseen. Planets represent the individualized attributes of living beings, and they regulate processes in the development of life on its path toward enlightenment through experiences on Earth.

Imagine the magnetic field of the Sun penetrating through the territory of its satellites reaching far out and encompassing the planet Pluto, the last of the know planets in our Solar System. The planets are an intermingling of configurations  that make and break ties between their vibratory rates. A synastry of endless possibilities develops in the macrocosm and is reflected instantaneously in the microcosm of our local biosphere. The meaning of life is wrapped up in this partnership of macrocosm and microcosm. Each separate living being has unique experiences and the development of potentials is charted through ongoing Transits and Progressions as they relate to the Natal horoscopic Gestalt.

The Sun initiates and Pluto draws conclusions. If you are wondering why it is hard to tell the truth from a lie these days, it is because it is all true, but still hard to believe. When the President of the United States claims that what you are seeing is not true, in the case of crowd size at his inauguration, that in fact he drew the largest crowds ever, he is making it true in virtual reality. But then, how true is virtual reality? And where are the really true facts. How can we uncover them. This is the difficulty with so many situations when the planet Pluto is involve.

We can send a Hubble telescope into space to photograph the stars, but we are still only getting a closer picture. What the truth of the stars and planets really is is an ongoing process into ever closer and closer looks at the very large and very small. Not talking about crowd size at this point, just stating the truth, that the truth will never be known with proof that is absolutely unquestioned. That is the nature of the mysterious universe. Everything is an illusion, and can be seen in so many differing perspectives. Alternative facts are actually just another way of looking at something that someone else sees in a different way.

Pluto is the planet that brings this issue into the forefront of attention. Be puzzled, because the puzzle is the purpose of it all. Truths can be uncovered and then refuted, so that nothing is ever completely understood and finalized. It is an ongoing process of learning. And the end result is a personal paradigm. Seven Arrows stated it well. A feather in the midst of a group of individuals looking at it sees it as unique to themselves. No one sees it exactly like any other person in the group. And so it is with what happens in our daily lives. It is all a blur and mixture of truth and lie. All words are symbols and therefore cannot represent the activity behind the actual experience. Stop looking for truth and you will arrive at the crux of life between the two. Like right and left hands and all opposites in the universe, truth and lies cannot exist without the other.

But, and this is a big BUT; it is important to get to the bottom of the story if one wants to have a healthy outlook on the future of life on Earth. Getting to the bottom of the story is the process of Pluto. When the planet makes an aspect in your chart or the chart you are researching, this whole scenario described above comes to life. Pluto is the planet at this point in time that is the farthest from the Sun in our solar system. It takes 248 years to orbit the Sun and it is now in the midst of its own validity as to whether it is a planet or simply another meaningless asteroid.

Look for an Aspect in your chart from Pluto and if you can chart one, you will know by personal experience the answer to the question, does it have the powers that the other planets in orbit of our Sun have, or is it not having any effect on your life at all. I challenge anyone to this, by saying that if you have a Pluto aspect you will experience the biggest changes and challenges of your lifetime. That is how strong an influence is coming from the presence of this very small and very slow moving sphere in the outer regions of our solar system.

There are three keywords for Pluto. In Natal horoscopy it is OBSESSION. In High Focus it is TRANSCENDENCE. In Transits and Progressions it is PROBITY. Keywords are the mechanism that opens the door to deeper meanings. All three of these keywords promise profound meaning beyond the threshold that one word can reveal.

 

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Rupert Sheldrake’s Morphogenetic Field Theory as it Relates to Planetary Patterns

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Planetary Patterns form as planets aggregate in unique groupings while orbiting the Sun. Seen from the Earth’s perspective, these seven recognizable shapes are the matrix for the five major aspects in astrology, the Conjunction, Sextile, Square, Trine and Opposition. The patterns are in constant flux due to the varying speeds of the planets that constitute their foundations The three very slow-moving outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, represent the base notes of the solar system so to speak and they chart the gradual development of evolving life on Earth. They identify the nature of humanity’s group orientations as they transform from religious and culturally cloistered pockets of activity which Jupiter and Saturn represent to a broader and more universal and all-inclusive conscious self-awareness. In some respects, they are the unconscious motivating forces at work in humanity’s evolution from darkness to Light. But for the seeker of life’s meaning they encourage an upward movement from subterranean levels of autonomic behavior to elevated and refined states of conscious being.

The outer planets are the pacesetters of consciousness transformation which then become the stable foundation of the universal mind within individual minds. In contrast, the swifter moving planets are associated with the more personal attributes of human character and point to habits of daily living and convenience. The diagram above shows examples of the ideal formations of the seven Planetary Patterns also known as Temperament Types. SS

These seven basic Planetary Patterns represent humanity’s diverse modes of responding to life as a whole. They refer to human emotional and behavioral responses to local environmental stimuli and form attitudes about the conditions in the general world in time and space. To identify the way in which an individual is prone to view and respond to outer conditions one must identify the pattern of the planets in their particular horoscope. This can be challenging at times when the planetary groupings take on kaleidoscopic imagery as they move out of and into succeeding patterns. The mass of humanity is not born under ideal pattern conditions in the solar system when incarnating. But with a bit of analytical work on the chart, the Temperament Type can be identified and used as a tool to decipher the potentialities of personal response to circumstantial conditions.

The simplest transition from one pattern to another can be seen in regard to the Bowl shape as it morphs into the Bucket pattern. The Moon is the swiftest of the moving bodies as it cycles through the signs of the year (zodiac) each month. Its rapid speed allows it to play the role of the Handle of a Bucket pattern when it arrives diametrically opposite the Bowl segment. It becomes the Bowl Temperament once again when the Moon moves back into the more populated half circle Bowl congregate. The challenge in defining this Temperament comes when the Moon or other planet acting as the Handle is not quite perpendicular to the center of the Bowl. This idiosyncrasy is a condition that offers nuances in the interpretation of the Temperament Type. Chapter Two in The Essentials of Astrological Analysis describes the details and fine tunings of each of the seven patternings.

How do the planets and their electromagnetic fields relate to the morphogenetic field? The answer to this question is that they relate in every way. Ancient thought has always professed a belief and understanding of the reality and workings of invisible energy fields and their influence on organic life on Earth. This topic is now being revisited by Rupert Sheldrake, the controversial biologist who bravely goes where conventional science dares not enter. Sheldrake describes an ethereal and intelligent unified field that gives rise to visible form. As an astrologer, I would like to point out that it is the Sun, Moon and planetary fields that are the morphogenetic source and matrix itself, and the colorful graph of orbiting planets suggests how those individual fields might overlap and synergize. The field or plasma acts as an ever-developing potential. It is a molecular and chemical “instruction” for the building blocks of life. Observing life events and experiences in correspondence to planetary movements in a horoscope reveals an unseen binding relationship between the factors of event and planetary influence.

Our physical bodies resonate with the continuously altering solar system’s energy fields. They do so through our central energy system known by the Sanskrit term Chakras. The Chakras are circular and spiraling vortexes that have specific vibratory frequencies that instantaneously, through the ether or plasma, give substance to conscious self-awareness. These are the macro and micro elements of life in coalescence. All things vibrate with life energy and magnetism. The human body too exudes electromagnetic frequencies to take part in the complex play of forces in which we live and have our being.

Rupert Sheldrake’s horoscope is a Bucket pattern that deviates slightly from the ideal configuration. There is the necessary single planet srupert-sheldrakeet off by itself that becomes the High Focus Handle of the chart, but the Bowl segment does not have a Delimiting Rim opposition to have it fit neatly into the ideal shape of a half circle.

Although Marc Edmund Jones considers the Bucket Temperament Type to include those shapes where the bowl segment has no delimiting rim the departure from the ideal has led to the alternative title Funnel Temperament. This term expresses the way in which this temperament functions without a Rim. The term Funnel was made popular by the Humanistic branch of Astrology during the 1970s. When there is no Rim opposition the contents of the bowl, meaning the personal content of the native’s psyche, are unencumbered on their way to self-expression. The self-expression then is funneled directly to and through the nature of the Handle or Spout planet (see chart #1). This High Focus single planet with its sign and house placement is considered the point of release of talents that assist the native in the manifestation of his or her potentials. Here is where one develops a “handle” on the entirety of personal gifts and accomplishments and thus has a focused outlet for one’s purpose in life.

Sheldrake’s High Focus Moon is in the 2nd house of personal resources and in the sign of Discrimination. The Moon gathers and channels Sheldrake’s highly selective discoveries into the domain of his own personal psyche. Then the Moon’s exact opposition to the Sun in the 8th house offers others a share of the contents of his otherwise private worldview. Oppositions often show there will be times when his shared knowledge receives approval (8th house) contrasted with times of rejection from those who find it hard to comprehend the illusive nature of Sheldrake’s mission and message.

Note that Venus and Neptune buttress the funnel’s contents with a trine over the line of the sign. This allows the free-flowing nature of the 120-degree aspect to easily empty its contents RupertShaeldraketoward the High Focus Moon with its keyword INTENSE. The Core Opposition, shown with red lines, thus becomes more prominent in an interpretation because of the lack of distracting and challenging co-aspects. The Bucket or Funnel pattern identifies a person on a mission to accomplish. Sheldrake is certainly an example of one with an overwhelming drive to carry his cause to its final destination of public awareness of unseen forces. He accomplishes his mission through his revealing demonstrations of the subtle powers of receptivity that the Moon so well represents.

See Sheldrake’s demonstrations at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIozVT-IM14

The Temperament Type Graph below with the red and green lines shows that the Bundle has the possibility of a Trigger Square Focal Determinator and a High Focus Leading planet, shown with the red circle. The See-Saw ideally has both core and rim Oppositions and a High Focus Leading or Cutting planet. The Bowl has the potential for a T-cross Focal Determinator and has a High Focus Leading planet. The hemisphere occupation of planets also determines the degree of the Temperament’s personal development. The Bucket has the potential for both a Grand Cross and Grand Trine, with core and rim Oppositions – its Handle planet becoming Point Focus. The Locomotive has the possibility of a Grand Trine, a core Opposition and High Focus Leading planet. The Splay is based on the Grand Trine, but can have a T-cross and High Focus Reins planet when there is only one planet in one of the three segments. The Splash has the possibility of having all quadratures represented by as many as 5 Oppositions. There can be a Grand Trine, Grand Cross, T-cross, but no Leading planet. For more detailed information on Temperament Types, read The Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones. Chapter 2, page 27.

 

Burke Ramsey Speaks About JonBenet

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Burke Ramsey, the 29 year old brother of JonBenet Ramsey, is nearing his Saturn Return. However, it is another Saturn aspect that is more telling of why he is speaking out now after 20 years of relative silence. It is the Progressed Saturn coming into Conjunction with his Natal Venus. It is time to tell the story from his point of view about the death of his sister.

It is not easy for Burke to speak out because in his Natal chart there are no two planets in Opposition to each other. Oppositions draw people out of themselves to connect with others, and in Burke’s case, because of the media frenzy, it is possibly a good thing that he is lacking that dynamic. It has allowed him to stay the introvert he was born to be. People without an Opposition in their charts often are not aware of how others see them. This is likely the reason that the public took concern over his apparently amused facial expressions in the Dr. Phil interviews in September 2016.

As well as the Progressed Saturn aspect, there is the Transit of Pluto very close to his Natal Moon position. Unfortunately, we don’t have a birth time for Burke, so we do not know the exact placement of his Moon. But there is no doubt thbr_pat with a Moon in Capricorn, that Pluto has or will make its presence known in Burke’s life while the planet journeys through Capricorn. The Moon moved approximately 15 degrees during the day that Burke was born. It moved from 3 Cap 19 to 18 Cap 25. Somewhere in between is his Natal Moon position. Transit Pluto is Stationary going Direct at 14 Cap 56 on September 27, 2016.

Burke’s chart with the Progressions on the outer wheel, show that in 10 years his Progressed Mars will be making an Opposition to his Natal Pluto. This is going to be a significant Progression because Burke’s Pluto is the Leading planet of his Bowl Temperament Type. The keyword for Pluto in its normal planetary role is OBSESSION. When it is in High Focus as it is here in his Natal chart the keyword becomes TRANSCENDENCE, and this is exactly what he has had to do since the death of his sister. He has had to step away from normal life experience at a very young age, and most likely has had to do some powerful soul searching that would not have been necessary if the tragic event did not occur.

His Natal Pluto is making a Square to his Natal Sun which becomes the Trigger of the horoscope. Without an Opposition in the chart, a Triggering Square activates the potentials. These kinds of sharp and poignant aspects present a whiplash-into-action to get going. He must be self-motivating since he has no Opposition, and the Trigger Leading planet is the Square that indicates internal battles. There is also a Jupiter/Saturn Square showing a Sharp Destiny. There may always be a shadow of doubt hanging over him with this aspect that shows tremendous internal, moral struggles.

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JonBenet Ramsey has quite a different Natal horoscope. She not only has an Opposition in her chart, but there is a Grand Cross that is in Fixed signs and is confirmation of the cross she will have to bear in her short life. Mars in her 12th house takes part in the Grand Cross and shows that there is some potential for hidden sexual abuse perpetrated by hidden enemies, and it is exacerbated by its exact Opposition to Natal Pluto in the 6th house of problems to be solved. There are positive meanings in these types of aspects, but in JonBenet’s case it ultimately manifested in the form of a horrendous violent act. The Opposition is “caught” in an interception as well, creating more behind-the-scenes activity and making it almost impossible to uncover the truth of the crime and its perpetrators. The 12th house rules hidden, untamed and unruly entities and they are exceptionally obscured when planets are intercepted in house.

There is a Grand Trine that contributes to the ideal Splay Temperament Type. The Grand Trine indicates an evolved soul with a dynamic role to play in the world based on inner development. This configuration is in earth signs and shows that she is well established with her feet planted firmly in the ground of worldly success, although for such a brief performance. The Splay magnifies personality through a pyramiding development which she unfortunately was unable to fulfill throughout a normal lifespan. The exact Venus/Saturn Opposition builds on this premise and the Natal Mars opposite Pluto brought her sexuality to the public’s attention. Natal Mars is the Reins High Focus planet that drives the physical energies to an INDOMITABLE level, opposed to just having a strong INITIATIVE, as it would be if Mars were not prominent.

There is the Sharp Destiny again, but instead of the inner struggle jonbenetramsey_nof the Square aspect as in her brother’s chart, this time it is the Opposition that is the mark of the life being divided into two separate periods. The first being more superficial than the second half. Her role as the innocent little beauty princess is in stark contrast to the role she now plays posthumously; warning others of the possible dangers of flamboyant exposure without adequate protection. This little girl’s chart is a powerful one and no doubt had she lived she would have had a full and dynamic life. Sadly, there are sacrificial factors to sometimes take into account.

The ephemeris graph shows that on the day of her death Transit Mercury went Retrograde at 18 Cap 46. Mercury Retrogrades are always a sign of potentially boggled facts in murder cases like this one. And the O.J. Simpson case was also overshadowed by an disorganized police department functioning under the influence of an inadequately fact-finding Mercury Retrograde. Perhaps in the future, when Pluto Transits and Stations on 19 degrees Capricorn, we will have more information in regards to this tragic event. The astounding and quite literal Sabian Symbol for Capricorn 19 is A child of about five with a huge shopping bag.  Even more alarmingly revealing is the original symbol definition: “A little miss of about five has gone to the market with a huge shopping bag and is quite as adult as anybody.”

JonBenet portrayed in her competitions, a person far older than her tender years. This is apparent in the Opposition of Natal Saturn to Natal Venus, exact within 14 minutes of arc.

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On July 9, 2008, the Boulder County District Attorney’s office announced that, as a result of newly developed DNA sampling and testing techniques known as Touch DNA analysis, the Ramsey family members were no longer considered suspects in the case. In light of the new DNA evidence, Boulder County District Attorney Mary Lacy gave a letter to John Ramsey that same day, officially apologizing to the Ramsey family:

This new scientific evidence convinces us … to state that we do not consider your immediate family, including you, your wife, Patsy, and your son, Burke, to be under any suspicion in the commission of this crime….

The match of Male DNA on two separate items of clothing worn by the victim at the time of the murder makes it clear to us that an unknown male handled these items. There is no innocent explanation for its incriminating presence at three sites on these two different items of clothing that JonBenét was wearing at the time of her murder…. To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry. No innocent person should have to endure such an extensive trial in the court of public opinion, especially when public officials have not had sufficient evidence to initiate a trial in a court of law…. We intend in the future to treat you as the victims of this crime, with the sympathy due you because of the horrific loss you suffered…. I am aware that there will be those who will choose to continue to differ with our conclusion. But DNA is very often the most reliable forensic evidence we can hope to find and we rely on it often to bring to justice those who have committed crimes. I am very comfortable that our conclusion that this evidence has vindicated your family is based firmly on all of the evidence.

 

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