Elon Musk and Mars

The Man and His Accomplishments

Elon Musk was born in South Africa. He moved to Canada in the summer of 1989 and after living and working there for three years he moved to the United States. To summarize his vast achievements, he is known for his roles as a business magnate, industrial designer, and engineer. He is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla, Inc., founder of The Boring Company, co-founder of Neuralink, and co-founder of PayPal and OpenAI.

Planetary Association with Mars

Musk’s core ambition and life’s mission center on establishing a human presence on Mars, fueled by his profound commitment to ensuring humanity’s survival beyond Earth’s potential demise. His passion for multiplanetary habitation, specifically with Mars, resonates deeply with his astrological birth chart where the planet Mars prominently stands out among the other nine planets. This remote, celestial positioning of Mars brings the planet into High Focus.1 In astrological terms, this ultra focus of Mars changes its keyword from initiative when in normal strength while located closely among the other planets to indomitable to describe a native capable of unwavering resolve and determination.

Set apart from all other planetary influences in the Splay Temperament Type,2 Mars serves as the Reins planet in control of the two other and distinct groupings of planets. This threefold dynamic encourages a pyramiding of personality traits and talents that results in the native’s ever-increasing impact on others. The unbroken flow of energies from one segment to another fosters an accumulation of personal power and even obstinacy over time.

In a 2012 episode of 60 minutes Musk was asked by the interviewer why he continued to launch unmanned boosters after three had failed to reach orbit. His answer, “To stop I would have to be dead or incapacitated, I don’t ever give up” Here Musk expresses the relentless force that a High Focus Mars can muster. Eight weeks after his third failure the fourth attempt achieved a successful liftoff.

The Mars Sabian Symbol

A preview of the possible outcome of the conquest of Mars is aptly revealed in the planet’s Sabian symbol:

AQUARIUS 21 A woman disappointed and disillusioned This is a symbol of the inevitable distress of the human soul whenever it seeks any enduring sustainment from elements without anchorage in its own nature, dramatized in the negative symbolism by the futility of its attempted fulfillment through a capitalization on purely physical assets of self. The deeper potentials of the being afford the real possibilities of self-discovery, and personal frustrations are a challenge to a genuine self-realization rather than a denial of opportunity. The keyword is CLEARANCE. When positive, the degree is the self’s inherent gift for pressing on and gaining increased powers with every setback, and when negative, the acceptance of all defeat as final.

The prospect of ultimately colonizing human life on Mars may represent a lofty aspiration for some, but it’s unlikely to serve as the actual salvation of humanity. Mars’ atmosphere, comprised of 95% carbon dioxide3 with only traces of oxygen, prevents an easy adaptation to the red planet. Humanity is also likely to export its tendency to pollute its surroundings as well as fail to act with maturity within its new social environment. The result would be a repetition of the circumstances that led to the inhabiting of Mars in the first place. These unfortunate factors may bring about profound disappointment and disillusionment as the Sabian symbol implies for those hoping to surmount the formidable challenge of life on Mars.

Given Musk’s substantial resources, one might argue that investing billions into programs aimed at uplifting inner-city communities on earth might be a better expenditure. By fostering positive goals for youth and providing supportive parental figures would appear to be a more impactful use of funds to many observers of Musk’s ambitions. This suggestion represents just one pragmatic alternative among countless other possibilities available any wealthy visionary like Musk.

The Mercury Sabian Symbol

Mercury is rising and therefore in High Focus with the following revealing Sabian symbol:

CANCER 15 A group of people who have overeaten and enjoyed it This is a symbol of the inescapable richness of life in any normal manifestation of itself, here given emphasis on the side of the rewards which come to man as a result of his own efforts. There are penalties whenever he attempts to freeze the present as a promise for the future or seeks to overindulge himself in one direction as compensation for the consequences of inadequacy in another, but individuality in its fullness has recurrent and consistent assurance that its potentials will not be dissipated. The keyword is SATIETY. When positive, the degree is an effective and smooth demonstration of human competence, and when negative, a self-disintegrating surrender to appetite.

This interpretation of this Sabian symbol suggests the potential folly of investing unlimited resources into a project that may serve as a substitute for addressing unresolved dilemmas on Earth. Viewing Mars as a safe haven could be seen as an escapist approach, deflecting attention from responsibility to our true home planet.

The Sun Sabian Symbol

The Sun, symbolizes one’s fundamental role or life purpose. With the image of Game birds feathering their nest, it appears that musk’s primary aim is to create a home base whether that be on Earth or potentially on Mars, even if his aspiration leans towards science fiction.

CANCER 6 Game birds feathering their nests This is a symbol of the unlimited degree to which the spirit of man may develop and preserve its initiative by utilizing the natural course of things in the world at large, and of the satisfaction anyone may know through his conscious participation in a group destiny. Individuality flourishes whenever it is able to establish its personal rights over some desirable segment of reality, and thereupon justify its own being by fulfilling the expectation of others. The keyword is METICULOUSNESS. When positive, the degree is high intelligence and skill in enlisting the potentials of experience for the service of self, and when negative, unnecessary concern over everyday security.

It’s intriguing to consider whether the negative aspect of the Sun’s Sabian symbol serves as a motivation in Musk’s pursuit of the transformation of Mars into a surrogate home planet for humanity. While the Sabian symbols provide symbolic imagery and insight, interpreting them directly in relation to Musk’s motivations would be speculative but nonetheless revealing. The symbols are just one small lens in which to view the horoscope and life of this complex and controversial, public figure. The most fascinating element in the end is the stand alone Mars in the horoscope of a stand alone man obsessed with the planet’s conquest.

 

  1. Any planet situated in a special circumstance in the horoscope is High Focus. Chapter Two, pg 75, Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington 1970.
  2. Temperament Types define seven responses to life in general, based on the configuration of the planets in the horoscope as a whole. Chapter Two, pg 27, Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society, Stanwood, Washington 1970.
  3. Carbon Dioxide is a waste gas that moves from the blood to the lungs and is expelled through exhaled breath. Humans breath in oxygen for survival and breath out carbon dioxide necessary for plant life.

 

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Her Astrological Condition

Having wealth and influence may shield you from many external challenges, but it cannot guard against the internal struggles posed by nature. The Princess of Wales finds herself grappling with this very issue, and astrology eerily reflects her situation.

While the average astrologer adheres to more commonly used methods, some are privy to the significance of the deeper and relatively hidden stations in secondary progressions. This is precisely the planetary activity occurring in the Princess’s progressions that relating directly to the unexpected cancer diagnosis. Progressed Mars stations to turn retrograde 42 days after birth, relating to the native’s 42nd year of life. This critical astrological event falls squarely at time of her personal crisis.

Taking several years to complete, progressed Mars is on its way to station near natal Saturn at 21 Libra 50. Going in retrograde motion may offer the Princess some respite, although Saturn’s involvement often signifies particularly grave demands.

Marc Edmund Jones explains the following concerning progressed stations (1):

Planetary Stations are established when a planet in secondary progression appears to come to a rest in the zodiac and begins to move retrograde instead of direct or vice versa . . . The phenomenon in progressions always identifies a subtle or psychological shift in the fundamental course of life such as requires a critical regrasp of experience and 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.

In this case, the diagnosis of cancer was marked by “a single sharp event of easy identification” as Jones explains as one of the ways to identify a time of challenge and transformation.

The Princess of Wales will undergo yet another significant progressed station as Jupiter is due to turn retrograde at age 45. Whether this brings similar concerns or presents new ones, it certainly suggests further hurdles for her to navigate.

Stationary planets are powerful in transits as well, bringing Pluto to the fore with its station at 5 Aquarius 31 minutes in May 2026. Here the station comes very close to an exact conjunction with natal Mercury. The 6th house governs the state of health and one’s needed adjustments in life style that offer a path to well-being. While no specific predictions are made here, it does warrant attention to potential future health issues. The 6th house also refers to duties to be performed under pressure. Great effort to accomplish daily responsibilities may present problems to overcome.

Astrology charts future events whether perceived as positive or negative experiences. Being aware of upcoming astrological factors allows us to adapt and make concerted efforts to understand what the planetary aspects expect from us in response. Prior awareness also provides us an opportunity to navigate challenges more gracefully rather than facing them head-on without prior preparation.

It is also important to note that these present and upcoming progressed and transit stations are not only precursors for ill health, they are also pointing to a time when the Princess will be elevated to her expected position as Queen. Aspects in astrology are neither solely good nor bad, but rather range the full spectrum of experience, and in the Princess’ case, they indeed represent an extreme of possibilities that most individuals will never be faced with in their lifetimes.

 

 

(1) From the Scope of Astrological Prediction 

Hero by Circumstance – The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Volodymir Zelenskyy is the enigmatic leading actor in the fictitious story of a history teacher, who with the encouragement of his students, ran for president of Ukraine and was surprisingly elected. Real life then imitated the political satire, Servant of the People,1 when the “comedian” seriously became a candidate in the 2019 presidential elections. The name and theme of the TV series, which ran from 2015 until the election year 2019, was carried over to the party by the campaign team. Zelenskyy phenomenally won the election by 73% of the vote in the second round, defeating the incumbent Petro Poroshenko. Zelenskyy’s on-screen character, President Vasyl Holoborodko, fought against government corruption in the popular series, giving hope to his Ukrainian audience that it would translate into reality when he would become their real-life president. Not only did Zelenskyy succeed in achieving admiration for his service as an actor and activist turned leader of his country, but additionally gained worldwide acclaim for his heroic stewardship of Ukraine during its darkest hours of the horrific war perpetrated by the Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin. 

Zelenskyy has been likened to Winston Churchill and others of stature who exemplified uncommon valor during life’s most challenging eras. The previously obscure president of Ukraine was introduced to the world when he received the notorious phone call to him from former President Donald Trump. The US president sought a quid pro quo with Zelensky if he would investigate Hunter Biden due to his questionable position on the board of the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings. The trade-off would be arms in exchange for information as it was Trump’s hope to uncover a scandal usable against Hunter’s father Joe Biden during the latter’s run for president in the 2020 US presidential elections. Backfiring on Trump, the recorded and then televised phone call of July 25, 2019, became evidence against him leading to his first of two impeachments by the US House of Representatives. In early 2022, Zelenskyy again came before the eyes of the world, when in lieu of running from harm’s way in avoidance of Russia’s invasion, the somewhat inexperienced politician rose grandly to the occasion, asking for more arms to fight the intruder, rather than accept friendly offers to be safely escorted out of his country.

The leader of a nation is the surrogate of the people. They “lend” their horoscope, along with its dynamic aspects2, to the group entity for which they are in charge. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Ukraine’s president and therefore the surrogate of the people of his country. For better or for worse, his birth chart is used to anticipate existential circumstances synchronously reflected in the mirror of corresponding planetary aspects.

THE NATAL CHART AND SABIAN SYMBOLS3

Zelenskyy has a tight Sun to Venus conjunction which characterizes him as a loving and beloved leader of his people, who knew him first in his parody role and then as the real-life statesman they elected to office. The Sun and Venus are in the exact same zodiacal degree and could be considered Cazimi4, although it is 29 minutes beyond the 17 minutes of arc usually given to any planet that partners intimately with the Sun. The planet in the heart of the Sun becomes superpowered rather than outshined as it is when in normal conjunction with the Sun.

Zelenskyy graduated from Kyiv National Economic University with a law degree in 2000. Venus is associated with law and defines a culture’s value system. Laws are meant to protect and prevent societies from falling into corruption and moral decay. The very high standards Zelenskyy holds dear is a characteristic of the powerful Venus Cazimi, which is also an indicator of his involvement in the art form of storytelling. The Sun and Venus in the 9th house “encouraged” the native’s formal education in law, as well as afforded him fame and notoriety through co-founding the production company Studio Kvartal 95, and through the various televised programs in which he appeared throughout the years.

However, the most outstanding astrological feature when considering the Sun-Venus Cazimi is its Sabian Symbol. Rounding the conjunction’s zodiacal position to Aquarius 6 reveals the astoundingly literal image of A performer of a mystery play. His acting role as the reformer of corruption and injustice in Servant of the People was in a sense the rehearsal for the part he would play as the bonafide president and prime defender of Ukraine’s integrity. Whether role-playing or as a real-life statesman, Zelenskyy offers to the common citizen, an example of suitable attitudes needed to carry out the duties required to maintain a healthy and thriving society. The concept of the proper relationship between the individual and their environment is explained perfectly in the following symbol’s description. Zelenskyy performs his Sun’s life purpose, in conjunction with Venusian principles, to bring his 9th house wisdom and understanding within reach of the world where he has become a well-respected leader.

AQUARIUS 6 A performer of a mystery play This is a symbol of the mediating function of the mind as it is called on to interpret the individual and his world to each other, and as the everyday values of experience thereby are heightened in personality on the one side and in life itself on the other. The conventional aspect of reality is found to be a convenient backdrop for man’s self-realization, and his particular characteristics are exalted as variant and ever-stimulating potentialities of living relationship in general. The keyword is SUBTLETY. When positive, the degree is a gift for dramatizing the deeper or real opportunities of human society, and when negative, consistent self-mystification and marked impracticability.

The Moon in Zelenskyy’s chart is poised in opposition to the Sun, and by that positioning, becomes the foundation of the chart’s T Cross that brings natal Uranus into Point focus. The Sabian degree is interesting because it reveals the native’s touch with the public (Moon) through the means of giving instruction, just as his character as a teacher does in Servant of the People. In this symbol, it is the subject of chemistry rather than history as it was in the TV show, but nonetheless, the image of an educator eerily mimics the persona, that for Zelenskyy, manifests in symbol and in life.

LEO 18 A teacher of chemistry This is a symbol of the human mind’s illimitable power for penetrating into the deeper mysteries of an everyday world, and of the growing ambition of man to gain an effective control over all the processes of nature. Here is high organization of the intellectual faculties, and a special skill in the practical adaptation of scientific principles to, commonplace problems. The individual is given a full sense of his creative responsibilities. The keyword is INSTRUCTION. When positive, the degree is exceptional self-confidence and a delight in subjecting all experience to the test of immediate application, and when negative, unintelligent dependence on supposition or rules of the book.

Although now on the defensive, in the war imposed on Ukraine by a hostile Kremlin, Zelenskyy has stepped up to the task with courageous resolve in a manner that far exceeds the normal practice of governing. Mars is the planet that expresses the emotional reaction of resentment and anger if one’s desires and ambitions seem unattainable. If the natural process of initiation fails to accomplish the goal, frustration may lead to states of internal and external struggle, and in some confrontations, outright war can be the result. An early interpretation of the Sabian symbol for 1 degree Leo was A man red to bursting in a determination to get his own way.  In his Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Jones reverts back to the original image, A case of apoplexy, received telepathically by Elsie Wheeler. The original rendition of the symbol reflects the attitude of both Putin and Zelenskyy who are presently at loggerheads. In Zelensky’s case, his personality fits the definition expressed in the body of the text and reveals his present and literal willingness to risk his life rather than thwart his intent to save his country. The Mars factor is particularly important because Saturn and Pluto in transit form oppositions first to progressed Mars and later to its natal position. Zelenskyy, and the entire population of Ukraine, are determined to “get their own way” in these most absurd and challenging times.

The stunning and courageous acts performed by the native and the people of Ukraine are clearly defined by the first and second sentences of the surrogate’s Sabian symbol.

LEO 1 A case of apoplexy 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.

A Focal Determinator5 of import is the T Cross with Uranus at a 90-degree angle to the Lights that are in opposition. Uranus, the Point Focus of this T Square, is in the Sabian symbol rounded to 17 Scorpio.

SCORPIO 17 A woman, the father of her own child This is a symbol of the eternal conflict between the practical involvements and the ideal potentialities of human nature, as here emphasized in man’s conscious individuality. The soul feels the weight of its transient responsibilities while the indwelling and immortal spirit is sensitive to its need for an enduring place in the scheme of things. The recurrent virgin birth of self is its reconciliation with its world through their common center of reality. The keyword is NUCLEATION. When positive, the degree is an illimitable self-potentiality with effective spiritual or ideal as well as practical or everyday orientations, and when negative, characteristically anarchistic self-sufficiency.

Zelenskyy enacted the entire meaning of the symbol, including its negative expression, in his role as the do-good anarchist in Servant of the People. And because of that portrayal, he was elected to accomplish the same goals as his on-screen character, in an attempt to radically clean up political corruption. People are adamant about the expectations of their leader’s performance and Zelenskyy is no exception to that rule. Though he stands out among politicians as a reformer, his somewhat eccentric behavior, prompted by Uranus in Point Focus, caused a tear in the fabric of his usually high-minded conduct, which instead brought a plummet to his ratings in 2021. His carelessness concerning a clandestine matter brought disfavor from colleagues and constituents when his offshore holdings were exposed in the Pandora Papers6 published in October 2021.

ROAD TO THE PRESIDENCY – PROGRESSED MARS STATION

A profound astrological event, though seldom used, is when a progressed planet turns from retrograde to direct or vice versa. The shift in direction goes through a period when a planet appears to stop in its position before reversing its path. This is called a progressed STATION and it marks the years when dramatic and often unexpected changes are to be expected in a person or nation’s life. The person or nation should acquiesce to the transformation required with a willingness to take on new opportunities presenting themselves. Marc Edmund Jones, in his Scope of Astrological Prediction7, defines these dynamic reversals as indicating a time for a critical or crucial regrasp of experience, or a “psychological shift in the fundamental course of life.”

The ephemeris for 2015 reveals a station of Mars in Zelenskyy’s secondary progressions. The station was effective for approximately five years and synchronous with when the actor transitioned from his roles in light-hearted situation-comedies and dance performances, to go on to tackle a more challenging leading role in Servant of the People. The focus on politics in the TV series led to his decision to seriously run for the presidency in Ukraine’s 2019 elections. The dramatic shift from Zelenskyy’s more superficial self-expression in the arts which included his symbolic role as president in the film and TV series to the actual running of a government is clearly represented by the station of Mars, the planet of Initiative. Truly it was the station of progressed Mars that indicated the end and new beginning of a time in life charged with energy and resolve.

Mars rules the exploration and initiation of potential ventures in the material world but when energies are thwarted the Mars impulse is associated with frustration, resentment, and anger with the possibility of retaliatory measures targeted against the source of stress. For the first thirty-seven years of Zelenskyy’s life, progressed Mars was in retrograde motion, then in 2015, the firey planet stationed to turn direct. The native was now able to release pent-up desires as it could benefit from the planet’s direct motion that gives rise to an existential manifestation of its meaning. At that rare pivotal point, Zelenskyy was face to face with a critical regrasp of experience and opportunity to lay the foundation for his extraordinary rise to power.

Unconventional ways of campaigning were at the heart of Zelenskyy’s run for president. His Sun-Venus Cazimi in the 9th house gave him ease in connecting with the public through remote and virtual social media. Point Focus Uranus also contributed its unique means of communication, when the candidate performed comedic, political routines on YouTube. Filtered into his upbeat virtual messaging were Zelenskyy’s promises to restore the people’s trust in politicians. He expressed the desire to “bring professional, decent people to power” and to “change the mood and timbre of the political establishment.” When elected, he set to work on a restart of the judicial system that was failing and focused on Ukraine’s financial difficulties. This tapped into his knowledge of law and economics. Clearly, the Progressed Lunation along with the basic chart potentials brought forth the quintessential candidate for reconstruction.

TRANSITS TO MARS

Zelenskyy’s Mars in dynamic charting is not limited to the station associated with the years when the native was in his mid to late thirties. There are other significant aspects that include powerful oppositions to progressed and natal Mars from the transits of Saturn and Pluto during the 2019 elections and later in 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. These particular oppositions represent powerful conflicts that cannot be avoided. Once again, the nation must reflect the planetary activity in the leader’s horoscope, and in this case, it has been literally for the worse. The opposition aspects to progressed Mars from transiting Saturn and Pluto, on the exact day of the invasion, unfortunately, validates the planet’s traditional meaning as the God of War. Another example of Mars showing its propensity for engagement in battle is when former president George W. Bush initiated war in Iraq at the time of transit Pluto’s opposition to the US natal Mars in 2003.

Chart 2 shows Saturn and Pluto in transit opposition to Zelenskyy’s progressed Mars at the time of Ukraine’s presidential elections. The chart’s outer wheel indicates the transits active at the time Zelenskyy was elected to the presidency. The transiting North Node also is conjunct progressed Mars revealing an exciting new era opening up with this candidate running for the highest office in the land.

Chart 3 shows transit Mars, closely followed by transit Venus, exactly opposite progressed Mars at the onset of the war on February 24, 2022. The low approval ratings Zelensky was experiencing at the time, reversed as he gained the full support of the people witnessing his outstanding courage in the face of devastating bombardment.

Beyond Mars as an indicator of conflict, its Sabian symbol shows the character that lies deep within the native’s psyche. When a symbol is prodded into manifestation by dynamic aspects, the astrological event gives rise to a dramatic show of a planet’s potential that otherwise may not be noticed. For Zelenskyy, the symbol of his Mars previously explained, reveals his capacity to rise to any challenge with astounding bravery. The nature of the surrogate’s Mars, and the recent aspects to it, are reflected in the population with their extraordinary fortitude in response to their formidable attackers.

THE PROGRESSED LUNATION

Major redirections in life occur when the progressed Moon, traveling at one degree per month, catches up with the progressed Sun moving at the speed of one degree per year. It is a progressed to progressed aspect called a Progressed Lunation or Progressed New Moon. This highly demanding progression of the Moon to the Sun occurs at 30-year intervals and is the harbinger of an imminent turning point in a person’s or nation’s life direction. Much like real-time monthly lunations, the progressed meeting of the Lights identifies when transitional seed ideas are conceived and later materialize into a fresh cycle of experience. The duration of adjustment to significant change encouraged by dynamic lunations is approximately four years, with influences being noticeable two years prior to the lunation’s exact aspect, with developing circumstances coming to fruition within a similar passage of time thereafter.

Zelenskyy announced his candidacy on December 31, 2018, soon after the progressed Moon entered the 10th house. The Moon represents one’s emotional engagement with others, while the 10th house relates to positions of power and authority. The timing of Zelenskyy’s decision to venture into unfamiliar circumstances was the result of the Progressed Lunation which was well within the time orb of its effectiveness.

Zelenskyy was elected about a year and a half before the exact Progressed Lunation. Throughout the time the Lunation was forming Transit Neptune was within orb of a conjunction with the progressed Sun.  The slow-moving Neptune greatly amplified the significance of the imminent Lunation, pointing to the authoritative responsibilities that would soon be thrust upon the native through the presidency. Neptune was in retrograde motion and only one degree beyond the exact Lunation’s degree at 18 Pisces 10. It moved backward toward the merging Progressed Lights and stationed on the Lunation’s exact degree to the minute on November 29, 2020. This adds exceptional meaning and power to the Lunation and shows the profundity of Zelensky becoming the candidate who would lead Ukraine through its yet unseen but eventual challenging future. 

The difficulties Zelenskyy would come to address were far greater than what he faced as an actor and producer. The shift from relative obscurity to power and influence synchronizes perfectly with the pivotal indication of the Progressed New Moon. The Lunation corresponded with numerous proposals for the reconstruction of government policies.

The exact Lunation occurring on September 19, 2020, made that particular year critical in accomplishing campaign promises, as well as dealing with unforeseen and demanding issues that included wildfires within Ukraine’s borders, with one threatening the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. There were floods, terrorist attacks, two airline crashes, and an oil tanker catastrophe, with all of these difficulties accompanied by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the most disappointing results were concerning the war in the Donbas region of Ukraine. The issue brought Zelensky face to face with Vladimir Putin yet in spite of his attempts to end the conflict it became a major point of contention in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

TRANSITS SATURN AND PLUTO

The long-term transits of slow-moving Saturn and Pluto correspond to the war waged on Ukraine by Russian forces initiated on February 24, 2022, at 4:50 am in Kyiv8. There are numerous meanings to any planetary aspect whether among natal configurations themselves or from progressed and transits to natal positions. The aspects from transiting Saturn and Pluto to the surrogate leader’s horoscope describe clearly the challenges that these sometimes ominous planets represent.

Transit Saturn was opposing Zelenskky’s natal Moon when Vladimir Putin gave the command to invade Ukraine under false pretenses. This completely overshadowed all aspects of Zelenskyy’s daily life, as ruled by the Moon. On June 5, 2022, transiting Saturn will station at 25 Aquarius 15, while at the same time transiting Mercury turns direct. Stationary Saturn will be opposite Zelenskyy’s natal Saturn in the 4th house, necessitating a major shift in basic operations that the nadir represents. Planetary stations are periods when from the Earth’s perspective, other orbiting planets appear to cease movement and change from direct to retrograde or from retrograde to direct. They present significant turning points in internal and existential circumstances when conjunct or opposite natal planets. They point to specific times when a critical regrasp of experience must be acknowledged. Transit Saturn retrogrades in 2022 until October 23, when it will station to go direct at 18 Aquarius 35. This may have a powerful effect on the coming situation because it is one degree from an exact opposition to Zelenskyy’s natal Moon.

Transit Saturn’s presence at the most elevated point in the chart will emphasize the leadership role Zelenskyy plays for the next few years. This elevated and thus highly focused transit, including its aspects to natal planets, reveals the overshadowing responsibility thrust upon the figurehead and surrogate, especially in the midst of devastating provocation. On February 25, 2023, transit Saturn will be exactly opposite its own natal position. This portends the time for an assessment of defeats as well as accomplishments in terms of the overall effects of war.

The ultra-slow transit of Pluto is approaching its opposition to Zelenskyy’s natal Mars and is within the 5-degree orb generally given for a transit9. Influences of the outer planets can be felt far in advance of their exact aspects because they are indicators of long-term developments in the scheme of things. They play the continuous, unrelenting base notes that support the faster-moving planets’ expression of more imminent and intimate details of everyday life.

Pluto is a fundamental factor in recent Ukrainian history corresponding to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.  That particular act of aggression was just one beat among the many measures of the long-developing rhythm of war in Ukraine. Zelenskky’s horoscope does not figure into initial conflicts because he was not president in 2014.

Aside from an astrological evaluation of the surrogate of a nation, it is important to include the dynamic aspects occurring in the chart of the nation itself.10 Dynamic aspects in the chart of Ukraine contribute to an overall picture of the stresses upon the nation and it is the all-important transit of Pluto hovering back and forth over the country’s natal Neptune during the Maidan Revolution that is most telling. The comparison of Ukraine’s horoscope with that of its president is also enlightening.

Crossties11 are useful when comparing horoscopes between marriage or business partners or between siblings, or parents with their children. It is also possible to get a glimpse into the compatibilities between a nation and its leaders, whether it is the president or other government officials. There are four crossties between the national chart of Ukraine and its president. This shows that there is an active and intimate tie between the two charts with the characteristics of the relationship defined by the planets involved. Two of the aspects involve the sensitive yet sustaining energy of Saturn, with the remaining two simulating the planetary pair of Significance,12 Uranus, Neptune, and supernumerary Pluto. There are charts that lack Crossties and therefore the connections lie elsewhere within the basic structure of the horoscopes, or it may mean there is little allying one entity to the other. This causes the need for a more concerted effort in communications because of the missing magnetism. The four strong ties within a one-degree orb allowance show Zelenskyy to be wholeheartedly engaged with his country and vice versa.

Zelenskyy’s chart shows noteworthy activity when Pluto will transit in opposition to his natal Mars in 2023. Transit Pluto will station opposite Mars on and off for the duration of the long-term transit which may foretell either continuing conflicts ahead or may indicate the time for civic reconstruction.

Looking into the past, there are the progressed Mars station of 2015 and Progressed Lunation of 2020 that marked significant dynamic indicators of unprecedented change for the people of Ukraine. Transits Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all play important roles in the country’s destiny.

THE WAY HOME

There is one strong Crosstie linking the natal Moons in an opposition aspect from Zelenskyy’s natal chart to the chart of the United States. The polarizing feature of the aspect draws the two nations together in an intense relationship as long as Zelenskyy remains in power. The bond became stronger and proved its virility through the coordination of the Pluto Return13 of the United States and the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The first of a series of conjunctions from transit Pluto to the US natal Pluto occurred on February 22, 2022, just two days before Russia invaded Ukraine of February 24. The US has been instrumental in arming Ukraine, as well as rallying NATO countries to cooperate and to supply humanitarian aid, armaments, and general support in defense of the citizenry as it endures an onslaught of relentless bombardment.

The world is often deprived of inspirational, political leadership, yet without conscious intent, Volodymyr Zelenskyy answered that need to the satisfaction of those who have hope for real change to prevail in the democratic lean of Ukraine. As the nation’s surrogate, Zelenskyy exemplifies a diligent servant of the people, and his steadfast response is simply the manifestation of the vision and character of the people of Ukraine themselves. He is the people’s choice and representative whom they entrusted with the almost impossible mission to rid corruption from their government and to set the country on a brighter path. Unfortunately, the evil intentions from without have interrupted Ukraine’s peaceful attempts at transformation indicated most profoundly in Zelenskyy’s chart by the responsibilities he accepted during his Progressed Lunation.

The sacrificing masses involved in the revolutions of 2004 and 2014 show a characteristic fortitude and willingness of the people to die for their cherished beliefs. Zelenskyy, as a young man during these times, was primed for the job of leading the country so often challenged for its very existence. Thanks to the courageous youth of both the Orange and Maidan Revolutions the way is being paved for a democracy that is free from the worn-out shackles of the Soviet Union that may only vanish with the end of Vladimir Putin himself. In a free society, leaders represent what lies deep in the hearts of those who are empowered to elect them. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proven himself to be a true servant of the people of Ukraine, both in times of peace and in times of his country’s greatest need for courageous leadership.

I really want you not to hang my image in your offices, Zelensky said to parliament members during his inauguration speech. Hang photos of your children there, and before every decision, look them in the eye. 

 

 

1. The political party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_of_the_People

The TV series:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servant_of_the_People_(TV_series)#:~:text=Servant%20of%20the%20People%20(Ukrainian,high%2Dschool%20history%20teacher%20in

2. Dynamic aspects are transits and progressions to natal planets.

3. The Sabian Symbols in Astrology by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society – Stanwood Washington

4. Cazimi, Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society – Stanwood Washington, pp. 275, 299

5. Focal Determinators, Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society – Stanwood Washington,  Chapter 4, p. 192

6. Pandora Papers: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/4/pandora-papers-ukraine-leader-seeks-to-justify-offshore-accounts 

and, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/just-all-others-end-zelensky-alternative

7. Scope of Astrological Prediction by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society – Stanwood Washington, p. 49

8. Time of the invasion:  The Economist Interview with Zelenskyy

9. Transit orbs are decided by the Astrologers’ personal discretion.

10. Ukraine horoscope can be found at astro.com by using the search tool.

11. Crossties form when planets in a chart make a conjunction or opposition aspect with a planet in the chart with which it is being compared. Orb allowance is within one degree of exactitude.

12. Planetary Pairs,  Essentials of Astrological Analysis by Marc Edmund Jones – Sabian Publishing Society – Stanwood Washington. Chapter 3, p. 108

13. US article on Pluto Return: http://planetarydynamics.com/2021/06/24/birth-and-remaking-of-america-the-pluto-return/

Nathan Chen, An Astrological Perspective of an Olympic Champion

Here are the astrological indicators assisting Nathan Chen to become the world’s best figure skater. Especially interesting are the transit and progressed aspects contributing to his stellar rise in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. His grace and sensitivity toward others, along with a high degree of disciple displayed by the champion, is revealed astrologically through his noteworthy natal Sun-Saturn conjunction.

Jupiter has a reputation for donning good fortune upon those who deserve it. Years of hard work and consistent effort can be tracked by slow-moving, progressed Jupiter as it inched its way toward a conjunction with Chen’s natal Mercury in Aries. Also, effective until late 2028, is progressed Mars poised in opposition to natal Mercury, giving power and energy to every detail of any performance whether in the challenge of the Olympics or in everyday life. Progressed Mars will Station to go direct within 7 minutes of arc to the mercurial planet on November 3, 2028, pointing to that particular year as pivotal in Chen’s life and career. (more about progressed stations)

During the 2022 Olympics, the complex, dynamic configuration is amplified by the progressed Moon as it leaves its two-month square with natal Uranus. Transit Saturn also figures into the picture, as it urges natal Uranus to reach beyond any limitations the native experienced in the 2018 Olympic games.(1)

Chen’s birth chart Planetary Pattern is the powerful Locomotive with Mars leading in the 1st degree of Scorpio. The Locomotive temperament is the source of the intensity of sensuality and smooth mannerisms displayed by the young man as he “dances” on ice.

The natal Saturn-Mars opposition has its outlet in the form of a T-Cross with Neptune manifesting the ethereal aura the skater also exudes both on or off the ice. Attention needs to be paid to the upcoming and exciting aspect of transit Pluto passing over the powerful Point Focus Neptune. This easily predicts Chen’s future involvement in competitions and perhaps even performances on an entertainment level following his grand and gold achievement in 2022. Transit Pluto will hover over natal Neptune for at least four years to make skating almost a Neptunian responsibility to the public whose thirst for more should be satisfied with an encore from the King of Quads. On the other hand, it could mean a complete break with the sport as Pluto often brings detachment and transformation in experience. 

Other astrological events are to be expected from the progressions. The Progressed Sun will move into its opposition to natal Pluto from 2024 to 2026. This anticipated, magnetic progression brings the personal self in balance with the public’s attention to assure continuing drama around the man who has made it to the top of his field so early in life.

Unfortunately, we do not have a birth time for Chen’s horoscope, so we have to lean more upon the aspect activity and sign function of the planets rather than on house circumstances. The powerful Locomotive pattern, complete with its T-Cross fills in the gaps when relying only on planetary relationships with each other rather than from their placements around the wheel.

What Makes Robert Mueller the Man of Integrity?

Sometimes a horoscope tells a fascinating story, and this is what we find in the chart of Robert Swan Mueller III, the man who was appointed as special counsel to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

An interpretation of natal potentials is compromised when the time of birth is unknown because the Moon’s degree and house placement and the distribution of the planets throughout the houses are virtually unknown. However, Marc Edmund Jones offers techniques in his Essentials of Astrological Analysis that offer an abundance of tools that aid in circumventing the lack of a correct time of birth.

One of these possibilities is the T-Cross as a Focal Determinator. However, when one of the three prongs of the configuration is the Moon, again the accuracy of interpretation may not be valid. This is the case in the horoscope of Robert Mueller.  The Moon moves swiftly through the degrees of a sign within an entire day and may or may not be in orb of an opposition to Neptune in Mueller’s chart to create a T-Cross. Looking closely because of this factor, we can assume that the Moon’s sign and degree placement throughout the 24 hours of the day of Mueller’s birth shows the Moon’s transit stays within close proximity of its 12-and-a-half-degree allowable orb to create a possible opposition to Neptune. This ultimately brings Saturn into Point Focus since its position is perpendicular to the opposition of Moon to Neptune.

Astrologers consider that aside from the frustrations, delays, and disappointments for which Saturn is known, it is also the planet of integrity, responsibility, maturity, and conscientiousness. This suggests a host of positive characteristics that can imbue an individual with extraordinary and honorable stature. These constructive expressions of Saturn explain why Mueller is known for his spotless reputation as a Marine Corps officer during the Vietnam War who received a Bronze Star for heroism and a Purple Heart. He spent his civilian years in both private and public service engaged in a stellar career that included 12 years as director of the FBI.

THE REVEALING SABIAN SYMBOLS

Mueller’s chart is especially interesting because the Sabian Symbol degrees play a compelling role when telling his story.

There are three Sabian Symbol degrees in Mueller’s chart that refer to the first light of day or the Sun in general. When symbols contain similar imagery they are supportive of each other and point to an emphasis on the native’s psychological patterning. These three similar concepts in the chart are symbolic of the revelatory effects of light as it illuminates hitherto unforeseen factors otherwise obscured by darkness. They are those that shine light on the “shadow” as it is defined from a Jungian perspective. These symbols refer to an awareness that overcomes darkness or “stormy” situations. They confirm Mueller’s dedication to truth and lawfulness, and most of all, to his personal integrity which always shines through when faced with the challenges of humankind’s propensity for wrongdoing.

Neptune, 2 Libra 17 rounded to 3 degrees:

The dawn of a new day, everything changed This is a symbol of the illimitable potentialities to be found when it comes to any personal participation in everyday affairs, and of the thoroughness with which each individual remains the recurrent expression of his own self-consistencies. There is here the necessity for an ultimate self-dependence, and the consequent need to blaze a path of special recognition for each particular characteristic of selfhood. The keyword is INNOVATION. When positive, the degree is man’s insatiable appetite for experiment, and continuing self-discovery in every possible area of human experience, and when negative, inability to catch the challenge of living in even the most trivial matters.

Venus, 26 Leo 27 rounded to 27 degrees:

Daybreak This is a symbol of the cycles of change as an ultimate assurance to the human heart, with an emphasis on reason, as the means by which man knows the nature of his own continuance. No matter what may be the course of events in their over-all unpredictability, there is always dawn, or springtime, as the promise of resurgence, or a new potential in every manifestation of self and its world. Reality is ever a beginning in the sense of the immediacy it offers the individual. The keyword is GENESIS. When positive, the degree is an untiring capture and recapture of life throughout the constant and confusing shifts of being, and when negative, wishful thinking and satisfaction in a vague tomorrow.

Sun, 15 Leo 00 round to 16.

Sunshine, just after a storm This is a symbol of personal stability through man’s recuperative powers, emphasized in terms of his psychological or inner orientation. Here is nature’s inevitable return to enduring values, as this occurs after every major issue of life, and the consequent opportunity for self to regrasp itself and to enlist every element of its environment in some new effort or fresh approach to experience. Everyday stress and strain are found of high use, either as a clearance or a reconstruction in all human affairs. The keyword is RECOVERY. When positive, the degree is exceptional steadiness of perspective and fidelity to individual responsibility, and when negative, continual upset over petty issues.

The Sun in any chart points to the purpose or role a person plays in life. It is Mueller’s destiny to usher in the light, in answer to infractions that have held their sway over good. This he has done valiantly in his long career as a prosecutor and public servant.

One of the most delightful Sabian degrees suggesting a curious nuance in the story of Mueller’s natal horoscope is 7 degrees Cancer, Two fairies on a Moonlit night. Interestingly, this image contains a reference to the moon and compliments the symbols in his chart associated with light. This symbol plays a prominent role because it characterizes natal Saturn, the Point Focus of the T-Cross.

Two fairies on a moonlit night. This is a symbol of nature’s illimitable potentialities on the side of the release she offers man from his physical or psychological involvement, and of the necessity that he achieve some measure of lightness in self-expression as a balance for the strain of everyday existence. Here is exaltation of fancy, as a dynamic factor in all self-realization, and of the quiet moments of experience as a real opportunity for self-orientation. The magic of selfhood lies in its ability to rise above whatever may threaten its well-being. The keyword is ASCENDANCY. When positive, the degree is a transforming sensitivity or a healing imagination. And when negative, a senseless retreat to make-believe.

A study of symbol definitions allows astrologers to penetrate deep within a native’s psyche to reveal the theme of life in general when taking all of the symbol definitions together as a whole. The planet configurations have their job through the signs and houses to suggest the overall potentials. Cancer 7, accompanies a “handful” of otherworldly elfin degrees that take part in the Sabian Symbols’ collection of visionary imagery.

Planets, together with these special Sabian Symbol degrees, vibrate to a higher frequency and encourage the native to reach beyond the conventional expression of planetary energies. Robert Mueller’s chart is an example of the rich resources the symbols have to offer. The elfin degree confirms a highly deviant yet refined character which, normally with Saturn involved, relied on once-respected old-school principles.

The following images are the group of elfin symbols in the 360-degree Sabian series. They are rounded to the following degree.

Aries 16, Brownies dancing in the setting sun.
Scorpio 23, A bunny metamorphosed into a fairy.
Scorpio 28, King of the fairies approaching his domain.
Cancer 7, Two fairies on a moonlit night.
Capricorn 26, A water sprite.
Virgo 5, A man dreaming of fairies.

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE AND PROGRESSED SATURN STATION

The solar eclipse of July 2, 2019, at 10 degrees 37 Cancer, synchronized with the compelling presence of Mueller at congressional hearings where he confirmed the findings of his investigative report which was disseminated but not widely read by the American public. The eclipse fell 4 degrees 37 minutes from Mueller’s natal Saturn and brought into public view signs of his declining, physical vitality noticeable through his sometimes feeble responses to questions by House Representatives. The eclipse intensified his reserved demeanor by landing within 10 minutes of progressed Saturn.

The ephemeris graph for October 1944 shows Saturn station retrograde in Mueller’s secondary progressions on February 15, 2021. The station actually occurred  76 days after birth and corresponds with the native’s 76th year of life. Two important circumstances related to the Saturn station are Mueller’s resignation from the Justice Department on May 29, 2019, because his investigation on election interference by Russia was completed and his attendance at the hearings before the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees on July 24, 2019, that also may prove to be his last personal appearance before the public.

Both events are well within the time period expected of a slow-moving progressed station. However, the station has not culminated as yet, and more details of his retirement and possible acceleration of physical limitations, indicative of the expression of Saturn, may be reported in upcoming years. In general, it could be said that the entire two-and-a-half-year period of the historic investigation fits perfectly into the theme of a stationary Saturn. The station going retrograde and inward, rather than direct and outward, points to the disdain for public comment and the general secrecy that surrounded the investigation as Mueller orchestrated it.

With his stoic appearance before Congress, Mueller was able to confirm the truth that the report did not exonerate the president, and with quiet yes-and-no answers, with occasional enlightening comments, Mueller set the story straight, and in that way, starkly contrasted the President and Attorney General’s mantra, that there was “no collusion, no obstruction.” He furthermore confirmed to Adam Schiff, the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, that the investigation was not a witch-hunt when responding to Schiff’s request for verification which would ultimately counter the President’s habitual false accusation in that regard.

Mueller is a man who has maintained over time a reputation of unequaled integrity and wholehearted dedication to the precepts of American democracy. There were headlines criticizing Mueller for deliberately sticking to the “four corners” of his report, and in answer to his own inquiry, he conceded to the written response from the Justice Department, compelling him to withhold information about ongoing investigations. But these limitations are to be expected when Saturn takes center stage through its natal position receiving a recent eclipse and its progressed position stationing to go retrograde.

Remaining within boundaries and withstanding grave and perhaps undeserved criticism all relate to the functioning of Saturn and are unavoidable. One cannot manipulate planetary forces, but advantages do exist when noting any planet’s correspondence to everyday affairs and adjusting to them with humility and a conciliatory attitude.

There was no drama or theatrics in Mueller’s manner at the hearings, and in contrast with Trump’s often bombastic and unrestrained hyperbole, Mueller seemed almost docile. But the man will go down in history as the person credited for documenting the unprecedented acts and intractable behavior of the Trump administration.

No doubt, Russia will continue to aggressively tamper with America’s central core of its democracy; the citizen’s right to vote. Point by point, Volume I of the “Mueller Report” openly lays bare how and what the Russians did in their manipulative interference in the 2016 presidential election and outlines in Volume II President Trump’s efforts to obstruct the Special Counsel’s investigation.

History will look back at the report as it shone a light on right as opposed to wrong and truth as opposed to falsehoods. Time will tell if Mueller will be recognized for his distinguished and honorable investigation into the facts of the 2016 presidential election and whether the effort will have assisted in supporting the original blueprint of America’s constitution and its guiding principles.

“This is what is at stake; our next election . . . our democracy . . . This is why your work matters Director Mueller, this is why our investigation matters. To bring these dangers to light.”  –  Adam Schiff

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.

Mark Zuckerberg – Founding Face of Facebook

FACEBOOK BEGINNINGS

The internet has become a matrix of opportunities for young entrepreneurs to become giants in the world of social media. One of the most powerful of these leaders is
Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder, executive chairman and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.) which is currently available in 112 languages serving
approximately three billion active monthly users.

Facebook is actually a borrowed concept, as several American universities already had what they called a Face Book, which was designed to encourage students to get to know one another. There was a printed component as well as an elementary online version. Harvard University had a serious concern for privacy when using its online platform which rendered the service virtually inadequate. This faulty situation prompted Zuckerberg to disregard the university’s privacy policy and turn to his own programming skills to create something more free-wheeling, exciting and user-friendly. The natal astrological configuration that identifies his indomitable drive and disregard for protocol is certainly the Mars Moon Occultation. His ability to reach out and touch everyone is the mark of a preponderance of opposition aspects.

As Zuckerberg proceeded to develop the software for what he first called thefacebook.com, controversy ensued, and he was threatened with expulsion from Harvard because of the alleged breach of privacy and other disconcerting mischiefs. Zuckerberg’s facemash.com preceded thefacebook.com with its primary use for entertainment. It suggested that users compare students’ appearances to whether they were Hot or Not. The entrepreneur’s motivation was driven by his judgment that most student photos on the university owned platform were unattractive. A comparison of contradictory perspectives is the core characteristic of the See-Saw Temperament Type.1 The powerful pull of planets created by a preponderance of oppositions is the core dynamic drawing endless controversy over the native’s career objectives.

Young Zuckerberg became a computer and software programmer, thanks to his father’s foresight and financial investment in his son’s education. He had private tutoring sessions at a very early age in computer science and fencing and became fluent in several languages.

THE NATAL CHART – NATURAL DISPOSITION AND TEMPERAMENT TYPE

The planetary configurations at the moment of Zuckerberg’s birth suggest a potential for the native to excel in the field of communications. The planets create the See-Saw pattern because they form two distinct groups that oppose one another. At its best, this one of the seven Temperament Types epitomizes direct communication, compromise, cooperation, and the sharing of ideas across a divide, or at its worst, it creates conflicts of interest, polarization, and noncooperation.

The See-Saw patterning depends upon the opposition aspect’s magnetic effects to act as a bridge between the two competing planetary segments. The opposing energies promote a mirroring effect of awareness and in this case the interest of the native is most alert to conceptual principles and abstract considerations, as suggested by his Natural Disposition2 in fixed signs. The Natural Disposition technique discloses the general interests of a person and how they are drawn out of themselves in pursuit of their life objectives. If the opposition aspect forms in cardinal signs one’s focus of attention is in the immediate moment with a general self-serving lean toward opportunism. When the zodiacal signs of the opposition are mutable there is an interest in the welfare of others characteristic of the humanitarian type.

The Temperament Type in this chart has a Skew in its See-Saw patterning which is formed by the opposition (edge to diagonal edge of the two segments) from Mercury to Pluto. It reveals the extent to which the native can reject social norms and go beyond expected behaviors, especially in regard to the mental processes which are represented by the two planets. Unfortunately, the ability to depart from normal patterning can lead to blind alleys creating a negative manifestation of the otherwise unique and positive potentials of the Skew. It reveals possible twists in the perception and unusual perspectives that can lead to a disservice to the self and others when not acting as an asset for the individual. The oppositions of Venus to Moon, Mars and Saturn are the core dynamic showing enduring inner stability.

The chart falls in the category of a Loose Destiny3 because of the presence of an exact within a 23-minute orb sextile between Jupiter and Saturn. The native has the freedom to associate with anyone and everyone without much regard for moral or political considerations or pressure. This has been shown by Zuckerberg’s willingness to socialize with conservatives as well as liberals with whom he is more likely in agreement and to put emphasis on free speech while opposing the censoring of controversial Facebook posts on the appearance of political propaganda. In a speech to students at Georgetown University Zuckerberg stated,

I understand the concerns about how tech platforms have centralized power, but I actually believe the much bigger story is how much these platforms have decentralized power by putting it directly into people’s hands.4

Just as expected, his See-Saw equilibrium results in Zuckerberg supporting both sides of an argument and together with his fixed Natural Disposition he promotes the principle of independent decision-making and free speech.

THE MODE OF SELF-INTEGRATION

The Mode of Self-Integration technique analyses the four Planetary Pairs5 to note which are in major aspect and those that are not. The pairs are the Sun and Moon as Vitality, Jupiter and Saturn as Motivation, Venus and Mars as Efficiency, and Uranus and Neptune as Significance. Three of the four pairs are in major aspect in Zuckerberg’s chart, leaving the pair of Significance to play a prominent role in his psychological makeup and integration into society by virtue of its negative appearance. The unaspected pair provides a vacuum in planetary activity that drives the native to compensate for the lack and to be driven to accomplish deeds of great import on the world stage. The success of Facebook is an obvious example of the outcome of compensation in the life of its founder.

It is ideal to have two of the four Planetary Pairs in major aspect and two that are not in the identification of the most normal path to Self-Integration.6 However, Zuckerberg’s chart has three pairs in major aspect and one not. To determine the Mode of Self-Integration in these cases one must look for factors of patterning or weight within the dynamics of the chart to determine its mode. Using patterning, the planetary pairs of Vitality and Efficiency cross the divide between the two opposing segments and identify Objective Function as the way in which this native must interact with outer experience. Adding to the emphasis of these pairs in opposition aspect is that they are also in conjunction with each other’s pair. Object Function obligates the native to take their cues from the environment for life direction as opposed to Subjective Function where there can be more resistance to outside influence. Circumstances in Zuckerberg’s life are most often defined by the needs and dictates of others through outer opportunities and social pressures.

FOCAL DETERMINATORS

THE SUN

Opposition aspects connect the 2nd to 8th and 3rd to 9th houses and emphasize the sharing of resources and communication of ideas respectively. The 2nd house contains information about the native’s resources and shares those with the possessions and capacities of others through the 8th. Pure and basic communication of the 3rd house is carried over to the 9th house of broader knowledge and understanding and public dissemination. Facebook facilitates this exchange and Zuckerberg’s Sun in the 9th reveals his role (Sun) as a publisher.

In a speech to a graduating class at Harvard University in May 2017, Zuckerberg commented about meaning:

Today I want to talk about purpose. But I’m not here to give you the standard commencement about finding your purpose. We’re millennials. We’ll try to do that instinctively. . . Instead, I’m here to tell you finding your purpose isn’t enough. The challenge for our generation is creating a world where everyone has a sense of purpose.7

The Sun in horoscopy reveals the purpose of the incarnation. Zuckerberg’s Sabian Symbol for his Sun degree is A large well-kept public park, and as parks suggest, they are the playground for interaction with others for the simple pleasure itself. The park for this native is the online platform he created that now connects anyone wishing to use Facebook to others of like mind. The Sabian Symbol reflects the social joy of Facebook.

TAURUS 25 A large well-kept public park This is a symbol of the everyday integrity of society at large, and of the community divisions of labor through which each person gains the resources for well-being and self-enjoyment which obviously he could never create for himself through his own isolated efforts. There is here an emphasis on the common experience of mankind as the setting for an individual’s worth and achievement in their more characteristic lineaments, and for his consequent self-discovery and self-realization. The keyword is RECREATION. When positive, the degree is a high devotion to the practical welfare of all people collectively, and when negative, a complete surrender of personality to mass judgments and transient superficialities.

THE MOON OCCULTATION

There is a unique formation in the chart that is held in high regard by astronomers as well as astrologers. From the Earth’s perspective, the Moon can temporarily block the appearance of any planet behind it and when it is within 1 degree of orb it can empower the planet so that its meaning is more pronounced. Some astrologers, however, believe an occultation diminishes the planet’s powers. In Zuckerberg’s case Mars is the initiator and provocateur because of its hidden and therefore negative emphasis is brought to the forefront of attention through others’ periodic attempts to block the native’s initiative. At the same time a pronounced Mars encourages the explorative impulses that for example gave birth to Facebook. The Moon indicates the native’s feelings as it assists the purpose of the Sun when in major aspect. The opposition of the Lights reveals a tendency to draw criticism and conflict as well as serve to manifest personal goals.

DETERMINATION BY PREPONDERANCE

There are no planets in square aspect in the natal chart but there is an abundance of oppositions and sextiles. This is beneficial for striking a balance when engaging with others because oppositions encourage interconnections and sextiles give support and assistance. The numerous oppositions polarize yet tie the separate segments together, but they lack a release of tension that would be provided by a squaring planet perpendicular to the opposition known as a T-Cross. The three planets would then give the chart a Focal Determinator.8 Unfortunately, with no squares in the chart there is no possibility for antagonistic confrontations to be diverted toward an alternate point of tension release. Zuckerberg must face head-on any challenges brought to his attention. The times he was called to Congress to account for his acts and policies serve as good examples of this dynamic.

Multiple opposition aspects promote a virtual superhighway of conceptual thinking either in cooperation or in confrontation with opposing parties. It reflects Facebook’s social networking as a platform for connecting friends, family, and local and global communities with each other. Oppositions are the ultimate vehicle for the communication of feelings and ideas. Conveniently, that is one of the purposes of Facebook.

The preponderance of oppositions shows the chart’s symbolic propensity for real-life interaction and includes conflicts of interest. Discord and contention have followed Zuckerberg throughout his youth and at present disputes are more magnified. The US government has been calling to account Facebook’s founder for harm done concerning the sharing of 87 million Facebook users’ profile data that ended up useful to *Cambridge Analytica. Pluto in the 2nd house of the native’s resources is in direct opposition to the resources of others represented by Mercury in the 8th. This allows personal resources to become the property of those who can tap the native’s possessions.

On March 24, 2018, Zuckerberg posted on his Facebook page:

We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you. I’ve been working to understand exactly what happened and how to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

This was a prelude to April 10, 2018, when Facebook’s creator appeared before the US Senate in a joint session of the Commerce and Judiciary committees. Corresponding at the time of the hearings was an emotionally charged square between the progressed Moon and natal Venus. The very Venusian values the native lives by and promotes for others to enjoy were being scrutinized, as were the mishandled 8th house resources Facebook had collected from its users. The yellow graph shows a progressed series of challenging aspects that continued into February 2019 with the aspects especially active during the confrontation in Congress that lead to Facebook agreeing to pay a £500,000 fine to the Information Commissioner’s Office over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.9 This ended more than a year of litigation between the regulator and the giant social network, although reports had it that there was still much to be discovered concerning the scandal.

The progressed Moon squaring natal Venus is something that without the experience of natal squares may seem quite foreign and difficult for the individual to fathom. Although progressed squares occur throughout life, it is those occurring in adulthood that stand out and a publically broadcasted appearance before Congress indicated greater than normal stress. Events may coincide with the enter, exact and leave phases of the progression that points to a turning point in experience brought about by an intense, internal struggle. The progressed square indicates a challenge to personal values and the demands and adjustments necessary to align with the values of the American public.

In a fashion that mirrors the chart’s See-Saw temperament, opposing perspectives came to bear on October 23, 2019, when Zuckerberg once again appeared on Capitol Hill to testify before the House Financial Services Committee regarding questions about Facebook’s Libra crypto project. The topic unexpectedly turned to a litany of other Facebook issues giving Freshman Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the opportunity to drill the executive on the subject of political ads that propagate lies that ultimately affect voter results. The social media giant held to his position when he explained after much bantering about, In most cases, in a democracy, I believe that people should be able to see for themselves what politicians that they may or may not vote for are saying and judge their character for themselves.10

Here the private principles and values of his Natural Disposition were what the native fell back on in answer to accusations that he was allowing content that should be censored by his company, a practice that would disregard a person’s right to evaluate the information for themselves. A free society’s opposing views reflected in the multiple oppositions in the chart, once again reveal that the native is staying true to his basic natal potentials when it comes to maintaining a balance between his own and others’ opinions of right and wrong.

Unquestionably, there are dubious practices that have developed since the time of Facebook’s world debut, however, the advantages that individuals worldwide have been able to access, including and most importantly self-promotion far outweigh the limitations that inevitably should be addressed.

THE DYNAMIC FUTURE PROGRESSIONS 

Progressed Mars at the bottom left of the middle progression wheel has traveled retrograde throughout Zuckerberg’s lifetime. In 2018 it came within 1 degree and 30 minutes of conjunction with natal Saturn. Here added to the stress of this aspect is the station-direct Mars performed shown circled in red on the June 1984 ephemeris graph.

June 20th on the graph is thirty-seven days after birth and refers to the native’s thirty-seventh year. The pressures and sensitivities of conscience (Saturn) become intensified under the influence of a station from any progressed planet but when the station is conjunct or opposite a natal planet, the intensity is exacerbated. It is certain that circumstances at the time presented considerable challenges. The station of Mars at 11 Scorpio 42 on May 5, 2020, occurs within 22 minutes of natal Saturn. Marc Edmund Jones refers to planetary stations as a time for a critical regrasp of experience. One needs to prepare for these rare times in progressions to let go of current circumstances and allow new avenues of expression to take hold. The apparent reversal of the path of a planet in progression correlates with an appointed turnaround of circumstances in life. The gradual buildup of pressures concerning Facebook’s questionable mode of operations perfectly fits with the effective time period of the Mars progressed station at the zodiacal degree of natal Saturn.

The ephemeris graph shows a horizontal green line underlining the 34th day after Zuckerberg’s birth on May 14, 1984. This day is equal to his thirty-fourth year of life. The future anticipates a significant dynamic aspect of Progressed retrograde Pluto turning direct in its opposition potentials with natal Mercury. The opposition polarizes the two planets of “higher and lower” mentality. By age fifty-five, before Zuckerberg’s second Progressed Lunation and Saturn Return, progressed Pluto will be stationary-direct within ten minutes of natal Mercury. When the time arrives, Zuckerberg should have all his “ducks in a row” just as his natal Mercury suggests with its Sabian Symbol at 30 degrees Aries, A duck pond and its brood. 

The blue circle at the bottom of the ephemeris graph relates to the 46th day after birth and represents Zuckerberg’s 46th year of life when progressed Mars will exactly conjunct natal Saturn.

Progressed Pluto’s exact aspect is destined to occur. The progressions of Mars and Pluto tell the story of an ambitious man caught under the combined influence of Pluto’s urge for power and influence as it is spurred on by the aspirations of the indomitable drive of Mars. The keyword for a prominent Pluto is Transcendence, which is necessary when there is no alternative release of energies available through the squaring of the third planet to an opposition that could form a T-cross. The native will have to ultimately rise to the occasion and accept that he will need to face conflicts head-on.

THE SABIAN SYMBOL – SATURN

The founder of Facebook has achieved a high degree of worldly success beyond all expectations which is revealed in his Saturn Sabian Symbol degree that follows.

SCORPIO 13 An inventor experimenting This is a symbol of the joy in effort put forth on the imaginative or intellectual side of life, and of the creative achievement by which the human individual is able to make a special niche for himself in some particular sphere of activity. Here is a complete dependence on the ingenuity and resources of self-hood and an emphasis on the fact that there is no area of reality in which it is not possible to expand man’s usefulness and to facilitate some unique contribution. The keyword is CLEVERNESS. When positive, the degree is a capacity for accomplishment beyond all normal expectations, and when negative, a superficial dawdling over things to be done and futile dreams of great genius.

Jones’ alternative symbol is revealing in an almost humorous way. In a rattle trap old wooden barn an earnest man works in a maze of apparatus; invention at the point of success. The symbol quite easily brings to mind the mass of electrical cords often gathered around a computer geek and his computer.

 

Resources and References

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, are found in the Essentials of Astrological Analysis, Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society 1960:

(1) Temperament Type, Chapter 2, pgs 27 Essentials of Astrological Analysis

(2) Natural Disposition, Chapter 1, pgs 12

(3) Loose Destiny (and Sharp), Comparison of Horoscopes, pg 343

(4)  https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/10/17/facebook_ceo_mark_zuckerberg_speaks_on_erosion_of_truth_and_.html

(5) Planetary Pairs, Chapter 3, Self-Ordering, pg 108

(6) Mode of Self-Integration, Chapter 3, pg 151

(7) https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/harvard-commencement-2017/10154853758606634/

(8) T-Cross, Focal Determinator, Chapter 4, pg 193-203

(9) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/oct/30/facebook-agrees-to-pay-fine-over-cambridge-analytica-scandal

(10) https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/23/20929350/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-mark-zuckerberg-testimony-green-new-deal

*Joseph Chancellor was one of two founding directors of Global Science Research (GSR), the company that harvested Facebook data using a personality app under the guise of academic research and later shared the data with Cambridge Analytica.

 

The Beauty That is More than Skin Deep – Princess Diana

Planetary configurations in the birth chart of the Princess of Wales confirm the spell she had, and still has, on all people everywhere, no matter their gender, race or circumstances in life. The charts of other individuals born at the same time, may share symbolically, the potentials that only she in her advantageous circumstance could bring to fruition in a lifetime. 

NATAL CHART ANALYSIS IN BRIEF 

Diana’s Moon/Uranus Opposition in the Leo and Aquarius polarity, shows that she has a Fixed Natural Disposition. This means that she is interested in the meaning of life and its ideals and principles – encouraging ethics to take precedence over self-gratification, or the fulfillment of others’ needs above one’s own. Preoccupation of self is the mark of a Cardinal Disposition, and the dedication to the welfare of others is a Mutable Disposition’s characteristic.

In her emotional battles with the royal family, it has been shown that she made her most important life decisions with the thought of how they would play out in the Fixed, abstract realm of right and wrong. And the challenge of the ubiquitous presence of her husband’s lover, forced her to take a traditional and moral attitude in regards to the institution of marriage. It was neither for her own nor her husband’s benefit that she had a mind to satisfy, but instead, it was her adherence to principle that moved her finally to acquiesce to separation and ultimately divorce. With the Sun and Mercury in Cancer in her 7th house, the Princess’ drive in life was focused toward finding a mate, sharing experience, and to hold family and relationships sacred. This was sadly, never to be fulfilled.

The Princess’ Temperament Type is a bit difficult to define, because the spread of the planets does not fit ideally into any of the seven typical patterns. At first view, it seems possibly that the pattern is a Splash, with the planets spread evenly around the wheel. However, there are six empty houses where there should only be three for the ideal of this typing. The possible See-Saw is ruled out because of the lack of a Core Opposition, and neither of the two segments is formed with a delimiting Opposition. A Splay may seem appropriate, but there are four instead of three segments of planets that normally signify the Type.

In the final analysis, the Splay Temperament is chosen over the other six possibilities, since with some effort on the native’s part, the Moon can be pulled into a Grand Trine with Neptune and the Sun. The Splay is based on the triangulation of the chart, and the Moon’s normal orb is 12.30 degrees and in the Princess’ case, it is a mere 30 minutes of arc over accepted orb. The validity of this choice of pattern is seen in the native’s avoidance of mediocrity and commonplace lifestyle. The Splay, with its pyramiding ease of self-making, motivates a native to blossom into a personage that can have a very real impact on the lives of others who witness their special brand of genius. The Princess was indeed a personage whose stature soared above the norm, giving confirmation of the benefit of the Splay’s Grand Trine potentials. Given time to progressively develop into a model of goodness and grace, the Grand Trine inevitably led the Princess to worldwide attention and homage.

But it is not the Temperament Type alone, nor any of the other myriad of planetary characteristics that made Diana into the overwhelmingly beloved personality. As inferred above, there is always the factor of heredity and environment to take into account and to integrate into a thorough reading of any horoscope, whether it be a celebrated individual or of an average citizen from any walk of life. In Diana’s case, it was her juxtaposition to power that gave her an advantage to influence millions. And this might not have been accomplished, had she not married a Prince, the heir to the throne of England. The Princess’ potentials were magnified by her own pedigree as well, but the marriage set those potentials into motion, even more so after the unfortunate divorce when she was literally on her own. This gave her the sympathy of the masses, seen astrologically in the well-occupied 8th house of other people’s approval.

Diana had a Sharp Destiny, which is testimony to the rigid limitations and controversies with which she endured throughout her too short life. But a Sharp Destiny often propels an individual beyond normal achievement, even when at the same time there are forces at play challenging the native at every turn. A Sharp Destiny is defined by the stress of a Conjunction, Square or Opposition of the Planetary Pair of Motivation; Jupiter and Saturn. In the case of the Princess, it is the Conjunction of the Pair in the 2nd house of personal resources, that when using them in service to principles of right and wrong, it gave to others, represented by the 8th house, the encouragement to do likewise.

There is a powerful T-Cross in Fixed signs in the chart showing Venus to be in Point Focus as a Focal Determinator for self- expression.  Her earthly beauty was matched by her heartfelt concern for others in a down-to-earth manner signified by the sign of Taurus.  In the 5th house, it reveals the demonstrative attention she always paid to her two boys, first and foremost. Her love, in terms of romantic entanglements is also a 5th house preoccupation, and like every other woman, personal love was for her a primary focus. Uniquely, in the Princess’ case, the Point Focus nature of Venus in the 5th, threw her relentlessly in front of the press and paparazzi, and ultimately into the face of constant public scrutiny. She was, because of Venus in Point Focus, gracious to others because of her own sensibilities. Venus’ keywords very clearly define her. Acquisitive is the basic keyword for Venus and its meaning points to the desires that drive a person to achieve their aims – this she did rather well. In Progressions, Venus is described by the word Sensitivity. Diana’s capacity for tender intimacy is also paramount, and is one of the reasons she will not be forgotten by average people who understand the importance of sincere caring; the trademark of a Venus reaching beyond normal expectations.

She didn’t think like those around her, being born with Mercury in Retrograde motion. And because of that the world had the “pleasure” of witnessing her battles with her own identity. She wasn’t going to be pigeonholed at any cost, and that may have contributed to her rejection of being a mere figurehead in royal life.

The groupings of the planets around the wheel are a series of Conjunctions that gave her the power to intensely impress her ideas and attitudes upon others – each planet giving the ones it stands next to more emphasis to influence outer circumstances.

AN IMPORTANT SABIAN SYMBOL


The Sabian Symbols give penetrating insight into the mind, heart and purpose of the Princess’ life.
One particular symbol standing out above the rest is Diana’s important Point Focus Venus degree at 25 Taurus, A large well-kept public park. But the true glory of the symbol is seen in its original form, A magnificent public park spreads its charm before the eye in a vista that awes the loftiest spirit. Here in a sentence is the essence of Princess Diana, who can be described herself as a possession of the public in awe of the soul who humbly embraced even the lowliest among us.

Marc Jones’ refinement of definition literally tells the story of Diana’s dedication to society’s commoners. And high-lighted in bold below, is the positive expression of the purpose of her incarnation, as brought to the forefront through the all-important placement of Venus in this one of 360 Sabian Symbol degrees.

TAURUS 25 A large well-kept public park This is a symbol of the everyday integrity of society at large, and of the community divisions of labor through which each person gains the resources for well-being and self-enjoyment which obviously he could never create for himself through his own isolated efforts. There is here an emphasis on the common experience of mankind as the setting for an individual’s worth and achievement in their more characteristic lineaments, and for his consequent self-discovery and self-realization. The keyword is RECREATION. When positive, the degree is a high devotion to the practical welfare of all people collectively, and when negative, a complete surrender of personality to mass judgments and transient superficiality. 

THE TRAGIC DEATH OF PRINCESS DIANA

The chart shows Progressions and Transits for August 31, 1997. The 8th house is framed in a pink square and shows the 7th house birth Sun and Mercury now Progressing through the 8th house of the ultimate transition. Very close to the time of death the Transit Moon was Conjunct the Progressed Sun, and the Transits of the Sun and Mercury were just moving away from their Conjunction with natal Pluto in the 8th. All this is a powerful emphasis of 8th house activity.

Diana’s all-important natal Venus Progressed to an exact Conjunction with her natal Mercury at her death, and this correlates to the close tie she had with Dodi Fayed and their recent engagement. Progressed Mars shown with the green arrow, is making a Trine with natal Venus for supportive Aspects that mirror the same intimacy potentials at the time.

Transits too had a significant impact on the challenge and intensity of the situation. All three of the outer planets were in tight association with natal planets. Transit Uranus and Neptune, shown by the two short red arrows at the bottom left, were respectively Conjunct Saturn and Jupiter, the planets identifying Diana’s Sharp Destiny. And Transit Pluto, indicated by the horizontal blue arrow, was in Square Aspect with natal Mars positioned in the ominous 8th house. Transit Pluto on the cusp of the 12th house reveals the dark cloud over the affair in both literal terms and of the matter of the conspiracy theory that the death was planned by the royal family.

For whatever the cause, the world lost a great soul on that tragic night in Paris. Had Mercury not been Retrograde on that fateful day, seat belts may have been used and could have diverted the tragedy. It is interesting to take note of the disturbing quality of the Sabian degree of Mercury Station Retrograde at 17 Virgo, A volcano in eruption, with its keyword EXPLOSION. And the Station Direct at 3 Virgo, Two angels bringing protection is sadly ironic – its keyword, SECURITY.