Geronimo's Bones

The Apaches of Arizona were the last Native Americans to fight against the invasion of the White Settlers. Their leader was Geronimo, a name which means "He Who Yawns." Geronimo had served his tribe as a Medicine Man and then led as a Warrior and had become a legend through for his successful battles and escapes from captivity. In the late 1880's he and his tribe consisting of only 38 men, women and children evaded 5,000 U.S. and Mexican soldiers for an entire year. They surrendered in 1886 at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona and spent the rest of their lives as Prisoners of War.

Geronimo managed to achieve great fame in his old age while conforming to a completely foreign culture that completely suppressed his own culture, literally kept him imprisoned at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Only a Mutable Sign could show this level of adabtability. Turns out Geronimo was a Gemini, the First of the Mutable Signs, ruled by Air: highly intelligent, social, tricky, witty, adaptable, great communicator.

Geronimo
born June 16, 1829 Turkey Creek, Arizona (I used Willcox for a town)

Sun at 26 Gemini, Moon in Sagittarius

Geronimo's Natal Chart truly shows a great Warrior and Spirit. His Sun and Moon are in the Mutable Signs of Gemini and Sagittarius indicating that he was maybe born on the Gemini Full Moon. A great thinker and communicator, but also philosophical and opinionated, and always aware of others, quick witted and able to blend into the landscape. He probably had a special relationship with his horse as Sagittarius understands animals extremely well. His Chart has both a Grand Fire Trine and a Mystic Rectangle which are bounded together by a powerful Saturn-Pluto trine. He could understand the deeper workings of Nature and could manifest in a practical way conflicting ideals. Pluto was also conjunct his South Node indicating past lives in which he held much Power. Pluto-SN are in Aries, ruled by Mars, which is the Warrior's planet. They are trining Jupiter in Sagittarius (its own sign, the Centaur, also a Warrior), and Saturn in Leo (the King). Fire is Intuition, Idealism, and Action. The Pluto-Node axis is trined and sextiled by an opposition of Uranus in Aquarius (its own sign) to Saturn.

If these were the major aspects of his chart, he would have been a great warrior, a brilliant politican-type and a man of action, but he had another strong Spiritual side. Natally Neptune is in Capricorn opposing Mercury and Mars in Cancer. In fact, he had 3 planets in Cancer, which represents among other things that he was very attached to family, homeland, and his environment. Neptune is the planet of illusion and could account for his ability to escape from captivity. It also indicates the spiritual side of a person which it develops, however, through Sorrow, Loss and Confusion. He may have believed the promises of others too readily. Another aspect, Chiron was squaring (stress, challenge) his Saturn-Uranus opposition from Taurus. Taurus is a stubborn sign. Chiron is the Teacher/Healer who can heal others but can't heal his own wound. Chiron is also considered a transitional Asteroid that's perpetually caught between the conservative energy of Saturn and the rebellious energy of Uranus as its orbit passes between these two planets. On the other side of the Saturn-Uranus, the Warrior Asteroid Varuna is sextiling and trining.

Geronimo's father passed away when he was young. Maybe this occured around the age of five when his Sun would progressed into Cancer. At this point, his ego would have begun to focus on home, family, defensiveness and protectiveness. As he grew up he learned Medicine and Fighting and became equally adept at both; often fighting the Mexican troops who were fighting for his tribe's land. He married and had children and, in 1858, his entire family was killed by Mexican soldiers. He became relentless about getting revenge. This was his first Saturn Return among other transits. Transiting Pluto (revenge) was conjunct natal Chiron and squaring Saturn and Uranus. This shows sudden, profound loss, a wounding. In his natal chart, Pluto squares both his Venus and Mars in Cancer. This is somebody you wouldn't want to mess with. He said that he never felt like he had a home again. Neptune and the Nodes were all squaring his Natal Sun and possibly his Natal Moon. This dissolves all bounderies one has set up in one's life. Varuna, the Warrior Asteroid was opposing his Sun, maybe conjunct his Moon.

Geronimo spent the entire next Saturn cycle defending his people while fighting off both White and Mexican Soldiers. On September 4, 1886 he surrendered himself and his remaining people. Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct his North Node in Libra and opposite his natal Pluto-SN. T.Chiron was conjunct his Natal Sun. T.Saturn was opposite his natal Neptune and approaching his 2d Saturn Return by less than 10 degrees. T.Varuna was at 29 Virgo opposing n. Saturn. The Moon would have passed over his natal Varuna which was trines and sextiles his Saturn-Uranus opposition. He was tired and couldn't fight anymore. Maybe he thought he didn't have to. The same combination of planets, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto were in hard aspect during the Summer of Love (in Virgo). He gave up the Warrior Ways of his Aries North Node and transformed (PLuto) into the ways of his Libra North Node. And, with Pluto there, this hadn't been an easy transformation but a big one and unfortunately a sad one. When he surrendered, Neptune and Pluto were approaching a conjunction in Gemini. This is what Noel Tyl calls the "Ego Wipeout."

He was a Prisoner for the rest of his life, taken first to Florida and then held at Fort Sill in Oklahoma where he died. But he was celebrated and became famous. He rode in Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 Inaugural Parade and enjoyed other priviledges but was never allowed to return his people to Arizona, let alone to enjoy freedom. He seemed to embrace the Christian Religion which he claims gave answers to life problems that he felt his own culture couldn't provide.

Fortunately or not, we're talking about Geronimo, Great Warrior, Gemini. The Guy was adaptable and had a speedie recovery rate. By the time Jupiter and Pluto were approaching his natal Sun by transit in 1906 he had written and sold his Life Story (available on the Internet through his Wikipedia entry). He adapted to the Modern World (Jupiter-Pluto). In his biography he writes, however, about his hopes that he will return to his land. These hopes were never fulfilled.

Geronimo died on February 17, 1909. The transits of the outer planets are pretty amazing for the way they line up with his natal chart. T.Pluto-North Node conjunct Sun (Pluto to the degree, NN off by 2 degrees). T.Neptune opposed n.Neptune. T.Uranus was conjunct natal Neptune to the degree. T.Saturn was conjunct n.Pluto within 1 degree. T.Jupiter was conjunct progressed Sun in Virgo. He had a Lilith Return. Varuna was at 0 Pisces as if his Warrior Soul had dissolved from his Material Self.

A Normal Person's life would end here. Geronimo's kept going.

In 1918 his Skull, some bones, and a horse-bit and stirrups were stolen from Fort Sill where his remains were buried. They were stolen by President Bush's Grandfather, Prescott Bush, and a few other men who were stationed in Oklahoma during WWI. They were smuggled to Yale University where they were exhibited in a glass case and were used during the meetings. There's even a story of how Initiates to the Society were expected to kiss his Skull.

Once again, Geronimo's Saturn was approaching another Return. Saturn rules the Bones!! North Node opposite both n.Sun and t.Jupiter. T.Pluto just past conjunction to natal Venus in Cancer (change of home, so to speak). T.Neptune in Leo just past Natal Saturn. T.Chiron conjunct n.Pluto. One wonders if his spirit is not the reason behind the great powers of the (undeserving) men who have joined the Skull and Bones. The two Bush Presidents, for example. A reminder again that Geronimo's Saturn was in Leo, the sign of the King.

But Wait! (another Saturn keyword) The story doesn't end here. Geronimo's Soul has endured 3 more Saturn Returns of 28-30 years.

In 2006, supposedly his Skull and missing bones were returned to their grave. His Great-Grandson wrote to Bush and asked for a proper burial. Once again, Saturn Return. Pluto is opposite his Sun right now, conjunct the Galactic Center. His Prog.Sun is conjunct both n.Moon (maybe) and t.Pluto! Prog. Moon maybe even conjunct his natal Sun. T.North Node c. South Node which means that he's not resting in peace. T. Uranus in a Grand Trine with Mars-Mercury trine Varuna.

I'm not sure if he was returned to Fort Sill in Oklahoma or to Arizona where he would have wanted to go, or if he was even returned. If he's not Resting in Peace, this is one man that I'm sure we'll be hearing from again. Next Saturn Return: 2034!