Carlo Petrini - Slow Food

After yesterday's Hot Dog Freak Show I thought I'd take a look at a chart that I've been wanting to get around to for a couple of months. This is the chart of Carlos Petrini, the founder of the "Slow Food" movement. As he has Sun in Cancer, the sign of Eating and Food, I've been wanting to take a look at his chart while the Sun is in that sign.

Carlo Petrini
b. June 22, 1949 Bra, Italy
Sun 1 Cancer; Moon probably in Taurus; Aries NN

The Slow Food Movement was founded to bring about awareness of Good Food and Nutrition. Petrini began his campaign back in 1980 and started Arcigola in 1986 in order to educate and encourage people to take on a better quality of life. Arcigola was the predecessor of the Slow Food movement. It promotes most things Cancerian: celebrating local foods and traditions, small scale processing such as preservation of family farms and has expanded out into education on the risks of Fast Foods, Genetic Engineering and Pesticides as well as the benefits of Gardening and developing Taste.

Yesterday's Fast Food Hot Dog Champs had only one planet in Cancer between them. That's Kobayshi's Mars in Cancer. I thought there had better be some planets in Cancer in Petrini's chart and there are. Sun and Venus are in Cancer, excellent. I had to think of what would symbolize "Slowness" and thought either Taurus or Capricorn (more of a cautious kind of slowness, fear based, anorexic). Petrini likely has Moon in Taurus, the Moon, planet of nurturing is in Taurus, the sign of leisure and sensual enjoyment. In addition to this, his Venus and Moon are in mutual reception. So he does like a good meal. But what makes him all "Activistee?"

The truly interesting part of Petrini's chart is his Yod. Its Apex is Jupiter at 1 Aquarius. Jupiter is also the Handle of his Bucket Shaped Chart so it is very prominent. I'll interpret this alone as taking Joy in Community efforts (also Education and Political Lobbying). The legs of the Yod expand out to both of the signs that symbolize Food, Nutrition and Agriculture. On one leg there is Sun conjunct Uranus right smack dab on the Aries Point in Cancer, offering ease of bringing these qualities before the public. On the other leg there is a Saturn-Ceres conjunction at 2 Virgo! That's an Old MacDonald's Farm aspect if I've ever seen one. As I believe Karen Hamaker Zondag (sp?) describes it, Yods will bring to the surface family "secrets" so that the individual will manifest them in his life. Usually this seems like deep dark sick psycho stuff. And maybe that is also the case in Petrini's life. But it seems to manifest as this great uprising in our culture to enjoy the flavors of where we live and our own culture. Of course, it would probably also take an Italian to personally do this as they have a lot to begin with in the first place. I grew up in Southern California and my sentimental smells from Childhood tend towards TV Dinners and Hostess Cupcakes (Cheese Whiz was not allowed in our house as my Mother was more "aware" than most).

The transits that Petrini was going through in 1980 when he first became aware of this need in society sets off the Yod like wildfire. He was just past his Saturn Return in Virgo, needing to move to a more mature level in his life. His progressed Mars hit natal Sun-Uranus at 1 Cancer. (His progressed Moon may also have been here but can't say as I don't have his birth time.) This gave him an extra volt in regards to his place in society, remember it would have lit up his Sun, Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn, that can motivate one's ambitions and entrepreneurial skills. In addition, his progressed Sun changed signs into Leo. P.Sun changing signs is always a big transition for one's expression but this point is directly opposite his Jupiter and at the midpoint between the 2 legs of the Yod, a key trigger spot for the Yod.

In 1986 when he founded his organization, Petrini was going through his Nodal Return in Aries. Heightened awareness of one's life path as a trail blazer of some sort. Also, the t-square in his chart was activated. Natally he has Chiron in Sagittarius opposite Mercury-Mars in Gemini and squaring Saturn in Virgo. The lengthy transit of Saturn opposite Chiron was laid on top of his opposition so he was going through a Saturn square and Chiron opposition to his natal chart. (T. Saturn c. n. Chiron. T. Chiron c. n. Mars-Mercury plus some other stuff). His activist and organizational skills came to the fore under these transits.

With Jupiter at 1 Aquarius, the outer planet transits have been activating the Bucket and Yod Apex of his chart over the years, bringing more and more attention and followers to his way of thinking.