Pete Wilson, In Memoriam

Pete Wilson, a well-known radio broadcaster in the Bay Area died after suffering a major heart attack during a hip replacement surgery at Stanford Medical Center on July 20 at 9:20pm, Palo Alto. Newspapers reported just after his death that his arteries had blockages of 70% and 100% which I suppose makes the Doctors look bad. Apparently they don't check 62 year old men for these things if they don't show symptoms.

The San Jose Mercury News published a weird little article today saying that Wilson was having such extreme anxiety attacks before the surgery that he had to be admitted to the emergency ward the night before. This is unbelievably dumb spin coming straight out of Stanford, but you never know. Of course, it made me curious out of my mind to look at his chart. I wanted to see the extremely good intuitive abilities that are going to be in his chart. But I also thought that maybe I could check to determine the cause: anxiety or blocked arteries (100%?) . Couldn't find his exact birth date, though. Just says that he was born on a small farm in Wisconsin in April, 1945.

This alone gives a lot of information already about his hips when compared with the current transits. Wilson's Saturn in Cancer would have been squaring his Neptune in Libra which could show chronic conditions with the bones (also emotional and psychic abilities). It would have been great if he could have postponed the surgery until after the current Saturn-Neptune opposition which echoed his natal aspect. (Well, and the 100% blocked arteries don't echo anything, hint hint).

Hips are ruled by Sagittarius and so by Jupiter. Wilson's Jupiter was Retrograde from 20-17 Virgo. This means that transiting Jupiter (11 Sagittarius) was maybe squaring his natal Jupiter. For some people "Jupiter" means liver, but I suppose in Wilson's case this might also be responsible for tension in his hip region, especially since Jupiter is currently squaring the Moon's Nodes. It's interesting that this was his 2d hip replacement, the first was done 12 years ago. That's a Jupiter Return! The square transit from Jupiter in its own sign really seems to have had an inflammatory effect on him.

My beloved San Jose Mercury News gave the time of the surgery, just like they do when they are being Good -- and they are sooooo Good. Hopefully I've got this straight. The surgery started at 11:00 am on July 19, 2007 and by 11:30am Wilson was having a Major Heart Attack. He was put on life support and died the next evening.

This surgery chart doesn't look good. The Moon (glands, instability in fluids) is in Virgo (nervousness, worry) conjunct the Ascendant and squaring Pluto (death, crisis) and the IC (end of life). Moon (emotions) had just opposed Uranus (nerves). At 11:30am, Moon had risen above the Ascendant into the 12th house and, still squaring Pluto-IC, was also squaring Mercury at the MC. Mercury was ruler of the surgery chart and in mutual reception with the Moon.

Neptune on the Descendant would show that the Doctors were maybe too empathetic with Wilson's fears, maybe took on some of it themselves, or the anaesthesiologist gave him too much of the good stuff in order to keep him happy.

I remember reading (I think from Bruce Scofield but I'm not sure, sorry, I think I linked to it in a very early blog about a set of pediatric heart transplant surgeries last summer) that it's important that planets aspect each other in a surgical chart so that the planets all flow and no single planet bottles up it's energies. I personally like this advice.. In this case, 2 planets plus Chiron are unaspected by ptolomaic aspect. Mercury, ruler of the chart, Jupiter, ruler of hips, and Chiron, woundings.

And then, of course, the sluggish Saturn-Neptune opposition didn't help. Saturn is in Leo (ruler of the heart) opposite Neptune in Aquarius (ruler of the electrical system). Over the past year, Wilson's arteries probably really took a beating due to his age (Saturn). The condition was difficult to detect (Neptune). And during the surgery, Mars (surgery) was squaring this opposition from the 8th house.

I send my Condolences to Pete Wilson's family and friends.

Dear Stanford, you're now working on the Pluto in Leo generation. Leo rules the Heart. Just make it routine to check their hearts from now on please. But when the Pluto in Virgo generation ends up on your tables, check the digestive tract, and give us lots of tranqui's because we really can worry ourselves to death.