Doubting Thomases

Fascination with Astrological Skeptics these days. "Amazing" Randi isn't much of a looker, but another guy, Richard Dawkins, is totally hot, so let's give it a go.

Richard Dawkins is one of those exquisitely legitimate intellectuals who writes books about things the way they ought to be. He's a Zoologist (and Humanist, same difference in my book) and somehow he's transferred that skill to taking out Astrologers. Well, hehe, kind of makes sense... As usual, I've never read anything he's written except for sections of a little essay on astrology on the Internet which is unimpressive. In the parts where he writes anything of substance I pretty much agree with him. Mostly the skeptics' big message is to tell people not to rely on astrological readings and I'm copasetic with that. But the fuming and the verbosity and the flamboyant flailing of the heaving exhalations is really silly. He went on and on and on. I sort of wonder if he wasn't drunk when he wrote it. So much for my opinions....

Richard Dawkins
b. Mar. 26, 1941 Nairobi, Kenya

Sun 6 Aries; Moon Pisces; NN 2 Libra

First thing I noticed looking in this chart was the Neptunian influence which is really baffling. Guess it wouldn't be Neptunian if it weren't baffling. Why would a psychic person shy away from probing into the type of existence that he's best at? Dawkins has a Pisces Moon (Amazing Randi might also as well). I don't have his birth time but the Moon is firmly in the middle of Pisces so it's going to be in there. So, emotionally, he's sort of foggy and sensitive to all kinds of sensations that are not completely of this world. To add to this, his Mercury is also in Pisces and possibly unaspected which amps up the volume on its influence (maybe conjunct Moon?). So his thinking a bit nebulous as well. He probably just "knows" all kinds of things. It's odd that he doesn't question how he just "knows" this stuff while other people jump through all kinds of hoops to know it. Pisces rules institutions and monasteries so perhaps his involvement in Academia is how this plays out.

The Neptune influence doesn't end here. First thing I noticed looking at the chart is that his Aries Sun is conjunct Venus in Pisces right over the Aries Point cusp and it's opposite Neptune. This whole opposition is layered over his Nodal axis. Sun conjunct Aries North Node might explain a few things, he just likes to argue and go off and do his own business. But at this point, between Pisces, end of the zodiac and Aries beginning is super creative. A little ouroboros action, my end is my beginning, you know the spiel. This opposition is included in a Mystic Rectangle to a Mars-Pluto opposition in Capricorn-Cancer (respectively). Wilfullness and Mysticism in the chart of an Atheist & Skeptic! Just wild, I'm totally in love. Just one of those types of guys you can totally wreck your life on.

On the other hand, Dawkins has a massive conjunction in Taurus of outer planets: Jupiter-Saturn and Uranus. Taurus deals with realism and values almost in their rawest forms. Socially one can understand the fundamentalistic thinking of the time he was born, 1941, WWII. And Dawkins has no planets in Air so he may seek out super logical forms of thinking and books. With that opposition on the Aries Points he was almost assured of worldly success from the start.

Dawkins says that he began to doubt the existence of God when he was around 9 years old. This probably had more to do with the fact that his family moved from Africa to England the year before and he was having trouble adjusting. But the aspects are pretty intense. First off he was going through his first Nodal Opposition at this time. Komilla Sutton says that this can be a time of confusion for a person, feelings of one's life turned inside out. In addition, T. Saturn was conjunct n. Neptune which can indicate a feeling that the problems of the world can't be fixed. T. Pluto was squaring his Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus conjunction which indicates big changes in outlook. And t. Jupiter was conjunct his n. Mercury so that he was going through an intellectual phase.

What I had to dig for was the dirt. With that Venus-Neptune-Sun-Nodes thing I knew there must be some wild stories. Had to know about his love life. He's on his 3d marriage and is now wedded to an actress (Venus-Neptune-Sun). He can live his romantic fantasies through her.

Dawkins and Randi have some similarities in their charts. They both have Venus and Neptune aspects which I which is surprising as it is a sign of a romantic nature and I don't think of skeptics as great romantics. Also strong Saturn-Uranus aspects which I would expect to find as Saturn will doubt everything and Uranus will want to look at just the truth. Dawkins has the conjunction with Jupiter and Randi has a Grand Trine with Mercury in his chart. Both also have Jupiter in Taurus, don't know if that matters, just thought I'd mention it.

James Randi
b. Aug. 7, 1928 Toronto, ON

Sun 15 Leo; Moon Aries or Pisces; NN 7 Gemini