The Mars Effect

The Mars Effect is Astrology's most reliable argument for validity. It was first discussed by Michel Gauquelin in a book that he published in 1955 called The Influence of the Stars. Gauquelin was a French Statistician/Scientist who also studied Astrology. He found that the placement of Mars in the charts of professional Athletes often showed up just above the Horizon or at the top of the Chart near the Midheaven. Gauquelin found similar evidence that the Moon was similarly related in the charts of writers but this work hasn't been replicated.

I thought I'd take a look at Gauquelin's own personal Mars placement to see if there were any signatures for why he might be so in tune with Mars. He was a professional athlete himself.

Michel Gauquelin
b. Nov. 13, 1928 10:15 pm Paris, France

Sun 22 Scorpio; ASC 16 Leo; Moon 8 Sagittarius; MC 2 Taurus; NN 1 Gemini Rx

First of all, I have to point out the nice Minor (Earth and Fire) Grand Trine here.

Neptune (Astrologer) in Virgo (Statistics) (H1)
trine Jupiter in H10 (Scholar) in Taurus-Taurus (Numbers) MC
trine Venus in Sagittarius (Scholar/worked with Wife Francoise) (Ruler of MC).

Now for Mars. First I'd like to point out that the Midheaven is what you're known for. Gauquelin's MC is at the beginning of Taurus. If you move it over just a skosh it'll end up in Aries, ruled by Mars. I know that this is the chart of a World Renowned Astrologer and one never monkeys around with such a thing, but still, wouldn't it be great if we could just say that the Mars Effect Guy had an Aries Midheaven? Ah, come on....

At any rate, Gauquelin was born with a really wild Mars. It's placed, no wonder, in the 11th House conjunct a 12th house Pluto, pretty much where he found the Mars in the Athletes' charts that he studied. Mars is at 10 Cancer Retrograde and it's out-of-bounds which further magnifies its power here. Mars in Cancer alone is an emotionally volatile aspect, shared by many brilliant artists who seem to have a great intuitive talent. (Somebody pointed out once that Mozart and Brahms both shared Mars in Cancer and Moon in Sagittarius, for example). This placement would certainly give great Will Power as well as Psychic Attunement.

Gauquelin spent his whole life with Mars Retrograde by Progression because it was stationing when he was born. So, Mars In Cancer and conjunct Pluto. That's combustible enough but combined with the Retrograde and Out-of-Bounds. No wonder he worked out his problems through physical exercise, there's an emotional (Cancer) need for an outlet for this Physical (Mars) Power (Pluto). It also supplies the drive to be the Man who found the one link between science and astrology through athleticism.

Unfortunately the emotional side of these aspects had the final say. Gauquelin committed Suicide in May, 1991. Pluto and the Sun were running sort of a Tri-fecta in his chart:

T.Pluto was in Scorpio conjunct his Sun. And this was trining t. South Node and natal Pluto. The Transiting Sun was conjunct his North Node. As the Sun rules his Chart and Pluto rules his Sun this is a triple whammy on the signs that were most important to him. (Neptune at that point was conjunct the North Node along with Uranus which really drives it all Home).
There are some Moon aspects as well: Prog. Moon in Pisces squaring n. Saturn. T. Moon c. Ascendant.

And, of course, as one should expect, t.Mars was rising over his Ascendant in his 12th House; Gauquelin was just past his Mars Return. Mars came out of progression in Gauquelin's chart in 2002-3. This seems to correspond with the rise of interest in Statistics along with computer and internet usage in Astrology.