Who Invented the Telephone?

Valentine's Day is sort of the Telephone's Birthday. Although "eclipsed" by other news in the media this year I do remember hearing about a new book written about the unbelievable competition between Alexander Graham Bell and another guy, Elisha Gray, who both applied for the Telephone Patent on Feb. 14, 1876.

Way I understand the story (from Wikipedia), Gray brought in his Patent application right after the Patent office opened. Apparently he dropped it in the box where it languished until the afternoon. Meanwhile, Bell's attorneys rushed in with his application and insisted that the clerk sign for it right before noon. So, Bell was awarded the patent. He was out of town and said he didn't know what was going on, only a Pisces can get away with a story like that.

The telephone is ruled by Gemini/Mercury/3d House. Both men had conjunction of Mercury to Venus in their charts. Gray's is in Cancer and Bell's is in Pisces. The telephone was to carry the human voice (Venus) over the wires (Mercury).

Alexander Graham Bell
b. Mar. 3, 1847 7:00am Edinburgh, Scotland (astrotheme)

Sun 13 Pisces; ASC 17 Pisces; Moon 25 Virgo; NN 20 Libra; MC 26 Sagittarius

Elisha Gray
b. Aug. 2, 1835 Barnesville, Ohio

Sun 10 Leo; Moon Scorpio?; NN 7 Gemini

The competition between the two men is blazing all over the place when comparing their two charts. For one, Bell's Moon is in his 7th House of partners and open enemies. Gray's Mars is in Virgo conjunct Bell's Moon. This could bring a lot of emotional animosity between the two gents.

Both inventors had Chiron conjunct their North Nodes. This explains that, on a personal level, they both had genius coupled with some sort of flaw or wound that was linked to their destiny pattern.

Their nodal axes are also strongly influencing each other's charts.

Elisha Gray had a Saturn-Pluto opposition between Libra-Aries which was placed on top of Bell's Nodal Axis. Saturn and Pluto working together in challenging aspects can bring Loss, bad timing and plain old bad luck. These two working together can attract a lot of competition to an individual.

On the other end, Bell's Saturn was squaring Gray's Nodal Axis. This might explain how he gained the Authority with the Government in this matter. The Patent was placed right as he was moving into his Saturn Return.

Also, on this date, Bell's transits were really good. Transiting Venus was exactly conjunct the t. North Node on top of his natal Venus so he was having a Venus Return. This would have been very fortunate for him as his natal Venus is placed in his 1st House (remember conjunct Mercury, ruler of telephone) and at the 1 Aries Point meaning that he would come forth before the public in some way. And, on this date Venus-NN was trining Jupiter which had just moved into Sagittarius, sign of Lawyers. The action of Bell's Lawyers were basically the reason why he was given credit for the invention of the telephone. Sagittarius is a very competitive sign (rules athletes, etc.).

I checked the times for the Feb. 14, 1876 chart at the Washington DC Patent office. Not sure what kind of hours they kept. If the office opened at 8:00am, 19 Pisces was Rising. This would have matched Bell's Rising Sign.

If the office opened at 9:00am 16 Aries was Rising.

By 11:45 am, guesstimate for the "just before noon" time that Bell's attorney's may have signed for the Patent, 12 Gemini was Rising. This, of course, is the most appropriate sign for applying for a telephone patent. And, of course a conjunction of Sun-Mercury-Saturn in Aquarius was perfect for the invention (Aquarius) of the telephone, especially from a Government (Saturn) office.

Alas, this stellium would have opposed Gray's Sun and squared his Moon. The timing was simply not very good for him. I get so upset when I read these stories.