James Byrd, Jr. and Jesse Jackson

Today's News has an article that looks back on a racial beating/murder that happened in Jasper, Texas 10 years ago. 3 White Guys picked up a Black Man in their Ford Truck, chained him down, beat him, maybe slit his throat, then dragged him by the ankle for 3 miles while his body parts tore off, one by one. The Victim's name was James Byrd, Jr. The murderers have been put in jail, two are on death row. Their names are John William King, Lawrence Russell Brewer, Shawn Allen Berry. I can find Mr. Byrd's birth date but I can't find the birth dates of the murderers. Why is that?

link to article here: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iqy3nIU4RvYvkISr1XK_KatcGJcgD914P4BO0

James Byrd, Jr.
b. May 2, 1949

Sun 12 Taurus; Moon Gemini or Cancer; NN 26 Aries

Date of Murder
June 7, 1998 early morning hours (I used 3 am) Jasper, TX

I was hoping this would be a simple post about how awful Chiron Returns are because James Byrd, Jr. was 49 years old at the time that he died. It certainly is a lesson about Chiron but not the Return. Natally Byrd's Chiron is in Sagittarius and Chiron was still in Scorpio at the time of his Murder.

Chiron's presence, however, is very strong in both event and natal charts. It is conjunct the Moon on the day of the murder, to the degree at 3 am. Byrd's natal Chiron was being hit by a Pluto conjunction (within a degree) which was squaring the Nodal Axis. Chiron is opposite Mercury in Gemini in Byrd's natal chart. Without a birth time I don't have a placement for the Moon and Angles in Byrd's chart, but, this is the only Opposition in Byrd's Chart. As oppositions encourage a person to learn balance, relationships and how to play opposite others, this may have been a problem for Byrd in his life otherwise. The influence of this opposition certainly begins to stand out in his life.

I just wrote a blog where I talked, or rather rambled incoherently, about a researcher who has found that language differences may be the root of racist tendencies. I equated this with Gemini influences in the chart. And I have no idea how the influence works. It seems to work in good, bad, and ugly ways in only the way that Gemini can. At any rate, Chiron is the Wound and the Teacher and Mercury is placed in Byrd's natal chart in its own sign of Gemini so it's interesting that lasting lessons through Racism are a gift that Mr. Byrd passed on. His Siblings (Gemini) set up a Foundation for Racial Healing (Chiron) and today's articles say that conditions in the town are improved (Although I read on that there has since been another similar incident).

By coincidence, the Murder occurred while the Sun was in Gemini conjunct Mercury and Mars. The conjunction had cycled past Byrd's natal Mercury but these 3 planets were parallel to each other at 22 degrees plus declination. Byrd's natal Mercury is parallel these planets as well. Guess that shows some kind of relationship.

The transits show an uneven triangle shape (Trine-Square-Inconjunct, can't remember the name and I'm too lazy to look it up, sorry). The Sun-Mercury-Mars conjunction was was inconjunct the Moon-Chiron in Scorpio conjunction and trining Uranus in Aquarius. This is a violent combination. The murderers had been out most of the night driving around and knocking down their neighbor's mailboxes for the Hell of it. The chain that was used to drag Mr. Byrd was originally intended to pull mailboxes out of the ground. Well, along with a few other choice words, pulling mailboxes out of the ground certainly could be one of the less noble Mars-Mercury in Gemini manifestations. So is I guess picking up a man who is walking home from a baby shower, I guess.

Byrd's chart was really getting pounded by the outer planets as well. Everyone his age was going through these but these planets were hitting his personal planets so affecting him personally. For one, T.Neptune was conjunct natal Jupiter in Aquarius. This squares his natal Mars and certainly could show bad judgment. Byrd had problems with drugs . Another aspect, Uranus was opposing natal Pluto in Leo. This opposition squares his natal Sun-Venus conjunction. That's a major violent aspect.

One part of the newspaper story really struck me and that was how his family reacted. His siblings, either brother or sister or both, has since set up the James Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing. This, of course, would be the Chiron/Mercury influence. Those Pluto aspects, especially the conjunction of t.Pluto to n.Chiron shows Fame through the Death, and use of the Death to further healing in the environment and through the siblings (opposition to Mercury in Gemini).

What I didn't get while I read this was, why did they turn around and do this? With all that fear and rage that they must have been feeling, how did they not only show forgiveness but manage to organize such a thing? The answer, at least in part, was:

Jesse Jackson
b. Oct. 8, 1941 2:15 pm Greenville, SC

Sun 16 Libra; ASC 26 Capricorn; Moon 24 Taurus; MC 16 Scorpio; NN 27 Virgo

Wow.

(Just give me a moment).

So, this guy. I've always been kind of critical of Jackson. He's been so grumpy and firey lately and he sort of shows disrespect to others. But, no wonder. Jackson immediately went down to the community and gave the sermon at Byrd's funeral. He's been acting as a buffer for when all these psychotic, senseless crimes happen. He's been personally witnessing and trying to change these incredibly hurt people to keep them from getting revenge.

Most of Jackson's planets are on the right side of his chart showing that he's mostly influenced by others. He is also a Libra Sun so this is his natural expressive tendency.

The rest of the indicators that I'm looking at show how he can and will confront really difficult situations. This is a person who wants to confront the problems in the world.

His chart ruler is Saturn which is placed in the 4th house of family and environment. This shows that he comes from a background of poverty. His Saturn is conjunct his Moon and Uranus which brings in community and caring, a struggle to build a bridge between the past and the future. The Moon and Saturn in practical and kind Taurus will find a need and fill it. He's literally been building and rebuilding the community. And Taurus is a stubborn sign.

This Moon-Saturn-Uranus conjunction finds a lot of expression in the chart through strong aspect patterns with other planets. It is part of a Grand Trine to Jackson's Capricorn ASC and his Neptune in Virgo. Uranus is also part of a Mystic Rectangle opposing Venus in Scorpio and sextile/trine Pluto in Leo and Capricorn ASC. The conjunction also trines his North Node.

And there are indicators of struggles in personal relationships with Pluto in the 7th House. Pluto can force one to see into conspiracies, that's for sure. But with the Capricorn Rising there is wisdom to want to seek alternatives to Plutonian problems like revenge and deep rage.

Jackson's chart is my second find of a Sun-Mars Rx opposition. He was born under what I've been calling a Mars Synodic Year. (I now think that isn't a real term, or the proper term, but if I've made mistakes with that I'm leaving them because they seem to give some valuable information, at least for now). The other chart with this aspect was Mark Zuckerberg's, the kid who built Facebook while barely out of the crib. I thought that perhaps it showed a tendency for early success as Mars is related to Youth. Jackson has been driven from early on as well. There's is a strong identity with youth and forcefulness and how to handle forcefulness. It would be a perfect aspect for a Civil Rights Activist.

Jackson's Mars Rx is interesting to watch with regards to the Progressions. Natally, Mars is in Aries, the sign that it rules. With Mars opposing the Libra Sun, one can see a very primal need to lead others into better relationship with each other. Maybe also a problem with being a push-me-pull- you. Jackson's progressed Mars went direct in April, 1974. He took on more and more leadership roles in the Civil Rights Movement and then in Government roles. He ran for the Presidency twice and working as a "Shadow Senator" in Washington DC. (Don't know what that means).

This year, Jackson's Mars has returned to his Birth degree. This is extremely interesting as the United States may elect its first African American President. The thing which Jackson has worked so hard for has a very good chance of manifesting.