Birth and Death

No, this blog won't be some expose on the movies of Woody Allen. I just had a thought about yesterday's blog. The book that I'm looking at these days on the Body Clock. One of the bits of info I picked up on in yesterday's blog entry was that the most common time of day to die is around 6 am. That's vaguely around the time that the Sun Rises over the Ascendant.

While I was reading that Statistic I assumed, probably the way that most Doctors do, that the shock of waking up puts the extra added stress on the body and shocks the system, overloads the circuits, and turns the whole contraption off. Good Bye.

Then I remembered hearing from Astrologers that the Ascendant often describes the conditions of one's physical birth. Connection with physical death is just really interesting. And, while time marches on with the Sun rising over the Ascendant, the planets in the birth chart will progress in the opposite direction, counterclockwise. Is life a constant psychological progression of swimming up a stream against the natural flow of the current? Sure does feel like it.

The Ascendant represents the beginning of the Astrological Cycle just as it represents Spring, the beginnings of the Seasonal Cycle. It also represents the ending of the chart. Talk about a tough transition to make.

Cole Porter wrote about all this in his song: "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye."

Everytime we say goodbye, I die a little,
Everytime we say goodbye, I
wonder why a little,
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know.
Think
so little of me, they allow you to go.
When youre near, theres such an air of
spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere, begin to sing about
it,
Theres no love song finer, but how strange the change from major
to
Minor,
Everytime we say goodbye.

Birthing is also represented by Cancer and the IC which represents the egg.
Scorpio and the 8th House. Very interesting that those houses are associated with Death also. The 1st House just represents the physical body part of Death.

(Interesting to look at Cole Porter's chart with regards to his Ascendant. He was a Double Gemini with a Cancer Moon. His Sun was conjunct the Ascendant from the 1st House while a conjunction of Neptune-Pluto was conjunct the Ascendant from the 12th House. So the midpoint between Sun and Neptune-Pluto would have been very close to his Ascendant. Also, in 1944 when he wrote "Evry time we say good-bye" Uranus was transiting over Neptune-Pluto. )

Cole Porter: b. June 9, 1891 4:00 am Peru, Indiana (astrotheme)

Fred Astair

Finding out that the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus don't really exist pretty much pulled the rug out from under my childhood fantasy world. But, the moment that my mother told me that Fred Astair didn't have little machines in his feet that made all those clicking sounds when he danced; that was my first Grown Up moment. I could not imagine how someone could dance, leap, and keep those rhythms coming out of his feet at the same time. It was my first true Reality Check in Life but also the moment that I realized that Reality is often much more beautiful than Fantasy.

Fred Astair
b. May 10, 1899 21 h 16 m Omaha, NE

Sun 21 Taurus ASC 13 Sagittarius Moon 7 Gemini MC 2 Libra

Before looking at Fred Astair's chart I tried to imagine what would represent Tap Dancing. Neptune generally rules Dancing especially for Dancing that is so much dominated by Feet. Also, with Leo/5th House for performance. I figured that Saturn would also have to play a major part in the chart to give rhythm and timing. E Voila! Fred Astair's chart played right into my hands! He was born with Saturn in the H7 opposite Neptune in H7. Both planets are angular and in strong aspect to each other. (I'm just going to add as a note - because I don't know what it means - but Saturn and Neptune are either in conjunction or opposition in all the early numbered Harmonic Charts up to Harmonic 10.)

In addition to this he had a Kite Pattern laid over the ASC-DESC line. Uranus-Chiron conjunct Sagittarius Ascendant is opposite Pluto-Moon-Descendant and in a Grand Fire Trine with Mars in Leo and Venus in Aries. Whew! This explains all the focus on his dancing with his partners. Moon-Pluto and Neptune aspecting DESC or in 7th House really explains why his female audiences would obsessively imagine themselves as his dance partner.

Fred Astair's most famous actual dance partner was Ginger Rogers. Her Sun was conjunct his Vertex (fated encounters) and opposite Uranus and squaring Mars. Paulette Goddard's chart also had a strong connection to Astair's chart. I remember that he refused to tell anyone who his favorite dance partner had been.

As for any Leo influence in Fred Astair's chart, it's good to notice that his Sun is Unaspected and a Singleton Earth planet in his 5th House of Drama. In the opposite 11th House, Jupiter is also Unaspected and a Singleton in Water. So, both his Chart Ruler and Ruler of his Sun Sign really shine.

The Ability to Transform Others (in a Good Way)

Pluto rules Scorpio. It's Magnetic; Attracts; Powerful in an understated way. If it is strong in a person's chart it is thought to give them the ability to transform or bring about great changes in whatever areas are indicated. A recent article in the newspaper, "Trying to Explain 'a Brush with the Divine'" by Louis Sahagun, LA Times (published San Jose Mercury News on Dec. 16, 2006), listed Spiritual Leaders who have the ability to transform others in Healing Way. I thought I'd look at their Ascendant/Descendants to see if anything is indicated that will show exceptional abilities. I'm just going to assume that Pluto will be strong. All 4 charts are listed in the Newsmakers list at astrodatabank.com along with in-depth discussions of their charts.

The Pluto influence is very strong in the relationship patterns in all four of these great people. But, I don't know. Nobody ever gives em credit but it looks as if the Taurus Moon people are leading in this field. Something's to be said for the Venusians.

The Dalai Llama
b. July 6, 1935 4:38 am Tengster Village, Tibet (China)

Sun and Ascendant both in Cancer. Sun in H1 along with Pluto conjunct South Node. (Geronimo had Pluto conjunct South Node as well). Right here we have a strong magnetic quality, ability to transform. He has 4th house Mars squaring the Nodes and Pluto which heightens his powers but also lends a highly, disruptive influence. Although probably the greatest Religious Leader alive, he has been driven out of his homeland. (similar to Geronimo!). House 1 is a small house so Cancer rules the 2d house too emphasizing the Moon's rulership of his chart.

Descendant and H8 have Capricorn on cusps so Saturn rules both houses. North Node is only occupant of this house so his "Fate" during this lifetime is to give of himself to partners, to diplomacy.

The rulers of the Dalai Llamas' 1st and 7th houses are the Moon and Saturn. These are approaching conjunction to his MC and IC. Saturn is the natural leader of the 10th House so people will easily accept him as a Leader or Father Figure. What could be harsh, overly ambitious qualities of this aspects are strongly softened by the opposition from the Moon-Neptune conjunction in the 3th. He's a Communicator, his subject is Compassion and Kindness (Neptune). This opposition apex of a Kite to his Grand Trine pattern. His MC is Pisces, ruled by Neptune. The opposition is squared by Chiron (Healer, Teacher with unfixable Wound) in the 12t house (Neptune's House). This strong t-square on his MC-IC must somehow indicate his reincarnation as Buddhist Master.

What is exceptional here, maybe the thing that really sends the Dalai Llama's chart over the top with his incredible powers is his Mystic Rectangle involving Moon, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter. It is set into his chart to sextile the midpoint of the ASC and the Sun in a house shape. This means that his DESC is the empty leg. I wonder if this draws other people who come into contact with him. In my interpretation of Patricia Dunn's (ousted Hewlett Packard executive) chart I noticed that she had this shape exactly opposing Carly Fiorina's Sun (the CEO who she helped oust). Perhaps there is a super magnetic quality for people who fit into the empty leg of these types of charts.

Mata Amritanandamayi (Ammachi)
b. Sept. 27, 1953 9:10 am Quilon, India

Ammachi is known as "The Hugging Saint." She can heal people by hugging them.

Sun in Libra, Scorpio Ascendant, Taurus Moon (H7).

Pluto is strong because it rules Ammachi's chart. It is placed in the 10th house and squares both her Moon and her Ascendant. Her Moon also squares the ruler of its sign which is Venus. Venus is in Virgo conjunct Mars, also in H10. Perhaps this stellium of Pluto, Venus, Mars in H10 is highly magnetic.

Her chart is bowl shaped bounded by Saturn and Moon, all in upper half of chart so she's mostly an extrovert, she will show parenting due to the Saturn and Moon influence.

Grand Trine involving Libra Sun trine Moon in Taurus trine North Node in Aquarius in H3. Sun and Moon in signs ruled by Venus and working in harmony to help her to find her Fate through H3/Aquarius matters: Communications, Siblings, Neighbors.

Mother Teresa
b. August 26, 1910 2:25 pm Skopje, Yugoslavia

Sun in Virgo in 8th House (Scorpio's House) opposite Chiron.
Sagittarius rising. Chart Ruler Jupiter in Libra conjunct Libra MC and apex of a t-square to 1st & 7th House planets, Uranus opposite Neptune. It also opposes Ceres in a Grand Square configuration. Ceres represents nurturing qualities in a person.
Mercury rules Descendant. Pluto conjunct Desc. Neptune in also in the 7th House.
Mercury is in H9 in Virgo apex of a t-square to the ASC and DESC/9th house.

So, the Pluto influence is there and the repeated influences on the ASC/DESC pole. Virgo is strong here showing a desire to serve.

North Node conjunct Moon in Taurus. (Ammachi also has Taurus Moon).

Pope John Paul II
b. May 18, 1920 5:30 pm Wadowice, Poland

Sun in Taurus conjunct Moon in Gemini in H8 so there's the Scorpio Influence. Also, the North Node is in Scorpio in H1.

Venus rules the Sun Sign and also the entire Chart. It is in Taurus in the sign of its rulership and in the 7th house which it rules. So, Venus is very strong in this chart. It is conjunct Mercury and the South Node. It's interesting to contrast the Pope's 1st House NN with Mother Teresa's NN in H7. The difference between being the Pope and being a Nun. The Mercury-Venus-SN are squaring a conjunction of Neptune-Jupiter-MC in Leo.

Mars rules the DESC and is conjunct the Ascendant. Only aspect to a planet is a quintile to Uranus in Pisces.

Leo MC, like Ammachi. The MC is how people perceive you. I'd definintely rather hug a big cat than just about anything else. John Paul's loveability quotient was simply very high with Jupiter and Neptune in conjunction with his MC.s