This blog is about Lawrence Lessig, one of
the Guardian's Top 100 Intellectuals of the World. Lessig is a world famous lawyer and professor known for his work in Copyright Law on the Internet. He has now announced his intention to unearth corruption in Politics. This is a Quality Guy. Lessig is also a Victim of Child Molestation. He was victimized at Age 14 (not sure about how long this continued as he went to a normal High School) while attending a Boy's Choir School in New Jersey. His story is extremely interesting because he actually confronted his abuser, sued the school, and then prosecuted the school later on behalf of other victims. He only opened up about his own story later on. I found an article that gives a lot of dates so I'd like to take a look at his chart:
The story is here in
New York Magazine in an Article called "The Choirboy" by John Heilemann, May 21, 2005: http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/12061/. This article also tells the story of the man who Lessig represented who has suffered long term because of the abuse. I can't find his birth date.
Although he was groped beforehand, Lessig says he was actually raped on his 14th Birthday. This was meant to be a "Birthday Present" from his molester, the Choir Director, and continued pretty much until he left the school in order to attend regular High School. This, of course, was a Solar Return for Lessig so potent for the entire year.
The 14th year is associated astrologically with the first Saturn opposition. Sometimes this transit comes earlier, in Lessie's case it was just approaching and was promising to be significant in some way as Lessie has a wide conjunction of Saturn to Jupiter. Saturn's influence is reflected in Lessie's own words about the molestation. He said he had a "14-year olds exaggerated sense of his own maturity. "I felt I could handle it," he says. "That everything was under control." So he stayed silent, managed (Saturn keyword), and was actually promoted in stature to head choir boy.
Also from the article: "Now, in his ninth-grade year, Lessig was named head boy, which made him “in charge of taking care of the kids,” he says. “There was no proctor when I was head boy;
I was discipline. And there were kids who were real shits—it was a
Lord of the Flies–like experience.” I've listed some of the more major aspects below for the Solar Return chart and you can the
Lord of the Flies influences big time.
Lessig's natal chart has Saturn in Capricorn conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius. Saturn here is in its own sign which emphasizes an extra feeling of maturity. Jupiter, of course, exaggerates everything it touches, and in Aquarius, well, anything goes, the more shocking the better. The two working together are thought to bring social prominence of some kind. (Barack Obama was born a couple of months after Lessig.) When transiting Jupiter and Saturn come together in the sky every 20 years, they are thought to bring about big changes in social, legal, political arenas and this is the emphasis on which Lessig has based his life, not his molestation which is a personal, intimate activity.
Lawrence Lessig
b. June 3, 1961 Rapid City, South Dakota
Sun 13 Gemini; Moon Aquarius; NN 1 VirgoSelected to attend the exclusive school at Age 10, Lessig has a natal Venus in Aries. As Venus rules the voice and Aries rules boys it seems that this is perfect for showing talent as a Soprano lead in a Boys' Choir. A leading voice, whether through music or through law.
Significant in a different way, Progressed Mercury (Thinking, Communication, Early Education) went Rx around 10 Cancer within a year after starting at the school, 1971-72. Mercury is prominent in Lessig's natal chart as it is Out-of-bounds at 7 Cancer and is involved in a Grand Trine with Neptune in Scorpio and Chiron in Pisces. He developed a natural ability to escape and go elsewhere when stressed out. That's also a really interesting combination considering his areas of Law are involved with Intellectual Theft and Political Corruption.
With his Gemini Sun and Aquarius Moon Lessig would have been able to view what was happening from a more mental standpoint. If the two are trining (not known due to lack of birth time) this perhaps explains Lessig's strength to overcome the abuse. Internally his Ego and Unconscious work in harmony, good basic internal structure to protect against negative outside influences. Their Air influence maybe channel the emotional feelings into talents and good fortune through his Grand Water Trine. Talking about what happened to him would not have been easy, however. Lessig still hadn't told his parents what had happened even while he was working as a Lawyer on the case. This really illustrates Noel Tyl's interpretation of Grand Trines well, where the figure sort of shows energies that the person hold within himself, maybe becomes problematic if he bottles them up.
Lessig's first Molestation occurred in the Fall of 8th Grade. He was groped while watching TV 3 years after beginning at the school. He had been told by other boys about the Choir Master's behaviors shortly after attending the school.
Lessig was first raped on his 14th Birthday, June 3, 1975, Princeton, NJ.
This is shown perfectly by the astrology.
- The Moon was conjunct Mars at 10 Aries opposite Pluto in Libra. Violence, Force.
- There was a transiting T-square of Uranus opposite Saturn squaring Venus with apex Venus 28 Cancer. This layers over his natal Venus-Saturn square and creates a Grand Square figure (n.Venus 29 Aries square n. Saturn 30 Capricorn). So there's some connection to ambition here. He perhaps did feel "chosen." The transiting Venus-Saturn Square echoes the natal one. This would have been such a confusing aspect for anyone to go through let alone an adoloscent boy being stalked by a predator who was encouraging success.
- In addition, t.Neptune was opposing Lessig's natal Sun from 11 Sagittarius. Confusion to Ego, Victimization, Not knowing, unfortunately in this case emphasizes one's artistic and musical talents and vulnerabilities.
- And also, there was a Nodal Square (one degree orb). Lessig's Natal Node is conjunct n. Pluto in Virgo and natal Uranus in Leo so Nodal transits would really be charged for him. Natal conjunction of Mars to Uranus has progressed at time of first rape so that Mars is conjunct Uranus within a degree. Aggression plus Shock and Excitement.
- Finally, Saturn approaching 1st opposition to natal Saturn. This next year Lessig was made Head Boy of the School and was in charge of the other boys. He also lived in the room next to the Choir Master and sort of became his Live-in lover. A lot of prestige as Saturn opposes natal Saturn-Jupiter conjunction.
I was interested in trying to understand the transits of when Lessig was "available" astrologically to speak out. Since he's a Lawyer, speaking out ought to come naturally to him. But in his chart it's involved in a Grand Water Trine with Neptune. He wouldn't speak if things were not safe, especially as Mercury is in security conscious Cancer.
Lessig left the school and graduated from a normal High School. At Age 17 he joined the Board for the School. He was first approached in Fall of 1981 when he was 20 by other victims and didn't want to speak out. There was a conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn in Libra which reflects his natal Jupiter-Saturn conjunction (widely trining natal position). This shows an ambitious time. Also, Jupiter & Saturn were conjunct Pluto. Certainly a time to remain silent. This was probably the last thing he would have been able to do at this point. At this point Jupiter, Saturn & Pluto were all in a stellium in Libra together. This reflects the natal Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in his natal chart. His life was full of success and he probably didn't want to allow, probably didn't even feel the hurt from the past. He did later sue the school and receive a settlement, but the records were kept sealed. He maybe had a subconscious desire to go into Law because of the crime committed but, perhaps back in those days it wasn't even considered that much of a crime.
He was next approached I believe in 2001 when he was 43. The transits here are interesting. This is again after the next Jupiter-Saturn conjunction that occurred in Taurus in 2000. Transiting Pluto was opposing his natal Sun and was about to going through the Saturn-Pluto opposition starting in that year, right on his natal Sun. He was past his transiting Pluto square which would have included his Nodal Axis and Uranus.
When the Law Suit began at the end of November in 2004, Lessig was well past his Pluto square and was experiencing his Neptune square and Uranus opposition. These hit hard spots on his natal chart. What an excellent time to speak out on behalf of Humanity and Victims. These are the generational planets. The whole rest of the world was willing to deal with the issues involved (finally). Transiting Neptune was conjunct natal Jupiter. Jupiter is connected to the Law and Lessig was working on the case in Defense of the other victims while still not telling the outside world, even his parents about what had happened to him. Very Neptunian, Water.
Also, the School had won the original argument based on a Law called the Charitable (Neptune) Immunity (Uranus) Act!! This claimed that the school claimed it wasn't responsible for the behavior of its employees towards the children in attendance!! The New Jersey Supreme Court decided to override the earlier decision on. Aug. 8, 2006. The Sun and Saturn were in conjunction and opposing a conjunction of Neptune-Moon in Aquarius. This all happened on top of Lessig's natal Mars in Leo. His progressed Venus was conjunct natal Sun in Gemini. I suppose Venus' relation to Law and Justice really rings true here. Also, t.Jupiter (Law) conjunct natal Neptune (this was a big Victory for Lessig, but also triggered that Grand Trine. He had literally been outed publicly in the Supreme Court in the middle of the trial).
The Governor had signed a Law into effect already in January of that same year stating that Charitable Institutions can be sued by victims of gross misconduct. New Jersey was the 48th State to sign this into effect. Pluto, of course, was nearing its last degrees of Sagittarius and had almost completed its "transformation" of Schools and Religious Institutions.
Mercury's progression is very interesting in this regard. As I said before it had gone into Retrograde the year after he had gone to the school and it moved backward through Cancer until it stationed direct sometime 1996-97. P.Mercury then was within 2 degrees conjunction of his natal Mercury when he finally opened up about his own situation. As he's said to be very shy I'm going to remove his name from this blog. The article will link to him but there's no reason for his name to come up. I don't think there are enough studies of Child Molestation in Astrology so I am going to go ahead and hit the publish button.
Labels: Crime, Gemini, Mercury Progression, Pluto in Sagittarius, Violence, Virgo NN
