Another interesting post from the blog called
The Frontal Cortex:http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2008/08/nature_nurture_and_switched_ba.php.
Last time I quoted this blog I think I gave an incorrect title. I quoted Science writer Jonah Lehrer's description of a study that showed that neurologically Free Will might be possible for humans a really large percentage of the time. Today's link discusses the opposite idea that Nature and Genetics reign supreme. Astrology struggles with this same problem. How much is Free Will and how much is Destiny. Why one can't assume that the struggle between the two is closer to creating reality?
Lehrer talks about an episode of
This American Life about two babies who were switched at birth in a small Wisconsin town. Born in 1951, they grew up showing remarkable common traits with their birth parents. One of the Mothers knew about the mistake after a few weeks but did nothing about it until 43 years later when she wrote the two girls a letter. She, along with the two girls and the other Mother are interviewed on the program. (I haven't heard it yet, am not sure if it is still available for free.)
I can't find the birth dates for the two baby girls. Well, they are now going through their 2d Saturn Returns, actually so not babies. On the Internet I found that they were born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin in the Summer of 1951. There are some interesting aspects and possibilities in the stars which describe their strange Fates. This is Fate because they had nothing to do with what happened.
Right off the bat one sees that they have North Node in Pisces with Saturn in the opposite Sign of Virgo. There's a good chance that Saturn is conjunct the South Node. Virgo rules Medical and Pisces rules Hospitals. Saturn and the Nodes rule Fate. Saturn rules parents, usually the Father, but also the Duties and Responsibilities of the parents. This is most likely a difficult placement with regards to Parents for an individual. We don't have a clue where the Moon was. Moon represents the Mother. Even with only very vague birth data there are interesting Astrological aspects to observe here.
The girls were born in 1951 and were told that they were switched at Birth in 1994. This means that they were told during their Uranus Oppositions. Ew doggie. Talk about Shock, Unexpected News, Out of the Blue weirdness, life turning upside down, reality goes inside out. Turns out the girls were born with Uranus in Cancer, sign of the Home and the Mother and the really weird Mother with major crazy post-Natal Hormone issues or something. At any rate, it would make sense that there would be something unusual about the birth. This was already the Flower Child generation that complained about the Generation Gap. Many of these guys
wanted to come from an unusual circumstance. This is just a different manifestation of that same placement. I also believe that Uranus and Cancer rule Genetics. If they do it's very interesting that these women's stories are being appreciated for Scientific value as much as for personal interest.
In 1994, time of the reveal over the Switcharoo, Neptune was conjunct Uranus in Capricorn, the opposite sign of the Zodiac. Capricorn and Cancer are the two signs associated with Birth Parents. Usually associated with the Father rather than the Mother, Capricorn is also associated with Guilt and Duty and facing up to one's Responsibilities. Neptune dissolved the girl's idea about their birth and Uranus sent them a shocking truth about it.
As a matter of fact, back in the Summer of 1951 when they were born there were strong Planet placements in all three of the other Cardinal Signs. Jupiter was in Aries, Uranus was in Cancer and Neptune was in Libra. The mistake was revealed when Uranus and Neptune had come together in the missing sign of Capricorn.
During Summer of 1951 there was also room for a big mistake of this type in the planets. Mars was in Cancer for a while in July and August. So possibly it was conjunct Uranus which is always a set for an accident. That's a very emotional placement for fiery Mars.
Toward the end of August, 1951, Venus was in Virgo and went Retrograde. It remained in Retrograde for 44 days and went direct when conjunct Saturn within a degree. I sure would like to look at Venus' Progressions in the charts to see if the Retrograde is placed prominently in their charts. Venus went Rx on August 13 and stationed Direct Sept. 25 at 3 Virgo conjunct Saturn within a degree. Probably not relevant but the duration of 44 days almost correlates with the 43 years that the Women didn't know about their birth or families. It's far reaching to think there's a relationship between the transit and the progression but what the hay I'm gonna mention it anyway. This whole entry is pretty odd so why not add to it?
Also wild to think about, it's fun to notice that Chiron was near the Galactic Center in Sagittarius. One would expect all kinds of odd problems to crop up when the "Wounded Healer" passes over the Center of the Universe.
Labels: Cardinal Signs, Nature v. Nurture, Venus Retrograde
