More interesting Apollo sightings

About a year ago, I posted some research on the asteroids Adonis and Apollo after finding Adonis to be a pretty good indicator for physical beauty and Apollo to be a very good predictor of mass appeal or great popularity. In my recent astrological travels, I found three more great examples of Apollo in the birth chart of people who seem to have gained great popularity with the public at large.

These are:

Taylor Swift whose Apollo falls on her Moon and Jupiter conjunction.

Kurt Cobain whose Apollo was conjunct his Moon and Orcus both of which made trines to his Mercury in Pisces and sextile his Ascendant, Uranus and Pluto.

Johnny Cash also had his Apollo on his Moon which made a sextile to his Neptune and a trine to his stellium of Sun, Mercury and Mars in Pisces.

Russell Brand gets cancelled. The astrology reveals why this is happening now.

A couple days ago news broke that YouTube had demonetized Russell Brand’s podcast due to new sexual misconduct allegations from episodes in his past. Today we learned that the UK government has asked Rumble and other platforms to follow suit and censor or sanction him.

I looked to see what planetary movements are impacting his natal chart for signs of these developments. I am using the chart from the Databank at Astrodienst which is rated “B”.

Given that the Ascendant and Midheaven of the chart as well as the Nodal axis are being activated by transits from Saturn, Pluto and the Moon’s Nodes it seems that there is a good probability that this birth data is accurate.

The Ascendant at 26 Capricorn is being impacted by a transit conjunction of Pluto which is now at 28 Capricorn. Pluto is also making a square to his natal Uranus at 28 Libra. Eris, too, is making a square to his Ascendant/Descendant axis adding intensity to this configuration.

The action at the Midheaven (MC) is most interesting as transit Saturn is now at 2 Pisces making a square to the natal Nodal axis at the Midheaven which is on the cusp of House 10. This house is the house of authority figures, government and institutions, and Saturn is Brand’s chart ruler as well as his House 12 ruler. H12 is the house of hidden enemies and self-undoing, both of which seem to be playing a major role here. Also, the Progressed North Node is sitting exactly at his Midheaven at 29 Scorpio. The Progressed nodes are not shown on this chart but can be easily calculated with an ephemeris for his birth year.

Of great interest to me are a couple of progressions. I have long professed that astrologers do not give enough importance to transits of the Moon’s Nodes as well as transits to Nodal placements: and here we see both happening, as well as a conjunction of a progressed Node to a natal Node. I often see that these Moon’s Node activations coincide with turning points in a person’s life. To have a progressed North Node on one’s natal North Node and their Midheaven is a very significant event activating the point of the chart that signifies one’s public image, public standing and relationship with authority. The best I am able to calculate this progressed Node is somewhere between 29.18 and 29.26 Scorpio. The MC position given for his TOB is 29.18 Scorpio. It well could be that this event in his public life is happening as this progression becomes exact.

This MC point has also been activated by a sextile from transit Pluto and square from transit Eris for almost a year. Eris and Pluto share an energy that pushes one to confrontation and upheaval.

In addition to the Progressed North Node at his Midheaven, Brand’s progressed Sun recently changed house and soon will change signs. Many astrologers see the change of the progressed Sun as the most impactful internal change a person will experience. The sign change lasts a full 30 years, and in Brand’s case the first change occurred around age 18 as the Sun progressed from Gemini to Cancer. Another change is underway as it moving from Cancer to Leo. Progressions mark an internal shift in what motivates a person and where they find gratification, and usually the person feels this change a full year before the exact date of the change of sign. Often we see a big change in life direction with a change in the progressed Sun. This progressed Sun has been in opposition to the transiting Pluto for about a year, and it also made a conjunction to his natal Venus during this time. Again these Pluto transits activate the need to confront issues dampening urges to be conciliatory and not rock the boat.

If the birth date is not accurate, just a few degrees of difference in the Ascendant and Midheaven would suggest that these changes may have occurred already, and perhaps they coincide with Brand’s entering into the sphere of political podcasting. Even when using this chart, the Sun would have changed houses crossing the Descendant about four years ago, and given the usual tendency for a person to begin feeling the urge to strike out into new territory a full year before the exact date, perhaps this indeed coincides with Brand’s move toward opining less on philosophical and spiritual ideas and more toward political topics.

Harry and Meghan breaking up? Is this Uranus and Pluto asserting their mojo?

Rumors are surfacing that the Prince Harry/Meghan Markle marriage may be in crisis.  There are reports that Harry is living apart from Meghan.

Whenever a couple with the kind of public profile goes public or announces their engagement, astrologers in the astrology forums quickly do the charts and opine on the viability of the union, give their analyses of the relationship and make predictions about the partnership. Most of those predictions were not very positive.

Indeed, their synastry and composite charts show some significant challenges without many of the strong positive astrological signatures that help create long term satisfaction.

My own view point is that transits to the composite charts will show the timing of crises and breakups, and yes, there are some very powerful transits activating critical points in Harry’s and Meghan’s composite charts. Of course, transits and progressions happening in the natal charts of Harry and Meghan can be revealing of the timing of internal changes or challenges that life presents, but I will focus here only on the transits to the composite charts which represent their destiny as a couple.

Because they were born so far apart I created a Davison composite chart in addition to a standard midpoint composite, and with this type of situation, I take insights from both of the composites. I will start with a quick analysis of what these charts tell us about the character of their relationship. Charts below:

The Sun and the Moon are the most important planets in these types of charts, and a strong Sun and a happy Moon are the best indicators of a strong, resilient relationship.

 In both charts the Sun and Moon have very challenging aspects for a long-lasting emotionally-based personal relationship.  The Sun makes an exact square to Uranus which always correlates with relationships that are exciting but unstable often with breaks. Three famous couples with a strong Uranus signature in their composites are Elizabeth Taylor with Richard Burton, Don Johnson with Melainie Griffith and Natalie Wood with Robert Wagner. These couples married, then divorced, then remarried. All have difficult Sun/Uranus aspects in their composites. The Harry/Meghan partnership might also have a destiny of breaks and then a later recommitment.

Both of Harry and Meghan’s composites show the Moon square both Saturn and Pluto which are very difficult indicators for emotional satisfaction. It is quite rare to see a lasting, fulfilling personal relationship when there are two squares to the Moon from outer planets. One is problematic but usually can be managed; two is almost always fatal. Adding to this difficult configuration the Black Moon is in exact opposition to the Moon forming a t-square with the Saturn/Pluto.  The Black Moon always brings forth some unconscious, obsessive energies when in aspect.

Their composites show a very lovely conjunction of Mars and Venus which also makes three trine aspects to the Moon, Jupiter and Uranus. This is a powerful configuration which would create a very strong sexual chemistry, and a feeling of excitement. But again Uranus is quite emphasized in this configuration bringing in that energy of unpredictability, instability, risk taking and perhaps emotional volatility,

Now for current the transits:  As I write this in early July of 2023, each composite is showing a major difficult challenge from an outer planet sitting on a chart angle. In the Davison Chart, Uranus is now exactly conjunct their composite Ascendant at 21 Taurus. In their midpoint composite Pluto is conjunct the composite Midheaven and Black Moon.

In both composite charts transit Pluto is opposite their composite Moon and, conjunct their composite Black Moon. That is a very ominous marker for Pluto fuels obsessions and emotional reactions.  Pluto’s challenge is always to force us to let go of outworn attitudes and structures that no longer serve us and to confront deep psychological complexes that obstruct our growth.

This Pluto transit also activates their composite Saturn/Pluto conjunction. In the midpoint chart this conjunction falls in their seventh house of others. The seventh house tells us about the attitudes and habits we employ in our relationships with others. This difficult square of Saturn and Pluto in their seventh making a square to the Moon in their fourth clearly tells us they will have significant challenges as couple relating to the outside world. Since Pluto always demands complete upheaval and renewal and the purging of outworn structures, their methods of working with the world as a couple must change and be reborn. Time will tell if they can succeed in this task. The planetary energies acting upon their relationships do not dictate an outcome, only a challenge.

One very interesting note I will add about Harry’s natal is that both the progressed Sun and Moon are conjunct and changing signs from Libra to Scorpio. Many astrologers teach that the progression of the Sun from one sign to the next may be the most powerful inner change that any individual will experience. This happens only three times in an average life span.  To add to the weight and significance of this progression, it is happening exactly on Harry’s natal Pluto. We can be sure Harry is experiencing some significant inner changes: perhaps that affable, playful boy we once saw in Harry was due to his progressed Sun being in Libra? And now he will become more serious, and draw on that Scorpio energy to dig deep into his psyche and come out reborn?

Thalia: the Muse of Comedy

In an earlier post I promised to share some research on the asteroid Thalia. In Greek mythology Thalia was one of the muses presiding over the art of comedy. Thus, I drew up a list of celebrated comedians and looked for the Thalia placements in their charts. Many have Quaoar placements as well, which can be a marker for talent, that often connect with Thalia. 

On my list of male comics:  Dave Chapelle has Thalia conjunct Quaoar and sextile his Sun. Dana Carvey has Thalia out-of-bounds  and conjunct his Mercury. Louis CK also has a Quaoar/Thalia aspect with Thalia trine his Uranus. Robin Williams’ chart stands out with Thalia in a stellium near the Midheaven with Mercury, Pluto and Apollo making a trine to Jupiter and a sextile to Neptune and  square to the Ascendant. Bill Burr has Thalia conjunct Orcus on his Ascendant square his nodal axis and sextile to Prometheus and Pluto. Richard Pryor has an out-of-bounds Thalia which trines his Neptune and Quaoar. Mark Twain’s Thalia is exactly on his North Node. Chris Rock’s Thalia is in a t-square with Uranus, Saturn, and Pluto;  Quaoar is in opposition to his Moon. George Carlin has no Thalia placements with planets or Quaoar, but his Quaoar is conjunct Neptune and square the nodal axis. Jonathan Winters’ Thalia is 4 degrees from Quaoar, which is a little wide for an asteroid conjunction, but both trine his Venus and sextile an otherwise unaspected, out-of-bounds Mercury.  

Curiously on my list of female comics there were far fewer Thalia placements, but eight out of ten have aspects between the Moon and Jupiter, and many had prominent Quaoar positions. The predominance of the Moon/Jupiter aspects in this sample is quite significant.

Lily Tomlin has Thalia sextile her Sun and Venus; her Moon is conjunct both Jupiter and Eris making a sextile to Quaoar and Neptune.  Tina Fey has no Thalia aspects but has a Moon/Jupiter/Quaoar conjunction. Lucille Ball’s chart shows a Moon sextile Jupiter, but Thalia is in a t-square with Pluto and Quaoar.  Carol Burnett also has the same Moon squaring Jupiter but also square to Quaoar.  Ali Wong’s Moon trines Jupiter, and her Thalia is heavily aspected making an inconjunct to her North Node and  squares to her Venus and Moon. Amy Poehler has a Moon/Jupiter square with Quaoar on the Ascendant. Roseanne Barr has Thalia conjunct Quaoar trining her Moon. Wanda Sykes has Thalia on her North Node by 5 degrees and probably has the Moon/Jupiter trine which is uncertain since I have no birth time. Jane Curtin has the opposition of Moon and Jupiter and Thalia conjunct Quaoar. There were no Thalia or Quaoar aspects in Gilda Radner’s chart.

Jerry Seinfeld has no prominent Thalia placements but he does have a Moon/Jupiter aspect.

Indeed it looks like Thalia can be a marker for  comedic talent, but for women, Moon/Jupiter aspects are a better predictor. I have also seen frequent Moon/Jupiter aspects in the charts of musicians.  

The Unabomber’s Icarus fall.

Ted Kaczynski, who came to be known as the “Unabomber,” started sending bombs through the mail in 1987, and until apprehended in 1995 had orchestrated a total of 16 bombing attacks. His motive was to voice a protest against the values of industrial society. He was intellectually brilliant, and he studied and taught mathematics at Harvard. Apparently, he had been used as a subject in some questionable psychology experiments while an undergrad at Harvard which may have added to his already somewhat precarious mental health.

His natal is quite interesting and is posted below. There is some dispute about the time of birth, and you can see an alternative chart in the databank at Astrodienst. When I discuss the transits on critical dates of his adventures, you will see why I believe the 21 Gemini Rising chart is accurate.

You can see that his Sun/Saturn/Uranus stellium sits in the center of a trine from Icarus and Eris (not shown here but is at 5 Aries) on one end and with Pluto and Apollo on the other end of this trine. The Uranian desire to help mankind is strengthened by these aspects, albeit this desire was channeled in a most antisocial and violent way. The presence of Eris here, who is often described as “she who will not be ignored” or “the disruptor” is trine to Pluto, the lord of the Underworld, and is suggesting a very strong need to change or confront aspects of life that the native finds objectionable. This complex is quite a powerful mix. I have observed that planets that sit in the center of a trine making sextiles to both trined bodies are indicative of significant talents. Kaczynski has two such configurations.

While many astrologers teach that difficult aspects to Mars from Uranus or Pluto are most likely to yield a tendency to violence, we do not see that here. However, both his natal Mars and Pluto were out-of-bounds along with Mercury.

In his natal, Mercury and Jupiter are conjunct making a square to Neptune. This is an aspect that would create a great deal of idealism, but the Black Moon is also present in this conjunction. The Black Moon is an energy that can manifest in some very dark, almost primordial and obsessive drives, and thus a tendency to antisocial acting out.

An asteroid I have written about before in connection to serial killers is Orcus, who in mythology was the executioner. His acts of murder were performed without a personal motive, but as dispassionate instruments of justice. Orcus in his natal chart is square the Moon’s Nodes, a significant placement according to the proponents of Evolutionary Astrology. (In a previous blog post I discuss the role of Orcus in the charts of many serial killers.) Kaczynski was indeed performing these acts of attempted murder from a misguided and detached sense of idealism. He believed that he was meting out justice to a perverse system and bringing needed focus to a very serious societal problem.

The Icarus placements for the dates of his arrest, his first bombing and the publication of his manifesto in the Washington Post are all significant.

The first chart here is his natal with transits of planets and some asteroids on the date the Unabomber’s Manifesto went public which was September 19, 1995. Since the transiting bodies are difficult to read a second chart is posted showing only the position of the planets and asteroids on that date.

Kaczynski entered into a partnership with the Washington Post which is shown by the Icarus’placement in his H7 near the Descendant at 24 Sagittarius. In a recent blog post I showed that prominent Icarus placements often suggest significant and often ill-fated risk taking. This act of partnership was the beginning of his demise. If we assume that he must have mailed his demand to publish the Manifesto several days earlier, perhaps around September 11 or 12, that puts transiting Icarus position exactly on his Descendant. His natal Icarus is quite strong, making a tight sextile to Uranus and a trine to Pluto, both of which suggest a forceful and rebellious expression.

This Icarus position also opposes his Ascendant and his Mercury/Jupiter/Black Moon conjunction. The nodal axis is at 26 Aries/Libra is coming into a square with both the asteroid of Arachne and Prometheus. Prometheus can contribute to courage and some hubris as explained in earlier posts. Arachne shows up in charts of where something is being orchestrated in secret. This transit Moon is on his Apollo which previously I have theorized aids in the ability to affect public opinion or gaining influence with the masses.

 It was the Manifesto, the writing style and the unique phrasing in the Manifesto itself, that alerted Kaczynski’s brother that Ted was indeed the Unabomber, and led him to report Ted to the police.  If Kaczynski had not extorted the Post into publishing his Manifesto he may have never been found. Icarus transiting the cusp of his the seventh house of partners seems to describe the method of his self sabotage. It is interesting to note that this date also coincides with his twelfth house ruler, Venus, being activated by Eris.

This next chart is his natal with the planets and asteroids on the date of his arrest. Again another chart follows showing only the planets and asteroids for easier reading.

Transit Icarus is at 7 Aries and  conjuncts his Mars and Eris.  Transit Pluto at 2 Sagittarius opposes Sun/Uranus/Saturn.  Orcus at 15 Leo is 5 degrees from his Moon.

This final chart is for the planetary and asteroid positions is for the date of his first terrorist attack.  The Sun is at 3 Gemini close to Icarus at 5 Gemini which sits on his Sun/Saturn/Uranus stellium. The South Node is at 3 Aries conjunct his natal Icarus/Eris.  And Orcus, the executioner, is at 27 Cancer conjunct his Apollo and Pluto.

In all of these events Icarus, the marker of hubris, risk taking, and a fatal fall, shows up prominently placed. Certainly Icarus is not the sole indicator of these events,but its presence is very interesting.

More interesting Apollo and Adonis sightings:

I continue to find more excellent examples of prominently placed Apollo and Adonis.  These asteroids seem to be markers for physical beauty and popularity. As discussed in a recent post, Apollo seems to correlate with beauty, charisma and great popularity whereas Adonis with physical attractiveness and less so with popularity.

Kevin Costner has Apollo on his Ascendant, and Bradley Cooper has it conjunct Venus and Quaoar. Robert Redford’s Apollo falls on his Mars and Johnny Cash’s falls on his Moon. Jamie Lee Curtis has Apollo on her North Node.

In Jane Fonda’s natal Adonis falls on her North Node. Will Smith’s chart shows Adonis on his Moon. Michael Douglas has it conjunct Mars, and Richard Madden has it conjunct the Moon and Pluto in Scorpio. This last example is quite interesting as Madden, more than any actor I can think of, is a master at projecting a dark, intense, brooding personae yet with truly handsome features and captivating blue eyes. Such is the influence of Pluto and Scorpio in a natal chart that has sunny Leo Rising , the Sun in lighthearted  Gemini and  Venus on the Ascendant.

Prometheus, Quaoar, and Icarus: More observations on interesting asteroids and minor planets.

Quaoar is an asteroid named for the creation god/goddess of the Tongva tribe, an indigenous people of southern California.  This deity was said to have no body and no gender. Quaoar has received a fair amount of attention from astrologers due to its significant size as it is categorized as a minor planet. Astrologers are suggesting that its influence is to greatly enhance talent or creative drives. I have read that it can be a marker for phenomenal talents.

Prometheus, a smaller asteroid, is named for a figure from Greek mythology, a member of the Titans. He is seen an advocate for humankind since he stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind, thus enabling the development of civilization. However, he was severely punished for this by Zeus by being bound to a rock where an eagle would eat his liver every day. Yet, Prometheus, not to be deterred nor defeated, would regrow a new liver every day. Thus, if we use the myth as a starting inspiration for this asteroids influence, it may be a symbol of enduring difficult tasks, strength, scientific discovery and invention, technology, creativity, and advocacy for humankind.

Icarus is a most interesting asteroid, especially combined with a Prometheus or Quaoar influence. Icarus was a mortal who wanted to consort with the gods. He made wings of wax that allowed him to fly into the sky, the realm of the gods. But as he soared higher closer to the Sun, the wax melted and he plunged to his death. Here the themes are taking extraordinary risks that sometimes fail but sometimes succeed. These individuals are not satisfied with ordinary and even extraordinary achievements. Individuals with prominent Icarus placements strive for the ultimate achievements; they push the envelope and often display hubris or poor judgment that gets them into trouble.  They often take extraordinary risks. 

You can see how each of these three influences can manifest in assisting remarkable achievements.    

Let’s start with Quaoar. Prolific artists with prominent Quaoar placements include Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell , Pablo Picasso.  McCartney has it conjunct his Ascendant, but he also has Prometheus conjunct his Mars. Joni’s Quaoar is conjunct her Venus. Dylan’s chart is exceptional and screams genius without any added asteroids, yet  Quaoar is on his Neptune making a trine to a huge stellium of the Sun, Jupiter, Uranus, and yes, Prometheus. John Lennon also has Quaoar on his Neptune. Stephen King has it on his Venus. Venus with Prometheus is also a feature of Obama’s chart and that of the very prolific poet, Mary Oliver. 

Exceptional talent for something less than honorable enterprises shows up in Bernie Madoff’s Quaoar placement on his Neptune which is also conjunct his Prometheus sitting on the cusp of his second house. He orchestrated perhaps the largest Ponzi scheme ever undertaken.  One of the darker expressions of Neptune is deception and fraud, and the second house is one’s money, one’s attitude about possessions, and how one makes money.  This seems to fit with a second house placement of Neptune and these two minor celestial markers. 

Franklin’s chart is especially interesting with Prometheus and Quaoar on his Moon’s nodes. Who can argue that he was not an impressive example of inventive creativity and great productivity? Franklin definitely embodies the spirit of Promethean innovation and service to humankind.

Prometheus shows up conjunct the Midheaven in the charts of Bill Gates and Bill Clinton.  Dylan has it conjunct his Sun.  Both Gates and Hitler have Prometheus conjunct their Moon.   Mercury on Prometheus is found in the natals of Nikola Tesla, George R.R. Martin and Allen Ginsberg. And in case you have yet to be in awe of asteroid indicators, the named asteroid ‘Volta’ is conjunct Tesla’s Sun. 

The USA Sibly chart shows Quaoar in exact conjunction with the Moon and tightly parallel the Sun, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Prometheus. Many astrologers have credited that large stellium that includes Venus and Jupiter with the grand scale and good fortune of the American experiment, and the unprecedented wealth and power that the U.S. has achieved. Prometheus may have added to this fate since it falls in close conjunction with Venus and Jupiter.  

Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, pulled off an extraordinary crime spree that eluded his capture for years. He also has Quaoar on his Neptune, Prometheus conjunct his Pluto and Icarus five degrees from Eris. 

Icarus: Flying high and aiming for the heavens
 
Icarus conjunct the Sun shows up in the charts of Stephen Hawking, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther, Dick Cheney, Ronald Reagan, Woody Allen, Clara Barton, Alexander Hamilton, Ghislaine Maxwell, George Washington, Ben Franklin, William Masters, Edward VIII, Justin Trudeau, L. Ron Hubbard, and Scott Peterson. Icarus on Mercury is seen in the charts Martin Luther King Jr., FDR, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. With the Moon it appears in the charts of Erin Brokovich and  Andrew Yang.  It falls on the Ascendant in the birth charts or Oprah and Mark Harmon. Edward Snowden has it on his Midheaven.

It is easy to recognize the huge risks that Lincoln took with emanicipating the slaves, or that Luther took when condemning the Catholic Church. Or the risks taken by the leaders of the American Revolution. William Masters was pushing the envelope when he attempted a full and open investigation and discussion into human sexual response at a time when any discussion of these matters was a social taboo. It is clear also that Ghislaine Maxwell and her cohort Jeffery Epstein were flying dangerously high for many years.

Icarus on the nodal axis is seen in the charts of Carl Jung, Oprah, Einstein, William Jennings Bryant, Roger Stone. Interestingly, Stone, who said, to paraphrase, “it is better to be infamous than not famous at all,”  has Icarus in a conjunction with two bodies of dark energies, Pluto and the Black Moon. 

Icarus and spectacular downfalls:

Amelia Earhart’s plane disappeared on July 2, 1937 while flying over the Pacific Ocean. Her transits for that date show Icarus within 1 degree of her North Node in her tenth house squaring her Ascendant. The only  notable transit of or to a planet that seems to portend something ominous on that day is the transiting  South Node exact over her natal Pluto that sits in conjunction with her Moon, Venus and Neptune.  This is a remarkable literal manifestation of the Icarus myth.  Her natal Icarus makes a tight inconjunct to her Natal Sun and Quaoar.

Two cases where Icarus by transit was a surprising marker of a downfall include both O.J. Simpson’s and Jeffrey Epstein’s last convictions.  

A case of a spectacular fall from grace where Icarus is a prominent actor natally  is the chart of O.J. Simpson.  Simpson’s chart boasts a kite with Icarus at the apex at 23 Capricorn making opposition to his Mercury at 24 and his Sun at 16 Cancer. On the date of the murders for which he was accused but never found guilty, Uranus and Neptune were transit over his natal Icarus at 25 Cancer at the top of that kite, and Icarus was opposing his natal twelfth house Pluto.  

On the date of his conviction in 2008 for charges of kidnapping and theft, Icarus and the Moon were straddling Jupiter on one end of that kite formation. Transit Mars was squaring his Icarus. It is interesting to note that Simpson also has natal Prometheus on his natal Saturn which is very close to his natal Pluto in his Twelfth House.

Another case of Icarus marking a final fall is that of Jeffrey Epstein. On the date of Epstein’s last criminal charge, transit Neptune and Icarus were conjunct his Mars/Venus and transit Pluto was conjunct his Icarus.  

I have found far fewer prominent placements for Quaoar using an orb of 3 degrees than other asteroids discussed here. I have no explanation for this as chance would suggest that not to be the case. Perhaps it is a marker of out-of- the-box talent which just doesn’t come along all that often? Perhaps the cosmos in its wisdom has decided that we don’t need but a few of the super talented.

Apollo, Adonis, Icarus, Prometheus, Quoaor and Thalia. Notes on some interesting asteroids.

I have been studying some interesting asteroids whose mythical themes seem to be very evident in the lives of those who have them in prominent natal positions.  While asteroids tend be less impactcful than planets, when you see them conjunct a planet, a node or an angle this will intensify their influence. Often, too, they can strengthen planetary influences indicated elsewhere in the chart, or act as mitigating influences.

This will be first of three posts discussing findings on Apollo and Adonis:  In following posts I will catalogue my findings on Prometheus, Icarus, Quoaor and Thalia, and show some charts that have multiple prominent placements of these very interesting asteroids.

Apollo and Adonis: Beauty, grace and popularity

I won’t go into length here describing the mythological themes surrounding these deities since that is easy to find elsewhere. However, Apollo, it seems, gets only good press in the lore. He is the only god in the Greek pantheon that doesn’t seem to have a dark side. Although he is often associated with the Sun, and thus astrologers might see him as personification of the Leo Archetype, he doesn’t exhibit any of Leo’s character flaws (exhibitionism, pride, self-consciousness, inability to grow up.)

Adonis: Youthful beauty and romantic desire.

Adonis was actually a mortal and not a god, but he was chosen by Aphrodite (Venus ) to be her lover. He is often associated with youthful beauty and sometimes with androgyny.

People with Adonis on their Sun include Paul Newman, John Kennedy Jr., Kim Kardashian and Brad Pitt. Elizabeth Taylor, and Mark Harmon have it conjunct their Moon. Jason Momoa, Amber Heard and Christopher Reeve have it on their Venus. Adonis conjuncts Elvis Presley’s Mercury, Patrick Swayze’s Neptune,

There is definitely a theme here of physical beauty with Adonis placements.

Apollo: God of light, healing, prophecy, music, archery, and more.

Apollo goes one further. It can bestow  physical attractiveness, but it also grants the ability to woo the public. There is charisma and great popularity. These are people everyone likes, often greatly adored by the public.  I have yet to look at charts of healers to find Apollo placements, but it clearly shows up in those of persons who are generally very well loved by the public. Why not if Apollo is all about goodness and light?

Jackie Onassis, Michael J. Fox, Diana Spencer, Dolly Parton, Amelia Earhart, Kanye West and Christopher Reeve all have Apollo on the Sun. Who can deny that these individuals enjoyed great popularity?  Who can find anything negative to say about Michael J. Fox or Christopher Reeve?

These individuals have Apollo on their Ascendants: Marilyn, Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Victoria Beckham, Bill Clinton.  Donald Trump has it on his Ascendant with Mars. Robin Williams and Brad Pitt have it on their Midheaven. Ronald Reagan and Mark Harmon have Apollo on their Venus.

Mark Harmon has a double whammy: Harmon has Apollo on his Venus and Adonis on his Moon. There is an association of Apollo with athletic prowess. Harmon was a star in college football and did a short stint in the pro leagues, was voted sexiest man alive and has been the star of one of the longest running television series. Christopher Reeve also was gifted with a double dose of physical attractiveness:  Adonis on his Venus and Apollo on his Ascendant. Curiously Robin Williams has Apollo conjunct Adonis both on his Midheaven with Pluto and Mercury.

Apollo on the Moon’s Nodes appears in the charts of Lady Gaga and Bill Gates. Hugh Hefner also has it on his Nodal axis along with Mars. Keith Raniere, who was a very charismatic cult leader, also has it on his Nodes. In Paul McCartney’s chart it sits on his Mars/Pluto/Moon/Chiron stellium. 

Apollo conjunct the Moon appears in the birth charts of Jennifer Garner and John F. Kennedy Jr. where it also conjuncts his Moon’s Node. Elvis, Elizabeth Taylor and Walt Disney have Apollo conjunct Mercury.

 I have noticed that the frequency of Apollo on the Moon is very low compared to Sun conjunctions. Chance would dictate otherwise, yet this could be a result of my sample being those who are gifted with fame. Yet, as I looked through charts of ordinary folks in my files I am finding much fewer instances of these asteroids in any prominent placement.

It does appear that Apollo can bestow gifts that allow one to influence public opinion and achieve great public popularity.

 Next up: Prometheus and Quaoar: productivity and creativity on steroids.

More on Amber Heard: confusion about her birth date.

My blog of Amber Heard’s natal astrology posted on  May 4 analyzed her birth chart features using a birth date of April 26. Recently someone notified me that her Wikipedia page states the date of birth as April 22.

Thus, I drew up a second natal chart using the April 22 date which yielded a few minor changes. We still do not have a time of birth (TOB) so house placements cannot be determined. Here is that chart:

Even though a change of four days moves the Moon from Sagittarius to Libra, it is still likely that the the Sun and Moon will be in an inconjunct relationship, and certainly on this day the Moon is in Libra.  This noon time chart gives us a Moon placement of 7 Libra. Since we know the Moon moves slightly less than 12 degrees per day we can deduce that the earliest morning TOB would make it 1 Libra and the latest evening TOB would then be not more than 13 Libra. Thus, any TOB in early, midday or afternoon on April 22 will yield an inconjunct with her Sun in Taurus.   Also, all but an evening chart will still yield a T-square of the Sun, Pluto and Orcus.

 In my original post I also referenced this t-square with the Sun opposed Pluto and both forming a square with Orcus. Since I allow up to 10 degrees for aspects to the luminaries, this t-square remains. Thus, the extreme tension on the Sun from Pluto remains, although perhaps not as tight, if we accept the April 22 date. As I wrote in that ealier a Sun-Pluto opposition often creates and urgency to push one’s agendas impatiently and to somewhat compulsively confront others with one’s issues. Difficult Orcus configurations often manifest in tests of integrity and can exacerbate other Pluto issues such as the need for control and confrontation, extreme emotionalism, or manipulation.

Other aspects I commented on are not as close as in the April 26 chart. The Mercury-Eris conjunction is wider – a full 10 degrees, but some would argue that both of these still make a square aspect to her Capricorn planets.

A change in this earlier TOB shows the Moon in opposition to Mercury and squared to a conjunction to Mars and Neptune. This is the second t-square in the chart, and no matter the time of day for her birth, this t-square would remain. The Moon square Mars is notorious for creating a combative and restless emotional nature. The Moon opposed Mercury also adds to a degree of nervous tension and unease. Again, I will quote Karen Hamaker-Zondag’s excellent text on planetary configurations, Aspects and Personality regarding the Moon in square aspect to Mars:

“Feelings of insecurity can make us pugnacious: so that whenever the emotional temperature rises, we sometimes react too angrily, aggressively or sarcastically. …self-control is not our strongest point….” 

Thus, for either birth date the Mars has significant issues due to its placements near Eris or square Mars. Mars is very strong in the sign of Capricorn, the best sign placement for it known for ambition and power drives, but let us not forget it is also out-of-bounds lending to extreme expressions.

It is easy to see how the Sun/Pluto dynamic combined with the Moon/Mars dynamic could create the type of personality Ms. Heard manifests when not allowing Mr. Depp some space when her emotions are running high.

I have not explored her very tight inconjunct with Mercury and Pluto which both fall in Mars-ruled signs. This aspect could make one very secretive and manipulative

All of the out-of-bounds placement remain the same with Mars, Ceres, Lilith and Nessus all being out-of-bounds.

 It is interesting to note that this earlier date reveals both luminaries in Venus-ruled signs with Venus also in a sign ruled by Venus.  Her Venus is conjunct the asteroid Adonis which I have been finding to be prominent in charts of individuals who are blessed with physical beauty.

Johnny Depp: Another chart full of emotional intensity.

My previous analysis of Amber Heard’s chart may have suggested that I feel she is more at fault in the Depp/Heard abuse saga. Thus, in fairness I am posting this analysis of Johnny Depp’s natal horoscope, which reveals that he too has some issues with volatility, emotional intensity, and rebelliousness.

I will first focus on the Mars/Uranus/Pluto/Moon connections.

Mr. Depp’s Mars is conjunct Uranus by two degrees and Pluto by six degrees. Many astrologers would dismiss the Pluto conjunction as being too wide, but I think it is relevant by virtue of Pluto’s trine to his Moon. As I did in my analysis of Ms. Heard’s chart, I will quote Karen Haymaker-Zondag’s excellent text Aspects and Personality to demonstrate that there is general agreement among astrologers about how planetary energies express. The following is some of what she writes about Mars in conjunction with Uranus:

“With two impatient active factors in such close contact, we feel the urge, even when very young to go our own way as unconventionally as possible. There is something provocative and defiant about our behavior whenever we stand up for ourselves…our patience is not great…[Uranus]can cause us to be brusque, capricious and sudden…We can shine brightly if given the chance to be ourselves; but be warned off or told what not to do arouses the fighting spirit, then the destructive side of this combination puts in an appearance.”

If we add to this aspect the addition of Pluto, the obstinancy and rebelliousness is multiplied as this same text explains:

“When there is a conjunction between two planets that both have to do with the wish for self-expression, we wish to prove oneself and to make one’s mark….The person with a Mars/Pluto conjunction has a strong inflexible will, and is not to be balked.  We will run our lives without reference to current rules and regulations…”

Although the chart posted shows an opposition from Uranus and Mars to his Saturn the orb is a full 8 degrees, and since there is no luminary involved most astrologers would discount that. Unlike Ms. Heard’s chart there are no out-of-bounds planets except for the asteroid Nessus.

Mr. Depp’s Moon makes a trine aspect to his Pluto.  Any Moon/Pluto connection intensifies the emotional nature, but usually there is some unconsciousness about one’s emotional reactions. They do not reveal their deepest feelings openly to strangers, and in fact can engage in much repression. But the trine helps the person to dig deep into his own psyche and that of others and find understanding, a skill that could be very useful for a serious actor. Strong Moon/Pluto contacts always tell us that the Mother was a very strong influence in the formation of the person’s psyche.

Thus, there is a trine formed by this complex of Mars, Uranus and Pluto on one end, and the Moon on the other. Trines indicate an easy flow of energy where the person can access the gifts of the trine with little effort. Sitting in the exact center of this trine are Neptune in the intensely emotional sign of Scorpio and the Black Moon. It is my opinion that planets that sit in the midpoint of the trine such as we see here indicate a talent or an exceptional ability. Yet the Black Moon is said to signify things that are unconscious, instinctual and sometimes the darker impulses, and Neptune is also associated with the deep depths of the feeling nature. Perhaps this is a talent that is accessed in a purely intuitive fashion?  Neptune in the center of this trine, then of course, means that it makes a sextile to his Moon. Here is an excerpt from Isabel Hickey’s Astrology: A Cosmic Science about this sextile:

“Keen psychic sensitivity. Love of music and can be excellent musician. Imaginative powers strong…Can dramatize life and needs to watch the tendency to exaggerate and distort events. So psychic they are susceptible to the emotional atmosphere around them and they react strongly.”

It is very interesting The Black Moon and Neptune fall in Johnny’s Fourth House which gives us clues to his relationship with his mother, and perhaps the dark forces of the Black Moon were experienced in this relationship and are fuel for his talent today.

Neptune in Scorpio could add to his intense emotionalism but sets up a conflict between Neptune’s desire for ego transcendence, merging and possible escapism and Scorpio’s need for boundariesself-mastery and self-protection. This chart reveals an extreme amount of emotional sensitivity and conflict; perhaps so much it has fueled his need for escapism.

In the discussion of Ms. Heard’s chart I explained how the asteroid Eris is often described as “the agent of discord,” and here we see Eris in an exact square with Mr. Depp’s Moon. This clearly suggests that he probably also struggles with some chaotic emotional reactions and can act in ways that fuel relationship chaos.

Also in discussing Ms. Heard’s chart we saw a difficult aspect between the Sun and Pluto which often manifests as a need to be in control and a tendency to dominate others to achieve that sense of control and safety.  Amber has the opposition of these two, but Johnny has the square which also is a difficult aspect. It is a wide square with an orb of 9 degrees and some astrologers would discount it, and certainly is not as strong as Ms. Heard’s opposition which is very close. Yet, it is there. Ms. Heard’s falls in fixed signs, but Mr. Depp’s falls in mutable signs. This also certainly accounts for the difference in how they express. Most astrologers would agree that Sun/Pluto aspect  in the fixed signs would more likely manifest in domineering behaviors.

We are fortunate to have a well documented time of birth for Mr. Depp where we can see the Rising Sign and house placements. Leo Rising certainly adds another influence of a striving for an authentic, highly individualistic expression. It is a night time chart which highlights the Moon’s influence and adds to some introversion.

It must be noted that the asteroid Nessus in Mr. Depp’s chart is in a tight square with his Mars. Nessus is another new kid on the astrology block and considered a minor influence, but astrologers who have been studying its influence say it is prominent in charts of abusers and those who are abused. Mr. Depp has long told stories of the abusive home life he experienced in his childhood, but we also know that this can set one up to be abusive in our adult relationships.

It appears that both Johnny and Amber have charts full of intensity and inner conflict. Both have planetary aspects that suggest they could be difficult to live with. If you are interested in looking at their relationship astrology charts, you will see they are full of aspects that manifest as attraction, intensity and passion, but also extreme conflict and incompatibility.