Tag Archives: celebrity birth charts

A Rebel Prince?

And Cancer it is! And a boy. William and Kate – formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – welcomed their new arrival today at 4:24 p.m. London time, according to a press release from Kensington Palace.

Birth charts of babies often mirror those of their parents. William was born at the New Moon in Cancer, and Kate at the Full Moon in Cancer, so my gut feeling was that the baby would be born on the New or Full Moon in July (or maybe late June). William’s mother, Diana, also was a Cancer, and she had Mercury retrograde in Cancer. Baby Cambridge held out until after Mercury returned direct on July 20. However, that means Mercury backed up far enough to form a tense cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto. I’ll talk more about that in a minute. But first, let’s look at the “Big Three” – the Sun, Moon, and Rising signs.

The new prince has the Sun at 29 degrees Cancer, Moon at 28 degrees Capricorn, and 27 degrees Scorpio Rising. It’s not uncommon for children to have the Moon in their mother’s Sun sign, and that is the case here. His Moon also is widely conjunct Kate’s lunar South Node, often used in a chart to indicate past lives. He’s got ties with his great-grandmother, too. Queen Elizabeth has 21 degrees Capricorn Rising. Baby Cambridge also has Mercury conjunct Daddy’s lunar North Node, another sign that there’s strong karma in play. His Ascendant also is near the degree of Grandpa’s Sun (that would be Prince Charles). It kind of gives you the sense that this family has been around the incarnational block together a time or two.

Moon in Capricorn can be tough for a child, as it can be shy and reserved, with feelings of isolation, no matter how much love and attention the child may receive. But Moon in Capricorn can also be very wise, with a strong sense of duty and responsibility. Rising Scorpio also can be quiet and introverted, all the more likely with chart co-rulers Mars and Pluto in introverted signs. More importantly, Scorpio is the sign of rebirth and transformation, and this chart strongly suggests a leader who will transform and revolutionize. This could refer to societal institutions and likely the monarchy itself. The baby’s lunar North Node also is in Scorpio. Not only will he play a role in changing society, but it’s his purpose in this lifetime.

Click on image to enlarge

All of that would be exceptional enough, but this baby’s chart is extraordinary in other ways, as I predicted in my video earlier this year. Not only is he born under a rare and special grand water trine, but there’s also a tense cardinal T-square. A near exact conjunction of Mars and Jupiter forms a bridge between these two very different configurations.

As I mentioned in my weekly forecast, Mars and Jupiter are conjunct not only by latitude but also in declination. In other words, they will be extremely close to each other in the sky, which isn’t always true of conjunctions. This makes the aspect all the more powerful and strongly suggests Baby Cambridge will grow up to be a powerful leader, whether as king or in some other leadership capacity. Historically, this combination in the birth chart of a prince was considered a good sign that he would be a strong king, bringing the country wealth and military might. Queen Elizabeth has a close conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in Aquarius.

Mars and Jupiter also form a cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto, although it’s still a bit wide. Mercury, which came out of retrograde in Cancer on July 20, is at a closer angle. Uranus and Pluto are in an epic alignment that will continue through 2015 and is reflected in our turbulent times. All children born this summer will carry the spirit of these times into the future. Born in a tumultuous era of global change, they will have an uncanny ability to transform conflict and impossible problems into dynamic, constructive solutions, in their own lives and for society, too. They will be intuitive and compassionate, but they will not be afraid to shake up the system, whatever form it may be 20 to 30 years from now.

I initially favored July 8 based on an announcement by the palace that the baby was due around the 13th. Turns out that was early. In my video, I did mention the Full Moon on July 22 as a possibility, although it would have made Baby Cambridge a Leo … well, except that the Sun enters Leo just two hours before the Full Moon (4:56 p.m. London time), so technically it was possible to have a Full Moon baby and a Cancer, too! And so it is.

A few days ago, as I was contemplated the possibility of a 29 degree Cancer birth chart, I looked up the Sabian symbol** and got quite a jolt. A Daughter of the American Revolution, with the keyword INHERITANCE. Now, if you read the whole text, it has to do with fiercely maintaining the status quo, no matter what, and Cancer is one of the more traditional signs. But taken in context – an American contemplating conservative American values – it’s hard not to read revolution into this symbol, especially when the chart itself has the unmistakable marks of sweeping change.

[UPDATE 4:47 p.m. PDT] Sabian symbol** for Ascendant 27°08′ Scorpio: The king of the fairies approaching his domain. “This is a symbol of the eternal promise underlying all inner self-realization, since any actual fullness in life is altogether independent of the passing state of affairs in a world of time and space. Implicit in the symbolism is the futility of man’s common reliance on people and things through some mere accident of contact. Outer reality takes the form with which he endows it if he exercises his sovereignty over its various potentials in the creative realms of his own imagination. The keyword is ALLEGIANCE.”

Until recently, British law decreed that the heir to the throne should be the first-born son. The law was changed effective October 2011 so that the oldest child, whether a boy or a girl, would inherit the monarchy. It’s a moot point for now, since the firstborn is a boy. Then, it’s not like this kid is going to get anywhere near the throne anytime soon. After all, Charles is still waiting for Mummy to give it up, and William is only 31. And, for all we know, the monarchy may be on its way out, anyway. Just because England has had a king or queen for more than 1,000 years, doesn’t mean it always will, and judging from this kid’s chart, he will play a pivotal role in the revolutionary years to come.

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in 1925 with the help of Elsie Wheeler, a gifted psychic. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Cinderella and the Solstice King

The invitations are out, gold-embossed and signed by Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of England.

On April 29th, 2011, her grandson William, Prince of Wales, and Miss Kate Middleton will embark on their journey on the sea of matrimony. Glossy magazines, national and international news, are full of the Royal Couple. Paper cut-outs, flags, memorial plates and mugs are being mass-produced in China. And in a national soap opera, a local beauty compares her engagement ring, tongue-in-cheek, to that of “Kate Minkerton.” It’s been several hundred years since a commoner became part of the royal family, time to have a good look at the astrological implications.

Part I: The Birth Charts

Kate Middleton was born on January 9, 1982, in Reading, UK, time apparently unknown. I always wonder how a mother can forget giving birth, but okay, after the third time things may get a bit hazy. What a pity we don’t have Kate’s correct chart angles. No worries, though, we can find out a lot just by looking at the planets, can’t we? (Click here to view chart, set for noon.)

With Sun in Capricorn and Moon in Cancer, we see someone who understands the principle of hierarchies, who knows about duty and discipline, about stability and security. Through the opposition, Kate is likely to experience frequent conflicts between her instinctual reactions and the demands of material or organisational necessity. See here Cinderella who can’t go to the ball and a future queen who will put duty before fun. Or will she? It looks like the self-made millionaire’s daughter is going to the big dance after all.

Both lights (Sun and Moon) are in a tense relation with Mars and Saturn in Libra, which is not exactly a remedy, but rather exacerbates Kate’s inner tension. This could trigger fears, guilt and inertia, or, vice versa, decisive and goal-orientated action cutting to the chase. I think we have a very ambitious, motivated and energetic young lady on our hands.

Anecdotally, Kate already “knew” at a very young age that she would one day marry a prince. Talk about a go-getter!

Malicious rumours even have it that she hunted for Prince William in pursuit of her life’s ambition. Well, admittedly, with this combination and in a worst-case scenario, this kind of determined action would not be entirely unthinkable. In the best case scenario, however, this is exactly the kind of woman needed for the job of representing and presiding over a whole nation and more when the day comes.

Venus in cool Aquarius is combined with a very logically minded Mercury. Kate has a musical or artistic talent here, which she has, so far, poured into a study of art history. No wonder, her Venus (beauty, art) is in mutual reception with natal Saturn, the ruler of time and all things old! She must truly feel blessed to become part of a family so richly steeped in history and tradition!

But Venus and Mercury are also aspected by quirky and unpredictable Uranus. Kate likes to be different and original and is likely to have a very special sense of humour and style. Her designer-friendly appearance has already found ample admiration, at some point much to her own annoyance. The temporary separation between her and the man she now intends to spend the rest of her life with fits this pattern as perfectly as the subsequent reunion. Let’s hope that she will have ample opportunity to express her independence within her married life!

Prince William was born on June 21, 1982, at 21:03 BST in London, UK. (Click here to view chart.) As the eldest son of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, he is second in line to the English throne.

Astrologically, he is very much his famous mother’s son. They shared the Sun sign Cancer, the late Sagittarius Ascendant and, almost to the degree, the same position of Venus in Taurus, in the house of creation, re-creation and procreation.

But whereas Lady Diana was never to be queen, Prince William so far walks steadily towards the throne. He was born with the Sun at 0 degress Cancer, at sunset on Solstice Day, a powerful degree. According to the ancient legends, this is the time when the Holly King takes over the rule of the land for the coming half year. This is the moment of the Sun being at its highest, its most direct and powerful. With his birth linked to this potent place, ancient legends would make William into a king with special powers regarding the land and its people, shining like the sun at midday, a good and well-loved leader. With Jupiter on the Midheaven supporting the Sun by Trine, he seems to be born for both his positions, as Prince Charming and as future king of England.

In addition, collective lover Neptune on the ascendant gives William the power to appear all things to all people, who will likely shower him with sympathy and goodwill in return. Once again, that’s a best case scenario. Since Jupiter is also the ruler of William’s twelfth house of self-undoing, it is not unthinkable that he might refuse the crown or abdicate eventually.

How his shy Cancerian soul deals with the divide between private and public persona is a completely different matter. With so much emphasis on the seventh house of partnerships and the “other-orientated” sign of Libra, William will likely turn to his partner and try to make the best of it. He will need overall sharing, intellectual feedback and emotional nurturing. In the next part, we shall see how this might work between him and his future bride.

Helene

Helene Schnitzer is an astrologer living in Glastonbury, England. Her specialities include Traditional, Horary and Hellenistic Astrology, and Astro*Carto*Graphy. Click HERE to read her full bio.

You can also find more information on her website, Trans-It! AstroLogistics.

Julian Assange: The Man Behind WikiLeaks

With his extradition hearing coming up next week, Julian Assange is the subject of today’s guest post by Helene. ~Pat

Julian Assange hardly needs an introduction. Pictures and stories about “The Man behind WikiLeaks” appear on the web, in newspapers, and in national news around the globe.

I will not attempt to unravel his whole life’s story here, like the turmoil of his childhood or his failed marriage. I will concentrate on the context of recent events. Can astrology help us understand what’s happening to him? Are his motives as pure as the snow that Arctic winds are driving past my window right now? Or is Julian Assange an unscrupulous international terrorist? Some interested parties certainly would like us to believe that. I have yet to hear him being called a devil, but then – the label “terrorist” pretty much fits that description, doesn’t it?

Well, let’s start at the beginning. Julian Assange reportedly was born on 3 July 1971, 14:05, in Townsville, Australia (view chart here). This birth time, from a source who contacted The Mountain Astrologer, is only one of several that have been published, but appears to be the most reliable.

Sun and Moon are well connected, which is usually at the basis of a well-integrated personality. The ninth-house Sun points to publishing and foreign countries. This is someone who wants to know what’s going on in the world and who is looking for the bigger picture. Someone like this is usually interested in philosophies, universal belief systems, international relations and politics, to name but a few.

Also – and I bet most of you didn’t know that – in the ninth house the Sun is in its joy, Here, it can happily shine straight from the heart and be the teacher, leader, peacemaker. This area is traditionally called the House of God – read “the Divine” if you wish – and people with this placement often feel their work and their very existence are steered by a higher power meaning to affect large groups of their fellow human beings.

Assange likely wants to share his accumulated knowledge with the family of mankind, a very Cancerian approach. In doing so, he doesn’t mind shocking the recipients of his information, because he is marching to his own drummer and feels driven by a force that is bigger than the individual. The square aspect between Sun and Uranus indicates a multitude of innovative ideas that lead him to act in unexpected, challenging and rebellious ways – and to get himself into trouble doing so.

With Uranus in the eleventh house, these actions likely involve or affect large groups of people, directed at social reform as they are. And last but certainly not least, Uranus is the planet that signifies modern technology, computers and the internet!

Meanwhile, eighth-house Venus in Gemini loves factual knowledge and the power that comes with it, not to mention a good gossip. And if knowledge is power, secret knowledge is even more so! Or, vice versa, secret knowledge revealed may topple unjust powers that be. As we all know by now, Mr. Assange has whole-heartedly embraced that approach.

But that doesn’t mean Assange can’t keep a secret! His Scorpio Moon and the Scorpio Ascendant speak of secrecy and self-sacrifice. Both find secrets interesting and both are capable of keeping them forever. Under this strong influence of highly sensitive Scorpio, we also see a man whose “gut-feelings” may reveal future developments to him long before they actually arrive. Impersonal feelings could be at the basis of his outlook and his actions. This could be the love of truth or compassion for every living being or, conversely, a deep-rooted negativity or fear. Whichever may be the case, the Scorpio Moon forms a tense and active connection with Assange’s Leo Midheaven; there has always been the potential that this man would one day become famous for revealing secret information. This is also a signature for powerful “secret enemies” who can make his public life rather difficult – QED.

Assange’s chart ruler is Mars, situated in the fixed air sign Aquarius in the fourth house. It shows us a man whose actions are determined by carefully applied, logical thinking. The fourth house relates to home and family, and the Ascendant ruler in this position indicates a rather private person. Since Mars also rules the sixth house, this person could be working from home. But here, Mars also forms a tense connection with the Ascendant and indicates an inner controversy between private leanings and public duties, which is further documented by Assange’s first house planets.

With magnanimous Jupiter in the first house, one just isn’t “private,” but often has to fulfill the role of teacher or mentor for others in some way. Jupiter in the first house wants to be seen! Especially with sensitive, compassionate and collective Neptune close by, there is a potential to become a teacher and saviour to the masses. But Neptune often indicates a victim/saviour pattern that can work both ways. One of his biographers recalls from personal experience that Assange “creates an atmosphere around him where the people close to him want to help keep him going” and puts this down to Assange’s charisma. See here first-house Jupiter/Neptune at work!

Interestingly, this latter conjunction is in opposition to natal Saturn. Situated in Gemini and ruling Assange’s third house of communication, this Saturn strongly indicates struggle and conflict around being a “savior” and spreading news. In the seventh house, it promises that Assange’s communications can evoke strong open enmity and even lead to legal consequences – again, QED.

Please note that the Jupiter/Saturn opposition is part of the 30-year cycle between these two planets. Collectively, this cycle describes global economic and political developments. If an individual has one of the pivotal points of this cycle (the conjunction, the square or the opposition) emphasized in their natal horoscope, their life will be strongly affected by it, or he or she will even be involved in shaping related events.

In Part II, we’ll have a look at transits to his natal chart as events unfolded, and I’ll have some predictions for Assange’s extradition hearing scheduled for February 7 and 8.

Helene

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