^True

Crime

Astrology

Famous

Murders

and

Suicides

Edna Rowland
 Uncover the Mystery!

WHAT WAS AT THE ROOT OF TED BUNDY'S

ADDICTION TO KILLING?

HOW ARE THE MURDERS OF JOHN LENNON

AND JOHN R KENNEDY SIMILAR?

WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT

MARILYN MONROE'S DEATH?

DID "FATAL VISION" MURDERER

DR. JEFFREY MACDONALD SLAY HIS
PREGNANT WIFE AND TWO DAUGHTERS?

True Crime Astrology sheds light on these and other

compelling riddles by examining each homicide or suicide
from an astrological point of view. You'll gain penetrating
insight into each case and examine hidden and psychological
motivations that may help to explain these atrocious crimes.

Edna Rowland (Louisiana) has written for Dell Horoscope

magazine since 1966. She is the co-author of the book
Destined for Murder and is a member of the American
Federation of Astrologers.
About the Author
Edna Rowland is a professional astrologer, writer, and teacher. She lives
with her husbandjohn H. Rowland in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she
has had a professional practice for over twenty years.
Her previous book. Destined/or Murder, with co-author Sandra H.
Young, was published in 1995 by Llewellyn Publications. How to Obtain
Your Birth Certificate: With Ready-To-Use Forms, was published in iggoby
American Federation of Astrologers, Inc. She is a frequent contributor to
many periodicals including CAO Times, Dell's Horoscope, AFA Bulletin and
American Astrology.
Edna's credentials include professional-level certification through the
American Federation of Astrologers, the New York Astrologer's Guild of
America, and the California Church of Light. She is the recipient of the
1990 annual PAI award for her outstanding contribution to the art and sci-
ence of astrology.
About the Book

True Crime Astrology focuses an astrological lens on some

of contemporary America's most famous homicides and
suicide cases. Author Edna Rowland takes the reader deep
inside the personality and motivations of the perpetrators
and victims of the most irrevocable crime—the taking of alife.
This book, through its detailed analysis of people, events,
and horoscopes, addresses the question that most people
really want answered—WHY? What inner forces could
bring people to lash out in such savage or cold-blooded
vengeance? What part might victims unwittingly play in
their own demise? How do people, events, and circumstances
combine and result in such tragedy?
Prepare to enter a world of lives gone wrong, and lives
lost too soon. True Crime Astrology is a fascinating look into
the dark world of the killer, and the tragic fate of the victim.
Rowland uses the tools of astrology to take the reader into
the realm of the true detective—the story behind the crime.

'"This attention-getting presentation just proves that there is

nothing in the world that astrology cannot clarify."
—Doris Chase Doane, President
American Federation of Astrologers
Acknowledgements

The author is indebted to Julia A. Wagner of Dell's Horoscope magazine

for permission to quote from and reprint the following article by Edna
Rowland in book format:
"Suicide: The Last Choice." Reprinted by permission from Horoscope
October, 1974..Dell Publishing Co., Inc.
I am also indebted to Kenneth Irving of American Astrology magazine for
permission to reprint the following articles by Edna Rowland:
"Who Was the 'Fatal Vision Murderer?" Reprinted by pemission from
American Astrology, November, 1986. American Astrology, Inc.
"Murder Unmasked—The Many Faces of Ted Bundy." Reprinted by per-
mission from American Astrology, September 1987. American Astrology, Inc.
All of these articles have been revised and edited, and all other material
in this book (with the exception of the above) is completely new and un-
published.
Other Books by the Author

How to Obtain Your Birth Certificate: WithReady-To-Use Forms

(American Federation of Astrologers, Inc. CCS, 1990)

Destined for Murder: Profiles of Six Serial Killers

(with Sandra Harrison Young, 1995)

Articles by the Author

"Suicide—The Last Choice" (1974)

Dell Publishing Co., Inc/Horoscope

"Who Was the Fatal Vision Murderer?" (1986)

American Astrology, Inc. (American Astrology

"Murder Unmasked—The Many Faces of Ted Bundy" (1987)

American Astrology, Inc/American Astrology

"OJ. and Nicole: An Astrological Profile" (1995)

JBH Publishing Co./Psychic Astrology Predictions; Annual Forecasts

"The Moon and Crime" (1996)

Llewellyn Publications/Llewellyn's iggSMoon Sign Book
Table of Contents

Preface xi
An Introduction to Astrology xix

PART i: Homicide

1. The Diane Downs Murder Case

A Woman Who Shot Her Children 3

2. Who Was the "Fatal Vision" Murderer?

New Insights into the Jef&ey MacDonald Murder Case 19

3. Richard Speck
Mass Murderer of Eight Nurses 31

4. The Assassination of John Lennon 45

5. Murder Unmasked
The Many Faces of Ted Bundy 57
6. The Last Ride
A Hitchhiker Who Was Almost Murdered 71

7. The Bid of an Affair

Dr. Tamowcr's Last Supper 87

PART 11: The Link Between Suicide and Homicide

8. Suicide
The Last Choice 105

9. Was Marilyn Monroe's Death Suicide or Murder? 119

10. The life and Death of Sylvia Plath *35

Appendix 1. Midpoints Associated with Violence or Homicide , . 151

Appendix z. Seven Special-Interest Arabic Parts ,155

Glossary ^57
Bibliography 175
Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different
aspects of the same state.—M.Gandhi
 Preface

Why pick a morbid subject like murder and

crime to write about? I'll let my favorite

true crime author, Colin Wilson, answer that ques-

tion. In his new book, Written in Blood, the author

says simply: "The problem of crime is the problem of

human existence." I think that sums it up pretty well.

 So, why did I write this book? My natal Ascendant ruler, Venus, is in
Scorpio, the sign of the detective. The psychological motivation behind
crimes of murder, and tragedies like suicide, has always intrigued me. As
an adolescent, I preferred Sherlock Holmes mysteries to romance novels.
Now, I am an avid reader of mysteries written by experts like Jack Olsen,
Joe McGinniss, Shana Alexander, Ann Rule, Margaret Yorke, and others.
Being a Sagittarian, I'm supposed to be an eternal optimist, but I admit
a Pollyanna approach to astrology simply doesn't work when describing
or looking at violent crimes like murder or rape. In this book, however,
I'm not describing bloody, gory crimes right out of American Detective, so
you'll have to look elsewhere if that's what you want to read! All the
crimes described here really happened, but as you've probably already
guessed from the title. True Crime Astrology: Famous Murders and Suicides,
this is a book about true crime with an accent on astrology.
Whether to sell more magazines, or just keep abreast of the current
trends, most national astrology magazines, such as American Astrology and
Dell's Horoscope, have already bravely ventured into the true crime arena.
Articles of this type are flooding the market. Sun signs are "out" and true
crime stories are "in." As a freelance writer, I've contributed feature sto-
ries on crime for both of these well-known astrology magazines.
Although at times I may sound somewhat like an amateur detective,
my intention is not to catch criminals or make predictions. Rather, I'm at-
tempting to look at some of the frequently overlooked "whys" and
"wherefores" that often surround violent crimes. Inmost of the illustrat-
ed case histories collected here, the facts have already been reported and
the criminals punished. The events have already occurred. As an astrolo-
gy writer, I'm simply examining hidden or psychological motivations be-
hind a few carefully selected crimes with the help of astrological tech-
niques. However, the traditional journalistic who, what, where, when, and
how of these stories have not been neglected.
This book contains a collection of true crime data on men and women
who were motivated to kill. They have for one reason or another decided
to break the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Many of these crimes
were selected because they were so out-of-the-ordinary. I've tried to avoid
being judgmental, and I'm not trying to change history. I'm just looking
at crimes of violence from a different perspective: through the eyes of an
astrologer. When the facts have been assembled and birth charts analyzed
by astrology, further investigation may reveal hidden motivations that
may or may not have been overlooked by our justice system in the process
of bringing these criminals to trial, and hopefully, to conviction.
A few cases, like Marilyn Monroe's death, for example, tend to remain
shrouded in mystery. Was her death suicide or murder? We may never
know for sure, but it's intriguing to examine her birth chart, and some lit-
tle-known events surrounding her death, in an attempt to look at facts
from the astrological perspective. In analyzing or delineating charts of vic-
tims or criminals, I use transits and secondary progressions. I also occa-
sionally employ some special techniques, such as prenatal eclipses and the
prenatal epoch.
During the past twenty years of my career as a writer and professional
astrologer, I've devoted many years of study and research to the subject of
rape, murder, suicide, and accidents. I've tried to make the information
presented here entertaining and informative to crime buffs and astrologers
alike. For the sake of readers who may know little or nothing about as-
trological signs and symbols, I've included an introduction with some
graphic tables. Readers already familiar with astrology may prefer to skip
this introduction, but may, nevertheless, find the illustrated tables or key-
words contained in the first chapter helpful for clarifying the particular
meanings attributed to various planets and houses.
Astrologers will notice that I've placed special emphasis on the angles,
especially the frequently neglected 4th house angle or cusp. Unfortu-
nately, the 4th house angle has often been viewed or discarded as some-
what "taboo" because of the association with death and (horary) endings,
but it is much too important to neglect.
I want to make it clear, however, that I view all the angles (the four an-
gular houses and their cusps) as equally important. The angular houses
are the ist, 4th, 7th, and roth. Most readers are probably already famil-
iar with the Ascendant and Midheaven, terms astrologers use to refer to
the cusps of the island loth houses. The terms "I.C." and "Descendant"
may be less familiar; they refer to the 4th and 7th house cusps.
The "Cross" refers to the four-fold division of the circle or tropical zo-
diac into four seasons, four diumal quadrants, four angles, etc. In gener-
al, the horizontal angles symbolize life, the vertical angles death. The
cross is sometimes called the tree of life (and death).
Now that Michel Gauquelins research in statistical analysis has refo-
cused astrologers' attention on the importance of the angles (and their
overlapping into cadent houses), most modern computer software pro-
grams offer aids for calculating Gauquelin sectors, which brings us to the
big question of house systems; Which is the correct one? This is still a
controversial question among astrologers. I prefer the Placidus house sys-
tem, but I don't claim that it's the only valid system. One house system
doesn't necessarily disprove another.
Nevertheless, all illustrated charts or horoscopes in this book are erected
for the geocentric tropical or seasonal zodiac, and utilize Placidean houses.
Wherever possible, sources of birth data have been cited. Although I use
timed birth charts from birth certificates and have verified birth data wher-
ever possible, some little-known rectification techniques have been em-
ployed where feasible. A brief explanation of these three rectification tech-
niques for unknown birth times follows:

Prenatal Epoch: This rectification method should be used only when the
birth time is known within one hour of accuracy, or the date ol probable
conception/ovulation is known. This method utilizes the horizontal an-
gles of the natal chart (the Ascendant and Descendant). These angles ex-
change places with the Moon approximately nine months previous to
birth, according to the Moon's phase at birth and whether it falls above or
below the horizon. If E. H. Bailey's rules on the Prenatal Epoch are fol-
lowed, there's also a gender factor to be considered, since the epoch may
be either male or female.
The Moon, ruler of the fourth zodiacal sign, Cancer, mles motherhood
and childbirth. The Moon's place at the epoch exchanges places with the
natal Ascendant or Descendant. The resulting epoch chart can be pro-
gressed just like a natal chart. An example of this method of rectification
(where the date of conception is known) can be found in Chapter I.

Time-of-DeatK Formula: This is an an effective rectification method that

can be used even if the birth time is completely unknown. However, this
method can be used properly only when the time of death has been accu-
rately recorded or a timed death certificate is available.
It has been observed that the angles of the death chart are often linked
with, or interchange with, the signs or angles of the birth chart, especial-
ly the vertical angles. I haven't done lengthy or extensive statistical re-
search on this phenomenon, but some examples are outlined here, and
I've provided charts illustrating all four of the rules stated here. There are
exceptions to the rules, but I feel that further research with a larger num-
ber of charts might prove rewarding.
Astrologer Jeannette Glenn, director of Western States Astrology Re-
search Group (WSA), focused my attention on the concept of using the
death chart for rectification purposes, and I gradually developed my own
methods. As a registered nurse, Glenn has observed this angle-related
phenomenon among dying patients, and although we agree on the basic
importance of the death chart, we differ greatly in our methods of the ap-
plication of these rules.
Utilizing this time-of-death formula for rectification purposes has one
obvious disadvantage; namely, it can be used only after the individual is de-
ceased. For this study of murder and suicide victims, however, I was anx-
ious to test it.
In a chapter on rectification in her book Astrology: Old Theme, New
Thoughts, Joan McEvers illustrates her own version of this little-known
time-of-death method with Ira Gershwin's birth and death. Natal or tran-
siting Pluto is often found in or near one of the cusps of the angular hous-
es in precisely timed death charts, as illustrated clearly in Gershwin's
chart and by Ted Bundy's death chart in Chapter 5 of this book.
To use this method, a chart for transits at the time of death should
be erected and compared to the natal chart. Although the exact formu-
la for this exchange of angles is still being researched, some preliminary
rules have been formulated. The natal 4th house angle or sign, signi-
fying endings, frequently becomes the ist house sign or Ascendant of
the death chart when death is from natural causes and/or occurs close
to the home. The Ascendant signifies the body and physical effects of
death on the individual. Since most people die from natural causes or
illness in old age, this is a common occurrence. (For example, see Dr.
Herman Tarnower's story in Chapter 7; he was killed in the bedroom
of his own home.)
• The natal 4th house angle usually becomes the loth
house (public fame and fortune) sign on the angle of the
death chart when death is by homicide or public execu-
tion. The death of a notorious criminal or famous per-
son is often announced by the media, accompanied by
extensive publicity. (For example, see Ted Bundys pre-
cisely timed execution chart in Chapter 5).
• When the natal 4th house angle interchanges with the
public 7th house angle of the death chart, a spouse or
business partner may be involved in the death. The 7th
is a public, not private, house, so death can be by assas-
sination by public or open enemies, or homicide. (For
example, see Marilyn Monroe's death in Chapter 9.)
• When an individual commits suicide, the signs and
cusps of the death chart may closely resemble the birth
chart pattern or "repeat" the natal angles (almost to the
degree). Since suicide usually requires a certain amount
of secrecy, the 4th house cusp (a private matter) appears
to remain fixed in time. There may also be significant
progressed aspects to the ruler of the 12th house of se-
crets, and its occupants. Close duplication of the natal
Ascendant sign in the event chart of death—the mirror
effect—usually indicates that death was self-inflicted.
Those who believe in reincarnation, or karma, may
speculate as to whether this suggests that the individual
may be required to repeat this incarnation. (For exam-
ple, Sylvia Plath's suicide; see Chapter 10).

Rectification by Events: Last, but not least, I've used this traditional
and reliable rectification method of checking a natal chart by looking at
several important events such as marriage, divorce, surgery, a parent's
death, etc. For example, Marilyn Monroe's chart has been carefully
checked by transits and secondary progressions to her natal chart for
three consecutive events—her three marriages. Before acceptance, all
rectified or speculative birth charts (and epoch charts as well) should be
required to pass this final test.
The exchange of angles and their duplication at the time of birth or
death may have been going on under our noses for a long, long time. It's
not a new phenomenon, but as astrologers, our obsession with planets
and their zodiacal sign positions may have obscured our vision.
Until we examine this phenomenon more closely, we shouldn't discard
the houses or diminish their significance.Instead, perhaps we should take
a much closer look at them. There may still be much to learn by explor-
ing new methods and extending our perspective.
Edna Rowland
Baton Rouge, LA
 Introduction

to Astrology

Uranus rules astrology. It is the planet that

has been assigned to astrologers. It also

rules the principle of individuation—the drive to at-

tain the freedom to be oneself. Sometimes freedom

can be attained only by revolution. Uranus is a rebel.

 Uranus takes about eighty-four years to move through its orbit. It was
in Aquarius, its native sign, from 1912 until 1919. At that time, interest
in astrology greatly increased. In the United States, Evangeline Adams be-
came a popular astrological speaker and consultant. In England, Alan Leo
brought the subject to the attention of the public with his books and pub-
lications. This transit repeats itself from 1996 until 2003, and thethree
Uranus/Neptune conjunctions in 1993 helped to prepare us for this event
by gradually accelerating our evolutionary pace.
Due to the precession of the equinoxes, we arc now in a stage of tran-
sition between the ages of Pisces and Aquarius. Neptune, ruler of Pisces,
and Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, must meet and pave the way for the com-
ing New Age which is almost upon us. Computers have already revolu-
tionized the way astrologers approach their trade. Computers are ruled by
Uranus (electricity) as well as by Mercury. Now that astrology software
is readily available, few astrologers erect charts by hand any longer. Re-
search on astrological techniques has also speeded up and astrologers now
have access to large databanks and electronic bulletin boards. As a result,
astrologers, as a group, are generally becoming more professional and
more research-oriented than ever before.
Astrologers measure cycles between birth and death by different meth-
ods or techniques. Transits and progressions to natal planets are the usual
methods of measurement, although they are by no means the only ones.
Using the transit method, the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets
on a particular day and time are noted and compared to their positions at
the moment of an individual's birth. Transits tend to be more environ-
mental than individualistic, since they apply to everyone.
In contrast, progressions are like the unfolding, or growth, in slow mo-
tion, of the inherent potentials or characteristics of an individual. The sec-
ondary progression, which I use throughout this book, is one of the most
popular systems used by modem astrologers to plot events and map psy-
chological development. Progressions are closely tied to the individual's
age and designate their inner growth or development. This method uti-
lizes a simple formula called a day for a year. Each day after birth is equiv-
alent to one year in that individual's life. For instance, to do a progression
for a twenty-year-old person, the astrologer would cast a chart for twenty
days after the date of birth. The positions of the progressed planets on that
date, and aspects to natal planets, symbolize conditions that will most like-
ly be met during the particular time in question. Using this method, past
events as well as future events can be viewed while using the natal chart as
a constant or fixed present factor. I use the Sun's longitude (or solar arc) to
progress the MC. With this simple method, the Sun's natal longitude is sub-
tracted from the Sun's progressed longitude, and the sum is then added to the
natal MC.
As our awareness or consciousness expands and grows, so can we de-
cide of our own free will either to fully participate in the objective universe
around us or withdraw into the security of our own subjective inner world.
In astrology, this is symbolized by the fixed horizon line that divides the
horoscope into two parts—upper and lower, or day and night. This hori-
zon defines the boundary between our public and private lives.
Astrology affirms and confirms the continuing relationship of the
Earth to the other eight planets, as well as to the Sun and Moon. Astrol-
ogy acknowledges, or attempts to prove, the ongoing relationship between
planets and human beings. Astronomy, while painstakingly measuring
and recording planetary positions and the planets' changing patterns or
orbits, continues to deny any relationship or observed effects between
planetary motions and human behavior,

Understanding the Signs of the Zodiac

Keeping these differences in mind, let's examine some of the precepts and
principles of tropical or geocentric astrology.
The ecliptic is the Sun's apparent path around the Earth. This circle of
360 degrees is called the zodiac and is divided into segments (signs) of 30
degrees each. This is called the seasonal or Tropical Zodiac, which begins
with 0° Aries, corresponding to the first day of Spring.
Aries, Taurus, and Gemini are the Spring signs; Cancer, Leo, and Virgo
are the Summer signs; Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius are the Fall signs; and
Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, the Winter signs. This is the order of the
signs and seasons in the northern hemisphere; the order is reversed in the
southern hemisphere, where the first day of Spring occurs at o0 Libra.
Table I provides the names and symbols of the signs of the zodiac, as
&
Table i: Signs, Symbols, and Keywords

gn Planetary Ruling
Signs Symbols Keywords Planets Symbols

I. Aries T Action Mars CT

a_> Aggression

cu 2. Taurus a Love Venus/ 9

Pleasure Transpluto S

3- Gemini □ Mind Mercury $

Communication

4- Cancer Feelings Moon D

Instincts

5- Leo •a Consciousness Sun O

Ego

6. Virgo Mind Mercury 5

Analysis

7 Libra — Love Venus 9

Artistry

8. Scorpio % Aggression Mars/ cT

Transformation Pluto 9

9- Sagittarius s Growth Jupiter

Expansion

IO. Capricorn V3 Authority Saturn h

Restriction

II. Aquarius •vw

•vw Authority Saturn/ h
Freedom Uranus w
12. Pisces Expansion Jupiter/
Sacrifice Neptune
well as the names and symbols of the planets that rule each sign (ruling
planets). Note that some signs have more than one ruler.
In addition to the traditional planetary symbols listed in Table T, oth-
er symbols are also used in this book. For example, the asteroid Chiron,
discovered between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus, is indicated by the
symbol (^), and the hypothetical, undiscovered planet, Transpluto, also
known as Bacchus, by the symbol (§). Other sensitive points referred to
in this book are the Vertex (Vx), the Anti-Vertex (Ax), the Equatorial As-
cendant or East Point (EP), and the Prenatal Eclipse (PE).

Eclipses and Why They Are So Important

The Moon's Nodes are two points opposite each other where the Moon
crosses the ecliptic. These two points are called the North Node (cQ,) and
the South Node Whenever the Earth, Moon, and Sun are transit-
ing close to the Moon's Nodes, an eclipse can occur; therefore, these are
sensitive points in the horoscope. Considered as an astronomical event,
an eclipse is temporary, lasting only a short time; however, astrologically
its effects may last for years or even decades. Most astrologers agree that
the effects of a solar eclipse last longer than a lunar eclipse, probably about
one year. Solar eclipses can occur only at a New Moon.
A prenatal eclipse (PE) is a solar eclipse occurring before birth; this is a
sensitive point and, according to Rose Lineman in her book Your Prenatal
Eclipse, denotes the karma of past relationships.
The nodes, which move backward through the zodiac, complete their
cycle approximately every eighteen to nineteen years, and it is at this time
that the Sun, Moon, and lunar nodes repeat their same relative positions.
Eclipses that occur following the completion of a nodal cycle tend to re-
peat themselves in nearly the same order.
Revolutions, wars, and other types of disasters tend to occur whenev-
er planets cross important "sensitive points" in recent eclipse charts.
Take, for example, the beginning of the war with Iraq in T991. President
Bush made the announcement about the war on television at 7:00 PM.
EST from Washington, D.C. on January 16, 1991. An annual solar
eclipse (New Moon at 25° 20' Capricorn) took place just twenty-four
 hours earlier, on January 15, 1991, at 6:50 PM. EST. On July 20, 1963,
an eclipse fell on President John F. Kennedy's natal 4th house ruler, Sat-
urn, at 27° Cancer; he was assassinated on November 20, 1963, when the
transiting Sun was at 27° Scorpio.

Understanding the Twelve Houses

The zodiac is divided into twelve segments called houses, with the bound-
ary line of each house called the cusp. The 4 th house cusp, at the bottom
of achart, is the Midnight point, marking the beginning and ending of the
day. The degrees of longitude on the opposite 10th house cusp, or Mid-
heaven, change approximately every four minutes, making one complete
cycle through the 360 degrees of the zodiac every day.
The Ascendant, or rising sign, on the isthouse cusp, is determined by
the time of birth as well as by the latitude and longitude of the birthplace.
To calculate a natal chart or horoscope for an individual and determine the
exact positions of the planets, an astrologer must know the correct time
and date of birth, and the birthplace. Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries,
Taurus, and Gemini are known as the signs of short ascension. They
move fastest through the Ascendant, but a new sign passes through the
Midheaven or MC approximately every two hours. This is why the time
is such an important factor in determining the exact degree of the rising
sign or Ascendant. Signs move through the houses, not vice versa; the
houses are constant and do not move. In contrast to the signs, which de-
scribe innate characteristics of human personality, houses denote differ-
ent departments of life and govern outer circumstances or environment.
Table 2 provides a general guide to the departments of life that each
house rules or governs.

The Planets-What They Mean

Aside from the Earth, there are eight known planets, in addition to the
Sun and Moon (luminaries), which traverse or transit the zodiacal signs
and houses, resulting in changing circumstances as they aspect, or come
in contact with, the natal planets. The planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, andPluto. For convenience, astrologers
often refer to the Sun and Moon as "planets," although it is understood
 Table 2: The Influence of the Houses

House Departments of Life

ist Outer personality; physical body, personal appearance.
2nd Finances; your earnings and values; other people's death.
3rd Siblings; neighbors; short term travel; early schooling or
education.
4th Home; heritage; the father (in female chart); the mother
(in male chart); old age; end of life.
5th Children; love affairs; creativity; speculation; gambling.
6th Health; diet; employment; co-workers; military service;
servants.
Marriage or business partners; litigation and legal judg-
ments; open enemies; public opinion.
8th Death; inheritance; insurance; major surgery; sex; taxes;
other people's money.
9th Religious beliefs and ethics; legalities; higher education
(college); publishing; long trips.
10th Profession; your employer or boss; fame; reputation; the
mother (female chart); the father (male chart).
nth Friendships; clubs and group activities; adoption; hopes
and wishes; the partner's children (step-children).
i^th Secret enemies; family secrets; the past before birth;
hospitalization or imprisonment; hidden addictions and
vices; self-undoing or self-destruction (suicide).

by all that the Moon is a satellite and the Sun is a star. Uranus, Neptune,
and Pluto are often referred to as "outer" planets because of their distance
from the Sun, and the fact that they move so slowly. The other five plan-
ets are called inner planets.
 Planets are classified according to their speed or motion. Some of them,
like the Moon, traverse the entire zodiac within one month, whereas the
Sun completes the round of the zodiac within one year. The outer planet
Uranus takes about seven years to travel throughout one sign, whereas
the inner planet Jupiter requires only one year to traverse a single sign.
Their influences differ not only because of speed, but because of the plan-
et's assigned rulership of certain signs, and planetary placements in indi-
vidual horoscopes. Astrologers assign certain characteristics, or mean-
ings, to each planet, commonly called "keywords," and may divide planets
into classifications such as masculine or feminine. Planets also have cer-
tain dignities and debilities, or strengths and weaknesses, according to
their placement in particular signs or houses.
When interpreting a natal chart, the Ascendant sign ruler, or chart
ruler, as well as the Sun and Moon sign ruler(s), are usually given greater
importance or emphasis. Angular planets, and those forming a "stellium"
(three or more planets within the same sign or house), are also given dom-
inant status; angular planets are those occupying the ist, 4th, 7th, and
roth houses. A culminating planet is a planet reaching the highest point
in the sky, and usually refers to a planet residing within the loth house,
or near the cusp of the Midheaven (MC).

Understanding the Aspects Between Planets

Aspects, or relationships between the planets, also determine the influence
of the planets. Analysis of a chart depends to a great extent on the study
of aspects, or the distance between two planets as measured by degrees of
longitude. Orbs are allowed, so aspects need not be exact. An average five-
to eight-degree orb is allowed for natal aspects, but sometimes as much as
ten degrees is allowed for aspects involving the Sun or Moon. Some as-
pects, such as the semisextile, inconjunct, semisquare, or sesquiquadrate,
require a much smaller orb.
Contemporary astrologers tend to differ on the subject of allowed orbs,
butmostastrologers generally agree thatprogrewed aspects require a small
orb of only one degree on either side of an exact aspect. Aspects may be
either applying or separating from a particular degree, but exact or apply-
ing aspects are usually given more importance. Table 3 lists the most
 Table 3: Orbs ofAspects

Aspects Distance in Longitude Orbs

Conjunction 0° Longitude IO-12°
Semisextile 30° Longitude I'20
Semisquare 45° Longitude 2-4°
Sextile 60 0 Longitude 7-8°
Square 90° Longitude 7-8°
Trine 120° Longitude 7-8°
Sesquiquadrate 135° Longitude i'4°
Inconjunct 150° Longitude i-4°
Opposition 180 0 Longitude 7-8°
Parallel 0° Declination 0-1°

Orbs: 8° orb allowed for transits/natal; 10° for conjunctions, and

T2° for aspects involving the Sun or Moon. But allow only 1° orb
applying or separating for all progressions.

commonly used aspects with their customary orbs.

Some aspects are called soft aspects. These are the trines (120°), sex-
tiles (600], semisextiles (300], and conjunctions (00) of benefic planets
like Venus and Jupiter. Conjunctions between malefic planets like Mars
and Saturn, for instance, and aspects such as oppositions (180°), squares
(go0), semisquares (450), and sesquiquadrates (135°) are hard aspects.
Affliction is a commonly used term to denote a planet or midpoint that re-
ceives difficult or hard aspects from other planets, especially malefics, or
is in conjunction with malefics. The term "affliction" is used by as-
trologers mainly for convenience in describing patterns, midpoints, or as-
pects denoting particularly stressful or troublesome areas in a chart. How-
ever, no chart is good or bad just because it contains a surplus of
predominantly soft or hard aspects. The whole chart must be examined
carefully in its entirety before making judgments. Whether the chart be-
longs to a male or female must also be considered, as must the person's
age, and environmental or genetic factors. Most charts contain a large
number of both types of aspects.
One possible effect of a large number of hard aspects is to make a per-
son overly aggressive or even violent, especially when the individual fails
to channel the inevitable stresses. In some cases, they may only result in
a workaholic or an overly ambitious individual who may be troubled with
ulcers, depression, or other symptoms of prolonged stress. Positive indi-
viduals who learn to handle stress and sublimate their negative emotions
may attain success by rising to the challenge of their hard aspects. A
stressful T-Cross or Grand Square pattern may even bestow the neces-
sary drive to succeed where others have failed.
The rare chart without any hard aspects may belong to a person who
has never learned to meet challenges. This person could eventually be-
come too dependent or passive to cope with the daily problems of life.
Thus, although soft aspects are considered less stressful and more har-
monious, a chart with too many soft aspects may be the signature of a per-
son who is passive, weak, or simply lazy and permissive. Maybe this is
why the ancients considered the Grand Trine an affliction rather than a
blessing.
Although contemporary astrologers feel that favorable soft aspects al-
low a greater probability of integration, most will agree that hard aspects
are often needed to activate a person into overcoming personal problems
or conditioning, and improving environmental conditions. "No pain, no
gain," as the saying goes. Again, everything depends on the individual and
how he or she learns to meet and overcome challenges, or compensate for
them. Thus, the ideal chart is one with a balanced combination of both
soft and hard aspects.
Aspects represent the potential energies available to an individual,
which may be utilized positively or negatively according to the person's
free will and ability to make proper choices. Some individuals succeed de-
spite formidable obstacles. I've observed that criminals, and those in law
enforcement occupations such as police officers and detectives, frequent-
ly have similar aspects, but obviously they tend to use these energies dif-
ferently. As can be expected, the masculine, violent planets Mars and Plu-
to are often accented; private detectives and spies, on the other hand,
often have the feminine ESP planet Neptune heavily aspected or in the
12th house. For example, Stephen King, the horror writer, has a harsh
Satum/Pluto conjunction in his tsthouse that trines his MC.
Individuals vary greatly in their abilities and talents. It's to be expected
that while some predominantly Cardinal sign individuals may make an ef-
fort to change or overcome a difficult environment, Mutable sign individ-
uals may prefer to adjust to the environment, or leave it, rather than make
an effort to change it, while Fixed sign people most often dig in and rely
on the power of persistence, as they tend to make the most of the situa-
tion at hand.
However, our modem world does give individuals more choices and cf-
fer more mobility. No doubt this is one reason relocational astrology has
become an increasingly popular technique, since it recognizes the fact
that the birthplace is no longer an absolutely fixed factor in the art of
horoscopy. Our ancestors often lived and died close to their birthplace, so
this may be why the birthplace was considered a permanent factor. In our
modem, rapidly changing world, this is no longertrue or necessary. As we
become more and more mobile, our charts should reflect this fact.

Hie 4th House of Endings and Early Childhood Conditioning

O/all the angles of the birth chart, the 4th house is the most neglected
and forgotten, and probably the most misunderstood of the four angular
houses. Is this because it is also the house of endings, including death, the
end of life? Human beings, astrologers included, tend to ignore death and
the inevitable; modem society tends to encourage this attitude.
Through the efforts of a few brave pioneers such as Swiss psychiatrist
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who interviewed dying people and investigated
the cultural taboos surrounding death in her book On Death and Dying
(and has a typical Sun/Pluto conjunction, squared by Mars), and Robert
Veatch, author of Death, Dying, and the Biological Revolution, the word
death is respectable, or at least mentionable, again. Nevertheless, the
word continues to evoke fear. Ethically, modem astrologers frown upon
predictions of death, so some tend to conveniently ignore the 4th house.
It seems safer that way, but this doesn't lessen its significance.
Nicholas DcVbrc in his Encyclopedia of Astrology calls the 4 th cusp "the
degree of Integration," stating that "although it is the weakest of the four
Angles, it nevertheless exercises a decisive influence throughout the en-
tire Figure." I tend to agree with the last part of this statement while dis-
agreeing with the first part. I believe it's time for the neglected and for-
gotten 4th house to take its proper place among the important angular
houses and come out of the closet once and for all!
With this in mind, let's examine the meaning of the 4th house more
closely. What does it rule other than death? In a natal chart, it's associat-
ed with land, property, and our home or residence—the place where one
lives—as well as one's childhood birthplace or early environment. It rules
the child's early life or upbringing, and the character or the environment
of the home, one's roots or heritage. Since psychologists often tell us that
a child's character is formed within the first four or five years or less, this
house may be connected to the emotional foundation, or "emotional in-
telligence", of the personality. From this vantage point, the 4th house
might just as well have been called the house of beginnings rather than the
house of endings. Its importance cannot be overstated.

The Polarity between the 4tfa and 10th Houses

In natal astrology, the parental angles have always been associated with the
4th and rothhouses, and unless we arbitrarily assign more importance to
one parent than the other, these houses should, in my opinion, be con-
sidered of equal importance. The 4th house cusp of the birth chart is at
the Northern end of the meridian passing through the birthplace. It is
sometimes called the IC or Jmmum Coeli, which is Latin for bottom of the
sky, since it opposes the MC or Medium Coeli, commonly called the Mid-
heaven, or noon point. The polarity between the 4th and rothhouses is
reciprocal. The rothis often regarded as the most powerful, but this may
be because the I othhouse, being above the horizon, is in the public or so-
cial arena whereas the 4th house, being below the horizon, is more pri-
vate or personal. This difference, however, doesn't diminish the impor-
tance of the 4th house.
Most modern astrologers (including myself) usually assign the loth
house to the mother in a female nativity while the 4th house is assigned
to the father. The rule is reversed for male birth charts; see table 2. Some
other astrologers determine the selection of parental rulership based on
which parent has the most authority over the child. They assign the loth
house to whichever parent is deemed to be the more significant or has the
strongest influence.
As described in Astro/ogy;—jo Years Research, edited and compiled by
Doris C. Doane, the Church of Light in California conducted a study of
the death of parents, using one hundred charts, and concluded that the
roth house always rules the mother and the 4th the father.
The only fact that the majority of astrologers generally seem to agree
upon is that the 4th and 10thdefinitely rule the parents. As Robert Hand
has pointed out in his book, Essays on Astrology, no absolute rules or stan-
dards have been established as yet, and this is still a controversial issue
that needs further research. I prefer the modem method outlined above,
which gives equal importance to both the 4th and roth house angles, but
bases rulership upon gender. This is the method I use throughout this
book.
In analyzing murderers' birth charts, we find that many of them were
physically or sexually abused as children, or they came from dysfunction-
al homes where the parents were separated or divorced. Diane Downs'
chart, analyzed in Chapter I, illustrates this type of sexual abuse, which
began when she was twelve years old. The 4th house ruler. Mercury, rep-
resenting her father, is conjunct a violent planet, Mars; when the alleged
abuse began, her progressed Sun (male parent) had reached an exact con-
junction with her natal Pluto, which suggests the possibility of rape or in-
cest in a female birth chart.
In Chapter 3, the birth chart of another murderer, Richard Speck,
shows natal Neptune exactly conjunct his Ascendant, squaring the 4th
and iothparental cusps, indicating his lifelong abuse of alcohol and drugs.
His 4th house ruler, Jupiter, located in the 9th house, closely squares his
Moon's Nodes and opposes his Sagittarian Sun, showing his long-lasting
entanglement with the law. An affable drifter who forged checks and bur-
glarized, Speck was already wanted for a knife assault on a woman in an-
other state when arrested in ig66 for the mass murder of eight student
nurses in Chicago. Dr. Marvin Ziporyn, a well-known psychiatrist who ex-
amined Speck in prison, reported Speck had suffered at least eight major
brain concussions before age fourteen, suggesting extreme parental neglect,
or physical abuse, at its worst. As an adolescent, Speck had been institu-
tionalized in a juvenile home.
Most analysts and experts on criminal behavior agree that symptoms of
disturbing behavior usually begin in childhood and often manifest as bed-
wetting, firesetting, and cruelty to animals. Parental neglect, sexual abuse,
or brutality may cause these reactions in children and should be regarded
as a danger signal. In Chapter 2,1 explore the possibility that early child-
hood fears and traumas were a factor in the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case.
MacDonald was convicted of brutally murdering his two-year-old daughter,
who was having trouble with bedwetting.
The sign on the 4th house cusp is significant, as is its ruler or co-rulers,
but planets within the 4th house tend to activate and modify it. By em-
phasizing the meaning of the 4th house, I don't mean to minimize the sig-
nificance of the lothhouse, since as explained above, both houses rule the
parental angles, which are very important, especially to early childhood
conditioning. Planets within the 10th house may also directly oppose or
aspect planets in the 4th, thereby affecting them by polarity, and vice ver-
sa. The 4th rules changes in our environment and is usually aspected
whenever we change locations. However, these changes don't come un-
der our complete control until we become adults (unless we're among the
few who rebel and run away from home as youngsters). Until then, be-
cause of our sustenance needs as infants or children, we're under the con-
trol of the established power structure represented by the loth house
(those in authority over us). Since human beings take such a long time to
mature, this is probably for the greater good of society.
When we reach adulthood, we gradually learn to cope with, or control,
our environment to some extent as our freedom increases and our need
for sustenance or security decreases. For these reasons and others, the 4th
house represents the early childhood home or environment, which we're
powerless to change until we reach adulthood or leave home permanent-
ly. Until then, we're obliged to live in the environment provided by our
parents. If we're lucky, it will be a stable environment; if not, we may be
forced to adjust or suffer the consequences.
During childhood and puberty we make "inner" rather than "outer"
adjustments to our environment, which may or may not be obvious or vis-
ible to others—hence, the private and personal 4th house doesn't finally
come under our obvious control until we reach adulthood. As we gradu-
ally develop our social and survival skills, these inner changes can then be
projected upon the outer environment and may result in our leaving the
parental home or birthplace either temporarily or permanently. The 4th
house ruler and/or occupants are almost always activated or heavily as-
pected during these times of relocation.
After all, becoming an adult usually requires that we leave our parents'
home and the psychological and physical comfort and control that it rep-
resents. If for some reason we fail to make this adjustment, we may remain
psychologically tied to the parental umbilical cord. Therefore, the true
meaning of the 4th and roth house polarity becomes clearer as we realize
it represents a struggle to attain power, and it maps the success or failure
of our attempts to do so.
Maturity, however, means responsible use of power, not its misuse. As
we mature and acquire power we also take on increased social responsi-
bilities and, hopefully, self-discipline—qualities most often associated
with native roth house ruler Capricorn and its ruling planet Saturn.
Because Saturn rules fathers and the Moon rules mothers, when an as-
pect such as Moon square Saturn is found in a natal chart, it suggests that
physical or emotional sustenance needs were not fully met in childhood,
resulting in an unnatural and prolonged state of dependency on one or
both of the parents. In later years, this person often transfers their de-
pendency to the marriage partner. Many a marriage has floundered or
failed due to a spouse's refusal, or inability, to cutthe umbilical cord. This
isn't always the fault of the individual, since some parents unfortunately
become obsessively possessive of their offspring and refuse to let them go.
Looking at this from still another viewpoint, the first quadrant, or first
three houses, symbolically represents early childhood or the first seven
years of life; the second quadrant represents the next seven years, ending
with the fourteenth year (puberty) at the cusp of the 7th house. The 8th,
9th, and lotbhouses represent ages fourteen to twenty-one, the latter be-
ing the age when our western society recognizes the person as a fully ma-
ture adult responsible for his or her own actions and choices. Depending
on where our natal Moon is at birth, the progressed Moon takes approx-
imately twenty-one years to traverse nine houses or signs of the zodiac.
For example, if the Moon occupies the 10th house at birth, it will reach the
7th house of marriage in approximately twenty-one years. Not everyone,
of course, is born with natal Moon in the 10th, but the cycle of approxi-
mately twenty-one years remains the same regardless.
The sign on the Midheaven, or 10thhouse cusp, as well as the condi-
tion of the ruling planet of that sign and its aspects, traditionally denotes
the career or profession, and influences all public events connected with
promotions, honor, or reputation. Often we will see the MC heavily as-
pected by transits or progressions when a person marries and begins to
prepare for raising a family. Major transits or progressions to the loth
house also reflect a change in social status and public image. The effects
of these transits on the 4th house often result in a change of residence as
well, as one or both partners in a marriage relocates.
In natal chart interpretation, the 4th house represents family values,
early childhood memories or conditioning, and the subconscious, private
self as opposed to the public self. However, a planet within the 4th may
have a profound effect on one's psyche and may find expression in one's
work (loth house) or choice of career. These two houses complement
each other. Their polarity, opposition, and proximity are symbolic.
What's reflected or mirrored in one house may very well be expressed or
projected through the opposite house.
In the past, the 4th house was associated with the mother who stayed
at home and played a private role, and the joth with the father who went
to work and played a public (and dominant) one. Now, parental role re-
versals are becoming more commonplace. For example, after many years
of being a major public figure, John Lennon, the late rock star, chose to
remain at home and raise his young son while his Aquarian wife, Yoko
Ono, took a more active part in public life and in handling their business
affairs. Lennon's natal Moon in Aquarius trines the trailblazing and in-
novative planet Uranus, and rules his 4th house of domestic affairs.
(Lennon was assassinated directly in front of the Dakota, the New York
apartment building where he lived; see Chapter 4.)
During the advent of the industrial age, which we're slowly leaving be-
hind us, a strong, distinct division between home and workplace may
have been an absolute necessity; but now we're in transition and rapidly
entering a new Age of Information (or Age of Aquarius, if you will). In the
age of Uranian electronics, computers can be found in almost every home
and communication is almost instantaneous, even for the physically chal-
lenged. The former isolation of and strict division between home and job,
or marketplace and consumer, is disappearing on a daily basis.
Shouldn't astrology reflect this new perspective? Or will we be satisfied
to dogmatize and preserve the archaic, obsolete patterns of the past?
While Uranus, astrology's ruler, occupied Capricorn, a conservative,
Saturn-ruled sign, we tended to resist change. As it transits Aquarius, its
"home" sign, from now until 2003, we are likely to experience a renais-
sance and renewal of astrology. A lot of what we now take for granted will
probably be challenged, and is likely to be judged as outdated! It seems like
we all need endings, and new beginnings.
Parti:

Homicide
 W

♦ i
Chapter One

The

Diane Downs

Murder Case

A Woman Who

Shot Her Children

Is the female of the species more deadly than the

male? During the first half of 1989, there was a

thirteervpercent increase in the female prison popu'

lation. According to current statistics, however,

women commit only fifteen percent of all murders.

 Unlike men, when women kill, they're more likely to kill those who are
closest to them, their intimates, such as husbands, lovers, and, yes, even
their children. So perhaps in a sense, this does make them more deadly
than the male.
In more than half of the domestic cases studied, women who killed were
responding to prolonged physical abuse and were acting in self-defense.
What about women who kill without any apparent motivation? And what
about women who kill their own defenseless children? What category do
they fall into?
Can we understand (even though we can't possibly condone) the mo-
tivation of a female who turns, or transforms, from Eve, the giver of life,
into Lilith, the taker? Can a twisted, deluded woman feel that because she
gave her children life, she is also justified in taking their lives?
Diane Downs made front page headlines when she was accused and
convicted of shooting her three children on a lonely country road just out-
side Springfield, Oregon, on May 19, 1983. Seven-year-old Cheryl Downs
died; the other two children were left in serious condition, with three-
year-old Danny partially paralyzed. The twenty-seven-year-old mother
drove the children to a hospital, where she was treated for a minor wound
in her lower left arm. She claimed that a "shaggy-haired stranger" had
stopped her on the road and was responsible for the crime. No such per-
son was ever found. The investigation continued, and she was arrested
and charged with the shootings nine months later, on February 28. 1984.
District Attorney Fred Hugi (who later adopted her two surviving chil-
dren) and the jury didn't buy her story; she was convicted of the crimes
after her oldest daughter Christie testified against her at the trial. Her ex-
husband and her former lover also testified.
According to Ann Rule's book Small Sacrifices: A True Story of Passion
and Murder, Diane Elizabeth Frederickson was the oldest of five children
born to Wes and Willadene Frederickson, a Southern Baptist couple. Di-
ane wasbfim August 7,1955,317:3 5 PM. MST in Phoenix, Arizona. Her
birth chart (see Chart 1) shows the 20th degree of the impersonal sign,
Aquarius, rising on the Ascendant, Sun in 14° Leo, and the Moon in 6°
Aries. Her final dispositor is the Sun, and she has a stellium of six planets
in Leo, the sign of children; Saturn, that hard taskmaster, squares all but
Chart i. Natal chart for Diane Downs. Bom August /, 1955, 7:35 PM.MST, Phoenix,
AZ, 112 3 Wi f.Placidus houses. Sources; Ann Rule's book Small Sacrifices, page
g I find "B"data from Dana Holliday in Lois Rodden's Astro Data V; both sources concur.

one of her Leo planets. The ruler of her chart, Uranus, is in the critical
29th degree of Cancer, and was in exact square to transiting Saturn and
Pluto on the night the crime was committed.
It is believed the crime was committed between 9:45 and 10:30 PM.
PDT on May 19, 1983, on a road outside the Springfield city limits in
Marcola, Oregon. Chart 2 shows the transits for 9:55 PM PDT,when it
is estimated that the crime occurred. Diane Downs arrived with her chil-
dren at the emergency room of the McKcnzie-Willamette Hospital in
Oregon around 10:39 PM. PDT, or approximately forty-four minutes
Chart 2. £i>taf chart for the shooting. May 19.19S j. g.55 P.M. PDT (estimated limcj. Mar-
cola, OR, 122 W544N10. Placidus houses. Source: Ann Rules' Small Sacrifices,pdgi: 27.

after the shootings. (See Chart 3 for the transits upon her arrival.)
In 1983, Diane Downs was a divorced twenty-seven-year-old, working
as a postal carrier. She liked her job because it allowed her to socialize and
gave her an opportunity to meet men. Her married lover had recently
moved away from Springfield, Oregon, returning to his wife and beginning
a new life in another state. He wasn't particularly fond of children, and it
is believed that Diane's main motive for the crime was to rid herself of her
children so she'd appear more attractive to him. She feared the separation
was permanent, but was trying desperately to effect a reconciliation. His
 Chart j. Event chart for Diane's arrival at hospital. May .rg.ipSj, JO.jcP.M. PDT, 5prmg-
field, OR, 12 1W0144N0J.Placidus houses. Source: Ann Rule's Small Sacrifices,page 12.

mind was made up, though, and so far, nothing she'd done had seemed to
please him.
Diane was not one to give up easily, however, with her natal Moon in
6° Aries and the Moon's dispositor. Mars, closely conjunct her Leo Sun.
She has an assertive, extroverted type of personality and enjoys being the
center of attention. Natal Sun opposite her Ascendant bestows a strong
ego with the need to be considered important. Her Ascendant ruler,
Uranus, occupies the critical 29th degree of Cancer, and squares Neptune
in her 8th house. Neptune rules the intercepted sign of Pisces in her large
ist house. She had indulged in several love affairs in the two years prior
to separating from her ex-husband, Steven Downs, in 1981. She was not
one to deprive herself of male companionship or sex.
According to her own statements, Diane was prematurely introduced
to sex as a twelve-year-old, when her father began to abuse her sexually.
The progressed Sun (denoting the father) had moved to 2.6° Leo that year,
making an exact conjunction with natal Pluto in her 7th house, which tes-
tifies to the truth of her statements. Her Mars/Uranus midpoint at 8° Leo
exactly conjoins her natal Venus and Transpluto, indicating the strong
possibility of being a rape victim during her lifetime. Mercury rules the 4th
house (the male parent) and is afflicted by an exact conjunction to Mars
and a square to Saturn. Her natal Sun, also representing the males in her
life, is closely conjunct Mars and square Saturn, showing cruelty. At age
thirteen, when the progressed MC was trine her Mercury-Mars conjunc-
tion, she cut her wrists in an attempt to commit suicide.
While in high school, at age fifteen, Diane met her husband-to-be,
Steve Downs. On November 13, 1973, when both were only eighteen,
she left home to marry Steve, who was working as a model. He was bom
January iz, 1955 (time unknown), in Chandler, Arizona.
Diane has no Earth planets in her chart; Steve has both Sun and Moon
in Earth signs, having Sun in Capricorn and Moon in Virgo, offering
down-to-earth stability. Although they have many similar slow-moving
planetary placements because of their age similarity, Steve's chart contains
only one Leo planet, Pluto. There's little compatibility between their
charts except for his Jupiter conjunct her natal Uranus. His Sun in Capri-
corn opposes her Uranus, a separative, although exciting, aspect, so their
marriage lasted only about eight years.
Although we don't know the exact time of Steve's birth, we know his
natal Moon is definitely in Virgo, and when comparing his chart to Di-
ane's, we see that his Moon falls in her natal 7th house of partnerships.
When they were married in 1973, her progressed Sun was just entering
Virgo, indicating a short-lived, temporary compatibility based on her pro-
gressed aspects. Diane's progressed Midheaven was conjunct her North
Node (relationships), and natal Mercury and Mars were both inconjunct
her progressed Ascendant. Mercury rules the intercepted sign of Virgo on
her 7th house of marriage, and also rules her 5th house of progeny.
The couple lived in Arizona until they separated and divorced around
1981. Diane moved to Oregon in March 1983.
The union produced three children (though apparently not all the chil-
dren had the same father) The first two children were bom in Chandler,
Arizona, as follows: Christie Ann Downs, bom October 7, 1974. and
Cheryl Downs, bom January 10, 1976. The youngest child, Stephen
Daniel, was bom on December 29, 1979, in Tempe, Arizona. Diane is
also known to have had a child as a surrogate mother.
In 1988, when she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show from her
prison cell, Diane claimed she'd been pregnant five times altogether. At
the time of her trial, she was eight or nine months pregnant. Shortly
thereafter, she gave birth to an illegitimate female child on June 27, 1984,
in Eugene, Oregon. This child was put up for adoption. According to data
given in Ann Rule's book Small Sacrifices, Diane's daughter, named Amy
Elizabeth, was bom at io;o6PM. PDT. See Chart 4, where I have rectified
her birth chart by the prenatal epoch. Amy has Sun in Cancer and Moon
in Gemini. This Sun/Moon configuration is known as the dark of the
Moon—or the period just before a New Moon. Amy has a Capricorn As-
cendant. The child was evidently deliberately conceived on October 13,
1983,just four months before Diane's arrest, when she abruptly visited
Matt Jensen's apartment around midnight because she thought she was in
her fertile period. Obsessed with becoming pregnant again, she felt it was
her only salvation. Diane has been quoted as saying she never "felt better
than when she was pregnant."
For those of you who use the prenatal epoch method (see glossary), de-
veloped by E. H. Bailey, these two charts fully confirm his method. Is this
only a coincidence? Decide for yourself, but the dates are nevertheless sim-
ilar, as you can see from the following data. According to Bailey's rules, as
presented in The Prenatal Epoch, Amy's epoch (see Chart 5), signifying
ovulation or conception, falls on exactly the same date, October 13, 1983,
at 9:43:05 PM. PD. This is the time when Diane claims to have visited
Jensen's apartment. In fact, the calculated epoch is just one hour and sev-
enteen minutes before the time Diane claims to have visited Jensen and
had intercourse with him. In Ann Rule's book Small Sacrifices, the author
 Chart 4. Rectified natal chart for Amy Elisabeth Downs. Bom June 2/. T9S4. 10:00:04 P.M.
PDT, Eugene, OR, 12JW04,44X05. Source: Ann Rule's Small Sacrifices, page 460. Recti-
fied by prenatal epoch, six minutes less than given time (10.06P.M Jon page 460 of Rule's book.

states, "It was after 11:00 PM. PDT when Diane visited her lover."
Amy's rectified Ascendant is 24024' Capricorn, or six minutes earlier
than the time given for her birth in Ann Rule's book. (Rule gives 10:06
PM.). If the corresponding female epoch with the Moon in 240 24' Capri-
corn and Ascendant at 24048, Gemini is accepted as correct, the rectified
time of birth is ioiooPM. PDT, as shown by Chart 4.
Amy's epoch should be erected for Cottage Grove, Oregon: Longitude
i23Wo3/Latitude 43N48. The rules for a 4th Order type of birth—
 27nS5 42'
xr 52
29*,^ ss
05

44" 24" (14"\\

s V5 \ US \
12 24
.-A iJ4' ^
/ IV
n ,/
iqo
o 02 '"n 59
no'
' n" 16-
\A
■ 7 1
' 24" fl 1 ° n 42-
8 >■ rj ..
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Chart 5. Prenatal epoch [or Amy Elizabeth. October 13, igfij, 9:43:05 PM. PDT,
Cottage Grcnvf, OR, /2jVVo Placidus bouses. Source: Ann Rulrs'Small Sacrifices,
pages 281-282 .Book gives the date of intercourse with her lover, and probable conception date.

when the natal Moon is below the horizon and decreasing—indicate a

gestation period of fewer than 273 days. The Prenatal Epoch provides in-
structions for rectifying birth times and states Bailey's belief that the
epoch probably represents ovulation rather than the moment of concep-
tion. This particular case history would certainly seem to demonstrate or
confirm Bailey's theory, since the timing of the epoch is about one hour
before intercourse occurred. Both events occurred on exactly the same
date, so I believe this makes them doubly significant.
 Some astrologers are inclined to discard the prenatal epoch technique,
claiming that it's an outdated method that seldom works. I can't help but
wonder whether they have ever actually tried the method! After over-
coming some of the initial difficulties of learning to use this technique
properly, I must admit I've had good results when the birth time is known
within an hour.
According to Reinhold Ebertin in The Combination of Stellar Injluences,
the Mars/Jupiter midpoint represents "the ability to procreate or beget
children." In Diane's birth chart, this fertility midpoint at .^^g'Leo is
highly activated; the midpoint is exactly conjunct her Sun at r^^S'Leo,
within a three-degree orb of her 5th house ruler, Mercury, representing
children in her chart. Amy's natal Equatorial Ascendant (EP), at X5C>58,
Aquarius, is just one degree from an opposition aspect to this "fertility"
point in her mother's chart. The mother's Sun/Moon midpoint at 10°
Gemini is exactly opposed by the daughter's natal Uranus, signifying an
instant separation at birth. Amy was given up for adoption immediately
after being bom to her imprisoned mother.
Diane Downs' successful rate of childbearing made her a prime candi-
date for surrogate motherhood. Just before midnight on May 7, 1982, in
Louisville, Kentucky, Diane gave birth to a baby girl. The child was given
up for adoption to surrogate parents who paid Diane ten thousand dollars
for her labor and sacrifice. Part of this money was spent on a trailer, since
she had permanently separated from her husband and needed a place to
live. Shortly after, Diane and her sister attempted to organize a surrogate
clinic of their own, but this idea was reluctantly abandoned when they
were unable to comply with restrictive state regulations.
Diane's natal 5th house ruler, Mercury, is conjunct the violent planet
Mars (her Moon's dispositor), and her Venus is conjunct Transpluto, so
her children were exposed to her violent impulses and were her prime tar-
gets. The hypothetical planet Transpluto is the higher octave of Jupiter
and denotes sudden releases of energy.
According to the precepts of Uranian astrology, the Mars/Pluto mid-
point signifies murder, violent assaults, and brutality. Diane's natal
Mars/Pluto midpoint at 21° 53'Leo directly opposes her Ascendant at
20003, Aquarius. Diane's natal Mercury/Mars conjunction at i70Leo, in
Chart 6. Diane's chart progressed to the date of daughter Cheryl's death. Progressions for May
ig, lg8j, 9:55 P.M. PDT (estimated time), Marcola, OR 122 W52,44NIPlacidus houses.

opposition to her Ascendant and square Saturn, makes her a compulsive

talker. She is a moody, self-centered individual, and a liar who tends to ra-
tionalize everything she does. The numerous Saturn squares to her stel-
lium of natal planets in Leo (including Venus, Jupiter, Sun, Mercury, and
Mars), make her subject to periodic fits of deep depression followed by ela-
tion. Jupiter/Saturn afflictions, especially squares and oppositions, often
indicate a see-saw, manic-depressive type of personality.
At the same rime, she is said to have an IQpf 125 on the Wechsler Intelli-
gence Scale. Although she may be above average in intelligence, emotionally
she still seems to be a child—probably an abused child who was forced to
mature too quickly and was introduced to sex prematurely. Transpluto at
8° Leo, exactly conjunct her natal Venus, and Venus conjunct Mars,
makes her prone to sudden fits of violence and anger, although she can
project a sexy, charismatic personality when it suits her purposes. In
1983, on the day she and her three children were shot, Transpluto was
at 180 Leo, sitting on her natal Mercury/Mars conjunction and opposite
her Ascendant at 20° Aquarius. Transiting Mercury at 170 Taurus
squared Transpluto and her Mercury/Mars conjunction. Transpluto con-
junct Mars is a potentially dangerous aspect; it is one of the worst for vi-
olent crimes such as murder.
On May 19, 1983, the day her daughter Cheryl died of two gunshot
wounds, Diane's progressed Moon at 13 0 Aries trined her natal Sun in
Leo, but the Moon was also inconjunct natal Saturn and progressed
Venus, and sesquiquadrate her natal Pluto; see Chart 6. Progressed Mer-
cury at 4° Libra, ruler of both her 4th (death) and 5th (children) houses,
conjoins her natal 8th house cusp. When she was arrested on February
28, 1984, her progressed Ascendant opposed this point at 3 0 Aries, and
the progressed Moon at 24° Aries was applying to an opposition to her
natal Neptune in the 8th.
Progressed Sun at 110 Virgo and Venus at 120 Virgo conjoin her natal
Vertex in the 7th house; these two planets are semisquare natal Neptune
and square the transiting Ascendant at the time of the crime. One of the
most difficult aspects in her chart is the square of Uranus and Neptune,
since these planets are the co-rulers of her ascending signs, Aquarius and
Pisces. On the day of the crime, her progressed Sun and Venus were con-
junct her Uranus/Neptune midpoint at 12° Virgo.
Chart 2 shows the transits for the date of the crime even more precisely,
with the Moon at 6° Virgo conjunct her progressed Mars at 5° Virgo,
square transiting Uranus and Jupiter near her natal Midheaven.
Mars/Uranus aspects often precede accidents or sudden violent incidents.
Transiting Saturn at 29° Libra, co-ruler of Diane's Aquarius Ascendant,
exactly squares her other impulsive Ascendant ruler, Uranus, and is con-
junct natal Neptune—the planet ruling illusions and delusions—in her
8th house. Transiting Neptune in 28° Sagittarius is exactly opposite her
prenatal eclipse point of a8005' Gemini on the cusp of her 5th house, and
inconjunct her natal Uranus. These aspects are tight and very precise.
During this stressful period, her natal Uranus/Neptune square was be-
ing activated by transits from two slow-moving planets, Saturn and Pluto,
so these aspects were long-lasting rather than temporary. Transiting Plu-
to, the planet of death and transition at 270 Libra squares her natal
Uranus, sextiles her natal Pluto, and conjoins natal Neptune at 250Libra
in her 8th house of death and sex. The transiting Saturn aspects accent her
depressed mental condition and inability to face reality. Saturn conjunct
Neptune, or afflicting Neptune, is seldom a pleasant experience since it re-
quires a strict allegiance to the hard facts of life as demonstrated by Saturn,
rather than indulgence in Neptune's world of make-believe. This aspect
can be used positively if the individual avoids wishful thinking or indulging
in fantasy, and adheres to a realistic analysis of facts; unfortunately, that's
seldom the case.
At the estimated time of the shootings, about 9:55 PM. PDT on May
19, 1983, 150 Sagittarius is on the Ascendant and the 1st house holds
transiting Neptune conjunct the South Node within 25-28° Sagittarius.
Transiting Neptune and the Nodes are inconjunct Diane's natal Uranus,
conjunct her natal 1 ithhouse of hopes and wishes, and opposite the cusp
of her 5th house of children. Those Satum/Neptune aspects (fantasy ver-
sus reality) are again accented in the transiting chart, as the transiting Sat-
um/Neptune midpoint at 2 8° Scorpio is exactly opposite transiting Sun
at 28° Taurus and the planet Lilith at 28° Taurus. Lilith, according to au-
thor/astrologer Ivyjacobson, is the taker of life, in contrast to the Sun,
which is the giver. Diane's natal Lilith is located at 20° Aries, opposite na-
tal Neptune in the 8th house

Epilogue
After her trial in May 1984, and conviction of murder on June 17,1984,
at t 2:20 AM. in Springfield, Oregon, Diane was confined to the Oregon
Correctional Institute for Women to serve a life sentence, plus sixty-five
years. However, on July II, 1987, around 8:40 AM. PDT, she escaped
from prison. After an extensive search, police found her ten days later in
a locked bedroom with one of four men who lived in the house. The man
turned out to be the estranged husband of one of her cell mates. Evident-
ly, she was up to her old tricks, trying desperately to get pregnant again.
When questioned, Diane claimed she was trying to get to Cahfornia to
look for "the man who killed her children." She still sticks to her story
about the bearded stranger who assaulted her children, and she shows no
remorse for the crimes for which she has been convicted.
While in prison, Diane has been diagnosed as suffering from a per-
sonality disorder and having a narcissistic type of personality. She keeps a
diary, and when she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1988 with
Ann Rule, author of Small Sacrifices, she stated rather defensively that
Ann Rule had never even interviewed her for that book. She said another
book, entitled Best Kept Secrets, would be published in November-De-
cember of igSgand would reveal her secrets, giving her side of the story.
(This book does not appear in Books in Print. Ed.}
After her escape from the Oregon prison, she was moved to the Clin-
ton Correctional Institute for Women in New Jersey, where she now re-
sides. With Chiron at 2° Aquarius occupying her 12th house at birth,
prison could be therapeutic for her, but she'd probably mourn the loss of
her freedom, since Chiron, planet of healing, makes an out-of-sign oppo-
sition to her Ascendant ruler, Uranus, within her 6th house.
-

\
Chapter Two

Who Was the

"Fatal Vision

Murderer?

New Insights into the

Jeffrey MacDonald Murder Case

The "Fatal Vision" murder case may be over as

far as the trial and conviction of former

Green Beret Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald is concerned,

but the mystery remains. MacDonald still insists

that he is innocent, and there are many unanswered

 questions about the crime. MacDonald is serving three consecutive life
• terms for his conviction in 1979^6 was accused and convicted of the slay-
_ ings of his pregnant wife, Colette, and two young daughters in Fort Bragg,
go
North Carolina, on the night of February 16, 1970.
Nine months after the murders, while still in the military, MacDonald
was acquitted of the charges. After his discharge from the Army, he moved
■li to California on July 5, 1971, where he served as director of emergency
r 1
cX> medicine at St. Mary's Hospital in Long Beach, California. He was an in-
structor at the UCLA medical school and a nationally known lecturer on
the recognition and treatment of child abuse. When not working, he led
the good life of the perennial bachelor, spending most of his weekends on
his motorboat with his latest girlfriend.
Nine years later, on August 19,1979, his luck ran out. He was brought
to trial again, this time as a civilian. The arrest was due to a determined
investigation by his father-in-law, a former supporter. Alfred Kassab had
begun to suspect that MacDonald was not just one of the victims of ahor-
rible crime but was perhaps the perpetrator of the crimes. Once convinced,
he was willing to take the case to the Supreme Court, if necessary, to see
that justice was done.
Colette was Mildred Kassab's only child by a previous marriage; her
stepfather adored her. Her youthful death at the age of twenty-six was a
tragic blow to the Kassabs, and they couldn't stop grieving the loss of their
only daughter and their precious grandchildren.
The couple had been high school sweethearts and had previously ob-
tained the support of both families for their marriage, although they had
planned to wait until MacDonald completed his medical education at
Princeton University. Collette was already pregnant with their first child,
Kimberly, when Kassab led his stepdaughter down the aisle in a hasty
Greenwich Village church ceremony in September 1963.
Jeff was an ambitious, handsome young man who was planning to be-
come a physician. The families realized there would be hard times ahead
financially for the young couple, but Jeff and Colette appeared to be deeply
in love with each other. The option of abortion had apparently not entered
their minds, perhaps because MacDonald was a Catholic.
According to Rodden s Astro Data 1 1 /, Jeffrey MacDonald was bomon
Chart 7. Natal chart for Jeffrey MacDonald, progressed to February j 6, Jg/o.tbe date of the
murders. Bom on October 12, 7943, 5:53 PM. EWT, New York, NY, 7fW57.40N45.
Placidus bouses. Source: Data from birth certificate, LoisRoddcn's Astro Data 111,page ng.

October n, 1943, at 5:53 PM. EWT, in New Yoik, New Yoric. This "A"
data is from the birth certificate. Chart 7 shows his Sun in 18° Libra op-
posing his Moon and Ascendant in the fiery Mars-ruled Aries rising sign.
He is a Full Moon type. His ruler, Mars, is conjunct Saturn in Gemini in
the 3rd house and trines his Sun. He wanted to be a surgeon (Mars rules
cutting instruments). Mars and Saturn aspects are often prominent in the
charts of those who practice medicine.
Since Colette's hour of birth is not known to us at this time, we will
use a sunrise chart (4:45:34 AM. EST) for her date of birth on May 10,
 . ?4<.
"8 n 35
i"

07"

I I ~-s/V
' &> I.V 0 54' /12 .V2
ii
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l ' 5 «' "11 24- A V /' ^ 22' ^
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gs
* \ i \ 12- ' \ V,, v ^
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Chart 8. Sunrise chart for Colette MacDonald, progressed to the date of the murder, February j6,
ig^o. Born May _lo, , time unknown. Chart calculated for 4:45:34 AM. EST PaichogUt.
NV, / J W O T, 40N46. Source: Reported birth dale from Joe McGmntss .Fatal Vision,page 82.

1943,in Patchogue, New York; see Chart 8. Her birth date is given in Joe
McGinniss' book Fatal Vision. Colettes 7th house ruler. Mars, is sextile
her natal Sun in 18°Taurus, indicating her initial interest in becoming a
doctor's wife; but her Moon's Nodes square her Sun (5th house ruler), so
her children gradually became her main interest in life.
Kimberly's birth on April 18, 1964, was followed by the birth of anoth-
er girl, named Kristen, in May of 1967. Both children were bom by Cae-
sarean section and Colette experienced various difficulties in childbirth.
When she married Jeff at age twenty in 1963, her solar arc-progressed
Midheaven squared her natal Sun. A year or so later, it moved within orb
of a conjunction to her 5th house Nodes in Aquarius and Leo, a T-square
in fixed signs.
Colette was an intelligent woman who was a stay-at-home mother
(Moon in Cancer) throughout most of her marriage. As she matured, she
was anxious to add to her knowledge through self-study and continuing
education. Her Mercury conjunct Uranus testifies to this strong sense of
curiosity. Uranus and Saturn contain her Mercury in Gemini, so she had
a stable but penetrating mentality.
Early on the night of the murders, Colette was attending a class in child
psychology. She returned home about 9:40 PM. EST on February 16,1970,
after driving a friend home from class. She confided in her friend before
they parted that she was concerned about her husband's exhausted con-
dition; that he had worked all night the night before and then worked al-
most all the next day. It seems, however, that this was nothing unusual,
as he had a rigorous schedule and did a lot of moonlighting. She also said
she was worried because her husband had told her he might be joining a
boxing team that was going to Russia.
She was pregnant with their third child, expecting the baby in July, and
was afraid her husband might not return in time for the baby's birth. It
was important to her that he be there, as he had been for the birth of their
other two children. Her mother, who lived in another state, had promised
to be there in Jeffs stead, but this arrangement was not entirely accept-
able to Colette. It's probable that they discussed the matter again on the
night of her death, although Jeff claims his memory is vague on this point.
MacDonald claims he and Colette talked for a while, and that she re-
tired for bed early. He stayed up to watch a late television show. Later,
when he entered the master bedroom, he found his two-year-old child,
Kristen, sleeping in bed with her mother. Kristen had urinated on his
place in the bed, so he decided to sleep on the couch rather than disturb
his wife by changing the sheets. MacDonald said the bed-wetting hap-
pened frequently and that the youngest child often slept in their bed, al-
though both girls had their own bedrooms.
He told the police that Colette may have mentioned to her psychology
instructor the problem they were having with Kristen's bed-wetting and
the child's recent tendency to want to sleep in her parents' bed. He
claimed this occurred about "once a week," and admitted that he and his
wife had different ideas about how to solve the problem.
 Colette, who was usually not active in class discussions, had indeed
posed a question regarding the issue to her instructor. "She raised the
question," her friend said, "about her youngest child coming into bed with
her and her husband in the night. She wondered whether they should al-
low the little girl to stay the night or if they should put her back in bed. It
seemed her husband felt the little girl should stay in bed with him, and she
(Colette) should sleep on the couch."
The very next day, Colette's friend learned that Colette and her two
children, Kimberly, five years old, and Kristen, two years old, had been
brutally murdered in their home on Castle Drive.
What really happened between 9:40 PM. on February 16, 1970, when
Colette returned home from her psychology class, and the early morning
hours the next day, between 3:40 AM. and 3:42 A.M., when the police re-
ceived an emergency phone call from Jeffrey MacDonald reporting the
stabbings? See Chart 9 for the transits.
When the police arrived, they found MacDonald, dressed only in his
blue pajama bottoms, unconscious on the bedroom floor next to his wife.
A small kitchen paring knife lay on the floor beside them. The word "Pig"
was written on the headboard in blood. MacDonald was taken to a hos-
pital immediately. A small wound in the right side of his chest was the
only injury that needed immediate attention, although he was observed to
be disturbed and somewhat disoriented. His wife and children were dead,
battered almost beyond recognition. Three weapons were found: a blood-
stained club, an ice pick, and a paring knife. At 8:00 AM. EST, the three
bodies were removed. Autopsies were later performed, and Colette's un-
born child, a four-and-a-half-month-old male fetus, was removed from her
womb. Funeral services were held on February 21, 1970.
MacDonald was the sole survivor of the crime, which he claimed was
due to drug-crazed hippies, as in the recent Tate-LaBianca murders. Was
his version of what happened that night just a clever cover-up for a brutal
domestic murder? It's difficult to know the truth. There were no wit-
nesses, although a neighbor claimed she heard the sounds of a heated dis-
pute from the MacDonald's side of their duplex apartment wall that night.
She also stated that she heard Colette threatening to kill if her children
were harmed. Other neighbors claimed they heard nothing, and no one
Chart g. Event chart for MacDonald's call to police, February I/, Jg/O.3:40 A.M. EST, Fort
Bragg, NC,7gWoo, 35N09. Placidus bouses.Source: Joe McGinniss, Fatal Vision,page i j.

suspicious was observed entering or leaving the house that night.

Let's examine Chart 7 for clues to MacDonald's personality. According
to the noted astrologer Charles Carter, Moon square or opposite Mercury
or Neptune is often the signature of an excellent and clever liar. Mac-
Donald's Mercury/Neptune in the istdecanate of Libra is opposite his na-
tal Moon in Aries. At the time of the murder, his progressed Midheaven
was trine this Mercury/Neptune conjunction in his 6th house of health.
Neptune also has rulership over drugs, and it was reported that Mac-
Donald had recently lost over twenty pounds and had been going for long
periods without sleep, which indicates that he may have been taking diet
pills or amphetamines during this period. (In 1970, amphetamines were
not necessarily considered dangerous drugs, since less was known about
their potential hazards.)
On the night of the murders, MacDonald's progressed Moon at 25°
Pisces was applying to a square of his natal Saturn, ruler of his lothhouse
of reputation, indicating a possible fall from status and the fear of a loss of
professional standing. Transiting Pluto at 26° Virgo was conjunct pro-
gressed Venus, opposite his progressed Moon and square his Saturn, set-
ting the scene for a violent confrontation as this Mutable T-Square con-
figuration was activated by transiting Pluto on the night of February iSth.
Looking at MacDonald's progressions, we see that his progressed
Moon, in his 12th house of self-undoing, squares natal Saturn. The
Moon's square to Mars just five months before the crime (around the time
his wife conceived) makes the release of intensely obsessive and violent
impulses more likely, and also indicates the possibility of some type of ad-
diction. Whether or not this was the potential motive for the crime is
something the reader will have to decide. MacDonald's 7th house ruler,
Venus, signifying his wife, has progressed to 28° Virgo where it conjoins
the transiting planet of death, Pluto.
On the fatal night she was murdered, transiting Pluto at 26° Virgo was
conjunct Colette's natal Neptune and sextile her natal Moon in 27° Can-
cer. Her Cancer Moon is near the cusp of her 4th house, the house of end-
ings. Mars and Pluto are co-rulers of her Scorpio 7th house cusp, signify-
ing her husband. The transiting Moon in Cancer trines her natal Mars.
At age twenty-six, Colette's progressed Moon also occupied Cancer, and
was just six months from making its first return to its natal position. Co-
lette's progressed Venus at 2 8° Cancer is exactly conjunct her solar 4th
house cusp and sextile transiting Pluto.
Further examination of Colettes progressions at the time of the mur-
der, which probably took place around midnight of February 16-17, indi-
cates that her progressed Mars at 7° Aries was applying to an exact con-
junction with her husband's natal Aries Ascendant at 8° Aries—certainly
not the best aspect for promoting marital harmony between spouses, since
this involves the cusp of the 7th house also! Transiting Uranus at 8° li-
bra was opposite her progressed Mars and exactly conjunct her husband's
7th house cusp, indicating marital quarrels, accidents, and possible sepa-
ration or divorce. Her progressed Ascendant at 190 Gemini (see Chart 8)
is just past the square to her natal Mars, probably signifying bitter mari-
tal quarrels during the past two years. MacDonald's natal Mars at 20°
Gemini conjunct her progressed Ascendant adds more disharmony.
At birth, Colette's 7th house ruler, Mars, was square Saturn. A violent
death is a possibility, as this aspect warns against the danger of violent con-
frontations or arguments, especially with the spouse. This latter aspect is
also known to promote repressed anger and sometimes a "revenge is
sweet" attitude. It's interesting to note that MacDonald's chart contains a
vindictive, vengeful Mars/Saturn aspect as well, although in a different
sign, Gemini, and as a conjunction with a six-degree orb between these two
natal planets.
Uranian astrologers, incidentally, claim that the negative connotations
of Mars/Pluto and Saturn/Pluto midpoints can signify murder, while
Mars/Uranus midpoints indicate accidents and/or injuries. Near midnight
on February 16, 1970, the transiting Moon at i30Cancer was at the mid-
point of Jeffrey MacDonald's natal Mars and Pluto, and approaching a
square to transiting Mars at 170 Aries. Mars was, in turn, directly oppo-
site his natal Sun in 18°Libra, making a Cardinal T-Cross pattern in his
horoscope, which calls for decisive action.
Just a few months before the murders, on November 7, 1969, Mac-
Donald's older brother, Jay, experienced a schizophrenic break with real-
ity and was confined to a mental hospital. Note, incidentally, that Mac-
Donald's Mars/Saturn conjunction falls in his 3rd house of brothers and
sisters. His mother, Dorothy MacDonald, a Gemini, called upon him to
take care of his brother's hospitalization. MacDonald obediently went
out of town to make the necessary arrangements and then became ex-
tremely depressed after he returned to his wife and children in Fort Bragg,
North Carolina. Later, when Jay heard that his brother, Jeff, had been ar-
rested and was being held by the military police, he suffered a relapse.
Bom only a year and a half apart, the brothers were apparently very close.
Jeffrey MacDonald was found guilty by a federal court on August 28,
1979, and is now in the Federal Corrections Institute at Bastrop, Texas,
serving three life terms.
 In summing up, I'd like to mention the many similarities between this
case and the Sheppard murder case. Dr. Sam Sheppard was accused of
murdering his wife on July 4, 1954. He was born December 29, 1923.
Both Sheppard and MacDonald were doctors, highly esteemed in their
community. Both wives were pregnant and clubbed to death, although in
the Sheppard case the murder weapon was never recovered. Dr. Sheppard
was found guilty, served ten years in prison, and was eventually acquitted
after his second trial with the help of his attorney, F. Lee Bailey.
A great deal of mystery continues to surround both of these murders,
which took place in supposedly safe domestic surroundings. Something
we believe in as almost sacred was desecrated in both cases. Maybe this is
one of the reasons the horror of these crimes lives on even after justice has
been administered by the courts and the legal system.
■

■■
Chapter Three

Richard Speck

Mass Murderer of

Eight Nurses

Richard Speck's conspicuous tattoo "Bom to

Raise Hell" on his left forearm was a dead give-

away, making him easy to identify and apprehend. Af-

ter a three-day search for the suspected killer, the po-

lice were tipped off, and Speck was arrested at a Cook

 County Hospital, where he had been taken for treatment of injuries re-
lated to a suicide attempt.
He was wanted for the gruesome massacre of eight young student nurs-
in their dormitory in Chicago, Illinois, around midnight of July 13-14,
1966. All eight students were either brutally strangled or stabbed to
death; only one survived.
The one who escaped death was Corazon Amurao, a young woman
from rural Batangas, a province some sixty miles from Manila. She was
one of three Philippine exchange students who had come to Chicago two
months earlier to complete nurse's training. In 1966, she was twenty-two
years old and was described as a "shy, modest, country girl." Amurao was
the first person Speck approached after illegally forcing his way into the
two-story apartment building at 2319 East 100th Street. She noticed a
strong odor of alcohol on the intruder's breath.
The killer entered the Jeffrey Manor townhouse by a back door, then
entered Miss Amurao's bedroom armed with a pistol and a knife, and
forced her to take him to the other girls' bedrooms. He gathered the girls
into one room where he gagged them and tied their palms together with
strips of sheets, using a square sailor's knot, which helped police to iden-
tify him as a seagoing type of person.
Speck then left them to wait for three other girls who were out late—
Sue Farris, Mary Jordan, and Gloria Jean Davy. The latter was reported as
Speck's first victim, and the only one who was raped. Later, it was learned
that she bore a marked resemblance to Speck's ex-wife, Shirley.
The slayings occurred early on the morning of July I4lh after the three
girls returned and were bound and gagged with the others. The killer took
their money, saying he needed it to go to New Orleans to look for a job.
At first, the girls weren't aware of what was actually taking place, as Speck
systematically removed them one by one from the room and murdered
them individually. Amurao said she attempted to persuade the other girls
to gang up on the intruder and try to escape; however, the majority of the
girls were convinced that the man was only a burglar and wasn't violent.
They seemed to feel that if they remained quiet and calm, he would leave
after they gave him the money he demanded.
Having failed to convince the others, Amurao managed to roll under a
Charlio.Event chart for Richard Speck's arrest on July i?, 1966,1:35 AM.CDT, Chicago,
IL 87W39, ^iN^iPlacidus houses. Source: Time magazine article, dated July 29,1966.

bed and hide. She remained frozen in this position for five or six hours,
and didn't emerge from her hiding place until an alarm clock went off at
about 5:00 AM. the next morning (July 14th). It was then that she dis-
covered the bodies of her friends and classmates. She managed to fiee her-
self, walk out on the balcony of the second-floor apartment, and scream
for help, saying, "All my friends are dead! I'm the only one alive!"
Shortly after the murders, Amurao was hospitalized and treated for
shock, but she was able to talk to the police and give them several helpful
leads during their three-day search for the suspect. Her description of the
killer proved especially helpful to the police, leading them to focus their
investigations on ex-convict Speck. A sketch based on her description was
immediately released to the newspapers.
A picture of Speck was published in a Chicago newspaper from a small
photo he had left at a nearby Maritime Union Hall. (A few days earlier.
Speck had gone to the Maritime Hall to get a job on a boat sailing down
the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Probably, it was around this time
that he began "stalking" the nurses' dormitory, which was directly across
the street, and perhaps watching the nurses sunbathe in the backyard.)
The killer was spotted by a surgeon, Dr. LcRoy Smith, who had seen
the newspaper photo of Speck. Dr. Smith identified a suicidal patient
brought to the emergency room of the Cook County Hospital about 1:35
AM. on July 17th as Richard Speck; see Chart 10. While bandaging the
man's arm, the surgeon discovered a distinctive tattoo which read "Bom
to Raise Hell," and after asking the man if he was, indeed, Richard Speck,
he told the attending nurse to call the police. Shortly thereafter, the killer
was apprehended and an aimed guard was placed at the hospital to prevent
his escape.
According to Lois Roddcn's Astro Data /f. Speck's time of birth is
recorded on his birth ccrtilicatc as 1:00 AM. CST. He was bom on De-
cember 6, 1941 in Kirkwood, Illinois, a small town near Monmouth, to
Mary Margaret and Benjamin Speck.
Speck's natal chart (see Chart 11) reveals the psychological make-up
and inner motivations of an individual dominated mainly by the negative
influence of an afflicted Neptune. Speck, however, is not a Neptune-ruled
Pisces type. The opposite sign, Virgo, is rising at his birth.
His Ascendant is at 29° Virgo, a "critical" degree. Neptune conjuncts
the Ascendant degree and squares all four angular house cusps. The in-
fluence of Neptune is unfortunate in his chart because this planet is in the
opposite sign to which it rules, or in its detriment.
Mercury, Speck's Ascendant ruler, occupies 5° Sagittarius, conjunct
the Sun at 130Sagittarius in his 3rd house, and trine Pluto. Natal Moon
at 10° Cancer is inconjunct the Sun. Neptune at 29° Virgo is closely con-
junct the Equatorial Ascendant and opposes the Pisces Vertex. Since Nep-
tune is a slow-moving outer planet, it will remain near the Ascendant
throughout Speck's lifetime. Neptune's favorable trine aspects from
Chanit Richard Speck's natal chart. BomDcumbtr 6,1941,1:00 A.M. CST.Kj'kwoodJL
goW^3,40N52. Placidus houses. Source: Lois Rodden's Astro Data II; fromfeirtb certificate.

Venus, Saturn, and Uranus, respectively, are canceled out by the unfa-
vorable aspects to the four angular house cusps. Nevertheless, Neptune
is powerful because it occupies the isthouse cusp.
Before analyzing this horoscope, it's important to realize that Richard
Speck claims to have no memory of committing the crime he was con-
victed of. Is he telling the truth? [Editor's Note: The recent release of a
film interview of Richard Speck conducted by a fellow prison inmate re-
veals that he did in fact recall and admit to the murders.]
According to Speck, his first recollection on the day after the crime was
committed is waking in his boarding-house room to find a gun in one
hand and blood stains on the other. He repeatedly stated that he had no
idea how he obtained the gun. Speck, like many convicted criminals await-
ing appeal, claimed to have no recollection of having committed a crime.
He read about the murders in a newspaper the next day and only then re-
alized he was a wanted man. Although he has apparently accepted the fact
that he committed the crimes, he doesn't know why he did it and denies
that the murders were premeditated. Despite this, he claims to remember
some of the events leading up to the fatal killings. According to Speck, he
was visiting a bar with some other sailors and was on a drinking bout. Lat-
er, he left the bar with his companions to get a "fix"; an injection of drugs.
Since drugs and narcotics come under the direct rulership of Neptune,
this planet's dominant position in his chart indicates their importance in
his life. Neptune rising, or dominant, usually indicates (on the negative
plane) a person addicted to either drugs or alcohol as a form of escape from
reality, providing Neptune is badly afflicted. Speck's record shows that he
used drugs frequently and liked to drink as well. His natal Moon squares
Mars, indicating the drinking habit he failed to overcome. Just preceding
the night of the murders, Speck indulged freely in both of these habits,
probably mixing drugs and alcohol, a potentially lethal combination.
Undoubtedly, there is a correlation between alcohol and murder, but
this doesn't mean there is any causal connection. It can be a contributing
factor, however. In her book, Astrology of Alcoholism, Ann Parker presents
a statistical study of alcoholics in which the Moon or Ascendant in Virgo
has a high rating. She also mentions some "alcohol prone" degrees (see
the Appendix). Under this study, Speck's Virgo Ascendant would qualify,
as would his Moon within the g-110 Cancer range.
Chart 12, the event chart for Speck's forced entry into the nurses' dor-
mitory, shows Aries rising with Mars in Cancer conjunct his natal Moon
and square natal Mars, activating the aggressive and potentially violent
Moon/Mars square in his natal chart. Because the police estimated that
the time ofSpeck's entry was between 11130 PM. and midnight, this en-
try chart is erected for 11:33 LM. CDT on July 13. 1966. In this chart.
Mars exactly on the 4th house cusp squares the Ascendant at 30 Aries,
denoting the vicious manner in which the murders were performed.
Chart 12..Event chart for Richard Speck's forced entry. July JJ, 1966.11'Jj P.M. CDT, Chicago,
IL, 87W39, 41 A/52 Placidus houses. Source: Time magazine article dated July 29, /g66.

The transiting Moon at 29° Taurus closely conjuncts Speck's natal

Uranus and trines his natal Virgo Ascendant and Neptune, indicating the
strange and mysterious manner in which the slayings occurred. The ly
26° area ofTaurus, which the Moon occupies, marks the malefic fixed
star, Caput Algol, which rules injury to the neck and throat, violent death,
and beheading. The Pleiades, another malefic fixed star, which rules vio-
lent death, is located in the area of 27-29° Taurus, where Speck's natal
Uranus is located. Speck's Saturn/Uranus conjunction is located between
23-27° Taurus, and is semi-square the Moon, which was at io0 Cancer.
 Transiting Saturn at 29° Pisces is in exact opposition to Speck's natal
Neptune and Ascendant degree, and occupies the 12th house of self-un-
doing in the event or horary chart for the forced entry. In Speck's natal
chart Saturn rules the intercepted sign, Capricorn, on the cusp of his 4th
house of endings; Saturn, the planet of karma and retribution, occupies
the 8th house of his birth chart. Saturn's long transit and retrograde mo-
tion in the latter degrees of Pisces closely opposed Speck's natal Ascen-
dant/Neptune conjunction at 290 Virgo and his prenatal eclipse at
Virgo throughout May, June,July, and August of 1966.
Speck claims he was so drugged that he recalls little or nothing of what
happened after the murders, and his jail psychiatrist, Marvin Zipory, is in-
clined to believe him. In fact, Zipory stated that he believes Speck may
have been "in a trance" on the night he killed the nurses.
Marvin Zipory was first assigned to Speck's case to determine whether
or not the prisoner was still suicide-prone, and he interviewed Speck at
two-week intervals while he was being held at the Cook County Jail. Zi-
pory felt that Speck may have been the victim of considerable brain dam-
age, and that the blackouts he claims to have experienced following the
crime, and the frequent headaches he suffered, all point to this cause. As-
trologically. Speck's natal Mars in the sign Aries (ruling the head) and af-
flicted by the Moon (ruling the brain and conscious mind) all suggest the
possibility of this condition, and support Zipory's diagnosis. A panel of six
doctors (five of whom were psychiatrists) examined Speck and declared
him sane enough to stand trial. Zipory concurred with their opinions.
Speck's defense attorney, Gerald W. Getty, recommended that he plead
"insanity," but when Speck refused to go along with this, a plea of "not
guilty" was entered. Natal Saturn and Uranus in the sign Taurus (the
Bull) indicates Speck's basic stubbornness—a trait he exercised in this in-
stance. This Saturn/Uranus conjunction, falling as it does on or near the
cusp of his 9th house (legal matters),trine his Ascendant (the self), also
indicates the wide publicity the case received from the media. In fact, be-
cause of this wide publicity, the court was forced to hold the trial in Peo-
ria, Illinois, instead of Chicago. Public Defender Getty, having introduced
a plea of "not guilty," attempted to prove Speck was elsewhere at the time
Chart rj. Richard Speck's natal chart progressed to the murders on July rj, 1966. Bom De-
cember 6, 194 T, 1:00 AM. CS7, kjrlcwood, IL, 96W45, 40N52. Placidus bouses. Source:
AFA Bulletin, February 19,1985,1/01.47, No. 2; birth certificate courtesy qfVictoria Shaw.

of the crime. Two witnesses were produced to substantiate the alibi, but
foiled to convince the jury. The trial was held on February 20, 1967, and
the jury, after deliberating forty-nine minutes, returned a verdict of
"guilty." Speck was only twenty-four years old at the time of his convic-
tion for murder in the first degree. Judge H. C. Paschen sentenced him in
September 1967 to die in the electric chair, but after the United States
Supreme Court's decision to eliminate capital punishment, Speck was re-
sentenced to save several life sentences, totaling more than four hundred years.
 Chart 13 shows Speck's natal chart progressed to the date of the mur-
ders. Before analyzing these progressions, let's take a look at Speck's na-
tal planets in relation to his childhood and parentage.
Speck spent his early childhood inMonmouth, Illinois, his adolescence
in Dallas, Texas. The rulers of his 4th and 10thhouses (denoting his par-
ents) are in opposition (Mercury opposite Jupiter and the Moon semi-
square Saturn), suggesting his parents were not closely in accord. Speck's
father was a potter who died in 1946 when Speck was only six years old.
At that age. Speck's progressed MC was inconjunct natal Mercury, his
rothhouse ruler, signifying the male parent. At birth. Speck's Mercury
was trine Pluto.
The family moved to Dallas in 1950 when his mother remarried, pro-
viding him with a stepfather whom he gradually grew to despise. (Natal
Sun in Sagittarius is often an indicator of a stepparent, although this is not
invariably so.) Because his stepfather was handicapped, he was obliged to
repress the expression of his resentment to some degree. Speck's mother
stated in an interview that her new husband not only failed to establish a
good relationship with Speck, but actually harassed him unmercifully. By
contrast. Speck's relationship with his mother was much better. Jupiter,
ruler of Speck's 4th house (representing the mother), is elevated near the
Midheaven, and this planet at 160 Gemini is also the dispositor of Speck's
natal Sun sign, Sagittarius. Jupiter opposes Speck's natal Sun at 13 Sagit-
tarius. His natal Moon, ruling the mother, is strong and at home in Can-
cer in the 10th house. Speck is said to have held his mother in high es-
teem, befitting this placement.
Speck was one of eight children, and was said to be especially fond of
his younger sister, Carolyn. Note the trine of Mars to the Sun and Mer-
cury in Sagittarius in the 3rd house, which rules siblings. Pluto rules the
3rd house, and this planet opposes Venus. Speck had two brothers and
five sisters. His relatives claim that although he was occasionally violent
when he was drinking heavily, most of the time he was tender, loving, and
kind, especially to members of his own family circle.
Nevertheless, by age eighteen. Speck was completely out of control,
and eventually was institutionalized in a juvenile home, this is a common
pattern; murderers of multiple victims often begin their violent careers at
an early age. The process usually begins in childhood and continues into
adolescence. Sometimes it begins with cruelty to animals and/or arson,
and develops into assault, voyeurism, and rape. Then, the violence accel-
erates into a rage that often ends in murder, or occasionally suicide. Un-
fortunately, murder and suicide are often interrelated.
As an adult. Speck couldn't seem to hold down a steady job. He
dropped out of school in the ninth grade and worked as a garbage hauler
and a trucker's helper, and held temporary seafaring jobs. Dreamy Nep-
tune ruling his 6th house (jobs) didn't help a bit. In fact, between dead-
end, low-paying jobs he was often arrested for theft (Mercury) or break-
ing and entering, ending up in jail. When arrested on July 17, 1966 for
the massacre in Chicago, Speck was also wanted for burglary in Dallas,
Texas. In his natal chart. Mercury, his ruler, trines Pluto (gangsters, con-
victs) in the nth house, indicating that he chose the wrong companions.
No doubt, these factors and his heavy drinking adversely affected his
marriage. In Speck's natal chart, Venus sextiles Mercury, his Ascendant
ruler. This aspect points to his attraction to a young (Mercury) girl, for
Speck's wife was only fifteen years old when they married injanuary 1962.
They had a daughter of whom he was very fond (see Venus on the cusp
of his 5th house of progeny).
Neptune, Speck's 7th house ruler, is exactly opposite the Descendent
and poorly aspected except for a trine to Uranus and Saturn. Speck's wife,
Shirley, filed for divorce while he was in prison and won permanent cus-
tody of their only daughter (Uranus in the gth house of legalities trine
Neptune). Undoubtedly, this marital failure affected him strongly and
negatively colored his attitude toward women in general. His hatred for
his former wife became an obsession. Neptune in Virgo, poorly aspected,
often leads to self-pity, or "playing the martyr." The loss of his child be-
came progressively harder to bear, especially when his ex-wife remarried
shortly after their divorce. Moon in Cancer gives a moody, brooding, over-
sensitive nature, and Jupiter square the Nodes across the 6th and 12th
houses tends to magnify things and blow them all out of proportion.
Speck's natal Sun and Moon are in inconjunct aspect; at the time of the
murders on July 13, 1966, his progressed Moon and progressed Sun re-
peat this inconjunct aspect. Progressed Mars, a violent planet, at 24° Aries
is on the cusp of his 8th house, which rules sexuality, and is exactly square lis
progressed MC at 24° Cancer. At age twenty-four, progressed Jupiter,
Speck's Sun sign ruler, had retrograded to an exact opposition of his natal

Sun, indicating the potential for self-indulgence and excessive pleasure-

seeking. Withjupitersquare the natal Moon's Nodes at his birth, he was
inclined to be a braggart who seldom feltthe need to be truthful.

Epilogue
On December 5,199 r, the day of his annual solar return, and just one day
before his fiftieth birthday, Speck died of a massive heart attack. He died
in Silver Cross Hospital near the Joliet, Illinois, prison where he had been
held for twenty-four years. On the day of his death,the New Moon at
13 Sagittarius fell exactly on his natal Sun's degree and opposed his
4th house ruler, his progressed Sun at 4° Aquarius opposed natal Pluto
at 5° Leo; the progressed Moon at 160Taurus occupying his 8th house
was semisextile natal Jupiter, ruler of his 4th house of endings.
 k

I <

\ *
Chapter Four

The Assassination

of John Lennon

On December 8, 1980, former Beatle John

Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono were prepar-

ing to enter their Manhattan apartment when Mark

David Chapman approached them. He called out to

Lennon, then leveled a pistol and shot five times.

Lennon staggered about five feet, shouting "I've been shot," before he col-
lapsed to the sidewalk. Upon arrival at the hospital, John Lennon was pro-
nounced dead.
Chapman made no attempt to escape, was arrested and immediately
confined to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan to ascertain his sanity and
ability to stand trial for Lennon's murder. He was pronounced fit, ar-
raigned, and charged with second degree murder. Chapman had a history
of previous arrests from 1972 to 1980. The latest was an armed robbery
charge that occurred less than two months before the shooting,
Beatle fans know John Lennon as the composer and singer of many
popular hit songs during the '60s and '70s. He was shot and killed by a
man who had an acute identity problem: a man who believed he was John
Lennon and that the real John Lennon was usurping his own position and
deceiving the public about his true identity. This is according to the psy-
chiatrist who examined Chapman prior to the trial. Twenty-five years old
at the time of the shootings. Chapman had reportedly sought help from a
counselor at a mental health clinic in Honolulu, Hawaii,just three weeks
prior to the shootings, but failed to keep his appointment. According to
friends, he was a former drug user and a "born again Christian" who had
married young, and was experiencing relationship problems. Before com-
ing to New York City, Chapman held a job as a security guard in Waikiki
(where he purchased the murder weapon), but had hastily resigned with-
out explanation, signing himself out under the name "John Lennon."
According to Rodden's Astro Data III, Mark David Chapman was born
May 10, 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas, at 7:30 PM. CST, when a
Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Cancer squared Neptune in 26° Libra; see
Chart 14. An afflicted Neptune suggests a confused mental state (identi-
ty confusion), possibly aggravated by drugs or alcohol. In this case, if we
are to believe the psychiatrist, "displaced identity" was the result. For sev-
eral months now, transiting Pluto in the last decan of Libra had been hov-
ering around Chapman's natal Neptune, making a hard square aspect to
his Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in 24° Cancer, and conjoining his natal
Neptune. These intense aspects indicate the need to escape (Neptune)
from growing inner tensions by seeking some type of psychotherapy (Plu-
to), but unfortunately he aborted his own attempt to do so.
Chart 14. Natal chart for Mark David Chapman, progressed to JohnLennon's murder on De-
cember 8, igSo. Bom: May 10, 1955. 7:30 P.M. CST, Fort Worth, TX, g/Wi8j2N45
Source: LoisRoddcn's Astro Data 111 ,pagc43. ("AA" data, D. Martinie,from aprivate source.)

Chapman's birth chart shows the Moon's Nodes on the Gemini/Sagit-

tarius axis favorably aspecting his Taurus Sun sign ruler, Venus, confirm-
ing and emphasizing his religious zeal. Mars in Gemini conjunct the
South Node and sextile Venus, clearly indicates a devout, enthusiastic
missionary type who readily adopts a cause and enjoys traveling to foreign
countries. A Yod configuration (often called "The Finger of God") ap-
pears on the angles of his birth chart. Venus and Mars are in sextile as-
pect, while Saturn, the focal planet of the Yod, is inconjunct both planets.
 Mars and Pluto are the co-rulers of Chapman's 23 0 Scorpio Ascendant,
and both planets are strong and angular. Chapman's Pluto at 24° Leo is
culminating at the zenith ,and closely squares his Ascendant. His Sun at
i90Taurus opposes restrictive Saturn, and Pluto is in a tension-promot-
ing square aspect to both planets; aT-Crossin fixed signs. Sun square Plu-
to hints at a volatile, vindicative nature if crossed (potential violence),
while the Sun opposite Saturn suggests that he suffers from low self-es-
teem, accompanied by feelings of insecurity and periodic bouts of depres-
sion (Saturn). Although in the izthhouse, Saturn is within a six degree
orb, and therefore aspecting the Ascendant.
On the night of the murder, Lennon's progressed Uranus at 24° Tau-
rus trines Chapman's progressed MC, and opposes Chapman's Scorpio
Ascendant, bringing the two of them together in a violent confrontation!
Chapman's ruling planet, Pluto, exactly squares Lennon's progressed
Uranus, and his natal Venus at 190Aries is exactly conjunct Lennon's as-
cendant degree. (Venus is not such a lucky planet this time, as Chapman
posed as a friend to gain access to Lennon.) Lennon's progressed Sun at
26° Scorpio opposes his own natal Uranus, thereby increasing his poten-
tial for incurring risky (Uranus) encounters, situations, and/or accidents.
According to Lois Rodden's Data News, John Winston Lennon was
born to Julia and Fred Lennon in a Liverpool (England) hospital during a
bombing raid on October 9, 1940 at 6:30 PM_ BST. (Refer to author's
note at the end of this chapter; see Chart 15.).
Let's examine Lennon's birth chart closely. The 191K degree of Aries,
a Mars-ruled fire sign is rising. Lennon has a stellium of points and plan-
ets in the artistic, fun-loving sign of Libra, and his Sun in the iblhdegree
of this cardinal sign occupies a musical degree. (Fifteen degrees of the Car-
dinal signs, according to astrologer Charles Carter, denotes musical tal-
ent.) The Moon's node in the harmonious sign of Libra conjunct his na-
tal Sun accounts for much of his personal charm and immense popularity.
Having an angular Sun at birth (near the Descendant) he was instinctively
drawn to an occupation dealing with the public, so he became a very suc-
cessful musician and entertainer. The stellium of Taurus planets in his 1st
house and the sign Taurus on his 2nd cusp signifies the accumulation of
great wealth and abundant material possessions.
Chart 1John Lennon's birth chart, progressed to his death on December 8, ig8o. Born
October 9, j940,6:30 P.M. BST, Liverpool, England, 2W55, 53N25. Placidus Houses.
Source: LoisRoddin i DataNews. ("A' data, Charles Harvey, from Lennon's relatives.)

His setting Sun opposes the Ascendant, however, showing the abrupt
separation from his father. As a little boy he was left to live with his grand-
parents (represented by theJupiter/Satum conjunction in his isthouse),
but was actually raised by an aunt. At age 17, when Lenon's progressed
Sun squared his natal Moon and Pluto, his mother Julia died in a tragic
automobile accident. Note that Lennon's Moon (the mother) at birth at
3° Aquarius is applying to an opposition to Pluto in 4° Leo, an unfortu-
nate and potentially violent aspect.
 03 U 35'
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Chart 16. Event chart for John Lennon s shooting. December 8, 19S0,10:50 P.M. EST,
Manhattan, NY, 73W59, 40N46. Source: Baton Rouge Morning Advocate ncitspaper.

Cancer/Capricorn falls across Lennon's natal 4th and loth house axis.
Moon-ruled Cancer is known to rule New York City, where he made his
home at the time of his death. Ironically, the former Beatlc had said he felt
safe in New York City because it provided more privacy than Liverpool,
his home town.
When Lennon met his violent death at 10:50 PM. EST, on December
8, 1980 (see Chart 16),his progressed Moon was at exactly ofCan-
cer near the cusp of his 4th house of endings and squaring the Nodes. The
transiting Moon was in his loth house in Capricorn, which is the sign it
occupied at Chapman's birth. The Moon's first aspect on that day was a
square to Lennon's natal Mars, then the Moon made a trine to Venus, and
finally a fatal inconjunct aspect to natal Transpluto and Pluto, activating
his natal Mars/Pluto midpoint. Lennon's natal Mars/Pluto midpoint
(murder) is at 30i6'Virgo, and on the date of his birth, his Sun sign ruler,
Venus, at 3° Virgo is conjunct this midpoint, making what Uranian as-
trologers call a "tree" or occupied midpoint.
Venus also rules his 7th house, no doubt representing the presence of
his devoted wife, Yoko Ono, as a witness to his murder. At the time of the
shootings, the transiting Moon at 5° Capricorn is in exact opposition to
Yoko Ono's progressed Vertex at 5° Cancer. The transiting Moon con-
juncts Chapman's natal Moon and prenatal eclipse point of "fated en-
counters" at 2°59' Capricorn. The Moon is also making a stressful
sesquiquadrate to Chapman's natal Sun and progressed Venus.
Let's examine event Chart 16 for the murder more closely to see what
aspects some of the other transiting planets made to Lennon's natal chart.
At birth, Lennon had an exact Jupiter/Saturn conjunction at 130 Taurus
in his 1st house. On the date of his death, this conjunction was squared
by the Moon's Nodes at 130 Leo/Aquarius. Transiting Mars was exactly
trine this natal Jupiter/Saturn conjunction. Mars at 13° Capricorn in
Lennon's 10th house squared his natal Ascendant, Sun, Moon's Nodes,
and Equatorial Ascendant. Saturn, his 10th house ruler, at 8° Libra was
conjunct his progressed North Node, as well as his wife's natal Ascen-
dant. Transiting Mercury, representing cars and transportation, at 5°
Sagittarius (ruler of Lennon's 3rd house of short trips), was making a sep-
arating trine aspect to his natal Pluto when he was shot and killed just as
he and his wife stepped out of their limousine. Mercury squares Pluto at
his birth.
Let's look at the transits of the slower-moving outer planets to
Lennon's birth chart for the date of his assassination. Transiting Pluto at
23 0 Libra in his 7th house opposes Lennon's Ascendant and conjuncts his
Libra Sun, and is approaching a conjunction with progressed Mars at 2 8°
Libra. Transiting Uranus, which acts quickly and unexpectedly, was at 27°
Scorpio, making a conjunction to Lennon's progressed Sun.
Chart iy. Birth chart for Yoko Ono, progressed to December 8, 1980. Born February 18,
I
933' PM. JST, Tokyo, Japan, i]^E^^,]^N^oPlacidus houses. Source: Birth cer-
tificate supplied by Roger Elliot to Lois Rodden; published in Profiles of W omen,pg. 333.

Lennon met his death a few days before the exact conjunction of Jupiter
and Saturn at 9° Libra. Hiis conjunction fell in opposition to Lennon's 8°
Aries Equatorial Ascendant and conjunct his prenatal eclipse point (PE)
at 8°! i'Libra. In her book on the prenatal eclipse, astrologer Rose Line-
man associates this eclipse point with karmic relationships and debts.
The alignment of two of the largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter
and Saturn, takes place every twenty years. A Jupiter/Saturn conjunction
in Earth sign Capricorn took place on December 31, 1980,2.3 days after
Lennon's death. If we apply it to Lennon's birth chart, we see that it falls
within his overloaded 6th house, conjunct his progressed North Node.
When Lennon was bom in 1940. Jupiter and Saturn were also forming
an Earth sign conjunction, this time at 13 0 Taurus, in Lennon's 1st house.
Now, let's return to Lennon's natal chart. At birth, Uranus makes a
stressful sesquiquadrate to the Moon's Nodes. In 1980. transiting Uranus
at 27° Scorpio was just barely past the exact opposition to Lennon's natal
Uranus at 250Taurus. This middle-age crisis point is especially important
as it frequently represents a turning point in one's life. Not necessarily a
violent change, but a change in values and sometimes lifestyle. Males, es-
pecially, can experience a sexual crisis at this age.
Lennon's biographers tend to agree that he did, indeed, experience such
a Uranian crisis or sudden change in life-style. Yoko Ono and John
Lennon were married on March 20, 1969. But throughout 1973 and
1974 when transiting Uranus was conjunct his natal Sun, he lived apart
from his Japanese wife and reportedly had an affair with his secretary
which lasted about eighteen months. He later reconciled with with his es-
tranged wife, and in 1976 their son Sean was born on Lennon's birthday.
Shortly afterward, he switched roles with his wife and began to stay at
home to care for his young son, while Yoko became more active in her
own career, and took over the management of their business affairs. In
1980, Lennon and his wife, having come full circle, began making musi-
cal albums together again.
Yoko Ono's birth data is derived from Roddcn's Profiles of Women, and
is said to be "A" data from her birth certificate. She was bom on February
18, 1933, 8:30 PMJST, in Tokyo, Japan; see Chart 17.
Both Chapman and Lennon, by some strange quirk of fate, were mar-
ried to women of a different culture. Chapman's wife was Japanese-Amer-
ican while Lennon's wife was Japanese. Lennon's natal Pluto in Leo in as-
pect to Mars and Venus shows he might be attracted to a woman of a
different race or country. Individuals having Pluto in the 5th or 7th house
at birth, or in the signs Leo or Libra, often make interracial or intercultural
marriages. Pluto here indicates the extra adjustment it takes to make this
type of marriage succeed.
Epilogue

Mark David Chapman has been sentenced to life imprisonment, and is

now confined to a prison cell in New York's Attica Correctional Facility.
Chapman's record shows he was mentally ill and unstable during much
of his lifetime, and it is alleged that he attempted suicide in 1977 when he
was 22 years old.

Author's Note
I, along with many other astrologers, have previously used 7:00 AM.
BST as Lennon's birth time, using Hunter Davies' biography Ibe Beatles
as a reference. Now, however, it seems there is more reliable data available.
The 6:30 PM. time of birth utilized in this book is now used by most as-
trologers, including the British astrologer, AT. Mann, in his book Life
Time Astrology, in which he analyzes Lennon's chart at great length. I now
favor the 6:30 PM. BST birth time because, after analyzing it thoroughly,
I believe it fits more accurately with the somewhat turbulent events in
John Lennon's short but active life.
/
 Chapter Five

Murder

Unmasked

The Many Faces

of Ted Bundy

W Bat's one less person on the face of the

■ arth, anyway?" These were Ted

Bundy s reported words when referring to himself

just before his scheduled execution on July z, 1986.

The execution was postponed, but after ten years of

appealing his convictions for multiple murders, Bundy died in the electric
chair in 1989.
A cold-blooded serial killer, Bundy was convicted of three vicious slay-
ings of young women in Florida on July 24, 1979, and was suspected by
police of killing as many as thirty-six women in Washington, Oregon,
Utah, and Colorado. After being imprisoned in Colorado for abducting
Carol Da Ronch, he escaped twice, avoiding detection by the police
through his mastery of the art of disguise (Neptune) and his amazing abil-
ity to move with speed from place to place (natal Mars conjunct Moon in
Sagittarius opposite Uranus in Gemini).
At the time of Bundy's birth (See Chart 18) in Burlington, Vermont,
on November 24, 1946, at 10:35 PM. EST, the Sun, his Leo Ascendant
ruler, occupied 2° Sagittarius. This "A" data is said to be from the birth
certificate, according to Rodden's Astro Data III. Bundy was bom the day
after a New Moon (November 23) and a solar eclipse at o05o' Sagittarius;
this prenatal eclipse fell in his 4th house. The Moon is in its increasing or
extrovert phase. The 25th degree of Leo rises and i60Taurus is on the
Midheaven. Both degrees denote "a homicidal tendency" according to
Charles Carter's Encyclopedia of Psychological Astrology. Bundy's Moon in
the 17tK degree of Sagittarius is also "a homicidal degree," according to
the same source, and its conjunction to Mars and opposition to Uranus
only adds to the potential for violence directed at females (Moon).
Many of Bundy's acquaintances noticed his remarkable ability to alter
his appearance, seemingly at will. He was a chameleon, a changeling, adept
at disguises and mimicry. Six mug shots taken of him and displayed in na-
tional newspapers seem to reveal a set of different personalities. Having
studied law, a Sagittarian occupation, it was easy for Bundy to pose as a
newly enrolled law student on college campuses. Mars, ruler of his 9th
house of legal matters, is conjunct his Sun in Sagittarius. With Neptune
(disguises and deceptions) exactly semisquare his Leo Ascendant and na-
tal Mercury, he also enjoyed using various names and aliases in his efforts
to elude and outwit the police.
His good looks and charming, polite demeanor (Sun sextile Neptune)
appealed to vulnerable women. His surface charm and grace were com-
bined with the athletic, dignified bearing typical of Leo rising. To lure
Chart 18.Birth chartfor Ted Bundy, progressed lo Chi Omega murders on January 15, ig?8.
Bom November 24, 1946.10:35 PM. EST, Burlington, VT, 73 Wi 144Nig.Source: T Pal
Davis, quoting Bundy's birth certificate published in Lois Rodden's Astro Data 11 t.page 34.

women and evoke sympathy, he occasionally posed as a cripple or wore his

arm in a sling. His appearance varied. Sometimes he wore his hair short,
sometimes long. At times he had a mustache or beard, at other times he
was clean-shaven. This was his way of evading the police, for as soon as
he was in trouble in one place, he'd move to another state to begin again
with a new name and fraudulent ID and credit cards. It worked for a while,
but the police finally caught up with him. After escaping jail in California,
he was arrested in Florida on February 15, 1978, attempting to leave the
state in a stolen Volkswagen.
 As soon as his true identity was discovered, the state of Utah wanted
him back to serve a kidnapping sentence, and Colorado wanted to try him
for murder, as well as two prison breaks; but Florida had plans to try him
for the brutal Chi Omega sorority house murders. On January 15, 1978,
four young co-eds had been bludgeoned with a club and viciously raped
by an intruder. Two died immediately. The two who survived the attack
were later called as witnesses in Bundy's 1979trial.
Bundy was thirty-two years old when he was tried in Miami, Florida,
for the Chi Omega murders. He was convicted at 9:00 PM. EOT on July
24,1979. See Chart 19 for transits on that date.
Chart 18 shows Bundy's natal chart and progressions for January 15,
1978—thedate of the Chi Omega sorority house murders. Bundy's pro-
gressed Midheaven had moved to iS'^oS' Gemini, opposite progressed
Mercury at I80I8' Sagittarius and conjunct progressed Uranus at 190
Gemini, signifying the legalities that would ultimately lead to his loss of
freedom. When transiting Mars at 20° Gemini conjoined both his pro-
gressed Midheaven and natal Uranus, law-breaking brought about a sud-
den crisis in his life. By 1979, when he was convicted, his progressed As-
cendant at 210 Virgo was moving away from a square to Uranus and
making a favorable sextile to his natal Venus, so his family stood by him
and even offered to pay his legal expenses.
Neptune conjunct his natal Moon fostered unrealistic hopes of evading
punishment, and Bundy gained his mother's complete loyalty and sym-
pathy. She pleaded for his life on the witness stand, but transiting Saturn
(the Reaper) square his natal Moon's Node/Mars conjunction wasn't
about to let him escape so easily this time, and exacted just and final ret-
ribution. The progressed Moon square progressed Venus and transiting
Uranus at i60Scorpio, exactly opposite the cusp of his 10th house (rep-
utation) describes the loss of prestige he suffered, as well as the sudden
(Uranus angular) notoriety he gained through extensive media coverage
when his trial was nationally televised.
Bundy fired his attorneys during the course of the trial, and defended
himself. The case against him was too strong to overcome, though, and a
guilty verdict was rendered on July 24, 1979. Bundy was sentenced on
July 31 and subsequently sent to Death Row at the Florida State Prison
Chart 19. Event chart for Ted Bundy's conviction for the Chi Omega sorority murders.
July 24, ig/g9:00 P.M. EDT, Miami, FL, 8oW1125N4/.Placidus houses. Source:
Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth's book The Only Living Witness, page 2yl.

to await execution. As a result of constant appeals by his attorneys dur-

ing the following ten years, he managed to postpone the inevitable, but he
was finally executed on January 24, 1989, at 7:06 AM. EST, in Starke,
Florida. He was pronounced dead at 7:15 AM. See Chart 20. Note how
the vertical angles of his birth chart are reversed in the death chart, so that
the natal 4th house angle becomes the MC at the time of his public exe-
cution. On this date, transiting Pluto at 150 Scorpio was square natal Plu-
to, and just 1 degree from a conjunction to his natal 4th house cusp at
Chart 20. Event chart for Ted Bandy's death by electrocution. January 24, ig8g, 7:06 AM. EST
Starke, FL, 82W07, 29N57. Source: American Astrology magazine, May ig8g,page j8.

i603o' Scorpio. Pluto rules his 4th house, representing the end of life.
Does Bundy's childhood and parentage, as depicted by the natal
Moon's aspects, give us a clue to the motivation behind his criminal ac-
tivities? Does Neptune semisquare Mercury in Scorpio in the 4th house
(heritage) point to his mother's well-kept secret about his father? Ted
Bundy didn't know he was an illegitimate child, When he was thirteen,
he found his birth certificate with the words "father unknown" hidden
among some old papers. Until then, he'd mistakenly believed his father
was dead. His mother had evidently had a love affair with a serviceman
who abandoned her when he learned she was pregnant She had no choice
but to go to a home for unwed mothers in Burlington, Vermont. Her son,
Theodore Robert Cowell, was born there on November 24, 1946. He
would be told by his grandparents that his mother was his sister.
In 1950, at age four, Bundy's progressed Midheaven at 20° Taurus op-
posed his natal 10thhouse ruler, Venus. His mother,Louise, then mar-
ried John Bundy, by whom she had four children. When questioned
about these early years, Bundy recalled only that he resented being up-
rooted from his grandparent's home. Louise's father, Sam Cowell, was a
church deacon, and the child sorely missed him when the two families
moved apart. His relationship with his stepfather suffered by comparison.
Further examination of Bundy's birth chart shows the 4th house cusp
(Scorpio), ruling the mother, is strongly emphasized; with five planets
clustered within a thirty-four degree space in this house. The ruler, Plu-
to, at 13 0 Leo, is conjunct Saturn at 8° Leo in the izthhouse of secrets
and behind-the-scenes activity. Pluto conjunct Saturn indicates he may
have suffered from lack of a strong parental father-image during his grow-
ing years. Venus square Pluto describes the secrecy surrounding his par-
ents' relationship and how it may have affected him, since these two plan-
ets rule his parental angles—the 4 th and roth houses. His natal Mercury
semisquare Neptune (lies and deception) shows how this secrecy may
have affected him in an adverse manner.
Bundy directed his violent impulses toward females rather than males.
There's no recorded incident indicating otherwise. If he was angry with
his mother upon learning about the circumstances surrounding his birth
(Moon conjunct Mars), he likely failed to confront his true feelings, re-
pressing his anger. Natal Moon opposite Uranus indicates deep-seated es-
trangement from the mother, which later influenced the stability of his re-
lationships with other women. Mars opposite Uranus suggests that his
discovery of his illegitimate birth may have triggered a shock that was
more important than he was willing to acknowledge.
The 3rd house (siblings) and the roth house (the father) are both
ruled by Venus, which is heavily afflicted, despite its conjunction to
Jupiter. Venus inconjunct Uranus suggests unconventional or abnormal
sexual desires, and Venus square Pluto makes him subject to peculiar
phobias and obsessions. Venus was retrograde and in its detriment in the
sign of Scorpio at Bundy's birth, but turned direct by progression the year
after he learned of his illegitimate birth. Venus' station at that time, as
Bundy reached adolescence, marked an important turning point in his life.
A retrograde Venus can indicate sexual deviation if it's heavily afflicted
in a male chart, according to Manik C.Jain, author of Astrology in Marriage
Counseling. In a chapter on sexual perversion and aversion, he states that
"men who molest women and are subject to dangerous and vicious acts
against the opposite sex, often have Venus retrograde and heavily afflict-
ed at birth."
Let's take a closer look at Bundy's natal chart. An exact trine between
Mars at 130 Sagittarius and Pluto in i30Leo denotes potential violence,
and this aspect is often a contributing factor of satyriasis—uncontrollable
sexual desire. Mars and Pluto are co-rulers of the 8th sign, Scorpio, which
occupies his death-related 4th house cusp. According to the precepts of
Cosmobiology in Ebertin's Combination of Stellar Influences, the negative
side of the Mars/Pluto midpoint signifies murder and brutality. Bundy's
natal Neptune (his 8th house ruler of sexuality) located at this midpoint
denotes "a tendency to cause harm to others secretly and unobtrusively."
Psychiatrists who analyzed Bundy in prison labeled him a sociopathic
personality. From their interviews, we also know some other interesting
facts about him:

• His IQ^was estimated at 124;

• He had an O-Positive blood type;
• He was left-handed;
• He had an almost obsessive love for Volkswagens;
• He was suspected of having a foot fetish, as demonstrated by
the fact that when arrested he owned over forty pairs of socks;
• His victims were either strangled with panty hose or blud-
geoned to death—when questioned about this, Bundy re-
marked that a club was "probably'chosen because the weapon
couldn't be traced;
• When speaking of the murders, he avoided referring to him-
self directly and invariably used the third person.
 Despite his craving for publicity (typical of the Leo Ascendant), and his
cooperation with reporters and writers who agreed to relate his story,
Bundy made no official confession. Throughout his imprisonment, he de-
nied any feehngs of guilt and proclaimed his innocence of the Chi Omega
murders, despite his conviction in 1979 (though he finally did confess to
twenty-three murders in the Pacific Northwest). But Mercury square the
natal Ascendant made him verbose and willing to enter into discussions
about the crimes, his trial, and other related events, so he was frequently
open to interviews with reporters until the date of his execution.
As a result, several books have been published about Ted Bundy. Many
facts about his life, alleged crimes, and some important chronological
events can be found in The Only Living Witness, Bundy's own story told in
the third person. It is based on taped interviews with Bundy in prison and
written by reporters G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth. Bundy, The De-
liberate Stranger by Richard W. Larsen is another interesting factual ac-
count about Bundy.
The Stranger Beside Me, by Ann Rule, is written by a former police-
woman who worked with Bundy at a Washington suicide crisis center.
She was not only personally acquainted with him, but also carried on a
friendly correspondence with him after his imprisonment. The female
viewpoint is also expressed in The Phantom Prince, written by Meg Anders,
about a woman who had a love affair with Bundy for several years when
he resided in Utah. They planned to marry, but never did. In June of 1977,
Bundy learned that she was contemplating marriage to another man.
Throughout his trials and subsequent convictions, Bundy never lacked
female supporters. While imprisoned, awaiting trial, he befriended Carole
Boone. Just two days after his conviction for the brutal murder of twelve-
year-old Kimberly Leach, Ted Bundy and Carole Boone were married.
Their unusual marriage took place during the Kimberly murder trial at
to:i3A,M.EST, on February 9, 1980,in Orlando, Florida. At the time,
his progressed Moon had reached Aquarius, just three degrees
within his 7th house cusp. See Chart it for transits on the wedding date.
Carole Boone had Bundy's child in October 1980.
Other progressions and transits for these two closely related events are
as follows: Progressed Midheaven at 20° Gemini exactly conjunct his 7th
Chan 21. Event chart for Ted Bundy's marriage (while imprisoned) to Carole Boone .Feb-
ruary 9, lg8o, 10.13 A.MEST, Orlando, FL SlWi^iSN^^Placidus houses. Source:
Stephen Michaud and Hugh Ayntsuionh's book The Only Living Witness,290.

house ruler, Uranus, and inconjunct Venus; progressed Mercury con-

junct the 5th house of courtship and children, and progressed Venus at
24° Scorpio conjunct Uranus at 250 Scorpio square his 7th house cusp at
24° Aquarius; progressed Mars at 8° Capricorn is inconjunct Saturn, co-
ruler of the 7th house of marriage.
By his own admission, Bundy's violent, murderous impulses began to
dominate his life beginning in 1972 when he was twenty-six years old. His
criminal career started with minor thefts and voyeurism, and progressed
into a tragic pattern of molesting and finally murdering young women. He
especially liked to victimize pretty young women who wore their hair long
and parted in the middle.
On his twenty-sixth birthday, Bundy's progressed Midheaven had
reached Gemini and begun its opposition to his natal Mars/South
Node conjunction at iz and 130 Sagittarius. His natal 4th house stellium
is probably one of the worst aspects in his entire chart. Mars is conjunct
both luminaries and occupies the Sun/Moon midpoint, increasing his po-
tential for aggressive, impulsive behavior. When unleashed, Bundy's
predatory hatred for women knew no bounds, as indicated by his afflict-
ed Moon (females) conjunct Mars (violence) and the South Node. This
dangerous feature indicates a great potential for uncontrolled aggression
directed primarily at women.
It's believed that Bundy's first victim was eighteen-year-old Mary
Adams, who was battered in the basement of her Seattle, Washington,
home on January 4, 1974. There may have been previous victims whose
bodies were never found. Bundy was twenty-seven in January 1974 when
the crime against Mary Adams was reported. His retrograde, progressed
Venus had recently returned to the same position it held at birth. Two
months later, in March I974,his progressed Moon also returned to its na-
tal position.
Thus began five years of kidnapping, molesting, and murdering
women. This horrifying behavior continued from 197410 1979, when his
progressed Midheaven reached a conjunction with Uranus and he was fi-
nally convicted and sent to prison. Saturn conjunct Pluto in his 12th
house of confinement and karmic retribution had pulled the plug on him.

Epilogue
Bundy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and held sever-
al jobs relating to social work and politics. He held a staff position in 1972
for the Republican Party, and once had a job answering a suicide hotline.
When he was arrested on July 24, 1979, for the rape and murder of two
co-eds from the Chi Omega sorority, he was posing as a law student at a
college in Florida. On July 31, 1979, Ted Bundy received two death sen-
tences and two life imprisonment sentences; at this time his progressed
Moon had reached 22° Aquarius. He received a third death sentence on
February 12, 1980. when his progressed Moon was at Aquarius.
When Bundy's last appeal was rejected on January 17th, 1989, Florida
Governor Martinez signed a fourth death warrant.
Shortly before his execution on January 24, 1989, Bundy finally con-
fessed to twenty-three murders in the northwestern states. On September
11, 1988,just four months before his execution by electrocution, there
was a solar eclipse at iS^o'Virgo, closely squaring his natal Uranus and
natal Moon in the 4th house of endings.
Reporters Stephen G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth recorded some
of his last words in Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer, published in
1990.In one last taped interview with Dr. James Dobson of Pomona, Cal-
ifornia, Bundy stated that he wasn't an abused or neglected child and that
his family was not to blame for his crimes, as he was raised in a Christian
home. He also stated that he had discovered pornography (Neptune)
when he was about twelve, and blamed this for the beginning of his moral
and ethical downfall.
 ■
•r

*/
Chapter Six

The Last Ride

A Hitchhiker Who Was

Almost Murdered

Fifteen-year-old Mary Bell Vincent had big

plans when she ran away from her Las Vegas

home, and a family of six brothers and sisters. She

dreamed of making it in California, of becoming a

movie star. Looking slightly older than her age, she

was blessed with photogenic good looks. Mary Bell moved in with her
twenty-six-year-old boyfriend in Marin County near San Francisco, but
had to make other plans when he was arrested. She desperately wanted to
go to the Los Angeles area, and to the nearby little town of Corona where
her grandfather lived.
Despite warnings she'd received about the dangers of hitchhiking,
Mary Bell decided to take the risk and attempt to hitch a ride to Los An-
geles. On September 29, 1978, at about 3:00 PM. PDT, Lawrence Single-
ton, in his blue van, picked Mary Bell up just outside of Berkeley; see
Chart 22. Larry, a fifty-one-year-old former merchant seaman, told her he
had a daughter her age and promised to take her to the Interstate highway.
Instead, he drove her to a deserted rural area where he raped her, chopped
her arms off below the elbows with an ax, and drove away, leaving her to
bleed to death. Despite the overwhelming odds against her, she managed
to survive and identify her assailant.
In Gait, California, at about 8:00 AM. PDT the following day, Septem-
ber 30, 1978, Mary Bell crawled through the brush to the highway, and
holding her arms over her head to control the bleeding, attempted to stop
a driver. One car passed by, then another. Finally, a couple of vacationers
in the third car stopped to rescue her. Naked, and weak from loss of
blood, she was taken to a hospital by Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Bor. See Chart
23 for transits at the time of the rescue.
Ten days later, on October 9, 1978, at ia:oi PM. PDT, Singleton was
arrested at his second wife's home in Sparks, Nevada; see Chart 24. Tran-
siting Sun and Pluto were conjunct at 16° Libra, squaring his natal Pluto
and Mercury in Cancer, and semisquare his natal Mars and Saturn. The
Moon opposed his natal Mercury. He offered no resistance when the po-
lice arrested him, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Larry Singleton was bom on July 28,1927, in Tampa, Florida. His time
of birth is unknown, so we'll erect a sunrise chart for 5:53:37 AM. EST,
since this is the actual time of sunrise on the date of his birth. Chart 25
shows Sun in Leo and Moon at i0oi'Leo, so the Moon was near
its New Moon phase at the time of his birth—actually the Dark ofiht
Moon phase—since both luminaries are in the same sign.
Let's examine some of the aspects between Singleton's natal planets.
Chart 22. Event chart for time Singleton picked up Mary Bell Vincent. September 29,19/8,
3:00 PM. PDT, Berkeley, CA 11 zWi6J7N52. Placidus bouses. Source: Amanda Spake,
"The End of the Ride—/Analyzing a Sex Crime," in Mother Jones magazine, April 1980.

Retrograde Saturn at 1° Sagittarius trines the Sun at 4° Leo; 1° Sagittar-

ius has been classified as a self-destructive degree, and according to as-
trologer Barbara Walters, Saturn in Sagittarius can indicate a lack of ethics
or morals. A retrograde planet only tends to increase the negativity. Ret-
rograde Mercury (signifying cars and travel) is conjunct Singleton's natal
Pluto at 15 0 Cancer.
Natal Saturn closely squares Mars, denoting sex and violence. A
Mars/Satum square in a birth chart denotes destructive energy and often
Chan 23. Event chart for time couple stopped to rescue Mary Bell Vincent. September 50, rg/S,
S;00 AM. PDT, Gait, CA, iziWiS.j SNi^.Placidus houses. Source: Amanda Spake,
"The End o/tbe Ride—Analyzinga Sex Crime," in Mother Jones magazine. April 1980.

indicates an unfortunate tendency toward cruelty. In this case, Singleton

certainly proved that he lacked a conscience. In a male chart, Mars-Satum
afflictions (hard aspects) may indicate ongoing fears about sexual prowess
and/or a struggle with impotence in later years. Under stressful Mars-Sat-
urn aspects and transits, an individual may suffer depression, experience a
lack of compassion, and become fascinated with thoughts of death or sui-
cide. In her book, Aspects of Astrology, author Sue Tompkins associates
Mars/Saturn aspects with masochism and sadism; the Marquis de Sade had
natal Venus and Mars tightly squared by Saturn.
 27
02 O
58
22 25
09
cT 6
48■as-os '/
13° 170 X4\ \ ^
7 54 13
05 1
m 21'' % 35 56'^ fln "28°VtX \\ ®1
0
7 24 H 52' 42' S 55
\ 30' 20'

14 14
160 02'
46' ^ ^ 46

.^1
18 54
\ vs 3 23
55' 24
08
V

\ 27
50 02
03°rP 54

Cbarliq. Event chart for Larry Singletons arrest ax his wife's home. October g, 1978,11:01
P.M. PDT, Sparks, NV, ugW^j, jgfJjb.Placidus bouses. Source: Amanda Spake,
"'Ttc End of the Ride—Analyzing a Sex Crime," m Mother Jones magazine, April rgSo.

Planetary placements at 25° Sagittarius often indicate alcoholism; Sin-

gleton's energy-draining South Node in this degree exactly trines Neptune
(escapism) in the pleasure-loving sign Leo. Immediately after his arrest.
Singleton could give no reason for what he'd done other than to say he'd
been drinking. His neighbors seemed surprised by his arrest, as he ap-
parently had never been in trouble before. In fact, they considered him a
rather good neighbor.
The sunrise chart, when progressed to the date of the crime, Septem-
ber 29,1978 (see Chart 25) shows that the natal Midheaven (reputation)
Chart 25. Singkron's sunrise birth chart, progressed to crime: September -29.1 g/8. July 28,192/.
5:53:37A.M. EST, Tampa, FL, SzWi/.z/Nj/.Placidus houses. Source: Amanda Spake,
"The End of the Ride—Analyzing a Sex Crime,n in Mother Jones magazine, April igSo.

and the progressed Moon have both moved to 170 Gemini, a homicidal
degree, according to Charles Carter's Enctclopedia of Psychological Astrolo-
gy. When afflicted, 17° Gemini/Sagittarius may also indicate impotence
or other sexual problems in a male chart. Singleton was fifty-one years old
in 1978 and had recently separated from his second wife, although he was
apparently attempting a reconciliation with her.
Singleton's progressed Midheaven (MC) degree at 17° Gemini squares
natal Venus and conjoins his natal Mars/Uranus midpoint at
Chart 26. Natal chart for Mary Bell Vincent, progressed lo the crime on September 29,1978.
Bom May 17,1963,8:35:55 A.M. PDT(rectifiedfrom 8:j 1 A.M.: see below), El Centra, CA,
115 Wj4j iNqSPlacidus houses. Source: Birth certificate obtained by Edna Rowland.

Gemini; an accident axis. Mars is inconjunct Uranus at his birth.

Singleton's progressed Ascendant at 170 Virgo squares his progressed
MC, and is separating by a one degree orb firm a conjunction with his na-
tal Venus (young females) at 160 Virgo. In his natal chart, Venus is sex-
tile Pluto and Mercury, and semisquare the Sun, which rules his physical
vitahty and mascuhne ego. Venus so heavily accented by progressions
suggests that he was destined to meet a female who would change the
course of his life forever. Unfortunately, this was a meeting with tragic results,
particularly because the female was a minor. Singleton's solar MC is ex-
actly conjunct Mary Bell's natal Venus at 28° Aries.
According to Mary Bell Vincent's birth certificate, she was born May
17, 1963, at 8:31 AM. PDT in El Centro, California, the daughter of
Leoncia Dabu and Herbert Clifford Vincent. I have rectified Mary Bell's
time of birth to 8:35:55 AM. PDT, or four minutes and fifty-five seconds
later than the time given on her birth certificate, to conform with her pre-
natal epoch on July 28,1962. Chart 26, for this rectified birth time, shows
an Ascendant of 8° ig'Canceranda Midheaven of 22 024'Pisces. The Sun
occupies 26° Taurus and the natal Moon is at Pisces. This rectifi-
cation of approximately five minutes moves her Midheaven and Ascen-
dant forward about one degree. After examining her natal aspects, we'll
check this rectified chart for accuracy by progressing her planets and an-
gles to the date of the crime—September 29,1978.
Mary Bell's birth chart shows her ruling planet, the Moon, in the wa-
tery, emotional sign of Pisces, exactly opposed to Pluto (rape and murder).
Mars, a violent planet, is exactly opposed to Saturn,just one degree from
the cusp of her 3rd house of travel and short trips. This is a warning to be
cautious when traveling that may have saved Mary Bell had she known
about it. Jupiter squares the Ascendant and is inconjunct Pluto in the fa-
tal ninth degree of Virgo.
The synastry aspects between Singletons and Man' Bell s charts are
even more explosive. When the two met. Singleton's progressed Sun at
2 0
3 43 ^^r80 was conjunct Mary Bell's IC (4th house cusp) and oppos-
ing her 22024, Pisces natal MC. His progressed Sun was also sextile her
natal Vertex, trine her South Node, inconjunct her natal Saturn, and
square her Equatorial Ascendant at 23° Gemini. Mary Bell's Pluto at 9°
Virgo, a death planet in a homicidal degree, conjoins Singleton's
Venus/Mars midpoint in Virgo and widely squares his Saturn in the sign
of Sagittarius (morals and ethics), activating this part of his natal chart.
According to astrologer Charles Carter, the 9th degree of the mutable
signs indicates a homicidal tendency. On the day she hitched the tragic
ride with him, a Moon/Saturn conjunction in 8° Virgo fell almost exact-
ly on her natal Pluto at 9° Virgo in her 3rd house of travel and opposed
her natal Moon at 90 Pisces.
 Mary Bell's natal Uranus in 1° Virgo exactly conjoins Singleton's Mars
at 1° Virgo, an impulsive, accident-provoking combination. Her Uranus,
symbolizing the new or younger generation, also makes an exact ninety-
degree aspect to his Saturn, the older generation. The square between
these two planets is a violent aspect that sometimes provokes sudden, un-
expected conflict or ruthless behavior. As mentioned already, the
Mars/Saturn or Mars/Uranus aspect is not a happy blend, especially in
synastry or comparison charts. These two planetary combinations must
be handled with care and caution. Saturn puts a damper on the actions
Mars wants to indulge in, resulting in frustration that eventually erupts
as unwarranted cruelty, hostility, or harsh punishment. "Revenge is
sweet" may be the negative motivation here. Mars/Saturn afflictions cer-
tainly encourage rather than discourage hasty, ill-considered reactions to
stress. Transiting Saturn at 8° Virgo is conjunct Mary Bell's natal Pluto
at the time of the crime, and square Singleton's natal Vertex at 8° Sagit-
tarius. This Saturn/Pluto aspect can be interpreted as an older man who
seeks retribution by raping. Mary Bell's progressed Sun at io0 Gemini is
separating from the square to her natal Pluto and Moon, as well. These
Sun/Pluto aspects occur frequently in rape cases.
On the day of the crime, transiting Saturn at Virgo is conjunct
Singleton's natal Venus/Mars midpoint at Virgo. Ebertin, in The
Combination of Stellar Influences describes this aspect as: "Inhibitions in
love-relationship, an inclination to adultery, an abnormal or pathological
sex-expression, a separation in love." 9° Virgo is repeatedly aspected in
both Singleton's and Mary Bell's charts. The transiting Moon is at 9° Vir-
go, applying to a conjunction with Singleton's natal Venus and square his
Vertex at the time he picked Mary Bell up on September 29. There is also
a Moon/Saturn (female meets older man) conjunction in 8° Virgo on the
day of the crime. All this activity at 8 and 9° Pisces/Virgo is activating
Mary Bell's natal Moon/Pluto opposition. Transiting Neptune, a slow-
moving outer planet, at 150 Sagittarius, closely squares Singleton's natal
Venus in Virgo on the day of the crime; this probably represents his long-
standing battle with alcohol.
See Chart 24 for the transits at the time Singleton was arrested in
Sparks, Nevada, on October 9, 1978, ten days after the crime. Transiting
Chart 27. Event chart for Larry Smgffton's sentencing to fourteenyears. April 20,1979,12:01
P.M. PST, San Diego, CA, 117W0CJ2N43 Placidus bouses. Source: Amanda Spake,
"Tbe End of the Ride—Analyzing a Sex Crime," in Mother Jones magazine, April 1980.

Sun and Pluto are both exactly conjunct his natal Mars/Saturn midpoint
at ib^i'Libra. According to Tbe Combination of Stellar Influences, this Plu-
to-occupied midpoint implies the "intervening of a Higher Power, bodily
injury, or harm." Both transiting Sun and Pluto are trine his progressed
Midheaven/Moon conjunction in 170 Gemini and semisquare his natal
Mars and Saturn. Sagittarius is rising and the chart ruler, Jupiter, repre-
senting justice, is conjunct his natal Leo Sun. Transiting Mars is one de-
gree from a conjunction to transiting Uranus at 140 Scorpio, squaring his
Leo Sun and Moon. (Note: Singleton's natal Moon may be in a later de-
gree of Leo if he was bom in the afternoon or night rather than the early
morning hours as his sunrise chart indicates.)
On the day Singleton was born, the Moon traveled from 28° Cancer to
0
n Leo. If both luminaries were occupying Leo at his birth, this would
account for his large dose of ego, perhaps making him overly conscious of
his masculine image.
During the summer of 1978, Singleton's daughter had left home, and
he was living alone. He had separated from his second wife, Mary Collins
who said that after violent episodes following heavy drinking, he claimed
not to recall the incidents. His first wife also claimed he beat her with his
fists and raped her.
At his trial. Singleton readily admitted he'd been drinking grain alco-
hol on the day he attacked Mary Bell. This may have contributed to the
lapses in his memory and explain why his story and Mary Bell Vincent's
recollections didn't match. He said the girl told him she was twenty or
twenty-one years old. This is only one of many ways in which their sto-
ries at the trial differed.
Eventually, Singleton realized that things weren't going as well as he'd
expected, and his strategy quickly changed. He pleaded not guilty, saying
he had acted in self-defense, and stuck stubbornly to his story through-
out the trial and afterward. His excuse for the rape was that he "thought
Mary Bell was a prostitute." Mary Bell was only fifteen; the jury didn't buy
his story.
In response to the tremendous amount of pre-trial publicity, the trial
was moved to San Diego, California. Singleton was found guilty of rape,
sodomy, oral copulation, kidnapping, mayhem, and attempted murder.
Seven months later, on April 20, 1979 (see Chart 27), he was sentenced
by Judge Earl Maas, Jr. to a maximum of fourteen years and four months.
He was sent to the San Diego jail, then to the Chino State Prison, and fi-
nally to San Quentin.
Unlike some Leos who welcome publicity, Singleton seldom granted in-
terviews while in prison, but journalist Amanda Spake carried on a corre-
spondence with the prisoner while he was in San Quentin. Spake later
wrote an article about Singleton, "The End of the Ride—Analyzing a Sex
Chart 28. Singleton's sunrise birth chart (data from Chan 25) progressed to his release from
prison on April 25,198?.Source: Baton Rouge Morning Advocate newspaper, Apn7 4,19SS.

Crime," for the April 1980 issue of Mother Jones. In Spake's article, she
states that Singleton's view of women is "typical of males bom in his gen-
eration. . .womenare either wives or whores." Spake's analysis is based on
her subjective impressions and correspondence with Singleton, and this
judgement certainly fits his Venus in Virgo placement. Venus in Virgo
square the Moon's Nodes denotes that his emotions and feelings toward
women may have been molded by his early childhood experiences.
Venus rules Singleton's Libra 4th house (parent of opposite sex and
family heritage), but since Scorpio is intercepted in that house, and Scorpio
is ruled by the violent planets Mars and Pluto, all of these 4th house
rulers are related. Venus makes a separating sextile aspect to Pluto. Mars
is in an exact square to Saturn, the lone occupant of his 4th house. His
victim, too, has an exact Mars/Saturn opposition in her natal chart, indi-
cating much suffering and pain while traveling, since the opposition falls
on the cusps of her 3rd and 9th houses. Hard Mars/Saturn aspects are of
ten considered difficult aspects to overcome, mainly since melancholy and
depression keep the individual unbalanced and tempted to overcompen-
sate when they feel frustrated.
Note that Singleton's prenatal eclipse point (PE) at Cancer is
conjunct Mary Bell's natal Ascendant at 8° Cancer. Her prenatal eclipse
point at 4052' Aquarius exactly opposes Singleton's natal Sun at 4022*
Leo. On the day she hitched a ride with him, transiting Jupiter at 4° Leo
was exactly opposite her PE (fated encounters), and transiting Mars at 6°
Scorpio was square that point.

Epilogue
Singleton was one of eight children raised in strict Southern Baptist tra-
dition. After quitting school in the eleventh grade, he went to work for the
railroad, and later enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. At the time
of the crime, September 29, 1978,he resided in San Pablo, separated from
his second wife.
In Singleton's chart, many aspects and occupied areas signify a streak
of cruelty in his nature. It's obvious that he harbored sadistic impulses or
he couldn't have committed such a brutal crime. He also has Neptune at
250 Leo trine the Nodes and in an out-of-sign conjunction with his natal
Mars. According to astrologer Charles Carter, the 25th degree of the fixed
signs is prone to alcoholism or drug-taking when afflicted, especially when
accompanied by a Mars/Neptune aspect. Alcoholism contributed greatly
to Singleton's crimes.
On April 25, 1987, the sixty-year-old convict was released ahead of
schedule because he had been a "model prisoner." Singleton had served nine
years and eleven months of his fourteen-year, four-month sentence. See
Chart 28 for progressions at Singleton's release; progressed Sun, his Sun-
sign ruler, in 2° Libra, opposes natal Uranus (freedom), and the progressed
Ascendant at Virgo squares his natal Nodes and transiting
Uranus. During his first year ofparole, he was forced to live temporarily
in a trailer at the state prison, mainly because there was so much contro-
versy about his early release and future residence. No matter where au-
thorities tried to place him, infuriated residents of nearby communities at-
tempted to ban him from living in their towns. Mary Collins, his former
wife, offered him a home, but this request was refused by the parole board.
To this date. Singleton's residence since his release from prison has not
been revealed.
As for Mary Bell, she's a survivor if there ever was one, and has already
demonstrated the great strength and endurance typical of a Taurus Sun
native. According to an article in People magazine, Mary has succeeded in
putting the past behind her. She has moved to a new location and is now
married and the proud mother of several children. All who admire her
courage wish that her trials and tribulations be few and that her life be full
and rewarding as she grows into womanhood.
Chapter Seven

The End

of an Affair

Dr. Tarnower's

Last Supper

Dr. Herman Tarnower, author of the popular

best-seller Tbe Complete Scarsdale Medical

Diet, entertained LynneTryforos and Debbie Raizes

at a dinner in his home on March 10, ig8o. His two

guests left early, and the doctor went to bed at about

8:30 PM. Little did he know what lay ahead, and that the evening's gath-
ering had been his last supper.
Earlier, Dr. Tarnower had received an emergency phone call from his
patient and mistress, Jean Harris. On March 6, she had exhausted her
supply of the prescription medicine Desoxyn, usually supplied by the doc-
tor. Suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms and the frustration of be-
ing in love with an unfaithful lover, Harris was in no mood for compro-
mise. She insisted on coming immediately to his Westchester estate in
Purchase, New York, even though Tarnower tried to persuade her to wait
until the following day. She was angry because her earlier phone calls to
him had been ignored. His servants often intercepted his calls and lied to
Harris when she asked if the doctor was at home.
Feeling depressed and frustrated during the previous few days, Harris
had made a new will and written a long letter to Dr. Tarnower in which
she claimed she wanted to kill herself on his premises.
Since 1977, Harris had been the headmistress of the Madeira School
for young girls in McLean, Virginia. A former teacher, she had ventured
into school administration mainly for financial reasons. Her job was pres-
tigious, but stressful. She had recently had an exceptionally bad day on the
job and was thinking of resigning. One of her Madeira School colleagues
had given her a bouquet of flowers, hoping to help change her mood.
After driving five hours from Virginia to New York in her blue
Chrysler, Harris arrived at Tamower's house on March loat about 10:40
PM. EST. In one hand she held the flowers; in the other, her purse, con-
cealing a .32 caliber revolver purchased a year and a half earlier. See Chart
29 for the transits on her arrival.
Shortly after 11:00 PM. EST, Dr. Tamower's live-in cook, Suzanne
Van derVreken, heard the doctor's bedroom buzzer. When she answered
the call, she heard angry voices in the background and then a shot.
When Tarnower didn't respond, she immediately phoned the police
and then woke her husband, Henri. See Chart 30 for transits at the time
of the shootings. They ran upstairs to Dr. Tamower's bedroom and were
met by Jean Harris running down the stairs. Harris left the house, but re-
turned a few minutes later with a police officer behind her. She said she
had gone "to call for help at a nearby phone booth." When the officer
Chart 29: Event chart for Jean Harris' arrival at Dr. Herman Tamower's bouse. March
jo, zgfio, EST, Purchase, NY,/JVV4J, 41N02. Source: Charlotte Ann
Tutor's article "Murder in Scarsdale" in American Astrology magazine, September rg88

asked her who was responsible for the shooting, she readily admitted that
she had shot the man who had been her lover for over thirteen years. She
showed him the empty gun, a Harrington Richardson revolver, which she
had put in her car.
Dr. Tamower was slumped between two twin beds and covered with
blood from four bullet wounds, his pulse barely perceptible. He was tak-
en to St. Agnes Hospital in White Plains where he was pronounced dead
at 11:58 PM. EST; see Chart 31. This chart was erected for the time of
Chart 30. Event chart for Jean Harris' fatal shooting of Dr. Herman Tamower. March
xo, igSo, 11:00 P.M. EST, Purchase, NY, 73W43, 4 rNozSource: Charlotte Ann Tu-
tor's article "Murder in Scarsdalc" in AmericanAstrologymagazinc.September ipSS,
and Diana Trilling's book Mrs. Harris: The Death of the Scarsdale Diet Doctor.

death on March 10, 1980, in White Plains, New York. Note the MC at
T805t'Virgo and the Ascendant at Sagittarius. We'll refer to this
chart again later on.
Jean Harris was immediately arrested and taken to the Harrison police
station. She was first charged with assault, and later with second degree
murder when Dr. Tamower died. There were also additional felony
charges because her gun was licensed in Virginia, not in New York. Joel
Chart $ I.Event chart for the time of death of Dr. Herman Tamower. March io, igSo, r 1:58
P.M.EST, White Plains, NY, 7 j V/464 rNoi .Source: Charlotte Ann Tutor's article "Murder
in Scarsdale" in American Astrology magazine, September 1988. gives 11:55 P.M.EST

Auraou, her attorney, obtained her release on $40,000 bail the next day.
Was this a crime of passion and jealousy? It's clear that Harris had
reason to be jealous of Lynne Tryforos, Dr. Tamower's 36-year-old cf-
fice assistant at the Scarsdale Medical Center. Not only did Tryforos see
the doctor on a daily basis, but. as Harris had recently learned, they had
been having an off-and-on afiair for the previous five years. Tryforos had
been spending her nights with the doctor, and she was already beginning
to replace Jean Harris in his affections, or so Harris feared. The two had
recently returned from a ten-day trip in February, and Tamower had open-
ly stated that he and Tryforos were planning another trip together in the
very near future. When Harris arrived at his house on the night of the
shooting, she found underwear and nightgowns belonging to Tryforos in
Tamower's bedroom and bathroom.
Harris and Tamower, although very different, were nevertheless at-
tracted to each other. To understand this murder case, we must compare
their personalities.
Dr. Tamower was the son of Eastern European. Jewish immigrants; his
father was Harry T Tamower. Dr. Tamower was born on March i8t
1910, in Brooklyn, New York; time unknown. Since the hour ofbirth is
not available, we'll use a derived birth time (see Chart 32), based on his
death chart.
We do know the time ofDr. Tamower's death (see Chart 31); there-
fore, this would be the perfect time to demonstrate the time-of-death for-
mula for rectification as described in the preface to this book. I've experi-
mented with this method for rectifying unknown birth times, and am
happy to report that it works well when the time of death has been care-
fully recorded.
One of the angles of the birth chart usually rises at the time of death;
this is especially true of the 4th house cusp of the birth chart. Thus, the
steps of rectification are as follows:
• Place the Ascendant's degree (or angle) at the time of death
on the natal 4th house cusp of the birth chart;
• After finding the corresponding MC or opposite degree, look
up the proper Ascendant degree for the longitude and lati-
tude of the birthplace;
• Place this Ascendant on the 1st house cusp of the birth chart.
(Da/ton's Table of Houses is a handy tool for this purpose).

Using this method, we substitute Sagittarius, the Ascendant of

the death chart, for the 4th house cusp ofDr. Tamower's birth chart. The
corresponding MC at 2°37 Gemini places 6°40' Virgo on the Ascendant
at the latitude and longitude of his birthplace, Brooklyn, New York, giv-
ing us a speculative birth time of^ 15:44 PM. EST. Before acceptance, the
Chart 32. Speculati ve birth chart for Dr. Herman Tamower, progressed to Harris engagement,
May 15, 1967. Bom March 18, Igio, projected time 4:15:44 PM. EST, Brooklyn, NY,
73W56, Source: Shana Alexander's Very Much a Lady (date and place of birlb only).

chart must pass the final test, so we'll check it with important events in
Dr. Tamower's life.
Let's see how closely Chart 32 fits the known facts in the doctor's life:
Virgo, the health sign, is rising and clearly depicts his medical profession
and preferred bachelor status. Mars culminating on the Midheaven indi-
cates the practice of surgery—heart surgery, in this case. The Moon and
Pluto occupy the 10th house, and Pluto opposes the doctor's prenatal
eclipse point at 2o0ii' Sagittarius, felling in his 4th house. The natal
chart ruler. Mercury, is in n0 Pisces in the 7th house. He was tall and
lanky, so an angular Mercury opposing the Ascendant describes these
physical characteristics well, and portrays his literary aspirations. The
Sun at 270 Pisces is the second occupant of the 7th house; it sextiles Mars
and Uranus, and squares Pluto.
The elusive and sometimes deceptive planet, Neptune, rules the 7th
house of marriage. Neptune, the Sun sign ruler, trines his chart ruler.
Mercury, in the 7th house, and squares Saturn in the 8th house of death.
Saturn rules his 5th house of courtship and love affairs; the doctor never
married and had no children. He was the perennial bachelor.
In my opinion, the Virgo Ascendant fits him well. Virgo rules the in-
testines, and Virgo types, in addition to being attracted to the medical pro-
fession, are often hypochondriacs. Tamower was known to take a daily
laxative, mixed with applesauce.
Jean Harris' natal Moon incidentally, occupies the earth sign Virgo, and
trines her Taurus Sun. Tamower was her doctor, as well as her lover—a
fact that we may sometimes forget. For the previous nine years, she had
been taking prescription drugs, such as Desoxyn or methamphetamine,
which he prescribed for her.
According to Michel Gauquelin, the Moon rules writers. Appropriate-
ly, it is exactly sextile the Ascendant degree in Dr. Tamower's chart. The
Moon is strong in its own sign—Cancer—which rules food. So the doc-
tor wrote a diet cookbook that brought him much public esteem. Gemini
on the MC or lothhouse cusp is another significant indicator of a writer,
or one who deals with words. In the natal chart, Mars, ruler of the 8th
house of death, conjunct the MC, opposite the South Node, very appro-
priately signifies his tragic, violent death. The South Node at 1° Gemini
is closely conjunct the 4th house cusp (his own death), and semisquare
his Neptune-Transpluto (Bacchus) conjunction at i60Cancer. Close and
appropriate progressions to this Virgo Ascendant birth chart on the date
of his death confirm and verify its amazing accuracy! But for now, let's ex-
amine a few more biographical facts about Dr. Tamower's life.
There's no doubt that this reputable cardiologist was an ambitious so-
cial climber. He was proud of his membership in the German Jewish
Country Club, and built his home in an exclusive neighborhood in the
Chart 33. Sunrise chart for Jean Harris, progressed lo Tamower engagement, May 15, 1967.
Bom April 27, Tgzj. Sunrise chart calculated for 4:58:20 AM. CST, Chicago, IL, S7VV39,
^iN'jlSource: Birth date and place confirmed by Harris to author; she could not provide time.

wealthy suburb of Purchase, New York. In 1978, he wrote his best-sell'

ing diet book. At the time of his death, the book was in its tenth printing.
Jean Struven (Jean Harris) was bom on April 27, 1923, to Mr. and
Mrs. Albert Struven, an Episcopalian family from Chicago, Illinois; her
birth time is unknown. This Chicago birth data appears in Diana
Trilling's book, Mrs. Harris, and I have confirmed it with Jean Harris. Be-
cause the time of birth is unknown, we'll use a sunrise chart; see Chart
33. Onthe day of birth, sunrise occurred at 4:58:20 AM. CST in Chicago,
Illinois. Although not as revealing as a natal chart, it's adequate for com-
parison purposes and can be progressed.
When she met Dr. Tamower, Harris was supporting two young sons,
David and James, from a nineteen-year-marriage to James Harris, which
ended in divorce in 1963. When her ex-husband died, Harris raised her
sons alone. Tamower and Harris met at a dinner party on December 6,
1966, and they were immediately attracted to each other. They took a
number of expensive trips around the world together, and on May 15,
1967, Tamower proposed marriage, giving Harris a huge diamond en-
gagement ring said to be worth $35,000. A few months later, he retract-
ed his marriage proposal, saying that he "couldn't go through with it." He
offered no further explanation, and Harris returned the ring.
During the period of the engagement, there were several contradictory
progressed aspects to Tamower's natal planets; see Chart 32. His pro-
gressed MC at 28° Cancer was making a favorable, but separating, trine
to the Sun in his 7th house of marriage. At the same time, his progressed
Ascendant at 24° Libra was exactly trine Pluto, but making a disruptive
square aspect to Uranus, dispositor of his natal Venus at 180 Aquarius.
Uranus occupies his 5th house of courtship and love affairs at birth, so the
good doctor wasn't about to give up his freedom so easily. Tamower broke
the engagement, but instead of splitting up, the couple began a love affair
that lasted more than thirteen years—until progressed Venus and Mer-
cury in Harris' chart reached an explosive, unfriendly conjunction with
Mars; see Chart 33. At Dr. Tamower's request, it was an open affair that
allowed both parties a certain amount of freedom (Uranus). However,
over the years, it turned into a love/hate relationship that ended with the
doctor's tragic death.
How do these two charts compare as far as synastry goes? Jean Harris
has a Taurus Sun; she has four planets in fixed signs, so this may account
for her stubborn determination to continue her affair with Tamower, in
spite of insurmountable obstacles and frustrations. Her job as head-
mistress of a girl's college required her to live on campus. As a result, she
could no longer see Tamower as frequently as she had before she accept-
ed the headmistress position.Whenever she visited Tamower,. she had to
drive an exhausting five-hour trip from Virginia to Purchase, New York.
 Astrologically, the main attraction between Tarnower and Harris
seems to be indicated by her Venus at 1° Aries in an out-of-sign con-
junction with his Sun at 2.70 Pisces, within his 7th house. Venus is a so-
cial planet, so this is a friendly, affectionate contact that indicates two peo-
ple who share many intellectual interests as well as social contacts. Her
Sun at 6° Taurus closely trines his 6° Virgo Ascendant. Although her
time of birth is unknown, her natal Moon is definitely in Virgo, possibly
within the allowed orb for a conjunction aspect to his natal Ascendant.
This type of Moon/Ascendant contact is often seen when comparing mu-
tual aspects between lovers. In addition, her prenatal eclipse point (PE) at
.2.5055'Pisces is conjunct his Sun—akarmic bond between two people.
Unfortunately, his natal Mars squares her Moon, spoiling the promised
harmony. His chart ruler, Mercury, opposes her Moon, so he'd be inclined
to lie to her frequently in a misguided attempt to restore harmony to their
relationship. They both have Mars in the intellectual Air sign Gemini, but
unfortunately this serves only to reinforce her natal Mars square Moon as-
pect. This is a double whammy because his Mars also squares her Moon,
and squares his ruler, Mercury. A Moon/Mars square depicts a bad tem-
per with the possibility of quarrels erupting into violence if not kept strict-
ly under control. These are explosive Mars aspects. At his death, Tamow-
er's progressed Moon at 160 Capricorn opposes Harris' progressed Mars.
The doctor's ruling planet, Mercury, squares Mars in Gemini, so he'd
be inclined to indulge briefly in verbal abuse or enjoy a battle of wits
when angered. Violent Mars is angular and squares his natal Ascendant,
so he could be pushed too far. On the other hand, her natal Mars square
Uranus in a wide nine-degree orb, is a disruptive aspect often found in
charts of those who are accident-prone or suicidal. When afflicted, this
aspect denotes an individual inclined to impulsive acts, showing a notable
lack of good judgment and common sense. Frequently, it indicates violent
acts or accidents during which the person seems to throw caution to the
winds.
Dr. Tamower's Jupiter conjoins Harris' Saturn, which is exalted in li-
bra. This Jupiter/Saturn contact is traditionally regarded as an excellent
business partnership aspect. According to Harris, she helped Tarnower
write his best-selling diet book and was paid four thousand dollars for her
contribution. Maybe this indicates they would have been more success-
fid as business partners than as lovers.
Was this a masochistic relationship? Maybe they both had trouble
defining the nature of their relationship. It seemed to be an unstructured
union withoutany definite boundaries. Virgos are known, however, to fre-
quently indulge in self-pity and sometimes even enjoy martyrdom. How
could these tragic events happen? Why did an intelligent, well-educated
woman like Jean Harris allow Tarnower to continue to be her private
physician, considering the inconvenience this must have caused her? Sure-
ly she could have afforded the services of another reputable physician in
her area who could have diagnosed her condition, and her drug depen-
dence, more objectively.
Was she unconsciously attempting to weave a spider's web which
would make the doctor more dependent on her? If so, the plan certainly
backfired and became part of their tragic destiny. At her trial, Harris
claimed the doctor's death was accidental, occurring after a struggle for the
loaded gun. This contention became part of her defense. Harris insists she
went to Dr. Tarnower's house planning to kill herself, rather than to kill
him. Her defense lawyer failed to establish lack of premeditation. Because
more than one shot was fired, it was difficult to prove that the shots were
accidental.
In his will, Tarnower was exceptionally generous with his servants—
another Virgo trait. Mars in his chart rules legacies, and the sixty-nine-
year-old physician left Suzanne and Henri Van der Vrekens $2,000 for
every year in his employ, adding up to $32,000 each. He also left Lynne
Tryforos $220,000 and Jean Harris $200,000; but his married sister
(Mars in Gemini) was his chief beneficiary.
Now we'll examine the outstanding transits and progressions for Dr.
Tamower's death on the night ofMarch 10, 1980.just eight days before
his seventieth birthday. Chart 31. for the time of death, shows transiting
Saturn opposing Tamower's Pisces Sun and transiting Neptune square
his Sun. The planetary trio of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn occupy Virgo, as-
pecting his Ascendant. The transits show a mutable T-square pattern be-
tween Saturn, Neptune, and the Sun, with the open end of the T-square
in Gemini, directly opposite his natal Pluto at 240 Gemini. Neptune is
Chan J4. Tamou/cr s speculatrot birth chart progressed to his death on March lO.igSo. (See birth data:
Chan 32.) Source: Shana Alexander's VcryMuch a Lady for the date and rime of Tamower's death.

conjunct his prenatal eclipse point at 20on' Sagittarius in his 4th house
of endings, and the transiting Sun is square that point.
Chart 34, illustrating Tamower's secondary progressions on March 10,
1980, shows his progressed Ascendant at 4° Scorpio opposing transiting
Venus at 4° Taurus (indicating the presence of his Taurus mistress, Jean
Harris). The progressed MC at 10° Leo is semisquare his natal Sun and
sextile radical Jupiter, his 4th house ruler, while his progressed Ascendant
at 4° Scorpio directly squares his natal Vertex. The progressed Sun at 50
Gemini squares his natal Virgo Ascendant; progressed Venus at 22° Aries
Chan 35. Harris' sunrise chart,progressed to Tamower's murder on March 10, igSo.Bom April 27,
192 j Birth chart calculated for 4:58:20 AM. CST, Chicago, IL SpWjg, qiN 52 Source: Date
and place confirmed by Jean Harris to author through correspondence: actual time of birth unknown.

conjoins natal Saturn in his 8th house of death.

The aspects of the progressed Moon at Tamower's death pinpoint the
events even more accurately. His progressed Moon at 160Capricorn is ex-
actly opposite his natal Neptune/Transpluto conjunction at 160 Cancer,
denoting his jealous, suicidal mistress. To top it all, progressed Mars, his
8th house ruler at 160 Cancer, conjoins this natal Neptune/Transpluto
conjunction and exactly opposes the progressed Moonf These aspects
certainly support the case for the Virgo Ascendant birth chart.
 A quick look at the major progressions in Jean Harris' chart (see Chart
35) for the death of Dr. Tarnower shows the following aspects: Progressed
Sun at o05o' Cancer exactly square her natal Venus; progressed Venus
(her Sun sign ruler) conjunct progressed Mercury and semisextile Pluto.
Her progressed Ascendant at 7° Cancer conjoins Tamower's natal Moon
at 6° Cancer. These aspects indicate that she continued to have strong
feelings for the doctor, despite their differences and growing estrange-
ment. Her desperation was sharpened by the fact that her health was fail-
ing rapidly, as shown by the following aspects to her natal planets; the pro-
gressed South Node (a stressful energy drain in Pisces) is conjunct natal
Uranus and her progressed MC, showing restricted freedom. Progressed
Mars at 13° Cancer is square natal Saturn. The applying square between
Mars and Saturn indicates her rapidly increasing stress, anger, and de-
pression. The progressed MC at 140 Pisces trines progressed Mars and
natal Jupiter and forms a Yod configuration aspect to her natal Neptune
and Saturn. Her progressed Mars at 150Cancer is conjunct Tamower's
progressed Mars at 16° Cancer.
Almost a year later, on February 24, 1981, the jury found Jean Harris
guilty of murder in the second degree. One month later, on March 20,
Judge Leggett sentenced Harris to prison for fifteen years to life. She was
taken to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York State's maximum
security prison for women.

Epilogue
While in prison, Jean Harris became an advocate for women prisoners and
their children, and worked with a nun at the Children's Center of the Bed-
ford Hills Correctional Facility. Together, they have created a place for
mothers and children to play and visit together. Harris has used her con-
siderable teaching skills to start parenting courses and birth programs for
pregnant prisoners.
With Chiron (the Healer) in her 12th house ruling jails and institu-
tions, and her progressed Moon opposite Chiron at the time of her sen-
tencing on March 20, 1981, Harris was likely to find prison a therapeutic
experience. By helping needy women in prison, she created a positive use
for her Pisces planets and Nodes.
 I believe Harris may have a Capricorn Ascendant, but this is only a
guess. She definitely has executive skills, and Capricorn rising would prob-
ably put her ruler, Saturn, in Libra in the roth house of professional skills.
Saturn in the loth is often called "the dreaded Napoleon aspect" since it
sometimes signals a sudden fall from grace and usually signifies a person
too proud for their own good. Humility is the lesson this individual must
learn before finding happiness. With the Moon in Virgo conjunct her
North Node, service to others is a necessity for Harris, not just an option.
In her autobiography, Stranger in Two Worlds, Harris describes prison
conditions and tells her own story. The book was published in 1986by
Macmillan Publishing Co. Under New York law, she cannot earn any
profits from the book. Although Governor Mario Cuomo had refused
three times before, he finally granted her clemency after she had served
twelve years in prison. Harris had undergone coronary bypass surgery and
this, along with the fact that she was a model prisoner, evidently softened
his heart.
Part 11:

The Link Between

Suicide 8 Homicide
Chapter Eight

Suicide

The Last Choice

Suicide is found in all societies, at all ages, in all

social groups, and among both sexes. Each year

there are about 25,000 to 30,000 suicides recorded

in the United States. This figure could actually be as

high as 60,000, because many suicides are

recorded as accidents. It is America's eleventh leading cause of death.
Researchers have found that suicide statistics show a seasonal pattern
in the northern hemisphere. Suicide rates reach a peak in April and May,
and taper off in December andJanuary.Blachly's and Fairly's statistics for
a twenty-four-hour cycle reveal more suicides occur between noon and
6:00 PM. than between midnight and 6:00 AM. Sunday is the day most
often chosen by women, while men prefer Monday.
Hardly anyone who commits suicide actually wants to die. Although
this may seem to be a contradictory statement, it reflects the ambivalent,
confused state of mind that precedes most suicide attempts. Its truth can
be backed by irrefutable facts. Among victims, the expectation that sui-
cide will solve some insurmountable problem is usually very high. De-
pression sometimes leads to a state of general confusion in which all
problems are lumped together so that the person no longer has a clear
idea of just what troubles them the most. Despondency often leads to
hopelessness; then comes the decision to end it all. Contrary to common
beliefs, suicide rarely occurs at the lowest moment of depression; it is
more apt to occur just as depression has begun to diminish. Only then,
it seems, does a person have enough energy to commit the act—to make
the last choice.
According to current statistics (as of this writing) the rate for teenage
suicide is increasing rapidly. Women attempt suicide more frequently
than men. However, actual rates for completed or successful suicides are
much higher for men than for women This is partly because men tend
to choose more lethal methods, leaving less time for intervention or res-
cue attempts. Men also have more experience with a wider variety of
weapons, especially if they have been in the military. In the next few
pages, we'll explore why men and women differ so greatly in their choice
of weapons and their suicidal behavior.
Over the past few years, many suicide prevention centers have sprung
up all over the United States. The belief that a person must be crazy to
take his or her own life is slowly dissolving in the light of new facts gath-
ered by these centers and follow-up studies made by qualified re-
searchers. It's been observed that a certain state of mind characterizes
most suicide attempts and may even be a prerequisite for the act itself.
 Astrologers could contribute greatly to these areas of research. Ac-
cording to astrologer and mythologist Demitra George in her book Mys-
teries of the Dark Moon, "More suicides occur in the thirty days preceding
a birthday than all the rest of the year." Ethics about predicting death
need not interfere here because astrology can be employed as a preven-
tive measure. By examining and studying the birth charts of those who
have made attempts to kill themselves, astrologers may be able to spot
the potential suicide before it is too late. Astrology, when combined with
other professional and common-sense methods of suicide prevention,
might go a long way toward helping remove this major killer.
Competent psychological astrologers and counsellors are trained to ob-
serve and interpret troublesome patterns of behavior and personality traits
in an individual's birth chart. For example, a susceptibility to confused,
unrealistic hopes and expectations may be interpreted from Neptune af-
flictions to Mercury (mentality) or to the luminaries, since the Sun and
Moon show basic characteristics. Likewise, susceptibility to self-pity or
melancholy may be surmised from numerous afflictions between the lu-
minaries and Saturn, or by unfavorable aspects between Saturn and the
Ascendant, or its rulers. Natal Mercury/Saturn or Jupiter/Saturn opposi-
tions often indicate a temperament subject to extreme moods of elation
and manic depression, causing a see-saw effect that lifts the individual up
one day and drops him or her down the next for no apparent reason.
The term afflictions, as used here, means hard aspects such as squares,
semisquares, oppositions, or conjunctions with malefic planets like Mars,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These latterplanets are frequently promi-
nent and heavily afflicted in suicide charts. Thus, a conjunction of Nep-
tune and the Moon would be considered an affliction because the malefic
influence of Neptune is greatly intensified. Neptune afflictions generally
seem to cloud the issues, making it difficult to distinguish clearly between
truth and falsehood. Mars afflictions indicate aggressive, violent tenden-
cies. Aspects from Uranus may indicate the danger of uncontrolled, im-
pulsive actions.
According to suicide research by the Church of Light, the timing of
a suicidal act usually coincides with a progressed aspect to the ruler of
the izthhouse. As we know, the izthhouse rules secrets, loneliness.
 skeletons in the closet, and private enemies. It also is related to hospitals
and other types of institutions where a person who has attempted suicide
sometimes ends up. Successful suicides must be arranged for a time when
the person will have enough privacy to ensure they won't be interrupted
or prevented from completing the act. Since suicide generally requires
some degree of privacy and secrecy, this may account for the astrological
emphasis on the litKhouse.
Diagnosing mental illness of any kind is usually outside the province
of the astrologer, and mental disturbance may or may not be present dur-
ing a suicide attempt, but neurotic tendencies may be reflected in the na-
tal chart by heavy afflictions to the rulers of the 3rd and iztK houses, or
planets therein. Stressful aspects by progressed or transiting planets may
aggravate or accent these trouble spots if they exist. If the litKhouse con-
tains several planets that receive heavy afflictions, there may be a tenden-
cy toward extreme introversion, loneliness, or isolation from the world.
These abnormal or neurotic tendencies may manifest either construc-
tively or destructively, depending on other factors in the chart, but if er-
ratic behavior is consistently observed, the astrologer should refer the
client to a clinical psychologist or licensed psychiatrist.
Manly P. Hall and Charles Carter, well-known research astrologers,
have done valuable statistical work uncovering the significant sign and
house positions of natal planets in the charts of people who have commit-
ted suicide. Hall and Carter found that people with planets in Cardinal and
Mutable signs were more prone to accidents than those with planets in
Fixed signs, with the exception of Leo, especially if it is rising. Despite dif-
ferences in their individual findings, both astrologers chose Leo as the
most probable rising sign in the charts of people who are accident- and/or
suicide-prone. Libra and Pisces were the next most frequent Ascendant
signs, and the late British astrologer Charles Carter discovered that Sagit-
tarius is frequently found on the Ascendant in charts of drowning victims.
The psychological reason for the high statistical percentage of Leo As-
cendants in suicide cases may be that Leo is a proud, inflexible. Fixed sign.
Although Leo is one of the most courageous and generous signs, Leo peo-
ple may be less generous to themselves than they are to others. They may
be less willing than other signs to change their goals in life, regardless of
Chan 36. Marilyn Monroe. Birth chart progressed to her death on August 4, 1962.
Bom Juner, 1926. 9:30 AM.PS1, Los Angeles, CA 118W1 34.N0].Sources: Robert Slatzer,
The Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe, (ap/iotograp/i of Marilyn's birth certificate appears
in the back of the book) and Lois Rodden. Profiles of Women, pg. Si; both sources concur.

their limitations. When they fail, they don't always snap back as quickly
as others, despite their jovial nature. Leo types are apt to brag about their
successes and dramatize personal victories to such an extent that they
can't tolerate the thought of losing face with associates. Parental love for
their children usually sustains them, however and is a saving grace.
To my knowledge, there has been no previous attempt by astrologers to
clearly differentiate between male and female suicides, although men and
Chart 37. "Steve," a male mur dcr-suicide. Birth chart progressed lo murder on June 17,
1972. Born August 21, 1922, 3:45 AM. CST, 34N09. Placidus houses. Name
and birthplace withheld for confidentiality, time from binh certificate. Source: Author's files.

women generally choose entirely different methods of killing themselves,

In order to define and outline these basic differences, I've chosen to exam-
ine the natal birth charts of one female and one male suicide victim. Since
both charts have Leo Ascendants; they will have similar house rulerships.
According to her birth certificate,the female, Norma Jean (known by
most as Marilyn Monroe), was bom June 1,1926,at 9:30 AM. PST in Los
Angeles, California; see Chart 36. The Midheaven of her natal chart is at
6° Taurus; the Ascendant at i30Leo. She died somewhere between 8:00
PM. and midnight on Saturday, August 4. 1962, supposedly from an over-
dose of sleeping pills at her home in Brentwood, California. Her death cer-
tificate records her death as "a probable suicide."
The male, "Steve" (not his real name), was born August 21, 1922 at
3:45 AM. CST. He has both his Sun and Ascendant in the fiery sign of
Leo; see Chart 37. His natal Midheaven is at 20 Taurus and his Ascendant
at 9° Leo. After he shot and killed his estranged wife, who was born July
27,1930. he immediately shot himself in the head. Murder and suicide are
often related, especially when a criminal wishes to avoid being caught and
convicted. This murder/suicide occurred on June 17, 1972,3! 7:55 AM.
CDT, when his progressed MC opposed his natal Mars (guns, shooting).
Steve died at the hospital at about 9:00 AM. CDT of the same day; his wife
died at 10:12 AM.
There are many similarities between these two birth charts besides Leo
Ascendants. For instance, both have Neptune in the rst house, Uranus
in the 8th house of death (short life, speedy death), and Pluto on the 12th
house cusp. In Marilyn's chart, there's a square aspect from progressed
Saturn to the Moon, ruler of her 12th house, which became effective on
the date of death. Progressed Mars, her 4th house ruler, squares her pro-
gressed Sun-Pluto conjunction exactly on the cusp of her r2th house of
secret enemies. Progressed Moon at 210 Gemini squares natal Mars in the
8th and is inconjunct natal Saturn in her 4th house of endings.
Observing the progressed aspects to the t 2th house and its rulers in
both of the above charts serves to confirm the previously given rule for
timing a suicidal act.
According to Rex Bills in The Rulership Book, Uranus and Pluto aspects
tend to show up often in suicide charts, and the 8th and r2th houses also
need to be examined for occupants. The male murder-suicide chart (Chart
37) shows Steve's progressed Uranus in the 8th house making a trine as-
pect to natal Pluto near the cusp of his 12th house on the date of death;
the progressed Ascendant at 210 Virgo is applying to a semisquare aspect
with the natal Moon, which occupies Steve's i2thhouse.
As we shall now show, Monroe's chart doesn't quite fit the time-of-
death formula described previously for suicides: the natal Ascendant sign
and degree usually rises or remains the same in a suicidal death event
chart, indicating death was self-inflicted. Instead, Monroe's estimated
death chart for around 11:46PM. PDT shows her natal Taurus MC de-
gree rising, instead of her Leo Ascendant. We can only conclude that
there is room for doubt as to whether or not she actually committed sui-
cide. By contrast. Chart 37 does fit the time-of-death formula for suicide,
since at the time of Steve's death, 5° Leo was rising on the cusp of the 1st
house, or Ascendant, and this is within a four degree orb of his 9° Leo
birth Ascendant. Since locations for the death and birth charts differ, this
could account for the difference of four degrees.
Both charts have strongly aspected, angular Neptunes. People with
high ideals nearly always have a prominent Neptune; but those with an
afflicted Neptune may find it hard to adjust to unstable personal rela-
tionships, the sudden loss of a partner, marital infidelity, or deception on
the part of a loved one. Marilyn Monroe was married three times during
her thirty-six years, and this is shown by her Aquarius Moon in the 7th
house opposite Neptune. She had a very unhappy, deprived childhood, as
indicated by Saturn in the 4th house square the Moon. It is reported that,
as a child, Marilyn lived for a time in an orphanage and then with sever-
al different foster parents. Her mother, represented in Marilyn's chart by
her afflicted Moon square Saturn and opposite Neptune, was frequently
absent and unable to function due to a series of bouts with mental illness.
Marilyn saw her mother infrequently, and these visits were often traumatic.
Steve's birth chart (Chart 37) shows a violent Mars/Uranus square af-
fecting the 5th and 8th houses. Uranus rules his 7th house of marriage;
he divorced his first wife and remarried. Although Mars, co-ruler of the
4th, trines Neptune, this violent planet squares natal Mercury and
Uranus, thereby forming an explosive Mutable T-square, which was trig-
gered by transiting Saturn at 12° Gemini on the date of his death by sui-
cide. Although athletic and interested in physical body-building sports
(Mars in the 5th house), he was extremely accident-prone, had a quick
temper, and liked to gamble. As shown by both the Moon and Sun con-
junct Neptune and his natal Mars trine Neptune, he was much too fond
of alcoholic beverages. His birth occurred during the Balsamic Dark
Moon phase, when the moon was 0-45 degrees behind the Sun.
 Planetary afflictions to the luminaries tend to manifest differently in
male and female charts; thus, interpretation of similar aspects will be more
meaningful if these sexual and psychological differences are kept in mind.
For example, in a male chart, the Sun symbolizes his masculine ego,
whereas the Moon represents his reaction to the opposite sex. In a female
chart, the Moon's effect is more direct because it represents her own per-
sonal feminine attributes, whereas the Sun represents important males in
her life, like her father or spouse.
Men with natal Sun/Neptune afflictions (as shown in Steve's chart),
frequently expect the women in their lives to live up to an impossible im-
age or ideal. When disappointed, these men may assume the role of the
disillusioned husband or lover. Both men and women with badly afflict-
ed Neptunes at birth may be tempted to escape from their troubles into
a world of fantasy, the natural domain of Neptune, through the abuse of
drugs or alcohol. Their subsequent withdrawal from the world makes
them increasingly hard to reach, and counseling would have to be very
reality-oriented to effect the desired response.
For both men and women, the loss of love and the failure of personal
relationships, as represented by afflictions of Saturn and Neptune to
Venus, or unfavorable aspects from the 5th and 7th houses, may gener-
ate anxiety about the outcome of future relationships. Since the Moon-
ruled female of the species often invests so much of her ego in personal
relationships, loss of love may seriously endanger a woman's self-esteem.
A Neptune affliction to the Moon in a female chart might make it diffi-
cult for her to be entirely realistic because of a tendency toward wishful
thinking (as in Marilyn Monroe's chart). Ironically, this same
Moon/Neptune opposition within angular houses made Marilyn a nat-
ural-born Hollywood star. Strong Neptune aspects often lead to career
choices of acting or photography. Dreamy Neptune types may prefer
glamorous lives over harsh reality.
Soft aspects such as trines and sextiles between Neptune (expecta-
tions) and Saturn (necessity) would enable a person to cope with disap-
pointments when they arise. Hard aspects between Saturn and Neptune,
as illustrated in Monroe's chart, would have just the opposite effect. They
can make it difficult for people to adjust to reality, since they refuse to give
up their fantasies and delusions of grandeur or persecution, no matter
how far-fetched or hopeless their ideas may actually be.
In both sexes, failure of personal relationships may have disastrous re-
sults; but for women, loss of a loved one ranks as the first cause for sui-
cide. When rendering a judgment on suicide potential, therefore, as-
trologers who do counseling would do well to judge planetary afflictions
to the 3rd (siblings), 5th (romance and children), and 7th (partnerships)
houses as being of greater importance in female charts, simply because
these three houses deal primarily with our relationships with other people.
According to statisticians Ellis and Allen, "For our total population of
white men, suicide ranks as the 8th leading cause of death, and among
women as T6th."The tendency toward suicide is lower among married
people, higher among those who are divorced. Twice as many single men
kill themselves as married men. Wealth, or lack of it, seems insignificant;
but it is more likely for a man in the white-collar professions to commit
suicide than his blue-collar counterparts. Among men, loss of job (rorK
house), income (2nd house), or physical disability (6th house), may
threaten loss of status and is most often an important contributing cause
for suicide.
Because we tend to associate the ego's self-assertive qualities more read-
ily with males than females, and Neptune is a feminine planet, Neptune
afflictions to the luminaries can probably be observed more easily by ex-
amining male charts. This is because Neptune's ego-denying tendencies
run counter to society's expectations of male agressiveness. Afflictions to
the Sun generally manifest objectively or outwardly in actions and behav-
ior, while Moon afflictions tend to be more subjective and not as appar-
ent on the surface.
Men and women statistically show different preferences for their meth-
ods of death. As a rule, male suicides prefer methods that are sudden and
violent, and are likely to kill themselves away from home. Conversely, fe-
males tend to choose passive and non-disfiguring methods, most often
committing suicide in or near their homes. (A notable exception is Japan,
a Libra country, where more males prefer a non-violent end.)
 Astrological formulae describing three of the most preferred methods
iorfemale suicides are as follows:
1. Barbiturates or Poison. Mars/Neptune or Mars afflictions.
Moon/Sun afflictions, especially when connected by aspects to planets in
Virgo or Scorpio. 24 through 28 degrees of the Fixed signs. 12° Virgo
and/or Pisces, n0 Cardinal signs (especially for poison, if Jupiter is in
Aquarius). See Marilyn Monroe's chart for natal Pluto in a Cardinal sign,
Jupiter in Aquarius, and Mars inconjunct Neptune.
2. Gas Fumes (asphyxiation). Afflictions to Saturn, especially from
Mercury and Pluto. i30of the mutable signs. Any progressed aspect from
Neptune. (For an example of asphyxiation, see Chapter n, Sylvia Plath.)
3. Drowning. Sun/Moon afflictions indicate danger near water.
Moon/Neptune afflictions. Hard aspects ofNeptune to a 4th house plan-
et or its ruler. Saturn badly afflicted, usually by Neptune. Any aspect be-
tween Mercury and Saturn. Sagittarius Ascendant. The last degrees of
Gemini/Sagittarius and/or Aries/Libra. The first degrees of Cancer/Capri-
corn and Taurus/Scorpio (especially if Mars is near 0° Taurus/Scorpio).
A progressed Mars aspect. (For example, Virginia Woolf, see below.)
The British novelist, Virginia Woolf, is an example of a female drown-
ing victim. She was bom on January 25, 1882, at 12:05PM. GMT, in Lon-
don, England, and committed suicide on March 28, 1941, by drowning
herself in a river. Natal aspects were Saturn conjunct Neptune; Mercury,
her ruler, square Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter in Taurus; Moon in 0°
Taurus closely conjunct Saturn and square her Aquarius Sun sign.
According to statistics, three of the mostpreferredmule sin'drfe methods are:
1. Shooting or stabbing, a Mars-ruled activity. Sun/Mars afflictions.
Venus/Uranus afflictions. 17 through 23° of the Cardinal signs. 21 and 29°
Aries/Libra. I through 5° of the other Mutable signs. 130 of all the Muta-
ble signs. 160 of Gemini/Sagittarius. 6° of the Cardinal signs (for bullet
wounds). (See Steve's chart in this chapter. He has natal Venus inconjunct
Uranus, Mars in i80Sagittarius square Uranus, and his progressed Sun was
exactly square progressed Mars when he killed himself.)
2. Hanging (strangulation). All of Taurus, because it rules the throat, but
especially 16° and 25° Taurus and squares to these degrees. The malefic
Fixed star, Algol, occupies 25° Taurus and indicates injuries to the neck,
fractures, or violent death.
3. Jumping (out of windows or from bridges). Sun or Moon afflicted
by Saturn, indicating broken bones or crushing. 15 through 190 Libra
(especially 18 and 19°). Saturn in Cancer. Afflictions between planets in
Cancer and Libra. 14 through 170 of all Mutable signs. Most likely As-
cendants are Leo or Virgo. (Charles Stuart, who murdered his wife and
unborn child on October 23,1989, was bom on December 18, 1959, at
5:16 AM. ESTin Boston, Massachusetts. This is "AAdata from the birth
certificate according to Lois Rodden's Astro Data V. He jumped off a
Boston bridge and drowned on January4, 1990 at 6:45 AM. EST See the
aspects for drowning.)
1

/
Chapter Nine

Was Marilyn

Monroe's Death

Suicide or Murder?

Almost three decades after Marilyn Monroe's

alleged suicide, her strange death remains

shrouded in mystery. Every book and biography

written about her only seems to compound the mys-

tery, adding one more fact and another doubt. Can

astrology shed any light on the questionable circumstances surrounding
her death? Did she commit suicide, or was she murdered, as Milo Speriglio
asserts in his book, The Marilyn Conspiracy?
On Sunday, August 5, 1962, the police were notified of the death of a
thirty-six-year-old woman at about 4:35 AM PST. Sergeant Jack Clem-
mons at the West Los Angeles police station was on duty to take the call.
He immediately rushed to Marilyn's home where he found Dr. Ralph R.
Greenson, Marilyn's psychiatrist, and Dr. HymanEngelberg, an internist,
in the bedroom. Dr. Engelberg had made the call to the police after ex-
amining Marilyn and declaring her dead. She was discovered laying face
down and naked on her small bed, clutching the telephone. Dr. Greenson
stated, "Marilyn Monroe died of an accidental overdose of barbiturates."
Why did the two doctors wait four hours or more to call the police?
The housekeeper, Mrs. Eunice Murray, who had worked for Marilyn
since November of 1961, was busy doing the laundry and other house-
hold chores when Sergeant Clemmons arrived. Mrs. Murray was not a
live-in maid, but occasionally stayed overnight when needed. Marilyn's
psychiatrist. Dr. Ralph R. Greenson, had asked her to stay with Marilyn
the night of Saturday, August 4th. When questioned, she told Clemmons
she had found Marilyn dead in her bed around midnight. She had knocked
on Marilyn's locked door, and when she got no reponse, phoned Dr.
Greenson immediately, who broke a window in order to enter Marilyn's
bedroom. Mrs. Murray said that after Marilyn had retired to her room at
about 8:00 PM. PDT the night before, she had made and received several
telephone calls. At 7:30 PM., she received a call from Joe DiMaggio. Af-
terward, the housekeeper recalled that Marilyn had phoned Dr. Greenson.
Strangely, the records of her phone calls on that night have disappeared.
Marilyn didn't leave a suicide note. Sergeant Clemmons noticed an
empty bottle of Nembutal on her nightstand, but there was no glass of wa-
ter. Nembutal capsules are powerful barbiturates taken to induce sleep.
The police officer examined the adjoining bathroom and found it was be-
ing remodeled, so no water could be had from the bathroom faucets. Mrs.
Murray couldn't recall having brought Marilyn any water to take her pills.
Sergeant Clemmons found her rather defensive and reluctant to answer
questions, preferring to let the doctors speak for her.
Chart 38. Rectified estimated event chart for Marilyn Monroe s death, August 4, 1962,11:46. r r
PM. PDT, Brentwood, CA T. uV^z, 37N56. Source: The Marilyn Conspiracy by Milo
Sperigliofor the date and time of her death as given by the coroner and police; see pages 12- ij.

The officer observed that Marilyn's body was in an advanced state of

rigor mortis, indicating she must had been dead at least four to six hours,
perhaps even six to eight hours. If we assume Sergeant Clemmons arrived
at Marilyn's home at about 5 AM. PDT, she must have died some time be-
tween 9 PM. and midnight PDT the previous day.
According to our astrological calculations, we estimate that the most
likely time of death was 11:46: i t PM. PDT on August 4, when her 6°27'
Scorpio natal 4th house cusp occupied the 7th house angle of death (see
Chart 38). Before we demonstrate how we arrived at this estimated time
of death by the time-of-death formula, let's first take a look at Marilyn's
birth chart and attempt to rectify it or confirm the given time of birth.
Lois Rodden's Profiles of Women lists Marilyn's birth time, from her
birth certificate, as 9:30 AM. PST. NormaJeanMortenson was born to
Gladys Monroe Baker on June i, 1926, in a Los Angeles, California hos-
pital; father unknown. A photocopy of this birth certificate is included in
the back of one of Marilyn's biographies, The Curious Life and Death of
Marilyn Monroe, by Robert F. Slatzer. Both of these sources give 9:30 AM,
as the recorded time of birth.
According to my rectification calculations, Marilyn's prenatal epoch
(exchange between Ascendant/Descendant and the birth Moon, nine
months previous to birth) is on August 31, 1925, at 5:22:24 PM. PST in
Los Angeles, CA (see Chart 39). This date yields a female epoch show-
ing I9007r Aquarius on the Ascendant, which is also her natal Moon's
position. The Moon occupies 13Aquarius, occupying the opposite
sign and degree of her natal Leo Ascendant. The epoch Sun is at
Virgo. By Bailey's rules of rectification, this epoch is of the 2nd order (Ir-
regular, 1st Variation) since her Moon at birth is above the horizon and
decreasing in light, indicating a gestation period of more than 273 days.
The female epoch described above, sometimes defined as the concep-
tion chart, indicates that Marilyn's birth time should be rectified by
adding one minute and forty-five seconds to the given time, making her
rectified birth time 9:31:45 A.M. PST (see Chart 40). If this epoch is ac-
cepted as correct, Marilyn's rectified natal Ascendant is at i3026rLeo and
herMidheaven is at 6027, Taurus. Natal Sun is at io0iy Gemini; the
Moon is at I9007'Aquarius.
We have a reliable birth time to begin with, so this correction of less
than two minutes brings it within the probable half-hour range for this
type of rectification. If this rectified time of 9:32 AM. (rounded) is accu-
rate, the corresponding chart should respond to progressions and transits.
Let's check it with important events in her life. Marilyn's three marriages
have been selected as important events to confirm the rectified chart.
At age sixteen, Marilyn married Jim Dougherty. This marriage ended
in divorce three years later. Their partnership was reported to have been
"a marriage of convenience," typical of the planet Saturn. Despite her
Chart 39. Marilyn Monroe's prenatal epoch, August Ji. i^255:22:2^PM. PST, Los Angeles, CA,
1 ifiWljjSource: Edna Rowland's recti^COtion based on E.H. Bailey's rules; see above.

youth, Marilyn's foster parents and guardians urged her to marry.

Let's examine the secondary progressions for their wedding. Marilyn
married Dougherty on June 19, 1942, when her progressed MC had
reached 22° Taurus, squaring natal Neptune and opposing Saturn. A pro-
gressed aspect to the natal 7th house ruler is common when a marriage
occurs. Saturn and Uranus are co-rulers of Marilyn's 7th house, so this
opposition aspect between her progressed MC and Saturn is acceptable.
Marilyn's second marriage to New York Yankee outfielder, Joe DiMag-
gio, took place on January 14,1954, in San Francisco, California, when
Chart 40. Marilyn Monroe's rectified birth chart. Bom June i, 1926.9:51.•45 AM. PST, Los An-
geles, CA, j 18W1 j.Source:LoisRoddens ProfilesofWomen.pa^eSixties9.J0A.Af.
PST as the time given on the birth certificate. Rectification by Edna Rowland, by pre-natal method.

she was twenty-seven. The two met on a blind date while Marilyn was
filming Monkey Business. He was divorced and had a twelve-year-old son.
Although the marriage lasted only ten months, Marilyn and DiMaggio
maintained a close, long-standing friendship throughout her short, trag-
ic life. When she called on him, he responded promptly. Once, he even
rescued her from a locked ward in a mental hospital. He made the fu-
neral arrangements when she died, and dutifully sent red roses to her
tomb every year on the anniversary of her death.
Chart 41. Monroe's rectified chart, progressed lo Di Maggio marriage on January 14,1954. Bom
June 1,1926,9. j /.45 AM. PST, Los Angeles, CA, 1 i8Wi^4N03. Source: See Chan 40.

On the date of her marriage to Di Maggio (see Chart 41), Marilyn's

progressed Moon at 24° Aquarius was in conjunction with her natal
Moon/Jupiter midpoint in her Aquarian 7th house, and exactly sextile
her natal Vertex. Her progressed MC at 2° Gemini was exactly opposite
his Sun at 2° Sagittarius. Her progressed Equatorial Ascendant at 28°
Leo was exactly inconjunct her natal 7th house ruler, Uranus, and trine
her Venus at 28° Aries. Progressed Sun at 6° Cancer was exactly
sesquiquadrate to her other 7th house ruler, Saturn; therefore, both of
her 7th house rulers, Saturn and Uranus, were aspected by secondary
progressions, as required by The Church ofLight rectification formu-
la for this event.
Now let's examine some of the synastry aspects between their birth
charts. According to a current almanac, Joe DiMaggio was bom Novem-
ber 25,1914, in Martinez, California; hour of birth unknown. DiMaggio's
natal Jupiter at 150 Aquarius closely conjoins Marilyn's Aquarius Moon
in her 7th house, so he was inclined to be generous and overindulgent
(Jupiter) to her needs. His own natal Moon (falling somewhere between
6-i90Pisces) near her Mars/Uranus (a widely separating conjunction) in
her 8th house, spoils their compatibility. Uranus is friendly on aplatonic
level, but separative; and Mars, although passionate, is often a jealous and
argumentative lover. DiMaggio's Moon at birth squares his natal Mars in
10° Sagittarius, repeating the disruptive pattern.
Astrological researcher Michel Gauquelin designates Mars as the rul-
ing planet for professional sports champions. DiMaggio's Sun/Mars con-
junction gave him the energy and strength needed to be a sports champi-
on, but this aspect also bestows a quick temper, tending to make him
impatient and impulsive. Marilyn herself has an erratic, disruptive natal
Mars/Uranus conjunction in her 8th house, giving her similar qualities of
impatience, impulsiveness, and temper on the negative side; but on the
positive side, a beautiful and photogenic body. Before she became one of
Hollywood's most glamorous stars, she was a model. Her nude calendar
pose has now become a collector's item.
Marilyn's third and final marriage, to playwright Arthur Miller, lasted
a foil five years until they were divorced January 20, 1961. The marriage
took place on June 29, 1956, after Millers first wife granted him a long-
awaited divorce. See Chart 42 for progressions to Marilyn's natal chart.
When Miller and Monroe were married in 1956, her progressed MC
at 5° Gemini had reached a conjunction with her natal Sun-sign ruler.
Mercury; progressed Mercury at 3° Leo was sextile progressed Venus.
Marilyn's progressed Moon at 29° Pisces was exactly conjunct her natal
and progressed Uranus (her 7th house ruler) at 29° Pisces. Her retro-
grade progressed Saturn was exactly square her Moon in the 7th. This
takes care of the required progressed aspects to the 7th house rulers (Sat-
urn and Uranus) at the time of the marriage partnership, so we can safe-
ChanAl. Marilyn Monroe's rectified chart, progressed to Miller marriage, June 29,1956.
Born June I, X926, 9:31:45 AJVf. PST, Los Angeles, CA, ii8V/i^, Source:
Robert Slatzer's The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe/or date of marriage.

\y conclude the rectified time of birth is correct.

At age thirty, Marilyn's progressed Ascendant at 7° Virgo squared
her natal nth house ruler. Mercury, and opposed her natal 8th house
cusp (surgery), so her hopes and wishes for having Miller's child were
denied. During their five-year marriage, Marilyn experienced two ec-
topic pregnancies. In November 1958, she lost the second baby in the
third month of her pregnancy In June 1959, she had corrective surgery
in hopes of having a child, but this was not to be. Instead, progressed
retrograde Saturn at i^Scorpio, exactly square her natal Moon and trine
natal Mars in her 8th house of surgery, brought her two or three emer-
gency stays in a hospital that almost cost her her life.
According to Rodden's Astro Data II, writer/dramatist Arthur Miller
was bom on October 17, 1915,31 5:12 AM. EST, in New York City, New
York. The source of this data is given as "C." Miller's best-known play was
the Pulitzer prize-winning Deotfi o[a Salesman. After collaborating on Tbe
Misfits (1960], a play he wrote for Marilyn to star in, they divorced on the
same day John F. Kennedy became president.
In comparing their charts and examining their mutual aspects, we note
thatMiller's Sun at 220Libra exactly sextiles Marilyn's Neptune in her 1st
house. His ii0Libra Ascendant closely sextiles her natal Ascendant at
130 Leo and trines her Sun, but his energy-draining South Node in Leo
conjunct her natal Ascendant is unfortunate, especially so because his
Uranus at 110 Aquarius opposes this point. They both had Moon in the
same decan of Aquarius, closely conjunct, a rather compatible aspect.
This Moon conjunction falls within his 5th house of children. Miller was
forty when they married, and already had several children by a previous
marriage, so he wasn't as anxious as she was to have a child. Since she was
only thirty, he reluctantly went along with her plans.
During this period. Dr. Lee Siegel, Marilyn's Los Angeles physician, di-
agnosed her as having endometriosis (a condition where endometrial tis-
sue, the mucous membrane lining of the uterus, can become displaced and
inflamed). Tissue can adhere to the tubes, vagina, abdomen, and bladder,
causing pain during intercourse and menstruation. The disease, while not
life-threatening, is progressive, worsening with time, and the accumulat-
ed scar tissue often causes sterility. Since Marilyn refused to have a hys-
terectomy, the only known effective remedy for this disease in 1956, she
was doomed to suffer and run the risk of life-threatening ectopic preg-
nancies. Her radical Moon at birth, ruling female functions and childbirth,
received a close square from her 6th house ruler, Saturn, and the Moon,
Saturn, and Neptune (her 8th house ruler) are all part of a Fixed T-square.
There were attempts to play down the publicity following her hospi-
talizations for this condition. Over time, she was becoming progressively
addicted to painkilling drugs. She also suffered from insomnia, so doctors
constantly prescribed barbiturates to help her sleep. As she gradually be-
came dependent on the pills, she slipped into despondency and depres-
sion. Note her natal Saturn square Moon and Ascendant; this is a double
indication of severe mood changes with periods of extreme depression
(Saturn) and exhaustion. The South Node in Capricorn, a Saturn-ruled
sign, on the cusp of her 6th house of health, didn't help either. In desper-
ation, she frequently turned to doctors and tended to be overawed by
their aura of authority.
During one of her last films. The Misfits, she was taking twenty pills a
day, according to director, John Huston. Natal Neptune in 22° Leo in her
ist house closely squares Saturn at 210 Scorpio in her 4th house of end-
ings and death; her overuse of drugs and alcohol (Neptune) was no secret,
and no doubt greatly contributed to her eventual demise. Most authori-
ties agree that she died from an overdose of Nembutal; but there is some
doubt about how these pills were administered. In his book. The Marilyn
Conspiracy, Milo Speriglio suggests the fatal dose may have been given by
injection or enema, and he comes right out and voices his opinion that she
was probably murdered. Dr. Thomas Noguchi with the Los Angeles coro-
ner's office dubbed her death a "probable suicide," leaving room for legit-
imate doubt.
OnJuly 31, 1962, just four days before Marilyn's tragic death, there
was a Solar Eclipse at /^g'Leo in her r 2th house of self-undoing and se-
crets; this eclipse point squared her natal lothand 4th house cusps, semi-
squared her progressed Moon, and exactly opposed her progressed Vertex
at y0],! Aquarius. Further calculation for the Arabic Part of Murder (see
Appendix) yields 7029'Aquarius, which conjuncts her progressed Vertex
and opposes the eclipse point. On the date of her death, transiting Saturn
was conjunct the South Node at 8°Aquarius, also opposing the eclipse
point. Obviously, the emphasis on these sensitive degrees is quite heavy!
According to my astrological calculations, Marilyn probably died at
11:46:11 PM. PDT on Saturday, August 4,1962, in Brentwood, California.
Let's examine the event chart (see Chart 38) for the time of death, and the
transits to her natal planets. At this time, the exact degree of her natal 4th
house cusp Scorpio) occupies the Descendant of her death chart;
21°zy' Capricorn is the transiting MC. Transiting Sun, her Ascendant ruler
 Chan 4 j. Marilyn Monroe 5 rectified hinb chart, progressed to her death on August A, 1962..
June 1.19.26,9:31:45 A.M. PS1,Los Angeles, CA, iiSWrg. J4N0J. Source: See Chart 38.

at i20Leo on August 4th, is applying to a conjunction with her natal As-

cendant. The transiting Sun also conjoins progressed Mercury, her Sun-
sign ruler. Marilyn's natal Mars/Satum (death) midpoint at 21° Capricorn
is exactly conjunct the Midheaven on the death chart. On August 4,1962,
at ii^SPM. PDT, transiting Pluto at 8° Virgo was exactly conjunct Mar-
ilyn's prenatal epoch Sun, and conjunct the transiting Sun/Moon mid-
point.
According to the precepts of Uranian astrology, Mars/Pluto aspects
relate to the potential for murder or violent death; these two planets are
co-rulers of her natal Scorpio 4th house of endings. Is it just a coincidence
that Marilyn's 4th house cusp at 6°27' Scorpio occupies the 7th house
cusp of her death chart and opposes Robert Kennedy's natal Ascendant
at 6° Taurus? Was it only a rumor that he visited her home in Brentwood
that evening just before her death, and may have been one of the last peo-
ple to see her alive?
See Chart 43 for Marilyn's secondary progressions on the date of her
death. Progressed Mars at 150 Aries is separating from a square to her pro-
gressed Sun/Pluto conjunction at 140 Cancer in her iztK house of self-
undoing and secret enemies.
Calculations for an event chart of death emphasize the importance of
the angles for rectification work. A few rules for rectification of the angles
have been developed (see Preface) and can be repeated here, as follows:
In cases of violent death from unnatural causes, such as murder or pub-
lic execution, the natal lotKor 7th house cusp may be rising at the time
of death, especially if the death is followed by much publicity. The loth
and 7th house cusps are public houses, being above the horizon, whereas
the 7th house rules open enemies, as well as all types of partnerships.
In most cases of suicide, however, the natal Ascendant degree or ist
house sign is usually rising at the time of death, indicating an act of self-
destruction or a self-inflicted death. In Marilyn's case, this didn't happen,
leading me to believe that she may have been murdered. Why, and by
whom, is still open to question; but the timing of her death does leave
many questions unanswered.
Based on application of these rectification rules (reversed, in this case,
since we know the time of birth is accurate and we are seeking to estimate
the exact time of death), I submit my theory that Marilyn's death was
probably not suicide. During the period of 9:00 PM. to 12;oo PM. PDT—
the possible period when the actress must have expired—the only possi-
ble birth chart angle rising was the 10thhouse natal angle, or 6° Taurus.
This places her natal 4th house angle on the 7th house cusp of the death
chart at 11:46:11 PM. PDT for Brentwood, California.
If she did, indeed, commit suicide, the angle more likely to be rising
would be her natal Ascendant; but her Leo Ascendant doesn't rise on Au-
gust 4, 1962, in the PM. at all! Instead, her Ascendant degree at 13
Leo rises in the morning at about 6:25 AM. onAugust 4th, and a little ear-
lier, at 6:22 AM. on the following day, August 5th.
To sum up, Marilyn was reportedly very much alive around 8 PM. on
August 4th, when she retired for the night, but when the police arrived
between4:45 AM. and 5:00 AM. the next morning, Sunday, August 5th,
she had been dead several hours. The actress was dead by the time of the
first call to police at 4:35 AM. (August 5th), but the housekeeper states
she found Marilyn dead in her bed shortly after midnight. The interval be-
tween midnight and 4:35 AM. remains a mystery, as does the interval be-
tween 8:00 PM. and midnight of August 4th, unless we accept the idea
that Mrs. Murray may have found Marilyn's body just fifteen or twenty
minutes after she died, around 11:46 PM. This estimated time fits with
the housekeeper's statements to the police when she was first questioned;
but Mrs. Murray later changed her story, giving 3:30 AM. as the time
when she discovered the body.
The event chart for Marilyn's death, and corresponding aspects to her
natal and progressed planets on August 4, 1962, suggest she may have
met with foul play or that her death may have been accidental. There's no
doubt she was suicidal; she had attempted to take her own life several
times before. Because her death was accompanied by newspaper headlines
and media publicity (10th house), and has been followed by a great deal
of controversy about whether or not she was murdered, the rising of her
loth house natal cusp (6027'Taurus) at the time ofher death seems ap-
propriate. The last word on her death has yet to be written, despite all the
biographies and articles that appear about her.
In her book From Reverence to Rape, well-known film critic Molly
Haskell has this to say about Marilyn, "Her suicide, as suicides do, casts
a retrospective light on her life. Her ending gives her a beginning and a
middle, turns her into a work of art with a message and a meaning." I
couldn't agree more.

Epilogue
According to official police reports, Marilyn retired about 8:00 PM. on Sat-
urday, August 4, 1962. The coroner reported the time of death as 3:40
AM. on Sunday, August 5th, while the police, being uncertain, reported
the time of death as being between 8:00 PM. on Saturday, August 4th,
when Marilyn retired for the night, and y$5 AM. on Sunday, August 5th,
an hour before Dr Engelberg called to report the death. Even the author-
ities couldn't agree on the facts as presented to them!
For those who would like to do additional research and/or chart com-
parisons, I include the following birth data for some of the people who
were near Marilyn on the day she died.
1. Mrs. Eunice Murray, Marilyn's housekeeper, was bom March 3,
1902, in Chicago, Illinois (deceased).
2. Dr. Ralph R. Greenson, Marilyn's psychiatrist, was bom Au-
gust 20, 1911, in Brooklyn, New York (deceased).
3. Margot Patricia Newcomb, Marilyn's press agent, was bom July
9, 1930, in Washington, D.C.
4. Robert Kennedy was born November 20, 1925, at 3:11 PM.
EST in Brookline, Massachusetts (source: Rodden's Ajtro Data
III; deceased).

Upon her death, the thirty-six-year-old actress left the bulk of her es-
tate to the Strasbergs, who were her drama coaches and instructors, and
her half-sister, Bemice Miracle. In her will, she also allotted a large por-
tion of her estate for the lifetime care and guardianship of her mother,
Gladys Pearl Monroe, who was mentally ill and required constant care and
hospitalization. Her mother was bom May 24,1900, in Diaz, Mexico, and
worked as a film cutter.
In 1982,the Los Angeles County prosecutor and then District Attor-
ney John Van deKamp, decided to reopen the Monroe case for a criminal
investigation. The team assigned to the case worked for four months and
failed to come up with evidence to prove Marilyn died by any other means
than that listed in the autopsy report. However, according to investigative
reporter, George Carpozi, Jr., none of the four pathologists who studied
Naguchi's initial findings agreed that Monroe died the way the autopsy in-
dicated, and Dr. Naguchi, the coroner, stated: "Ifl had to do this autop-
sy over »gain, I would not have done it the way I had; I would have been
much more thorough." And so, the mystery remains.
Chapter Ten

The

Life and Death

of Sylvia Plath

^^ylvia Plath, American poet and writer, best

known for her semi-autobiography, The Bell Jar,

was bom on October 27, 1932, in Boston, Massa-

chusetts, to Otto Plath and Aurelia Schober. Otto

Plath was a science professor at Boston University

Chart AA. SyhiiaPlath'iprenatal epoch. January 10,1932, ii.og;^6 P.M. EST, Boston,
MA.yiWo^zNzz. Placidus houses. Source: Calculation by Edna Rowland (sec below).

when he metAurelia, a student who became his wife in 193 2. They were
to have two children; Sylvia, and her younger brother. Warren.
According to Lois Rodden's Profiles o[ Women, Sylvia Plath was born at
2:10 PM. EST; the time is fromher birth certificate. Sylvia's prenatal epoch
falls on January 10, 1932,atT 1:09:46 PM. EST (see Chart 4 4). The epoch
chart shows the Moon's sign and degree at birth, 8° 28' Libra rising, and
the epoch Moon at 28° 06' Aquarius (her Ascendant sign and degree at
birth). Accordingly, I have corrected her birth time, resulting in a recti-
fied birth time of 2:06:55 PM. EST.
Chart 45. Sylvia Plath's rectified birth chart. Bom October ly, ig]2.2 o6:^^ PM. EST, Boston,
MA, yiWor^iNnSource: Lois Rodden's Profiles of Women,page 218,cites 2:10 P.M. EST.
This chan is rectified lo 3 minutes cariifr by Edna Rowland, based on the prenatal epoch; see Chart 44.

Sylvia's rectified birth chart (see Chart 45) shows her natal Moon in 8°
Libra, 24 degrees behind her 4° Scorpio Sun (Dark Moon or Balsamic
phase). She has Aquarius on the Ascendant and a Midheaven of
1 Sagittarius. Her Ascendant ruler, Uranus, is at 20° Aries and retro-
grade; Saturn, co-ruler of her Ascendant, is positioned at 28° Capricorn in
her i2thhouse. Since Pisces is intercepted in the isthouse, Neptune must
also be considered a co-ruler of her Ascendant; this nebulous planet occu-
pies 9° Virgo and falls in her 7th house. This unusual pattern of multiple
co-rulership of her Ascendant certainly adds up to a rather complex per-
sonality. According to her biographers, Sylvia has been described very dif-
ferently by various people who knew her during her short life span.
One month after the publication oiThe Bell Jar in 1963, Sylvia Plath
committed suicide. She died in London, England on February 11, 1963,
just three months after her thirtieth birthday. The manner of her death,
and a previous suicide attempt, will be discussed in detail later.
Sylvia Plath's acquaintance with sorrow started early. Her world was
shattered when her father, whom she adored, died in 1940, when she was
only eight. Her father. Otto Plath, was born April 3, 1883, in Grabow,
Poland. His unexpected death was the result of his stubborn refusal to
consult a doctor until it was too late. He died at 9:35 PM. on November
5, 1940, from complications following a leg injury and amputation on Oc-
tober 12, 1940.
Secondary progressions to Sylvia's rectified birth chart for the date of
her father's death show the progressed MC at 210 Sagittarius, exactly
trine natal Mars and conjoining her Mars/Uranus (accident) midpoint
(see Chart 46). The progressed MC semisextiles natal Mercury at 210
Scorpio and squares the progressed Vertex at 22° Virgo.
Sylvia's progressed Ascendant at 12° Pisces squares the natal 4th
house cusp of endings, and trines progressed Sun (the male parent) in her
8th house of death. The progressed Sun at 120 Scorpio is inconjunct her
natal (Gemini) 4th house cusp. In a female chart, the 4th house and its
occupants and rulers signify the father. The progressed Ascendant op-
poses progressed South Node and conjoins her Jupiter-Neptune mid-
point, as well. The progressed Moon at 6° Aquarius occupies her I2ch
house of sorrows, semisquares the progressed MC, and is sesquiquadrate
her progressed Vertex. Progressed Midheaven trines her natal and pro-
gressed Uranus (abrupt endings) at 20° Aries, confirming the suddenness
of the event.
Because her father's death (natal Saturn opposite Pluto) was so sudden
and unexpected (Uranus), she may have found the loss difficult, and her
youth would have made it doubly hard to accept. Her chart emphasizes
the importance of this event in her life. At birth, her ruler, Uranus,
squares Saturn and Pluto, and is inconjunct Mercury, the 4th house ruler
Chart 46. Sylvia Plalh s rectified chart progressed to her father's death on November
5, 1940. Born October 27, J932, 2.06;55 PM. EST, Boston, MA,
Placidus houses. Source: Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness by Edward Bnrscbor.

representing the father. Natal Mercury squares Mars exactly (unresolved

anger), and is sextile Saturn and trine Pluto.
Six months after her father's death, Sylvia's first poem was published
in the Boston Sunday Herald. Her mother obtained a much-needed teach-
ing position, and the family moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, where
Sylvia spent the remainder of her childhood until she left for Smith Col-
lege at age eighteen. With an IQ^of 160, it wasn't difficult for this young
woman to win a scholarship to college in Northampton where she majored
in English. Later on, she won a Fulbright Fellowship to Cambridge Uni-
versity, where she met her future husband, poet Ted Hughes. The two
were to become the major British and American poets of their era.
The youngest of three children, Edward "Ted" Hughes, was born on
August 17, 1930, in a small town called Mytholmroyd in Yorkshire, Eng-
land. Sylvia and Ted eloped while they were attending Cambridge togeth-
er. They tried, unsuccessfully, to keep their marriage a secret since they
were close to graduation and feared it might interfere with their scholar-
ships. They were married in London on June 16,1956.
Let's compare the birth charts of the marriage partners to judge their
compatibility, or lack of it. (Since Ted's birth time is unknown, a sunrise
chart will have to sufiice.jTed'sSun at 23° Leo is conjunct Sylvia's natal
Mars at 2i0Leo, falling near the cusp of her 7th house of marriage. This
mutual Sun/Mars aspect assures us there was no lack of excitement or
physical compatibility on a sexual level within this union, but the poten-
tial for frequent disagreements and violent quarrels is also indicated by the
strength of this Mars conjunction. Ted's Leo Sun closely squares Sylvia's
Mercury, triggering her natal Mercury square Mars, which is an argu-
mentative aspect.
Ted's natal Venus at 7° Libra, almost exactly conjunct Sylvias Moon
at 8° Libra, is undoubtedly the aspect that brought these two together and
held them together for some time. Moon/Venus aspects add a bit of ten-
derness and sentimentality, and are often found between lovers. This is
probably the most favorable aspect between their charts. Falling as it does
within Sylvia's 7th house, it promises marriage. However, Ted s natal
Venus/Saturn square (misunderstandings) indicates a tendency toward
selfishness and excessive egotism in love, and their favorable Moon/Venus
conjunction is squared by his natal Saturn at 5° Capricorn, spoiling the
promised compatibility to some extent.
According to Plath's biographer, Unda Martin, Ted was known to have
indulged in a love affair with another woman during the latter part of their
disintegrating marriage. Sylvia was evidently aware of this affair, but per-
sisted in the relationship, hoping for a reconciliation. By 1963, the cou-
ple was estranged and living apart, although they were still officially mar-
ried at the time of Sylvia's death.
Chan 47. Progression of Sylvia Plaih's rectified birth chart to the date of her marriage to
Ted Hughes, June 16, 1956. Bom October 27, ig^z,2:06:53 P.M. EST, Boston, MA,
71W0442N2i.Placidus houses. Source: Sylvia Plath: A Biography by Linda W. Martin.

Ted's Moon in Taurus widely opposes Sylvia's natal Sun in Scorpio, and
this, too, is an aspect that suggests marriage. According to psychiatrist
Carl Jung's statistics, the aspect is usually considered more harmonious if
the man's Sun conjoins or opposes the woman's Moon, rather than vice
versa. Nevertheless, the Sun/Moon aspect indicates that Ted and Sylvia
complemented each other. Ted's Mars squares Sylvia's Venus, indicating
that attraction and excitement filled the air when they met.
Unfortunately, when they married on June 16, 1956, Sylvia's pro-
gressed MC at 6° Capricorn was conjunct Ted's natal Saturn and square
his natal Venus, activating his natal Venus/Saturn square; see Chart 47.
At age twenty-three, Sylvia's progressed MC was square her progressed
Vertex, semisquare natal Mercury, sesquiquadrate natal Mars, and con-
junct her Venus-Uranus midpoint. Her progressed Ascendant at 130
Aries was sesquiquadrate her progressed Sun at 27° Scorpio.
Sylvia's progressed Sun, ruler of her 7th house of marriage, was at the
zenith of her chart, squaring both her natal Ascendant and Descendant,
and sextile natal Saturn. The Sun's sextile to Saturn seems to confirm the
initial secrecy surrounding the marriage, since Saturn occupied her natal
12th house of behind-the-scenes activity. Progressed Mercury at 19°
Sagittarius semisquares her natal Sun in 4° Scorpio. It was only natural
that she would be attracted to a Leo man; the Aquarius/Leo polarity on
her natal horizon made this a probable choice. During their marriage,
which lasted six years, they had two children, a boy and a girl.
At the time of their marriage, Ted was just two months away from his
twenty-sixth birthday. His progressed Moon was getting ready to make its
twenty-seven-year lunar return, but in June of 1956, it was still in the 1st
decan of Taurus in opposition to Sylvia's natal Sun in Scorpio. This re-
peated the natal Moon-Sun opposition between their charts, described
earlier. Ted's progressed Venus in 4° Scorpio conjoins Sylvia's natal Sun
in 4° Scorpio, assuring temporary affinity and a bond of mutual interest
while the progressed conjunction lasted.
Ted's progressed MC at 30 Gemini squares his natal Neptune (infatu-
ation). Sylvia's progressed Mars at the time of the marriage occupies 3°
Virgo, squaring Ted's progressed MC and conjunct his natal Neptune.
Ted's progressed Mars at 8° Cancer activates his unfortunate natal
Venus/Saturn square, and progressed Mercury at 6° Libra completes this
cardinal T-square, as it conjoins his natal Venus. Ted's progressed As-
cendant at 10° Virgo conjunctsSylvia's angular Neptune in her 7th house
of marriage; Neptune in her 7th house suggests excessive idealism and a
strong inner emotional dependence on the partner. These mutual Nep-
tune aspects indicate the potential for deep infatuation, deception, and
eventual betrayal. With Neptune things are not quite what they seem to
be. Neptune also encourages both parties to play the martyr and indulge
in self-pity
Chart 48. Event chart for attempted suicide.Date: August 24,195 j.9;i 7A.Af. EST, Welles-
ley, MA,/1W142.N18.Source: Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness by Edward Burschor.

Since Neptune rules the intercepted sign, Pisces, in Sylvia's natal ist
house, aspects to this planet are doubly important to her, affecting her per-
sonally. Sylvia's Ascendant on the cusp of Aquarius/Pisces combines the
personality traits of both signs. At her birth, Neptune occupied her natal
Satum/Uranus midpoint. Ebertin describes this occupied midpoint or
"tree" in these words: "The inability to face emotional stresses, falsehood
or malice caused through weakness. A resolve to resign oneself to the in-
evitable, the abandonment of resistance, weakening strength, separation,
mourning and bereavement."
 No doubt Sylvia's separation from her husband in the latter part of
1962 contributed greatly to her final decision to commit suicide. So did
her illness and depressed state of mind. In all fairness to both parties, I
must add that Sylvia had, indeed, been suicidal and subject to severe bouts
of depression (Saturn in the i2tKopposite Pluto) long before she met and
married Ted Hughes. Satum-Pluto people often feel persecuted, even
when there is no objective reason for their feelings.
At 9:17 AM. EST on August 24, 1953, when Sylvia was twenty (see
Chart 48), she made an unsuccessful attempt to kill herself by swallow-
ing forty-eight sleeping pills. She hid in a crawl space in the basement of
her parent's home in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Her grandmother found
her on August 26, 1953,when she went down to the basement to do the
family laundry and heard her moans. Sylvia, who had been missing for two
days and was almost dead, was rushed to a hospital. After a partial recov-
ery, she was committed to a state mental institution where she underwent
electric shock therapy. Sixmonths later, she was released and went home.
From that time on, she lived with secret fears of a recurrence of the ill-
ness (Saturn in the i2tKhouse of institutions and hospitals), although
she struggled courageously with bouts of depression throughout her short
but active life. At the time of her attempted suicide, transiting Venus
(Sylvia's 8th house ruler) was exactly conjunct natal Pluto at 23° Cancer
and square transiting Saturn at 23° Libra. Neptune conjuncts the Libra
Ascendant and transiting Venus is conjunct the Midheaven at 230 Can-
cer; Venus squares both Neptune and Saturn. Transiting Neptune is con-
junct Sylvia's natal Sun/Moon midpoint. The Sun/Moon midpoint is an
important point often called the second Ascendant. Transiting Sun at 10
Virgo is exactly conjunct progressed Mars and conjunct her natal
Mars/Neptune midpoint. Her choice of sleeping pills as the instrument of
death is indicated by Neptune since this planet rules drugs, including bar-
biturates. As previously explained in Chapter 9, women who commit sui-
cide usually prefer to use non-disfiguring, less violent methods than men.
PlatK's/Znfl/ suicide attempt was successful in the early morning hours
of February 11, 1963. probably sometime between 6:00 AM. and 9:30
AM. She was residing in London with her two children and seriously con-
templating obtaining a divorce from Ted, who was by now living with
Chart 49. Progression of Sylvia Plath's rectified birth chart to the date of her suicide
on February 11.1963.Born October 27, 1932, 2:06:55 P.M. EST, Boston, MA, /rWoq,
^zNzzPlacidus houses. Source: Sylvia Piath: A Biography by Linda W. Martin.

another woman. It was on this fateful night that she made her final deci-
sion. After putting the children to sleep and ensuring their safely, Sylvia
took a few leftover sleeping pills and put her head into the gas oven in the
kitchen. Sylvia and the children had been ill, so a nurse had been hired to
help with their care. At about 9:30 A.M., the nurse arrived at the house and
found her dead. An inquest the next day ruled her death a suicide.
Chart 49 shows the progressions on the date of her death; Progressed
MC at 130Capricorn trines her natal Nodes; the progressed Ascendant
at 25° Aries conjoins her Satum/Pluto midpoint. The description of this
Chart 50. Plath's estimated death chart, rectified by tbe author. Date: February 11, ig6j.
7 41:55 A.M. G.VfT, London, England, 0W10, 51 A/jo.Source: Sylvia Plath: A Biogra-
phy by Linda Martin (which provides only the appropriate time interval for her death).

direct or occupied midpoint by Ebertin in The Combination of Stellar Influ-

ences is aptly appropriate: "Emplacement in cumbersome and difficult cir-
cumstances. Separation, mourning and bereavement."
The Part of Suicide ( see Appendix for calculations), at i' Aries, falls
in her 1st house, inconjunct the Sun in her 8th house, and opposite her
natal Moon in Libra. On further examination of the progressions for Feb-
ruary 11, 1963, Sylvia's thirtieth year, we note that the Sun has pro-
gressed to 4038' Sagittarius in trine to the Part of Suicide. Progressed
Mars at 6° Virgo in her 7th house (indicating quarrels with the spouse)
is inconjunct the Suicide Part, and the Progressed Moon at 2.10 Scorpio
is in a sesquiquadrate aspect to this point. Natal Mercury, ruler of her 4th
house of endings, at 2.10 Scorpio is also making a sesquiquadrate aspect
to the Suicide Point, and so is her natal Mars at 2.T 0 Leo in her 6th house
of illness and servants. The natal Mars aspect, referring as it does to the
6th house of servants, probably indicates the presence of the nurse who
discovered Sylvia's body.
I believe Sylvia actually died at 7:42 GMT on the morning of February
nth, since her natal Ascendant of 280o6, Aquarius was rising at this
time. This fits the time-of-death formula for suicides (requiring the rising
sign at birth to become the 1st house cusp of the death chart so that the
death and natal charts mirror each other). It's also within the known time
limits of her death, 6:00 AM. to 9:30 AM. as reported by the authorities.
Chart 50, for the time of death, shows progressed Mercury, Sylvia's 4th
house ruler, in the loth aspecting the Midheaven, squaring the Vertex,
and opposing the 4th house cusp. Transiting Jupiter (ruler of her natal
10th house) at 170 Pisces forms an opposition aspect to her natal Jupiter
at 16° Virgo. It exactly squares the 4th and loth houses of the death chart
(170Gemini/Sagittarius), repeating the natal Jupiter square to these house
cusps which existed when she was bom!
The polarity between these parental angles has already been explained.
In Sylvia Plath's era, women were still struggling valiantly with conflicts
between career interests (10th house) and home life (4th house). To
challenge these conventional concepts was to directly challenge society
and be known as a rebel (Uranus). Whether intentionally or not, with
her Ascendant ruler, Uranus, in 20° Aries trine Mars at birth, and square
her Sun sign ruler, Pluto, Sylvia Plath was more than adequately prepared
to do just that! Aquarians are often born before their time.
The following transits on the date of her death are even more signifi-
cant, amplifying the progressions: Transiting Pluto at ii0Virgo opposes
Sylvia's natal East Point (EP) and conjuncts her natal Neptune. Transit-
ing Sun at 210 Aquarius exactly opposes her natal Mars in her natal 6th
house, and transiting Venus at 5° Capricorn is exactly square the Part of
Suicide. Transiting Neptune at 15° Scorpio is in her natal 8th house.
indicating the mode of death as asphyxiation by gas fumes, and transiting
Mercury at 250 Capricorn forms an opposition to her natal Pluto at 23°
Cancer.
In Chapter 9,1 described death by gas fumes as relating to afflictions to
Saturn, especially from Mercury and Pluto. Does Sylvia's chart fulfill these
requirements? Let's see.
In examining her birth chart, we see natal Saturn occupies 28° Capri-
corn and is conjunct transiting Mercury and the South Node at the time
of her death. Also mentioned in reference to asphyxiation are the 13 th de-
gree of the Mutable signs and a progressed aspect to Neptune (gas).
Sylvia's 4th house cusp (IC) at birth is i30Gemini. It was receiving a pro-
gressed inconjunct aspect from Neptune (gas) at her death, so the pre-
scribed rules are fulfilled. Chapter 9 also describes how women tend to be
most negatively affected by the failure or breakdown of important intimate
relationships. This is a common cause for female suicide. Unfortunately,
with Neptune in her 7th house conjunct her prenatal eclipse point, to-
gether with her generational bias, Sylvia may have felt that her survival de-
pended on her marriage partner.
The publication of Sylvia's semi-autobiography, The Bell Jar, shortly be-
fore her death at age thirty, apparently only served to deepen her depres-
sion (Saturn) rather than mitigate it. Was she afraid of success? Weak-
ened physically by recurring bouts of flu (Progressed Moon square Mars),
and worried about dwindling finances, she finally succumbed in the face
ofher suffering to embrace the final escape—death.
Ironically, fame quickly followed her demise. The Colossus, one ofher
most quoted poems, and many other volumes ofher poetry, now adorn li-
brary shelves all over the world. Feeling rejected by life, this Scorpio na-
tive was lovingly accepted in death.

Epilogue
Sylvia had two children. Frieda Rebecca Hughes was bom on April i,
1960, at 5:45 AM. GMT in London, England. Her son, Nicholas Farrar
Hughes, was a healthy ten pounds at birth. He was born in London, Eng-
land on January 17, 1962, at 11:55 PM. Both children were delivered at
Plath's home, with a midwife assisting. Their birth data was obtained
from Edward Butscher's book, Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness.
Frieda grew up to become a painter and writer; Nicholas became a ma-
rine biologist, most recently working in Alaska.
Appendix i

Midpoints

Associated

with Violence

or Homicide

The following planetary midpoints may be

strongly emphasized when murder, suicide,

or violent accidents occur, but they are not signifi-

cant by themselves; they must be activated by a

third planet. This third planet, which forms a tree

pattern, may be either a natal, progressed, or transiting planet. This is
sometimes called an "occupied," or direct, midpoint.
Don't be alarmed if you have natal planets occupying some of
the degrees mentioned in these appendices, or even several of these
degrees. The entire chart must be examined carefully, and natal,
progressed, or transiting planets must all repeat any violent aspects
or midpoints many times before an astrologer is justified in pre-
dicting the possibility of danger or violence. Other factors such as
house positions of planets and aspects must also be evaluated for
severe afflictions involving several planets in these sensitive areas.
Although many birth charts probably contain some planets ac-
tivating these sensitive degrees, this isn't considered significant
unless accompanied by other corroborating factors. Sometimes the
negative influences are only temporary, as indicated by fast-moving
transits of inner planets to natal or progressed planets. Many peo-
ple in the helping professions, such as police officers, social work-
ers, psychiatrists, and even fiction writers like Stephen King and
Joyce Carol Gates (who write about murder), have planets in some
of the so-called violent areas or degrees, but they have learned to
direct these energies into positive channels.
The following midpoints have been found to be occupied or acti-
vated most frequently when a crime of violence or an accident occurs:
Mars/Saturn. Death; tendency to get hurt or injured;
pain and suffering from cruelty.

Mars/Pluto. Murder; brutality; extreme violence;

ruthless aggression.

Saturn/Pluto. Murder; cruelty; likely to be neglected

or deprived of essential needs.

Mars/Uranus. Accidents or sudden bodily injury;

impulsive acts; neglect of safety; quick temper.
 Jupiter/Saturn. Arrest. Dealings with the law or legal
system. Dissatisfaction.

Mars/Neptune. Suffering from harm or exploitation;

weakness or increased vulnerability. Allergies or crav-
ing for drugs.
Note that an orb of only one degree (and no more than two de-
grees) should be allowed either applying or separating to these
midpoints or occupied degrees for natal or progressed planets.
Transits may exceed these orb limits somewhat, but it's best to
keep the smaller orb suggested above, especially for close rectifi-
cation work. For further information and more detailed interpre-
tation of midpoints, refer to The Combination of Stellar Influences, by
Reinhold Ebertin, as well as Michael Munkasey's Midpoints—Un*
leashing tbe Power of the Planets.
Appendix 2

Seven

Special-Interest

Arabic Parts

1. Part of Assassination (A): Ascendant plus the ruler of the 12th

house, minus Uranus. This part was formulated by Ivy M. Gold-
stein Jacobson.
2. Part of Coma (C): Ascendant plus Neptune, minus Saturn. This
part was formulated by Doris V. Thompson,
3. Part of Death (D): Ascendant plus 8th house Cusp, minus Moon.
4. Part of Imprisonment (I): Ascendant plus Sun, minus Neptune.
5. Part of Murder (M); Mercury plus Saturn, minus Mars. Devel-
oped by an astrologer named Orion.
6. Part of Rape (R): Sun plus Neptune, minus Uranus. This part
was formulated by WSA Research Group of California, headed
by astrologer/director Jeannette Glenn.
7. Part of Suicide (S): Ascendant plus 8th house cusp, minus Neptune.
Glossary

activate cusps or angles are thought to

strongly affect an individual.
To move to activity.
applying
adverse aspect
WKen a planet is approaching or
See "hard" under "aspect, modify-
going toward an exact degree or as-
ing terms for."
pect with another planet, or house
afflict, afflicted, afflictions cusp, it is applying; the opposite of
Difficult or unfavorably aspected separating.
planets or houses. Usually refers
Aquarius
to "hard" aspects such as the
See "signs."
square, semisquare, inconjunct
(mildly adverse), or sesqui- Aries
quadrate, etc. May also refer to a
planet or house with difficult, see signs.
stressful aspects and little or no Ascendant
beneficial aspects to counteract the The zodiacal degree and sign on
negativity. the eastern horizon (on the left-
hand side of the chart) at the time
Air signs
of birth; sometimes called the ris-
A triplicity of three signs: Gemini,
ing sign.
Libra, and Aquarius.
aspect
angles
The longitudinal distance between
See "angular."
two planets, such as the square
angular (90°), or the trine (i^o0), etc.
conjunct: o0.
The ist,4th, 7th, and lothhous-
inconjunct:: 150°.
es and planets therein. Sometimes
opposition: 180°.
called angles, since these cusps di-
semisextile: 30°.
vide the four quadrants of the birth
semisquare: 150°.
chart. Planets on or close to these
 sesquiquadrate: 13 5°. natal: Genethliacal astrology,
sextile: 60°. devoted to the study of the
square: 90°. birth charts of individuals
trine: 120°. and their life and character.

aspect, modifying terms for "at home"

hard: Stressful or unfavorable See "home sign."
aspects such as the square
Bacchus
(90°), semisquare (45°),
Another name forTranspluto.
sesquiquadrate (135°), and
inconjunct (150°) which is
Balsamic Moon
mildly adverse,
A phase of the Moon or personali-
soft: Favorable aspects such as
ty type as defined by astrologer
the trine (120°), sextile
Dane Rudhyar, classifying all per-
(60°), and semisextile (30°).
sons born with the Moon less than
The conjunction (00) may
45° behind the Sun, or three-and-
or may not be considered
a-half days before the New Moon.
beneficial depending on the
Moon semisquare the Sun.
planets and other factors in-
volved. benefic
Usually refers to the planets
astrology, types of
Venus and Jupiter, when they are
horary: A branch of astrology
not afflicted by other factors.
which has its own set of
rules, and focuses on casting birth chart
a chart for the moment a
*5ee chart-
question is asked, or an event
occurs. birth data

mundane: Also called judicial The month, date, year, birthplace

or political astrology, as it is (longitude and latitude), and hour
devoted to the study of plane- of birth—the data necessary to
tary cycles or patterns that af- erect an exactly timed natal birth
fect world events or politics, chart.
and forecasting future events.
Cancer close aspect
See "signs." Another way of saying that an as-
pect is nearly or almost exact. See
Capricorn
"exact aspect."
See "signs,"
conjunct, conjoined, conjunction
Cardinal
Within the same sign and degree
Refers Id the common leadership of longitude. See "aspects."
and initiative qualities of the signs
Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capri- co-rulinj co-ruler
corn. A planet that shares rulership of a
sign with another planet.
challenging aspect
See "hard" under "aspect, modify- cosmoliiolojist
ing terms for." The negativity of A member of the German cosmo-
this type of aspect is often difficult biology movement, an empirical
for the individual to overcome. school of astrology founded by
Reinhold Ebertin. A cosmobiolo-
chart gist is an astrologer who focuses
In natal astrology also called a mainly on the angularity and mid-
horoscope, radix, nativity, or birth points between two planets.
chart, and usually refers to a chart
erected for an individual based on crossing
the month, date, year, birthplace, Passing over another planet or
and birth time. May refer to a pro- house cusp.
gressed or transit chart for a timed
culminating
event.
A planet above the horizon, usual-
Chiron ly in or near the 10th house cusp;
A comet or planetoid (originally also called an elevated planet.
thought to have been a planet) dis-
cusp
covered between Saturn and
Uranus in 1977; it is described as The line dividing any two houses
"the wounded healer" and is a of the horoscope. For example, the
line of the Ascendant marks the
symbol of potential healing.
isthouse cusp, the next line marks as 18-19° Aries/Libra (a homici-
the 2nd house cusp, etc. dal degree) or 8-9° Taurus (an al-
coholic degree). In horary and na-
cusp ruler tal astrology the 29th degree is
The planet ruling the sign on the regarded as a "critical degree" re-
cusp of the house. gardless of what sign it occupies.

cycle, Moon Descendant

In reference to secondary progres- The opposite point or angle from
sions, the twenty-seven-year cycle the Ascendant; the 7th house
of the Moon refers to the Moon's cusp.
return to its own natal sign and de-
gree position. detriment
A planet occupying the opposite
cycle, Uranus
sign to the sign that it rules. For
The opposition of Uranus to its example, Venus rules Taurus, so
natal position in a chart. This oc- Venus in Scorpio is considered to
curs between ages 42-47, depend- be in detriment.
ing on the natal position of Uranus
and other factors. Uranus com- dignify
pletes its cycle in 84 years. A somewhat antiquated term used
to describe the condition of a plan-
decan, decanate
et that is strengthened by either
Each thirty-degree sign contains sign position (essential dignity) or
three decans often degrees each. house position (accidental digni-
decreasing moon ty)-
Moon's waning phase lasting
dispositor
about two weeks from Full Moon
Ruler of the sign another planet is
to New Moon.
located in. For example, if Mercury
degree is in Taurus, Venus (Taurus'
Onc-jboth of any circle. Some as- ruler) is said to be Mercury's dis-
trologers have assigned specific positor.
meanings to certain degrees, such
diurnal elevated
The apparent diumal (daily) mo- A planet above the horizon, usual-
tion of the planets resulting from ly in or near the 10th house cusp;
the axial rotation of the Earth. also called a culminating planet.

dual sign ephemeris

Refers to a "double-bodied" sign An astrologer's almanac contain-
such as Gemini, Sagittarius, or ing the computed positions of the
Pisces. Sun, Moon, and planets for each
day of the year, relative to a terres-
Garth Signs
trial observer.
A triplicity of three signs: Taurus,
Virgo, and Capricorn. Equatorial Ascendant
The East Point (EP), sometimes
eastern horizon
called the second Ascendant, since
The left-hand side of the chart. it is calculated from the equator
rather than from the ecliptic. The
East Point
point where the eastern horizon
See "Equatorial Ascendant."
intersects the prime vertical and
eclipse the celestial equator,
An astronomical phenomena in-
exact aspect
volving the parallel conjunction of
An aspect with no orb. Used
the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Solar
loosely to refer to an aspect within
eclipses occur on the New Moon;
a oncdegree-or-less orb.
Lunar eclipses occur on the Full
Moon. exaltatiou, exalted
Traditionally, a planet is said to be
ecliptic
exalted by its position in a sign
The apparent, or elliptical, path of
deemed more positive than the
the sun, where eclipses occur.
sign it rules.
elements
Mis on
The four elemental substances—
Occupies the same place in a chart.
Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
Loosely used to mean conjoins or
is conjunct to, within a certain orb. sectors," attributing great impor-
tance to planets in these areas.
Favorable aspect Roughly, the area just past the
See "soft" under "aspect, modify- eastern horizon (Ascendant) or
ing terms for." upper meridian (Midheaven).

Fire signs
Gemini
A triplicity of three signs: Aries,
Leo, and Sagittarius. S ee signs.

Fixed geocentric

Refers to the common steadfast Earth-centered, in contrast to he-

qualities or characteristics of the liocentric, which is Sun-centered.
signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and grand cross
Aquarius.
See "grand square."
fixed star
grand square
A self-luminous celestial body, as
A challenging, stressful configura-
distinguished from a planet that-
tion composed of four planets,
shines by reflected light.
each one making squares, and an
focal planet opposition to the other three
planets
A planet that enters an empty
space created by a T-square, either Cardinal grand square: A
by transit or progression grand square composed of
Cardinal planets.
Fi Moon Fixed grand square: A grand
The monthly or progressed phase square composed of Fixed
of the Moon where the Sun and planets.
the Moon are in exact opposition Mutable grand square: A
(180° apart). grand square composed of
Mutable planets.
Gauquelin plus sector
Michel and Francoise Gauqueliris grand trine
research defined certain areas of A configuration of three planets.
the horoscope as "Gauquelin plus
each 120° from the other, forming
house
a triangle.
There are twelve houses, roughly
Fire grand trine: A grand trine
dividing the twenty-four-hour di-
composed of Fire planets.
urnal circle into approximately two
Earth grand trine: A grand hours for each house; they are
trine composed of Earth numbered counterclockwise from
planets. the Ascendant. Each house has a
Air grand trine: A grand trine distinct meaning. Houses may be
composed of Air planets. equal or unequal in size, depend-
Water grand trine: A grand ing on the house system or
trine composed of Water method used to compute them.
planets. The following keywords are asso-
ciated with the various houses.
hard aspect (See an astrology textbook for ad-
See "aspect, modifying terms for." ditional meanings.)

harmonious aspect
See "soft" under "aspect, modify- ist: Self, outer personality,
ing terms for." physical characteristics.
2nd: Monetary gains, posses-
home sign, "at home in" sions. Value systems.
A planet residing in a sign that it 3rd: Siblings. Elementary
rules. school. Short trips.

horary astrology 4th: Home, childhood condi-

tioning.Parents and heritage.
See "astrology, types of."
End of life.
horizon 5th: Romantic love, children,
The horizontal line dividing the and creative pursuits.
chart or circle into two sectors— 6th: Service to others, jobs,
upper and lower. health.
7th: Marriage, partnerships of
horoscope
all types, public enemies.
See "chart."
8th: Death, inheritance. Sexual
 preferences. Joint finances.
increasing moon
9th: Religious and philosophi-
Moon's waxing phase lasting
cal beliefs. Legal matters. about two weeks from New Moon
Foreign travel. to Full Moon.
loth: Reputation. Profession
and fame or publicity. Par- inharmonious aspect
ents. See "hard" under "aspect, modify-
11th: Friendships, hopes, and ing terms for."
wishes. Step-children or
inner planets
adopted children.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, and
12th: Prisons. Hospitals. Self-
Jupiter.
undoing. Hidden enemies. Se-
crets. intercepted
Refers to more than one sign oc-
house ruler
cupying a house, resulting in two
The planet that rules the sign on
sue cessh e houses with non-continuous
the cusp of the house, or a planet
signs on their house cusps. Most
ruling an intercepted house.
house systems, with the exception
(However, planets within houses
of the equal house system, utilize
are also considered influential and
houses of various sizes.
may modify delineations accord-
ingly.) Jupiter
See "planets."
IC
Abbreviation for Imum Coeli. The
point opposite the Midheaven or
meridian; the fourth house cusp. See signs.
(Not to be confused with the libra
Nadir.)
S ee signs.
lifecycle midpoint
inconjunct The halfway point (or age) be-
S tween the dates of life and death.
ee aspect.
luminaries Midhearen
The Sun and Moon. For conve- Medium Coeli (MC); the 10th
nience, astrologers may sometimes house cusp; the meridian of the
refer to the Sun and Moon as plan- birthplace.
ets but the difference is clearly un-
midpoint
derstood.
The halfway point between two
lunar Nodes planets, calculated by adding both
The Moon's Nodes—a point (not planets' longitude, then halving
a planet) where the Moon passes this sum. The significance of a
the ecliptic, sometimes referred to midpoint can be modified by any
as the Dragon's Head (North planet that conjoins the midpoint.
Node) and Dragon's Tail (South Mars/Pluto midpoint: Mur-
Node). der. Rage and/or revenge.
Ruthless aggression. Violent
malefic
sexual impulses. Power
An antiquated term that applies
struggles.
to certain planets deemed to have
Mars/Saturn midpoint: Death.
a harmful or unfavorable influ-
Depression. Frustration or
ence, usually Mars and Saturn;
impotence.
but may also be loosely applied
Mars/Uranus midpoint: Acci-
to an afflicted planet, or a con-
dent-proneness. Risk-taking.
junction with a malefic.
Rebellion.
Mars Moon/Saturn midpoint: Co-
See "planets." dcpcndcncy—usually, but
not always, parental. Mater-
Mars/Pluto midpoint
nal deprivation.
See midpoint. Saturn/Pluto midpoint: Cruel-
ty or violent assault. Sadism.
Mars/Saturn midpoint
Inner compulsions or obses-
See "midpoint."
sions.
Mars/Uranus midpoint Sun/Pluto midpoint:Rape
and/or homicide. Urge to
S ee midpoint.
 control. Manipulation. native
Sun/Mars midpoint: Violence. Refers to the individual who owns
Masculine aggression and the nativity, or birth chart.
virility. Assertiveness, likeli-
hood to take action. natural cusp ruler
The planet that rules the corre-
minor aspect
sponding sign that would be on
See "aspect." the cusp if 0° Aries was the 1st
house cusp (Ascendant). For ex-
Moon/Satiim midpoint
ample, Mercury is the natural ruler
See midpoint. of the 3rd house because Mercury
rules the 3rd sign, Gemini.
Moon
See "planets."
negative aspect
Mutable See "hard" under "aspect, modify-
Refers to the common flexible and ing terms for."
adaptable qualities of the signs
Neptune
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and
See "planets."
Pisces.
New Moon
mutual reception
A conjunction of the Sun and
A helpful relationship between
Moon. It may refer to a transit,
two planets, each of which occu-
progression, or natal configura-
pies the other's sign of rulership or
tion.
exaltation.
Nodes
Nadir
See "lunar Nodes." There are oth-
The lowest point—the opposite of
er planetary nodes besides those of
the Zenith. (Not to be confused
the Moon, but they are referred to
with the IC.)
rarely.
natal
North Node
Birth, as in natal chart.
See "lunar Nodes."
occupied midpoint paran
See "midpoint." When planets oc- A paran is said to occur when two
cupy the empty space on either planets cross an angle (whether
side of the midpoint it is some- the same or different angles) at the
times called a tree or planetary pic- same time and in the same locality.
ture by cosmobiologists. The term "paran" was coined or
revived by astrologer Robert
opposed, opposing, opposition
Hand.

S ee aspect. parental angle

ort)
In natal astrology parental angle
The area of effective influence for an refers to the 4th and 10th house
aspect. Progressions require small cusps and all planets occupying or
orbs—usually one degree on either ruling these two angular houses
side of an exact aspect. The orb for (which describe the parents).
transits and natal planets varies de-
pending on the type of aspect. Placidian house system
One of several house systems used
Out-of-sign aspect
to erect charts. The Placidus
An aspect where the planets are house system is used for charts
within orb of an aspect, but their consistently throughout this book.
respective signs do not correspond
to the aspect involved. According planets
to the Larousse Encyclopedia, the Sun: In astrology, the Sun may
strength of the aspect is decreased. stand for the ego or self, and
also symbolizes the father
outer planets
and significant males in the
The planets Uranus, Neptune, life.
and Pluto. Saturn is regarded as an
Moon: The luminary that rep-
outer planet by some astrologers,
resents the emotional body,
but I consider it to be a "bridge"
feelings, the nurturing or ma-
planet, dividing the inner and out-
ternal instinct, early child-
er planets.
hood, the home, the mother,
and other important females.
Mercury: This planet repre- limitations or frustration due
sents the concrete mind and to lack. It can also indicate
travel. In horary astrology, it selfishness, restriction, fears,
refers to young people or and anxiety. Death and kar-
adolescents. ma. On the positive side, it
Venus: In astrology, Venus stands for discipline and re-
stands for the social urge, the sponsibility. It symbolizes
pleasure principle, love, affec- the father in natal astrology.
tion, and beauty. Negatively, In horary astrology, it refers
it can indicate laziness, to older or more mature per-
and/or lack of will. sons.
Mars: The planet representing Uranus: The planet that rules
the principle of physical force astrology. Associated with
and energy. In a male chart, it sudden events and impulses,
represents passion, lust, freedom, independence,
and/or masculine assertion; changes, separation, and un-
negative aspects or afflictions conventional or platonic
can denote excessive force or friendships.
violence. In horary astrology, Neptune: In natal astrology,
Mars refers to stabbing and the planet associated with
cutting instruments, gun- idealism, compassion, sym-
shots, police, etc. A violent pathy, and sacrifice. Nega-
planet when afflicted. tively it stands for pity, feel-
Jupiter: The planet that repre- ings of persecution,
sents the religious principle. deception, and a tendency to
Optimism, expansion, and escape from reality by using
growth. Negatively, it can in- drugs or alcohol. Rules dis-
dicate greed, self-indulgence, appearances.
and irresponsibility. Pluto: Represents transition
Saturn: Astrologically, Saturn from one plane to another,
is the "bridge" between the death, transformation. Nega-
inner and outer planets, and tively, it represents large
is associated with necessary gangs or groups, gangsters,
 and rape. Phobias and obses- and tables for calculating the pre-
sions. A violent planet when natal epoch are given in EH. Bai-
afflicted. ley's book titled The Prenatal Epoch.

Pluto progressed
See "planets." Only secondary progressions are
used in this book, and they are cal-
precession of the equinoxes
culated on the formula that each
The continuous movement of the day after birth is equal to one year
equinoxes backward through the of life. See "secondary progres-
sidereal zodiac as a result of the sions."
slow revolution of the Earth's axis
or rotation about the ecliptic pole, public houses
at the rate of one degree every 71.5 The six houses above the horizon,
years. from the 7th house to the 12th
house consecutively, and the 7th
prenatal eclipse (FE)
and 10th houses in particular.
A solar eclipse occurring just prior
to birth, the sign and degree of quities
which is marked in the natal chart. Refers to the division of the twelve
In Rose Lineman's Your Prenatal signs of the zodiac into three
Eclipse, she states that when pro- groups (of four signs each) which
gressed or transiting aspects acti- share common characteristics, or
vate this point, people with whom "qualities."
we share karmic ties enter our
rectification
lives and karmic situations may
arise. The process of adjusting a birth
chart to the precise birth time
prenatal epoch when the date of birth is known,
A rectification system in which the but the birth time is either un-
Moon's place approximately ten known or inexact. Methods of rec-
lunar months previous to birth be- tification vary greatly, but the most
comes the Ascendant or Descen- common method is based on the
dant at birth. Sometimes called the timing of several important events
conception chart. Detailed rules in the life, and the astrologer
 works backwards with transits and Saturn/Pluto midpoint
progressions for the dates of these see midpoint.''
events to find the time of birth. In
this book, we introduce the time- Scorpio
of-death formula for rectification; hee signs.
see time-of-death formula for a fur-
ther explanation of this method. secondary progressions
Aspects formed by planets after
retrograde birth, based on a chart calculated
The phenomenon of a planet ap- for the same time as the natal chart
pearing to be traveling backward but the date changing by one day
along the plane of the ecliptic from per year of life. Used by astrologers
the terrestrial viewpoint. to predict or track events after
birth.
rising
Refers to a sign or a planet which separating aspect
is on or near the eastern horizon, An aspect that has transited or
or crossing it. See "eastern hori- progressed past the point of being
»»
zon. exact. See "exact aspect."

ruler semisextile
U sually refers to the planet ruling
the sign on the natal Ascendant, S ee aspect.
though it can also refer to sign or semisquare
house rulerships. The planet rul-
S ee aspect.
ing the sign on the house cusp is
the ruler of that house, but planets sesquiquadrate
within the house also influence S " ^
ee aspect.
and modify interpretations.
sextile
Sagittarius See "aspect."

sign
See signs.
One of the twelve divisions of the
Saturn
See "planets." tropical zodiac. The signs follow
each other thus: Aries, Taurus,
sunrise chart
Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra,
A chart calculated for the exact
Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn,
time of the Sun's rising at a certain
Aquarius, Pisces. Each sign has its
location, and usually substituted
own distinct meaning—refcrto an
for a natal chart when the true
astrology textbook for an in-depth
birthtime is unknown.
explanation of each sign.
synastry
soft aspect
Comparison of two or more indi-
See "aspect, modifying terms for."
vidual's charts to provide insight
solar eclipse into the nature of their relation-
The phenomenon that occurs at ship. The astrologer examines the
the time of a New Moon, when the exchange of planetary aspects be-
Sun and Moon form a conjunction tween two charts, as well as their
near one of the Moon's Nodes. planetary sign and house posi-
tions.
South Node
T-square
See "lunarNodes."
A dynamic configuration of two
square planets in opposition squaring a
s. U ft
See aspect. third planet which forms the base
of a " T" Sometimes called a T-
stellium cross.
Three or more planets located in
one sign or house, accenting it and Taurus
thus making it more important. See "signs."

Sun tight aspect

See "planets." See "close aspect" and "exact as-
. "
pect.
Sun/Mars midpoint
See "midpoint." time abbreviations
BST: British Summer Time
Sun/Pluto midpoint
CDT: Central Daylight Time
See "midpoint."
 CST: Central Standard Time the Vernal Equinox), in contrast to
CWT: Central War Time the sidereal or fixed zodiac of con-

EDT: Eastern Daylight Time stellations.

EST: Eastern Standard Time Uranian astrology

GMT: Greenwich Mean Time Sometimes loosely, but erroneous-
ly, used to refer to cosmobiology.
time-of-death formula
(See "cosmobiologist.") Uranian
A method of rectification based on
astrology is the Hamburg school
the exchange of arty one of the four
of astrology founded by Alfred
angles and signs on the ist, 4th,
Witte and Friedrich Sicggrun with
7th, or ictK house cusps between
an accent on delineations of mid-
the exactly timed death chart and
points.
the natal chart. It requires that the
time of death be exactly known
Dranns
and recorded.
See "planets."
transit, transiting
Venns
The current position of a planet in
See "planets."
comparison to a planet, angle, mid-
point, etc. at a different time. Vertex
Abbreviated as "Vx" in the chart.
Transpluto
The point in the chart where the
A hypothetical planet sometimes
prime vertical intersects the eclip-
called Bacchus, as described in
tic in the west. The antivertex is
John Hawkins' book on Transplu-
the corresponding point exactly
to. According to Hawkins, this
opposite in the east. The point
planet is associated with the sign
where the vertex falls in the chart
of Taurus.
is supposed to be the most "fated"
trine part of the horoscope.
See "aspect."
Violent planets
tropical zodiac The planets Mars and Pluto are
The seasonal or moving zodiac be- considered the most violent planets.
ginning with 0° Aries (the point of Uranus is also sometimes indicated.
Violent signs ty degrees in longitude from the
Ascendant. It is the opposite point
Aries, Libra, Scorpio, Capricorn,
to the Nadir.
and Aquarius.
zodiac
Virgo
A distinction should be made be-
Sec signs. tween the moving or tropical zodi-
Water signs ac which is oriented in relation to
A triplicity of three signs: Cancer, the equinoxes, and the sidereal or
Scorpio, and Pisces. fixed zodiac which is oriented in
relation to the stars or constella-
wide aspect tions.
An aspect having a very wide orb. The tropical zodiac is divided
May also refer to a planet that nor- into a 3 60-degree circle of twelve
mally might be out of orb or aspect thirty-degree divisions of the eclip-
to another planet, but is part of a tic called signs which are used to
T-square, grand trine, or grand measure the position of the planets
square pattern, and therefore is in- and is the basis of the seasonal cal-
cluded as part of that configura- endar. This seasonal zodiac begins
tion. with the point of the Vernal
Equinox—zero degrees of the first
Yod sign, Aries—and when the Sun
Sometimes called the Finger of reaches this point on March 21
God or Hand of Destiny. A config- every year, it is the beginning of
uration involving three planets in spring.
which two of them form a sextile
(60°), and both form an incon-
junct (150°) to a third planet. It is
said to indicate a strange and un-
usual destiny, often accompanied
by dismptive changes.

Zenith
The point in the sky directly over-
head which is always exactly nine-
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