Monthly Archives: March 2018

My Last Lesson from Al

Al H. Morrison had over 40 years of experience as an astrologer when I studied with him in the early ‘90s. He relished astrological questions and always had a ready answer. I vividly remember one lesson toward the end of his life that concerned making assumptions about a horoscope.

A client whose chart I’d done subsequently asked me about a woman he was seeing and what to expect from her. Easy enough to do astrologically. But what I found in her chart disturbed me and I wasn’t sure how to properly advise him.

I’d recently been through a grueling two-year transit of Pluto opposite my Moon. Everywhere I had turned, Plutonian people were intruding on my life. They all seemed to be going through intense transitions that involved power plays, manipulation, melt-downs, obsessiveness and even death. Many of those I encountered had strong Pluto placements in their birth charts or were actually experiencing Pluto transits like I was. This was a challenging time and left me feeling at least somewhat betrayed by those closest to me.

I don’t believe that we can totally know someone’s spiritual development or how one will use the energies in the horoscope. But the woman whose chart I now had to analyze was another heavy Plutonian person. I felt sure that she would have ulterior motives and focus on her own agenda to the exclusion of my idealistic client’s needs and those of their relationship, no matter what their astrological compatibility.

I was in a quandary. While I always avoided making judgments on people or telling others what to do, I felt I should advise this man to run the other way – fast! He was likely to be burned. I shared my dilemma with Al, who, as usual, had a succinct response: “Some people like that.”

OMG! A light bulb went off. I was seeing this chart in terms of my own recent experiences and prejudices. I could’ve been accused of being a little Plutonian myself! So I went back to basics: described the tendencies, possibilities and range of experiences the client and his friend were likely to share, along with her own characteristics. I described who she was, but didn’t make a judgment on what I thought the outcome of her energies might be. And the client was very happy with what he learned.

For more on Al H. Morrison, see The Best of Al H. Morrison.

Al’s photo is from a 1968 NY Times Sunday Magazine featuring astrology and astrologers. The photographer said his assignment was to make him look “really weird” and Al felt he succeeded.

New York City: Mars Out of Bounds

New York City commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 1993 World Trade Center bombings on February 26. Mars, the planet we most associate with weapons and violent crime, was accentuated: it was both rising and Out of Bounds in declination at that time. Six people were killed and over 1,000 injured as a rental van exploded in an underground parking garage.

When planets are Out of Bounds, they fall outside the Sun’s path and may present situations above and beyond the norm. Mars goes Out of Bounds in declination about once a year, often for a month or more at a time. This usually happens when it’s in the equinoctial signs of Cancer and Capricorn or their adjoining signs of Gemini and Sagittarius.

Mars was in Cancer and OOB (26 N 26 in declination) for the 1993 bombing. The 9/11/2001 airplane attacks also had Mars OOB (26 S 47), this time placed in the sign of Capricorn. New York City has its natal Mars in late Sagittarius, also OOB at 24 S 03, though not as far from the ecliptic edge of 23 N/S 26.

Another downtown Manhattan terrorist attack, the Wall Street bomb of 9/16/1920 (12:01 PM) also had Mars rising (in Sagittarius this time) but just a day shy of being OOB in declination (about to step outside the ecliptic).

Evangeline Adams talked about late degrees of Cancer being common to fires in New York City in the late 19th century. She noted that the great Windsor Hotel fire of 1899, which killed over 60 people, had Mars at 21 Cancer 22. At the time of the fire, the Moon and Mars were both OOB (at 24 N 11 and 24 N 49 respectively).

These are unusual coincidences, but many things are ruled by an OOB Mars. In the horoscope of New York City, Mars OOB in Sagittarius in the 3rd house may also represent transit, traffic, pedestrians, accidents, languages, education, trade and candid speech. Much more research is needed to establish how often Mars coincides with notable violence and destruction in New York.

The terrorist attack on February 26, 1993 occurred at 12:18 PM according to numerous news stories.

For more on the 1993 and 2001 charts, see Michelle Young’s analysis.

The Twin Towers attacks chart is here.

I also looked at the New York City chart in an earlier post.