Dad had a Grand Cross

The grand cross is known as a tough pattern, with challenges throughout life. The standard descriptions I’ve heard characterize it as scattering the energies and presenting repeated crises. I’d instead suggest it as a strong motivating force, demanding compromise and bringing notable developments in life from time to time. All of course depends on the planets, their essential dignity and placement in the horoscope.

My dad passed ten years ago and is never far from my mind. He was centered, stable, good-humored and yes, he had a grand cross. Don Christino was born at home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I believe his time of birth is essentially correct. Uranus in Pisces in his 10th house fell in a T-square with his Gemini Ascendant and Jupiter in Sagittarius conjunct the Descendant. All of his positions in life were relatively independent. He had a restlessness about him and was multi-talented: a handyman, driver, gardener, mechanic, bird watcher and personal accountant.

The grand cross in cardinal signs includes the Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra, Mars in Capricorn and Pluto in Cancer. I believe Mars and Pluto work for the 2nd-8th houses. He prioritized job security and benefits, and when he died at the age of 87, his affairs were in perfect order. Don grew up during the Great Depression, worked a paper route as a boy, and made money from football pools at school (which the principal shut down as they were starting to do really well). He loved telling the story of how he earned more than his father one Christmas holiday.

The full Moon squaring Mars and Pluto suggests contention in the home. His father was a Libra who apparently left all household tasks to his wife, creating conflict. Don ended up doing much of the heavier work at a young age, including getting up early to shovel coal in the winter. But he liked the responsibility and doing things for himself and others. His Ascendant ruler Mercury in Pisces is drawn into the grand cross, and gave him charm, compassion and understanding. (A Viet Nam vet told us at his funeral that he’d helped him get over the war. No idea what he did, but it made sense.)

Aquarius on the MC and a prominent Uranus drew him to engineering (often associated with square aspects) and he began a college course. But World War II intervened, a disruption of his life path nicely symbolized by Uranus in the 10th house. With the Sun in Aries and Mars in Capricorn (out-of-bounds in declination), he led a tank unit. Hard Pluto aspects may also point toward a strong survival instinct or the experience of traumatic events like these. After the war he joined the police force in Brooklyn and was a motorcycle cop on the block where I later lived for over 25 years. He subsequently became a credit card detective and finally a Court Officer. He notably guarded mass-murderer Joel Rifkin at his sentencing in 1996 (as Jupiter conjoined his Mars and Uranus into Aquarius sextiled his Sun from the cusp of the 9th house). The video was featured on the evening news and his picture was on the front page of the daily papers.

(The photo of us is probably from the late ’80s.)
I feel the strong essential dignity in my father’s chart helped him overcome the challenges his early life presented. The Sun exalted in Aries and Mercury in its detriment both fall in the fortunate 11th house. He was gregarious and popular, but had no ambition for any great achievements. Venus is dignified in Taurus, Mars exalted in Capricorn and Jupiter angular (conjunct the 7th cusp) in its ruling sign of Sagittarius. As he could be generous to a fault, there similarly always seemed to be someone on hand to help when needed.

He was happiest lifting a glass with friends and family, and was a part-time bartender at his club for much of his life (Gemini rising with Mercury in Pisces). He loved tending to his backyard “farm,” battled squirrels every year, and avidly followed the Three Tenors (Venus in Taurus in the 12th). Straightforward and direct, he believed that serving on a jury was a wonderful experience, yet typically Southern Italian, he trusted few authorities and felt politicians were “all a bunch of thieves.” (Uranus in the 10th square Jupiter in Sagittarius, and traditional MC ruler Saturn in Scorpio). He enjoyed reading Michener, Mark Twain and James Herriot, was a wonderful storyteller himself, and had a deep and hearty laugh (Jupiter trine Neptune).

Does a grand cross signal a frustrated, sad or wasted life? Indeed not. Planetary placement and dignity are often more important to consider than aspects. This horoscope clearly shows why we shouldn’t too quickly judge a prominent pattern without a thorough study of all facets of the chart.

Neptune and Transcendentalism

The Transcendentalist literary and philosophical movement from mid-19th century New England stressed intuition, self-reliance and human godliness. Since the unseen and eternal were valued, Transcendentalists supported metaphysical thinking, which underlies an astrological world view. I believe that Evangeline Adams’ teacher, Dr. J. Heber Smith (1842-1898) and Adams herself were influenced by this movement, which was often allied with Unitarianism and reform.

Expect Great Things, Kevin Dann’s biography of Henry David Thoreau, explores his connections with the transcendent world. Thoreau captured personal insights and ecstatic experiences in his poetry and journals, many of which are shared in this book. He revered the power of nature and learned about Indigenous cultures.

We don’t have a definitive birth time for Thoreau, but his Sun and Mercury closely contraparallel Uranus and Neptune show his insightful and intuitive focus. He wrote, “Every mortal sent into this world has a star in the heavens appointed to guide him. It has sent its beam to him, either through clouds and mists faintly or through a serene heaven.” And he believed that, “in eternity there is indeed something true and sublime.”

Thoreau read widely on classical hermeticism, the daimon, the ether and the immortality of the soul. He was a student of mythology, and while Thoreau was not an astrologer himself, his biographer considers seven-year cycles, Martian energies and the long-term influence of Neptune. Dann places the Transcendentalist movement near the planet’s discovery, word of which came to U.S. shores on October 20, 1846, nearly a month after its announcement (before transcontinental telegraph communications).

Before the name Neptune was settled on, Atlas was preferred for the planet (referencing the Titan obliged to hold up the heavens after their revolt against the Olympian gods). The first use of ether for anesthesia in the U.S. was on October 19 of that year, and it replaced mesmeric anesthesia (without the side effect of clairvoyance!). Dann sees this time as representing a turning point from a spiritual understanding of myth to its study as a purely academic subject, and the subsequent embrace of a mechanistic and materialistic view, when, in Thoreau’s words, “shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths.” The cycle of Neptune in Pisces from 1848-1862 spanned much of Thoreau’s career.

In addition to tracing Thoreau’s life of ideals and later support of John Brown, Dann also looks at Nathaniel Hawthorne and Margaret Fuller’s interest in mesmerism and spiritualism, and Ralph Waldo Emerson and Bronson Alcott’s efforts to convey Transcendental ideas to a wider audience.

A wonderful book for students of U.S. history, philosophy and metaphysical thinking. Kevin Dann has done a tremendous amount of research to capture not only the history, but also the soul and spirit of a man and his times.

Expect Great Things on Amazon.com

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The Light Ages

Since the Enlightenment, the word medieval has had negative connotations, as does the even more derogatory phrase Dark Ages. Seb Falk dispels this negativity with a deep look at the life of John Westwyk, a medieval scholar, monk, astronomer, astrologer and author. Westwyk’s anonymous text sparks our journey into this fascinating period of time in The Light Ages.

Medieval philosophy and religion went hand-in-hand with earthly research, since belief provoked an exploration of the natural world. The planets and cosmos were an awe-inspiring expression of God’s grandeur. Long before the word science existed, this time gave us important investigations into our relationship with the Universe. Vast translation efforts of Islamic, Greek and Hebrew texts resurrected understanding in the west, part of which was our astrological tradition.

Hindu-Arabic numerals were introduced in this period, as were glass lenses and the university system of liberal arts education. Books had great value; studious monks would share their thoughts on manuscript margins and worked hard to transcribe and improve on notable works.

The later Middle Ages gave us mechanical clocks, including one of the most advanced at John Westwyk’s own abbey, a remarkable invention reminiscent of the Greek antikythera mechanism. The medieval history of calculating and calendrics is equally absorbing (quite different from our own) and remnants of them still exist. The astrolabe and similar mechanical instruments were developed in part to aid astrologers’ calculations. The stars were used to time prayers after dark, and the poet Chaucer actually wrote a well-known treatise on the astrolabe. Falk conveys the dedication and care necessary to create astrological tables before the age of printing, as Westwyk did in a remote outpost in northern England.

There’s a nice overview of astrology, unusually accurate for a non-practitioner. Sketches of Ptolemy, Plato, al-Kindi, Mash’allah, Abu Mashar, Regiomontanus and many other familiar names show how Greek and Islamic astronomers eventually paved the way for Copernicus’ heliocentric view.

The Light Ages is a rich feast of history, science and culture. While the non-mechanically or mathematically inclined may find some parts dense or a bit dry, those interested in the history of ideas, medieval astrology, ancient instruments or simply a more holistic world view are sure to find something to surprise and delight them. Seb Falk has gifted us with a top-notch piece of research that brings an oft-dismissed period of time to vibrant life: comfort food for the mind and spirit in a time of uncertainty.

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2022 Election: Chuck Grassley

Senator Chuck Grassley accepted Donald Trump’s endorsement for his his 8th term in the Senate, where he’s the longest serving Republican at 88 years old. A successful politician, his horoscope has assets and liabilities, as most do. In the coming year, though, stressful aspects far outweigh the supportive ones.

As reality-driven Pluto trined his Sun in Virgo at his October 9, 2021 appearance with Trump, the Senator stated, “I was born at night, but not last night…” expressing his understanding of the former president’s popularity in Iowa. As we have no time of birth for Grassley, let’s take him at his word and estimate around 9:40 p.m., the middle of night-time hours. This approximation gives him Gemini rising with Sagittarius on the 7th house cusp, and 7th ruler Jupiter in the 5th conjoining both Mercury and the Sun in Virgo. The fortunate combination is in keeping with his continued popularity, his 67-year marriage, and five children.

Grassley had supported Trump’s policies and lauded his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. But he criticized Trump’s actions following the 2020 election, and called the January 6 violence at the Capitol “an attack on American Democracy itself.” Things change.

While September 2021 polls show Grassley leading against his Democratic opponent, aspects throughout 2022 present challenges. He will experience his third Saturn return in December, as Saturn activates his natal Saturn-Mars square. While it could consolidate his position, it’s also sure to produce some life changes, along with professional frustrations and limitations. Transiting Uranus’ station in January 2022 also begins to turn the natal square to a T-square, introducing unforeseen circumstances over which the Senator will have little control, especially as it exactly opposes natal Mars in May and December 2022.

Another notable pattern in Grassley’s chart is his natal Uranus-Pluto square, characteristic of the early Depression era. Transiting Pluto activated this pattern in 2021, which may indicate shifting sands or unstable footing. Pluto exactly squares Grassley’s Uranus once again in August and November 2022 – significant timing for his re-election.

The Sun conjunct Mercury and Jupiter (with Mercury exalted, closely conjunct and parallel Jupiter) seems to be at the heart of his past success. Transiting Neptune, though, will weaken this pattern and likely undermine his efforts going forward. The Senator survived the coronavirus in November of 2020 as Neptune opposed his Sun-Neptune midpoint. But Neptune will exactly oppose his Sun throughout 2022 and into early 2023, beginning to station again at the time of the election, an aspect that may well reduce his effectiveness.

In addition, Grassley’s progressed Sun will be nearly 24 Sagittarius in November 2022, creating a T-square with his natal Sun and transiting Neptune and adding to Neptune’s disintegrating effects. (Donald Trump had a similar pattern at the time of the 2020 election, with a grand cross of natal Sun, Moon and Uranus with his progressed Moon and transiting Neptune.) However, when transiting Uranus conjoined the Senator’s Mars and squared his Saturn, he was elected to Congress. When transiting Neptune squared his Sun, he was elected to the Senate.

Throughout much of the Senator’s birth night, Saturn in Aquarius was a singleton and the most elevated planet, an indication of his political longevity. Vice President Kamala Harris has a similar placement. Both consistently advanced step-by-step in their careers.

Still, it does not look good for Chuck Grassley in the year ahead. But without a timed chart, we can only speak in relative generalities. His popularity seems to ensure his 2022 re-election, but the long-term, heavy planet transits point toward many developments by that time. He’ll be 89, and may fall prey to health issues, erosion of support, a rapidly changing landscape, or all three. Perhaps he only wants to ensure that Iowans retain a Republican Senate seat. But things will certainly play out differently than he imagines. We’ll have to wait and see.

Post-election update 11/13/22 — Grassley won re-election once again with 56% of the vote, but only after polls in October showed his Democrat rival closing in on him within 3%.  The Senate will continue to be controlled by Democrats.

Dueling Elections

When an electional chart works, events should flow smoothly and allow you to accomplish your goal. Might things turn out differently if we started earlier or later? It’s hard to say, since there’s usually no way to compare. But Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s 19th century race around the world gives us two departure times for the same goal.

Nellie Bly was an early undercover reporter who famously had herself committed to a mental institution in 1887 and shared her experiences in the sensational New York World. She subsequently exposed sweatshops, jails and lobbying practices. Later, 25-year-old Bly convinced the editors to support her attempt to beat Jules Verne’s fictional record from Around the World in 80 Days. Her ship departed for Europe from Hoboken, New Jersey on November 14, 1889 at exactly 9:40:30 a.m.

Capitalizing on the publicity, Cosmopolitan magazine sent its own writer, Elizabeth Bisland, on the same journey in the opposite direction. Bisland was a freelancer from the south who only had six hours to prepare. Her train left Grand Central Station at 6:00 p.m. the same day for the west coast. How do the event charts compare?

Nellie Bly left in the morning. Jupiter rises, and all the rest but Neptune and Pluto are above the horizon. The Sagittarius Ascendant signifies a long trip, though Jupiter in Capricorn is not at its best (the reporter did pack light, bringing only one carry-on bag). But Venus in Libra in the 10th house of success is a final dispositor of the chart (all planets by traditional rulership lead to it), and its conjunction with Uranus shows the attention-grabbing nature of the event.

While the horoscope isn’t high in essential dignity, rulerships strengthen some key planets. Jupiter in its detriment in Capricorn squares Mars in the 9th house but also exalts it. The combination perfectly describes the pioneering journey and highlights initiative and speed. Mercury in Scorpio in the 10th sextiles Jupiter, and it’s also exalted by Saturn in the 8th house, which trines Jupiter, symbolism for both movement and follow-through (as well as the support of a major publication). Saturn also exalts Mars.

Bisland’s trip of course has the same dignities. But she left after sundown, when most planets were below the horizon, and the Ascendant ruler Mercury fell in the weaker 6th house. (Its sextile to Jupiter conjunct the 8th house may confirm the fact that Cosmopolitan’s editors bribed some carriers to facilitate the trip.) The Midheaven ruler, Saturn, showing the final outcome, is below the earth in the 4th. And while electrifying Uranus now forms a nice grand trine with the Ascendant and MC, dignified Venus is in a relatively weaker position near the 6th house cusp.

As we’d imagine, Nellie Bly completed the trip in about 72 days and 6 hours, receiving great acclaim. Elizabeth Bisland returned to New York 4½ days later. But if the departure times were switched, would it have worked out differently? Event and election charts are not stand-alones, and the natal charts always tell part of the story.

The journey was Bly’s idea proposed a year earlier, and with Jupiter in Scorpio, her Sun conjunct Pluto and Moon all in Taurus, she was determined and had overcome an impoverished background. Transiting Jupiter approached a trine to her Taurus planets at her departure, and transiting Uranus trined its natal place.

28-year-old Aquarius Bisland was also independent and self-supporting. Transiting Jupiter trined her natal Saturn, and she neared her Saturn return, both heavier influences. The trip also reflected her natal Saturn square Uranus, bringing a sudden development to her life. Like Bly, she was probably well paid for her efforts.

I’m not sure an astrologer would have elected either of these charts, though both travelers returned safely. If we wait for the ideal time to act, we could be waiting a long, long time.

Nellie Bly was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochrans Mills, PA. Elizabeth Bisland was born on February 11, 1861 near Fairfax, Louisiana. No times of birth are available.

Data and information is from Matthew Goodman’s Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World.

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An Astrological Life

My mom, Renée Randolph, was my first astrology teacher. She began studying astrology in the late ‘60s and was immersed in the New Age movement as many metaphysical topics became more easily accessible.

Renée was born in upstate New York and came to the City on her own. With four planets in the 9th house, she worked as a bilingual secretary and later married and raised a family on Long Island. (The photo shows her in Bryant Park when she first came to New York City in 1951.)

By 1968, she had become somewhat restless and bored, and eagerly accompanied a friend to a local Edgar Cayce “Search for God” study group run by Burt Davis, the brother of the famous psychic’s stenographer. She was delighted to meet so many like-minded people for the first time in her life. As Uranus through her 11th house exactly sextiled her 9th house Sun, and Neptune in the Scorpio closely trined it, she felt her world had opened up.

A few friends from the group became interested in astrology and Renée joined them. They were mothers with young children who found it hard to get away to the City, the only place an astrology teacher could be found. So they devised a plan: one would attend the weekly classes, take copious notes, and later meet with the others to share the lesson. The friends were fortunate to study with Zoltan Mason, who focused on Jean Baptiste Morin’s 17th century technique of astrosynthesis.

Although her chart held a challenging pattern with the notable 1931 Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-square, Renée’s Sun conjunct Jupiter in the 9th house brightened her life and gave her lucky breaks on many occasions. Her early life had been difficult, but she was a true believer in the transcendent world, and astrology only strengthened her convictions. She was strong minded and pragmatic, with an ironic sense of humor.

Renée was a prodigious reader, who collected many popular astrology books and regularly picked up copies of American Astrology and Dell Horoscope. She read about the afterlife, reincarnation, dreams, ESP and psychic phenomenon, learned meditation, practiced yoga and had some amazing personal experiences with regressions.

While I was initially a skeptic, it wasn’t too long before I became interested in astrology too. I had access to an entire library of books and learned mainly by studying charts and talking about them. Whenever we met someone interesting, we’d get their time or at least their birth date. We’d see what was happening during major life events and speculate on the rising signs of our favorite TV and movie stars.

Renée found it easy to begin doing readings professionally as there was great awareness and interest in the 1970s, though not that many who practiced in our area. She often advised people to wait for stressful aspects to pass before making major decisions.

Renée Randolph wrote a Sun sign column for a Westchester entertainment magazine called 911 for a time, and co-wrote Star Success: An Astrological Guide to Your Career with me in 1991. She also helped me with quite a bit of research for my other Sun sign book, Your Wedding Astrologer.

With Jupiter in Leo, Renée was attracted to celebrities and had a few prominent clients. One was Peter Savage, who co-wrote boxer Jake LaMotta’s memoir, Raging Bull, on which the Oscar-winning de Niro/Scorsese film was based. (Upon being introduced to the bull himself, she jauntily quipped, “Hiya Rocky!” to which he sulkily replied, “I’m Jake.”) She read Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.’s chart and developed an acquaintanceship with the old-time film star in the 1980s. And she coerced talk show host Dick Cavett to get his birth certificate and time after I worked with him in summer stock one year. (The photo shows Renée backstage with Fairbanks in 1978.)

Renée Randolph lived a long and full life and passed peacefully in her sleep in April of 2020 at nearly 89 years old. When she discovered astrology, she felt she had truly found her niche. It enriched her own life and also uplifted and inspired the many who she connected with for decades.

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Mountain Astrologer Review

I was delighted to read Mary Plumb’s review of my new book Tecumseh’s Curse on The Mountain Astrologer blog:

“Christino’s book is a nuanced and wide-ranging weaving of this history… an exceptional work from a seasoned astrologer who weaves techniques and historical details into an engaging, evocative and substantive book. Highly recommended.”

Read the full review here.

Read the book’s introduction and more reviews here.

Looking Forward

The uncertainties of life often lead to a greater interest in predicting the future. Jamie L. Pietruska’s book Looking Forward (2017) documents and analyzes futurism in the late 19th to early 20th centuries and looks at how forecasting crept into daily life. Pietruska considers the development of weather, market and economic forecasts (all of which had skeptics and detractors) and there’s also a well-researched section on fortune telling.

“Fortune tellers” include astrologers, card readers, palmists, mediums and psychics, who’ve been criticized and prosecuted in the U.S. since before the Civil War. Always popular (and perhaps because of it), they were denounced by scientists, the religious and mainstream society, and sometimes linked with crimes like counterfeiting, prostitution and even abortion (the presumption was that practitioners were usually scamsters and con artists). In the late 1800s, district attorneys and police began campaigns to prosecute fortune tellers in their cities; their stories were covered in dramatic fashion in daily newspapers (where the practitioners often advertised).

As early as 1895, well before astrologer Evangeline Adams’ first arrest in New York City in 1914, a fortune teller used the legal argument that she only read palms and did not “pretend to tell fortunes” (the legal jargon of the time). And in 1897, a Brooklyn jury agreed with the defense that palmistry was a recognized science, and acquitted the reader in two minutes. By the early part of the 20th century, these cases were often decided on character and intent, as the judge did with Miss Adams in 1914.

Pietruska seems as much an anthropologist as a historian; she documents the acceptance of antiquated laws and how society changed. This is a carefully researched work, and my book, Foreseeing the Future: Evangeline Adams and Astrology in America was quoted several times. It’s rewarding to see the same type of scholarly citations used for the other subjects. Astrology has a compelling history, and it’s refreshing to see it simply addressed as history, without the common “we know better” critiques.

There’s also a fascinating section on Adena Minott, a Jamaican-American businesswoman and activist who opened a “character reading” school in New York City that included phrenology, physiognomy, psychology and palmistry. The author shows that Minott’s story “reveals how antidivination law was used to enforce segregation in early twentieth-century cities as well as how the professional authority of a black educational institution challenged racial discrimination.” (Minott prevailed.)

The epilogue includes a look at the 2016 Trump election, when many mainstream and metaphysical forecasters miscalculated. People continue to crave predictability, despite the fact that all forecasts retain some degree of uncertainty. Like many astrologers, I favor knowing as much as we can.

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A Simple Horary

When I first became interested in horary astrology, I’d try to get an overall impression of the chart.  What was strong?  What was weak?  What was notable?  General considerations like these can often hint at an answer.  When I do horaries these days, I still start there.  You can’t ignore the rules, but I find I often don’t need a highly detailed, rigorous analysis to get the correct answer, particularly with simple questions. 

On Tuesday, August 18, 2020, when much was closed due to the coronavirus, I changed into sneakers to run to the grocery store, leaving my slippers on the bedroom floor.  When I returned, only one slipper was there.  I searched the room, under dressers and near my other shoes.  Nothing.  It was puzzling; a slipper doesn’t just disappear.  When it didn’t turn up, I ordered a new pair the next day.  But it nagged at me – what had become of the slipper?  I finally did a horary at 9:52 a.m. on August 20. 

With all the personal planets above the horizon, the general tenor of the chart looked promising with the Moon given nice trines all around.  And there’s a lot of essential dignity, with the Sun in Leo, Mercury in Virgo, Mars in Aries and Saturn in Capricorn, all in the signs they rule, making them more helpful.  Definitely more of a “Yes” than a “No” chart. 

The Ascendant ruler, representing me, is Venus in Cancer conjunct the MC, which also seemed good:  a benefic in the house often associated with success.  Venus squares the Ascendant and opposes Jupiter in Capricorn, so I was at cross-purposes with myself, clinging to a comfortable old item that remained out of reach. 

The Moon is the querent’s co-ruler, and in Virgo in the 12th house also nicely describes my bewilderment over the small, functional, missing item.  The Moon had trined Uranus in the 8th house in the past, showing a sudden event that remained obscure.  It would soon oppose Neptune, suggesting that the mystery will remain, at least for a while.  But the Moon’s double-approaching trines to retrograde Jupiter, Pluto and finally Saturn in the 4th house were hopeful signs that the slipper should be home where I expected it.  Certainly there would be an end to the suspense! 

The Moon is ruled by the dignified Mercury, which is good, but combust the Sun – not so good.  On the plus side, I felt that Mercury in Virgo was a terrific significator for my lightweight little slipper, with the Sun overshadowing it somehow.  I tried to think what the Sun represented in the room and immediately thought of the floor lamp in the corner, not far from where I’d left the slippers.  I searched closer to the lamp area, though again turned up nothing.  It was so clear in the horary!  I sat there for a while thinking.  It couldn’t be the ceiling light or the lamp on the night-table, nowhere near where I’d put on my sneakers. 

What else in the room was like the Sun?  It finally hit me:  the radiator right next to the floor lamp – not light, but heat!  The radiator cover is about an inch off the floor in some places.  I slid my hand under it and found the missing slipper.  It seemed amazing that it could’ve slid under such a narrow opening, but I must have kicked it across the floor as I left the room.  Mystery solved. 

The new slippers were delivered a few days later.  If Scorpio on the 2nd is my purchase, and Mars in Aries the new item, its square to Saturn shows my rush to order a replacement as well as my overcompensation.  Not the worst outcome from a Mars square Saturn!

Astro-Genealogy

My great-grandmother died in the 1918 pandemic, well before my father was even born.  We only have a few records of her life, though her original birth certificate actually has a time, so astrology can tell us more.

Mariantonia de Stasio was born in Montecalvo Irpino in Avellino, Italy in 1870.  The country was unified in 1861, but the south had a high tax burden, limited medical care, transportation problems and land shortages.  About a third of the town’s residents left for the U.S. between 1892 and 1924.

I’m not sure of the accuracy of the 11:00 a.m. birth time on Maria’s birth record.  But it gives her Leo rising, which seems appropriate, as her photo shows that she had good taste and presented a polished appearance.  She wore a beautiful lace collar and earrings, and her hair is perfectly swept up.

Maria’s Sun in Taurus conjunct Pluto, as well as her Moon-Venus-Saturn T-square, suggest some trauma and limitations in her life.  Her father died before she married at the age of 20.  Her husband, my great-grandfather Donato, travelled to New York City in 1895, and their second daughter died in Italy only a few months after he left.  But with Jupiter trine her Moon and conjunct her Sun, emigrating to the U.S. was probably a good choice for Maria.

Maria and Donato had six more children in New York, one of whom died in infancy.  Census records show that they lived in tenement apartments in Manhattan’s Little Italy on Mott Street and Hester Street.  By 1915 they had moved to Bridge Street in Brooklyn’s Vinegar Hill, on the other side of the Manhattan Bridge. 

Maria’s mutable Moon in Virgo square Saturn in Sagittarius could also indicate their less than ideal housing situations.  She had been trained as a tailor and must have been skilled, with a strong work ethic.  Her oldest daughter Rose was working as a coat finisher when she was only 13.  Like many women of the time, they probably sewed piecework in their home. 

The Moon rules Maria’s 12th house relating to the immune system, and Saturn rules her 6th of illness.  Saturn is then placed in her 5th of children.  It seems like her many responsibilities may have weakened her health.  She might have also suffered from anxiety or even depression. 

The flu pandemic hit NY in the spring of 1918, and became much worse that fall.  With transiting Jupiter and Pluto in Cancer and Saturn in Leo, both youthful signs, it was more dangerous to children (as opposed to the 2020 pandemic with Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn affecting seniors more strongly). 

Maria’s Sun helpfully conjoins Jupiter, but Jupiter in its detriment in Gemini makes it less benefic.  Mercury is dignified in Gemini and disposes the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, so she probably overcome her limitations with common sense and the help of friends (since Mercury conjoins the 11th house).  But mutable signs can affect the lungs:  Saturn in Sagittarius might constrict her breathing, while Jupiter in Gemini presents potential lung congestion.  She contracted the flu and died of pneumonia less than two weeks later, on October 24, 1918.  Transiting Saturn conjoined her Ascendant, lowering her vitality, while transiting Uranus in the 7th opposed it.  The doctor visited but was unable to help her; she was only 48 years old.

At the same time, Maria’s progressed Midheaven at 25+ Gemini opposed natal Saturn, and her progressed Ascendant at 26 Virgo conjoined her Moon, both activating the natal Moon-Saturn square.  (It seems that her 11:00 birth time may not be that far off.)   

We often find close connections with the horoscopes of family members.  I never met my great-grandmother and we have only one photo to tell us what she looked like.  But her Pluto is only a few minutes from my Moon and the connection is both genetic and after her death!  

 

I wrote more about the 1918 pandemic in New York City here.

Medical astrology information in this post is from Diane Cramer’s book, Managing Your Health and Wellness. 

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