Tag Archives: New York City

Mario Cuomo Astrologically

Commentators agree, describing former NYS Governor Mario Cuomo as a “liberal lion.” Is it any surprise to find he had Leo rising with Jupiter in Leo in the first house? The description of his life magnificently accords with his natal horoscope. The following are excerpts from his NY Times obituary, along with their obvious astrological parallels.

Jupiter in Leo rising

“A man of large intellect and often unrestrained personality”
“It was baseball, not politics, that first engaged him”
“a storm of energy and ideas”
“he seemed inexhaustible”
“burst beyond the state’s boundaries”
“electric spirit and rolling cadences… made him so evocative a speaker”
“essentially liberal view of government never wavered”

Jupiter square the Moon in Scorpio in the 4th house:
“I obviously am the original ethnic from Queens.”

“He was a tenacious debater and a spellbinding speaker”
“He had a pointed sense of humor”
“held to more than a few opinions that went against the grain of public opinion”
“Most prominent was his opposition to the death penalty, an unpopular view”
“His parents, penniless and unable to speak English…”

Sun and Mercury in Gemini with Mercury Out of Bounds

“A man of contradictions who enjoyed Socratic arguments with himself”
“displayed a restless intellect and a love of learning”
“majored in Latin American studies, English and Philosophy”
“a lawyer by profession”
“role of mediator”
“indecision or even disingenuousness”

Saturn in Aquarius inconjunct Neptune:
“People asked me what I want as an epitaph. He tried.”

“Always given to self-doubt and second-guessing”
“His ambitions for an activist government were thwarted by recession”
“He may be remembered more for the things he never did than for what he accomplished”
“Served longer than any of his 51 predecessors except Rockefeller and… George Clinton”
“tortuous deliberations over whether to seek the White House”

Mario Cuomo was born on 6/15/32 at approximately 9:30 a.m. in Jamaica, Queens, NY, rated A on Astrodatabank.  I wrote to Cuomo’s office in the 90s, asking for his time of birth. An assistant interested in astrology called me to say that she had spoken with his mother, who stated that he was born at home between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.

 

Mayor deBlasio’s Jupiter Forecast

NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio spoke in sympathy with protestors against racial profiling, resulting in division, anger and mistrust from the police department. The murders of two Brooklyn officers on December 22 further inflamed the situation.

DeBlasio has the Sun in the 7th house of partnerships, in square to a prominent Uranus in his 10th house of reputation. Part of his success (10th house) is due to his singular (Uranus) relationship with his wife, Chirlane McCray (7th house Sun). But this aspect may also signify sudden, unexpected and unusual developments (Uranus) affecting his status (10th) and, in traditional astrology, what are called “open enemies” (7th house).

We can observe developments in deBlasio’s horoscope and forecast the length of his engagement with these issues by identifying when his prominent square pattern is activated.

Transiting Saturn opposed deBlasio’s Sun and squared his Uranus in September and October of 2014 when a forensic expert agreed that neck compressions killed Eric Garner and a Staten Island grand jury began hearing evidence in Garner’s death. These significant events set the stage for what followed.

Jupiter activated the same pattern in October and November. But planets are strongest when at their stationary points, and Jupiter stationed conjunct deBlasio’s Uranus from November through January of 2015. There were swift developments in the City as Jupiter stationed near the top of deBlasio’s chart. Accused officer Pantaleo testified in November. On December 3, the grand Jury chose not to indict him; deBlasio commented about his need to instruct his son in dealings with the police; and thousands began protesting. Officers Liu and Ramos were killed on 12/22/14 and deBlasio met with police leaders on 12/30. Jupiter will again square the Mayor’s Sun in February.

Jupiter through the 10th house can bring things out in the open and helps air diverse viewpoints. And while Jupiter can stir up controversy, it tends to be more preservative than destructive. So I believe that while Mayor deBlasio may continue to attract some controversy, he’ll be able to appease his critics.

Jupiter will repeat the pattern in June and July of 2015, bringing the Mayor another phase of similar issues, with perhaps some unexpected developments that are also in keeping with his natal Sun square Uranus.

Lady Gaga and Saturn

Radio City Music Hall continues selling tickets to Lady Gaga in concert with old-time crooner Tony Bennett. Their album of jazz standards, Cheek to Cheek was released in September of 2014, and quickly rose to #1 on the Billboard charts. This is Gaga’s third consecutive #1 album, and at 88, Bennett maintains his distinction of being the oldest singer with a #1 hit. But aside from their NY Italian-American roots, what are these two doing together? If you consider Saturn, it’s obvious.

Gaga has the Moon at 11 Scorpio 27. She underwent hip surgery as Saturn stationed exactly on her Moon in February of 2013, perhaps forcing her to consider simpler, more basic music for a time. Bennett has Saturn at 19 Scorpio 29 and becomes for her the personification of Saturn – quite literally in the form of an old man (he experienced his third Saturn return this year). His Saturn conjoins her Moon, making long-term collaboration between them a very real possibility. And Gaga’s Saturn also trines Bennett’s Leo Sun within about a degree. If Saturn provides the glue that makes relationships stick, this commitment goes both ways.

And fascinatingly, they both make each other sound better! Lady Gaga is known as more of a Uranian type of performer – it’s often more about theatrics and technology than her vocals. While she actually has a beautiful, strong voice, you almost need to see her at the piano or raised on some contraption over the floor – there’s something missing from her solos. And Tony Bennett used to be able to sing, but that was decades ago. (A PBS broadcast of the duo’s concert showed audiences giving him a standing ovation for a solo – they’re just glad he’s still alive.) However something wonderful happens when they’re together and they seem to compensate for any liabilities in each other’s performances. Such an emphasis on Saturn in their relationship suggests that they’ve worked on it.

As Saturn passes into Sagittarius in 2015-2016, Gaga will experience her first Saturn return. With so much success behind her, it’s hard to remember that she’s still only 28. It’ll be interesting to see what her next act will be.

Lady Gaga was born on March 28, 1986 at 9:53 AM in Manhattan (rated “B” on Astrodatabank; the source is her Twitter page. Tony Bennett was born on August 3, 1926 in Long Island City, NY, with no time available.

I Can’t Breathe

Protesters chanting “I can’t breathe” took to the streets in New York City last night, blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, the West Side Highway and the Lincoln Tunnel. They expressed their anger after a grand jury failed to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, who died of a chokehold on 7/14/14. The “I can’t breathe” cry for help reflects Garner’s repeated words during his fateful arrest. Why has this catch-phrase caught on in New York?

Breathing and respiration are ruled by the mutable signs, especially Gemini, ruler of the lungs, and Sagittarius, which rules exhalation. Eric Garner suffered from asthma. According to medical astrologer Diane Cramer in How to Give an Astrological Health Reading, this may relate to afflictions in Gemini, Saturn in Gemini or Sagittarius, Saturn afflicted in the 3rd house and an angular Moon. The horoscope for New York City (1/1/1898 at 12:01 AM) has these placements.

The City’s Neptune-Pluto conjunction in Gemini in the 9th house along with Saturn, Venus and Mars in Sagittarius in the 3rd house cover these mutable signs. Eric Garner was born on 9/15/70, and has the Sun, Mercury and Pluto all conjunct in Virgo along with Mars in Virgo and a probable Moon in Pisces. By quadruplicity rulership, all of the mutable signs may affect respiration. Garner’s placements also activate the City’s horoscope, creating a grand cross. His Mars in Virgo exactly squares the City’s Saturn, showing his conflict with authority. His natal Pluto also squares the City’s Venus and Mars, bringing up a conflict of wills and inappropriate force.

Why are these issues being expressed right now? Transiting Neptune in Pisces stationed exactly square the City’s Saturn in June of 2014, shortly before Eric Garner’s death. Neptune again stationed in November, when the officer who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri was also released by a grand jury, sparking protests in New York and elsewhere in the country last week.

Transiting Neptune will square NYC’s Saturn throughout 2015. As Mayor DeBlasio stated, this is “not the end of the story, only the end of a chapter.” Astrologically, it seems to me that protests will continue. The Mayor and Police Commissioner Bratton have promised an internal affairs investigation into police actions surrounding the incident. And Daniel Pantaleo also faces Federal civil rights charges. Hopefully the continuing aspects from Neptune will help address “the larger issues” that President Obama sees as necessary.

Lauren Becall and New York

Lauren Becall died on August 12, 2014 at her home in the Dakota Apartments. While best known for her success in Hollywood, she was born in Manhattan. Her Moon in Aries closely conjoined NYC’s Moon, making her a quintessential New Yorker: she resonated with the City and lived here for most of her 89 years.

Becall’s family was Jewish, from Poland, and she grew up in the Bronx, Brooklyn and the Upper West Side. As a teenager, she studied acting and ballet and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan. She modeled and was discovered through a Harper’s Bazaar magazine photograph, going to Hollywood at 18. Her films didn’t always succeed or garner rave reviews but she enjoyed marriage and a family with Humphrey Bogart. She returned to Manhattan in 1958, where she spent the rest of her life.

Becall’s Aries Moon gave her a tough, no-nonsense side, but she could also be charming. In her interviews and autobiographies, she was typically Aries – blunt, honest and direct. She was impatient with the public’s continued interest in her partnership with Bogart decades after his death.

Lauren Becall starred on Broadway beginning in 1959. She won Tony Awards for Applause in 1970 and Woman of the Year in 1981. Her prominent Moon gave her a big splash while young and often attracted media attention, but her more substantial success occurred in her 40s and 50s. Saturn opposed her Aries Moon in the 10th house and squared her Ascendant, and Saturn may delay things.

Becall’s Moon and the angular houses of her horoscope line up with NYC’s angles, showing a significant connection. In relationships, this often signals a prominent influence on one another. NYC’s Ascendant and Jupiter in Libra conjoined her 4th house, providing her with a lovely and expansive home base. Her Moon opposite Saturn fell in NY’s angular 7th and 1st houses. Her first house Venus in Leo fell in the City’s 10th, showing how her attractive appearance initially brought her success in NY. Her natal Pluto in Cancer was behind-the-scenes in her 12th house, but tightly conjoined the City’s Midheaven. So her inner angst and personal struggles were very much aligned with the fabric of NY and the City provided a showcase for her strengths. She never seemed spoiled by success or deterred by misfortune; rather, she often reminded us that life is what you choose to make it.

Lauren Becall was born on 9/16/24 at 2:00 AM according to her 1978 autobiography.

Marijuana in New York

Governor Cuomo signed New York’s medical marijuana bill into law on July 7, 2014 at 1:00 pm in Manhattan. With a wide angular grand cross on the angles of the horoscope for this event, it’s an important major development, despite the fact that New York is the 23rd State to allow medical marijuana and its law one of the most restrictive. Marijuana in NY will be legal only for doctors to use in treating serious illnesses like cancer, epilepsy, AIDS and MS. (Source for the chart data is wibv.com.)

With the Moon in Scorpio conjoining Saturn, the horoscope shows the significant limitations and focus of the law. The question now becomes one of practical implementation. Saturn also forms a tight yod with Venus in Gemini and Uranus in Aries. So the authorities (Saturn) are in effect making exceptions (Uranus) to help people be more comfortable (Venus). A 10-year-old girl with epilepsy, a patient who might be helped by medical marijuana, accompanied the governor as he signed the bill. She was clearly represented by Venus in Gemini.

The transiting Uranus-Pluto square, along with the Sun in Cancer and Mars in Libra, formed a cardinal grand cross conjoining the Ascendant, 4th house, 7th and Midheaven of the horoscope. This extremely dynamic figure also contains Jupiter in Cancer in the 10th which squares Mars. It was easy for the governor’s office to get publicity for this event! The North Node in Libra in the 1st house also becomes part of the wide grand cross pattern. So this development is part of a longer-term trend.

In Brooklyn the next day, D.A. Kenneth Thompson announced that he will no longer prosecute low-level marijuana possession charges, especially for first offenders or users under 17. This has raised some controversy since the other NYC boroughs won’t make similar changes at this time.

Neptune rules intoxicants as well as medicine and compassion. Developments involving use of marijuana in NY may have to do with transiting Neptune nearly exactly squaring NYC’s Saturn in Sagittarius. This aspect will repeat throughout 2015, so there should be more news surrounding these issues in the coming months.

Rangel and Retro

Congressman Charlie Rangel appears to have once again won the primary election for his Harlem seat against Adriano Espaillat. If this seems like a déjà vu, it’s because the contest was run under Mercury retrograde – and the two candidates had already faced each other two years ago with similar results. We’ve gotten a re-run.

Rangel has told reporters and his wife that this is the last time he’ll run. At 84, perhaps he’s winding down. But with his track record as well as Mercury retrograde at the time of his statement, I wonder if he’ll reconsider when his term is up again in two more years.

Despite ethics scandals in recent years and changes in his district that now make for a Hispanic majority, Rangel, first elected in 1971, has won a 23rd term in the House by a small margin. Born on June 11, 1930, Rangel’s Mercury and Mars are in fixed sign Taurus. Once focused on an idea he has tremendous staying power. Since Mars also trines his Saturn in Capricorn he also has the ability to direct much of his energy (Mars) into productively achieving his goals (Saturn).

Earth Day Astrologically

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 and is now an annual event drawing attention to sustainability and the environment. The horoscope for Earth Day features the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Saturn all in the sign of Taurus, perhaps the most grounded of the earth signs. Taurus gives Earth Day its practical agenda and highlights the peace and beauty of the earth.

The chart also contains Pluto in the earth sign of Virgo, which suggests the essentials of growth and conservation as well as clean energy. In addition, the Moon and Jupiter are both in Scorpio, ruling recycling and the regenerative forces of nature.

The horoscope for Earth Day meshes very nicely with New York City’s Sun and Mercury in earth sign Capricorn, as well as the U.S. chart, which has the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in the home-oriented sign of Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn. I don’t expect that the people who originated Earth Day were astrologers, but as so often happens, the appropriate significance of a horoscope cannot be denied! Blue-green beach, clouds

Bill deBlasio’s Inauguration Horoscope

New York City’s new mayor Bill deBlasio took the oath of office at approximately 12:01 AM on January 1, 2014 at his home in Brooklyn. He campaigned on a platform of change, and with a dynamic grand cross in the horoscope for the new administration, there will be major changes in store for the City. DeBlasio is our first new mayor in 12 years and the first Democratic mayor in 20.

Angular planets dominate any horoscope, and with six angular planets in the grand cross, this is a powerful figure. The planets involved – the Sun, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto – are all energized and placed in lively cardinal signs, making for an extraordinarily active and forceful chart.

Jupiter in the tenth house represents the authority figure, deBlasio himself. Since Jupiter is exalted in the sign of Cancer, he’s riding high in popularity and support. Yet he’s besieged on all sides – from influences both inside and outside of the City – so there will be many issues and challenges to address.

Jupiter trines Saturn in Scorpio in the second house, suggesting that stable finances will help keep the new mayor in power. Taxing the wealthy is probably the least controversial thing he’ll do.

Home and family are represented by the 4th house and deBlasio’s priority of affordable housing is indicated by four planets in thrifty Capricorn in the 4th house. Yet the mayor may face opposition from historical preservationists, who are also ruled by Capricorn.

Let’s look at Bill deBlasio’s promise to reform the controversial “stop and frisk” policy. Gemini is on the 9th house of the law and its ruler Mercury conjoins the Sun and Pluto at the bottom of the chart, with all three part of the grand cross. The control (Pluto) of law (Mercury) opposes the mayor (Jupiter in the 10th house). Due to the oppositions and squares in the grand cross, there are strongly differing points of view, so a compromise will have to be reached.

DeBlasio’s tenure as mayor will probably be filled with polarizing elements (4 opposition aspects) and diverse factions squaring off against one another (8 squares), although he is empowered to pursue his agenda. With the epoch-making Uranus-Pluto generational square prominent in the administration’s horoscope, we can certainly expect some surprising and even dramatic events surrounding the new mayor and the City’s progress.

Jupiter in Cancer – the Politics of Emotion

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg uncharacteristically choked up when he addressed the Association for a Better NY on December 5, 2013 for the last time. Is this astro-logical for a man who has the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus all in Aquarius and very little water in his horoscope?

Many of our political leaders allow themselves displays of emotion these days. President Obama almost cried when he talked about his daughters and the Newtown CT shootings, and in thanking his election campaign staff. But he’s an open Leo with Venus in sensitive Cancer. Joe Biden choked up during the Vice Presidential debates when speaking of his first wife and daughter who died in a car crash, though he has Jupiter in Cancer (bigger emotion than the president!). John Boehner frequently gets teary-eyed: when saying a prayer for the victims of the Moore, OK tornado, in considering the awesomeness of the Capitol rotunda on 60 Minutes and upon receiving the Speaker’s gavel. With Venus and Jupiter in Capricorn, this may be more of a political move than a real need to share his feelings with the public; he can’t enjoy doing it. But lest I judge him too quickly I’ll add that he does have Uranus in emotional Cancer (though everyone born within 7 years of him does as well).

As men get older, of course, their hormones change and they’re no longer as macho as they were in their youth. But it seems not only allowable or hip but almost obligatory today for men in politics to display tender feelings.

Bloomberg has been more reserved during his 12 years in office, in keeping with his air and earth planets and private Pluto rising. But transiting Jupiter in Cancer is beginning to conjoin his Ascendant, bringing Jupiter issues and his emotions to the forefront of his consciousness. On Thursday he spoke about what he considers NYC’s values, including religious freedom and immigrant rights, both Jupiter–related issues. He also twice mentioned his unborn grandson. (We almost didn’t know he had a family!) This is a Cancerian concern and the only water in his chart is Cancer rising.

With Jupiter conjoining his Ascendant, it should be something of a release for Bloomberg to leave office and become a private citizen once again.

Michael Bloomberg was born on February 14, 1942 at 3:40 PM according to his birth record on Astrodatabank.