Chart of Carl Williams...

Thanks to the VAA for the birth details for Carl Williams... a well known figure in the Melbourne underworld!  Although there was a rectified birth time supplied, I prefer to use a noon time, with a solar chart setup - as shown to the left.

 The Mercury/Uranus conjunction in the first house is also quite powerful in that it suggests that Carl Williams had a very quick mind and wit, and that mentally he was a bit on the overactive side.  Being in the sign of Libra, it was important to balance this tendency.  The Libran influence, it seems, was lived out in his domestic sphere where he was known to be loving, indulgent and supportive of his family, including his two step-children.  His Piscean Moon would have also contributed to these traits.

Another theme that pops up for me is the Mars/Pluto conjunction in the solar 12th house... Mars and Pluto together shows a great sense of power and self control, particularly in the meticulous sign of Virgo.  This combination can also be expressed in a ruthless way - in the 12th house it suggests that use of the energies available in a sneaky or hidden way.   The Moon also opposes this conjunction -adding more emphasis to it.

If I had to guess a Rising Sign for this person I would think that Cancer would be it, or the Moon would be making a strong contact to the Ascendant... you just have to look at his moon-shaped face to see this!

There is a lot more to look at in this chart, however, limited time as usual!  Although I don't have time to look at in detail - I do welcome your thoughts.

Chart for Nostrodamus...

At our last Astrology Discussion Groups we looked at the chart for this well known figure - you can see it to your left.

The first thing I noticed was that a lot of the planets were angular, giving them a lot of power to be expressed in ways that everyone can see.  In this case the Sun is especially important because it is conjunct the MC.

The ruler of the chart, Mars (ruler of the Ascendant), is angular and conjunct Saturn and Jupiter... what a combination!  He must have felt as though he was always moving through life with both his brakes AND accelerator on at the same time.  This stellium also trines the Scorpio Moon in the 8th house.  The strong 4th house emphasis and the Scorpio Moon in the 8th all suggest a deep sensitivity and connection with the emotional undercurrents around him and his interest in the occult (secret knowledge).  Obviously, Neptune opposing his Mars helps with promoting this sensitivity!

Obviously there is a lot more to a chart than mentioned here, but it does give you some food for thought.  I would love to hear what you think or pick up in the chart of Nostradamus.

Aleister Crowley...

at one of our previous Astrology Discussion groups run, our mystery chart was Aleister Crowley.  The birth chart can be seen at the left - if you want to see it more clearly just click on it.

According to Wikipedia Crowley:

Crowley... was an influential English occultist and ceremonial magician....

Crowley was also a hedonist, bisexual, recreational drug experimenter and social critic. In may of these roles he was in revolt against the moral and religious values of his time.

Looking at the birth chart you can see that Crowley has Uranus very late in the 1st house on the cusp of the 2nd house - this would suggest is 'revolt against the moral... values of his times'.  Uranus is about being 'shocking' and being on the 1st/2nd house cusp would suggest an unconventional character who has 'shocking' values.  To support this you can see that Mercury squares this Uranus so he is likely to communicate his unique viewpoints to others in a way that isn't exactly diplomatic (even with his Sun/Venus conjunction!).

The Saturn opposing this Uranus also suggests the need to break down the established ways of doing things and the conflict he had with the values of others (7th/8th houses).

Crowley's hedonist ways, I feel, are suggested by the ruler of the chart (Leo Rising = Sun) approaching a conjunction to Venus, the planet of pleasure and good times - anything taken too far can be a bad thing!

Obviously there is a lot more to look at and many ways to interpret the symbolism within a birth chart... these are just some starting thoughts.

Charles Manson - Charismatic Cult Leader & Mass Murderer

Goodness me!  Where to start?

The first thing I notice about this chart is all the angular activity... suggesting that this person will have a personality and life that is open for inspection!

The Moon in the 10th can indicate a person who is very good at swaying the emotions of other people, while the Mercury/Jupiter conjunction (part of the Scorpio stellium in the 7th) gives the gift of the gab: combined with the Mars/Neptune conjunction late in the 5th or early in the 6th (depends on which house system you use) suggesting attention to detail (Virgo), but also having a persuasive ego.  Both Mars and Neptune rule the 12th... so it's like having a double whammy effort of having the unconscious being expressing through 'love' (5th House), or his idea of 'service/duty' (6th House)... or perhaps just part of his everyday routine!

Maybe being a cult leader or murderer was seen as his daily 'job'?  As you can see this final aspect has its only expression through the trine to the MC.

Saturn squares the Sun/Venus conjunction: I remember reading somewhere that this can sometimes give the character a cruel streak... I think in this case that this holds true.

I'll have a look at his 'flock' in the next blog.

Jupiter Conjunct Neptune....

exact on May 28 in Kilmore at 26 degrees and 29 minutes of Aquarius... exact again on July 10 and will be within a 1 degree orb until the end of July.

Wow, what a combination... both planets are know for having trouble with boundaries and are also both associated with 'God' and spirituality. Also thrown into this combination is Chiron, the wounded healer - but I will focus only on the Jupiter/Neptune energies here.

This energy combination will be around until the end of July so it is important during this time to try to keep a rein on something or someone that will be difficult to contain... it may be a grand plan of some type, or a spiritual purpose that gets out of hand, alternatively everyday dealings may be easily distorte and/or not viewed clearly.

On a brighter note this energy can mean that we are all more open to spiritual energies and to experiencing life at a different level.

Look to where this conjunction is happening and which houses are involved (which houses Jupiter and Neptune rule).

The Astrology of Barbie...

This should be interesting... and is! Have a look at this article about the birth chart of barbie from BeliefNet. Here are a couple of the lead paragraphs for you to have a look at:

No doll has been as well-loved or as despised as the Barbie doll. Created by Ruth Handler in the 1950s, she was first introduced to the world at the International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959 which is considered Barbie's official birthday.

I was unable to find the time of day that Barbie was first introduced, but assuming that she was introduced sometime between 10 am and 3 pm her birthchart shows a tight conjunction between the Sun and the Moon, both in Pisces. Pisces is the sign of the dreamer, the mystic, and the creative imagination and there is no doubt that Barbie captured the imagination of many a young girl in the 1960s, including me.