Saturday, July 9, 2011

Chart, progressions and transits of Betty Ford


Betty Ford died. She was the wife of Gerald Ford, who died in 2006. She died with Progressed Midheaven conjunct Mars, ruler 8th house of life and death and with transit Neptune quindecile (165d) that same Mars. There is also a Jupiter inconjunct Ascendant from the 8th house in her progressed chart. Betty Ford died at age 93. I think that Jupiter/Uranus opposition her Sun was one of the combinations in her chart that contributed to the length of her life.


THE WIFE OF...
Her natal chart shows the importance of the marriage partner, family life and ' the party': Juno is conjunct her Sun and the Moon is important, too (angular and the first large object rising before the Sun). With her Ascendant in Virgo and knowing about her Juno and Moon, you would expect her to humbly serve the family and husband, but...there is Sun inconjunct Ascendant.

Betty Ford is a good example of someone with the Sun without major aspects, a ' calling'  Sun. With such a sun in your chart you are likely to draw attention, somehow, anyhow. She married a President to be...and became the First Lady. Her Sun and Juno are in tight aspect with Midheaven (it was her job to be the 'wife of...'). In that job she had more impact on the American society than her husband had. She also fought for women's rights (see Mars - symbol of the activist - on the Ascendant opposition Moon). And later, when her husband lost the elections, she took over. BTW, it was her second marriage (ruler 1 Mercury is square ruler 7 Neptune and Juno - conjunct Sun- is inconjunct Mars). 

Continue for the story of her life related to progressions and transits.


DEATH OF FATHER
Her father was an alcoholic and died when she was 16 and the Progressed Sun was square Neptune, with Progressed Midheaven and Ascendant in hard aspect with Chiron. Transit Jupiter (ruler 4th house) was inconjunct Descendant, opposition Sun. And we see transit Pholus trine Mercury, conjunct Ceres and inconjunct Saturn (a turning point with a definite loss in the family and for herself).

MARRIAGE

When she married on October 15, 1948 it was a sort of a belated marriage. Gerald Ford feared the public's reaction during election time, because he married a divorced woman. We can see that in the chart of the day of marriage. Transit Saturn inconjunct progresed Venus and Transit Uranus sextile progressed Mercury, with transit Neptune square progressed Midheaven are not the kind of happy transits and progressions that could be expected on a wedding day. But, Neptune happens to be the ruler of the 7th house of marriage, too.

FIRST LADY (CANCER AND THERAPIES)
You would expect the chart to show significant signs of change when her husband became President and she became First Lady on August 9, 1974. There are, however, very few of those, at first sight. But, in the progressed chart Midheaven is in the 9th degree of Leo and Pholus in the 9th degree of Sagittarius: that is the sign of turning point. Progressed Midheaven is also sextile the Progressed Vertex. Sun and Uranus make a 105 degree minor aspect: life is changing.  And there is Moon trine Saturn. My experience is that Moon-Saturn progressions often point at an experience with the rules or law (and not necessarily in your disadvantage). Such an aspect contributes to a regular schedule, too. 

However, there is a sign on the wall in this progressed chart: Saturn and Neptune are on either side of the Midheaven. Saturn-Neptune is reflecting serious weakness, a combination of stepping back and getting weaker: illness. In those years 
Betty Ford survived breast cancer. She had a radical treatment and two years of chemotherapy. Then she was confronted with her alcohol addiction and fought that, too. All that happened between 1974 and 1978.



Here is the progressed chart at inauguration time.

GERALD FORD
Her husband died on December 26, 2006. That was when her progressed AC/MC midpoint was opposition her natal Sun (an important moment). Also transit Uranus is only 26 minutes away from the progressed Midheaven (shock, sudden change) and transit Pholus inconjunct Pluto in the 8th progressed house tells us that there is a loss. 


This story about the importance of Betty Ford's position as a First Lady wouldn't be complete without the chart of her late husband, Gerald Ford and the synastry between them. It is interesting to see that they didn't match much. 

Her Sun is in Aries, his in Cancer. Her Moon is in Pisces, his in Sagittarius. Her Mercury is in Taurus, his in Leo. Her Venus is in Pisces, his in Gemini. 
Their Mars are in corresponding earth signs. And their Ascendant's match (his Taurus, hers Virgo). But that is really all. 
Still they had a long lasting marriage till death parted them. What kept them together? 
Her Pluto inconjunct his Moon must have been difficult to deal with*). 



Gerald Ford didn't have indications for divorce in his chart*) while Betty Ford had one (but already divorced). Gerald Ford also had Pluto rising before the Sun and Pluto rules the seventh house of his chart. Perhaps, in spite of his position and career in politics, relationships came first...


synastry
The answer to the question might be the composite chart, with Juno -symbol of marriage- conjunct the joined Midheaven = life goal:
Composite chart



LINKS

*) See the blog about indications for divorce here..


About the death of the world's oldest man




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