The astrology of Marquis de Sade

The chart of the author of 'Fifty shades' is as unknown as her date of birth. Now that '50 shades of Grey' is such a success, maybe it is a good time to have a look a the chart of Marquis De Sade, the man who gave his name to sadism. He didn't only write about sadism… he practised it.
What is in his chart?

CHART
Astro.com provides the AA-rated natal chart and an autobiography: http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Sade,_Marquis_de
Here is more about the chart. There are a number of keys to his lifestyle. This chart has progressions (the green positions) and transits (the red ones) for his wedding day.

DOMINANCE: PLUTO
The Astro ID is like the 'special marks' in a passport. For this I look at the planets without major aspects, the planets on the angles or square AC and the planet rising before the Sun. Here we see:

Pluto on the Scorpio Ascendant
Mars rising before the Sun, square Venus-Saturn

Pluto is most prominent (angular). This placement mirrors the importance of cases of life and death, values, power and …sexuality. There is another reason for the importance of Pluto.
There is also a Golden Yod (quintiles/biquintiles) of Sun, Pluto and Midheaven, pointing at Pluto (dominance), creatively (quintiles). In the days of Marquis de Sade, Pluto was still unknown...

Second best is Mars: he is a do-er, an activist, aggressive maybe…but first of all: a man. The importance of Mars + Pluto is the importance of acts of violence and the drive to win (to be dominating).

Mars and Pluto are both in aspect with Midheaven (position, career). You might say that his intense (PLUTO) male hormones (MARS) were related to his reputation.

CHARACTER
The Gemini Sun and Virgo Moon with Scorpio Ascendant show us an intellectual person with a rather courageous or brutal way of 'doing it'. Writing pornographic sadistic stories seems to be in line with communicating (Mercury ruled Gemini and Virgo) about sex (Scorpio).

PASSION+DISCIPLINE+PAIN
Venus square Mars for passion and Saturn for the restrictions, the fear and control. With Venus-Saturn we see a marriage of convenience and broken hearts. Mars square Saturn challenges discipline. But another way to read this is: controlled (Saturn) passion (Venus). Sadism is about being in control + sex.

The tightest aspect in the chart is Moon trine Uranus, expressing the need for excitement and 'new' experiences.

I already mentioned the Golden Yod of Sun-Pluto and Midheaven. I also like to mention Sun/Moon conjunct Venus: being motivated by women, pleasure, style, beauty...

MARRIAGE AND NEPTUNE
I included the progessions for his wedding day for a reason...
When he married (May 17, 1763) there was a very illustrative aspect in his progressed chart. Progressed Sun in the 8th house (sex) was conjunct Neptune, ruler 5  (games) in the 8th house (sex). That is when it all started.

END
It ended after years in an institution for the mentally ill. It might have been a political choice, but it is also true that his stories were a lot more explicit and sadistic than the soft pornographic affair in '50 shades of Grey'...

LINKS
http://www.astromarkt.net/venus-midpoints-aspects.html
http://www.astromarkt.net/mars-pluto.html
http://www.astromarkt.net/venus-in-aspect-with-saturn.html

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