Chart of Henri Charrière (Papillon), transits and progressions

Henri Charrière, Papillon, was a wrongly convicted little criminal who ended his life as a successful author, starting with Progressed Sun quindecile Jupiter (strong focus on success) and transit Pholus conjunct his progressed Ascendant (turning point in situation).

His life started on November 16,1906, with Venus and Mercury conjunct Ascendant to illustrate his writer’s talent. As Mercury and Venus both were Out of Bounds, this angular position was even more special (and not in the regular and common way). Somehow he had a communication talent and this was bound to pop up someday. 

Usually, as you can see on my blog Art&Astrology, there is a pattern of artistic talents in the charts of artists, actors and/or authors, but in this case it was a (more or less auto-)biography. Papillon tells us what happened and he does it in a way that still moves people. There was a movie in 1973, based on the book.

Mars on Midheaven led him to the army, but he managed to escape that fate by deliberately crushing his thumb. There is a tight conjunction of Sun and Moon in the 24^th degree of Scorpio*), inconjunct Pluto ruler 12, on November 16, 1906. The fact that his life was rather difficult (and that is an understatement) seems to be reflected by the chart, too.

When he was arrested for a murder that he didn’t commit, it was April 7, 1930, with the progressed Sun at 16.8 Sagittarius and transit Pluto at 17.45 Cancer.  As his Ascendant is 17.6 Sagittarius, transit Pluto was inconjunct both his Sun and Ascendant. I always point at the strength of aspect combinations in the natal chart, being repeated by transits or progression. That is of course especially so, when there is a natal inconjunct between Sun and Pluto and transit Pluto is inconjunct Sun later. It is as if it was the perfect moment to see his lifestyle destructed by the authorities. Sun inconjunct Pluto certainly doesn't make life easy. But managed to escape numerous times and eventually in 1944 he escaped to Latina America (Venezuela) where he arrived in 1945. I guess that his prominent Mars square Jupiter (ruler first house) helped him to achieve this.

Henri Charrière, just like Susan Boyle, had Pholus conjunct Midheaven when he was born. This is a perfect statement for a major turning point in life. First it seemed that he would serve the rest of his life in prison and later in life he became wealthy and famous. 

Here is the chart with transits and progressions of the day that his book was published for the first time.

*) The Sabian Symbol of this degree speaks of ‘Crowds coming down the mountain to listen’.

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