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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The Flexible Astrologer (or JK Rowling’s chart)

I have 3 planets in mutable signs: Sun, Venus, Jupiter. And: Ascendant and Midheaven, too. That makes me rather flexible.

 I’ve had problems with the method of boiling an egg when I was sharing an appartment with a co-student. The first day I boiled the water first and let the egg down in the water. When asked, I said that this was my way. The second day, I boiled the egg starting with cold water and when asked, I said: my way is the flexible way. I like this one today. You can imagine the face of the co-student? Why would I have to boil an egg the same way every day if it could be done both ways? So, can you imagine that it  was hard for me to find ‘my way’ in astrology and not make changes on the way and find ‘bypasses’. Well, just as eggs can be boiled using different methods, so can a chart be read using different methods and still produce an eatable product. Nevertheless, as it takes water and an egg and heat to get an eatable boiled egg it takes some basics to get a chart reading that is in line with expectations.

Because of the fact that a chart needs to be seen in the light of social/economic status, gender, genes and culture, there is a lot of flexibility already. 

I had a question this week about the planet of orientation (the planet that rises before the Sun) and the question if Mercury and Venus (inner planets) were to be skipped always. Well, when they are important: not. But if they are not: skip them. But include them in your reading in another way! When Mercury rises before your Sun you have an orientation on communications and perhaps you even have oratory skills, but…it very much depends on your status and other qualities if you’ll ever become a star singer, a famous author or a speech writer. You might have to use your communicative abilities in a shop, selling your merchandise. Or you use your voice on the market. It all depends on the world outside and who you know and where you are. Only if your orientational Mercury is on the Ascendant or MC or ‘calling’ (not making major aspects), then you may find one way or another to USE your capability to communicate in a professional manner, as an author, perhaps. Even then you may not find a public or an editor, because you are not in the situation. In those case it depends on other skills like will power, for example, or persistence. And if you are a woman, it helps to look good.

So, it takes a flexible mind to read a chart. Say that you met J.K. Rowling before 1997. Here is her chart for 3:50 pm (why that hour?? I'll explain later) with transits and progressions for the day of release of Harry Potter number one.

Click and open in new window for better view

You’d see Jupiter rising before the Sun. You’d see Sun, Mercury and Venus all three ‘calling’!  This girl has a positive attitude, wants to succeed and travel. She will draw attention, communicate and find a way to make the world a nicer place somehow, anyhow. So will all those born on her day of birth. But only Joanne managed to become one of the richest authors in the world today.

If you hadn’t know that, you could have pointed at ‘abroad, travel, international’ orientations. In fact, her first marriage was with a Portugese man and for a period of time she lived in Portugal! There you’re right. She FIRST became an international, but how could she resist the CALL to write in an entertaining way? But, there must be important angular positions. That (and transit Jupiter on MC in 1997) lead to a supposed hour of birth of 1:48:49 by Isaac Starkman. Jupiter would be on her Ascendant then. It would be nice, but there is also Sun/Moon –Mercury around midday and Quaoar (creator of new worlds) to be on her Ascendant then. So we don’t really know. What we know is that she apparently had the opportunity to write, she was educated and she had children.

I personally would like her hour of birth to be around 3:50 p.m. with the Moon (children’s books!) in Virgo on MC, transit Jupiter inconjunct her natal MC and trine progressed MC in 1997 for double success with transit Uranus inconjunct Sun for the unexpected change in lifestyle. Sun/Moon midpoint conjunct Mercury makes the planet of the author even more important at 15:50. She'd also have Jupiter/Uranus midpoint square Midheaven. Though she wasn't very kind about astrologers in 'Harry Potter', the story goes that she actually made a chart reading for a friend many years ago. So I'd like 3:50 pm, but it is just a guess chart!

Now, where was I? It was about flexibility and flexible signs. I’d almost switch subject via planets of orientation! But in fact, I didn’t. J.K. Rowling has 5 positions in flexible signs.

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Chart of Misha Defonseca (not raised by wolves)

Yesterday it was the 77th birthday of Misha Defonseca, the artist name of a woman who told the world a story of being raised by wolves in World War II, after she - a Jewish child - escaped a prisoner camp. There is a movie about that! And a lot of people believed the story, including her publisher. But in the end, it is clear that Misha is not Jewish and never was in a prisoner's camp. The book and movie are still available. I haven't read it, but the reviews tell me that it is a fascinating story (but a pity that it wasn't sold as a story from the beginning).

Astrodatabank has her data. Here is the chart.

Misha Defonseca's birth chart has many many easy trines, the Sun/Moon semi square Venus for highlights on comfort and talent, and... an important Uranus to be in the news. The Mercury-Neptune trine permits her to picture a story and tell us tales. Moon with Venus and Neptune, 157.5 d from Midheaven: a pattern for artistic talent (though she had a ghost writer).
And there is Jupiter opposition Pluto on either side of the horizon for success (but, with a question mark, as oppositions seem to have to point at). In October 2008 she won a legal battle over 33 million dollars with P Sun opposite Jupiter (after P Sun c Pluto in February).

Now watch the transits and progressions for today and in particular: watch Saturn.

Transit Saturn is:
opposition natal Sun
inconjunct natal Venus
inconjunct progressed Venus
105 degrees progressed Sun

And in her solar return chart Sun is opposite Saturn, too.

She heard that she must pay back her publisher what she won in court a few years ago. That is not a nice birthday present...

When a solar return chart has such aspects, the birthday is not pleasant at all. But, as you see in this example, it takes more than 2 (usually much more) aspects for a major event to happen.

PS
It reminds of the story by Jerzy Kozinski. Many believed that the The Painted Bird was more than fiction.

LINK
http://www.timesofisrael.com/author-of-hoax-holocaust-memoir-to-pay-22500000/ (news)

http://astropost.blogspot.nl/2013/03/sextiles-trines-and-crime-re-fernandez.html (on Trines for the easy way out)

Born same day, died in 2008 (important year for Defonseca as well) http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin (stand up comedian, author, actor)

Also born May 12 1937: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Hampshire (actor)


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RIP Sue Townsend (on her chart)

Do you remember 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole?' Well, I do and when I do, I smile. It was such fun! The author, Sue Townsend, died yesterday. She had diabetes and had lost eyesight lately. Here is the chart with transits and progressions for yesterday and what do we see:

The book on a teenager is being reflected by the 'calling' Mercury (communications!) in the third house, close to the Moon (children, a.o.) rising before the Sun.

For diabetes: Venus opposite Jupiter and Ceres is 'calling'.

For the day of death:
- Progressed MC inconjunct Mars in 8 (definitely lost energy)
- Progressed Sun conjunct Uranus and trine Jupiter (for a relief)
- Transit Jupiter and Uranus in aspect with the natal ascendant (relief again).

See Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Townsend

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Erika Leonard or E.L. James' best seller writer chart

Just like the charts of movie stars often reflect their main characters, the chart of an author may have aspects in line with his or her main characters or subjects. I found the day of birth of E.L.James (Erika Leonard). Her 'Fifty shades of Grey' is a Best Seller with capital B. It is an erotic trilogy.

Now look at that chart of March 7, 1963. There is a potential for a writer of erotic drama.

WRITER
Mercury is 'calling' (no major aspects in sign or orb 5 degrees) which means: communications (writing, singing, speaker) at any possible level. It is like in the chart of the author of Harry Potter, who also writes with her name in initials: J.K. Rowling.
FANTASY
- Sun trine Neptune: good for fantasy (and hiding behind a pseudo). This aspect is sort of repeated by the placement of the Sun in Neptune-ruled Pisces, with Moon in Sun-ruled Leo.
PASSION
- Venus opposition Mars (passion)
SWEET TENSION
- Venus inconjunct Uranus (desiring tension and surprise in love)
PROFIT
- Venus biquintile Pluto (creative way to earn money and a creative way to deal with intense desires)
SUCCESS
- Jupiter/Pluto midpoint is square natal Sun and that is one of the signs of success. It takes more, but strong self confidence is a good start!

It takes more (like an hour of birth) to complete the picture and find the aspects with Midheaven and Moon. Not every born on the 7th of March 1963 wrote such books. Here are three names of those born on March 7, 1963, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_7

• 1963 – Bill Brochtrup, American actor
• 1963 – Mike Eagles, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1963 – Maria Lindström, Swedish tennis player

They don't mention E.L. James on this page,yet, but here is the source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._L._James

LINKS
See about best seller writer's charts:
http://astropost.blogspot.nl/2011/06/best-seller-writers-charts.html





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