On May 7th this year, we celebrate Buddha Purnima. Vesak commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha and therefore has tremendous spiritual energy which is conducive for spiritual practices, sacred ceremonies and rituals. It is also helpful for repairing relationships and ability to forgive. This is in line with Buddha's compassion, empathy, and mission to be of service to others from all walks of life. Buddhists believe that living in accordance with the Four Noble Truths should lead one to live a life of peace and equanimity.

    I created a vision board in honour of the full moon yesterday as the energy favours concentration on what you want to manifest. Repeating affirmations and words that you want to be part of your character on a regular basis is something that can help change the subconscious programming of the mind, especially when done right before going to bed.

    Purnima marks a time when the moon is fully bright, and in vedic astrology it is most auspcicious to be born on a full moon because it gives a bright mind that has full consiousness. Being born on the full light of the moon, there is prosperity, peace, wisdom and a deeper understanding of the divine intelligence of the Universe. You can not have any daghda "burnt" rashis when born on the purnima moon which is excellent because the two rashis normally affected give a certain weakness. Even if it does not affect the material significations of a house, it hinders the person's full enjoyment of it (Sutton, 2012).

    The best time in western astrology to create a vision board is on the new moon in aries (aries is the sign of new beginnings) or during vesak. In vedic astrology, it would be any of the full moons. During the time that the sun transits your 11th house in either your western or vedic chart is also a great time for creating a vision board or writing down your dreams and goals.

     

    

References

Sutton, K. (2012). Chapter 5, Tithi. Personal Panchanga. The Wessex Astrologer

Sir ​Richard Branson (July 18th 1950) is an entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin group comprised of over 200 companies in 30 different countries including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Galactic and Virgin America. He has an estimated net worth of about $3.7 billion as of April 5th 2020 according to the Forbes list. Interestingly, he has the combination 1-8-9 so often seen in powerful and influential people: his birthday and expression number are 9, his personality number is 1 and his soul urge is 8. Number 1 provides leadership and entrepreneurial skill, number 9 provides leadership ability, skill of connecting with diverse people and a global outlook, and number 8 provides business sense, work ethic and ambition. He has a Master number life path of 22/4 showing a capacity for genius and future oriented vision which complements practical ambition. This combination results in innovative, out of the box thinking and action that leaves a long lasting legacy. Richard is also an excellent example of the philanthropic nature of 22/4.

    Let us examine connections between the 2nd and 11th houses so any of its aspects to the 2nd or 11th house promote wealth accrual. d=degrees
​

• Mercury is ruler of both 2nd and 11th houses
• Mercury at 3 degrees Leo is semisextile Uranus in the 11th house by 3d
• Mercury is semisquare Saturn 2d in the 2nd house
• Mercury semisextile POF in the 2nd house 3d
• Mercury makes an exact semisextile to the 2nd house cusp
• Mercury is conjunct its dispositor Sun 8 degrees (out of sign)
• Venus in the 11th house is square POF in the 2nd house 3d
• Venus in the 11th house is square Saturn in the 2nd house 3d
• Venus in the 2nd house makes an exact semisextile to Mercury’s dispositor Sun
• Mercury makes a 2d semisextile to the Moon (dispositor of Uranus in Cancer in the 11th)
• Moon as dispositor of Uranus in Cancer in the 11th house is conjunct the 2nd house cusp by 1 degree from the 1st house
• Mercury makes a 4d sextile to the 11th house cusp

 
     Let us take a look at the 2nd house. On the cusp is Virgo showing that Richard is detail oriented, hardworking, concrete and practical in his approach to earning money. The Moon shows us emotional needs for security and comfort. The Moon in Virgo is conjunct the 2nd house cusp by one degree showing that money could be tied to his sense of security, happiness and self- esteem. In any case, he has an emotional attachment to financial abundance. The Moon and 2nd house cusp make a 4-5 degree opposition with Jupiter. This Jupiter influence contributes to expansion, favour and blessings. Placed in the 8th house shows that he gains a lot of money from other people and his investors of his hundreds of companies certainly testify to this. The Part of Fortune in the second house gives a natural burst of luck and fortune to earned income.

    Saturn is in the 2nd house giving him the qualities of persistence, determination, resiliency and willpower to overcome obstacles. He was dyslexic and had trouble in grade school and high school. He dropped out of high school. His trouble may be shown astrologically with the ruler of the third house Mercury in the 12th house representing grief, pain and losses. The dispositor of Mercury, the Sun, is also in the 12th house which accentuates the trouble in lower education (grade school and high school). Yet it was this failure that motivated him to start his first venture selling magazines and he made good profit. Even after he was forced to sell his record company in 1992, he learned from this mistake and went on to found hundreds of more successful companies. However, Saturn is the taskmaster and will not let you get away with anything that isn’t right, especially in the areas governed by the house that it is placed in and rules; it is karmic reward and punishment. Saturn placed in the 2nd house can give problems with finances if you are dishonest or steal from others. In his early twenties he started Virgin Mail, a mail order retail record company. However there was a postal strike and he had to change it into a discount record retailer, at first this caused him to go thousands of dollars in debt. Feeling desperate, he devised a scam whereby he could evade tax payments on his merchandise. However he was caught and given jail time. It cost him $45 000 to get set free. However, he remained persistent and worked hard to get out of the $90 000 in accumulated business debt, government fines and taxes that he owed. This is characteristic of his number 8 soul urge, which vibrates to Saturn. He had a lot of challenges in his earlier years but with time, discipline and persistence he managed to pull himself out of the trouble.

    Richard started his entrepreneurial ventures in the music industry. Characteristic of the number 1 personality number, he started a recording studio and signed on successful artists such as Mike Oldfield, Sex Pistols, Culture Club,  Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Janet Jackson, and Genesis. Virgin Music became one of the top six record companies in the world. Notice that his 10th house cusp is Aries which is ruled by Mars- excellent for entrepreneurship and Mars is conjunct Neptune- the planet associated with music and artistic expression. The 2nd house ruler Mercury is in the 12th house (Neptune’s house) and one manifestation is earning money through musical expression. Neptune is making an exact quintile to Mercury strengthening his tendency to think along musical or artistic lines. As ruler of the 10th house, Mars makes a one degree quintile to Mercury in the 12th house showing that good communication skills and non-linear thinking would be critical in earning success in his career. He regularly makes investments which go against traditional business tactics and mainstream corporate practice. David Sheff commented in Forbes that Branson was "One of the world's most fertile businessmen with highly unorthodox methods". This proclivity towards unusual creative methods could also partially be attributed towards an out of bounds Uranus and a life path of 22/4.

Barbara Walters (September 25th 1929) paved the way for women in journalism with her prestigious career spanning over five decades. She has made a lot of ‘firsts’ in her career and is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Although Barbara doesn’t see herself as a trailblazer, the world certainly does. Katie Couric says of Barbara, “She was an early ballbuster, and I mean that in the nicest possible way,” “She rattled a lot of cages before women were even allowed into the zoo.” I watched her on an episode of Oprah’s Master class and her story certainly is an inspirational one. Barbara attributes her success to knowing how to properly use her luck, which she acknowledges she got a lot of, as well as her determination to overcome obstacles. She says of her career, "It has been an absolutely joyful, rewarding, challenging, fascinating and occasional bumpy ride and I wouldn't change a thing." I think the secret of my success is that I persevered. I didn’t give up. I didn’t say this is a lousy job, and I’m unhappy, and I’m going to quit. I went through the tough times, and they were tough. And I was fortunate that I came out on the other end.”

     Barbara has a Libran ascendant. The ruler of the Ascendant is Venus and at 29 degrees Leo, Venus makes an exact conjunction to the fixed star Regulus. Regulus is a benevolent star giving courage, a significant rise in status from birth, power, authority, wealth and association with influential people. Venus makes a trine to the Moon, ruler of the career house (10th house) and a  trine to Mercury, dispositor of the 10th house. Therefore, the positive attributes of Regulus extend into her career. The Sun is placed in Libra making a tight conjunction to the Ascendant from the 12th house. People who have the Sun so close to the ascendant tend to have their light shine forth brightly on first impression. The warmth and glory of the Sun is reflected as a personality with much creativity, vitality and heart. Because the Sun is placed in the 12th house it gives her the talent in bringing hidden matters to the surface, she is able to tap into the collective unconscious, understand what the public wants to know and then skillfully design her questions with the intention of obtaining that information. She was quoted as saying “Wait for those unguarded moments. Relax the mood and, like the child dropping off to sleep, the subject often reveals his truest self”. The Libran Sun gives her the relationship orientation, tact, diplomacy and social skills needed to conduct in depth, intimate interviews.

     The sign on her MC is Cancer. This gives her the ability to make people feel at home and to put them at ease in interviews. She is sensitive to their needs. She notably leaves a positive impression on the people whom she interviews even though she asks many tough questions in a direct way. The ruler Moon is placed in Gemini, meaning that for her to feel comfortable she must be allowed her freedom to express her thoughts and ideas. She thrives on engaging in conversations about a wide variety of topics. Barbara enjoys constant learning and filling her mind with new knowledge. The Moon is placed in the 9th house indicating that foreign travel, culture and people will play a big role in her career. Indeed, she has travelled all over the world having interviews with leaders and other notable people worldwide. Her breakthrough came when she went to India and Pakistan with the First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, after which she was given significantly more responsibility at the network. Her good fortune in foreign travel and interviewing foreigners can also be partly attributed to Jupiter being placed in Gemini in the 9th house. The Moon is closest to the MC. I find that people who gain mass popularity often have the Moon connected with their MC in some way. This is probably because it gives intuitive understanding of the needs and wants of the public.

     The planet of transformation, Pluto, is placed in her 10th house. Pluto is the researcher, investigator and analyzer, always digging until they get to the core of issues, the truth behind the secrets and to the very heart of people. Pluto is power, control, death and rebirth and rising up from the ashes. Pluto in the tenth house shows some of these themes prominent in the career. Her need for control in her interviewing career is reflected in her statement "When you're interviewing someone, you’re in control. When you're being interviewed, you think you're in control, but you're not." Many of the people she has interviewed have experienced significant shifts in public perception after being on the show.

     Barbara’s exact Mercury-Mars conjunction in the first house gives her the skill of using words to get her point across in an articulate yet direct manner. Mercury-Mars does not waste time in idle talk, they cut to the chase and have little patience for beating around the bush. This is a sign of a very sharp mind, quick learner and there is a skill for expressing oneself both orally and via the written word. Sometimes Mercury-Mars can be too cutting, blunt or aggressive with their words so the fact that this conjunction occurs in peacemaking Libra softens this tendency. Mercury is stationary in her chart showing its immense power. Stationary planets are very concentrated in their energy and often give a person a highly unusual gift in the planet’s domain. In her case, we can easily see that her talent for communication and broadcasting has made her one of the most powerful and respected women in the world. Since her 10th house ruler is the Moon in Gemini, Mercury becomes the dispositor of the house. Further, Mercury makes a square to Pluto in the 10th house so we see why Mercury is critical to her career. The Mercury-Pluto square gives her endless curiosity, skill for analyzing behaviour, the talent and skill to probe right to the core of the issue, an investigative mind that is interested in the truth and nothing but the truth. Her words have a transformative impact on people.

     Uranus in the 7th house making a conjunction to her descendant and clearly shows the pioneering nature of Uranus applied to one on one relationships (7th house). The connection of Uranus with her career can be seen in the one degree trine between Moon (ruler of 10th house of career) and Mars (ruler of 7th house of one on one relationships where Uranus is placed). Uranus also makes a 2 degree quintile to the Moon showing that engaging with people one on one, especially Uranian type people, could play a role in her career and public standing.

Among her “firsts” and record breakers

• She was the first female co-host on the Today Show in 1952.
• In 1976 at ABC she was the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program. On top of that with her salary of $1 million dollars, she was the highest paid woman in that role.
• She has gotten the “first” interview from numerous notable people including Christopher Reeve after his paralyzing accident and Richard Nixon since his presidential resignation.
• In 1999, her interview with Monica Lewinsky was the highest rated news program ever broadcast on a single network, with approximately 74 million viewers.
• In 2000, her 5 year contract with ABC news was reportedly $12 million dollars per year, she became the highest paid news host in history.
• She is co-producer and co-host of the View, the first television show to feature five different women talking on topics such as politics, families, careers and other general interest topics. The View has been running for 17 years, having been created in 1997.

 
      Uranus near the 7th house cusp can also be interpreted by her interviewing Uranian type characters: larger than life personalities, trailblazers, highly original and inventive thinkers, people with outstanding accomplishments that set them apart from the crowd and generally people who society term out of bounds for better or for worse. She has interviewed every U.S. president and First Lady since Richard and Pat Nixon, the Dalai Lama, Margaret Thatcher, Oprah Winfrey, Hugo Chavez, Barbra Streisand, Fidel Castro, Muhammad Ali, Lucille Ball, John Wayne, Anwar Sadat, Fred Astaire, Ringo Starr, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, Willie Nelson, Henry Kissinger, Walter Cronkite, Muammar Gadhafi , Jay Leno, Clint Eastwood, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Jackson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vladimir Putin, Tom Cruise, Anna Wintour Bashar al-Assad, Shah Reza Pahlavi, Jiang Zemin, Vladimir Putin, Beyoncé Knowles, Angelina Jolie, Tina Fey, Truman Capote, Maria Callas, Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi,Yitzhak Rabin, Indira Gandhi, and Bing Crosby among many others. The vertex is a point that represents fated encounters with people and events that forever change your view and experience of the world. In her chart, the vertex makes a one degree conjunction with Uranus showing that her destiny was fulfilled through these Uranian one on one interviews.
 
Numerology

Life path 1:
     
​     This is the life path of people whose purpose it is to strike out on their own, be pioneers and blaze new trails. They are excellent leaders and naturally want to take risks and try out innovative ideas. They are independent and do their best work on their own, where they have full creative control. Number 1 corresponds to the Sun in astrology and we saw the Sun’s prominence in her chart. She likes to shine brightly and to have people respect and admire her, she is happiest when they do. Her intensity number is also 1 and accentuates her confidence, competitiveness and drive to be at the top.

Birthday 7:

    People born on a 7 day have a mind that is particularly suited towards research, analysis and investigation. They are excellent thinkers and like to contemplate the bigger questions in life. They are observant of people and can be questioning and critical at times, however this can be useful for improvements that society needs. They are detail oriented and can be perfectionistic, never stopping until everything is just right. Number 7 people like a certain amount of solitude, being in nature refreshes them.
 
Birth Name: Barbara Jill Walters

​Expression and personality 22/4:
     
    This double influence can be seen in her willingness to work hard, the long hours she puts in to her work and the many personal sacrifices she has made for her career. Number 22/4 vibrates to Uranus and we have seen that Uranus is angular and prominent in her personality. Number 4 likes to build structures, they will implement their plan in a pragmatic fashion. They have good vision and set goals that are admirable but still achievable. This belief can be seen in her quotes “’One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time” and “work harder than everybody. You’re not going to get it by whining and you're not going to get it by shouting, and you're not going to get it by quitting. You're going to get it by being there." Number 22 is the Master Builder and likes to leave a legacy. She is quoted as saying “"I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me when some smaller, young woman comes up to me and tells me of her achievements. That's my legacy". In another interview she says “But the fact that I persevered and succeeded in what was so much a man’s world- the world of television news- gives me great pride. That’s my legacy, it’s not a particular interview I did. That’s nice, but who cares? It’s that maybe I made it easier for the next woman.
 
Soul urge 9:
     
​     Number 9 has a talent for understanding different people from a diverse range of backgrounds and being able to get along with them. They appreciate people’s differences and genuinely try to understand their beliefs. Number 9 has a desire to change the world for the better and help people who are disadvantaged. Barbara’s humanitarian side can be seen in her generous contributions to various charitable organizations.
 

Louise Hay (October 8th 1926) is a pioneer in bringing into the public’s awareness the mind-body connection and how our thoughts literally create our experiences. She has made famous the use of affirmations in healing one’s life, demonstrating its power in pulling herself out of her impoverished upbringing to running a publishing empire. She is the founder of Hay House, a successful publishing company that focuses on books, CDs and conferences in the self- help field.

​    Her ascendant is in Leo, giving her the warmth, generosity and dignified bearing that she wears well. Her personality number is 1 which is the number that vibrates to the Sun. These two influences make her a generous and popular leader. The ruler Sun is placed in the third house of communications, broadcasting and publishing thus it makes sense that this is her life focus and passion.

     Let us look at the MC and tenth house to analyze her career. First we notice that Chiron at 0 degrees Taurus is making a conjunction out of sign to the MC in Aries. Chiron is the wounded healer, with its proximity to the MC, it is apparent why she is now known as a spiritual healer. If we look at her 4th house, we find the moon is in its detriment Scorpio and also Saturn is placed there. Her birthday is on the 8th, the number vibrating to Saturn. Often people born on the 8th will have a childhood and adolescence with many challenges, obstacles and hardships. There is a struggle to find power within themselves to overcome these roadblocks to success. The Moon brings feelings of betrayal, violence, anger and unfairness in the home. Saturn is bringing excessive restrictions, burdens and a lack of material resources. The dispositor of both Moon and Saturn is Pluto in the 12th house. The 12th house represents grief, suffering, isolation and unfair circumstances.  It is easy to understand astrologically why early on in life she lived in poverty and abuse. Her stepfather was violent within the home. She was raped by a neighbour at age 5. The sun makes a tight square to Pluto so it makes sense that as a child she experienced violence from males who were authority figures to her. When she was 15 she was pregnant and dropped out of high school. At 16, she gave her baby up for adoption. She then moved to Chicago and took a variety of low paying jobs. Her luck started to change when she moved to New York and became a high fashion model. This is fitting since she was born on Friday, the day of Venus which corresponds to fashion, beauty and modelling. While doing this she met a wealthy English man, Andrew Hay and got married. She said in You Can Heal Your Life (the movie) that he had taught her social skills and she travelled the world and met with many notable people. After 14 years of marriage, they got divorced when he left her for another woman.
    
    A turning point in her life came when she found the First Church of Religious Science, where she was exposed to the idea that if you can change your thoughts, you can change your life. She read tons of books that discussed that idea even though she was never particularly interested in reading in school. She became a Religious Science practitioner and began helping people with affirmations to change their material circumstances and heal their bodies. In the late 70s she found that she had cancer and linked it with her inability to forgive others for her childhood circumstances. She did not want medical treatment and decided to choose forgiveness, therapy, nutrition, reflexology and occasional enemas to treat it. Her methods worked and her cancer was gone. Soon after she wrote down all the physical illnesses and their emotional causes such as anger, frustration and unwillingness to forgive in a pamphlet. This information got included in her first book You Can Heal Your Life which included affirmations for many areas of life including health, finances, family, relationships, prosperity, and career among others. She was working with groups of men with AIDS and from her living room she went to larger venues and her work caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey and Phil Donahue who invited her to their respective shows the same week. Her book hit the New York Times Bestseller list. In 1987, she founded Hay House publishing company which features books, CDs, calendars and other products by thought leaders in New Age and spirituality. Her expression number is 7 which is the number of the writer and publisher. She has since written many other books devoted to healing different areas of people’s lives. Thus the themes of Chiron are very evident in her public image, she was able to turn her wounds into wisdom and put it into practice in her own life. After she gained self-mastery she was able to help others put affirmations to effective use in their own life, becoming a powerful spiritual healer.

     The sign Aries is on the cusp and the ruler Mars is placed in the 10th house. Her life path is 9, the number that vibrates to Mars. The number 9 adds the humanitarian side to her career, helping people who are experiencing difficulties regain their self- confidence and vitality. When the ruler of a house is placed in the house, it grants fortune in that area of life. Aries is the sign of the entrepreneur, someone who has bright ideas and seeks a new and better way to implement them. They take the lead and don’t wait for others to give them an opportunity, they create their own opportunities. She is a pioneer and entrepreneur in the self- help and New Age fields. Mars in the tenth house shows that her ambition, drive and energy are devoted to her career. Mars is in Taurus showing the solid persistence and determination and steady way in which she pursued her objectives. She has built a solid foundation for her success. The dispositor of Mars is Venus and Venus in the dispositor of the 10th house. Venus is placed in Libra in the 3rd house. This shows the connection between communications, broadcasting, publishing and her career and public image. Note that Venus is very comfortable in its own sign Libra and can express itself with full effectiveness. When the dispositor of a house is in its own sign or exalted it brings fortune to the house. Moreover, her soul urge number is 6 which vibrates to Venus. This has given her the desire to serve people through her writing by advising them how to change their mindset and by extension their reality.

     Taking a look at her 3rd-9th house axis we find that Uranus is making a tight conjunction to the 9th house cusp. Uranus is the planet of pioneers, innovation, inventors, geniuses, future trends/ thinking and revolution. It is fitting that Louise was a pioneer in the mind-body connection by demonstrating that affirmations can change the circumstances of our life. Although the mind-body connection is widely accepted now, it was not in the 1970s when she first brought it to public awareness. She was a thinker far ahead of her time and revolutionized this idea. She founded Hay House, a publishing company that promotes many creative thinkers, some of whom seem to be ahead of their time.

     Mercury, planet of communications is also the ruler of the third house of communications and is placed at 27 degrees Libra in the 4th house making an exact opposition to the MC. In fact this particular aspect is the closest major aspect in her natal chart so it is powerful. We see here another linkage of the third house and the tenth house. Any planet making a tight aspect to the MC will have a profound influence on the direction a person chooses to take in their career and will become intimately associated with their public image. In this case, she is an eloquent, thought provoking speaker and prolific, famous author. She travels the world educating people how to heal themselves with specifically worded affirmations using words to their best effect. She has also made a film about her life and appeared on television and radio numerous times.

    The Moon makes an opposition to the MC out of sign. I often find that people who gain immense popularity with the public have the Moon connected with the MC. I think it is due to an intuitive understanding of what the public wants and a sensitivity to their needs. Louise has made a career out of teaching people to heal their negative emotions and change their life through the use of affirmations. The moon’s dispositor Pluto is in the 12th house. Earlier we saw that her upbringing was adversely affected both physically and emotionally because of the immense sorrow and losses the 12th house can bring. However, later in life the better part of the 12th house (spirituality, meditation, enlightenment, connecting with the divine) became more accessible to Louise. She was able to transform (Pluto) her emotions (Moon) through meditation and spiritual methods (12th house). Pluto in Cancer is tightly conjunct the fixed star Sirius. Sirius brings fame, honours, creative talents and riches. Since she was able to transform her emotions, she was able to heal herself and also heal others and by doing so she has received many accolades and honours. Since Pluto is conjunct her North Node we see that this was an important part of her destiny and she is fulfilling her karmic purpose and growing in the right ways by doing this.

     Her second house cusp makes a conjunction to Neptune. Noteworthy here is Neptune’s three degree conjunction with Regulus. Regulus is a kingly star and bestows honour, wealth and fame, it is a great boon to have it connected with your house of earned income. The second house ruler is the Sun and the Sun is placed in the third house of communications meaning that she will likely earn her money by public speaking, writing or broadcasting. The sun in Libra shows how her tact, diplomacy and excellent social skills helped her excel in a profession that demands these qualities. She is not aggressive in promoting herself, often stating that she is a teacher, not a salesman and people come to her for help. She does not feel she needs to convert everyone, including skeptics to her side.
 
 

   Frank Sinatra (December 12th 1915) was one of the most popular and influential singers and actors of the 20th century with a career spanning over 50 years. His legacy endures today with his numerous bestselling and critically acclaimed songs, movies and television specials, which he won an Emmy, Academy award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement award among many others He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985, the highest civilian in America.

     Number 3 is the quintessential showman, entertainer and performer. It is a number of creativity displayed through artistic and musical expression. It is worth noting that the name “Frank Sinatra” has a personality and soul urge 3. His name at birth Francis Albert Sinatra, had an expression and personality number 3. Either way, 3/5 his core numbers are 3 showing that he is the classical 3 and displays its characteristics strongly. Its vibrating planet Jupiter is optimistic, upbeat and expects things to work out positively. His natal Jupiter is in Pisces, the sign it traditionally rules, thus it has strong positive expression especially being in the 5th house of performance, self- expression and creativity. The Sagittarian influence adds a great sense of humour and enthusiasm. Another major influence is Neptune conjunct his MC by 1 degree. Neptune is the planet of sophistication, glamour, musical and artistic expression. The moon in Pisces (Neptune’s ruled sign) is conjunct the 5th house of creativity and performance by 1 degree from the 4th house. One can say he had an emotional need to be recognized and have an admiring audience for his creativity and performances in acting and singing. He also had an ability to communicate his feelings nonverbally through body language and to understand that the same of others, which helped him connect with his fans. The Moon and Jupiter in Pisces inclined him towards daydreaming and fantasies, which he wrote songs about: “If You Are But a Dream,” and “Put Your Dreams Away”.  When you put all these elements together, you get one of the world’s best artistic performers.

     As a teenager Sinatra was influenced by Bing Crosby and that inspired him to choose singing as a career. In an interesting twist of fate, he became the second most popular male singer after Bing Crosby and topped Bing’s audience at the New York Paramount. After singing with the Dorsey band that consistently topped the charts, he struck out on his own. By 1942 he had gained enormous success, earning him the nicknames “Frankieboy,” “The Sultan of Swoon,” and, “The Voice.”. The latter name was his most popular and we see that the ruler of the MC in Leo is the Sun and the Sun is tightly conjunct Mercury in the 2nd house. Mercury is at critical degree 17 Sagittarius giving it extra power. Mercury is out of bounds showing his ability to think outside the box. His ability to think outside the box is even more potent with Uranus being tightly conjunct the North Node in Aquarius, his ability to be inventive and original is critical to his personal growth. He is meant to revolutionize his field. Mercury governs communication skills, your ability to get your message across to people both orally (singing, acting) and in writing (songs). This means that his excellent ability to get his message across in an original way plays a key role in his career success. The second house has an affinity to Taurus which rules the throat showing that a possible career could feature his voice in music such as singing. Mercury is strengthened as its dispositor Jupiter is strong in its traditionally ruled sign Pisces and in the creative 5th house enabling him to be innovative and charismatic in his live performances. The focus on his communication skills is also shown by the ascendant ruler Venus being in the 3rd house (Mercury’s house).

     His striking good looks, charisma and ability to make the ladies swoon may be partially explained by Venus being out of bounds. This also helped him in amassing wealth and living in luxurious surroundings. Venus surpasses its own boundaries and supercharges its qualities. Note that F, the first letter of his first name vibrates to 6 which is Venus’s number. The expression of Frank Sinatra is also 6. Thus, we can see why Venus’s traits are so strongly visible in Sinatra. In addition to his natural good looks, he was very well dressed and had impeccable style. To be commercially successful as a performer you need to have an abundance of charm, charisma and power of attraction. You need to not only memorize scripts and sing lyrics, but also to embody the character and feel the song’s emotions so that people really believe your character and the emotion behind your song. Sinatra was fortunate in that he knew how to use nonverbal communication such as body language and facial expression (Moon, Jupiter in Pisces) and combine it with his verbal expression (Mercury) so that he really embodied the character.

​     The Sun as ruler of MC made a tight square to Jupiter and the MC in Leo makes a tight sesquiquadrate to Jupiter, giving him Jupiter’s fortune and lucky breaks in his career and also appearing generous and in good cheer towards the public. Jupiter being in the 5th house shows that performing, leadership and creative self-expression are linked to his career. Mars in Leo gave him the fiery desire and ambition to succeed in his career and earn the respect of an adoring audience, it is strengthened by being conjunct fixed star Regulus giving fame, honour and wealth. As the 4th-10th house is the parental axis, it is fitting that his father was a fireman, Mars represents fire. His mother was nicknamed “Hatpin Dolly”, and was well known for her fiery volatile Ligurian personality.  It is interesting to see that his academy award for best supporting actor in From Here to Eternity was for playing a soldier stationed in Hawaii leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbour. Soldiers and war are both symbolized by Mars. The film itself won 8/13 of its Oscar nominations. Further, his character in The Man with the Golden Arm where he was nominated for best actor was a heroin addict. Neptune conjunct the MC is symbolic of this because Neptune’s shadow side involves escaping from reality through taking drugs and not being able to function independently in the real world. So we can see that the 10th house is not only descriptive of a person’s career and social standing but with any role that they play in front of the public. This film was nominated for 3 Academy Awards.

     Sinatra’s notable songs include "Love and Marriage"  "New York, New York", "Learnin' the Blues" "Young at Heart" , “Mad About You,” “Nevertheless,” “Birth of the Blues,” “I’m a Fool to Want You”, “Come Fly with Me” , “Come Dance with Me!” , “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “One for My Baby” , “Strangers in the Night”, “That’s Life”,  “My Way” 'I’ll Never Smile Again”. Although collaborating with many other artists, his legendary partnership with Nelson Riddle birthed the masterpieces “In the Wee Small Hours”, Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!”, and “Only the Lonely”. He was also respected for his acting talent, his movies include: Anchors Aweigh (1945), Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1949), On the Town (1949),  Suddenly (1954), Young at Heart (1954),  Guys and Dolls (1955), The Joker Is Wild (1957), Pal Joey (1957), Some Came Running (1958), , 'Ocean’s Eleven' (1960) The Manchurian Candidate (1962),  The Detective (1968) and The First Deadly Sin (1980).  From Here to Eternity (1953) won him a best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of an Italian American soldier named Maggio and The Man with the Golden Arm where he portrayed a heroin addict who got clean in prison but struggles to stay clean once free earned him a nomination for best actor. In 1945 he won a special Academy Award for The House I Live In, a short designed to promote racial and religious tolerance. He also founded his own record label Reprise (which was later sold to Warner Brothers) and his independent film production company Artemis. Sinatra’s life path is 22 and we see the master builder of this number’s vibration. He was visionary in seeing what type of career he wanted and combined his dreams with practical actions to leave a legacy.

     Pluto in the 9th house speaks to his international fame. He had a transformative effect on many musicians and actors of his generation and many others to come. Pluto ruling the second house indicates that he may earn his income through travelling and he did record in Britain. It also indicates income coming from international sources and his music and films were seen around the world. Since the 9th house governs foreign cultures and religion it makes sense that in 1945 he won a special Academy Award for The House I Live In, a short designed to promote racial and religious tolerance. Saturn is at 14 degrees Cancer conjunct Sirius, bestowing fame, honour and wealth. However because Saturn does present obstacles in whichever house its found, he had legal troubles as the 9th house governs law and justice. The FBI investigated why he avoided the draft for the Second World War. He was charged with adultery but the charges were later dismissed. He had ties to mobsters and criminal who had frequent run ins with the law on extortion attempts. But he refuted any allegations that he participated in organized crime. Possibly because Saturn is conjunct benefic Sirius, he was never formally charged with any crime and the rumours circulating about his involvement in it could not significantly tarnish his reputation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ted Turner (November 19th 1938) is an entrepreneur, television mogul, restaurant owner, philanthropist and environmentalist. He currently has a net worth of $2.2 billion dollars

     Multiple tight orb connections of the 2nd house with the 11th house are usually found when one acquires millions and billions. This is because we earn an income in the 2nd house but the 11th house represents expansion. The 11th house also represents fulfillment of wishes, hopes and desires, so when a money house gets connected to it, it promotes wealth accrual and other luxuries. Connections take the form of aspects between the 2 houses including the ruler or dispositor of one house being in the other and mutual reception. It is important to note that hard aspects provide drive, ambition and stamina in achieving objectives and easy aspects provide gifts, it is usually necessary to have both to succeed. This is because with only easy aspects one can become too lazy and not exert maximal effort, expecting things to just come to them. On the other hand, it can be tough to only have hard aspects and always face an uphill battle with little reinforcement, one must be disciplined to succeed in this case. Keep in mind that the chart must be analyzed as a whole to see someone’s attitude and effort towards success.

• The ruler of his second house is Saturn and the ruler of the 11th house in Venus. Venus makes a 1 degree sesquiquadrate to Saturn connecting these houses. The Venus-Saturn aspect is traditionally associated with business success and making large amounts of money. In a prior study I did on billionaires, it was the second most prominent aspect. This is because it gives a very sharp eye for what is likely to succeed, a disinterest in wasting money on trivial things and it gives a shrewdness which makes it difficult for others to fool them.
• Jupiter in the second house makes a 6 degree trine to the 11th house cusp.
• Saturn as ruler of the 2nd house makes a 1 degree biquintile to the North Node in the 11th house
• Saturn makes a 2 degree quintile to the part of fortune in the 11th house
• The North Node in the 11th house makes an exact sextile to the 2nd house cusp
• The POF in the 11th house makes a 2 degree sextile to the 2nd house cusp
• Venus as ruler of the 11th house makes a 4 degree square to Jupiter in the 2nd house
• Uranus as dispositor of Jupiter makes a 1 degree opposition to the POF in the 11th house
• Uranus as dispositor of Jupiter makes a 2 degree opposition to the North Node in the 11th house
• Pluto as dispositor of the 11th house and Mars as dispositor of the 2nd house are in a 2 degree quintile
• Mars as dispositor of the 2nd house makes a 2 degree semisextile to POF in 11th house
• Mars as dispositor of the 2nd house makes a 1 degree semisextile to North Node in 11th house

 
      The second house has a cusp of 16 degrees Capricorn and has Jupiter placed in it at 24 degrees Aquarius. Jupiter in the 2nd house is very favourable, wherever Jupiter is placed it gives fortune, an area where we don’t have to work as hard for nice things. In the 2nd house, material comforts, luxuries, wealth, good self-confidence and self-esteem are shown. Saturn is the ruler of the 2nd house and it is placed at 11 degrees Aries in the 4th house. Aries is a sign representing leadership, taking risks and being an entrepreneur, all of which Ted did. He founded CNN, the first 24-Hour cable news network.

      The 2nd house ruler in the 4th house may indicate earned income relating to the parents in some way because the 4th-10th axis specifically represents parents. In 1960, Ted started working as a manager at his father’s business. He more than doubled its revenue in the first year. In 1963 his father died and Ted inherited his father’s advertising company becoming president and CEO. Characteristic of Capricorn on the 2nd house cusp, he was ambitious, hardworking, pragmatic, diligent and status-oriented in earning his money. He took a relatively small company and expanded it into an empire, expanding from advertising into television and movies. His expression number 8 vibrates to Saturn. People with expression 8 do have a need for power, control, status and wealth in their lives. They know the value of working hard and being ambitious in order to receive rewards. Although they may be faced with some setbacks, particularly in the earlier part of life, they are resilient and determined to succeed.

     The 2nd house ruler in the 4th house also could signify success in investments and ownership of real estate. Up until 2011 he was America’s largest landowner but he was surpassed by his friend John Malone at that time. However, he still has approximately two million acres of land spread across six states, along with the world's largest bison herd.

     Jupiter is the ruler of the 1st house and is placed in the 2nd, this shows that earning a significant income is very important to Ted and will be a major life focus or theme. Jupiter is placed in Aquarius- a sign that is visionary and sees future oriented potentials. Innovative thinking, discoveries and high intelligence is characteristic. Certainly it would take quite an imagination to turn an everyday advertising company into a multi- billion dollar broadcasting empire. Prior to CNN, there had been no other news network that ran all day. Turner classic movies allows current generations to see memorable movies made in previous generations and increases knowledge and awareness of issues that were important at different points in history. It also preserves the entertainment value to allow people to see their old favourites that may not be available elsewhere. Turner also has two independent film production companies, Ted Turner Pictures and Ted Turner Documentaries that have produced work that has been critically acclaimed. His entrepreneurial nature is shown by his number 1 birthday. He owns several businesses and this is good because number 1 people have a great need for independence, autonomy, leadership and creative control.  They like to be pioneers and trailblazers.

      A career dealing with movies is also shown by Neptune being the closest planet to the MC, the cusp of his career house. Neptune represents the glamour and sophistication of Hollywood, particularly old Hollywood of the 20s-60s. Venus the ruler of the MC is placed in the 12th house, the house that is associated with Pisces and Neptune and thus connected with fantasy, imagination, and artistic self-expression, all elements relating to movies. Venus is conjunct the Sun- this is a good aspect contributing to honour, success and glory in one’s profession. It also favours wealth accrual. His life path 6 which vibrates to Venus shows his artistic talent and interest in movies. According to his website, he is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, industry awards and civic honors, including being named TIME Magazine’s 1991 Man of the Year, Broadcasting and Cable’s Man of the Century in 1999 and one of TIME 100 World’s Most Influential People in 2009. 

​     In recent years, Turner received the 2011 Palazzo Strozzi Foundation’s Renaissance Man of the Year award, the Overseas Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and was honored by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with the  Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35thAnnual Sports Emmy® Awards in 2014, among many others. Number 6 as a life path has a sense of responsibility in serving other people, if they don’t feel that they are helping people who need assistance, they aren’t satisfied. While almost all billionaires contribute to charitable and social causes, Ted Turner was one of the first to do so with his billion dollar donation to the United Nations Fund and thus inspire many other wealthy people to do the same by calling on the media to publish lists of who gave the most. The Venus-Sun conjunction occurs in the 12th house which symbolizes his use of wealth for a variety of philanthropic efforts, charities and worthy causes. He is also fulfilling the calling of his 11th house North Node by engaging in humanitarian and social change ventures to make the world better for future generations. The Moon at 28 degrees Libra making a tight conjunction to the cusp of the 11th house speaks to his profound emotional connection to humanitarian efforts, and an accountability to the brotherhood and sisterhood of the world. To help those underprivileged and disadvantaged people by restoring equality, balance and justice makes him more secure and gives him true happiness. The number 22/4 for his personality and soul urge numbers vibrate to Uranus and the sign Aquarius and gives a very strong humanitarian bent to his character. The master builder reputation of the 22 is also strongly seen with his long lasting legacy for his work. The Ted Turner foundation and the Captain Planet Foundation is an example of how his future oriented brilliance and practical ambition is having a meaningful impact on the earth. Ted joined The Giving Pledge and thus committed that he would give the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes. His humanitarian efforts include:

1. The Turner Endangered Species Fund is put into place to promote biodiversity and restoration of endangered species on his properties.
2. He made a $1 billion dollar donation in 1997 to the United Nations Fund, an organization that he created. This gift is used to promote global health, fight poverty, promote sustainability of the environment, help refugees and to fight for the needs and rights of women and men across the globe.
3. The Turner foundation seeks to improve air and water quality, promote sustainability and environmental efforts and maintain wildlife habitat protection.
4. He founded the Captain Planet Foundation to teach children how to make a positive impact on their lives and the health of people in their communities

 
In 2010, after joining The Giving Pledge he is quoted as saying:

“I don’t measure success in numbers, but I consider my contributions of more than 1.3 billion dollars to various causes over the years to be one of my proudest accomplishments and the best investment I’ve ever made. Those dollars have improved lives, saved species, fought disease, educated children, inspired change, challenged ideas and opened minds; and at the time of my death, virtually all of my wealth will have gone to charity. Looking back, if I had to live my life over, there are things I would do differently, but the one thing I would not change is my charitable giving. I’m particularly thankful for my father’s advice to set goals so high that they can’t possibly be achieved during a lifetime and to give help where help is needed most. That inspiration keeps me energized and eager to keep working hard every day on giving back and making the world a better place for generations to come”.
 
      His attitude and expectations for success are auspicious. The ruler of the 2nd house Saturn is in Aries, its dispositor is Mars. Mars is in Libra at 15 degrees, exactly conjunct the midpoint of the 10th house. Besides the cusp, midpoints are a place of maximal power of the house. Mars here gives him the necessary boldness, courage and ambition to take those risks that will bring more vitality and success in his career. He will fight to rise to the top. This is also in line with his birthday number 1. Being connected to the second house, he will put a lot of his ambitious energy and physical vitality into earning money. He is not one to undervalue himself, he will know what he is worth and make sure that other people value him correctly.

​      Jupiter is in Aquarius so let us examine the dispositor Uranus. Uranus is in Taurus in the 5th house. Uranus in the chart represents an area where we experience innovation. Uranus is placed in Taurus, with one signifier being food, Taurus is a sign that likes to cook and leisurely likes to savour its food, especially if it is gourmet. One of Ted’s for-profit ventures is his American restaurant chain Ted’s Montana Grill which currently has 45 establishments across America. He co-founded the restaurant with George McKerrow Jr, who is known as a leader in fine dining and casual restaurants as he founded LongHorn Steakhouse over 20 years ago. The chain serves classical American comfort food and has the biggest bison menu in the world. This restaurant is particularly Uranian in two areas. The first is that it serves a good social cause- it provides an incentive for ranchers to actively preserve and grow their herds, saving them from extinction. The second is that it is future oriented because it is devoted to sustainability. The restaurant details several impressive commitments such as using paper straws, biodegradable soaps and coasters, water efficient toilets and to-go cups made from cornstarch to name a few. Recall that his personality and soul urge numbers are 22/4 which vibrate to Uranus and enhances the far sighted vision to preserve the environment for future generations and at the same time has a charitable purpose in saving the bisons. Uranus is in the 5th house and that resonates because this house represents leisure time and what one does for fun, and having a night out at a good restaurant is enjoyable for many. We also see this potential for being in the restaurant business from the Moon being in the 10th house and the 2nd house ruler being in the 4th house. The moon’s natural house is the 4th house and both the moon and the 4th house relate to family, loved ones, comfort, hospitality, food and creating memories- all of which a good experience at a restaurant is related to. The moon being in the 10th also enables him to understand what the public needs and then being able to fulfill their desires so that it increases the  restaurant’s popularity.

      Although Jupiter is in the 2nd house, it is conjunct the 3rd house cusp by 1 degree. The third house represents communications, television, movies, broadcasting and media. It is also worth noting that Mercury, the planet associated with the third house and representing broadcasting and all types of communication is conjunct the ascendant by five degrees, showing that these themes will be associated with his personality and how people view him on first impression. In my view he is a very skilled communicator, articulately getting his message across to a wide variety of people. He became president and CEO of his father’s company, Turner’s advertising and when he renamed the company Turner Broadcasting Company, he founded CNN. In 1992 he created the Cartoon Network in addition to launching Turner Network Television (TNT) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). In 1996, Time Warner purchased his company for $7.5 billion.
 
 

    Alexander Graham Bell (March 3rd, 1847) was the inventor of the telephone. He has his ascendant in Pisces, the ascendant ruler Neptune in its own house (12th), along with the Sun, Saturn and Mercury in Pisces gives a very strong Pisces/Neptune/ 12th house flavour to this chart. This indicates that the needs of those at a disadvantaged place in society would be very important to him and he would try to help them in any way he could. Pisces is a compassionate and empathetic sign. They can feel other people’s emotions, even if that person is from a different background and walk of life. In his case, people with the disability of being deaf took a special place in his heart as his mother was nearly deaf. He did important work on Visible Speech for the deaf. Pisces has a mind that is creative and imaginative, it can think of possibilities no one else ever dreamed of. It works in circles rather than straight lines and can think out of the box to come up with innovative and unusual solutions to problems. In his case, from an early age (around 12) on passing a mill and seeing the slow process of husking the wheat grain, invented a device that would more efficiently do the same.

    The house of inventions, discoveries and futuristic thought is the 11th house. The 11th house also represents wishes, dream fulfillment, friends, and gains of all sorts. A strong 11th house will usually grant one or both of these things. In Bell’s chart we see Mars exalted in Capricorn, it has strong ambition, drive and motivation to achieve objectives and fulfill goals. Like the Mountain goat, it is capable of immense persistence, determination and will to succeed in the face of mounting obstacles. In numerology, his personality number is 9, vibrating with Mars. Number 9 has stamina, endurance and drive when they set their mind to something. He spent many long days working on the harmonic telegraph and was fascinated with the idea of voice transmission. As is characteristic of the 11th house, collaborations with friends become important, Bell found an appropriately skilled partner (Thomas Watson) to help turn his visions into reality. Together, they both filed a patent on the idea of voice transmission. On March 10, 1876, the telephone was devised as it is said that Bell knocked over a container of transmitting fluid and shouted, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you!” From that point, they began to do presentations for a wide variety of audiences. On July 9 1877, the Bell Telephone company was founded. His company was constantly growing as more and more people started using the telephone.

      A career connected with communications is strongly evident in Bell’s chart. Perhaps the most obvious is Jupiter the ruler of the 10th house of career is placed in Gemini- sign of communications. In this chart, Jupiter is in its detriment in Gemini and Mercury is in its detriment in Pisces, these weaken their position. However, Mercury and Jupiter participate in a mutual exchange. Mercury rules Gemini and Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces, therefore they are greatly strengthened and behave more like they are in their own signs. Moreover, Jupiter is conjunct the 3rd house cusp by 1 degree from the 2nd house, the 3rd house is Gemini’s natural house and represents communications, so this placement is especially fortuitous. He was born on Wednesday which is Mercury’s day, Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo (his moon sign) and represents the way one communicates their message to those around them. He was born on the 3rd, which vibrates to Jupiter. The influence of the 3 gives the creativity and love for communicating one’s message into the world. It also enhances the desire to travel and he indeed travelled many places to promote the phone. As well his aerial company built planes designed for foreign travel. The travelling connection with career is also shown as Jupiter rules both the 9th and 10th houses. Number 3 enhanced his sociability and talent for collaborating with others in his inventions. Perhaps of most help to him, number 3 because of its connection to Jupiter gives a boost of luck wherever it is found. In his case he narrowly was awarded the patent for the phone over his rival and managed to overcome all the lawsuits against his company.

We can see that the 10th house of career is connected with the 11th house of inventions in multiple ways:

1. Jupiter at 8 degrees Gemini is square Saturn at 4 degrees Pisces, ruler of the 11th house by 4 degrees. By traditional rulership, Jupiter would also be the dispositor of Saturn.
2.Jupiter is quincunx the 11th house cusp at 11 degrees Capricorn by 3 degrees
3. Jupiter is biquintile Mars at 14 degrees Capricorn exact
 
     Thus we can conclude that 11th house themes played an important role in his career, in his case he became a famous inventor and was known as a futuristic thinker. His inventions were usually developed with others (this is partly the 11th house influence and partly due to the Moon in the 7th house, both show a desire for collaboration and partnership). In addition to inventing and publicizing the telephone with Watson, he formed the Aerial Experiment Association with Glenn Curtiss and other colleagues. The group of them developed the silver dart which was a seminal powered flying machine in Canada. He developed the Volta laboratory so that he could continue to make new discoveries. The 11th house is also associated with humanitarian efforts and in 1890, he established the American Association to Promote Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. The connection of teaching with his career is also revealed as Jupiter rules both the 9th and 10th houses (9th is higher education) and is tightly conjunct the 3rd house representing scientific learning.

     The Moon takes on a special importance in his chart as it is the only planet on the Western hemisphere, therefore the chart shape is a bucket with handle planet Moon. The Moon is 24 degrees Virgo and is tightly conjunct the Vertex at 26 degrees Virgo in the 7th house. The Vertex is a highly fated contact, representing situations and opportunities that are destined to occur. The 7th house represents one on one relating. Virgo as a Mercury ruled sign has a focus on communications as well. Typically we use the phone when we need to communicate a message to a specific person. Perhaps this aspect speaks to his destiny in allowing people all over the world achieve a greater degree of connectedness by more regular contact even if living far away. The North Node in Libra in the 7th house also speaks to the fact that his growth and evolution was in the direction of improving relationship skills. The Moon-Vertex conjunction tightly squares the MC and the North Node makes a sextile to it, showing the connection with career and public standing.

      There are no hard and fast rules for fame, however certain chart features can help in that regard. Notably, Bell’s core numerology chart contains the 1-8-9 pattern that is frequently found in powerful people. His expression and soul urge number is 1, his life path is 8 and his personality is 9. Two number 1s speak to his passion for discovery, exploration, pioneering spirit and independence and creativity. Number 1 vibrates to the Sun and we find that although the Sun is in the 12th house, it is conjunct the ASC by 4 degrees. In his case the 12th house may represent the disability of being deaf and his becoming famous for his work in improving their quality of life.

​     The 1st house represents the self and people with many planets in the 1st house are given an extra chance to shine and showcase their personality and skills. We find Mercury, Venus, Uranus and Pluto here. Mercury allows his intelligence, thinking style, and communication skills to be prominent. Venus is conjunct the Aries point at 0 degrees Aries which contributes to publicity or fame. Uranus in Aries in the 1st house is a perfect aspect for an inventor. Uranus is the planet of discoveries, future oriented thought, innovative ideas, scientific research and exploration. Uranus challenges us to think in highly original, unconventional ways. Aries is independent, loves to discover and is bold with regards to thinking up new ideas and presenting them. This placement in the first house is exactly the personality Bell showed to the world. Pluto in the 1st house showed his personality is one that became very powerful and transformed the way we communicate globally. Aries is intercepted in the 1st house, means that although Pisces traits are important in how he comes across to others, Aries also plays a big role, even more so because three planets are intercepted in the 1st house in Aries. This resonates with his personality as an adventurer and original, independent thinker, unafraid of taking risks.

     The 1st and 10th house rulers being connected help one become well known in their career or social circle. In his case, the ruler of the 10th house Jupiter squares the Sun in the 1st house by 4 degrees. Pluto in the 1st house makes a 1 degree trine to the MC. Mercury in the 1st house makes a 1 degree square to the MC.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Rudolph Valentino (May 6th 1895) was born under the combination of Taurus, Venus and number 6. Fitting of this combination, he was known for love and romance and was a sex symbol. He was known as “The great lover” and the “Latin Lover” in the 1920s and starred in several romantic films including The Sheik (1921), Blood and Sand (1922) and The Eagle (1925). He did all this without saying a word and was one the most popular silent film stars of the time. Venus in his astrological chart is prominent for a number of reasons: His ascendant is Libra which is Venus ruled, Libra also vibrates to the number 6. Libra and number give the influence of beauty, charm and sophistication. The ruler is Venus in Gemini, and its dispositor is Mercury. Recall that the ascendant is your first impressions to people, your physical appearance and the lens through which you view the world. Rudolph’s personality number is 5 and the personality number also represents how other people view you, which may or may not be reflective of who you really are. Five vibrates to Mercury so his ascendant and personality number correspond. Mercury is an androgynous planet, accounting for people perceiving him that way on first impression, he was criticized for being effeminate at times. Mercury was also giving him intelligence and the quick wit needed to make the most out of his circumstances. He knew that his good looks, dancing ability and charm were one of his major attributes so he became a nightclub taxi dancer in New York where wealthy women would pay for his company. He toured the country dancing as part of a musical production. In California he built up a clientele of women who would pay him for dance instruction. It was his dancing talent in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) in the first scene dancing a tango that gave him his lucky break and then his star was quickly on the rise.

        Jupiter is exalted in Cancer conjunct the MC in the 10th house providing its fortune in his career. His soul urge number is 3 which gives him a deeper need to express himself creatively and artistically. Number 3 vibrates to Jupiter so we can infer that his career dreams came true when he became a movie star. His moon is in Libra giving him an emotional need for romantic love in partnership and a disinclination towards fighting and controversy. He wanted to have his outer circumstances be harmonious and peaceful. Venus is conjunct the MC from the 9th house showing that his career would include Venusian themes such as physical attractiveness, romance,  and seduction. It also indicates a career involving females or female services/ products. In his case, his fan base was primarily women and his films catered to them. Venus gains a lot of power because it is in mutual reception with Mercury. Venus is in Gemini (Mercury’s own sign) and Mercury is in Taurus (Venus’ own sign). This allows each planet to behave as if it was in its own sign so that its expression is positively powerful. Notice that the planets in his chart have their final dispositor in the Mercury-Venus mutual reception giving them even more strength and emphasis. Venus is out of bounds meaning that it will behave on the extremes of its expression, in his case it amplified his good looks, charm, romantic appeal and ability to seduce women. At public appearances, fans would tear at his hair and clothes. He was credited for creating a new type of romantic hero, paving the way for others who came after him.

       Saturn is in his second house, partly explaining that he was struggling financially when younger. At one point he was even begging on the street in Paris and took menial jobs when he moved to New York. He was living on the street and in Central park before he got work as a nightclub dancer. It was only in 1917 at the age of 22 he decided to be an actor in Hollywood. His expression number is 8 which is Saturn’s number and usually this number gains more material riches in their later life as they prosper more with the passing of time. Number 8 may also face a lot of obstacles when younger but are naturally resilient. Saturn makes a 2 degree trine to the MC showing his persistence in his career, even though he was having a very hard time making a success financially and in his career he persisted until he became a star. Uranus is in his second house which resonates with his rags to riches story.

     One of the major criticisms of Valentino was his effeminate or androgynous style. In 1915 when involved in a trial between his friend and her husband, he testified that her husband had been having multiple affairs. However, his appearance caused some reporters to write articles expressing doubts about his masculinity. Towards the end of his life, he was criticized in an editorial called "Pink Powder Puffs" where he was criticized for a face powder dispenser in a public men’s washroom. 

"A powder vending machine!  In a men’s washroom! Homo Americanus! Why didn’t someone quietly drown Rudolph Guglielmo , alias Valentino, years ago?… Do women like the type of “man” who pats pink powder on his face in a public washroom and arranges his coiffure in a public elevator?… Hollywood is the national school of masculinity. Rudy, the beautiful gardener’s boy, is the prototype of the American male.”

      Valentino subsequently defended himself. In that article, the anonymous author blamed him for America’s “degeneration into effeminacy”. Mars representing masculinity and ruggedness is in its fall in Cancer. He was also denied roles due to prejudice against immigrants and for being “too foreign”. On the dark side Mars can represent violence and aggression and his initial roles were as the dark villain. Some of his roles including that in 1924's Monsieur Beaucaire where he wore heavy makeup and ruffled costumes reinforced the effeminate image. However since Mars is tightly conjunct and exalted Jupiter, it strengthens it. Mars is also out of bounds at declination 24 degrees 37 minutes showing the possibility to go to its extremes- on one hand he was seen as effeminate but on the other hand he was seen as a sex symbol (Mars represents physicality, passion and sexual drive). A silent film expert writes about Valentino "Here was an openly sexual icon designed to feed the most hidden fantasies of the cinema's largely female audience. Traditional values of home and family seemed wildly inappropriate when Valentino held the screen. Instead, his films offered hints of violent sexuality and miscegenation meant to tantalize viewers". Many of his roles in films were openly sexual. Mars also represents war, fighting, aggression and people involved in these things, thus it is fitting that Mars in the 10th also speaks to his role playing a Russian soldier seeking to avenge the wrongs committed against his family by the Czarina in The Eagle (1925). Since the 4th-10th axis is the parental axis, it also makes sense that his father was in a Mars influenced profession, he was a cavalry officer in the Royal Italian Army.

      Another aspect of Mars being in fall concerns his romantic relationships because Mars rules his 7th house. Mars is also challenged by making a square to the Moon representing women and emotions. First he married Jean Acker who was an in the closet lesbian who left him for a woman after they married. She locked him out of the house and did not respond to his letters. He married Natacha Rambova while still married to Jean which resulted in bigamy charges and him being put in jail. He had to avoid conviction by admitting that he had never consummated the marriage. Mars as the 7th house ruler is placed in the 10th house showing that the spouse could play a role in the career. In his case, Natacha took dominion over his career and selected for him roles that tended to reinforce effeminate stereotypes about him such as Monsieur Beaucaire (1924), The Sainted Devil (1925), and Cobra (1925).

       He has a Venus-Neptune conjunction in the 9th house and this gives him the glamour, sophistication, idealism and dreaminess, not only in how he views love but also how women view him. He once said “Women are not in love with me but with the picture of me on the screen. I am merely the canvas on which women paint their dreams”. He understands that women don’t really know him but only the dream they have created about him in their mind, which does not necessarily correspond with who he truly is. Because Venus-Neptune can incline one to put their partner on a pedestal and ignore their flaws, it can cause the viewing through rose-coloured glasses and subsequent disappointment in love. He did not want to acknowledge the possibility that Jean may not be attracted to men or that Natacha was not making the best decisions for his career. His movies did not do well when she was selecting roles for him so studio executives took him on providing that she would be barred from the set. Natacha got angry and left the country. Valentino wanted a reconciliation but she divorced him, suggesting that perhaps she didn’t really love him but just was using him to further her own career. She did not have his best interests in mind and due to the fogginess Venus-Neptune can bring, he didn’t recognize it. It was only after he split from her that he took masculine roles and his income got a huge increase. Charlie Chaplin comments "Valentino had an air of sadness. He wore his success gracefully, appearing almost subdued by it. He was intelligent, quiet and without vanity, and had great allure for women, but had little success with them, and those whom he married treated him rather shabbily. . . No man had greater attraction for women than Valentino; no man was more deceived by them".

    The dreaminess and artistic/ poetic talent of the Venus-Neptune conjunction is evident in his writing. The third house represents writing and communication and its ruler Pluto is conjunct the Venus-Neptune conjunction in the 9th house of publishing. In 1923 Valentino published his book of poetry, “Day Dreams”. After his death, his personal thoughts and feelings written about in his diary were published twice, first in My Private Diary (1929) and two years later in The Intimate Journal of Rudolph Valentino (1931). His fondness for writing is shown by his life path 7, which is Neptune’s number and gives the tendency towards fantasy and daydreams and enjoys being in solitude and writing. Sevens have a particular tendency to keep a diary. Writing helps them clear their thoughts and find an outlet to express their deeper emotions.

​       The 8th house represents death and legacies. His death is symbolically shown as the 8th house ruler is Mars in Cancer. Cancer represents the stomach, digestive organs and abdominal organs. He died of a ruptured ulcer which is where the untreated ulcer burns through the wall of the stomach allowing digested foods and juices to leech through the abdominal cavity. He underwent surgery (represented by Mars) but it was not successful. Valentino died very young at the age of 31. When his female fans found out that he was dying, it was reported that the hospital got about 2000 calls per hour. Some women committed suicide when they found out he was dead. Thousands of his fans came to view his body over 3 days at his public funeral. As shown by the 8th house ruler Mars being in the 10th house and conjunct Jupiter, Valentino left a public, long lasting legacy. There was a memorial service 65 years after his death.  In 1951 and 1977 film biographies were made of his life, titled Valentino. In 1975, a television movie made of his life, Legend of Valentino was released.

         2020 is the year of the rat in Chinese astrology and I always watch for it as it’s the one year out of the twelve-year cycle where there is major good luck for me. I’m a major yang person by virtue of being born between May 5th and August 8th. It is also a year of major good luck for anyone born between March 7th and May 4th who has a minor yin nature. At the same time, it can be a year of major bad luck if you were born between November 7th and March 6th as you would be a major yin nature person. Minor yin people born between August 9th and November 6th would also have a year of major bad luck. Yin people have their year of major good luck during the year of the horse.

      Keep in mind the few days around the edges of each period can fluctuate a bit so if you were born a few days on either side of March 7th (March 5th-9th), August 8th (Aug 6th-10th) or November 7th (Nov 5th-9th) you can find out whether it was the year of the rat or the year of the horse which brought you your major good luck and bad luck periods by reflecting on which years were most and least auspicious for you.

Year of the rat: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032

Year of the horse: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
 
       The reason I track this system for years of major good luck or major bad luck is that it has been very accurate and reliable in its results when I look at what is happening in my life and those around me, as well as the clients I do readings for. The karma that comes in these years is more likely to be fixed and not easily changed through personal effort, though you can control how you react to the events. Although COVID-19 has had a negative impact on most people, there are some people who are much harder hit, either psychologically or financially, than others. There are also people who can recover quicker and more efficiently than others for various reasons. The year 2020 has already shown me many blessings, some completely unexpected windfalls and other things have come to fruition which I have worked towards for years.

     There is a cyclical nature to life, and everyone experiences luck and challenges at different times. Everything is constantly changing, even things which you feel are unfair and will never change. The goal through these difficult times is always to keep an attitude of equanimity, and gracefully accept whatever circumstances come your way. Gracefully does not mean passively, if you are faced with unjust circumstances, actively fighting for what is right may be necessary. In my view, to be graceful is to behave in an admirable way, even though it may not be the path of least resistance, even when your enemies may be more materially powerful than you, and even though others are behaving unethically and with a lack of compassion. Michelle Obama reminds us of this with her classic saying “When they go low, you go high”. Through it all, being confident that you have enough strength and resilience to overcome the present challenges and nothing can stop you from achieving what destiny has in store for you.

​      The years of good luck, bad luck, little good luck, and little bad luck have not been consistently as reliable in my practice, although I am including them for reference:
 

​Major yang or minor yang

• Rat, Major Good Luck
• Ox, Good Luck
• Tiger, Little Bad Luck
• Rabbit, Little Bad Luck
• Dragon, Little Good Luck
• Snake, Bad Luck
• Horse, Major Bad Luck
• Goat, Bad Luck
• Monkey, Little Good Luck
• Rooster, Little Good Luck
• Dog, Little Bad Luck
• Pig, Good Luck

 
Major yin or minor yin 

• Rat, Major Bad Luck
• Ox, Bad Luck
• Tiger, Little Good Luck
• Rabbit, Little Good Luck
• Dragon, Neutral
• Snake, Good Luck
• Horse, Major Good Luck
• Goat, Good Luck
• Monkey, Little Bad Luck
• Rooster, Little Bad Luck
• Dog, Little Good Luck
• Pig, Bad luck