(c)8-26-12 by Donna Cunningham, MSW
The example chart used in the The Stellium Handbook is country singer, Taylor Swift. She was chosen because–like vast numbers born in 1988-89–she has a stellium of four planets in Capricorn.
The birth time for her chart, 8:36 PM, was noted on AstroTheme as coming from Twitter, with no other source. The time sounds very precise rather than guesswork, so Swift may have given it in response to a fan’s question. It must still be considered speculative. (Astrology: Taylor Swift, date of birth: 1989/12/13, Horoscope, Birth …)
She was constantly in the news during the time she was doing her best to land a Kennedy kid and become part of their compound, and we’re looking at her chart here because of the similarities to JFK’s chart. My able assistant on the Stellium Handbook project, CJ Wright of Auntie Moon, discovered that Taylor has no aspects to her 12th house Sun (ruler of the Ascendant).
I recalled hearing of two other iconic figures with no aspects to the Sun—John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe—who were linked together, or so it’s reputed, as secret lovers. Needing to verify their unaspected Suns, I went to their AstroDataBank records. You can see their charts and bios here: Kennedy, John F. and here: Monroe, Marilyn.
Upon scanning their charts, it turns out their Suns are not entirely unaspected. Monroe does have a Sun-Mercury conjunction and Kennedy has a Sun-Venus conjunction but the other Sun aspects AstroDienst lists are crazy-wide.
What’s even more interesting to me, since I’m researching the Capricorn stellium generation, is that all three of these charts have prominent Saturn-Neptune aspects. (The conjunctions happen about every 35-37 years, and the last three were in 1916-18, 1951-52, and 1989-90.)
- Swift has Saturn and Neptune conjunct in Capricorn.
- Kennedy’s Saturn and Neptune are conjunct on the MH in Cancer/Leo.
- Monroe has Neptune on the ASC in Leo tightly squared by Saturn in Scorpio. Monroe’s aspect is especially painful!!! No wonder she was so terribly insecure and uncertain of who she really was.
She’s remained fascinating to the world in all these years since her death. (Her estate’s @MarilynMonroe Twitter feed has more than 52,000 followers.) This month, the world is marking the 50th anniversary of her mysterious passing (accidental overdose? suicide? murder?) on August 5, 1962. Since transits to famous people’s charts show ways that they come to the public eye long after they’ve passed on, I found myself madly speculating on what will happen with Monroe’s Saturn Return in Scorpio. Maybe they’ll exhume her body?? (If you’re ghoulish too, here’s a picture of her crypt.)
Is anyone else skeptical that Swift wouldfind lasting happiness with a Kennedy? I didn’t imagine so even before discovering this pattern in all three charts, but now I’d tell her, “Run Bambi!”
Have fun with the charts and leave your observations in the comment section. Incidentally, have any of you gotten a Zero score on any of the Planetary tests? And have you heard of any other notables with unaspected Suns?
Related articles on Skywriter:
- Getting a Grip on Saturn-Neptune Aspects
- Blending without Drowning: How Saturn Saved a Neptune Type
- How Strong is your Sun? Here’s the Score!
- How Strong is your Saturn? Here’s the Score!
- How Strong is your Neptune? Here’s the Score!
- And for those of you born with Neptune and Saturn conjunct in Libra in 1951-3, this blog’s for you: 2nd Saturn Return Blog
Here’s a question: For a least aspected planet, can its mid-points be taken into consideration when we try to see how ‘strong’ the planet is for a native?
My Virgo Jupiter is my least active, but it has 14 or 15 Virgo mid-points to it with the Cancer Sun & Leo Stellium on one side and my Sag Saturn on the other in the ‘bucket’ part of my chart.
It’s the only earth in my chart, but I draw Virgo bees to me like I’m some big ol’ commodious hive.
By: ejrunyon on August 26, 2012
at 10:59 am
Hi, EJ, nice to hear from you. Yes, midpoints can be powerful, and especially when there are so many that they create what is known as a “midpoint tree.” It used to be a popular topic to study, but I seldom hear of it anymore at conferences and such.
Folks, if you doubt that the midway point between two planets can draw them together in a meaningful way, try finding the midpoint between your Sun and Moon. Mine is at 27-28 of the fixed sign, and any time one of the big planets gets there by transits, it knocks me on my keister! Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 26, 2012
at 11:08 am
Thanks for this, Donna. I’ve seen couple of successful people charts with unaspected Sun- It seems that Sun /unlike MOON- in particular/
is the only planet which flourishes when unaspected. I’ve read somewhere long time ago that unaspected Sun brings focus- free from other aspects that may affect its role- and success.
By: Anna on August 26, 2012
at 2:07 pm
It’s true, when a planet is a lone one like that, we can wind up over compensating. For instance, singletons by element can be like that–I have only Neptune in earth, and yet I wind up very practical in my approach to astrology. And I do take care of my promoting my work, but it never comes naturally. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 26, 2012
at 2:19 pm
hi, i have 5 planets in capricorn in the 5th, i was born march 1988 and i can’t wait for your stellium tool kit to come out. my packed 5th house is emphasized by my leo ascendant, but other than that i have no other fire signs, but i am very lion-esque lol! i have just recently realized how odd my chart is because my sun & n. north are both pisces in the 8th. have you heard of this before? thnx!
By: jm on August 26, 2012
at 4:53 pm
Hi, i have a book of Janis Huntley where she writes about unaspected Sun “over 50 percent of subjects with this configuration become successful of famous” and two examples are given: King Louis XIV of France known as the “Sun King” and Vincent Van Gogh who was obsessed by the sun and painted it boldly in his “Sunflowers”
By: Lu on August 26, 2012
at 10:40 pm
Interesting, Lu. I have always loved Van Gogh those wild sunflowers! Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on August 27, 2012
at 6:18 am
I have 4 Capricorn planets – Sun, Merc, Saturn and Mars (and also Ceres and my POF) hanging around my DC. I also have planets in Sagittarius, in 6th (Jupiter and Venus and a whole bunch of asteroids). Everything on my chart seems bunched in one small sector – which should make me focussed (?) but doesn’t.🙂 I can’t *wait* to see the stellium tool kit, try and sort this mess out.😀
By: Maya Panika on August 27, 2012
at 12:58 am
Eagerly awaiting The Stellium Tool Kit!
By: Gemster on August 27, 2012
at 11:56 am
This is interesting and all, but the stated time for her birth is 8.46 PM, not AM. This brings her stellium into the fifth house and her ascendent Leo.
By: curious on October 11, 2012
at 5:16 pm
So this would put her sun score at (maybe) 37? I find it very interesting because I was born a few days out from Taylor Swift and I can tell her strong (but controlled) Leonian side.
By: curious on October 11, 2012
at 6:55 pm
Thanks so much for the correction, Curious. You are right–the time is PM rather than AM. I’ve substituted the correct chart on the post. This example is illustrative of how important house placement and associated signs can be in measuring the strength of various planets. Swift still has an unaspected Sun, but with the addition of a Leo Ascendant and parts of the stellium being in the 5th house, as you’ve pointed out, that strenghtens the effect of her Sun a great deal. Regards, Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on October 12, 2012
at 9:47 am
I love reading an article that will make men and women think.
Also, thank you for allowing for me to comment!
By: The Tao of Badass Review on November 4, 2012
at 12:19 am