Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

The death of pop superstar Michael Jackson yesterday has sparked an overwhelming outpouring of grief and remembrance around the world. Although more recently known for his bizarre behaviour and various legal and financial troubles, his millions of fans paid tribute to him and his music and the indelible mark he left on the entertainment industry. There are several widely divergent birth times floating around for Michael Jackson, some from apparently reliable sources. And yet unless and until some one sees the birth certificate, his true horoscope will likely remain an open question. Of all the birth times in common usage for MJ, I think the 7.30 p.m. chart offers a plausible window onto the nature of the man and his life events. This is the birth time that Michael Jackson himself provided to an astrologer colleague several years ago when he went in search of a Vedic chart reading. What follows is a brief astrological sketch based on that tentative birth time.

MJ was born on the day of a Full Moon, an appropriate placement for such a famous person. Bright Full Moons are considered very auspicious in Vedic astrology because like the Moon, the person becomes visible and easily noticed. Moreover, this chart has the Moon rising in sidereal Aquarius, which underlines his great fame since the first house is the most important in the whole chart. Fame and success were also indicated by the placement of Saturn on the MC in the 10th house. As ruler of Aquarius and the first house, Saturn placed in the 10th house confers high profile and career success. As an additional boost for success, the 10th lord Mars closely aspects this Saturn in the 10th house. We can also see that Mars was doubly powerful here because it was in its own sign of Aries. It is noteworthy that his Saturn dasha began 1972 when he started to achieve success in his musical career with the Jackson 5 and it lasted into 1991 when he had reached the apogee of his fame with his best-selling albums, Thriller and Bad. While Saturn often gets a bad rap since it is a natural malefic, it's clear that Michael Jackson's Saturn was a key ingredient to his success due to 1) its rulership of the 1st house; 2) its placement in the 10th; 3) the strength of its dispositor Mars; and 4) the absence of any afflicting aspects.

Michael Jackson's horoscope suggests he was an immensely talented and successful person but also isolated and troubled. His Moon (emotions, mind) and Saturn (structure, limits, loss) were in square aspect, a common signature in depressed or lonely people who cannot easily connect with others. The 4th house (Taurus) is also associated with happiness and emotions and it is ruled by Venus. As we've seen, Venus is in an awkward place due to its Mars and Uranus influence and its placement in the dussthana 6th house. When the 4th lord is afflicted and placed in the 6th house it can create emotional problems with parents. It is well known that he was abused by his father as a child.

What else does the horoscope reveal about Michael Jackson? His musical and performing abilities perhaps stem from the association of Mars and Venus. Mars rules his strong 3rd house, the house that is associated with creativity and the arts, and it is well situated in its own sign of Aries. Mars aspected Venus by square aspect hence the 3rd house is linked with Venus, the planetary significator of art and beauty. Venus was conjoined with innovative Uranus in Cancer and this perhaps contributed to his originality and ground breaking performances which launched the era of music videos in the early 1980s. Significantly, Venus-Uranus were in Cancer which is ruled by the Moon, and with the Moon powerfully placed in the first house (self), we can see how his artistic abilities could be translated into the world.

For all of his career success, MJ was notable for his strange and turbulent love life. He married twice, but neither lasted very long and both of them seemed more like public relations stunts designed to deflect attention away from the persistent charges of sexual abuse and pedophilia. Relationships are seen through Venus and the 7th house and MJ's 7th is ruled by Sun which is well-placed in Leo although it is aspected by Saturn. While Saturn rules the benefic first house, it also rules the 12th house (Capricorn) which is related to hidden or secret matters. This 12th house influence on his 7th house would increase the likelihood of an unusual or unhappy love life. For its part, Venus is greatly troubled by virtue of the Uranus conjunction which can create desire for different or unusual partners. The Mars aspect to Venus is another destabilizing influence on relationships. The 8th house and its lord are more closely connected with the sex act itself and we see transgressive Rahu there in the 8th. Mercury rules the 8th and it is in tough shape since it is retrograde in early Leo, leaning towards the 6th house, and worst of all in a trine aspect with Ketu. Like Rahu, Ketu can introduce an element of 'weirdness' into the equation.



We can see that Mercury was a weak planet for MJ because it was during his Mercury dasha (1991-2008) that he gradually lost his popularity and saw his difficulties grow on various fronts. Ketu dasha began in 2008 and he was running Ketu-Venus at the time he died. Ketu is in a particularly vulnerable place in his chart since it is gandanta, that is, it sits on the cusp between Pisces and Aries, or a water and fire sign. When planets are situated near this zodiacal 'no-man's land' they lose strength and are more prone to deliver life challenges and hardship. As we've seen the subperiod lord Venus was significantly weakened by virtue of its 6th house (health, illness) placement with Uranus (sudden or rash actions) aspected by Mars (harm, strife). MJ's transits were also very stressful. Transiting Saturn (loss, disappointment) had just stationed (21 Leo) opposite his 1st house Moon (21 Aquarius) in May and was still forming a very close aspect at 22 degrees of Leo. The transiting conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune (2 Aquarius) was closely opposite MJ's 8th lord natal Mercury (2 Leo). The 8th house is associated with serious diseases and sudden developments. Since it was natally weak, Mercury could not withstand the draining energy that Neptune was contributing. The otherwise positive effect of Jupiter did not translate here. Given the multiple afflictions to the chart, it was simply a bit player in a much larger tragedy. Perhaps the gentle calming Jupiter influence was reflected in the fact that he apparently died of an overdose of Demerol, a powerful opioid. As a short term triggering transit, the subperiod lord Venus (25 Aries) was in a tight conjunction both with transiting Mars (24 Aries) and his natal Mars (28 Aries). This is therefore a double Venus affliction by Mars, a planet that does not mix energies well with Venus.

Iran election protests

Mass protests and rioting broke out in the aftermath of a contested election result that saw victory declared by incumbent hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the moderate challenger Hossein Mousavi. In an unprecedented move to mollify opposition protesters, Iran's religious leadership under Ayatollah Khameini has agreed to a partial recount of the results. Just where these protests may lead remains unknown, as a new generation of young Iranians try to seize the this opportunity to bring their country into the 21st century.

The astrological indications for this uprising is quite clearly seen in the horoscope of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as it was declared on April 1, 1979 at 3 p.m. The dashas provide the first hint of trouble as the chart began running Rahu-Moon in March 2009. Rahu is conjoined with malefic Saturn in the 2nd house in Leo suggesting uncertainty or trouble surrounding the speech and communication which are 2nd house indications as well as possible economic losses. One doesn't want to put too much emphasis on dasha lords which have a long term background influence (Rahu runs from 1993 to 2011) but it's interesting how Iran's economy has suffered in recent years and the current economic slowdown is not helping matters any. Also more of its citizens are becoming aware of the gap between the official government line and the everyday reality in the street so this is another possible manifestation of an afflicted 2nd house.

Perhaps more important is the minor period lord Moon which runs from March 2009 to September 2010. With Cancer rising, the Moon is the chart ruler and we can see that it receives the full strength 10th house square aspect from Saturn in the natal chart. Saturn tends to be associated with hardship and privations, so one would expect to see some basic sorts of afflictions with the natal Moon to correspond with the current unrest. To make matters worse for this Moon, the aspect from Saturn is just one degree from exact and so it has more capacity to do damage and it rules the malefic 8th house (Aquarius) of upset, obstacles, and scandals. Clearly, the Moon minor period is very problematic for Iran.

If anything, the transit situation gives an even clearer picture of trouble as it is an extremely afflicted chart. Uranus, the planet of quick or sudden occurrences, is just minutes away from the natal Mars in Pisces in the 9th house of religion and law. Symbolically, this can mean explosive (Uranus) anger (Mars) directed at religious authority (9th house). This is an massive amount of energy since Uranus vastly increases the scale of anger and violence that we traditionally associate with Mars. Uranus is going stationary retrograde on July 1, so it is infused with extra incendiary power in the coming weeks.

Transiting Ketu is conjunct the natal Jupiter in the 1st house and this combination often signals changes in philosophy and underlying principles. Interestingly, Jupiter rules the 9th house of religious authority in this chart and is exalted in the first house in Cancer, a plausible enough signature for a theocracy ruled by fundamentalist clerics. Ketu (aka the South Lunar Node) is a planet that symbolizes transgressions and change, and is considered a separating or world-denying influence. Ketu transits to Jupiter, therefore often mark times of legal or religious controversy. Certainly, the essential principles of the Islamic Republic are being called into question by an increasingly Westernized and technologically-savvy younger generation who are seeking a more moderate co-existence between Islam and modernity.

In addition, transiting Saturn is conjunct the 2nd house Rahu, and this is another expression of failing propaganda as Rahu, the "dragon's head", is a source of deception in speech and is no longer believed by a majority of Iranians in the wake of this apparently rigged election.

The next few days will likely see an escalation of the situation as Venus and Mars will conjoin at 21 Aries in near-exact aspect to the natal Rahu. This comes exact on June 22. The question is: will the government back down and re-run the election or might it even be on the verge of collapsing altogether? Certainly, the chart has a level of affliction that suggests major changes are afoot over the next year or two. After the Moon subperiod, the Mars period runs from Sept 2010 to Oct 2011 and given the close proximity of transiting Uranus to the natal Mars during that time, Iran is likely going to see continued instability and conflict. The planets suggest that the least likely outcome is that the protests will just fizzle out and things will return to normal. I would not be surprised to see some significant concessions to the opposition here. To be honest, the chart has such a high level of affliction that does not rule out any conflict scenario including "regime change".

Certainly, Ahmadinejad's own chart (October 28, 1956) is extremely stressed as Saturn has recently stationed exactly opposite his natal Mars (21 Leo) but that could still only account for the current crisis, rather than any additional hardship that may foretell his ouster. I do note, however that Saturn-Uranus opposition will conjoin his natal Venus (2 Virgo) in September so that is likely to spell continued problems for him. Saturn will station at 10 Virgo in his 12th house in December, so that is another period where he will have many troubles. Given all these afflictions, Ahmandinejad's days as president are likely numbered.

October will see Jupiter's station (23 Capricorn) on the 7th house cusp in the Iran chart so that could indicate a new period of calm, perhaps involving other countries such as the USA. Conceivably, this could occur after the establishment of a Mousavi-led government. Less dramatically, it could represent a compromise third candidate taking the reigns of power. In any event, with Saturn heading for its June 2010 station (4 Virgo) in close opposition to the Mercury-Mars conjunction in the Iran chart, one should think that we are entering an era of continuing difficulties rather than heralding some happy new day of moderate Islam in Iran. Therefore I think is more likely that we will see a protracted struggle between the forces of moderation and fundamentalism. Anyway, let's see how the Venus-Mars conjunction plays out in the coming days so see where the trajectory is going.

New Moon in Gemini

New Moon June 22 2009 3.35 p.m EDT Washington, DC
As I noted in last month's newsletter, the very close harmonic aspect between Mercury and Mars in May 24 Taurus New Moon may well cause some significant problems for Mercury-ruled affairs. The events of the past week indicate that some of that energy has already been released. GM declared bankruptcy on June 1 as the US government is now a part-owner of America's largest car marker. Saturn was close to the 4th house cusp which often indicates "the end of the matter", so that is somewhat appropriate for symbolizing the end of US auto industry in its previous form. Mercury rules transportation, so it's not too much of a stretch to see that the negative Mars influence here was somehow implicated. Yesterday's fatal crash of an Air France jet off the coast of Brazil is another possible expression of this Mars affliction to Mercury, the planet of that rules transportation. North Korea also re-emerged as a concern for world leaders as they detonated an underground nuclear device on May 25, just one day after the New Moon. Besides the prominent Mars in this chart, I wonder if the Sun coming under the aspect of distorting Rahu (North Lunar Node) might point to uncontrolled (Rahu) actions from leaders such as Kim Jung-Il (Sun). Interestingly, the Sun-Moon conjunction in the May 24 New Moon chart falls near the cusp of the 12th house, representing faraway places and secrecy.

The Gemini New Moon of June 22 looks fairly intense with a number of tight aspects that are highlighted in the Washington, DC chart. Given the United States pre-eminent position in the world, I am focusing on the DC chart. If this is astrological US imperialism, so be it. The Sun-Moon conjunction occurs exactly on the equal 9th house cusp closely opposed by Pluto. To make matters a little more pointed, the New Moon occurs in Ardra, a nakshatra that is not know for its calming or uplifting effects. It is associated with storms, moisture, toxins, limitations an purging. The 9th house represents foreign countries, so this may indicate some harsh or crude exertions of power on the world stage. The 9th house also represents law and religion and having that kind of affliction there may point to problems with Obama's recent Supreme court appointment of Sonia Sotomayor. Religious figures may also be in the news from late June onwards, in the form of conflict or disputes. Benefic Jupiter also aspects the New Moon, so we shouldn't be too pessimistic about the outcomes of 9th house matters. Another unusual characteristic of this chart is that the nodes are sitting exactly square the ascendant, as Ketu conjoins the equal 10th house cusp and Rahu is on the 4th. This placement may foretell unusual or eccentric actions by leaders and governments, ("thinking outside the box") and family and educational settings may undergo some upset or significant changes.

Another key configuration for the Gemini New Moon is the exact conjunction of Venus and Mars in close trine aspect with Saturn. This pattern creates a lot of pressure on Venus-ruled matters such as women, art, and money. On the plus side, the Mars and Saturn influence can translate Venus into more real manifestations of its often subtle energy, such as an artistic vision realized, albeit often under less than perfect circumstances. More negatively, this can be just a bad pattern for female energy, as it seems to be defined in terms of males (Mars) or the "real world" (Saturn). Mars is supported by Venus here, so that can bode well for athletic or physical endeavours, especially those that are connected with ancient or traditional practices (Saturn), such as yoga.

New Indian government

The new Congress-led Indian government under Manmohan Singh was sworn in May 24 at 6.34 p.m. IST. This is quite a strong chart with the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction very close to the 4th house cusp. This placement will tend to aid in the maintainence of domestic tranquility. Prosperity is more mixed here since Jupiter the karaka of wealth and also lord of the second house of wealth is conjunct the dissolving influence of Neptune. So on one hand wealth creation is improved because the 4th house placement supports the 2nd house but the Neptune influence may indicate that some of the wealth may be illusory or unsustainable in the long term.

Mercury is retrograde and forming a close aspect to the ascendant and this may mean that the government will be activist and in the news with its various programs. It may also change its direction on some issues that could lead to confusion. The Sun in the 7th house is in a close aspect with Rahu suggesting a prominent leadership role under PM Singh but it also indicates that his actions may ruffle more than a few feathers. This is perhaps a reflection of the free market economic reforms that are planned. Singh's government will likely implement a significant number of reforms that will be upsetting to many people. The fall period seems troubled by the Saturn-Pluto square. Transiting Saturn (7 Virgo) will come under the disruptive influence of the aspect from natal Rahu (8 Capricorn).

North Korea tests nuke

North Korea (Sept 9 1948) has been causing some problems for the world community recently with its underground nuclear test. Saturn stationing on its Sun (22 Leo) is one possible explanation for its stubborn and headstrong behaviour. The Sun represents government and leaders and Kim Jong-Il is as intransigent as ever with this defiant gesture against the wishes of the rest of the world. Transiting Ketu on natal Venus (7 Cancer) suggests problems with relationships. Indeed. We can speculate that the effect of the stationing Jupiter in close aspect to the Gemini ascendant may be the success of the test and perhaps the attention it has brought. North Korea uses its nuclear policy as a bargaining chip for food and material from other countries. As frustated as the US and Japan may be, the successful test will likely improve North Korea's chances for greater concessions.

Pluto is on the 7th cusp now and will aspect the ascendant and Uranus over the next year or two. This is suggests some major tensions are likely to lead some significant changes in the make-up of the country. The Saturn-Pluto square due this fall is likely to increase the stress felt inside and outside the country since it will activate the ascendant/Uranus conjunction.