In this blog we’ve been looking at the charts of killers, which of course involves the issue of death. Recently a colleague told me about one of his clients who feels she has been stalked by death all of her life. She was raised by an unwed mother who neglected her and left her to fend for herself much of the time. The father was completely absent. In her early 20s she married, but her husband was tragically killed and she was left quite traumatized by the loss. Since the death of her husband, she says that every time she gets close to someone she ends up losing them through death. Although her husband died many years ago, his death is still vivid in her mind and her grief remains almost completely unresolved. Here is her sunrise chart (time unknown):
Woman surrounded by death
What immediately stands out is the Sun opposite Neptune with a tight orb. Neptune is a planet of dissolution and fading away. This aspect often indicates a separation from the father or other important men in the life of the native. In the sunrise chart, Neptune happens to rule her Pisces 12th house of grief and sorrow. The traditional ruler of her sunrise 12th house is Jupiter, which is opposed by Saturn, a natural signifier of death.
Saturn is also quincunx Mars in Aries, which disposes her Aries Sun. Again a stressful aspect from a signifier of death afflicts an important personal planet. Mars happens to rule her sunrise 8th house of death, so the issue of death becomes part of her 1st house sense of identity in the sunrise chart.
Pluto is another natural signifier of death, and in this chart Pluto squares her Moon and Venus. Thus, the issues symbolized by Pluto afflict her emotional and love life (Moon & Venus). In the sunrise chart, Venus rules the 7th house of intimate partners and also the 2nd house, which is the 8th of the 7th, or the partner’s death. Venus also conjoins the 2nd house cusp (8th of the 7th), suggesting that she attracts partners who are notable for their deaths.
Another personal planet, Mercury, is very closely conjunct the ecliptic position of the fixed star Hamal, whose influence is described as follows: “According to Ptolemy it is of the nature of Mars and Saturn … ”
“The Mars-Saturn combination appear to be fighting each other for domination, and this influence could be a dangerous one in the material sphere. If connected closely otherwise, life may be repeatedly in danger, for example, if the native undertakes climbing – up or down; or by leap or dive into an abyss. If connected with beneficial stellar bodies, the influence of this star will be lessened. If Mars or Venus are linked and if other factors are equally present, suffering connected with the love life or ill treatment by sadism is indicated. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.19, under the name El Nath.]”
Anthony Louis - Astrology & Tarot Blog 
Applying the principles of Evolutionary Astrology as pioneered by Jeff Green and best expressed in a technical way by Steven Forrest in “Yesterday’s Sky” might offer some useful insights to this client, given that very close Pluto-Sun trine and the tight Pisces inconjunct to the Pisces North Node ruled by that Neptune opp Sun. This is almost a textbook chart for that approach.
Exact house placements would be necessary to get the most out of the reading, but I would see this as a person whose very difficult life provides unusually powerful opportunities for great spiritual progress towards the North Node goal of what could best be described as Moksha–a final letting go of ego and opening to the essence of existance. This would have to be framed in terms that were meaningful to the subject, of course, but my guess is that this person takes for granted and lives from principles that others might spend a lifetime becoming aware of.
Jenny,
Thanks so much for your insights. I always learn a great deal from reading another astrologer’s take on a chart. I was focusing on where her life’s difficulties show up in the chart. If I understand you correctly, you are asking why this person has this chart and also how the individual can cope with these difficult aspects.
Take care,
Tony
What I was doing was looking at this chart through a philosophical lens which assumes that the events of the life have a metaphysical meaning. That approach can all too easily deteriorate into New Age Pollyanna-ism, which is why I have spent the past decade working with much more grounded traditional techniques (which I got started on afer reading your brilliant first Horary book.) But reading Yesterday’s Sky last year, which takes a very traditional approach to applying a very metaphysical reading of the nodes, has brought me back to seeing what a good balance that more metaphysical outlook gives, even when we are applying traditional techniques with rigor. And the technique is so powerful and gives such good results that I often think that if I could read only one thing on a chart it would be those nodal placements and aspects to the nodes. They answer the question, “What’s the point of all the rest of this chart”, in a way nothing else can, at least for me.
So when I see this chart I certainly see the things that you point out, which manifest in the difficult life events. But I also look at those nodes which are so closely entwined with these difficult planets, and that makes me think, “This person incarnated with the goal of having these difficult life experiences, and the fruit of those experiences is more important to her because of how tightly tied they are to past experience (karma, early childhood, whatever you define the moon’s nodes as). Indeed, had those events not occurred and given the soul who experienced them the profound and agonizing experiences they brought with them, this life would on a sould level have been a failure.
This isn’t the same as the airy-fairy new age-y crap about “you don’t get anything you can’t handle” because people do. But for this person that suffering does seem to have been the game plan from the start, so unless you believe in malevolent fates (which I don’t, mostly) you have to then ask yourself, what would be the benefit of such a life filled with such experiences, and looking at that Pisces and Pluto etc, the answer should emerge.
Fascinating…The sad thing is (I think) there is nothing you can do about it.
Hi Jane,
Did you get my email?
Tony
No I didn’t, maybe I should look in my coffin.
Jane,
I sent several emails. Check your account or send me an email to my hotmail account.
Tony