Astrological Chart of George Patton

Let's take a look at the astrological chart of Gen. George Patton. 

Capricorn Moon--George has a Capricorn moon. I can't stress this one enough. The Moon is our emotional body, or the sum total of our emotions and how they affect us. If you're sitting there thinking, "Patton wasn't an emotional guy!" you would be right. 

Capricorn moon is the WORST--as in least desirable--moon position, opposite Cancer, which is the best. Think about emotions as a river. While Cancer moon allows for free-flow of water and fantastic sensitivity, Capricorn moon is like Hoover Dam. It allows water through, but not much, and it's selective. 

In Patton's life as a general, this was a true asset. When you have to order people to do things that might get them killed, Capricorn moon helps you from worrying too much about the possibility of people dying and do what Capricorn does best: Focus on the long-term goal. I have a Capricorn moon myself, and I have to actively try to show emotions and not repress them to keep myself balanced. So while it is the hardest moon position to deal with, it can be a rewarding challenge as well. 

You probably also noticed in his speeches that he's not trying to win prizes for pretty words or being sensitive to others. He's just laying out the goal, plain and simple. 

Scorpio sun in the 6th--Intensity is always the name of the game with Scorpio, but with its placement in the 6th house, he was ideally suited for the military, which rules service in general and the armed services in particular.

 

Flexibility--Patton's planets were by and large in mutable (changeable) signs. Scorpio evolves over time, but it's a fixed (stubborn). The fact that there was so much mutable energy in this chart gave Patton another dimension most Scorpios don't possess. Had he had more planets in fixed signs--13% in fixed signs as opposed to 50% of this planets were in mutable signs--likely he would not have been as effective a commander. His "unpredictability" comes from that ability to change tactics quickly. His Gemini rising also helped with this skill.

Mercury in Sag in the 6th--Mercury in Sagittarius is also in its detriment, but it is bolstered for military work because of its position in the 6th house (see above). Patton and Petraeus share this sign placement; sadly, with Petraeus' lack of birth time we don't know what house it is in. But with Patton, we know that Mercury is sitting in the 6th house. Likely his colleagues found him too blunt, but you always knew where you stood with him when it came to military matters, and he knew how to give orders.

The 6th house--This is the strongest house in Patton's chart. We've mentioned its connection to service and the military, but people with this placement do well at the workplace in general and anything routine or day-to-day. The 6th house, ruled by Virgo, is also about being detail-oriented. I'd guess that it took Patton a while to give up the idea of being down in the weeds on every single thing. His Gemini rising sign, which is, like Virgo, ruled by fast-moving Mercury, would only have fueled his desire to know it all. Put this together with his Scorpio sun and Capricorn moon and you get "ultimate control freak", someone who has the potential to be extremely critical. I haven't done any historical research on Patton, but as an astrologer I'd wonder about his eating and health habits. Typically, a 6th house sun can indicate a health nut, or someone very concerned about what they put into their body. Patton was very concerned about the soldiers under him, and took extra steps to make sure they were well cared for; this is another manifestation of the role of the 6th house in his chart: responsibility to others.

Moon in the 8th--This house is naturally ruled by Scorpio, Patton's sun sign. While Capricorn moon is in its detriment here, the 8th gives it depth and a lot more intensity. The Scorpio nuclear explosion of temper from Patton was likely legendary, when it happened. But I'm guessing people didn't get to experience that much; the moon in the 8th lends a secretiveness to the moon, and since the moon rules private and emotional matters and is in its detriment in Capricorn, he likely kept his emotions to himself. But this position likely also fueled his interest in occult/metaphysical things.

 

Venus in Capricorn in the 7th--Married with children is exactly how you'd expect things to go with someone with this placement. Venus has more power here than the average Venus in Capricorn because one of its signs, Libra, rules this house. Astrologers call it an "accidental dignity". It was surprising to hear that he had extramarital affiairs; the sun, moon, and Venus signs in this chart don't really support that. But astrology is only part of the picture; our upbringing, society, and our egos have a role in who we are. I suspect in this case that it was the latter driving the bus.  

Neptune in Taurus in the 12th--This is a great placement for artistic and/or musical ability. Neptune in Taurus, a sign ruled by Venus, in the very sensitive 12th house, can indicate someone who is drawn to the arts. With it in retrograde motion--moving "backward" at the time of his birth--it may not have had as much effect.

 

Mars--The planet of war is not particularly well aspected in Patton's chart. While it is trine Venus--the two have a nice, easy relationship in the same element, earth--Mars also squares (shares approximately 90 degree angles with) both Mercury, planet of logical thought and communication, and Pluto, the planet of transformation. Squares are challenges to overcome in an astrological chart, and they tend to propel us forward. In this case, talking (Mercury) vs. doing (Mars) was likely something Patton struggled with.

 

I hope you've enjoyed this brief look at Patton's chart. Tune back in every Friday as I talk about the astrological profiles of other military leaders.