The Astrology Chart of Vladimir Putin

Hi everyone! This article first appeared on the Soldier of Fortune Web site, but it was edited for an audience with no astrology background. I'm going to annotate it with the astrology for Vladimir Putin's chart in the notes and include the chart below as well.

Born in St. Petersburg in the opening days of the Cold War, Vladimir Putin is a man who believes he’s been through a lot in his life, a man under pressure since birth. (1) In this chart, however, lies a burning desire to publicly exercise power, both in political and military spectrums. (2)

Emotionally, Putin can distance himself from feeling much of anything. It may be very easy for him to “outthink” his emotions by choosing not to feel them, or at least believe it’s possible. Likely it’s a defense mechanism; information of all kinds makes him comfortable. From this angle, you can see he’s good at information and networking with others, making the right connections. (3)

Now I know what you’re thinking. Putin was part of his country’s intelligence services since 1975. The previous paragraph is not much of a stretch for even the most casual observer of the daily news, right? Sure. But it goes a lot further than that. There’s very little emotional sensitivity here; it’s not who he is at all, even under the surface. This is not a man easily moved to tears, either of joy or sorrow. Logic-based decision making will usually win out over feelings for him. (3)

That’s not to say that Putin lacks intuitive ability, because he doesn’t. My view is everyone is naturally intuitive, but some of us are encouraged to hone and appreciate that skill while many of us are not. Most people ignore it. As such, I’m guessing it was unlikely anyone would have supported a young Vladimir to trust it, considering the Soviet Union’s secular perspective on spiritual/metaphysical matters. Rather, when he does access it, he probably couches it as “logic” or “deduction” instead of assigning it any spiritual ability, but it’s likely he struggles often to choose between logic and intuition. (4)

He’s much savvier about the big picture than the small one. The shows of force—the parades, the holidays, the fanfare—are the easy part for him because they can be tied to culture writ large. When the losses start to mount, he isn’t concerned because he feels he has a huge supply of war resources. (5)

So where do we go from here?

Prosecuting a full-scale war will not be an easy task for him. Shorter conflicts to achieve long-desired goals are more his style. (6) Even his choice of words indicates this: The “special operation” can indicate something a lot shorter than a “war,” which can go on for years.

Despite his recent invasion of Ukraine, he’s much more comfortable responding to what his adversaries do than going on the offensive. He trusts only a select group of people to give him information, and when they told him Ukraine would be easy pickings, he chose to invade. (7) But his birth chart tells the tale of a man who might know the way to start, but not how to finish, a war. (8)

Over the course of the next year, here’s what I would generally expect from him in this campaign:

• Changing goals and objectives quickly, especially between the end of June and the end of October 2022. (9)
• Continued struggles to achieve military objectives and project power in Ukraine, especially through mid-January of 2023. (10)
• If the war still is in progress in April-May of 2023, you’ll see more of the same, with a gradual but visible detachment between Putin and the reality of this conflict. (11)

1. Sun conjunct Saturn
2. Pluto at the Midheaven
3. Moon in Gemini in the 8th with ruling Mercury in the 12th
4. Mercury conjunct Neptune in the 12th
5. Jupiter in Taurus angular ruling Mars in Sagittarius in the 2nd
6. Mars in Sagittarius
7. Jupiter in Taurus in the 7th and heavy Libra, including Mercury, in the 12th
8. Mars in Sagittarius wants to do more but may bite off too much at once
9. Transiting Uranus squaring his natal North Node in late July through almost the end of October 2022
10. Transiting Mars retrograde beginning on October 20, 2022, through January 12, 2023, nearly opposing Putin's natal Mars
11. Transiting Neptune squaring Putin's natal mars both in spring, and late summer/early fall 2023.

Happy Birthday, America! A Look at The Sibly Chart

Happy Birthday to the United States of America! I've decided that today I'll put up the chart of the USA, originally done by Ebenezer Sibly, a famous astrologer from the 18th century. You'll find it below. The chart was cast for 5:10pm, July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, PA, and is one of the most well-known charts in the astrological world.

This is the "natal chart" for our nation, and there's a whole lot here to check out. But first, a quote about the Sibly Chart from Benson Bobrick's work, The Fated Sky, which gives an interesting astrological perspective on events throughout our recorded history (and a book a highly recommend!):

"On July 4, 1776, at 5:10pm, in Philadelphia, Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, was rising, the fixed star Regulus--which signified kings--was setting, and the Sun in Cancer conjunct [next to] the fortunate fixed star Sirius, which, by tradition, gave success in war and business as well as faithfulness and devotion, honor and renown. By accident or design, the moment Hancock picked up his pen was both stupendously propitious and symbolically apt, for it would notably link the revolution with energy and enterprise and the decline of royal power."

Here are a few things to think about.

1) Sun in Cancer--The USA was born with the sun in Cancer, and shares many traits of that sign. We're always willing to help, and take the time to "mother" other nations in difficulty. Part of the problem is, like meddling parents, we don't know when to let go. We're always trying to keep other nations from harm. The suffering of others also galvanizes us into action. We also are very warm, just the type of country to welcome others in need. I don't think I need to delve into our history too much to prove those points, right? ("Give me your tired, your poor...")

2) Sagittarius Rising--One of the most important parts of Sagittarius as a sign is freedom. The rising sign, or ascendant, is the mask through which we see the world. We believe in freedom for all to pursue what they will. And Sagittarius loves riding over the next hill just to see what is there! Think out about our movements to the west and into the Pacific. "Don't fence me in!" is an unofficial Sagittarius motto. We're always seeking, looking for what's next. Sagittarius is also a very spiritual sign, ruled by Jupiter, the planet of spirituality and religion as well as the rule of law, and our nation was founded on the principle of...religious freedom. Interesting, no? (Incidentally, ancient Romans used to swear to Jupiter when giving testimony!)

3) Regulus--A fixed star near the very end of Leo (29 Leo). It is considered to be one of the four "royal stars" of ancient astrology. This royal star was taking his leave when our nation was born.

4) Sirius--Another fixed star, Sirius heightens beneficial qualities in planets near to it and can help you go further than you even dreamed you would. Of course, it also has an excessive side. But our nation has come a long way in what is comparatively a short amount of time, hasn't it?

Astrologers are like any other experts in their field; they disagree all the time! And one of the big points of contention in this chart is the time; why 5:10pm, and how did anyone know exactly when John Hancock put his...well, John Hancock...on the line to finish the document? Bobrick suggests that Sibly's "Masonic connections" probably helped; many of the founding fathers were Masons, as was Sibly. So Bobrick theorizes that Sibly came by the exact time that way.

Here's another quote from Bobrick, this time quoting Sibly himself as he [Sibly] made judgments based on his famous chart. Remember, he made these predictions in 1784.

"On the basis of it [the chart for the USA], Sibly declared that America would one day 'have an extensive and flourishing commerce; advantageous and universal traffic to every quarter of the globe, with great security and prosperity amongst its people,' and still more, eventually constitute, 'a new Empire that shall soon or late give laws to the whole world.'"

JFK had it right when he said, "We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution." With all the fireworks and parades, cookouts with friends and family, and other events, I hope you will take a moment to remember just how far we've come. And no matter where you are politically, spiritually, or otherwise, if you're a citizen of the United States, I hope you realize and appreciate how lucky you are today. 

Hope you enjoy the holiday!

What is an Astrology Chart? Part 2

As we saw in our last lesson, an astrology chart is a complex little beast. At a glance, it can show you:

• The 10 planets--the "what" of astrology since the energy comes from them;
• The signs these planets are in--"the how" of astrology because a sign is the "style" in which the planetary energy manifests itself; and
• The houses and their cusps--the "where" of astrology.

In a chart, you'll find the locations of the following planets based on their symbols. 

Each planet has its own function, and the chart will tell you not only what sign and house each planet is in, but its relationship to other planets, known as aspects, which can significantly change the size and scope of the planet's role in the chart. 

A chart is cast for a specific event, such as a person's birth, known as a natal chart, and while that is one of the most common reasons to cast a chart, it's far from the only one. You can cast one for any event you choose--your wedding, compatibility with another person, the date you started your first job, etc.--in the past, present, or future. 

Astrologers love to look over charts of famous people, for example, but we also like to see what's coming in the form of progressions and returns. That way we can help people plan out when would be a good time to try to have a baby, open a business, start a product line, etc. 

The reason why a lot of people look at charts and get nervous is because it LOOKS complicated. If you've ever played craps in a casino, you'll probably think the same thing. Take a look at this layout. 

Unless you're familiar with craps, you're looking at this going "Holy shit! How can people possibly understand this, much less find this fun?" It's actually a really fun game once you learn the moving parts. Astrology is the same way. 

Don't get me wrong...it can be challenging to INTERPRET an astrology chart, and it takes a long time to learn to do it well. But that's just experience, and there's no substitute for it, in astrology or playing craps or anything else. This was a lesson I was reminded of very recently as I struggled with a particular chart. 

Anyway, the point is that if astrology interests you, start looking at some charts. You're not going to know much about what they mean at the beginning, but take a gander over a few, starting with your own. 

Once you get over the fear of the chart and start to recognize some of the symbols, then you can start asking some questions about what's going on. If you're at all like me, at that point you're hooked and you just want to learn more. 

Astrology is a fascinating discipline with 2,300 years of study and material to work with. Don't let that stop you from taking that first step. 

Many Web sites will do your chart for free, but if you'd like your natal chart done professionally I hope you'll consider contacting me. 

Friday's blog will contain a famous astrological chart: The chart for the birth of the United States, known as the "Sibley Chart". I hope you'll tune in for some insights about this great nation. 

Astrological Chart of George Custer

Astrology is part of a larger whole that includes your upbringing, your experiences, your family, and a host of other factors. You may be well suited to be a concert pianist, for example, but if your family doesn't have the money for a piano and lessons, likely you're not going to end up as a concert pianist. 

St. Augustine, who, incidentally, was a sun sign Scorpio, had a great saying about astrology: "The stars may impel, but they cannot compel." In other words, your astrological makeup can tell you a lot about who you will become and give tendencies that may affect your life, but in the end it's all about your choices. It's especially interesting to cast a chart for a newborn and see what happens as the child grows older, and see what choices s/he makes.

So why did I choose to say this today? Well, there are certain astrological signs and scenarios that make people a particularly good fit for what they do in life. The repressed emotion of Capricorn moon, for example, will make for an outstanding general, but that moon placement would suck for someone who works with children, for example. The intensity of Scorpio sun is fantastic for the military in many cases, and the sign rules matters of life and death. But I know plenty of Scorpios who are incapable of following orders, much less killing someone in combat.

Looking at Custer's chart, some parts are very suited for military work, while certain others are not. I'll try to highlight these qualities as we move forward.

Aries Chart Signature--The "signature" of a chart is based on some calculations of the overall dominant element and quality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable). Aries is the ultimate sign for combat, so while Custer is a sun sign Sagittarius, the Aries signature will make him more suited to leading troops than your standard Sag.

Sun in Sagittarius--With its fiery temperament, and sharing the fire element with Aries and Leo, Sag might seem on the surface to be a good choice for military leadership. And it's far from the worst choice. You have many, many fine qualities, including a fantastic sense of humor, an ability to take life and themselves with a grain of salt, a penchant for honesty, and the ability to think philosophically/spiritually. And as a fire sign, bravery is not usually an issue. What's interesting is that Custer was a cavalry commander and Sagittarius, the Archer, is a centaur. So he was in the perfect branch of the military, I'll say that. What's the problem, then? 

It's not the best choice for one big reason: Sag is the wanderer of the zodiac and the ultimate freedom-seeker.

As a mutable (flexible) sign, Sag folks are typically good at following orders, to a point. In other words, if given orders that go against their "truth"--a very subjective thing for Sag that they refine throughout their lives--the Sag might very well refuse to obey those orders. With the understanding that "ground truth" from commanders in the field might very well cause those planning any given campaign to change their minds, Sag might decide on a moment's notice that a particular objective--one that likely is a piece of a much larger puzzle that Sag may or may not be aware of at the time--is no longer viable from his point of view, despite command opinion that it is important.

Also, that "to a point" illustrates another facet of Sagittarius. They love their freedom. They don't want to be tied down to anything, and that includes a set of rules that everyone follows. That's not to say that they are constantly deliberately disobedient or insubordinate. But to quote a famous movie, for many Sag people, rules are "guidelines" to follow when they're convenient, but can be ignored at will. Custer got in trouble once for going AWOL to see his wife, and it was supposed to cost him a one-year suspension until his higherups interceded on this behalf.

Large amount of "night" planets--The majority of Custer's planets are underneath the equator of the chart. Nine of the major celestial bodies fall into this category. Since "personal" matters"--involving mostly things that are extremely important to you and mainly you alone--are a big part of night planets, Custer likely had a "me first" attitude in many different areas. For me, this would be a command deficiency. 

Venus in the 1st House--Venus has a great placement in Libra, in its dignity. But it's sitting in the 1st house, which represents ourselves, our personal expression, and how we see ourselves. With Libra in this most personal of houses, Libra being the love planet and all could give someone with this placement the idea that they're, well...pretty damn awesome. So it's pretty likely that Custer thought pretty highly of himself. With Libra rising--the edge or "cusp" of the 1st house is the rising sign, the mask through which we see life--he probably thought he was good-looking, too. (He may not have been wrong; Libra rising people have a tendency to inherit Venus' good looks. No, really. But I digress.) Again, this could be a problem on the battlefield. 

Mars in Capricorn in the 4th--We know that Mars is the planet of war, and its position is of particular importance for a military man. One of the great things about this position is that Mars in Capricorn gave Custer excellent battle organization skills, and up until his death he had the pedigree to prove it; he was a skilled commander. But an even larger benefit would be for Custer to think before committing to a battle; Sagittarians are not usually ones for planning things out terribly well. Mars in Capricorn in the 4th house is common for a military background, so it's not surprising that this is what Custer ended up doing. 

Alternate career--Based on my read of this chart, Custer would have made an outstanding teacher if he hadn't gone into the military. As a Sagittarius with a heavy third house, he'd have done very well teaching, especially children. I wonder how much training he did; I'll bet he was excellent at it. Younger soldiers would have done better with him than the older ones, generally.

Thanks as always for stopping in! See you next Friday for another military chart! 

Astrological Chart of Dwight Eisenhower

Let's take an astrological look at one of the most well-known military commanders of all time, Dwight Eisenhower!

NB: Big caveat here, folks. This chart has a Rodden rating of "DD", which means that two or more sources have given different birth times, and that while sincere efforts have been made, there are no conclusive results. Since a chart's accuracy is based on a very specific moment of birth, unless and until additional information is found concerning the subject's birth time, the analysis that follows is based solely on the birth time listed in this chart, 3:00am.

Heavy Air--Ike's chart has so much air in it, far overpowering any other element in the chart.  Air deals with the mental body--the collection of our thoughts and ideas and our ability to communicate are two big examples--so Ike was likely an excellent communicator. Considering the kind of commander and commander-in-chief that he was, this isn't surprising. When you're able to easily convey your message to others, and you do a good job of convincing them to follow you (there's another air trait!), you have a much better chance for success.

Grand Trines in Air--When two planets are trine, they are 120 degrees apart. This is an easy relationship between planets, which normally you'd consider a good thing, because it means that they are working well together. Problems can arise, however, because trines can foster laziness. Think of the person who is so talented at what they do that they don't ever have to practice it or work at it. There's no challenge, so it may be difficult for them to improve on what they can already do. 

In Ike's case, he has two grand trines in air. Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune all trine each other, forming a large triangle in the chart; you can see it above if you look at the 4, 8, and 12 clock points. What this means is that anything air-related would come very easy to Ike. Mercury is the planet of communication, so speaking, writing, and listening were all skills that Ike likely did very well. With Mercury in Libra, he would want to build consensus. With Jupiter in Aquarius, he'd want to expand his message by working through large groups of people; Aquarius rules things that affect a society as a whole, for example. Pluto in Gemini would allow for time and flexibility for the message to be understood. Neptune in Gemini would allow for creative visualization of the message. On the negative side, grand trine in air folks can be extremely talkative, and Ike probably wasn't in a rush to do most things.

Libra = Peace?--Libra is a sign that does well at mediating disputes and as I mentioned earlier, building consensus among people. One of the most interesting thing about Eisenhower's terms as President is that there were no new wars. He ended the Korean War, but no new ones were started. Libras are typically excellent at avoiding conflict. What can be a problem, however, is that Libra people tend to avoid conflict even when it would be the most efficient method of resolving a problem. They want everyone to get along. That's not to say that they LIKE everyone; they're human beings, and no one likes everyone else. Eisenhower certainly had his share of people he didn't like personally. But generally, he knew how to get them to do what he wanted them to do.

No Water at All--Water rules the emotional body, and there is not one single planet in a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) in this chart. This may have made it challenging for Ike to show emotion and use his intuition, so likely he wasn't used to doing either. People like Ike with heavy air in their charts work with information--intelligence--and "hunches" are not usually viewed in a positive light. I can see Ike having a conversation with one of his advisers, and the adviser says, "I just have a feeling we should..." and Ike responding with, "Get me the intel to support that opinion, and we have a place to start the discussion. But until then..."

When he had to be firm, likely he had no problem with it, and "sob stories" probably didn't move him, either. For a military commander, this is a fantastic asset, but in his personal life I'm sure there were many people who might have seen him as undemonstrative. Luckily, Libra sun and moon balance out some these effects. 

Interesting note: People who have little or no water often lack compassion and can be very cruel. One example of this is Hitler, who had almost no water in his chart at all, but Hitler had repressive Capricorn moon backing up as well. Luckily for us, we had Eisenhower instead.

Anyway, that's a quick look at Dwight Eisenhower. Tune in again next Friday for another famous military astrological chart! :)

Solar Chart of David Petraeus

Here's a look at the solar astrological chart of former US Army General David Petraeus.

 

Many of you may not be familiar with looking at astrological charts, so let's talk about a few things first. Gen. Petraeus' chart has a Rodden Rating of "X", which means we do not have his actual birth time. We call this a "solar chart" because we use noon as the birth time on the day of his birth. All of the relationships between the planets, the rising sign, and the houses of the chart are inaccurate without the birth time. So this will be a general planetary overview. In future charts, I'll try to pick out the ones with more accurate information. 

As a sun sign Scorpio, David would be very comfortable with secrets of all kinds. Many Scorpios are drawn to professions that involve intelligence of some kind for that reason. Every Scorpio has their own moral code, and unfortunately his decisions to have an extramarital affair made front page news. Sadly, he had the ultimate Scorpio dream job as Director of the CIA. Not trying to second guess or judge him, but COME ON, MAN. Any Scorpio on the planet--including this one--would LOVE that job. Losing it must have REALLY hurt.

Scorpio is also the sign that rules sex. What I also found interesting was that his lover was also a sun sign Scorpio. But David didn't leave his wife for this woman. He may have known that it's entirely possible he'd have run into the same problem with another person. More detail on that below.

Moon in Cancer is the moon's most comfortable position (in its dignity in the sign that it rules) and it rules our emotional selves. Underneath the hard exterior Scorpio shell was an extremely sensitive individual. I wouldn't rule out some natural psychic ability there, either. But one area that we could consider is his relationship with his mother. Many lunar Cancers have problems with mom that carry over into their adult lives. In this particular chart, the moon is conjunct Uranus; that could indicate abrupt emotional changes or shifts.

Mercury in Sagittarius means we're dealing with a straight shooter. One area he likely has to watch for is being too blunt, but likely he also has a great sense of humor. Venus in Sagittarius, however, can be a problem romantically; Sag's attitude is "don't fence me in", and it can give the tendency to become restless in love. I also wouldn't be surprised if David enjoyed being away from home almost as much as he liked being at home, and not just for extracurricular activities.

Mars in Capricorn is great for slow, steady career growth. Mars is also the lust planet, so it's quite likely that his affair started slowly and very gradually.

Unfortunately, without a birth time there's not a lot else to say on this one. But I hope you will tune in again soon when I do another astrological chart.