An astro-oddity popped up this week when I realised that Chelsea Manning, the Iraq War whistleblower, was born three days after Hamas was founded and both have charts with a notable Scorpio Sagittarius theme. Which is remarkably similar to Seung Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech mass shooter who shot himself in 2007 before he could be captured.
Manning is being interviewed by Louis Theroux for a six part series of in-depth celeb reveal-alls. Except that Manning appeared not to be open to the same connectedness as the others and clearly disliked any talks of Assange or Snowden whom he regarded, according to a reviewer, as making him a bit player on the stage.
His sister told the court-martial that both their parents were alcoholics, and that their mother drank continually while pregnant with Chelsea. There was a suggestion that his facial features showed signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. He was neglected through childhood, small for his age and bullied at school as effeminate; and was present when his mother attempted suicide.
In 2010, having worked as a US army intelligence analyst he leaked a vast trove of classified information to the WikiLeaks, videos, embassy cables and war logs, and was originally sentenced to 35 years in jail, spending years subsequently most in solitary confinement. Inside, she attempted suicide twice and transitioned from Bradley to Chelsea and was released by President Obama shortly before he left office in 2017.
She has a Sagittarius Sun conjunct Uranus, Saturn, Mercury – knowledgeable from Sagittarius, low-self-esteem though also self-righteous from Saturn in Sagittarius, autocratic from Saturn Uranus though also inventive and progressive, irritable prone to outbursts.
Sitting just before those fiery Mutable, scattered planets she has a Mars Pluto conjunction in Scorpio with the Moon close by – which fairly describes a destructive mother who would feel beyond unsafe. Mars Pluto can also give courage and the ability to cope in crisis situations.
Hamas founded three days before has the same Scorpio Sagittarius concentration though with a Virgo/Libra Moon. The most negative end of Mars Pluto, especially in Scorpio is ruthless brutality. Fight without quarter, do-or-die-determined. The struggle is for power. Often associated with rape when it has the upper hand or victimhood when it does not.
Seung Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech killer, born in Seoul, South Korea, 18 January 1984, also had Mars in Scorpio conjunct Pluto with Saturn in Scorpio as well and Uranus, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune spread out through Sagittarius – and a Capricorn Sun. He killed 32 and wounded 17 in the deadliest US school shooting ever (so far). He seemed to have been mentally disturbed from early on and was diagnosed at school with severe anxiety disorder, selective mutism and depression, which led to him being bullied. He appeared to have problems connecting.
Both Manning and Hamas are in for a significant crisis in the near future as their Solar Arc Mars Pluto starts to cross their Sagittarius planets. Both seem edgy and tense at the moment with tr Neptune square Uranus in Sagittarius but the key lifechanging moments will come around 2025. [Assuming the Hamas date is sound.]
Always interesting to see how roughly the same energies can play out differently though with certain similarities as well. Scorpio Sagittarius is certainly a difficult combination to balance.
Add On: Another Mars Pluto in Scorpio is Ronan Farrow, son of Mia, born 19 December 1987 10.49am New York, who has his power-packed, penetrating (and vengeful?) Mars Pluto in the 9th house of communication and publishing with a stellium in Sagittarius from Moon, Midheaven, through Saturn, Mercury, Uranus and Sun all ranged through his career 10th. He was always destined to make his mark with devastating effect.
He was around during his mother’s affair with Woody Allen who has a Sagittarius Sun and Mars in Capricorn opposition Pluto which would make him scary and Ronan’s has taken aim at him as well over his sister’s allegations.
Weinstein has Mars in Scorpio square Pluto so Ronan’s take down of him was all the more courageous.
Mars Pluto can be a victim but can have the courage to face up to perpetrators as well.
For fully transitioned people, does a transition chart work as a secondary natal chart with different characteristics for the other-gender new name? Would this be a topic to discuss further?
Astrology does not differentiate between sexes, sexual orientation or gender. If you could find the exact moment of transitioning which would be tricky it might tell you how that process will fare in future. But it doesn’t make them different from their birth identity (as a human being I mean, ungendered) or a new person. In many ways it makes them more who they are.
All Sun Sagittarians born between 1983-95 will have to deal with Pluto in Scorpio just as those born between 1956-70 have to live with Neptune in Scorpio and those born 1975-81 will have Uranus in Scorpio. Similarly as Mercury and Venus are always found within a certain number of degrees of the Sun a lot of Sagittarians are born with those planets in Scorpio as well and vice versa. I think that some sort of entanglement between the signs is inevitable for many Sun Sagittarians and Scorpios, particularly those born in the latter part of the 20th century.
*gulp* I too was born on 18/01/1984 and have a stellium of Scorpio planets in my 6th house (Mars/Saturn/Pluto/Uranus) and three planets in Sagittarius (Neptune/Venus/Jupiter) in my 7th house. I find it a difficult combination to balance (possibly not helped by having a Cancer moon/Gemini rising!). A mixture of light and dark perhaps with very changeable moods from one day to the next. Would love to hear from others with any insights as I am only a beginner 🙂
Thanks Marjorie, really fascinating to see how things can play out differently, as you say. I’d like to add Ronan Farrow here too – lawyer, activist, author, and son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen (or possibly Frank Sinatra). His birthday is 19th December 1987, so the Moon has moved on into Sagittarius, making a Sagittarian line-up of Sun, Moon, Mercury, Saturn, Uranus and MC. He has the Mars in Scorpio conjunct Pluto, square Black Moon Lilith, and has indeed shown much determination and some ruthlessness in his career. Somehow that mix also suggests the investigative reporting work he did on sexual abuse, notably on the Harvey Weinstein story.
Chelsea Manning, Hamas, and Ronan Farrow will all have the Aries eclipse next April conjunct the Jupiter in Aries. It’s followed by Mars in Aries on that eclipse point in May. Be interesting to see how that plays out.
Thanks. Have added. Is fascinating to see how he faced up to bullies and the like.
Thanks Marjorie. Interesting that both Ronan and Chelsea are essentially whistleblowers, and both have needed to draw on their Mars/Pluto strengths in life. And both have certainly made their mark, causing a significant ripple effect.
Oh my. I have 7 planets in Scorpio/Sag. I have Pluto and Venus closely conjunct, and Saturn Venus widely conjunct in Scorpio in the 7th house, then another 4 planets in Sagittarius with Moon Uranus conjunct, and then also Mars and Neptune conjunct in the late degrees in the 8th. Still trying to make sense of it all. For me I think it more comes into play in difficulties in love/relationships which have been very dominating/trying in my life to date.
The 2022 moon-uranus post was also insightful for me – thanks Marjorie.