James Watson, Nobel Prize-winning biologist who discovered the structure of DNA with Francis Crick, has died. He chronicled the search for ‘the secret of life’ in his bestseller The Double Helix but damaged his career with his scathing judgments of colleagues and comments about race and genetics.
Born 6 April 1928 1.23 am Chicago, Illinois, he was unpopular at school because of his fondness for speaking his mind and his precocious intellect. He entered Chicago University at 15, studied zoology, then took a doctorate on viruses before moving over to work with Francis Crick on genetics.
Watson did not attempt to make himself popular. The French geneticist François Jacob recalled his quirky and arrogant manner: “Tall, gawky, scraggly, he had an inimitable style. Inimitable in his dress: shirt tails flying, knees in the air, socks down to his ankles. Inimitable in his bewildering manner, his mannerisms: his eyes always bulging. His mouth always open. He uttered short choppy sentences punctuated by ‘ah, ah!’ Inimitable also in his way of entering a room, cocking his head like a rooster looking for the finest hen, to locate the most important scientist present and charging over to his side.”
He had a quick-witted, confident and outspoken 3rd house Sun Jupiter in Aries in sensible trine to Saturn in can-be-self-righteous Sagittarius and in an over-confident square to a 7th house Pluto, so he would be arrogant. He also had an inventive Uranus in Aries in his 3rd. What is most striking is his 8th house Neptune opposition Mars. Neptune is a frequent marker in the charts of top level mathematicians and theoretical physicists and in the 8th would allow him to use his intuition to explore beyond the rational known to find new discoveries. His Neptune was also on one leg of a yod sextile a Libra Moon inconjunct Venus Mercury in Pisces.
Neptune in the 8th has a kaleidoscope of meanings one of which is film stars who project a Neptunian aura in movies.
Watson’s portrayal of the crystallographer Rosalind Franklin (who had done much of the experimental work on which their discovery was based) as dour, dowdy and uncooperative attracted criticism from other writers who deemed him a sexist monster and ambitious credit stealer.
Though admittedly she was not an easy temperament. Born 25 July 1920, two weeks before P.D.James, the crime writer, with the same tough Grand Trine of Pluto trine Mars trine Uranus formed into a Kite by Uranus opposition Saturn. Her Mars in Scorpio was conjunct Watson’s Midheaven so she would both help and compete with him.
When he died Watson was 97.5873 years old. Let’s create his 97+ Age Harmonic chart.
Now, let’s superimpose this chart unto his natal chart and note the connections ‘tween
these two charts at his death. Enlarge biwheel with the floating magnifier.
https://ibb.co/8nwwFd8s
Although his Ascendant is Capricorn, there are no Earth planets in his Chart. Saturn, Capricorn’s ruler is in the 11th house, ruled by Uranus, which is conjunct his Sun. His mind would see groups, in his case DNA groupings. Saturn grounded him, its placement is in Sagittarius, with its ruler Uranus in a tight conjunction to Sun, in the 3rd house ruled by Aries – ruling the head. Enabling him to work out possibilities. Interesting that Gemini/Mercury ruler of the 3rd house – communication, also, enabled him write about the double helix DNA model, leaving a book for history. Couple this with Pluto placed immediately on his Descendant, it appears he was born to give the world a breakthrough, revolutionary (Uranus) of an unseen ( Pluto underworld) creative force of our family inheritance DNA tree – Pluto in Cancer? Something that was unseen before. I would argue for Watson not be judged by his own personal views. The world should celebrate what he gave form to and understand that this was an immense breakthrough. Yes Rosalind Franklin should be included, however he was able to articulate both works. He was cancelled, yet his work will live on.
Mistake – I meant Jupiter not Uranus..
A yod onto Mercury/Venus could explain career ending words – but given his devotion to fundraising, does it explain his refusal to retract it?
His drive toward reaching treatments was marked by an arrogance defying reveal that his son has schizophrenia.
Measuring the portions of scientific ego, racism, or judgement altering disease that lead to Watson’s fall is a faulty task, but worth at least as much as the precise map a genius leaves behind.
Rosalind Franklin has only recently been credited with being one of those that discovered DNA. The other 2 thought if they waited long enough after her death all her hard work and achievements would be theirs. They also thought because their paper was printed in a journal first, that they had it in the bag. But it turned out that it isn’t being published first that counts. It is being able to prove when the papers were submitted. And hers was dated and posted with post mark proof. well before theirs.
Because of the cancer that developed because of her earlier exposure to radiation, she was never gping to live long enough to enjoy the fruits of her labour. But I am glad that she is honoured today. .