The extraordinary life and talents of naturalist and global icon David Attenborough has reached the 100 mark. From an early age he was interested in wildlife and fossils, going on to do a degree in zoology and geology. A foray into the BBC saw him make programmes on his chosen obsession and although he reached the top as Controller BBC2 and Director of Programmes, he soon resigned to return to pursuing his main interest in making a natural history epic Life on Earth.
The scale of his achievements are legendary, travelling to the four quarters of the globe and deep into the oceans as well as high up in jungle canopies, he filmed what had never been seen before and pioneered new camera techniques to show the most intimate features of animal life. His mellifluous voice and obvious enthusiasm and empathy for his subjects whom he never upstaged made him celebrated world wide. In recent years to turned to advocacy promoting environmental protections.
He was born 8 May 1926 in Cambridge, no birth time unfortunately but 12 noon works well. Like Queen Elizabeth 11 born just before him, he had an earthy Taurus Sun opposition a determined Saturn in Scorpio which in his case squares Neptune on a (maybe) Leo Ascendant opposition Jupiter in Aquarius. His Neptune is conjunct Ceres (Demeter), the minor planet which represents the “Earth Mother”, ruling the growing of plants and food crops, natural resources and the environment.
Ceres conjunct Neptune combines the nurturing energy of Ceres with Neptunian empathy.
His vocal Mercury in upfront Aries is softened in trine to Neptune Ceres and sextile his enthusiastic Jupiter.
His Mars in Pisces is unaspected apart from a wide ultra-determined trine to Pluto and a conjunction with Juno. An unaspected Mars would give him boundless energy, strength of focus and an uncompromising attitude. June would add a passionate streak of commitment, loyalty and devotion, both in relationships and obviously to his life’s task.
His Chiron in Aries is described by Melanie Rhinehart as giving a rugged pioneering spirit and perhaps an identification with the ‘wounded healer’ whose focus here obviously was on mother earth. It can also have the gift of being able to empower others.
His Jupiter opposition Neptune is marked which can be prone to unrealistic ideas, promising more than can be delivered. In his case it would be helped by having an anchoring Saturn in place and would exemplify Ebertin’s description of ‘an abundance of richness of feeling or emotional expression.’ His obvious empathy with all species whose lives he explored is what makes him such an enjoyable watch.
His harmonics back up his super-star status with an innovative 22H; and a particularly powerful leavy-a-legacy 17H. A ‘master-builder’ 5H with Mercury and an inspiring Uranus Neptune highlighted. A tough-minded, humanitarian 9H. And a talented 11H.
There won’t be anyone of his stature to fill his shoes anytime soon.
Thanks Marjorie, an extraordinary man. Interesting to read about Mars in Pisces and his Neptune/Ceres conjunction – his work on our oceans was so important in the (ongoing) fight against plastic waste in the sea. It makes me feel sad to agree there isn’t anyone of his stature anytime soon, as you write. On a day filled with politicians wibbling on and, often, forgetting they are supposed to represent people not patronise them, I wonder where the individuals ‘of stature’ are hiding.