Astrology isn’t always a helpful diagnostic tool when it comes to labelling psychological conditions or developmental disorders, since it works within its own framework. But it can track similarities between the charts of known sufferers, bearing in mind that the chart influences can manifest in different ways in different individuals depending on life circumstances and other variables.
One of the best known high functioning autistics is Temple Grandin, a Doctor in Animal Science, consultant to the livestock industry in animal welfare and a spokesperson for autism.
She was born on 29 Aug 1947 at 2.30pm Boston, MA, USA so is a 9th house Sun in Virgo conj Venus, Mercury which fits with high education and communication. She also has serious Saturn Pluto in Leo in the 9th. Her chart is bucket shaped with all the energy funnelled through the handle which is Moon in Aquarius in the 3rd. A singleton Moon is highly sensitive emotionally, rather overloaded, and in her case is blocked by an opposition to Saturn Pluto.
I haven’t researched enough autistics’ charts to be definitive. But two thoughts from this and other charts below – one is the 3rd house and indeed Mercury, both of which rule the rational mind. Conditions like Autism and Aspergers though they do result in significant emotional disengagement, do suggest a brain-wiring problem which impacts on the ego wall. Obviously with high-functioners there’s nothing wrong with their brain per se, more to their ability to function amongst people. That’s not well explained but it doesn’t seem to me emotional damage at the root of it, that’s more of a secondary outcome.
The second thought is afflicted Moons. From an old discussion I recollect that a number of autistic examples had Saturn Pluto Moon.
Of the famous Asperger sufferers (a milder version of autism) Moon Mars crops up in quite a few.
Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer, has her Moon square Mars; and a difficult Uranus, Pluto, Moon in her 4th. Prince John, the Queen’s uncle, who died young, 12 July 1905 3.05am had a Moon Mars conjunction square Mercury; and North Node in the 3rd. He had epilepsy, a learning disability and was thought to be autistic.
Of others listed as famous Aspergers – Daryl Hannah, like Susan Boyle, has Uranus Pluto in the 4th, and a heavily afflicted Mars in the 3rd opposition Saturn. Robin Williams had Moon trine Mars Uranus; Bill Gates has a singleton Moon opposition Mars Mercury. So afflicted Moon and Mars.
All of this is speculative. And what you have to watch with diagnostic labels is they can sometimes be ‘trashcans’ into which people suffering from a variety of conditions get dumped because not enough is known. There is always a broad spectrum for any condition especially affecting the brain or the mind; and there may be other factors involved – so brain-wiring plus environmental emotional damage. Initially when autism was diagnosed ‘freezer’ mothers were blamed, which notion then became discredited. Though there may be a genetic component involved.
What we know about the brain/mind interface is remarkably limited, let alone how conditions are passed down through generations either via DNA or psychologically. The nature nurture argument has never been resolved and the likelihood is that both play their part.
Also to remember the logical fallacy – just because the grass is green, not everything green is grass. If you have a tricky Moon Mars or Moon Saturn Pluto it doesn’t mean you have an undiagnosed condition. You’ll have lived it out in a different way.
Add on: Thanks to Jed for the data of her son with ‘high functioning autism (not aspergers), 15th July 1998 3.19am London. He had a main stream education and is now working. Although shy he has a handful of very good friends and is a gentle and lovely soul.’
He has Mercury in the 3rd opposition Uranus; with his Moon square Mars, trine Pluto, semi-sextile Saturn and sextile Neptune. So some similar markers to above.