Gentleman Jack is a new BBC drama series about the extraordinary life of Anne Lister, a businesswoman, who entered politics, climbed mountains, dressed as a man and adored women, falling passionately in love time and again. She wrote a detailed diary in code of her promiscuous and predatory lesbian exploits from childhood onwards.
Born 3 April 1791 in Halifax, England, she was an “unmanageable tomboy” and sent to boarding school aged seven, where teachers feared she would influence the other girls with her rebellious behaviour so from her teens, she was confined to an attic bedroom, where she lived in virtual seclusion. There was a calculating and ruthless side top her since she dreamed of being rich but despite some long running affairs with wealthy women never found happiness. A relative did leave her money and an estate allowing her to travel and live as she pleased.
She had a stark chart with an Aries Sun conjunct Moon as well as Saturn Mars Mercury in Aries – so the cruelty that was done to her in childhood, echoed by her later behaviour towards lovers, is well described with such a central Mars Saturn which was also in a risk-taking, excitement-loving trine to Uranus. Her Uranus was also conjunct an indulgent, sensual Venus in Taurus so she’d be changeable in her affections.
She died aged 49 of a fever while travelling in the Caucasus with a wealthy friend, Ann Walker, with whom she undertook a form of marriage.
Ann Walker was born 28 May 1803 (FindMyGrave net) and was a Sun Gemini on the point of a T Square to Saturn Moon in Virgo opposition Pluto – and she was subject to depressions through her life which caused problems in the relationship. Lister’s diaries, describe a turbulent relationship rife with financial and emotional stresses with Lister intolerant of Walker’s health and depression and Walker upset by Lister’s bossy personality and control of her fortune.
Walker’s Mars in Leo was conjunct Lister’s Uranus which would be fairly explosive. Their relationship chart had an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction opposition Neptune and trine Uranus – so idealistic but not realistic, subject to disappointment and needing space. A Uranus square Mars would prove inflammatory and argumentative since neither would wish to back down. And there was an up and down Saturn square Jupiter.
The likelihood if Lister had lived would have been a split. Ann Walker had a breakdown latterly after Lister’s death and spent some years in an asylum.
Your write-up says Anne Lister had Venus conjunct Uranus, but her chart – the one posted, shows they’re sextile (60 degrees.)
Also, her Sun is conjunt Moon… And she was in fact born on a day of the annular solar eclipse – and it was seen in England.
Ann Walker was born 20 May 1803, and not the 28th of May. Just wanted to mention this date discrepancy in the chart you have here – the synastry is fascinating using the true birth date of Miss Walker.
Ann Walker (20 May 1803–25 Feb 1854), Find A Grave Memorial no. 161199401, citing St Matthew Old Churchyard, Lightcliffe, Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England
‘Quibble’, thanks for Ann Walker’s corrected birth date! In a composite with Anne Lister’s chart, it makes sense that they have Sun, Moon, and Mercury in early Taurus, solidly clustered near Venus in late Aries – an assured love match.
Given Anne Lister’s propensity for reading, writing and all things medical, a Virgo Ascendant could fit. Both Ann Walker and Suranne Jones have Saturn in Virgo – using Suranne’s Saturn at 3 Virgo as an ascending degree drops AL’s Arian stellium of Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Sun and Moon (and SN) into the intense 8th house. Earthy Virgo rising speaks of her desire for security and a solid foundation in her life.
Highly intelligent and educated, she realised early on that she was an oddity, yet viewed her difference as a God-given, authentic identity that she should embrace and protect. With remarkable courage and determination, she strived for nigh on thirty years to find a life partner-cum-wife. To gaily mix metaphors, she trawled her way through numerous women looking for The One. And had to kiss many frogs who enjoyed her handiwork, yet chickened out of commitment, before she found her princess in Ann Walker (born on AL’s first Jupiter return). She did find happiness with Ann for seven years. They made their own marriage-like pact in church, lived at Shibden Hall and travelled abroad until Anne’s untimely death at age 49.
Anne’s Arian Sun (and stellium) was trine Uranus in Leo. Fittingly, with asteroid Sappho included, a fire Grand trine is formed to its position in Sagittarius. If a Virgo ascendant has credence, then BML sits at the Midheaven – the very visible woman who refused to lay with men. Then Mercury would be the chart ruler. But it too is in Aries, and disposed by Mars in its domicile. For good measure, all of those planets in Aries are sandwiched between the asteroids of political warrior Pallas and fertile Ceres – all kowtow to that Mars. It’s an astonishing chart – essentially Arian: fearless, pioneering, fiery and masculine.
More recently, as transiting Pluto entered Capricorn, Anne’s diaries were recognised by UNESCO as being of global significance. Currently, tr. Pluto at 21 Capricorn is on ‘the bendings’ of her nodal axis, making her name and the intimate details of her extraordinary life more widely known, courtesy of ‘Gentleman Jack.’
So I share the same birthday and only discovered this once I realized the show gentleman Jack was based on the life Ann Lister. I was curious to see her extended chart but I cannot find a time of birth anywhere on record, does anyone know this by chance?
I feel I share a lot of the same characteristics in uncanny ways.
Hey Amber Elve, it’s fascinating! I also share the same day of birth 🙂 and I’d love to get in touch
Any thoughts re Suranne Jones born Sarah-Anne Jones who plays Anne Lister?
I note she was born on 27 August 1978 in Oldham.
She seems to have exact Sun-Saturn and Mars-Pluto Conjunctions which must
be noteworthy and unique.
Thank you if yo look into her Marjorie.
This show is being aired in the US on HBO
As well, transiting Uranus is close to her Venus in Taurus at the moment.
Yes, there is evidence that a chart outlives its owner. Astrologer Elisabeth Grace wrote about this in a recent edition of The Mountain Astrologer. My guess here is that Chiron newly transiting Aries has started triggering Lister’s Libra/Aries placements and will be doing so for a few years, along with all the other planets that transit the cardinal signs over time.
Thank you for that. That is so intriguing. The question popped in my mind when Keira Knightley’s portrayal of Colette hit the cinemas.
Whenever a series or a film appears about a historical personality, I always wonder does something happen in their chart to signal it or to be an announcement of it. And what happens to people who play these characters – do their charts have some hooks that latch onto each other or something like it.