The mind-numbing details about the life and death of six year Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, beaten, starved and tortured by his stepmother and father, have a ring of sickening familiarity. Both the perpetrators now face long prison sentences for murder and manslaughter respectively and social services are being hauled over the coals for their incompetence. Previous high-profile cases led to hand-wringing and ‘lessons learned’ promises but there always seem to be some that fall between the cracks.
Born 4 January 2014, little Arthur was a heavily controlled Sun Pluto in Capricorn square Mars opposition Uranus and opposition Jupiter. Even before the sadistic, clearly unhinged stepmother took over he was at the mercy of an alcoholic mother who stabbed a lover to death. The Mars Pluto theme in his chart runs through other similar abused-to-death children.
Elisa Izquierdo, 11 Feb 1989, New York, who died aged six at the hands of her mother after a prolonged campaign of abuse, had Mars in Taurus opposition Pluto with Mars trine Neptune Saturn.
Liam Fee, 12 August 2011, who died as a two year old at the hands of his mother and her partner, also had Mars opposition Pluto in Cancer/Capricorn squaring onto Saturn opposition Uranus.
Victoria Climbie, 2 November 1991, murdered aged eight by her great-aunt and boyfriend, was a Sun Scorpio conjunct Mars with Mars conjunct Pluto. Her death led to a public inquiry and brought changes to child protection policies in the UK.
Maria Colwell, 26 March 1965, killed as an eight year old by her mother’s boyfriend, had the formidable Mars Uranus Pluto in Virgo opposition Saturn. Her death also stood out as a tragic landmark in child protection failures by authorities.
Heather West, 17 October 1970, daughter of the gruesome and barbaric Fred and Rosemary West, who ended up buried under the patio, also had an exact Mars Pluto conjunction in Virgo trine Saturn.
Given that Mars Pluto carries with it a theme of brutality, having to suffer violent assaults and being completely suppressed it isn’t so surprising.
Though not all who carry it in their charts end up destroyed as children – Mel Gibson, Christine Lagarde former IMF head/now President of the ECB, and war correspondent Marie Colvin were all born within days of one another in January 1956 when there was a fearsome Mars Saturn in Scorpio square Pluto. Though it is softened or at least given a more positive slant by Jupiter being conjunct Pluto. Mel Gibson’s father is a ranting and raving Holocaust denier so young Mel’s upbringing would be scary. Marie Colvin drank, smoked and acquired PTSD from her relentless excursions into danger so it didn’t come without a fallout.
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker was born on the same day as Maria Colwell with Robert Downey Jnr only a few days later with the same Mars Pluto signature. Sarah has sailed through though he ended up with major substance abuse issues, not surprising with a drug addict father and the dark frustration that Mars Pluto brings.
Michael Hutchence, the Australian actor and singer-songwriter, 22 January 1960, also a drug user and brawler who died by hanging, ruled suicide, also had a stressed Pluto trine Mars Saturn in his chart.
There are ways of turning even cruel, suppressive influences in a chart to good use though it isn’t always a matter of choice. But for those to whom fate gives a helping hand there can be a reasonable outcome in adult life. Ebertin gives the positive meanings of Mars Pluto as ‘great self-confidence and ambition’ and ‘the ability to demonstrate extraordinary force and vigour.’ Mars Pluto types are courageous and strikingly resourceful in crisis.
As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in his customary bleak and insightful way – “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” He had his Mars on the focal point of a Yod inconjunct Pluto and Neptune and although it can sound trite and clichéd it holds a nugget of truth.
This is perhaps not the forum for this but (as a mars pluto uranus in virgo):
Fear anger blockage alignments:
whatever you do is what shall be…
https://youtu.be/–ljzIzyrfM ‘funniest moment of the proposal’ : (that) damn! (gives) deeper and deeper profound alignment, and so change (realignment). laughter/comedy highest teaching form? find your own expression – words, alignment, dance, gestures, realignment
https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Litany_Against_Fear
“I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
use the litany to hold yourself in shape, feel your fear let it pass through you, consciously follow where it came from what it is, you are yourself but larger for this knowledge and free of fear. Another angle to the fear, another dimension, another direction? do this again until your whole being is free of fear
https://youtu.be/-vutURl1RPc crystal owl visualisation – I found this yesterday, I’ve been working on family patterns down the lineage (in a more focused way since 2016), and obsolete and blocked things in myself. This was a great visualisation for all those things (even with this title to the video)
anger often has fear as a root (do the litany exercise) and is often linked to not feeling supported. If you agree with the following steps find someone to do this with. Close your eyes and feel your anger, let it rise to full volume and when you feel it completely nod your head and the other person takes you in their arms and holds you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoAA0sYkLI0&t=334s this gives the background and ties the comedy and the litany together.
An easier path is this
https://youtu.be/8lAKfUD169U
from a different angle https://youtu.be/xNzJ9ukezD4
and full maitrise https://youtu.be/mmcWlgP4oB4 …scars heal (just after this clip cuts)
…and what had he suffered before? with his mother and her violent history?! she sounds completely uninvolved, and he ends up with the woman who killed him…..but the grandparents were basically ignored when they tried to step in. How could teachers/neighbours not have picked up on his heartbreak and physical condition? his poor eyes look tormented…..who can even think of what he lived through……did he go to school or was he ‘sick’ most of the time…..unimaginable…..
Mel Gibson inhabits all the worst traits of that Mars/Pluto violence. He to is a holocaust denier, a vile racist, vicious misogynist, loves to labour on brutality and violence in his films, and allegedly has a history of violence towards women. One girlfriend he allegedly punched in the face while she was holding their baby. His reply to this was, “You know what – you f*****g deserved it”. He personifies toxic masculinity to the hilt. That’s the legacy his father passed down to him. Katherine Heigl gets cancelled in Hollywood for being a thoughtless, gobby cow. Yet this guy STILL remains employed by the Hollywood patriarchy.
You can also add homophobic and anti-Semite to that list too. He’s an awful man. I used to like him too when I was growing up.
Thank you for touching on the positive expressions of Mars-Pluto. I have Mars opposite Pluto and I can only seem to find darker interpretations.
I have it in my 1st House Virgo Conjunct Uranus.
Maybe worth noting that the justice system has improved somewhat since Maria Coldwell. From information on line, her stepfather (who treated her sadistically before beating her to death), was originally sentenced to a mere 8 years. He appealed. It was reduced to 4. Her mother who stood by and allowed this to happen wasn’t charged with anything!
At least both parties in this latest case were charged, and received long sentences.
The justice system may have improved, but the chaos and disorganisation surrounding child protection of every kind has not. I wasn’t aware of poor little Maria Colwell’s case before. Her birthday, 26th March, 1965, has Mars in Virgo, conjunct Uranus and Pluto, opposing Saturn in Pisces. Yet another chaotic family, with the child being safely cared for by relatives and then returned to her biological mother, whose partner was Maria’s stepfather. As in today’s horrifying case, there were other children in the home. Maria was scapegoated. As in this case, too, others tried to notify the authorities, but their concerns for her welfare were dismissed.
I have personal experience of trying to alert the “authorities” to a case of child abuse, even though I had proof that the child had asked for my help. Getting anyone to listen was a complete nightmare, and I had to persist for months before something was done. Natally, I have a Mars-Pluto aspect.
There was abuse in my house as a kid. Reading about that boy was hard.
The video of him crying that no-one loved him. Him telling people that his Dad wanted to kill him. That parental behaviour is the ULTIMATE betrayal.
I’m glad he’s in a better place.
The first five years of childhood are soooo important in terms of one’s relationship with the self. He would have spent the rest of his life either paying for these initial six years of abuse, or trying to heal them. I doubt it would have been the latter.
Apparently the NSPCC are still coming to terms with the story. I bet they are. Smh.
Thank you Marjorie. One can only think “not again”….the darkness and cruelty is horrendous. As is the scrambling to hide behind slippery statements on the part of various agencies and authorities. The plan for people such as teachers, police, social workers etc to communicate more efficiently with one another is not working out too well it seems.
In the UK, the Local Authority Social Services Act was given Royal Assent on 29th May, 1970. It’s interesting, if depressing, to see that it has Pluto, in Virgo, square Mars in Gemini. Venus in “maternal” Cancer squares Uranus in Libra, suggesting relationship and family themes being disrupted?
It also has Mercury in Taurus conjunct Saturn in Taurus at 14-15 degrees. Uranus in Taurus may shake that up a bit. This chart has just had its Chiron return, in Aries. And transiting Pluto has been trine the Pluto in Virgo.
The Children’s Act, 16th November 1989, has a wide conjunction between Mars in Scorpio (8), and Pluto in Scorpio (15). It also has a Capricorn Venus conjunct Neptune and Saturn, opposing Jupiter in Cancer. This chart is almost all earth and water, only the nodes in Aquarius/Leo bring in other elements. A swamp!
On my website, I have a post that is about Mars-Pluto. I have many charts listed, and I agree, it is a treacherous placement in a chart.
See, this always worries me as a share my birthday with Mel Gibson; and therefore the same Mars-Pluto link. Fortunately (fingers crossed), it hasn’t had any impact on me.
And its not just bad evil parents who do these things. My ex was abused by a priest a number of times when he was a young alter boy, my sister-law by a “family friend” and both were beaten by their parents for “lying” when they told them. Their parents also continued to invite the priest and family friend over for dinner, get togethers, etc. for years despite the allegations.
Plus I have friends whose parent were serious narcissist’s or bullies or mentally ill.
And I am sure there many other people who have had have incidents in their life that scarred them. Some make it through but unfortunately many do not.
Thank you, Marjorie. Interesting seeing how the energies of these two planets can manifest.
Arthur’s case is of the most shocking and heartbreaking examples of child cruelty and murder in recent times and though pretty unshockable, like many others I’ve been moved to tears reading the harrowing details. Emma Tustin, Arthur’s stepmother was born 17/6/1989, Solihull and is a Sun/Jupiter in Gemini, her Jupiter otherwise unaspected and the generational, chaotic Saturn/Neptune/Uranus conjunction in Capricorn opposed by Venus in Cancer. She has an attention-seeking Mars in Leo and Moon, either in late Scorpio or early Sagittarius. Her exact Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Capricorn is at 11 degrees conjunct Arthur’s Pluto and Sun. The final period of this poor little boy’s life was cold, lonely, isolated and painful.
Can’t say half of what I and many of us feel about this but it’s interesting to note, VF, that the creature crucified that little boy on her birthday…He was murdered 17/6/2020. Thanks Marjorie.
As a child my father was a violent abuse drunk who beat my mother and brother relentlessly and sexually abused me until at age 8 when I started sleeping with a knife under my pillow.
One night when my dad come into my room drunk as usual I slashed him across his arm and told him if he ever touched me again I would stab him in the heart and meant it. He never came near me again. We finally left him when I was 9 in the middle of the night when he lay drunk on the living room floor.
My brother became a drug addict and when his first wife died of an OD he went into rehab and eventually became sober and has been for over 35 years. I raised his 2 sons along with my own 2 boys and my mom worked two jobs to support us when we were young and went to school at night to get her teaching degree.
As awful as it all was, I realize as I look back now that when I slashed my dad across the arm I became empowered and knew no matter what life threw at me I would make it through. Although unfortunately there have been several other dangerous incidents in my life I overcame them through sheer will, tenacity and resilience. I ended up raising my 2 my sons and 2 nephews who also became successful at what they choose to do and all are happily married.
There are so many of us with who were victims of sexual assault, rape and child abuse. Some made it through, some didn’t. Why some people choose to become parents when there are unfit to do so is totally beyond me…
Anne – your story is shocking yet inspiring. I’m divorced from a violent drunk – on advice from a wonderful police woman (I’m O/S) who told me to hit him back (she assured me she would arrest him) – I did Shotokan and punched him hard between the eyes. He never touched me again. I kicked him out. I’m O/S but remember Maria Colwell God Bless her (& all those who’ve suffered). Yes, I have Mars sq. Pluto. I can smell a bully a mile away. I now tell women in DV groups & informally to take control, have a plan & covertly LEAVE!!
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To read about what young Arthur had to endure by his so-called parents is beyond upsetting. There is no limit to mankind’s capacity for cruelty. I believe he’s in a better place. And hopefully those two will get their just deserts.