Susan Brownmiller, whose influential 1975 book “Against Our Will,” became a key pillar of the feminist movement and transformed the social and legal understanding of rape as a tool of violence and power, has died. In its wake, rape crisis centers were opened throughout the country, courtroom rules of evidence were changed to reduce the hurdles in prosecuting rapists, and laws were drawn up to allow rape to be charged as a crime in marriage.
The author who said she had never been raped herself, spent four years researching “Against Our Will,” which examined the historical context of rape from ancient Troy to Vietnam and an early 1970s war in which Pakistani soldiers raped hundreds of thousands of women in neighboring Bangladesh.
She argued that rape should not be seen solely as a sexual act but as an exercise of power and intimidation whose ultimate effect was to keep women subservient. ‘Nothing more or less than a conscious process of intimidation by which all men keep all women in a state of fear.’
Her book attracted a great deal of criticism — with accusations she colluded with racism; and those against feminism have dismissed it ‘as essentialist (seeing men as having an inbuilt urge to subjugate women), universalist (making sweeping generalisations across cultures and histories) and reductionist (reducing women’s subordination to a single cause).’
She was among the first feminists to raise the issue of the sexual abuse of children. At the time she was writing, there were no national statistics on this crime in the USA.
She was born 15 February 1935, New York, no birth time, and said it was her childhood lessons in Jewish history about the pogroms and Holocaust which drove her later activism.
Her chart is starkly powerful, hinting at a personality driven by rage and fear – rebellious, influential and keen to make a difference, with an innate understanding of the darker side of life. Her Aquarius Sun Mercury (and Saturn in Pisces) were in an assertive and communicative trine to Mars in Libra; with her Mars in an uncompromising opposition to Uranus square Pluto (Moon) in Cancer. Pluto on the focal point of a Cardinal T square does bestow penetrating insight and ideas that are ‘before their time’ and tending to arouse strong resistance. Though as it turns out her work kickstarted vital reforms. Her ‘activist’ North Node in Aquarius would also help motivate her.
A creative though not always realistic Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Scorpio in a confident trine to Pluto trine a sympathetic Venus in Pisces, formed into a Kite by Venus opposition Neptune would give her high ideals.
Ceres, the star associated with Demeter, is close to her Pluto, which may also be relevant – since in mythology Demeter raised hell when her virginal daughter Persephone was carried off to the underworld by Pluto, who (depending on the version) either raped Persephone or separated her from childhood and brought her to maturity.
When Against Our Will was published her Solar Arc Neptune, the driving planet of her Grand Trine/Kite was exactly conjunct her natal Mars – bringing together the two major configurations in her chart for the ground-breaking moment of her life.
She would start researching her book as Pluto moved into Libra in 1971 (until 1983) which was a time that the divorce rate jumped along with changing expectations of marriage, more independence for women, with USA Equal Rights Legislation and the first domestic violence shelters opening.
In Greek mythology, Nessus is a centaur who carried Deianeira across the river Evenus, but was killed by Heracles with a poisoned arrow when he tried to run away with her. In the Disney movie Hercules, Nessus is portrayed as a lecherous river guardian and is Hercules’s first major opponent. Hercules defeats him in battle and saves Megara from him. The Shirt of Nessus was the poisoned shirt that killed Heracles.
Susan Brownmiller has Nessus (rapist) at 24Aries04 square natal Pluto.
In the Persephone myth, Brownmiller, has Persephone at 7Pisces22 conj Saturn.
Was there anyone who studied violent sexual attacks by men onto other men, for example in wars or prisons?
That HBO show from many years ago, Oz, was in part a study in situational homosexuality and sexual violence in prisons.
Thanks Marjorie, I knew nothing about her, so very interested to hear. A moon sandwiched between Pluto and the South Node (probably) seems like they would have an inbuilt sense of mission in this life.
rape is always about power