What in the natal chart prolongues your life?
OLD AGE AND CHARTS
In addition to my earlier study of astrology and aging, I studied the charts of 35 Dutch persons who reached an usual age. I added mrs. Ann Flower (who recently became 99 years old, according to Times Online UK) and the Queen Mother Elisabeth. That way I got 37 times 10 positions to be divided over the four elements Fire, earth, air and water. This new study gives about the same results as the old one. There are more planets, Suns and Moon than average in earth signs and fixed signs in the charts of very old people .
That is not all. I added new elements for study (the oriental planet, signs of Sun and Moon, etc.). On this page you see the results of the comparisson in the study of aging and astrology. Result number 1: Uranus is very prominent in this study!
ELEMENT EARTH AND THE LONG LIFE
Again very old people showed to have placements in the signs of the element earth more often and less in Water. But unlike the former study, there were not significantly little placements in the element of Fire. But the fact remains that the number of placements in firesigns in the charts of those who died young, as an average, is twice as much as those in airsigns. These very old people had 1,5 times as much placements in earth than in water. This confirms roughly what I found before. The very old ones are often the more earth bound and realistic kinds. They tend to take good care of themselves and their belongings and they communicate more. Apart from that they are less sensitive and vulnerable (like water signs are) and they are also prudent (unlike fire signs).
SUNSIGN AND MOONSIGN
Of all placements the following numbers of them were in the elements:
Fire: 87 Earth: 114 Air: 91 Water: 78
The elements Earth (earthbound, materialistic) and Air (social involvement) have more placements than average. 7 out of the 37 aged people have 50% or more placements in signs of the element earth. But only 3 of them have 50% or more in firesigns. Firesigns are the symbols of taking risks, accidents and burn out.
Interesting is that NONE of the 37 people lack placements in the element earth. Every one of them has at least one planet, Sun or Moon in an earth sign. Exception: the Queen Mother!
FIXED SIGNS Cardinal signs (to start and do, enterprise): 112 Fixed signs (to continue and hold on to): 143 Movable signs (flexibility): 114 It seems apropiate to me that the fixed signs rule! Fixed signs tend to hold on and stick to what they got.
URANUS ORIENTAL AS A STRONG INDICATION FOR GETTING OLD
We see oriental (rising before the Sun): Mars 7 x (active, do-er, action first) Uranus 9x (alertness, independancy, freedom first) Jupiter 9x (being developed and positive, succes first) Saturn 8x (serious and carefull, security first) Neptune 2x (idealistic and romantic, a dreamer) Pluto 1x (strategic and courageous, power first)
In Astro I.D. (my book, now sold out) I mention on page 37 that out of the first 10 people I checked in my files 4 have Jupiter oriental and another 4 Uranus. And out of the 20 persons in my files who died before the age of 40 NO ONE has Uranus oriental (Saturn 3 times, Jupiter 6 times). Jupiter oriental is not a proper indication for getting very old and neither is Saturn, though Jupiter is an optimist and Saturn is cautious. It seems rather significant that Mars is oriental in twice as much charts in the group of people who died young. Mars is related to fever, speed, accidents and aggression.
But who would expect Uranus, specifically Uranus oriental, as important in the charts of the very old?
BTW I cannot say often enough that it takes the whole chart and nothing but the whole chart and that the loose parts are only usefull for studies such as this one. That is why I give some examples here below.
ZERO ARIES
I also checked the hard aspects with Zero Aries: In almost half of the cases there was NO hard aspect with Zero Aries at all (17 times). Venus was connected to Zero Aries twice, Mars four times, Jupiter tree times, Uranus 3x, Neptune 5, Pluto and Saturn twice each. Result: Not having a hard aspect with Zero Aries seems to be an advantage if you want to get very old.
SIGNS
Sunsigns and Moonsigns offer some insights. It seems that the sign of Gemini is not represented in this study at all. Only Betje Comijs -Cicero might have Sun in Gemini. Odd is, that Moon in Scorpio appears only once, but Sun in Scorpio was seen often (6 times). There are more very old people in this study with Sun in Aquarius, Pisces or Libra (5 times each) than in Aries, Taurus or Virgo. Moon in Sagittarius is 7 times present and 4 times each the Moon is placed in Aquarius or Pisces.
MIDPOINTS AND ASPECTS
50% has an aspect of the Sun with Neptune and only 20% has a connection of the Sun with Mars or Saturn or both. One third as a Sun-Pluto connnection in the chart.
In my earlier study I found more than an average number of aspects between Mars or Pluto with Saturn and Neptune in the charts of people who died young. The elder ones on the contrary had aspects between Sun and Saturn and beneficial midpoint combinations such as Jupiter with Sun/Pluto (midpoint combination for succes and confidence). I can imagine that getting old might be one of the successes in life…
EXAMPLES But… it is the combination that counts!
Also because of the disadvantages of getting old, such as isolation, health problems and being lonely you may expect hard aspects in the charts of very old people. Aspects, for example, pointing at the issue of restricted freedom (being in an institution for a long time: Saturn and Uranus involved). AND you may notice that Uranus’role grows in importance when you get deeper into the charts of these very old people. Uranus (at worst) is the symbol of enstrangement and alienation. When all your children have died and you are among strangers, being special because of your age, you might feel like an alien.
1. Hinderika Modderaar has Mars oriental square Uranus and trine Saturn. She is a fire-earth Capricorn with Moon in Sagittarius. That tells us that she is a creative person who is mostly chearful and positive even when there are disadvantages. She is extremely energetic, but at the same time she is able to control her use of energy. She was born December 29, 1880 in Groningen at 8 a.m. (source: Astrolab) with Sun in Capricorn and Moon in Sagittarius, Capricorn Ascendant, Netpune in a crucial place on the IC. Mars is oriental – that is rising before the Sun- ( and also sextile Venus and trine Saturn for controlled passion). The Moon, Mercury and Mars are in Sagittarius, while Jupiter and Saturn are in Aries. Sun, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are in Earth and Venus is in Aquarius. Uranus is not only involved in a wide square with Mars and retrograding. Uranus is also the most elevated planet! So this chart is conform the ‘demands’. Fourty percent of the placements in earth signs. Moon in Sagittarius. Uranus prominent. Sun trine Neptune.
2. Marianna Kors-Dikker (11th April 1858) had Sun in Aries and Moon in Pisces. The Sun was exactly square Saturn and though that does not seem to be a nice indication for a long life, the influence of Sun-Saturn was there in my former study, too. Uranus is prominent for being unaspected (Uranus is ‘calling’). And there is a 50% placement in earth signs and also 50% in fixed signs. Pluto is on the midpoint Zon/Jupiter for succeses.
3. Wilhelmus Kostering was born 2 October 1849 with a Libra Sun and Moon in Aries. The Sun opposes Saturn (wide orb) and Jupiter is oriental and sesqui square Uranus. 40% in fire, 50% in cardinal: little connection to the results of this study, it seems. Except for the Sun biquintile Neptune and Sun-Saturn. Note that because of the unknown hour of birth Uranus might have a crucial position in the chart (but we donot know that for sure).
4. Betje Comijs-Cicero was born 21 June 1861 with Sun in Cancer or still in Gemini, it is on the edge. She has a Moon in Sagittarius. And the Sun squares Neptune on Aries Point. Sun = Jupiter/Pluto and sextile Saturn. You could read her chart as that of a (too) religious or romantic person with an optimistic attitude. She is curious and independant and she is moderate. Uranus is rising before the Sun (oriental)!
5. Wilhelmina Cammel, born 8 January 1871, is another exception in this study. She has Mars square the strong and oriental Saturn in Capricorn and sesqui square to Pluto. That is comination frequent in the charts of those who died young (and when an act of violence is part of the life) . Conform the study: Forty percent of the positions in earth signs, Sun sesqui square the midpoint Jupiter/Pluto, semi sextile Jupiter and square to Neptune. Possibly she was a religious person but we donot know for sure.
6. No part of this study, but a very nice example to compare this with, is the chart of the officially recognised oldest person in the world ever, Jeanne-Louise Calment (see Wikipedia) born in Arles on February 21, 1875 at about 7 a.m. in Arles (source of time is Astrothème.fr). She died on August 4, 1997 when she was 122 years and 164 days. When she was 121 she released a rap-record! In many ways her chart is different from the older ‘oldies’ (and it should, as she is the eldest:). What was to be expected is the prominence of Uranus (unaspected, calling: for the exceptional woman) and the Sun trine Jupiter and square with the elevated Mars (a combination for a lot of energy and successes). Not so much placements in earth. And no aspect between Sun and Neptune (but Sun IS in Pisces).
Her chart does not tell us at first sight that this is a lady who will be extremely old! The chart shows that she is a vivid and attention drawing balanced person, with a critical attituce but always adapting her visions to that of her communication partner:). She is tolerant and chearful and mostly sympathic (Moon trine Venus). Yet there was grieve in her life. She lost her only daughter and later her only grand son. She survived them both. When she died Pluto was spot on sesqui square her progressed MC and that was one day after Jupiter was sextile her progressed MC. Jupiter occurs in the chart as the symbol of the doctor or med.
CONCLUSION
You see that you cannot just apply the results of the study to an individual chart. But do you also see the prominent Uranus as an important clue? And do you join me in the conclusion that the group of very old people differs from the others, also in astrology? At least when it is about earth signs?
UPDATE March 16: http://astropost.blogspot.com/2011/03/scorpio-lives-longer.html German study says that those born in November live longer than those born in May…
UPDATE September 15, 2013. Salustiano ‘Shorty‘ Sanchez, born June 8, 2001 died September 13, 2013. He was born with 5 positions in earth signs. The Sun was opposition Uranus in Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) and made a 157.5 degree aspect with Jupiter. He is the first Gemini in this study. See the chart here: