Post 3; Bruce McArthur Arrested For The Murder of Immigrants

We will examine the t/Moon-to-n/Sun Return of Bruce McArthur for Jan. 8, 2018.  This Return chart occurred just ten days prior to his arrest relating to the murders of Canadian immigrants.  In prior posts we have looked at his natal chart and Persona charts relative to anger issues and his relationships.  To briefly recount his story up until this point; McArthur was married with children, lived in the Toronto area, was a gardener and landscaper, lost his home and family in the period around 1999.  He took up residence in the city of Toronto and was involved in Toronto’s gay community, particularly with Asian and middle-eastern men.  Many in this group did not have legal status and lived on the fringes of society.  When they disappeared, no one noticed or reported them missing — anyone without legal status was reluctant to contact the authorities.

Let us examine McArthur’s t/Moon-to-n/Sun Return for Jan. 8, 2018.

This is a 7th house Return.  While the t/Moon-n/Sun are near the 8th house cusp, Return chart angles advance.  The angles will, over the following days, leave the n/Sun firmly in the 7th house.  It is appreciated that 7th house Return charts involve relationships and our interactions with others.  We note McArthur’s t/Moon-n/Sun squaring his t/Sun-n/Moon in the 11th house of community matters.  This is not a common pattern, it being possible only twice each year, and often not seen once in a few years.  This pattern suggests complications in his life due to bad decisions and emotional conflicts (Sun and Moon keywords). 

With this unusual Moon-Sun interaction, it is necessary that the t/PoF and n/PoF also have a square relationship; a pairing that represents conflict.  Remember that the PoF is an expression of the Ascendant; one’s actions, view of the world, and environment on a personal level.  In other words, this is a crises point for McArthur when the balance of intentions and reactions to change are all out of whack.  A crises point.  Next, in this chart, we would take note of  n/Mars-n/Venus on the seventh house cusp. This duo can represent personal poise, a balanced social attraction among groups.  Can he ‘charm’ his way out of difficulties?  Apparently not.  In fact, it seems that he ‘charmed himself into difficulties.’  We will get more into this later.  On Jan. 18, 2018 the police brought charges for murder against him.  Disappearances among those in the gay community with whom he had close relationships with had reached the attention of the authorities.  Let us now look at an Advanced chart for this date.

The most angular planet on this date is t/Neptune-Asc.  From McArthur’s point of view, this was a confusing day.  He was arrested and charged, yet he could not understand how the police could make a case against him.  He had carefully managed his interactions with others in the gay community; he never used his known contact name on the Internet, he always used pay phones and not his cell phone when making calls, he used an alias when meeting his ‘friends’ personally, he avoided busy places where there were surveillance cameras.  Because of this he managed to avoid investigation for may years in spite of having an assault-against-a-gay-man on his record.  Investigations into disappearances of men in the gay community were launched and ended prior to 2017 with no concrete leads. 

Then McArthur made a fatal mistake.  One of his latest victims, Kinsman, was well known in the gay community as a bartender at the Black Eagle, as an LGBTQ activist, and a volunteer for both the Aids Toronto and Toronto HIV/AIDS Network.  McArthur and Kinsman were known to be connected — everyone notices who a well known person in the gay community is hanging out with.  When Kinsman went missing an immediate alarm went up.  It took very little time to link McArthur to Kinsman and to find evidence that aroused suspicions.  McArthur had not done his homework.  Hence his confusion upon being arrested.

o, again, for McArthur, confusion and uncertainty prevailed on this date.  With Advanced charts, when there is little angular activity, we can always check out t/Moon, t/Sun, and t/PoF — these factors are always important even if not angular.

• t/Sun squares t/Uranus; upsets and contractictions in what one intends and what events interfere with those intentions.
• t/Moon about to contact n/PoF;  How one reacts to sensitive issues in ones life will determine how well one feels about the day’s events.  n/PoF is always a sensitive point in one’s chart where one does not often react well to change.  With the t/Moon approaching this point, emotional upsets are likely on this date.
• t/PoF-t/Chiron-1st house; Another indication of sensitive points in one’s life being activated on this date.  Past hurts and difficulties that have not been resolved (Chiron) will be brought to light.  Note n/Chiron in the 10th house which is also squared by t/PoF.  A doubled up sign for us to take note of. 

Isn’t it amazing how these charts reflect our daily reality in so many ways?

 

 

 

Bruce McArthur; His Mars and Venus Persona charts

In this rather long post I will be posting the natal chart which has now been set from ‘noon’ to 9:00 AM, plus we will look at a Mars-Persona chart and then a Venus-Persona chart.

We start off where we left off in the previous post; looking at a birth chart which has been set for 9:00 AM, Oct. 8, 1951.

Part of the rational for adopting the 9:00 AM chart is that it puts Mars-Pluto at the MC angle and Ceres at the IC.   This 9:00 AM chart places the Ascendant at 13 Scorpio, and Mars-Pluto (Scorpio’s rulers) at the MC angle, Part-of-Fortune and Ceres at the IC.  The horizontal axis has no occupying planets, it is the vertical axis that is active, making this a see-saw chart type and indicating differences in two sides of his character.  The Mars-Pluto pairing is a “getting it done” pattern.  Apparently the role of a landscaper and gardener gave him enough of a constant sense of accomplishment to keep him satisfied for much of his working life.  The wide square between Sun and Moon suggests that he has a need to struggle over early-life limitations and attitudes, to prove to himself that he can manage life on his own terms.

We  can take a peek at the close conjunction of Pluto-Vesta.  McArthur finds it irksome to deal with the legalities and paperwork of life, of a working life for a self-employed individual.  Life demands to much bureaucracy for a working man.  The PoF near the IC angle might point to a constant series of changes and jobs, a situation that contract work might entail. 

Note the opposition between Mercury-Saturn and Jupiter.  The two heavy planets symbolize how we deal with the “business of life” as we cope with limitations, opportunities, varied income and activity.  With Mercury involved, McArthur was probably constantly involved in chasing deals and working out strategies for future work opportunities, negotiating deals with homeowners and building managers.

The Sun-Neptune paring points to him being an idealist.  With Moon making a closer square to Neptune than the Sun, his imagination and dreams may have kept him emotionally involved in life  and always hoping for the next better opportunity.

Bruce McArthur, a man charged with murdering several people in the Toronto, Canada area, had separated from his family and taken up with Toronto’s gay community.  He was a landscaper and gardener, probably engaged in contract work for others as well as for himself as in independent worker.  As time passed, he became involved with relationships with several men, many of whom became the victims of the crimes he is now accused of.

Given the killings that he is accused of, and the evidence collected to date, one can assume that one of McArthur’s problems may have been anger management.  The adjusted natal chart that was derived in Posting One of this series presented a Scorpio Ascendant with Mars-Pluto on the MC.  The Persona Chart for Sun-to-Mars is shown below.  Note that the Ascendant is now in Virgo, not like the Scorpio-rising natal chart.  This is because the chart is for two months earlier and is calculated for one hour and twenty-one minutes earlier.  Hence, Virgo rising.

The t/Sun has reached n/Mars in the 12th house in this chart ten months after birth on August 25, 1952.  The intention (Sun) to use force and aggression (Mars) to serve his conflicted social needs (t/Moon 2nd house and n/Moon 5th house) will be expressed in a hidden and out-of-public-sight (12th house) manner. 

Note the approach that I took in this Persona-Mars chart.  Persona charts are relatively new for astrologers to deal with, any interpretation offered has to be built upon solid approaches. 

• Using Sun and Moon together as a pair allows us to focus on how one’s life-style, sense of direction and the will or intent to act as the Sun, and one’s feelings fears, emotional reactions and routines to be defined by the Moon.
• The t/Sun coming into contact with n/Mars in the 12th suggests acting behind the scenes.
• In this case, t/Moon-2nd squares n/Moon-5th, suggesting a conflict in the expression of emotions, fears, reactions as they affect ones self-esteem (2nd house) and approach to what brings enjoyment and satisfaction to his emotional life (5th house).
• t/Saturn has moved past n/Mercury in this Persona chart.  This changes the triplicity of natal Saturn-Mercury-Sun to that of Mercury-Saturn-Sun (if we take the liberty of using transiting and natal planets interchangeably).  Mercury becomes the driving force that pushes Saturn’s cautionary life approach to serve the Sun as a symbol of future direction. Saturn, in the natal pattern had Venus as the driving harmonic force to blend conservatism and limitations as a means of developing a life view and strategy (as defined by Mercury.  We can summarize this by saying simply, “McArthur’s sense of following a harmonious daily routine to shape his thoughts and plans (Venus-Saturn-Mercury) is changing, symbolically, to having to adapt his thoughts and plans to make a new strategy for a new life plan (Mercury-Saturn-Sun).  We can see this much as viewing a progressed chart.  This change will occur later in life, not at or near one’s birth time.
• If we use this strategy as a form of ‘progression,’ what might be the progression in terms of a time period?  We are looking at a period around age 60 when these murders may have commenced, and a period around 66 when the law caught up with him.

A method of ‘progressing’ Persona charts.

The basis for a Persona chart is the Sun’s initial tour of the zodiac following birth and the contact of the transiting Sun to each natal planet position in the natal chart.  Several astrological scholars have suggested that 84 is the natural life of man.  “84” refers, of course, to the orbital period of the planet Uranus.  Not everyone lives to the age of 84, many die earlier.  Some live past the age of 84 but my feeling is that they have less ‘relevance’ in these later years.  Together, Sun and Uranus relate to being aware of one’s life, being open to change, and testing others by one’s sudden actions and decisions.  If we equate the full circle of the zodiac by the Sun to 84 years of life, each full sign or sector of 30 degrees will equate to 7 years.  12 X 7= 84.  Let us apply this to the Persona-Mars chart for Bruce McArthur.

• The t/Sun started its journey at 14 Libra.  Natal Mars is at 2 Virgo.  The distance is close to 10 1/2 signs or sectors of 30 degrees.  This would proportion out to some 73 years of age.  This is too much for our needs.  “Sign” passage seems to be the wrong approach.

• The Sun has passed and contacted six planets in those 60+ years.  Can this be used as a general time line?  To make this work, we would have to assign ten years interval to each contacted-in-sequence planet, no matter where it was located or spaced from a prior planet in the zodiac sequence.  This method would suggest that ‘ten years’ be assigned to each planet that had to be passed so that the target planet was reached.  This would work, as a general rule, in this case.

This may be an area to investigate, finding a measure of time that generally applies to the maturation of a Persona chart.  Then again, it may be meaningless.  Time will tell.

As an adjunct process, once we find a progression method we will need to then look for transits during that indicated period (when the Persona-Mars chart is activated). We can compare transits to the natal Mars point during the period when Bruce McArthur was around 66 years of age.  The following chart has the Persona-Mars chart inside and the January 18, 2018 transit chart (for his arrest) shown in the outer wheel.

On Jan. 18, 2018 (this year) McArthur was charged with murder.  Note t/Mars (on Jan. 18, 2018) conjoining Persona Mars in late Scorpio, 3rd house.  This singular conjunction of t/Mars-persona/Mars seems to be a key factor for this arrest date.  t/Neptune is on the Desc. angle in this Persona-Mars based chart; this suggests fantasy, confusion, a lack of focus about dealing with others.  t/Uranus opposes Persona-Moon — this Moon is conflicted by its square to the natal chart Moon.  We can look at this opposition as indicating great surprises coming from others.

t/Sun is closely sextile to Persona/Mars and t/Mars.  We can expect the t/Sun to be a major player in the interpretive approach to these charts.  As a transiting Sun, meaning attention of authorities, the exposure of character to the public, this astrological planet will likely be a primary factor in interpretation while the target planet of the Persona chart (in this case, Mars) will also be a major factor.  I would postulate that the t/Moon will also deserve our attention as we explore Persona charts over the next few months.

So, now we have looked at the Persona-Mars chart, the possible progression chart for a Persona chart, and the transits-for-an-event to a Persona chart.

After being married and raising a family, McArthur left his wife and commenced interacting with the gay community in Toronto.  He had several relationships, many of them seeming to end with his partner going missing.  Many of his relationships were with Asian males who were not well off in terms of financial stability.  When they disappeared, after being killed by McArthur, they were not missed.  Clearly, if we wish to learn about Persona charts, looking at McArthur’s Persona-Venus chart might prove interesting.

If we look at the dates of the natal and Persona charts we see that most of a year has gone by before t/Sun moved from Libra to Virgo, contact six planets along the way.  At a ten year interval per contacted planet, Venus would become a focal point in the development of his personality.  This fits with the general period where he engaged in homosexual relations and when the many unsolved murders happened.

There are several striking patterns to look at in this chart.  Saturn near the MC; constraints on his public image and plans for personal development.  t/Sun-to-n/Venus in the 9th; relationships are found which have a ‘broadening’ aspect to them, involve an overseas or ‘distance’ factor and also bring out assertive behavior due to the square to t/Mars.  If we take note of t/Venus (instead of the n/Venus-contacted-by-t/Sun) we can see it is at the midpoint of Saturn-Saturn and Sun-Venus; we would interpret this as his identity focus on Venus-things at this point in his life (t/Sun-n/Venus) is trying to mediate the constraints (Saturn-Saturn) he feels about his current goals and where his head is taking him.  This t/Venus is opposite the t/PoF; his values and sense of what he appreciates is constantly churning about within him.  He is not finding consistent satisfaction in those he relates to. 

With t/Moon-Asc. we might see him identifying with feminine characteristics which may not be clearly found in his gay associates.  His self-deception is not working properly.  We should note Neptune-square-Uranus; this can translate in many ways, all centering around his identity having to confront peculiar situations.  However a psychiatrist may work this out, as astrologers we can surely say that something is all screwed up for him, the dream is not working out well.

So, we have now done two Persona charts prior to looking at his arrests, the discovery of his victims and the dates and events that he is currently undergoing — this is a current event, he has not yet been to court.  Our focus will switch to following current events for Bruce McArthur.  We will wait for other posts and subjects before exploring Persona charts again.  Dave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astrological Charting With Minimal Data

This Posting Series will introduce new-to-most-astrologers tools for exploring charts.

A Toronto, Canada man, Bruce McArthur, was charged on Jan. 18, 2018 of murdering a local man, Andrew Kinsman.  Several murders or disappearances had been investigated earlier but were dropped due to insufficient information and evidence.  McArthur, age 67, was a grounds keeper.  Bodies were later discovered buried in gardens and planters where he had worked.

This was a news item among many news items found the other day on CNN’s news website.  Like many news stories, astrologers may find no birth date, place of birth or birth time.  Sometimes a search of the Internet will yield several versions of the story by different news agencies from which birth dates or birth locations can be obtained — but, never the birth time.  So what does the astrologer do?  The story and any astrological insights it may provide is passed by.

In this posting series several ‘not usual’ approaches will be taken.

• A noon natal chart will be used.  The interpretive approach will use the “Planets in Containment” interpretive tools advocated by John Sandbach and Ronn Ballard.
• The natal chart will be ‘rectified’ or adjusted to fit the context and timing of the story, murders and arrest notes in the news.  This should yield a “workable” natal chart for us to use.
• A “Persona” chart to explore the workings of Mars in the subjects natal chart will be utilized.  Persona chart usage was introduced in this blog site a short time ago.  Some initial exploration will address ‘progressing’ the persona chart to see ‘when’ the various planets may be more fully expressed in life.
• Moon-to-Sun and Advanced charts for the dates of being charged/arrested.

The ‘noon’ Natal Chart

Bruce McArthur was born in the Toronto, Canada area on Oct. 8, 1951.  A noon chart time is used.  Because there can be no reliable MC and Ascendant to use, and therefore no ‘house’ placement for the planets, I will use a system presented by John Sandbach and Ronn Ballard in their book, Planets in Containment, as a interpretive tool.  This approach uses a three-planet pattern, the three planets being listed in zodiac order, and without regard to the spacing between them.  Related ideas have been used prior to their book by 1) Indian astrologers who used ‘Yogas’ or planet-angle-sign combinations to imply fixed interpretations, 2) Marc Edmond Jones who used oriental planets; those that arose prior to the Sun, and 3) Michael Meyer’s book, Handbook of Humanistic Astrology.  But the book Planets in Containment is the most exhaustive and recent book available to us to use in this manner.

For our interpretive purposes we can list the planets in zodiac order, starting with the Sun as taken from Bruce McArthur’s ‘noon’ birth chart.

• Sun
• Neptune
• (Chiron)
• Moon
• (N.Node)
• (Part of Fortune)
• Jupiter
• Uranus
• Pluto
• Mars
• Venus
• Saturn
• Mercury

Chiron, Node and Part of Fortune are not covered in the book.   The middle planet, in a triplicity pattern, pushes against (or reacts to) the preceding planet and therefore heads toward the following planet (its destination, so to speak).  We can see this as a ‘beginning-middle-end’ or a ‘before-now-later’ model.

Mercury-SUN-Neptune triplicity:  One’s life centers around the refinement of ideas.  Understanding concepts and subtleness and being able to express them.  A danger from being confused is quite possible.  Mercury is the anchor planet representing ideas, perceptions and the organizing of thoughts and beliefs.  The Sun is an integrating force for all the planets, plus it, itself, shapes personality, character and our intent and direction in life.  It therefore picks up Mercury’s influence (as the preceding planet).  Where does it go with it integration, character and intent?  It goes towards Neptune’s sense of refinement, imagination, love for drama, inclination to deception and fantasy.  This same logical process will be used for each of the following triplicities.

Sun-Neptune-Moon triplicity:  The imagination is highly regarded.  These people project their future goals thru vivid fantasies, failing to be practical in their efforts.  Daily routines help them in seeking to achieve their goals.

Neptune-Moon-Jupiter triplicity:  Delicate emotions thrive on their imagination.  They can be ‘carried away’ in their exuberating celebrations.

Moon-Jupiter-Uranus triplicity:  Highly impressionable, can be overcome by a situation or a social contact.  A need to feel independent while included in a social network.

Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto triplicity:  Can create powerful changes in the world around them.  This can lead to extreme argumentative or social reactions.  How are eccentricities managed?

Uranus-Pluto-Mars triplicity:  Intensely individualistic.  Unexpected compulsions are acted upon. Acting as if totally free to follow their thoughts.

Pluto-Mars-Venus triplicity:  A need to establish a balance while working, avoiding exhaustion all at once.  Tends to over-reach and overly commit to a project, and not to exercise moderation.

Mars-Venus-Saturn triplicity:  An aggressive love nature, valuing relationships.  Burn out or frustration can arise.  Care must be taken to obtain self-gratification and to keep a partner also satisfied on many levels.

Venus-Saturn-Mercury triplicity:  Using an easy or ordered life pattern/routine, these people can then see life as being restricted.  Finding flexibility is a key to not feeling smothered by life’s daily routines and sameness. 

Saturn-Mercury-Sun triplicity:  A controlled and logical mind needs a life-purpose.  Without self discipline and thought, goals are not set or achieved.  Self-doubt can appear.  The ego is damaged.

Bruce McArthur’s Life Context

Before we move on to grouping and synthesizing these statements it will be helpful to review the life-style and activities of this man, Bruce McArthur.  McArthur was married and had two children.  He worked as a landscaper and gardener.  He had financial problems, had to declare bankruptcy, and became separated from his wife and family.  At the time of his arrest he was living alone.  He had become involved with the gay community in Toronto.  In 2001 he was arrested for attacking a gay man with a pipe, an incident for which he was later pardoned.  He did have a affair with a man who later disappeared but no evidence was found in that case and he was not charged for any crime.  In 2014, a series of disappearances were investigated.  These ultimately led to other investigations and findings, and the secret life of McArthur slowly became visible.  On Janurary 18, 2018 he was charged with two killings.  The list would later be expanded to seven killings.

Blending the triplicity statements to fit within the context of McArthur’s life

 The book, Planets in Containment, provides some 900 combinations of interpretations.  Of these 900, only ten are being considered here.  That makes these statements highly unique to the subject, Bruce McArthur.

The Sun triplicity, along with the Neptune triplicity, alerts us to McArthur having an imaginative mind, one in which fantasy or personal expectations might dominate his thinking. 

The Saturn and Mercury triplicities, when blended, appear problematic.  An ordered and routine life style such as landscaping and gardening can become seen as frustrating and limiting by him.  If he is not self-disciplined and if he does not set goals, this routine life-style can become quite self-destructive because it does not provide a means of achieving his fantasies and imaginative outlets that the Sun and Neptune set him up to expect.

The Pluto and Mars triplicities together represent a need for expressing his true individuality and to find an outlet of expression.  Unfortunately, these triplicities seem to have become unhindered by social norms and soon ran amuck when his separation from his family and involvement with the free-wheeling gay underground provided him free-reign to indulge the worst side of his nature without fear of consequence.

The Venus and Mars triplicities reveal his aggressiveness and over-indulgence as he pursued his self-gratification without regard to partners or social groups.  When fantasy was not found to be fulfilled, apparently someone died.  Not only were gay relationships an imaginative outlet for him but the killings probably became a symbol of overcoming his frustration with daily life and routine.  He may have taken much satisfaction from hiding the bodies in the places where he worked each day, trimmings lawns and planting flowers over the hidden bodies.

Finding an Ascendant or MC in this chart

It may be possible to identify an Ascendant or MC by using the triplicity method.  Let us consider Moon-Asc.-Jupiter:  Identify closely with their own emotions, projecting their exuberance out to others. When negatively applied, emotions can become excessive, leading to up and own cycles.  This would indicate an Aquarian or Pisces Ascendant.  A Sag MC might be likely.

Pluto-Asc.-Mars, as a triplicity, would indicate one who is aggressive and forceful.  Tends to be overly obsessive and would react badly if not accommodated.   This would indicate a Leo-Virgo Ascendant.  A Taurus-Gemini MC might be involved.

Neptune-Asc.-Moon, as a triplicity, can denote great sensitivity, impressionability, and provide a means of internally defining their adaptability and role in life.  Any confusion or conflict that comes into their life can derail them completely.  An Ascendant from Scorpio to Capricorn is possible with this triplicity, while the MC might range from Virgo to Scorpio.

A birthtime around 9:00 AM would put mid-Scorpio on the Ascendant and Mars-Pluto around the MC angle.  The Part of Fortune and Ceres would be on the IC angle, Ceres being an indicator of one who treasures their values and works with nature and the earth.  The horizontal axis, Asc. and Desc., would be free of planets — this would place the chart focus upon his goals, ideals, self-image.

For the next posting a chart will be utilized and presented for 9:00 AM, Oct. 8, 1951 which will be used for the balance of this series.

This posting offers a lot of new material which many readers will have to study a bit in order to feel comfortable in using it.  This takes us beyond the typical astrological practices of ‘natal-progression-transit’ astrology.  

 

Timothy McVeigh; Done And Over With.

The photo at the left is McVeigh after his conviction while being led away from court.

The Bureau of Prisons transferred Timothy McVeigh to facilities at Terre Haute, Indiana where he would await and experience his execution by lethal injection.  There were other infamous inmates there;  Ted Kaczynski, Luis Felipe and Ramzi Yousef.  That cell block was known as Bomber’s Row.  There were various appeals, of course, but soon those all ran out and a final date for McVeigh’s execution was set for June 11, 2001.  We will look at his t/Moon-opp-n/Sun Return chart for June 2, 2001. 

This is a 7th house Return chart with t/Moon-Asc. opposite n/Sun-n/Mercury-Desc.  The generic statement, given in Personal Moon-to-Sun Returns 2, fits most situations in everyday life.  For this form of extreme situation, the only portion of that given theme statement that fits McVeigh’s plight is , “Others impose situations upon you, you upon them.”  The situation to be imposed on McVeigh was, of course, a lethal injection intended to kill him.  The situations that he placed on others were what he wished to have for a final meal, what his final statement would be.  He chose two pints of ice cream for his last meal, and his final statement would be a reading of William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus.”

• The t/Moon-Asc.-opp-n/Sun-n/Mercury-Desc. pattern can be seen in several ways.  1) His feelings (t/Moon) on this date are about his death (Scorpio) as an experience, all of which conflicts with his conscious intentions.  One can argue with this.  2) The public view of his upcoming experience (Moon at Asc.) is concerned with his identify and personal view (Sun-Desc.) of how he will deal with his emotions at this time.  3) Feelings about what he did have to be balanced against the reasons for his actions.
• t/Neptune-IC suggests a sort of euphoria or degree of self-delusion or reliving of his experiences that led him to this point.
• Even non-angular positions for t/Sun and t/PoF need to be considered.  The t/Sun is approaching his n/Asc.;  His actions, his goals, his intentions are fully on his mind at this point in his short-remaining life.  t/Part of Fortune (t/PoF) has contacted his n/Moon and is approaching his n/Chiron.  His strong feelings about he past social hurts that he had taken on as personal affronts (Ruby Ridge, Waco, Texas) were stirring him up. 

This would be the last resting place that McVeigh would remember.

I can”t imagine the hours of waiting and moving through the last few days towards that strange end point on a gurney with a needle in one’s arm is like.  What’s the point of bothering with a last meal of ice cream?  What difference will your last statement, a poem, make upon the world the next day, the next week, the next year.  One’s remaining breaths and thoughts are almost totally irrelevant — how can being irrelevant be dealt with.  Yes, his bombing shattered families and individual lives, and those results are relevant.  Can one take anything personally valuable from the suffering caused to others?  Perhaps he may have had these thoughts as each day passed.

On June 11th, early in the morning when many were dealing with breakfast or an early commute by car or train to work, McVeigh was led down the hall to that cold room.  He was strapped down and a needle inserted in his arm.  He had nothing to say, he just stared impassively, his thoughts kept within himself.

• Most notable in this chart is n/MC-at-IC-t/Uranus-t/BML. The IC angle had moved on from t/Neptune to that n/MC-t/Uranus-t/BML-t/Moon.  His life-goals (MC) had ended (chart IC) suddenly (Uranus).  t/BML-t/Moon is a shattering emotional confrontation, a very personal attempt to deal with one’s extinction. 
• The presence of the n/BML-Desc. has an angular relationship (called a paran-square) with t/BML at the IC angle. Facing one’s fears, facing the spirits or thoughts of others, a dreadful step through a doorway.  Who can imagine what set of words will accurately convey what McVeigh was dealing with at this moment?

We can take this Advanced chart, which is a cyclic chart linked to the Moon-Sun Return which is linked to the natal Sun and chart, and we can rotate it backwards from its chart calculation time to the time of his injection and death at 7:14 AM.  I call this a double-diurnal chart, which is shown below.

In the greater sense, this ‘Double-Diurnal chart’ is a transiting chart (inner wheel) of McVeigh’s relocated natal chart (outer wheel).  If all of the charts (natal and transiting) were pegged to the birth location, this chart would not be accurate relative to the time and place of the event.

• t/Part of Fortune is at the MC angle.  Chance, challenge, chaos lies before him.
• t/Moon-conjoins-n/MC;  feelings and fears are upper-most in his mind.
• t/Mercury-Asc.; His mind is very active at this moment as his body and his consciousness is changing, pain and loss of focus is affecting him.  t/Mercury-Asc.-opposes t/Chiron; past hurts, feelings of injustices are briefly considered in these fading moments.

Many might feel inclined to see these patterns as deep fears being before McVeigh.  I could not say that with any certainty.  I hesitate to apply such specific attributes to symbols, as symbols are always very personal in their expression.  Yes, it would seem that McVeigh was uncertain (PoF-MC) about his lethal injection,  had deep fears (BML), was worried about having adopted the causes of others (Mercury opposite Chiron) and deeply uncertain about life-after-death (Moon at natal MC).  In any case, it probably all faded away over a minute or two.  After that . . .

Edited to Add:  If anyone has comments on the interpretation of how McVeigh was experiencing, feeling, dealing with these final moments of life and the events that led to this day, please feel welcome to add a comment.  There may be readers out there who are more knowledgeable on this subject than I am.  Dave. 

Consequences: Found Guilty, Sentenced

McVeigh went to trial in a Federal court and was found to be guilty of 11 counts of murder on June 2, 1997.  The eleven counts of murder related to the federal employees who were killed.  The many others killed in the Federal building bombing were civilians and under the jurisdiction of Oklahoma courts.  Given the nature of his crime and the body of evidence, plus his own statements, the guilty verdict could not have surprised McVeigh.  This result came almost two years after the bombing.  His t/Moon-to-n/Sun Return chart is shown below.

This t/Moon-to-n/Sun Return in the 2nd house has the t/Sun angular at the IC angle.  The 2nd house placement of the Return indicates that this cycle will focus on his sense of self esteem.  When we add t/Sun-IC to the mix, we find that his sense of self will undergo a change on this date.  The fact that the Return came on the day of a primary event in his life makes this chart all the more informative.  For McVeigh, this had to be a milestone on his road to death, a day that might be very depressing for him.  “Depressing” in that he had just had his first Saturn Return, a time when one recognizes one’s responsibilities and searches for ways to fulfill or deny them.  It is a time of reckoning.

Several days later, on June 13, 1997, a “death sentence”  was handed down.  McVeigh had been imprisoned for almost two years at this point.  There was little activity in his life outside of his lawyers visits and the daily routine of prison life.  Now, with the trial completed, there was nothing more to look forward to except more time between appeals and lawyer visits.  Let us look at the Advanced chart for June 13, 1997 when the death sentence was given by the judge.

In the eleven days since the t/Moon-to-n/Sun Return, McVeigh was given a death sentence by the Judge.  t/PoF is on the IC; McVeigh’s life situation will be changed on this date.  t/Moon-Desc. conjoins n/Pluto-n/Uranus.  McVeigh’s emotional nature triggers his death-wish rebelliousness (Pluto-Uranus).  His thoughts are on his identification for the victims of Waco and Ruby Ridge.

Take note of t/Jupiter-12th opposite n/Jupiter-6th.  Jupiter can be seen as a ‘situational’ planet, not describing actions but describing conditions, opportunities, situations.  Prisons are associated with the 12th house.  Trials and trial lawyers are also associated with the 12th house.  Squaring this Jupiter-Jupiter opposition axis is n/Ascendant-opp-n/Neptune.  Ascendant-Neptune is connected to feeling controlled or subjected to the whims of other people.  Hopelessness, despair, a lack of caring about oneself.  If we play astrological hopscotch and jump from natal to transiting Neptune we find t/Neptune near the n/MC; despondency about one’s future, a lack of meaning in life.

Finally, we have to note n/Pluto-n/Uranus (the Rebellious Fighter) straddling the Descendant angle and t/Moon.  If we use Ebertin’s midpoint interpretations for these patterns, we find:  1) DESC = UR/PL Being placed in an unusual or restless environment.  Applications of force, an accident.  2) MO = UR/PL Intuition, restlessness, daring and audaciousness, ambition, determination.  Bringing about changes by force.    In the second example, we can see McVeigh as having made his mark in society for the cause that he espoused. In the first example, we can see McVeigh within this structured court environment, being dragged through the formal steps of being condemned by the society he had acted against.  Although Ebertin’s interpretations are generic, they can easily be adapted to extreme situations.

McVeigh After The Bombing Of The Federal Building

McVeigh walked away from the van that he had packed with explosives, got into another vehicle and drove away.  At 9:02 AM, the bomb exploded, the van disappeared, and the whole face of the building crashed into the open area before the sidewalk.  More than 300 other nearby buildings were damaged.  Those closest to the Federal building suffered structural damage, those further away lost glass and external panels.  But it was the many people who worked in the Federal building and those closest to it who suffered the most damage.  168 died in that blast, 684 were wounded.  Of those that died, 19 were children who were located in a child care center within the building.

McVeigh was driving a yellow 1977 Mercury as he headed away from Oklahoma City.  A passing State Trooper noticed that the car had no license plate and stopped McVeigh.  McVeigh was carrying a gun but his permit was not legal in the state.  He was arrested for driving without plates and having an illegal firearm in his possession.

 The police found the rear axle of the exploded van hours later, and from that identified the rental van, the rental company.  Soon a composite sketch of McVeigh was developed, and the hunt was initiated.  Three days later the authorities realized that they had their suspect in custody.  On August 10th, 1995, Timothy McVeigh was indicted on eleven federal counts.  His chart for the Moon-to-Sun Return of Aug. 3, 1995 is shown below.

Strangely, t/Jupiter is within 4 degrees of the IC, the closest angular planet.  We have seen Jupiter angular in earlier charts.  Also angular in this chart is n/Moon and (to a lesser degree) t/Saturn in the 7th.  The first house contains t/Chiron and n/Pluto-n/Uranus.  Jupiter, among its attributes, is associated with the law, courts and legalities.  In that sense, this singular angular planet clearly represents this return date’s impact on McVeigh.  He was in custody.  He had been identified as the bomber, the domestic terrorist and mass murderer.  It was probably the major thought on his mind as he went through the waiting process, the initial contacts with lawyers who would represent him.  There is little need to delve deeply into this quiet period in his troubled life.

On this date, after being prepared by his lawyers, McVeigh went through the formalities of being indicted in court.  The 7th house angle, the Descendant, contains the primary angular components of the chart.  t/Part of Fortune (t/PoF)-Desc. points to the ‘chance and change’ volatility of the moment; facing the public recognition of his terrible crime, interacting with those who held him prisoner and who would guide him toward his eventual fate, and not having an opportunity at this point to make statements of his views and reasons for his actions were all part of this very strange day.  n/Moon might represent how he saw the ‘public’ as the victims and the persecutors who were now part of his life.  t/Saturn clearly represented the physical constraints of imprisonment as well as the limited and highly structured daily life he was dealing with.

Opposite this 7th house grouping we find t/Chiron and the n/Pluto-n/Uranus pairing.  We could say that his self-identity with those hurting from Ruby Ridge and Waco, Texas was part of the social-generational pattern of sudden-demands-anger-volatility of Pluto-Uranus that he represented.  I try to picture these patterns in my mind as I try to understand McVeigh at this point.  He had these ultraistic feelings for the struggle of others that he identified with.  He was presently experiencing a boring sameness of daily life, punctuated by meetings with lawyers, and having hour after hour to think about how that had benefitted him.  Of course, he could have been thinking about how those at Waco, Texas, had they lived, would have appreciated his act of vengeance on their behalf.  I just cant picture any of this as being very satisfying.  Did he just take pleasure from having created such a large and terrible action against a government he disliked?

Later, McVeigh would say, “To these people in Oklahoma who have lost a loved one, I’m sorry but it happens every day. You’re not the first mother to lose a kid, or the first grandparent to lose a grandson or a granddaughter. It happens every day, somewhere in the world. I’m not going to go into that courtroom, curl into a fetal ball and cry just because the victims want me to do that.”

Whatever his thoughts and feeling, McVeigh was not very apologetic.