mystery chart exercise #1

Here's a chart of someone famous!

http://www.odivinorum.com/images/mysterychart02.gif

There are two parts to the exercise:

- First, post your impressions about what type of person you think this chart represents.

- Second, try to choose from the following list the chart's identity. (btw, please don't post your answer so you don't sway the following posts.)

1) Gloria Steinem (prolific and widely published american feminist of the second wave and women's rights activist)

2) David Letterman (a quirky and boyishly charismatic host of his own late night television talk show)

3) Hugh Hefner (founder of the pornographic magazine Playboy, famous for his decadent Playboy Mansion)

4) Jane Goodall (prolific and widely published biologist on chimpanzee behaviour, who managed to overcome restrictions as a female scientist and initial reception as a National Geographic "cover girl")

I'll be back in a week w/the correct answer.

Well no one else has posted so I'll make a couple of comments

This is the chart of Hugh Hefner (9 April 1926) - OK I cheated!

Things to notice:

1 - That Sun in Aries - the sign of it's exaltation, It's stronger than Mars for virtually all of Aries in a day birth. As the Sun is above the horizon, in a diurnal sign it is also in Hayz - this is an extremely strong Sun. The Sun is also sextile Jupiter, in it's own terms in Aquarius. Again Jupiter is a diurnal planet but is placed here nocturnally. However Aquarius is a diurnal sign so it is still fairly strong by placement. This strong Jupiter is in the fifth - the house of fun, leisure and amusement - so Hefner is likely to express his personal growth through such activities. The fifth is ruled by Saturn, the planet of business, and the Sun is on the cusp of the eighth, the house of business - business will play a major role in his life. Saturn is quite weak so there may be ups and downs and he will have to work hard to keep his business.

2. Mercury too is in Hayz - it's diurnally placed as a Morning Star, it's above the horizon in a diurnal chart and it's in a diurnal sign - so this guy is a strong communicator - it's weakened somewhat by being retrograde and under the beams, so it might take some time to get his communication skills going.

3. - Venus is also in the role of Morning Star and thus diurnal but is nocturnally placed below the horizon in a nocturnal sign (Pisces). Traditionally the placement of Venus as Morning Star was seen as not a good one, here Venus is the 'warrior princess' but given the patriarchal nature of western society this probably indicates women who don't play the conventional 'female' role. In a man's chart this probably indicates a liking for women who will do unconventional things (such as posing nude!)

Anyone want to add any other considerations ?

Addendum

Using the temperament analysis discussed in Dorian Greenbaum's recent book, Hefner comes out as a Sanguine/Phlegmatic -

Someone who can argue both sides of a debate,

Can understand alternative points of view and sees no inconsistency in espousing more than one

Jack of all trades

Would be bored with one career or project

Finds it easy to make friends and has the staying power to cultivate lasting ones

Takes the view that a cause is fine as long as there's not much invested in it

Looks for the easy solution first.

Does this fit Hefner?

Also his Sun is virtually on its degree of exaltation (nineteenth) and as Mercury is under the beams - Hefner, himself outshines all his communciations - they are there simply to reflect his glory.

Thanks for bringing this thread up Minderwiz and sharing your thoughts. Even if no one posted, I hope some ppl took a stab in their own minds to guess the identity of the mystery chart

OK, my thoughts when this was a mystery chart presented to me, were:

1) Mercury seemed important b/c he's the a chart ruler, plus ruler of the MC. Merc's in an angular air house (7th), and in an out of sign conjunction w/Uranus. This suggested communication but on a mass/broad level. Publishing didn't strike me so much as broadcast - although there is also a Playboy channel. One thing I didn't consider is that Uranus could add an unconventional vibe to communication

2) Pluto and n.n. in 10th, trining a 6th house moon. A deep desire for ruling others by serving (Virgo ASC). Public image linked to Plutonian areas: money, sex and power.

3) Jupiter/Mars in 5th. A lot of energy in the house of sex.

Looking at the chart now, w/Venus in Pisces, plus the Virgo ASC, this does make sense to me - Playboy has always had a sweeter cleaner style than say, Hustler. btw, for all those who assumed the Virgo ASC signified a prudish personality.... well, obviously not all Virgos are so chaste lol.....

Some very good points Isthmus

I'd take the sixth house moon from another angle - it's symbolic of women and it's in the house of slaves (or employees) - the Moon is not particularly happy in Pisces, having no essential dignity there. It's sign ruler and triplicity ruler are Jupiter and Mars, both in the fifth (fun including sex) so does Hefner see women as employees (slaves) to be used for fun (his or others)? The Moon also does represent relationships with the Public, so again his public persona is the man whose main employees are women in the (mild) sex industry. This view is compounded by Venus the other symbol of women also being in the sixth and a sixth house Venus might be a striking symbol of the sex industry employee, especially when oriental of the Sun.

It's interesting to speculate on Hefner's view of the women who have brought him fame and money.

Your point about Mercury/Uranus is a good one - unconventional or individualistic publishing and Hefner was one of the first to communicate such material. Uranus is also in opposition to the Ascendant. Virgo is amongst other things the sign of accountants and gives Hefner a small dose of melancholy. However the Uranus conjunction with Ascendant ruler Mercury and opposition to the Ascendant point itself suggest a very unconventional approach to business!

Actually...... women as slaves sounds a lot more accurate Minderwiz. But maybe not slaves so much as pets (Playboy bunnies), also signified by the 6th house!!

LOL

Yes bunnies would indeed be sixth house!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, isthmus, I hope you do this again! I haven't been around lately, or I would have loved to take a stab at it! I'll try to make a point to check in more often.

This looks like a fun game.

Yes, I was planning on having another chart up soon