Death and Rebirth

by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Over the course of my astrological studies beginning in 1973, many unusual charts have crossed my desk. Some I studied immediately, and some I set aside because I had not yet learned enough astrology to tackle the subject or do the research. Occasionally a memory of one of these buried treasures surfaces and I start digging through my “saved for later” pile. This article is one of those buried treasures that I finally feel skilled enough to resurrect and examine. “Resurrect” is a key word for this article.

There was a young man who crashed his motorcycle (can’t remember the details), was killed, but was then resuscitated a short time later. That rebirth was timed. Unfortunately, over the intervening years, I lost contact with my original second-hand source. I had never met the man himself, so I can’t clarify or obtain more information about the incident and its aftermath. I have a natal. I have an event (accident / death). I have the resuscitation chart. The subject was then unconscious for ten days after his rebirth, and I have that date (alas, untimed ) as well. Time to go to school!

Several patterns stand out, so I will begin by examining the natal, using mostly hard aspects because they make substantial things happen. Soft aspects can ease the load or provide better alternatives. The natal chart contains the promise for the life experience. I am looking for 1) the obvious trauma of accident and death and 2) the more spiritual rebirth and awakening. Charts have been provided so you can follow the contributing aspects. Tight orbs have been used.

  • Neptune is conjunct the Libra Ascendant just over 1˚ in the first house (angular).
  • Both are square the Cancer Midheaven.
  • Neptune co-rules the Ascendant (by occupation) and the Pisces 6th house of illness or dis-ease.
  • Venus rules the Libra Ascendant, plus the 8th house of death or catastrophe.
  • Venus is part of a Scorpio stellium with Jupiter and Mercury (Mercury is wide). Stelliums (three planets or more in a single sign) are considered to act as a massive conjunction regardless of orb. This Jupiter / Venus conjunction suggests positive opportunity.
  • The Scorpio stellium is tightly square a second three-planet Leo stellium (Moon, Saturn and Pluto) indicating stress.
  • The Leo stellium is sextile the Neptune / Ascendant tight conjunction (opportunity).
  • There is a wide Sun / Mars conjunction in the natal 3rd house, with that Sun tightly opposing Uranus in the 9th. Mars belongs with this opposition. More stress.
  • The 3rd / 9th is the travel axis.
  • The Lunar Nodes are very widely conjunct this opposition as well, which gives a Karmic implication.

I think that is all of the thirteen standard placements, and is a good beginning to this study.

Next, I looked at Secondary Progressions which stem from the timed natal chart. Remember that progressions are calculated on a day for a year basis, so their annual motion is much slower than our usual transiting placements. 1) What stands out in this chart, and 2) how does it connect to the natal?

  • Progressed Moon in Cancer is opposed a Capricorn stellium of Mercury, Mars and the Sun, with the Moon applying to Mars / Sun in the 3rd / 9th travel houses. It’s a stressor for the current year.
  • All four progressed bodies are T-square progressed Neptune in Libra. That Neptune has barely moved in the 25 years since birth, so the progressed T-square also draws in the natal Neptune / Ascendant conjunction (resonance). Major personal, stress, and spiritual implications.
  • Progressed Ascendant is 29˚ Libra. A degree shift on the Ascendant suggests a major shift of approach to life and coping skills in process as the Ascendant graduates into Scorpio. This progression is to an accurately timed natal, so the positions are trustworthy.

Next, I looked at the diurnal (personal daily transit) chart based on his natal coordinates. This chart offers accurate transits that apply to this specific natal chart, including the Midheaven and Ascendant. Remember that the whole current 24-hour day’s activities for this natal, including both the death and the resuscitation, are shown in this single diurnal. First, I want to know what triggers the angles of this diurnal chart. Why? Angles are major timing factors.

  • The natal Saturn, Moon, Pluto conjunction tightly squares the accurate diurnal Midheaven. Stress: accident and death.
  • The natal Sun / Uranus opposition in Sagittarius / Gemini repeats itself, this time in Aries / Libra, and tightly squares the diurnal Ascendant / Descendant axis, a cardinal (critical) Grand Cross. Stress: accident and death.
  • There is another tight diurnal stellium in Gemini: Saturn, Venus and Mars that oppose Neptune in Sagittarius. Remember Venus and Neptune co-rule the natal Ascendant, so their positions as natal chart rulers are important. Spiritual connection.
  • Diurnal Mercury is opposed diurnal Pluto, both retrograde but overall applying, though it will take several days to complete. Note: although the man was declared dead for only a few minutes, he remained unconscious for ten days. Whether that was a natural or induced coma to give the body time to heal is not known. That could be the time needed for Mercury to complete its opposition to Pluto. (In the hopefully near future, we will also be publishing a book on Comas which will be published at marilynmuir.net.)
  • The fast-moving diurnal Moon in Aquarius is opposed first the natal Leo stellium, and later square the natal Scorpio stellium.
  • Additionally in this diurnal, that diurnal Moon is trine Saturn, Venus, and Mars, plus sextile to diurnal Neptune. Positive activation within an existing opposition. Could that be the rebirth?

Remember that there were actually three stages to this event: 1) death, 2) resuscitation, and 3) awakening from unconsciousness. We will look at the third stage in a moment.

What about the diurnal to the progressed chart?

  • The diurnal Ascendant / Descendant axis Capricorn / Cancer places itself conjunct the progressed Capricorn stellium of Mars, Sun and wider Mercury, opposed progressed Moon in Cancer, and T-square progressed Neptune. Positive possibilities are contained within stress. Multiple degrees suggest a staging or cascade effect to the activations (i.e., accident, death, resuscitation, awakening).
  • As if that were not enough, the diurnal Sun / Uranus opposition turns that T-square into what appears to be another Grand Cross, but with an unusual twist (in a moment).

We have three more charts relative to this death / rebirth picture: 1) and 2) The events of death and rebirth, shown separately, and 3) the awakening several days later. Note that these two event charts (death and rebirth) and the diurnal will duplicate many positions, because all three charts are differing perspectives (windows for viewing) for the same day. I still need to examine them point by point, so I don’t miss anything. That’s easy to do with so many charts.

The death as event chart is speculative because we know that he died sometime after 7:30 PM and was resuscitated at 8:14 PM. Faster-moving planets can move considerably within any day’s charting, and can both make and break aspects.

  • The transiting Mars, Venus, Saturn Gemini stellium is located in this event chart’s death house, including the ruler of the event Ascendant (Mars) and the ruler of the 8th house of death (Venus). They are together in the death house. Remember Venus also rules the natal Ascendant and natal death house. Stress. If we were to adjust time of death, we would only keep this 8th house pattern for 3 to 4 degrees, or 12 to 15 minutes on the clock.
  • This stellium also opposes Neptune. Remember natal Neptune is conjunct the natal Ascendant and is co-ruler of the natal chart. Stress; but don’t count out Neptune’s spiritual possibilities just yet.
  • The death chart 8th cusp is 29 Taurus, conjunct the malefic Pleiades fixed star cluster (“something to weep about”). A malefic fixed star degree on the house of catastrophe and destiny. Stress.
  • The death chart Sun / Uranus opposition has now moved into the 6th house of illness or dis-ease, not the 8th house of death. Can you say unexpected surprise to the life force? Opportunity within an opposition?
  • This speculative death house Midheaven is very close to the natal Scorpio stellium, and Saturn in particular. Since the Midheaven moves forward 1˚ every four minutes on the clock, it appears to me that about 7:42 might be a closer death time. Since we can see it clearly on the 7:30 chart, I won’t bother to set another chart, but I will watch it carefully. If I move that Midheaven unnecessarily, it will also shift all its aspects and further confuse the issue. Think before doing that speculatively. Moving the Midheaven forward will shift the Ascendant a few degrees. Motion of the Ascendant depends on the latitude of birth, so I will not speculate on that point because I can see it in the existing chart.
  • As mentioned previously, the two main opposition patterns in this death chart do cross each other. The Gemini / Sagittarius opposition crosses the Sun / Uranus opposition, but that crossing is made up of trines and sextiles. Wonder if that had anything to do with both the death and rebirth? Hmmm!

I have only seen one other rebirth chart in all my years (49) as an Astrologer, but it was the shift between leaving the physical arena to enter the spiritual arena. I do have one example of a spiritual mentor who did this consciously, much to the chagrin of her family and this acolyte! Amazing chart! (Note: This spiritual rebirth example is in my diurnal workbook, which is almost ready to publish.  Please keep an eye on my website, marilynmuir.net, where it will be posted.)

What do we have left? The rebirth itself, and it was timed accurately so we can trust the numbers.

  • The rebirth Scorpio Ascendant squares (yes) the natal Leo stellium. He did live, but he had to fight.
  • The rebirth Leo Midheaven opposed the rebirth Moon that squares the natal Scorpio stellium. He did live, but he had to fight.
  • The rebirth Gemini stellium opposed Neptune moved out of the death house and into the angular 7th. It did take several days for him to regain consciousness.
  • The transiting Sun / Uranus opposition now resides on the 6th / 12th axis. He was hospitalized and ailing, but he did live. Both birth charts sport Sun / Uranus oppositions. It must have been an important consideration in his growth, development and experience to need repetition. He did live.
  • The rebirth Gemini stellium opposition Neptune in Sagittarius again crosses the natal Sun / Uranus opposition, but they are trine and sextile one another. Opportunity existed! He did live.

And on the tenth day after rebirth, he awakened from his unconscious state. WOW! This is a chart that keeps on giving! I don’t know the time, so the diurnal for the day must give me the information needed, my only window for observation.

  • Remember the earlier notation on his progressing Ascendant changing signs. This diurnal has 28 Capricorn (Ascendant) again suggesting a change of his approach to life and coping skills. He is awake!
  • Also, conjunct the Ascendant and applying (future), the karmic North Node in Aquarius, gives that message again. Nodes retrograde commonly, so the aspect is future-oriented. He is awake!
  • The awakening Sun gives a similar message at 28.5 Aries, in square to the aspect above. There are struggles or challenges to overcome, definitely not a free ride, but a challenge. He’s awake! 
  • Mercury and Pluto are still in opposition (stress and struggle) but are both separating (in the past), and moving on. He has awakened from his deep coma (Pluto).

So now that we have a new natal, which chart applies to his ongoing life? The original? Or the rebirth? Or (just to blow our own minds) would the timed resuscitation chart or a timed awakening chart (not available) be the true “chart for the rest of his life”? Don’t you just love the way Astrology answers a question by initiating more questions?

I wish I could ask him about things, but I don’t have a way to do that. We have to learn what we can from this and hope to find more charts to study. Anyone out there have another timed rebirth example?

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.