Murdered (stabbing) by Manson Family, 9 August 1969 while 8 months pregnant. (age 26-1/2+1/2 month).
Actress, wife of Roman Polanski.
Time of death not stated, but one of the victims chatted with the custodian about 2330, on the 8th. Therefore it was later than this that the murders occurred. Later, I found an account that says the killers arrived at the property “shortly after midnight,” so my speculation of 1 a.m. is close...probably the murder took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Sharon Tate was the last of the five victims to be killed.
The death – by stabbing, which is beyond question ruled by Mars – must be shown in the natal chart. The timing of death may be seen in a derived chart, but the manner of death (and its early occurrence) must be seen in the natal chart. That is the fundamental premise of the study.
This is a study: I make no pronouncements, but am attempting to “see” this murder in the radix. I do not at this moment see it. This is a venture in learning. The study is directed toward finding the death in the natal chart.
I work with the 10 planets, the lunar nodes, Placidus cusps, the Ptolemaic aspects plus 8th-harmonic aspects, the quintile aspects, the quincunx and nothing more. I do not use asteroids, Arabic lots or other symbols that may be suited to detailed analyses, but are not – in my opinion, or from my perspective – fundamental symbols. I must find the death with these symbols and nothing more.
You cannot learn to delineate a horoscope from books. The only way to learn to “read” a chart is through study of actual lives lived and the charts that determine the destiny. The statements that I will make here are tentative, speculative; they are not pronouncements of “astrological fact.” Not yet. So if you are a student of astrology as I am, you are invited to follow my mind as it explores this chart in search of the indications of this tragic death.
Sharon Tate’s fame stems from her vicious murder. The MC (10th House) should be involved; Mars is lord of the MC. Both manner of death and “fame, honor” are ruled by the same planet. He is in the penultimate degree of Sagittarius, in his own term, in the 6th House (said to be his joy). He is also out of bounds, southerly. His triplicity ruler is Sun (Diurnal chart, Fire sign.) Jupiter is lord of the domicile and is closely conjunct (3°) the Ascendant (life itself, the vehicle or body). Mars beholds two aspects: a wide applying sextile with Venus in the 8th House of death (8°) and in the term of Mars, and a cross-sign applying quincunx (2°) to Uranus – who is conjunct Saturn in Mercury-ruled Gemini and has affinity with the Aquarius 8th cusp. Mars is also in 8th harmonic aspect to the 5th/11th cusps. Tate was killed along with four friends and her unborn child; the 5th is ruled by Mars.
Please don’t discount the wide sextile (Venus-Mars) yet. We are testing ideas rather than applying rigid dogma out-of-hand. Let’s see if this wide sextile describes the death, or contributes to our understanding of the chart. I begin with a 10-degree orb for all Ptolemaic aspects and give three degrees to the minor aspects tentatively and look to see if they signify. Experience has taught me to not ignore wider aspects. Wide aspects between planets which otherwise are enhanced in power (angularity, dispositorship, etc.) can correspond to important critical events in the life, often formative of character.
Ah, but wait. Venus is distant from Mars by 52°03’, a septile aspect [51°26’...an orb of 37’ or “within degree”]. Venus and Mars are conjoined in this aspect of “fatality”. And Venus is in the 8th House from which she rules the 4th, the final outcome, the end of the matter. Aquarius is a violent sign and can signify sudden and unexpected events. As mentioned, Mars rules the MC and is in the next-to-last degree of the sign he is in, an area of turbulence, chaotic conditions, upset and unexpected outcomes, or, in horary astrology an exhaustion of potential that may result in a situation running its course to a more or less inescapable conclusion, now beyond the control of the querent (or native). I don’t normally use the septile; perhaps I should reconsider my position. This aspect seems to fit the case at hand in many of its details, and the conditioning of the involved planets is appropriate to the event. Very well, even though I said at the outset that I don’t use minor aspects, I must allow the septile as significant in the murder because the aspect’s symbolism of fatality (fate), a narrowed channeling of action with a near-inevitable conclusion (once you’re in a situation there seems to be no way out), and a star-crossed career seems a good dynamic with which to describe the course of events.
Remember, this is a post-mortem. We are performing an autopsy on an astrological cadaver. We are looking for the cause of death. The body is composed of astrological symbols. Our conclusions will be drawn from the combination of astrological symbols most importantly, as well as the indications given by the planets singly. We will follow the age-old and well-established rules of traditional astrology in order to discipline our thought and insure a thorough examination of the chart prior to judgment.
Moon is lord of the horoscope and is significator of life. She is in a mutually applying sextile (6°) with the retrograde and exalted Jupiter at the Ascendant – whom she disposes —, beholds a separating waxing square to lord of the 8th Saturn (7°) and is biquintile Sun (separating 2°25’). She is peregrine and cadent, although in her joy. She is slow in motion, full and now approaching her waning gibbous phase. This Moon is not very strong and her dispositor is in serious trouble.
Now Mercury and Sun come to our attention. These planets are angular in early Fixed Air (Sun’s detriment) within 13 degrees of the horizon. The Seventh House is a house of death. It is so considered by the Hindu tradition and by Morin in the west. It is where the Sun sets, the light goes out. It is a house of war and open enmity or aggression. Mercury is severely debilitated by an infernal combustion (he has barely left cazimi as he retreats from the Sun) and retrogradation. He rules the Twelfth House as well as the weak Moon. To add insult to injury, Mercury along with Sun is attacked by a mutually applying opposition (1°04’) by Sun to Pluto, in the Suns’ domicile. Pluto is posited in the First House, the body, our vehicle of manifestation. Pluto is alone in the First House, is within 15° of the Ascendant; he surely has power in affairs of the First House.
And we see another important feature of this chart: Sun/Mars=Jupiter. Jupiter, with his 3-degree conjunction and exalted status has dominion over the Ascendant. He is retrograde and his beneficence may be withdrawn, his protection diminished. Besides which he is anareta. And we have already seen that Sun, Mercury and Mars carry some sinister implications.
Now here we find a midpoint formation pointing toward the anaretic planet plus the Ascendant (implicated because of conjunction and dignity of the conjunct planet.) This gives us a principle to apply to other charts in the future.
These three features – the septile, the angular opposition, and the midpoint formation – are sufficient. There are other things I have noticed as contributing factors, but the three are sufficient. The disposition of Mars by Jupiter is significant.
We are satisfied that we have found this murder, in the natal chart, in retrospect. Now we need to look for some indications as to the timing of the event. Let’s turn to secondary progressions and see what they offer us. We see that Mercury has regressed from Sun since birth, then at age 11 reached his station and turned direct. He carries with him (for life) the imprint of the opposition to Pluto, his severe combustion, and the participation in the midpoint formation pointing to Jupiter, the anaretic planet, at the Ascendant. By secondary progression he has now reached the Sun’s natal position (almost exactly in the heart of the Sun and almost exactly the same declination – he is utterly consumed, re-activating the opposition/midpoint configurations. And Mars, the de facto killer, now opposes Jupiter within degree and is contraparallel Jupiter as well. [I’m using the progressed chart for 26th birthday here, not moved up to date of death.] At time of death Moon has progressed to quincunx Sun-Mercury and is at the end of her first progressed cycle. The Sun has just recently changed signs in the 8th House.