Astrology: Jacques de Molay in 1307 and 1314

by Jude Cowell, on a Friday the Thirteenth in June 2025

What harrowing times in which Philip IV "the fair" King of France reigned with two particular events marking our remembrance of him through the centuries for it was he who arrested, imprisoned for seven years, tortured, and ordered the fiery execution of Jacques de Molay, the final Grand Master of the Knights Templar. And thus, de Molay's arrest date is said to be how bad luck on Friday the Thirteenth originated.

Now the actual date of de Molay's execution has been disputed by some scholars, yet most folks agree that Philip's motive was to take charge of the Templars' money for King Philip was overburdened with debt. A certain Pope, Clement V, was pulled into the scheme by King Philip "the fair" who saw the destruction of the banking Templars as an opportunity to increase his power and extend influence - "a golden opportunity," one could say. (See my Uranus and Pluto note in the arrest chart, below).

Because apparently, there were war costs and other expenses hanging over the crowned head of the greedy King Philip. And notably, in the Horoscope of de Molay's arrest (in a "dawn raid" so I'm using sunrise, October 13, 1307 Paris, FR) gold-loving MIDAS (of King Midas fame) rises with the Sun! And this is as good a spot as any to disclose that geni dot com informs me that Philip IV is one of my 23rd great grandfathers - and he may be one of yours, too, so don't judge me!

Now I do wish a birth date for Jacques de Molay was available but all I find is circa 1243 or 1244, while some sources say otherwise. Still, a curious reader might find value in Jacques de Molay's Arrest Horoscope and his speculatively timed Execution Horoscope; a few astro-notes are sprinkled about the dual image, as you see, plus, the two events' Solar Eclipses are notated but are too ancient to reveal their themes, only their Zodiacal positions - one in Venus-ruled Libra, the other in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius with both signs associated with money and with judgments:

Meanwhile, if you'd like some background concerning these difficult events, try a brief presentation, Jacques de Molay: The Last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Or, if you have about an hour to spend, check out the documentary, The Secret Story of the Knights Templar: The Fall of the Order.

Thanks for reading! jc

A Charming Forest Depiction from Ancient Times!

by Jude Cowell, artist and family researcher

Do you know that the 1217 Charter of the Forest is actually a companion document to the Magna Carta of 1215? (1215 horoscope shown).

This I discovered today while researching online some of my family roots back into the ancient times of Clan McClellan. You see, I ran across links to the Charter of Alexander II of Scotland and found a charming forest image that reminds me of some of my early botanical depictions (though no animals tend to be drawn by yours truly because other artists do it better!).

One such example of my Prismacolor pencils-on-paper habit: Fashion Stalks Jungle.

And so I thought that perhaps a dear reader such as yourself would enjoy a view of an ancient forest as depicted way back in 1387!

Image: "A medieval forest" (1387) by Gaston III, Count of Foix. A charming scene, oui?

If you wish, follow the Charter of the Forest link, above, for more historical details.

Astrology: To Drown in Dark Waters

Astrology of the Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood

by Jude Cowell

If you've read People Magazine's article concerning the drowning death of Hollywood actress Natalie Wood off the coast of Catalina Island, you know details of that awful night.

Or perhaps you've seen the 48 Hours presentation shown here:

Video Link in case of removal.

Natalie Wood's expressed fear, her deepest fear, was always said to be drowning in "dark waters." It saddens me to this day that this was precisely her fate whether accidentally, with assistance, or due to people who were simply too drunk, or compromised, to rescue her. If you wish, you can read many details about her life and her tragic end on her Wikipedia page where you'll find the cause of her death on November 29, 1981 listed as, "drowning and other undetermined reasons."

Her body was recovered by authorities at 8:00 am on November 29, 1981 so here is a bi-wheel of her natal chart (RR:AA) surrounded by an 8:00 am chart set for November 29, 1981 near Catalina:

You'll note that at 8:00 am PST on November 29, 1981 near that location, Natalie's natal Ascendant (physical body) arose, the Moon @10Cap28 was Angular and had just crossed over her natal IC (Point of Endings), and 1981 Jupiter was in partile opposition to her natal Moon (@00Tau58, a point of violence). This transit is difficult and can threaten a pulling apart of relationships, financial issues, family disruptions, a sense of hopelessness, and/or a polarized emotional environment - even to the point of hysteria. As for 1981 Sun, it opposed Mr. Wagner's natal Jupiter (@6Gem31) indicating potentials for a bruised ego, and situations in which a display of aggression or arrogance bring unfavorable results.

Actually, there are astro-clues that a partner, or possibly both partners, were considering (another) separation from their volatile relationship. Then an additional factor is that professional jealousy between the spouses may have caused or added to a heated dispute that night - or was an ongoing discussion that got out of control. There are several other planetary contacts between the charts shown above that are beyond the scope of this brief post but one such is the 1981 North Node of public contact, publicity, and future direction (@23Can09) in Natalie's 10th house of Career and Public Status had recently pointed in turn to her natal Pluto, Mars, and Sun - and was headed toward her natal Midheaven. This powerful planetary trio in her natal chart implies a measure of workaholism, even ruthlessness, in career matters (10th house) - and at the time, Natalie's career was proceeding more successfully than Robert's.

However, we should add to this the fact that 1981 Pluto, planet of death, transformation, and regeneration, squared her natal Sun, Mars, and Pluto while opposing her natal Moon! This reveals multiple potentials for challenges to her power and influence, possible conditions of abuse, dishonest or subversive dealings, physical struggles with aggressive males, increased competitiveness, and contests of wills against those in positions of power such as studio bosses. Or perhaps jealous husbands as well.

Then if we look at the general atmosphere of 1981, it was quite grim with assassination attempts (Reagan, the Pope, foreign presidents), plus, the release of US hostages in Iran just in time to boost B-rated actor Ronald Reagan into the White House instead of re-electing the decent President Jimmy Carter. (Corruption over decency: just like in 2024/25). Yes, 1981 was a Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction year and the Decade of Greed had begun, corruption and deception firmly in tow.

Meanwhile, 1981 brought unrealistic expectations in relationships and was an issue for many folks as the fairytale wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles turned out to show along with relationship problems (never faraway from the Wagner-Wood off-on marriage) which obviously must have peaked in a very negative way that drunken night aboard the ill-fated yacht. Whatever their disagreements or delusions, the situation took a most peculiar and horribly tragic turn - in dark waters.

Now for more study of this sad event, the AA-rated natal chart of Robert Wagner is available; and since he was a guest aboard Wagner's yacht that night, you may wish to check out an X-rated noon natal chart of oddball yet popular actor Christopher Walken born March 31, 1943, who was then starring in the film Brainstorm with Natalie.

And in closing, here's a stand-alone view of the AA-rated natal horoscope of Natalie Wood, nee Natasha Gurdin, a lady who deserved much better than she got.

May she R.I.P.

jc

Dr. Carl Jung 1875--1961

by Jude Cowell

Pioneering psychologist Carl Jung was born July 26, 1875 in Kesswil, Switzerland at 7:24 pm BMT (C-rated; collector: Rodden). Note that Dr. Marc Edmund Jones in his book on Sabian Symbols lists Jung's birth time as 7:20 pm with the 4 minutes making about one degree difference on house cusps. If you wish to view his stand-alone natal horoscope, scurry over to astro.com.

Meanwhile, you see below a bi-wheel of Jung's natal chart (inner) surrounded by the planets at his death on June 6, 1961 in Kussnacht, Switzerland, age 85. And no, I've not found an exact hour of his passing so I've used 7:24 pm CET to set up the chart which tracks the Moon (physical body) @27Pis08 conjunct the transiting IC of Endings. It's only one Angular factor, but there it is. However, another Angular placement is a double one: transit Saturn Rx at a critical 29th degree (obstacles; blockages; stoppage; limitation; restriction; karma; depression) conjunct his natal Ascendant (1AQ25) with transit Jupiter @00AQ55 Rx. Together at Ascendant, Jupiter and Saturn bring a separative influence.

Then, this expansion-restriction planetary pair in the biological realm suggests trouble with gall and/or liver functions, while the Venus-Neptune contact in Taurus denotes a potential for glandular enlargement (R. Ebertin). Additionally, a recent contact from Mars in Leo to natal Uranus in Leo hints that an attack may have occurred and it may have been heart-related - especially with his widely opposed Saturn-Uranus pairing (Leo-AQ) which may often denote a heart blockage (R. Ebertin) for transit Mars to come along and ruffle or activate. And with Mars there can be infection and/or fever concerns:

Now there's an important aspect of Jung's spiritual life as we see through his 2nd house dissociate conjunction of wounded healer Chiron and the divine source planet, Neptune. This pairing tends to place high value on a quest for meaning, transcendance, mysticism, and enlightenment, and has much to do with his visions and dreams from an early age. In fact, Chiron-Neptune energies combined suggests cosmic imagery and visualization ability, according to Maritha Pottenger! Plus, there's a biography of Dr. Jung on Amazon titled, Carl Jung: Wounded Healer of the Soul! It's authored by Claire Dunn if you'd like to check it out (#ad).

Then if we look at a Synastry comparison between Dr. Jung's natal planets of July 26, 1875 and those of June 6, 1961 using SolarFireGold.v9 software, we find that two semi-squares (45 degrees) are present which have health associations: Mercury semi-square natal Pluto (a troubled mind; possible paranoia), and Jupiter semi-square natal Mars (low vitality; lack of motivation; overwhelmed by obstacles).

And so the pioneering doctor's death arrived after a brief illness, and as you see, at age 85, Carl Jung had already achieved a significant turning point in his life (when the past doesn't mean as much as before) through his once-in-a-lifetime Uranus Return, typically at age 84, which was actually a three-fer for him: September 1958, January 1959, and July 1959. Naturally, other transiting planets can fill out the cosmic picture at each return if you're so inclined to set up the charts and have a look.

Now each time, these returns repeated the aspects of 1875 to his natal Uranus: square Moon (stubborn; unpredictable!); Mars trine Uranus (original; skillful with occult matters; nervous energy; freedom at all costs!). Plus, his Uranus-North-Node trine gave him adaptability, many new opportunities in his life, a leaning toward liberalism, an interest in Astrology (which he used with his more difficult patients), and a beneficial public reputation for his pioneering work. And this remains the case today!

Then for his fixed Fire-Earth Sun Leo-Moon Taurus personality blend of conscious-unconscious energies, we find a man proud and inflexible with his inferiors (ex: not suffering fools?), yet personally magnetic, creative, emotionally intense, pragmatic, dependable, and confident with a regal air about him (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles and Suzi Harvey #ad). The Harveys' Image for Integration which seems to me to apply to Dr. Jung and his counseling work is,

"A master potter turns dull clay into an exquisite vase."

So there we have it, dear reader. With this simple astro-tribute I say, May Carl Jung R.I.P.

And if this consideration has value for you, or you know someone who may be interested, please share this post however you please, and My Thanks to those who do! Jude

King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field

by Jude Cowell

Today, combining my usual interest in ancestral research with astrological horoscopes, I'm displaying the natal horoscope of King Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet kings of England, along with his speculatively timed Death Horoscope for he was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Full disclosure: as geni dot com informs me, Richard III is my 1st cousin 19 times removed via my paternal Strickland grandmother. Most folks may remember Richard III because his burial site was famously discovered under a car park in September 2012. His remains were excavated and reinterred more fittingly at Leicester Cathedral on March 26, 2015.

First off, here's a link to a view of the C-rated natal horoscope of Richard III. And below you see a bi-wheel with the same natal chart (center) surrounded by a speculatively timed 9:00 am LMT Horoscope of the Battle of Bosworth Field fought on August 22, 1485.

Listed below the bi-wheel are planetary contacts, plus, any Angular contacts between the two charts which are what you want to look for when considering any death horoscope. In fact, Angular planets can be used for accurate timing concerns but that's beyond the scope of this limited post:

Abbreviations: "KR" = King Richard III; "BBF" = Battle of Bosworth Field.

Along with a few midpoint pictures, planetary contacts between the October 2, 1452 chart (inner) and the August 22, 1485 chart (outer) include but are not limited to:

BBF Sun-Moon conjunct KR natal Ascendant: this may be a handy timing element suggesting that KR's birth time is close to accurate;

BBF 9:00 am Ascendant conjunct KR Sun @18Libra, an Angular contact; BBF Pluto, planet of death and transformation, nears his Libra Sun (vitality; goals) and lies between his Sun-Neptune midpoint with potentials for a tragic deception or illusion; emotional and/or physical suffering; also BBF Pluto opposes KR Mars Rx, planet of sharp weapons: power struggle, physical conflicts, overwhelmed by stronger forces;

BBF Jupiter-Saturn conjuncts KR Venus in Scorpio and opposes Moon in Taurus: lack of tenacity or endurance; easy upsets;

Angular contacts include BBF Moon conjunct BBF IC, the Angle of Endings; BBF Sun at KR MC (Midheaven = Goals and Public Status); KR Jupiter Rx @27AQ39 conjunct KR IC: entering a battle with Jupiter the General Rx is not a portent for success, plus, KR Jupiter is opposed by BFF Syzygy Moon @26Leo18 suggesting KR's desire for a good outcome but too many strong forces were aligned against Richard and perhaps a few bad decisions had been made.

Solar Eclipses of Influence

King Richard III was born into a 13 South Saros Series (4Can45) of sinister energy underneath an urge to expand; expansion contains frustration, separation, and/or loss in group endeavors; hints of evacuation and/or crisis in government may be attached. Solar Eclipses in Moon-ruled Cancer emphasize emotional extremes, and karmic family ties particularly the maternal side of the family; ancestral links may also be an issue (R.L., see below).

The Battle of Bosworth Field occurred under the auspices of a Total 10 North Eclipse (5Ari02) with themes of frustrating events with a focus on news and communications; feeling drained and tired may be attached (Brady's Predictive Astrology #ad).

Then in Mars-ruled Aries, Solar Eclipses denote issues of courage, enthusiasm, spirited competition, leadership, and seeing problems as challenges; negatively there may be anger, over-aggression, and head-strongness (Your Prenatal Eclipse, R. Lineman #ad).

So there you have it - my look at King Richard III who lost his life at the famous Battle of Bosworth Field, the final significant battle in the War of the Roses.

And now, dear reader, if any of this information seems shareworthy to you, it would be most appreciated to share if you care - and very encouraging for my efforts, too! Jude

In closing, here's a brief yet curious video which may be of interest, Opening the Medieval Stone Coffin Found at Richard III's Burial Site

Horoscope: The Battle of Flodden Field 1513

by Jude Cowell, partisan for the common good

At the Battle of Flodden Field (59M 35S video, you may have to rewind!), one of my 13th-great-grandfathers, Sir William Maclellan was killed as were other of my (our!) ancestors and forebearers. Some sources give the Battle as September 8, 1513 but most say September 9, 1513. The invasion by Scotland's King James IV was ill-fated and if we wish to check the planets of the Battle, we find that Jupiter the General in the possessive, intolerant sign of Taurus was retrograde (Rx), never a good portent for belligerents waging war.

Famously, The Battle of Flodden Field is known as the largest ever fought between Scotland and England based on the number of troops, many of whom had already been felled by disease.

Now as you know, Flodden 1513 falls within the larger cycle of The War of the League of Cambrai (which goes back to Pope Julius II, Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I, and Venice in the early 1500s), yet this post is merely intended for publishing a symbolic Sunrise Horoscope of the Battle of Flodden Field in which so many of our ancestors lost their lives (or somehow managed to keep them!) while others were victorious.

This post is subject to future edits if new data is found, and as noted, the 1513 Horoscope is symbolically set for Sunrise (5:43:21 am LMT) using Flodden, Northumberland's co-ordinates as listed on the Battle's Wikipedia page (linked, above).

Obviously during a conflict, planetary oppositions (180 degrees) are of particular importance while squares (90 degrees) retain their usual implication of internal blockages, trines (120 degrees) suggest beneficial aids and/or alliances, and sextiles (60 degrees) show oportunities; the Chiron-Pluto pairing denotes primal violence - here in Sagittarius, sign of The Archer - appropriate since archers were battle participants:

An additional note: The Battle of Flodden Field was fought under the auspices of the Total 2 Old North Solar Eclipse of August 30, 1513 @16Vir01:49 with themes of unfortunate news concerning relationships, separations, or endings of unions; things seem glum at first but fast action can bring good outcomes (paraphrasing B. Brady). The last 2 Old North Eclipse occurred on July 13, 2018 @21Cancer; the next 2 Old North will manifest on August 21, 2036 @29Leo and will be the final Eclipse in the Series.

Jude Law plays Henry VIII in "Firebrand"!

by Jude Cowell, only a Judith but at least I saw The Beatles perform in 1965!

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons (2018)

Did you happen to catch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last evening and Jude Law discussing how Sir Paul McCartney dedicated his peformance in Australia of Hey Jude to the actor who was named after the song? How timely since Jude Law now stars in a new theatrical film Firebrand about King Henry VIII. The film focuses on Henry's sixth wife Catherine Parr who outlasted His Majesty, and who raised and taught his children, among other accomplishments.

Watch Stephen interview Jude here.

And check out Henry VIII's Sun Cancer-Moon Aries personality blend (RR: AA for accuracy) at the natal chart link, above, for it reveals a feisty, shrewd survivor possessing a heroic spirit and a romantic nature who, as we know, could be temperamental, moody, and possessive particularly in his later years.

A survivor, that is, until he died of hepatic dropsy on January 28, 1547 OS (February 7 NS) at Westminster in a horribly painful condition - and with Venus @29Pisces - right where transit Neptune hangs around these days - a perfect transit for the premiere of a celluoid depiction of a romantic and vengeful king whose reputation could use a glamorous sprucing up - if it's possible!

Well, the film should be riveting and very well performed if not historically accurate. Here's a link to the offical trailer of Firebrand.

Previously appearing on JCAstro A Death Horoscope for Anne Boleyn, mother of Queen Elizabeth I.

Consult Sun Sign-Moon Sign by Charles and Suzi Harvey for more personality details.

Astro-Notes: The Life and Death of Caravaggio

by Jude Cowell

Checking the bio page of chiaroscuro genius Caravaggio (nee Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) we find that the famous Baroque painter is a Sun Libra born on September 29, 1571 in Milan, Italy, hour unknown. Of course, Libra, ruled by lovely Venus, associates herself with the Arts and with Culture, and is often prominent in the astrology charts of artists. For Caravaggio, she's in earthy Virgo, sign of The Virgin of immaculate conception which suggests the religious themes of his paintings.

Venus-Pluto = Neptune: The Arts; A Love Narcosis

As a lifelong artist myself, born with a planetary pattern between Venus, Neptune, and Pluto, my suspicion is that the same trio in Caravaggio's Natal Horoscope is a good place to scope out his significant artistic abilities, made more powerful and dramatic for him (not for me!) by a Jupiter-Pluto Conjunction in creative Pisces, the sign that "likes the shades".

Specifically, a T-Square between a Venus-Pluto opposition points toward natal Neptune in late Gemini with quicksilver Mercury ruler of Gemini suggesting his habit of painting directly from life and never from preliminary drawings. Street folk were his models and he sometimes included himself in his paintings. With a libertine image and his passionate lifestyle, his paintings and his behavior often caused controversy and conflict.

Add to this a volcanic temper and a large ego, and the following bi-wheel of horoscopes showing his speculatively timed Natal Chart (inner; 1571) surrounded by a 1610 Death Chart speculatively timed by his natal Uranus conjunct an Angle (Uranus, planet of genius, but also of assault, shock, disruption, and sudden separation) could make sense. Penned on are a few difficult 1610 transits full of negative energies such as 1610 Saturn opposing natal Mars, Pluto opposing natal Saturn and Mercury, and 1610 Mars opposing natal Sun. And depending on the degree of his natal Moon (from 18AQ18 to 2Pis34), transit Saturn Rx could also have hit his natal Moon at some point; notably, all the listed 1610 transits have health implications.

And although the timing of either or both horoscopes may be off, the following bi-wheel provides us with an interesting astro-study of an enigmatic, charismatic, intriguing, little-known artistic genius of a long ago era:

Now if you have 24 minutes to spare, don't miss Caravaggio: The Murderous Artist Who Died in Mystery, a Waldemar Januszczak documentary.