The peculiar oratory poses of the notorious statesman are famous even among cats
Note: This article is rather technical, you should already know astrology to read this.
The explanation of astrological terms can be found in my glossary.
Introduction
The birth chart gives important informations on one’s personality, the events and situations which he is more prone to live and, in general, the characteristics of his life and those of the persons that will have the greatest influence on him.
So we must expect to find even informations about the type of death suffered by the subject, at least when it is a violent death.
Let’s try to examine a chart together.
The chosen example
Between the birth charts I examined, I chose that of the famous statesman Benito Mussolini because it shows very clearly his death circumstances.
As you will know he didn’t die of natural death: he had been shot by the partisans, together with his lover Claretta Petacci, while they were transferred to Milan. Successively the body has been exposed upside down in Piazzale Loreto, a square of Milan itself.
Here is his birth chart:
The data has been taken from an online database: https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Benito_Mussolini.
Regardless the topic of our article, this chart has rather peculiar characteristics.
First of all it is very interesting the absolute preeminence of harmonious aspects (trigon, sextile, and, although not properly an aspect, the conjunction).
A similar density of harmonious aspects I believe that correctly reflects the life of Mussolini, whose successes and failures happened in an uncommonly fluid way: we can think to the success of the “March on Rome”, occurred thanks to the fact that the king had not ordered to the italian army a serious opposition, notwithstanding the superiority of the army over the blackshirts; to the smoothness of his deposition on 25th July of 1943; to the absence of any opposition by the “Carabinieri” that were guarding Mussolini when Otto Skorzeny came to free him and also his capture, happened without a fight.
It is also interesting to take note, in a “public” life like his, the complete absence of planets under the horizon (the ascendant-descendant axis). The analogy principle does not always work in such a simple way, and is always good to verify, but this time the correspondence is significant.
The violent death in the birth chart
In a birth chart death not deriving from natural causes can be showed in various ways.
The most frequent signals are suspicious interactions between the “malefics” (Mars and Saturn) and the lord of the ascendant, because this directly represents us, or the luminaries (since the Sun represents the “vital energy”, our inner fire, and the Moon the “vital fluid”).
Also the transaturnians could act like the malefics, particularly in case of conjunctions or oppositions: Uranus has a relationship with sudden events, and was the god of the god of the sky, besides is also related to lightnings and electricity in general; Neptune is obviously related to water and storms, but also earthquakes and, although it could seems surprising, horses; Pluto was the god of death and underground, maybe this is less revealing about the circumstances of the death, unless it could reveal a death in a mine, a cavern or even a prison.
Anyway usually these planets often need some confirmation and can’t exercise an influence so relevant merely on their own.
Naturally the lord of the 8th house too (the house of death) can give us useful signals.
Many fixed stars are rather dangerous so, their conjunctions with relevant planets or cusps (such as the ascendant, the cusp of the 8th house and, obviously, the luminaries and the lord of the ascendant) can reveal useful informations.
We have also to consider that any planet, comprised the “benefics” Venus and Jupiter, can be dangerous if in a birth chart impersonates a negative role.
Some hints can also be given by the arabian parts and their lords.
Sometimes we can find useful the “Part of Fortune”, linked to the Moon, and/or the “Part of the Spirit”, linked to the Sun, since to both parts are attributed meanings regarding the soul and the body of the native.
Usually in case of serious afflictions; a similar approach can be used when considering the “Part of Life” (Asc + Saturn – Jupiter, Saturn and Jupiter must be inverted for night birth charts).
Naturally we must consider the “Parts of the Death”.
During the centuries astrologers created more “Parts of the Death”, two of the most used are:
1) Asc + 8th house cusp – Moon
2) 8th house cusp + Saturn - Moon
Some astrologers thinks that also the Part of Saturn (Asc + Part of Fortune – Saturn) can give informations on the death of the native since Saturn, among other things, is associated to old age, decay, putrefaction and death. This part is also known with other names: “Nemesis” and “Heavy part”, both names evoking characteristics of Saturn.
The instruments put to the test
Let’s see now what these instruments suggest in Mussolini’s birth chart.
The first thing that hit the eye is the Moon besieged by Mars and Saturn (posited between them); a typical “textbook” signal of unnatural death.
This happens in a human sign and in 7th house: a hint in favor of death by hand of declared enemies.
Saturn and the Moon are also conjunct to Aldebaran (1), the eye of Taurus, a “royal star”, that is a star often present in the nativities of persons that reach important positions in life, but also very dangerous if appearing in situations like these (as all royal stars, with the partial exception of Spica).
The situation of the Sun is by no means better: it is conjunct to Mercury (lord of 8th house) and both are near the stars “Presepe” and “North Asellus”, other stars traditionally associated to violent deaths.
If the combustion of the 8th house lord and the conjunction of the Sun with these two stars can reflect the rhetoric of heroism and challenge of the death often employed by Mussolini, and some of the adventurous traits of his life and way of being, effects not to be classified necessarily as negative, this configuration represents a clear hint of violent or at least unnatural death. This is also strengthened also by the fact that Mercury rules Mars (lord of the ascendant) and the Moon (the emotional side of the native).
Besides Mercury rules also the 10th house (public/working life and reputation); so these factors are also clearly signaling the huge importance given by Mussolini to his public image, the more so since the Sun is in Leo.
This chart is an example uncommonly clear and in theory we could already stop here (in fact, watching more elements, sometimes gives only confusion), let us examine the other instruments only for completeness.
The ascendant is conjunct to Unukalhai, a star of the “Serpent” constellation of which it represents the heart, generally associated to a mixed Saturn-Mars nature. This star is rather dangerous but, as you can imagine, usually more associated to poison and intoxication than to the death endured by Mussolini. Anyway, besides contributing to the pragmatism or, if we want, the cynicism of this head of state, it is surely another element in favor of a violent death.
The 8th cusp receives a square from Uranus (an element in favour of a “sudden” and quick death) and is near five stars (Capella, Phact, Mintaka, El Nath and Ensis).
The more dangerous of these are Ensis (the sword sheat of Orion) usually associated to a violent death and El Nath, a star of a mixed Mars-Mercury nature, but that represents menacingly one of the horns of Taurus (El Nath derives from an Arabian word that means: “butting”).
The other stars seem to be less interesting: Mintaka is part of the Orion’s Belt, by someone regarded as a tendentially lucky star, and doesn’t seem much useful to our investigation.
Capella is the little she-goat on the shoulder of the driver of “Auriga”. Traditionally the myth associates it to the little goat that fed Zeus, in apparently not much useful in this case, but her appearance was so frightening that it scared the titans. Zeus took advantage of this fact making a cloak with her hide to spread terror among these foes.
This could allow a remote hypothesis of a link with the “scarecrow” effect that, after his death, brings many Italians to watch with suspicion to national pride and a strong executive power.
Phact is instead a wing of the Columba, a constellation associated to the Noah’s dove (or, according to other versions, to a dove sent in reconnaissance from the ship Argo before entering the difficult Simplegadi channel) and the death of the statesman came together with the end of the calamity of the second world war in Italy.
But these links are only timid hypothesis and not directly linked to the type of death endured by the subject of our study.
Switching to other instruments, like the Part of Fortune and that of the Spirit, in this nativity they do not seem giving us any new information:
The Part of Fortune is conjunct to Uranus and ruled by Mercury, but this is already lord of the 8th house. Still, the fact that Mercury rules also the Part of Fortune and is combust in a fire sign, makes the informations gave by it more important.
As for the Part of Spirit (17° 21’ Capricorn) is ruled by Saturn already besieging the Moon. If we really want to evaluate Saturn by itself, we could consider the fact that it receives a sextile by the Sun and Mercury lord 8th from Leo, Saturn’s exile. But in truth this signal alone, without other elements, wouldn’t convince me of a violent death.
The Part of Life has some interest: at 9° 31’ Libra is conjunct to the star “Caphir”, the left arm of Virgo, a star called also “atonement offer” and, according to some versions, Mussolini’s execution has been ordered in fear that, an eventual trial against him, could become a trial against the responsibilities of the Italian people in regard to their cooperation with the regime.
The part receives a trine by the Moon and Saturn, this can’t be properly considered as an affliction, but since these planets are strongly suggesting the death of the native, this can be regarded as a confirmation of the fact that this configuration is acting on the native’s life.
Venus, lady of the part, is conjunct to Polluce, a martial star, and so very dangerous (but also in this case generally associated more to poison than to execution by shooting). Polluce was the immortal one of the two legendary twins, and actually a long time will have to pass before the life of this historical character will be forgotten.
Turning our attention to elements more directly related to our matter, the Part of Death n. 1 falls on 2° 9’ Sagittarius, near Graffias, the head of Scorpion (the animal that, according to some versions, has been sent to kill Orion in order to punish his arrogance), a star of Mars-Saturn nature, rather dangerous, associated to ruthlessness.
The part is also opposed to Pluto. This sounds a bit redundant since this is the god of death, probably here signals the presence of hidden elements about his death (Pluto as lord of the underground, many speak of the involvement of the secret services, mainly the British, on the decision of his execution). Its dispositor, Jupiter, is conjunct to Venus, the ruler of the 7th house and so the declared enemies, confirming what is affirmed by the siege of the Moon in the 7th house.
Venus’ involvement could make think that his death would have happened by hand of a woman, instead this time it means that he would have died together with the woman he loved (the 7th house is related to our “peers” in general: coworkers, business partners, declared enemies and also consorts or persons with whom we have a love relationship in general). The Jupiter sextile with Uranus is another confirmation of a sudden death, while that with Neptune, conjunct the descendant, could suggest the fact that his death hit the imagination of the masses.
The Part of Death n. 2 falls on 18° 54’ Gemini, conjunct with the 8th house cusp, another redundant element, and it is near Bellatrix, a star representing the left shoulder of Orion, of a Mars-Mercury nature and associated to sudden events, be them good or bad; this element is also reinforced, one more time, by the fact that the part is square Uranus. Of its lord, instead, we already spoke since it is Mercury, already lord of the house of death.
Let us give also a glance to the Part of Saturn and we find it at 6° 38’ Pisces, conjunct to the star Skat.
This star represents the right leg of Aquarius, constellation usually associated to Ganymede, but also to Deucalion (the “Noah” of Greek mythology) and to Cecrops (mythological king of Athens of semidivine nature, with the inferior part of the body like that of a snake, that gave the dominion of Attica to Athena during her contention with Poseidon).
Sadly I do not see how any of these myths could be of any help on the death we are examining. In case, we could think that, being the star associated to the leg of Aquarius, suggests that the death happens during a travel; besides the part is in 4th house, a fact that could be interpreted as a signal of death occurring in his native country (it could have been possible to think even to the city were he lived or a death in a real estate of his property).
Interesting the fact that the part receives the square of the Moon and Saturn, two of the most significant planets giving informations on the death of the examined subject.
Sadly Jupiter, ruler of the part, is also dispositor of the Part of Death n. 1 and so can’t validate without doubt Nemesis as an useful part for these investigations, I will have to examine other charts to be sure that the Part of Saturn could be really relevant to inquire on this matter.
Putting the pieces together
To discover the type of death showed by this chart it is sufficient to consider the situation of the luminaries and the lord of the 8th house; in case using also the parts of death for confirmation and reassurance.
Many elements suggest a death by human hand (the situation of the Moon, the conjunction between the dispositor of the Part of Death n. 1 and the lord of the 7th house and the position of the Part of Death n. 2 in a human sign).
The type of death is clearly linked to fire (lord of 8th house/Part of Death n. 2 in a fire sign and conjunct the Sun; Part of Death n. 1 in a fire sign), so we can indeed expect an execution by shooting, a firefight or, in case, due to arson, a not much frequent alternative.
Mercury is in 9th house (unordinary travels) and the Moon, besieged by the malefics, rules exactly this house. And the subject has been captured during a travel, it is not clear if directed to Switzerland or the famous “Valtellina’s redoubt”. The execution, that followed few days after, happened during a travel as well, this time toward Milan, where the body has been transported in order to expose it in Piazzale Loreto.
Considering the death by fire during a travel it would have been possible to expect a death by car accident with his vehicle that took fire or more probably, considering the circumstances, a death during an attack to the convoy. But personally I think that a similar eventuality would have been shown by a greater density of disharmonious aspects (oppositions and/or squares), so we can exclude also the firefight option.
We can note also the sextile made by Saturn with the Sun-Mercury concjunction: Saturn rules lead; lead plus fire equals bullets, so a death by firearms is a probable option (unless he had worked in a lead furnace).
We must also take notice that the human signs are also air signs (except Virgo) and so the siege of the Moon could have also suggested a death due to a fall from high, tornadoes or other events linked to this element. The analogy principle imply also death by hanging, so unifying the death by human hand with the air element, but in middle XX century’s Italy this wasn’t a widespread practice and the nativity clearly shows a death linked to fire; even if someone could make present the fact the body has been hanged upside down in Piazzale Loreto.
Anyway we must not necessarily expect this recurrence in charts with a similar involvement of air signs.
Still it is legitimate to think that, if Mussolini had tried fleeing to Spain by airplane as other hierarchs did, he wouldn’t have arrived to destination.
Conclusions
As you will have understood, there are elements that must always be watched, others that give relevant informations only sometimes and others that usually are only “optional”.
Except for particular situations, however, astrology can’t give informations exceedingly detailed on the death of a native: it allow to assess the kind of circumstances and isolate a series of possible causes, but it is not always possible to indicate with perfect precision the details of the death of a person.
Besides it is necessary to consider the context, because the same influence can bring to very different effects (as Morin loved to say “Sun hardens clay and melt wax”) and, in particular at the birth of a person, it is difficult to assess the context that will surround the native in the time around his death.
This especially when person of humble origin like Mussolini becomes so influential and important. Indeed, even in the ancient times (the more so in fact, since the social mobility was lesser) astrologers are invited to use caution when, at the birth of a plebeian, is found a birth chart suggesting important successes in life, recommending of not be too hasty in forecasting a future as a king, but rather the head of the city guild of his craft or other equivalent positions.
Still, a chart like that of Mussolini, suggests quite clearly a rather remarkable life regardless of his origin.
- The Cat
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1) In truth, for the conjunction to the fixed stars, I usually consider the maximum distance of 1° and the Moon is just out of this interval (in 1883 Aldebaran was at about 8° 10’ of Gemini), but Aldebaran is one of the brightest fixed stars of the sky, so his influence is very strong and we can take in account a slightly greater distance.