Hey Eric,
I’ve been ruminating about this since I had a consultation with you several weeks ago (which everyone should know was fantastic and is highly recommended) — my chart was cast with the wrong birthplace, changing my ascendant from 27 to 29 Gemini. You counseled me not to make too much of it, but you did think that it suited me. I am curious about it because for a while I had already been feeling that my chart is not quite right. Is this a common feeling?
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Eric Francis.
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Then recently I remembered that when I first got my chartВ 15 years ago, I gave the wrong time — putting the ascendant at 29 Gemini.
I’m curious about exploring this coincidence as a possible rectification, and I’m wondering which transits and/or other data you would suggest I look at. I checked out the Sabian symbols and 30 is very meaningful while 28 is not…
One thing against it is that my son’s moon is at 27 Gemini (and his ascendant is exactly opposed my husband’s) — not sure I want to lose that connection! Please help me sort this out.
Recorded birth time: Aug. 5, 1960 Princeton, NJ, 2:25am
Time sent to Astro Communications: 2:35am
Thank you, Eric!
Love,
Jackie
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Dear Jackie,
There’s a book called The Moment of Astrology. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable book, and the author, a guy named Geoffrey Cornelius, raised something of a ruckus in the astrological community with his chapter about When the Wrong Chart Works. As an example, he studied the two versions of the chart of Diana, Princess of Wales, one of which I believe has Sagittarius rising, and the other Libra rising.
He demonstrated through explaining extremely technical and very old progression methods (primary directions, which supposedly require a precise birth time to be effective) that both charts were equally accurate at predicting certain events in Diana’s life, such as her marriage and divorce. He used the work being done at the time of the events by different sets of astrologers each of which had adopted one of the times as “true.”
This seemed to pull out the foundation of astrology — that accuracy matters. He demonstrated that really big mistakes can yield some interesting, even accurate results. Every astrologer has flipped AM and PM; every one of us has at least once got the date wrong (for example typing the 19th when it was really the 29th); and once I even got the millennium wrong, entering a birth year of 2978 when the birth year was 1978.
The problem is when we see the chart actually work, in other words, when it reflects the client and their experience so accurately that the reading is going along fine. Supposedly good astrology is all about the accurate birth time. So if that is true, then how does the wrong chart work? And why does the “wrong” chart sometimes work better than the “right” one?
The answer is because astrology is about divination, not science. The divination method is scientific; it uses math and astronomy and computers. But it is not science, per se. Divination is akin to using tarot cards or runes or the I Ching; it depends on a random factor. The Planet Waves Oracle, which pulls up a totally random horoscope in response to a question, give consistently stunning results, and that’s because it’s actually random.
Now, you’re arriving at 29+ Gemini rising showing up twice counts as a synchronicity. A birthplace error and a birth time error got the same result at different times of your life. You might start to think that you’re getting a message from someone or something. One of the reasons I suggested you not be too concerned about the birth place error we encountered was that your ascendant remained in Gemini, so that did not toss around the chart’s rulerships (in both cases, Mercury still ruled your 1st house and Jupiter ruled your 7th house).
Meanwhile, as you say, you have family contacts in this degree range, with or without the supposed error.
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Jackie’s minor planets in Gemini.
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Second, yes, it fit your life, relating a certain edgy quality that you seemed to possess, and the drama associated with Pluto changing signs from Sagittarius to Capricorn being highlighted more vividly by the last degree of Sagittarius coming up so vividly.
And as I sit here typing, I’m of two minds about what chart I would use if we worked again. I would definitely look at the chart we worked with; I would cast the new chart; and I would be looking for subtle differences in how they expressed themselves. One would certainly feel right after a few minutes.
No matter what, I would still be keeping my eye on that last degree of Gemini/Sagittarius, and the sign change of Pluto that’s associated with it. The other thing I would be inclined to do is look closely at the very end of Sagittarius and see if one minor planet or another tipped the scales.
The chart on the right gives us a picture from everything you have in Gemini, searching about 150 points orbiting our Sun and a few others. We learn something interesting: you have something — an important hypothetical point called Vulkanus — at 29+ Gemini, but nothing at 27+ Gemini.
Vulkanus, one of the “trans-Neptunian Points” or TNPs from the Uranian astrology system, is about raw power. It is energy, thrust, mojo, impulse power and a “whatever it takes” attitude. You are being pulled in its direction; you are drawing it closer to your identity, to the precise line that tells us who you are and what you want to do, indeed, what you feel you must do. In any event it’s in your 1st house and close to your ascendant, but clearly, you want precision.
Yours & truly,
