Troubled Blood: Strike’s Natal Chart

After being chastised by Robin for pretending not to know his astrological sun sign, Strike tells her what he recalls of his natal chart (Troubled Blood, pp 240-242):

“What’s your sign?” asked Robin, trying to work it out.

“No idea.”

“Oh sod off,” said Robin. He looked at her, taken aback. “You’re being affected!” she said. “Everyone knows their star sign. Don’t pretend to be above it.”

Strike grinned reluctantly, took a large drag on his cigarette, exhaled, then said, “Sagittarius, Scorpio rising, with the sun in the first house.” 

“You’re—” Robin began to laugh. “Did you just pull that out of your backside, or is it real?”

“Of course, it’s not fucking real,” said Strike. “None of it’s real, is it? But yeah. That’s what my natal horoscope says. Stop bloody laughing. Remember who my mother was. She loved all that shit. One of her best mates did my full horoscope for her when I was born. I should have recognized that straight off,” he said, pointing at the goat drawing.

“But I haven’t been through this properly yet, haven’t had time.”

“So what does having the sun in the first house mean?”

“It means nothing, it’s all bollocks.”

Robin could tell that he didn’t want to admit that he’d remembered, which made her laugh some more.

Half-annoyed, half-amused, he muttered, “Independent. Leadership.”

Did Rowling actually go to the trouble of giving Strike a birth place, date, and time for a natal chart whose aspects and characteristics would to match the detective she created? After the jump, a quick look at what online astrological mavens say about (1) Sagittarians, (2) those people with rising signs in Scorpio, and (3) the meaning of having the sun in your first house. The short answer? Yes, she did.

Sagittarius Sun Sign: Jessica Suess’  Top Ten Sagittarius Personality & Character Traits

1. Adventurers  — “Adrenalin Junkies”

2. Trendsetters — “Recognition for doing Amazing Things”

3. Needs to be constantly active — “Impatient”

4. Act before they think — “Don’t Dwell in Past or Dwell on Regret”

5. Independent — “Not Good Followers, Contrarian”

6. Commitment-phobes — What Can You Say? (See ‘Three Points’ below for greater detail)

7. Growth mindset — “See Themselves Capable of Learning, Growing”

8. Live in the moment — “Spontaneous, Don’t Tend to Save Money or Invest”

9. Heated temper — “Laid Back then Explosive, Protective of Family, Friends”

10. Lust for life — “Magnetic Personality, Center of Attention”

Sagittarius Personality & Traits: The Summary

Strengths – Independent, Spontaneous, Growth-Mindset
Weaknesses – Struggle to Commit, Impulsive, Impatient
Likes – Adventure, Learning, Philosophy
Dislikes – Sitting Still, Dishonesty, Responsibility

Scorpio Rising Sign: Emily Simone’s ‘Guide to Rising Signs’

If you’re a Scorpio rising, you may come off as mysterious, quiet, and alluring. It’s not always a sexually charged charm, although it can be. Most of the time there’s so much going on behind that cool, pristine face, and people want to know more. Rising Scorpios are intense, and you have your reasons. You’ve likely had some experiences that have caused you to put up your guard, especially if you have other Scorpio influence in your chart, and it may take time to get to know you.

Sun In First House: Donna Roberts’ ‘Sun in First House Significance and Meaning’

Sun In First House: Personality Traits

The Sun symbolizes our ego and leadership in astrology. So when it occupies the 1^st house, all eyes are on you. You project a strong presence and your personality shines. But with all this attention you can also feel very self-conscious and get upset or nervous quite easily.

The personality traits associated with the Sun include being direct and going for what you want. The Sun helps you wade through all the extraneous matters in life to figure out what drives you. So when the Sun is in the 1^st house, you feel more confident, as if you could conquer the world.

Sun In 1st House: Positive Traits

The enthusiasm of  Sun in the first house personality is unmatched. And, your determination is unbreakable. You are ready to take the lead and make things happen. This is a very active period and you should take advantage of every impulse you have to get things done. At this time, there is no one more qualified to make yourself happy than you. So, listen when your inner voice has a good idea. Take pride in your ideas and efforts. So long as they remain healthy and productive.

Sun In 1st House: Negative Traits

If there are things in your life that you are unhappy with, now is the time to take care of them. With the Sun in 1^st house in your birth chart, you turn everything inward to decide what you want out of life. And you have the energy to make it come true. This is a good time to do some self-reflection and evaluate where you are in your life.

Three Points:

(1) Dead On Match for Strike — Rowling-Galbraith for all of Strike’s bad-mouthing astrology has gone to no little effort in crafting a natal chart by choosing a birth time, date, and place that matches the character she is writing about. Ditto for the chart drawn by Talbot for time and date and place of Margot Bamborough’s disappearance. Has an author ever gone to this trouble to match a character’s astrological profile, not to mention an event’s qualities, with the way the character behaves? I am unaware of any.

(2) The Strike-Ellacott Relationship ‘A’ — ‘Strike the Commitment-Phobe Sagittarian’ as described below by astrologers is another exact match for Strike. With all the astrology books Robin has purchased, she didn’t check out Strike’s Sun Sign? “Sod off, Strike. Don’t pretend you’re above it. Everybody knows their Sun Sign.” And Robin throws Tarot spreads but doesn’t check out Strike’s relationship qualities per his Sun Sign… Hard to believe. She’s not “above it.”

6. Commitment-phobes

People born under Sagittarius also struggle to commit.

They are slow to commit in relationships, reluctant to sign long term contracts at work, and are often terrified of the idea of a mortgage.

This is because they fear anything that might encroach on their freedom to drop everything and embark on an adventure should it come knocking.

When it comes to relationships, Sagittarius doesn’t like to label it.

But when they start sacrificing their independence to keep the other person close, they have found the one

Compatible Signs for Sagittarius – Gemini and Libra

Sagittarius tend to prefer casual relationships, and “friends with benefits” arrangements over serious commitments.

Despite their love of new experiences, this doesn’t mean that they are out there playing the field.

They tend to form an exclusive bond, but they don’t want to put a label on it, or let it get too serious.

Having a partner means having to consult someone before deciding to embark on their next adventure, and they just aren’t keen on that.

This sign will find that they have fallen into a relationship when they realize that they are considering the feelings and priorities of the other person as part of their decision-making process.

In this way, they will be in a relationship without evening knowing it, as long as their partner doesn’t get too frustrated first.

But Sagittarius is smart. They will realize when they have found someone that they can’t live without.

Their lust for life and charisma means that Sagittarius has no problem attracting admirers. Holding onto them is a different story.

Their independent nature means that they can be a bit dismissive of the feelings and needs of others, which can be a turn off.

Their tactless and harsh tongue can also rub some people the wrong way.

Compare that “difficulty of commitment” that Sagittarians have with the internal dialogue Strike has in the Agency office as he contemplates telling Robin how much she means to him. Direct hit; Rowling is almost quoting from the astrological index.

How could he say, look, I’ve tried not to fancy you since you first took off your coat in this office. I try not to give names to what I feel for you, because I already know it’s too much, and I want peace from
the shit that love brings in its wake. I want to be alone, and unburdened, and free.

But I don’t want you to be with anyone else. I don’t want some other bastard to persuade you into a second marriage. I like knowing the possibility’s there, for us to, maybe…

Except it’ll go wrong, of course, because it always goes wrong, because if I were the type for permanence, I’d already be married. And when it goes wrong, I’ll lose you for good, and this thing we’ve built together, which is literally the only good part of my life, my vocation, my pride, my greatest achievement, will be forever fucked, because I won’t find anyone I enjoy running things with, the way I enjoy running them with you, and everything afterward will be tainted by the memory of you.

If only she could come inside his head and see what was there, Strike thought, she’d understand that she occupied a unique place in his thoughts and in his affections. He felt he owed her that information, but was afraid that saying it might move this conversation into territory from which it would be difficult to retreat.

But, from second to second, sitting here, now with more than half a bottle of neat whisky inside him, a different spirit seemed to move inside him, asking himself for the first time whether determined solitude was what he really wanted, for evermore.

(3) The Strike-Ellacott Relationship ‘B’ — It’s a Match! Libra one of the best signs for Sagittarius.

From Astrology.com: The Compatability of Sagittarius and Libra:

The merging of Libra and Sagittarius can be paradise found for both Signs; this combination is a harmonious one, to say the least. Signs that are two positions apart in the Zodiac tend to have a very deep, special connection and understanding of one another. Sagittarius, the journeyer, is constantly in search of wisdom. Libra has a mind keen for art, beauty and aesthetics; Libra makes a stimulating companion for Sagittarius on their travels and adds much to Sagittarius’s experience. The relationship always feels new because these two keep it exciting — and yet their natural understanding of one another makes them feel like intimates from the beginning. Together they will reach new horizons in love and in life.

Libra and Sagittarius make great friends as well as lovers. They share a certain fresh-faced optimism in the world; they’re both enthusiastic about finding truth and beauty in their experiences. Problems rarely occur. Occasionally Sagittarius may hurt sensitive Libra’s feelings by speaking without thinking; conversely, Libra can sometimes be a bit too emotionally controlling for Sagittarius. Since Libra is a born diplomat who abhors conflict, they’ll be able to smooth over any ruffled feathers. These two have the gift of forgiving and forgetting quickly.

Libra is ruled by Venus (Love) and Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter (Luck and Philosophy). Venus’s femininity and Jupiter’s masculinity make these Signs compatible and balanced. Sagittarius is constantly on a quest for knowledge of the big things — the truth, the meaning of life and death — and whenever Libra comes up with a new idea (as they are wont to do) Sagittarius is eager to go along with their partner and become familiar with this new concept.

Confirmation of that can be found here, here, and here. The astrological consensus is that Libra-Sagittarius are a near ideal love match.

So What?

This idea that Rowling has cast charts for her characters as well as the central event in Troubled Blood is not exactly news; I discussed in the week of Troubled Blood’s publication what Strike’s chart (and Robin’s) would probably show: Troubled Blood, Part Three: Top Ten Take-Aways from Chapters 15 to 30

We do not know the time of birth for either Robin or Cormoran but we do know the day and the approximate place (thank you again, Nick Jeffery, for the lat and long specifics below!). I think we can be pretty sure that Rowling cast these horoscopes, as Strike describes his in chapter 21, p 240: “Sagittarius, Scorpio rising, with the sun in the first house.” The data you need to confirm or disprove this is 23 November 1974, 12:00 (you insert noon if the time is not known), and “the closest maternity unit for St Mawes would be the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske, Truro, 50° 16′ 0.12″ N, 5° 5′ 29.76″ W.” For Robin, enter 9 October 1984, 12:00, and “the closest maternity unit for Masham would be the Harrogate District Hospital, 53° 59′ 37.14″ N, 1° 31′ 3.58″ W.” Let us know what you find — especially if you invest in or research their compatibility via a little comparative astrology!

As far as I know, no Serious Striker has taken the trouble to cast these charts or check out their compatibility. So I did this morning — Strike’s at least. Without any idea of what is on Robin’s chart, it is impossible to guess her time of birth and get an accurate chart; someone versed in the lore could probably make a good guess, but I am not that person. Thank you, Astro-Crystal’s Free Natal Charts!

Strike’s chart below is calculated for 6 AM GMT, the only birth time that yields Sagittarius, Scorpio rising, Sun in the first house (dawn is a fairly common birth time; in my family, four of our seven children, to include our adopted son, and I were born between five and six in the morning):

Name = Cormoran Strike

Born Saturday, November 23, 1974
06:00:00 (time zone = GMT +0 hours)
5w5, 50n16

That is one crowded first house! Mercury, Mars, Venus, the Sun, and Neptune… with Mercury and Mars in Scorpio on the Ascendant, a natural for a military investigator.

So much for first impressions! For the deep-divers among us, I reproduce all the house, planet, and aspect data below for the chart-and-number crunchers out there and two interpretations of the chart, one from Astro-Crystals.com, the other from Horoscope.astro-Seeker.com with its own chart.

At the very bottom I reproduce a natal chart with remarkable similarities to Cormoran’s, something like Alaistair Crowley’s with Paul Satchwell. Extra Credit to the Serious Striker who figures out who that parallel chart with a crowded first house belongs to!

My conclusion from all this — Rowling took real care in choosing Strike’s birth time, the place I think having been a function of her choice of Cornwall for his point of origin. How much Strike reflects this calculated choice and how much the character was given qualities native to the consequent chart we’ll almost certainly never know.

Unless Di Brooks reads these posts and wants to schedule a HogwartsProfessor interview for the Presence as a special surprise for her boss: conversation with readers who read her books with almost as much care as she writes them.

Do it, Deeby, do it!

Free Birth Chart Interpretation for Cormoran Strike From Astro-Crystals.com

MY PHILOSOPHY OF ASTROLOGY

Astrology is the study of the effects of planetary forces upon man. It is not fortune telling. It is one of the best methods for man to learn about who he is, where he came from and where he is going. Astrology reveals CHARACTER and character is destiny. If man can change his character, then man will have changed his destiny. The main uses of astrology are diagnosis of health and sickness, character analysis, vocational guidance, analysis of children’s horoscopes so as to give parents a better idea as to how best to raise their children, and analysis of the compatibilities between people.

Astrology does not show anything but tendencies. A man can rule his stars by exerting his will. If a man decides to flow with the tide of life, then the tendencies indicated in the birth chart will at some time have their effect. The one thing a birth chart does not show is the WILL of the individual and how he may exert it. The matter of exercising free will is left entirely up to the individual. The wise man rules his stars, the fool is ruled by them. Astrology forewarns and being forewarned, a man is thus forearmed to better cope with the struggles of life.

Remember that good or so-called evil configurations are not the result of chance or luck, but are the product of our own past acts — the horoscope shows what we have earned by our past living and therefore what we are entitled to in the present life. What we lack in this life can be gained in the future by applying ourselves to the task at hand. The stars IMPEL but do not COMPEL. As Goethe, the great mystic, said, “From every power that holds the world in chains, Man frees himself when self-control he gains.”

The Law of Consequence (“Whatsoever a man sows, that he shall also reap”) works in harmony with the planets. The spirit is born into the physical world at that opportune time when the Law and the planets may operate in harmony with each other. The birth of an Ego is so timed by the Lords of Destiny, that the horoscope, which is the clock of destiny, registers the kind of debts which the Ego has incurred in its previous lives, and the time when these debts come to fruition, when the harvest from the seeds which have been sown must be garnered. However, the law of destiny is not a blind law, for it may be modified to a certain degree in proportion to the amount of will power awakened and utilized by the Ego. “For be not deceived, God is not mocked. The mills of the gods grind exceedingly slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.”

There are three factors which bring to us the mystic message of the stars — the houses, the signs and the planets. Each house represents a department of life, the signs are divisions of the heavens which by their placement relative to the houses indicate our basic temperament and attitude towards life, and the planets are the messengers of God which by their motion through the houses and signs bring to us the opportunities for soul growth which we need for our individual development. Think of the planets as representing the players in a play. The signs, then, would describe the role that each player has and how he expresses his character, the houses represent the various settings of the play and the angular relationships between the planets, the aspects, represent the plot of the play. Each planet has a characteristic energy. That energy can be expressed either positively or negatively. The way that energy is expressed is determined by the aspects of the other planets to that particular planet.

The horoscope shows tendencies only. It is a matter for you to determine how any planetary position will work itself out. That will be determined by the use you make of your own WILLPOWER.

THE RISING SIGN OR ASCENDANT

The sign that is on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth is called the Rising Sign or the Ascendant. The Ascendant marks the difference in temperament, disposition, physical appearance and personality of individuals. It is the lens through which everything else in the chart is focused or looked through, thus coloring the way we look at everything. People see us through our rising sign and we see the world through our rising sign.

YOUR ASCENDANT IS:

SCORPIO rising
People with Scorpio rising tend to be secretive, deep, withdrawn, mysterious, regenerate or degenerate, reserved, hard to understand, courageous, willful, persistent, stubborn in thought, creative, self-reliant, self-controlled (except perhaps with the passions), and silent. According to the spiritual astrologer Isabel Hickey, no unevolved soul is born with Scorpio rising. This is a powerhouse rising sign. It represents the battleground where the higher and lower selves must come to mortal combat. They must be aligned and the lower self eventually must die and give way to and obey the higher self, the God within. Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels are all involved. You appear calm on the surface, but you can be extremely emotional inside. “Still waters run deep”, as they say. You tend to be the silent type, always wanting to know others’ motivations, but never disclosing your own. You love to play the detective or the ferret. You have to know everything, all the how’s and why’s. You have great determination and strength, enough to overcome any adversary, even yourself. You need to overcome resentment, possessiveness and jealousy. There may be a fascination, preoccupation, interest and/or ability with the occult, death, sex or healing. You can be a devil or an angel, the eagle or the stinging scorpion. Spiritual lesson to learn: Forgiveness. Mars and Pluto rule Scorpio so Mars and Pluto will be important in your chart.

SIGN POSITIONS OF PLANETS

The planets represent energies and cosmic forces that can manifest in different ways. They are like the actors in a play. The signs describe the ways in which these planetary energies are used. They show the motivation and the roles the different actors play. As with everything in the material world, these energies can and usually do operate in two directions, the positive and negative.

Sun in Sagittarius
Sagittarians tend to be idealistic, optimistic, dependable, open-minded, friendly, honest and versatile. But, they can also be tactless, irresponsible, showy, boastful, self-righteous, arrogant, quarrelsome, fanatical, dogmatic and dictatorial. Sagittarians like any work where foresight and a willingness to take a chance is offered, while at the same time, they try to avoid detailed work.

Sagittarians are usually outspoken, sometimes to the point of bluntness. Simply blurting out their ideas and opinions is due to their never-ending search for truth and wisdom. Others think Sagittarians are pretty tactless and the statement that “truth hurts” fits their way of thinking. Regardless of their undiplomatic remarks, others instinctively feel as if the Sagittarian means them no real harm and is only interested in raising their consciousness.

Sagittarians love the outdoors, large animals, nature and sports. Some have reckless gambling tendencies and will bet it all on the drop of a hat. Travel and even long walks appeal to them because they make the Sagittarian feel free — and he needs to feel free.

Sagittarians are philosophical and they want to understand the deeper issues and abstractions of life. They have a certain faith in higher things that generally always keeps them of an optimistic bent, no matter what difficulties are currently besetting them. They want to understand the meaning of life. This helps to keep them growing and expanding, which is something they need to do. This desire for expansion can cause them to overextend themselves with too many activities and to use up their energy too rapidly. They need to take intervals of rest to recuperate between projects.

Sagittarians need to learn how to concentrate on their current projects and stick with them to the end. Always full of enthusiasm, they tend to show it more at the start of new endeavors, then it tends to lessen as the project goes along and gets stuck in details, or the going gets a little rough, or it simply gets a little boring.

Although Sagittarians are ordinarily healthy, they can run into trouble due to overindulgence in food and drink.

Sagittarians are known for their friendliness, helpfulness and subtle humor. They are good conversationalists and enjoy debating merely for the sake of debating. They have a real gift for making friends and the typical Sagittarian can go anywhere in the world without ever feeling lonely, for they acquire friends along the route. They have humanitarian instincts and are practical in expressing them. They will tend to help anyone who is in need. You can usually depend on their loyalty and honesty, for there is nothing devious or manipulative in their nature.

Sagittarians are extremely independent and restless, with a real need for personal freedom. They can experience claustrophobia, either physical or emotional. This is why they are reluctant to get into total commitment situations and often shy away from marriage. In love, Sagittarians are highly romantic, but they need their partner to be intelligent and communicative. They hate jealousy and possessiveness on the part of their partner, especially since they are fond of flirting. They enjoy the chase more than the capture.

Careerwise, Sagittarians are reluctant to become tied down to a set schedule, so will experiment with a variety of jobs. They do best in careers that permit them to travel about, either locally or widely. They also like dealing directly with people, either selling or promoting ideas, products, etc.

The Sagittarian may overlook small details, but their overall sense of planning is excellent. They have good memories. The challenge of a problem is what interests them, for it caters to their enjoyment in exploring the unknown. Playing games comes easily to a Sagittarian and it is the journey they enjoy rather than the destination.

Moon in Pisces
Your emotions are expressed sympathetically and compassionately. You are sensitive, kind and gentle, imaginative, shy, tender-hearted, and have an innate understanding of how other people feel and react to situations. It hurts you if another is hurt. Because of your kindness and non-judgmental attitude, people in trouble, pain or confusion come to you hoping to find answers. It is difficult for them to think that you may be in pain yourself, but even if you are, you will do your best to help them or teach them. You seem to sense that all the pain you have suffered is for a higher purpose, if only to teach others or help show them the way. At times, though, your soft-hearted is taken advantage of and then you feel the need to withdraw, to regain your strength and composure. Music plays an important part in your life and you are instinctively drawn to it. It is as a voice from your spirit’s true home. It helps you to express the emotions within that sometimes are so nebulous or vague that they cannot be put into word. You have a very romantic nature and can fall in love with love. Sometimes your feelings and fantasies get so carried away that you become overly emotional or sentimental, much to the dismay of those around you. You have your moody spells that people do not know how to deal with. You are not afraid of difficult or hard work and you especially like to work for those less fortunate than yourself. You prefer to work behind the scenes, as you may be easily drained of energy by others. There may be talent in art, dancing or music. Tendencies to day-dreaming may need to be controlled.

Mercury in Scorpio
You have excellent mental concentration and the ability to become completely immersed in your work. You love ferreting things out and are a natural detective. Your mind may dwell on the sensual side of life and may think about sex or death often. You seem to know things at an instinctive, nonverbal level and prefer learning through direct experience or apprenticeship rather than vicariously via books or lectures. You have mechanical ability and work well with your hands. You may develop healing ability through your hands. You are quick-witted, resourceful, shrewd, direct, sharp-tongued, and will readily say what is on your mind, in a most stinging manner. You enjoy satire and other forms of critical humor. You want to know everything while at the same time disclosing nothing to no one. You have the ability to penetrate beneath the surface of problems and people and really understand them. You have abundant manual dexterity with the ability to repair anything. On the negative side, you can be stubborn, quarrelsome, skeptical, cynical, headstrong, and always holding the opposite views to others. There is interest in the occult.

Venus in Sagittarius
In matters of love, you are looking for someone you can grow with, someone who can expand your world and your consciousness. You are attracted to someone who is fun-loving, playful, and open to adventure and new experiences. Traveling together, meeting new people and exploring new vistas is particularly enjoyable. People of foreign background and cultures enlarge your understanding of the world and yourself. You want to be able to share your dreams, aspirations and ideals with your mate. It is very important to you that you have a spiritual or intellectual rapport with your love partner, perhaps more important than the emotional/physical relationship. You are not especially sentimental and your partner may feel that you are too casual and not serious or romantic enough. You are sympathetic, kind, generous and optimistic. You idealize love. Always on the lookout for greener pastures, you may not stay long with a partner who doesn’t help you to grow or provide you with enough excitement. You desire to share a love of God, expressed through religious devotion and a love of man, expressed through philanthropy and charity with the one you choose to love.

Mars in Scorpio
You are extremely strong-willed and you pursue your goals and desires with passionate dedication and determination. You are capable of total concentration and tremendous discipline, and you are very difficult to influence once your mind is made up. When you want something, you can be very one-sided and almost obsessed with it. You tend to be secretive and you do not want others to know what your plans are. You tend to be instinctive, perceptive, determined, strong-willed, stubborn and magnetic. You have deep emotions and may occasionally show a primitive side. You need to learn self-discipline or your desire nature will rule your life, probably causing great sorrow in the end. You must learn to control your jealousy and possessiveness in matters of love. A certain amount of detachment in relationships would probably be good and this, of course, would include your tendency to treat loved ones as possessions. You are very forceful in a quiet and subtle way and others may have difficulty in seeing or understanding your motives. You can manipulate people in a way that is not obvious to them or others. Direct confrontation with others is not your preferred style. You like operating behind the scenes. In any case, you are a formidable opponent when riled. In matters of health, there may be a tendency towards hemorrhoids.

Jupiter in Pisces
Your needs for growth and expansion are perhaps best satisfied when you are working to help raise mankind to a higher spiritual level. You recognize that we are all in this together and what is bad for one is bad for all. You are sympathetic, charitable, genial, unassuming, quiet, visionary, intuitive, with a subtle sense of humor. You have an interest in spiritual or metaphysical ideas and issues, but you need to find your own path and experience Truth for yourself. Periodically retreating from society and the people closest to you is good for your nerves and your own mental health. The strong desire you have to help others comes out in your willingness to help the unfortunate. Perhaps you volunteer in hospitals, jails, or other places of confinement. You give hope to those who need it most. You probably love nature and large animals, especially horses. There may be an interest in healing. On the negative side you may be hypersensitive, over-emotional, too sentimental, have a tendency to exaggerate, or to be too extravagant or self-indulgent.

Saturn in Cancer
You are protective and persevering and you worry over loved ones. You can be moody, fearful and insecure perhaps because you feel unloved, probably by one or both parents. These feelings may bring on within you feelings of inadequacy toward your own ability to be a parent. As a parent you may be very demanding and a strict disciplinarian to your children. Emotional depression is something you need to conquer. Your unconscious fear of being hurt by others can cause you to withdraw from too close an emotional involvement with others. You are kind, but may lack empathy. You can be so busy protecting yourself from hurts that you are unable to see the hurts of others. There is a tendency for improper digestion due to the lack of certain digestive juices in the stomach. It would be best if you did not drink liquids with your meals (except milk, which is a food). There is a need to curb the appetite, as it can get you into trouble. Land and property may give you emotional security and alleviate feelings of not having something to fall back on.

HOUSE POSITIONS OF PLANETS

The planets represent energies and cosmic forces that can be utilized in various ways. They are like the actors in a play. Houses represent the different spheres of life where these energies can be and are brought to bear, for better or for worse. If the planets are the actors in a play, then the houses represent the various settings in which the actors play out their roles (signs).

Sun in 1st house
You are important to yourself and will spend much time and energy on your own personal affairs. It’s not that you do not care about others, it is just that you have your work to do and it is very important to you. You want to shine and be noticed for who and what you are. You may want to lead or be in a position of dominance. You are confident, independent and responsible. But watch for tendencies to be power-seeking or dictatorial. Be alert to false pride and try to be more humble. Give proper credit to others for their contributions.

Moon in 4th house
There is a strong sense of family and home with this position. A love of antiques perhaps grounds you to your roots. Security is very important to you and you seem to get that through your foundations, your home and family, and your parents. Things collected serve as reminders of the past which you maybe try too hard to hold on to. Many changes of residence can occur until you find your personal foundation or roots. One or both parents are strong in your life. Concerning vocation: the emphasis is on the home. Maybe working in your home would be most fulfilling or maybe you simply need to make your place of work very homey, using photographs, mementos, furniture, etc., to establish the most personal atmosphere. The need during work is for security and comfort.
Mercury in 1st house
You are adaptable, clever, inquisitive, eloquent, witty, and perhaps high-strung. You want to know something about a lot of things. Your speeches and writings reflect your own personal opinions. You may have jittery nerves which keep your body slim, but which could cause nervous disorders. You love talking about what interests you.

Venus in 1st house
You are friendly and charming with a magnetic personality. You are the honey in life that draws the bees. You always seem to know what to say with regard to what people want to hear. Whether it is the truth or not is the problem. You have an uncanny ability to attract everything you need in life. People and things just come to you. But, you must guard against using people to get what you want. You enjoy and have an appreciation of beautiful and luxurious things. You can also be quite selfish and self-centered. Acting like the spoiled brat is also a danger.

Mars in 1st house
You have an abundance of physical vitality. Sometimes there is so much energy that you become reckless, impulsive, and throw caution to the wind. You may experience cuts and burns on your head and face which may leave some sort of scar. You are assertive, independent, impatient and want to do your own thing. You have strong organizing ability. You are usually self-confident. Guard against accidents due to rushing around in your impulsiveness. You may be subject to higher than normal fevers.

Jupiter in 4th house
You are generous, self-confident, hospitable and patriotic. Prosperity usually increases in later years. You desire a home that is spacious and comfortable. Parental influence is strong in shaping your character. Perhaps your parents shared a strong faith with you. Usually, considerable help and/or an inheritance is received from the parents. With Jupiter well-aspected, it is better to stay where you were born rather than move away from your birthplace. Guard against becoming ostentatious and watch out for self-indulgence.

Saturn in 9th house
Your religious and philosophical beliefs are probably quite orthodox and traditional. You take these beliefs very seriously. Your concentration upon deep subjects is probably quite good. You may be intolerant and critical of others and their beliefs. You may question absolutes, God and religion in general. There may be difficulties connected with foreign travel or foreign cultures. Frustrations and delays can occur during long journeys. Take care not to deplete your energy to the point of exhaustion through over-concentration.

Uranus in 12th house
You tend to be highly intuitive and secretive, with humanitarian ideals. You may have feelings of loneliness. There may be nervous difficulties. There is interest in metaphysical subjects. You may have unique psychic experiences which you keep to yourself for fear of being ridiculed. You have a tremendous desire to feel free and a constant questioning of the meaning of life and of the imperfections you see around you. Unresolved difficulties in your subconscious mind need to be brought out and disposed of. You have a tendency to feel that something is going to “get” you, to sneak up on you, if you are not careful. It is as though you always have a sense of impending doom. You need to overcome this apprehension. Self-control must be developed.

Neptune in 1st house
You tend to be artistic, idealistic, dreamy, procrastinating, psychic, and very (hyper)sensitive to your environment. Getting lost in your own imagination can sometimes make you moody, frustrated, unstable or impractical. You may be a sucker for the sob stories of those who feel down and out. You may enjoy playing the role of savior, or of martyr. The day-to-day pressures of the world can drive you away and into your own little world. Be sure you do not get lost in it. You still have to live and function on this earth plane. Your physical body may be susceptible to all sorts of real or imagined ailments. You are like a sponge and can soak up the influences of the environments you are in. So be careful what you surround yourself with. Watch any medicine you take because a little probably goes a long way for you. Perhaps the secret for you is to lose your ego so that you will find yourself.

Pluto in 11th house
Loyalty of friends is important to you. Some friends may try to be quite controlling of you or you may be quite controlling of them. Intensity of friendships really appeals to you. Your friends may find you rather charismatic. They perhaps see you as the rebel or the reformer or idealist. Friends will come and go as the need for your own growth changes. This is all part of the cosmic process. What ceases to grow, dies. This includes friendships and all relationships you may have with different groups of people. Groups and organizations can play major roles in your regeneration or transformation. Your dedication to high ideals can be used for the benefit of all mankind, if you apply yourself. You have leadership ability and the will to fight for “causes” that are beneficial to others.

PLANETARY ASPECTS

If the planets represent energies and cosmic forces that manifest in different ways, then the planetary aspects show how these energies and forces tend to act and react, one with another, if the will of the person is not brought into play to change them.

Sun blending with Venus
You are loving and well-loved by others. You have charm and are gentle, kind, sympathetic, friendly and helpful. You are considerate of other people’s feelings. You have artistic and creative abilities and you like to do everything in a harmonious, gracious and pleasing manner. Aesthetics are very important to you, as are your own personal appearance and attractiveness. Good things happen to you because you attract them, and whatever else you happen to need. You desire comfortable, attractive and even luxurious surroundings. You want your home to be a place of beauty. Creature comforts are necessary for your well-being, at least as far as you are concerned. You don’t like getting your hands dirty. You have an appreciation of the arts. You have the ability to make friends easily because of your own friendliness and graciousness. You are affectionate, but may not be demonstrative unless you receive affection in return. You have the ability to say what other people want to hear, for better or for worse.

Moon harmonizing with Mercury
You have an excellent mind and you remember faces, names and past events with ease. You are a wonderful speaker and teacher as you can put your feelings and your heart into what you are trying to convey. Gaining knowledge and sharing that knowledge are important to you and you make great efforts to be on top of the latest developments. You are a natural counselor as you listen well to what people share with you, especially with respect to their problems. You give encouragement to others and are able to help them have confidence in themselves. People trust you and confide their problems in you, knowing that you will not judge them. You can read between the lines of what others are saying and you have the knack of being able to tell them what they really need to hear. You probably keep some sort of diary or journal to record your thoughts and emotions so that you can go back to them periodically and learn from your previous experiences. You have talent for learning foreign languages. You tend to think clearly and logically since your emotions and your thoughts are in harmony. Since you are so sensitive to other people’s feelings, you are able to verbalize the other person’s needs before they have spoken. This is very reassuring to people because they know you understand where they are coming from. You have the ability to communicate ideas and concepts to others, either verbally or in writing. You have a love of variety, travel, communicating and reading. There may be literary or writing talent with this aspect as it certainly strengthens and benefits the mentality.

Moon harmonizing with Mars
You have a lot of energy and vitality and this aspect adds to your good health and emotional well-being. You are assertive and you face your difficulties in a direct, no-nonsense sort of way. You do not brood about your problems, you simply go ahead and try to eliminate them by working through them. You do not have much sympathy for others who will cry about their troubles and not try to do something about them. You have learned to use your emotions and desires along positive and constructive lines. You do not get ill very often and when you do you have excellent recuperative powers. You have a lot of enthusiasm and spark and people like being around you because you give them energy. You are resourceful and courageous and willing to take calculated risks. The opposite sex finds you attractive and fun-loving.

Moon blending with Jupiter
You are tolerant, forgiving and always ready to overlook people’s mistakes and give them a second chance. You expect the best from others and draw the best that is in them from them. You have a knack for making others comfortable and happy. You are well-liked because of your emotional generosity and you have many friends which attest to that. This aspect can bring financial well-being. You have the ability to laugh at yourself and see the humor even in the worst of circumstances. You are optimistic and have great faith in the future and in your fellow man. You are sympathetic, compassionate and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. You are a good listener and you have the ability to feel what others feel because you can put yourself in their shoes. You are non-judgmental and people trust you and your advice. You enjoy having a good time and there are moments when you may forget that there is a need to work also. You need to take care that you don’t overdo physically or emotionally. You have the tendency to overeat if your emotions are out of balance. You use food to give you security and if you do not learn to control yourself and your insecurities, then this will cause you bigger problems down the road.

Moon harmonizing with Saturn
You have well-disciplined control of your emotions and this aspect tends to steady them, even under the worst of situations. You have poise and balance that enables you to act in a cool and efficient manner when most people around you are losing their heads. You are able to keep your objectivity during emotional stress. This aspect deepens the mind and gives better concentration and focus. You have a strong sense of responsibility and others can count on you to follow through on your promises. You are quietly supportive and faithful to your friends and loved ones. In difficult situations, you are able to remain calm and find the right solution. You like to keep busy and to see the visible results of your efforts. You are generally conventional, traditional and serious in your thinking habits. There may be times when you have trouble expressing your affection for others. You need to learn how to project the warmth and love you have for others and tell them how you feel. You are self-reliant, systematic, organized, careful and thrifty in business affairs, and tactful and diplomatic in all dealings with others. Your patience and persistence are seemingly endless. You are responsible and trustworthy, honorable and just.

Moon discordant to Neptune
You have a wonderful imagination and are very sensitive and intuitive. You are gentle, kind-hearted, romantic, sympathetic and compassionate. You are always there to listen to other people’s problems and you never judge them for what they have done. You are idealistic and inspirational and find great emotional fulfillment through the arts, whether it be painting, music, drama or dance. You may take an interest in photography or anything having to do with the sea. You are able to sacrifice your own needs if it will mean helping another. You are very creative and need to express yourself this way to stay emotionally balanced. You have interest in metaphysics or occult science, as well as ability, even if it is now only dormant. You are particularly attuned to the vibrations in your environment so you should pay attention to the people and situations with which you surround yourself. You retreat into your own little world to escape the pressures and hardships of the world. You must be careful that you don’t stay there and neglect your earthly duties and responsibilities. Running away from trouble does not get rid of it. You are sympathetic, compassionate, gentle and kind and are an easy touch for anyone with a sob story to take advantage of. You need to develop self-control of your emotions and your imagination.

You are fairly passive and it is difficult for you to fight or assert yourself, even when you should. You need to learn how to stand up for your own rights. You have a great deal of intuition and you can trust it if you develop the habit of really listening and responding to it. You must avoid any negative psychic practices such as Ouija boards, hypnotism, séances and mediums for they would be detrimental to you. You are mystical, but not necessarily practical. You may lack the necessary willpower to resist temptation so it might be wise for you to avoid it entirely rather than putting yourself into difficult situations. You soak up the emotional state of the people and situations with which you surround yourself, so choose positive environments that are uplifting rather than degrading. There may be introversion and self-indulgence. At times you become disappointed or disillusioned with others because of your tendency to idealize the people you like.

Lies and the use of drugs or alcohol may become habitual. You may have trouble distinguishing the real from the imagined or illusory. You do not enjoy confrontation and become very evasive when problems in your personal life arise, escaping into your imagination in order to avoid dealing with them directly. You are rather gullible and naive about people, especially if your sympathy has been aroused. You need to learn how to sort the truth from the untruth and to overcome your emotional sensitivity. Because of your great sensitivity, when upset or hurt, you may use lies to untangle yourself from a situation. Your emotional sensitivity does not always enable you to discern when others are telling you the truth or not, so you can be deceived by others with little effort on their part. You are too easily hurt by almost anyone. Your deep feelings of insecurity and inferiority cause you to withdraw from others into a world of make-believe. Your confusion at times causes you to misunderstand what has been said, so that you feel hurt and rejected. There is deception from others or through your own fantasy.

Moon harmonizing with Ascendant
You need people around you for your emotional well-being. You understand and are attentive to the needs of others. You openly reveal your emotions to those around you. You enjoy life and people and are basically caring, sympathetic, understanding and sensitive.

Mercury blending with Mars
You have an alert, quick and ready mind for any mental activity, exercise or game. You love a good debate and you are ever-ready to learn more about almost anything. You love to read and it is perhaps the way you get most of your information. You enjoy working on several projects at a time and you probably have some sort of mechanical ability. You love working with your hands and you may even be ambidextrous. When you speak, you not only speak with your mouth but with your hands as well. There may be mathematical or scientific ability with this aspect. Along with a sharp mind comes a sharp tongue. At times you display no tact whatsoever when you speak your mind and you need to learn to think before you speak. Hoof-in-mouth syndrome is something that is all too familiar with you. You love sarcasm and you don’t mind a little good-natured taunting, either on the giving end or the receiving end. You generally express your thoughts in a clear, decisive, forceful and convincing style. You have leadership abilities and can talk up a storm, whether you really know what you are talking about or not. A little b.s. never hurt anyone, right? You love pointing out the flaws and discrepancies in someone else’s arguments. You can be verbally aggressive and abrasive at times and there are times where you overstate your case or offend people by your unadorned frankness. You can be an effective spokesperson, lawyer or salesperson. You have the power to persuade just from using the sheer force of words. You may have writing talent and ability as well, particularly geared toward criticism or satire. You love mental challenges. You are quite independent, determined, courageous, with the energy to succeed in life. Learn to think before speaking, though, since you could easily lose friends through your bluntness and sarcasm.

Mercury harmonizing with Saturn
You have fine powers of concentration and are quite talented at organizing anything. Your mind is disciplined and structured and you are able to accomplish a great deal mentally because of this. You are not a particularly fast thinker, but you are thorough, comprehensive and deep. You are basically a serious individual who prefers work and duty to frivolity. You are well-suited to analyzing myriad details and problems that others consider too tedious, repetitive, technical, time-consuming or difficult. You are discriminating and highly logical and rational and you like to get right down to business. You have executive ability and can lead in almost any situation. People can count on you and you take great pride in your work and accomplishments. You may prefer specializing in one area of expertise rather than spreading yourself thin across many subject areas. You prefer studying alone where you can ponder your own thoughts in peace and quiet. You are quick to see the weaknesses in other people’s logic. You are highly suited for any work which requires organized thinking, precision, and a methodical approach. You are self-controlled, practical, responsible and disciplined in your thinking. Your physical health tends to be strong with excellent recuperative powers.

Mercury blending with Ascendant
You are restless, high-strung and have a lot of nervous energy which makes it difficult for you to relax and settle down. You like to be on the go and involved with several projects all at the same time. Your mind is active and you are continually on the search for new ideas and information. You need the stimulus of communicating with others and you do not like to be left alone for very long at a time. It is sometimes difficult for you to stop your brain from racing here and there and sometimes you wish you just had a switch so you could turn it on and off in order to get some peace.

Venus discordant to Jupiter
There are many possibilities with this aspect. Perhaps you will try to have a relationship with one who has completely different interests than you. Perhaps your devotion to some pet cause is annoying to the one who is nearest and dearest to you. Or you may be financially wasteful or extravagant, or perhaps bombastic in your appearance. There are tendencies here for self-indulgence and over-extravagance and your love or cravings for rich, sweet food can cause you trouble with your health in the form of circulation and weight problems due to excess. Perhaps you do not value what you own because it has all come too easily. Maybe you never really had to work all that hard to accumulate it, since you seem to have the ability to effortlessly attract most everything you need. The challenge here is to balance your desires for material things with your desires for philosophic ideals. Your values will be called into question and you may need to rearrange your priorities. You have an expansive emotional nature and you have the tendency to become involved with that type of love that is commonly referred to as “blind” love. Perhaps your feelings of love are motivated by considerations of money, property or social status.

But in spite of all that is said above, you are basically a warm-hearted and generous person who will come to the aid of friends if they are in need. People know they can count on your emotional and material help without your judging them in the process. You tolerate and accept other people’s shortcomings and this goes a long way in keeping harmony, which is something that is really important to you and necessary for your well-being. At times, though, you avoid confronting difficult issues because you don’t want to make waves or upset people’s feelings. At times you need to be more self-assertive, though, not only because it is right to stand up for your beliefs but also because your needs have to met in order for you to retain a healthy balance. You are a lover of social situations and you like to be surrounded by people. You know how to handle people and still be liked. Being alone with yourself makes you somewhat uncomfortable. You need to learn self-restraint.

Venus blending with Neptune
You tend to be what some people call the hopeless romantic. You are very idealistic about love and romance and many times it isn’t so much the case that you love someone or that you are in love with someone as it is that you are in love with love. You tend to put your loved one on a pedestal and this can bring problems because when the loved one eventually does something to “fall from grace”, then huge disappointment and disillusionment set in and you are crushed. You need to stop looking at the world through rose-colored glasses and see things for how and what they really are.

Another facet of this aspect is that you may have such an ideal mate built up in your own imagination that no real person could ever come close to your fantasy. You may spend your entire lifetime looking for Mr. or Ms. Perfect such that you miss Mr. or Ms. Right. Come down to earth and realize that no one is perfect and there are no white knights ready to come dashing along to save you. Stop the dreaming but don’t give up the dream.

There is danger of falling into the wrong type of relationship, a relationship of co-dependence. Either you or your partner may enjoy or feel obligated to play the role of martyr, victim or savior. Remember that no good relationship is unequal. Two equal partners who neither feel the need to save or be saved make the best couple.

You are a sensitive person who enjoys the finer, aesthetic things in life. You desire harmony and beauty and are probably attracted to the arts in some way, either painting, music, dance, theater or drama. You are perhaps attracted to those with artistic or mystical inclinations. This is a certain charm about you that others find unworldly. The unusual and the intuitive, the sensual and the explorative appeal to you. You are insecure in matters of love. Simply remember that everyone has some human frailty, so do the best you can as that is all the Universe asks of you.

Venus harmonizing with Pluto
You put everything you have into your emotions. Because you feel and love so deeply, so passionately and wholeheartedly, others may find your intensity either extremely attractive or very threatening. You are charismatic, with sex appeal and a certain amount of animal magnetism which can’t help but be noticed by the opposite sex. You have the ability to use your attractiveness and charm to manipulate others, oftentimes without even realizing it. This aspect gives you the opportunity to transform your values or to be the catalyst to help others transform theirs. There is artistic ability along with a desire to create beauty, harmony and comfort. You have an understanding and an empathy for the problems of others and you are always looking for ways in which to help them or at least find the good that is in them.

Mars harmonizing with Saturn
You possess self-control, endurance, perseverance, patience, organizing ability and the willingness to work hard to achieve your objectives. You have staying power and you don’t wilt under pressure. You know that time is required in order to build anything lasting and once you make a commitment, you don’t stop, even if it looks like it will take forever. The goals you have tend to be practical and realistic and you pursue them step-by-step in a well-planned, orderly way. You have executive ability and your ambitions are high. You like to work in solitude and you feel that your best work is done when you are alone. You have common sense and good judgment, yet you may need to remind yourself at times that you must not give up if it takes you longer to accomplish your projects than it does other people. You are not necessarily fast, but you are thorough. Whatever you build, you build for permanence. If you suffer from holding in your anger, then you must learn to release it, else it may cause bitterness and resentment. Learn to express your reasons for feeling angry to the individuals involved. You have a positive blend of boldness and caution most of the time. In previous lives you have done a fine job of balancing your desires with a sense of responsibility. You tend to be rather reserved, which can cause you difficulty in letting go to enjoy yourself in social situations. One of your most positive traits is that you do not seek power, but merely want to do any job well.

Jupiter discordant to Neptune
You have the tendency to be way too emotional at times. Periodically you get excessively sentimental, romantic and idealistic. Sometimes your imagination runs away from you. Dreams and ideas are great but not when they interfere with reality and the practical, everyday duties and responsibilities that must be faced in order to lead a productive life. People sometimes take advantage of you because you tend to be a sucker for sob stories. Sometimes you enjoy playing the victim or the martyr in order to draw attention to yourself or to get sympathy. You are periodically manipulated into doing what others want you to do even if you would rather not be doing it. Or perhaps you are the one who is accomplished at lying, manipulation or laying guilt trips on other people, especially those in your family. You may have a distorted sense of the truth. What is in your head might be totally different than what is in reality. All this suggests that you need to practice more mental and emotional discipline and learn how to better keep your feet on the ground.

Be wary of speculative ventures or get-rich-quick schemes as your tendency is to suffer loss through these because of fraud. Temper your optimism with realism. There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has its cost. Learn to accept people, their faults and the world as they are and not how you wish them to be. You are apt to view some people through rose-colored glasses and others through jaundiced eyes. If you place people on pedestals, and if they fall off, you become disillusioned, not only with the idolized individual, but with the world. You have high ideals, but by accepting life and people as they are, you can release the disappointments and disillusionments you suffer over human failings. Avoid negative psychic influences such as Ouija boards, hypnosis, séances and mediums. These things could be dangerous for you. Drugs and the excessive use of alcohol should also be avoided.

Jupiter harmonizing with Ascendant
You tend to be sociable, optimistic, enthusiastic, broadminded and tolerant. People naturally gravitate to you because they sense that you are good for them or at least that you will help them if they are in trouble. You are fun-loving and interested in accumulating knowledge in a wide array of subjects.

Neptune harmonizing with Pluto
As with all in your generation, you have the opportunity to be of service to others for the benefit of humanity. Use any psychic or spiritual powers to help those around you.

CLOSING COMMENTS

The astrological interpretations in this report have been formulated with the assumption that your birth date, time, and place are accurately given. This includes whether the birth time was daylight savings time or standard time. Even a difference of one hour in birth time can invalidate much of the interpretation given in this report, most notably ‘HOUSE POSITIONS OF PLANETS’ and ‘THE RISING SIGN OR ASCENDANT’.

By no means is this astrological analysis complete. Obviously, you are far more complex than what a few pages of writing can depict. Hopefully, this short description of you and your inner character will lead you on your way to really discovering who you are, what you can become, and what you need to be doing in this life.

Free Birth Chart Interpretation for Cormoran Strike from Horoscope.Astro-Seek.com:

HogwartsProfessor Mystery Chart with Parallels to Cormoran Strike’s Crowded First House:

Scorpio, Libra Ascending, with the Sun in the First House — Mercury riding the rising sign, Mars, Neptune, and the Sun in the First House, with Venus not far off… Who is this mystery person?