Harry Dean Stanton

[Jim Eshelman]

Masterful actor Harry Dean Stanton was born July 14, 1926, 1:30 PM, in West Irvine, KY (data from him to Michael Tierney in 1991). JHe died September 15, 2017, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital (which is closest to the coordinates for West Hollywood, CA).

A Gemini-Leo with Mars in Pisces, for his state birth time he had Saturn closely square MC, Mercury precisely culminating, and some angular Neptune and Jupiter. The foreground Saturn-Neptune square (close enough ecliptically, very close mundanely) discloses his instinctive genius for bringing a sense of menace to the screen. The other factors show this acting and expressive capabilities: He managed to be different in every role he ever did, I think. A rising Saturn is consistent with what I expected to be a Capricorn factor, his natural style of darkness and his gaunt, magnificently flawed features. He was also a self-described "late bloomer" in both life and career.

Coming to LA brought the characteristic of enigmatic outlier (and, both early and late, an edgy, macho, threatening "real man" figure): His Pluto is half a degree from Midheaven, and his close Sun-Mars square is reasonably foreground. Transiting Pluto was just a hair past opposition to natal Pluto when he died, and on his local IC.

No cause of death was stated. I'm guessing it was something slow and wearing to which he finally succumbed, because, in the absence of more immediate transit triggers for death, there are several indications of recent months and weeks of coming to peace on things, finding resolution, having time to contemplate mortality - all the marks of (for example) end stage cancer. The final day had Mars flaring up some sort of inflammation or crisis as it was exactly between the sesquisquare to natal Mars and the semisquare to natal Sun - Mars triggering Sun-Mars. Venus conjoined natal Neptune exactly. I expect something pulmonary was involved - inflamed airways seem part of the final crisis. (I'm speculating out loud as a way of testing knowledge of such things.)

His final SSR was similarly inflammatory and critical - Mars on Descendant, Mercury on WP, but especially Uranus (square the Mars) square Ascendant closely. His Saturn was on SSR MC, and solar Moon exactly conjoined his Uranus. Not knowing the actual cause of his death, I can't yet say how the fine points relate, but the majority tone is malefic with a strong Uranus presence added to that.

His final SLR is peaceful and pleasant, though likely with surprises: Venus sets (partile), squared by Uranus. His Sun is on SLR Descendant (the anaereta). Curiously, Jupiter transits opposite to his Mars, partile, though background. His September 5 Demi-SLR had Venus rising closely and a middleground Full Moon (exactly across the 1nd-9th house axes, FWIW). Add natal Mercury rising to the mix (but not aspecting transiting Venus). Remembering the Fagan and Bradley admonishment that partile transits in the SLR are quite important, Jupiter squared his Sun exactly (10'), in the background - reinforcing the picture of a "release & relief" death - and Mars was only 03' from semisquare his Pluto (physical crisis, often).

His given birth time is, even though from memory and a round half-hour, is likely quite accurate. For noon yesterday (I don't have a time of death), SNQ MC was 26°13', minutes from transiting Saturn. Similarly, SNQ MC was 21°16' Sagittarius, within a degree of transiting Pluto.