Bill Cosby

[Jim Eshelman]

Bill Cosby was born July 12, 1937 in Philadelphia. A biographer (in what was characterized as a "well-researched" work) said he was born 3:00 PM, and an astrologer says Cosby personally told him 12:30 AM. I'll run with 3:00 PM for now, but the sourcing is imperfect.

His Pittsburgh criminal trial ended today in a formal mistrial. Prosecutors might come back for another shot, but today has to register for him as a good day.

I normally don't pay attention to transiting sextiles, but I can't fail to mention transiting Neptune 2' from sextile his natal Uranus. I don't know what that actually means with respect to today (surrealistic time? head spinning?), but thought I'd mention it.

The more important transit - if this birth time is correct, and tending to give weight to the time - is transiting Venus half a degree from his Descendant.

His SSR for Pittsburgh (for a year nearly over - his birthday is in a month) should show quite an ordeal for the last year. The first thing I notice is that same Uranus on IC (this can't have been good for his home life) and Mars conjunct natal Mars mid-10th house only a few degrees from MC. He also gets natal Sun-Jupiter across the horizon, but no transits showing he's necessarily caught up in challenges to his reputation. (What I'm saying is that his Sun-Jupiter angular puts his status, reputation, etc. on the line, and I'd have expected it to be afflicted. It wasn't.) Some other small things like a natal Mercury-Pluto and transiting Mercury-Venus conjoined near Descendant.

His current SLR for June 2 has transiting Jupiter setting. With all of this Jupiter, we can, in hind-sight, see courtrooms as one of the outcomes, though I probably wouldn't have picked that in advance. The last few weeks must have been brutal nonetheless, and this SLR has Moon more distantly foreground, distantly connected to Mars-Neptune (and, by one measurement, add Saturn). But Jupiter is stronger.

However, I wouldn't have guessed the outcome based on his new Demi-Lunar that occurred late last night. Mars is setting, Uranus is on IC, there's a little Sun and a little Pluto. This seems like a bad, explosive shock that hurts him - a different outcome than he got. I suppose the saving grace is natal Jupiter on EP (provided, of course, that this is the correct birth time).

SNQ has planets just outside the angular range we want to see: Saturn is just a little too far from Ascendant to count, Jupiter just a little too far from MC (but closer than Saturn). Progressed Moon is 31' past square to natal Mars BTW, so, again, signs that the last few weeks have been quite hard - combat - struggle.

His SQ has nothing particular to show on the angles.


A rapid recheck, using the 12:30 AM time, shows transiting Uranus within a degree of natal MC and Mars exactly square its Ascendant. This looks harsh and explosive - certainly a significant time, but not likely to be as "happy day" as Venus transiting his Descendant in the 3 PM chart. The current SSR has his natal Sun-Mercury-Jupiter across the horizon, and natal Saturn close to MC, which is a fair enough description. Also Moon exactly opposite Uranus, all to his Jupiter (which seems to speak more to the "successful outcome" than to the year of stress leading up to it). The June 1 SLR has Mercury at MC opposite natal Mars exactly on IC - this shows the "battle" and stress of recent weeks really well!

But the Demi-Lunar from last night has Mars-Neptune exactly on angles, a foreground Sun-Saturn opposition, transiting Moon-Neptune at MC opposite natal Moon-Neptune at IC. This is NOT a chart under which he would have gotten the slightest bit of good news, let alone relief from a mistrial. The SNQ puts today's Sun-Saturn near the horizon. The SQ puts Neptune at MC.

So, I'm in favor of the 3 PM time from the well-researched biography.

[Arena]

I think I would favour the latter chart as it seems much more descriptive of what has been going on in longer term. We do not know if this was a good day for him, we do not know what is going on in his private life and we do not know if there is anything behind the scenes that would make this day not happy at all. So using one day to determine which chart to use for him is really inconclusive.

A lot more of his life events would need to be considered and charts analysed to make this decision imo.

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

Anyone with time to undertake casting the charts and accumulating data points, there's a bunch of event data on Astrodatabank for Cosby.

[Jim Eshelman]

1:46 PM 4-26-2018 Norristown, PA
Bill Cosby was convicted on all three counts of assault on Andrea Constant after drugging her.

At the moment the verdict was delivered, Jupiter was on IC in Norristown. Partile aspects included Mercury square Saturn (41') and Mars conjunct Pluto (09').

Get this transit lineup!

26°06' Gem r Sun
26°17' Sag t Pluto
26°26' Sag t Mars
11°27' Ari t Sun

3°58' Ari t Uranus
4°12' Can r Pluto

Strangely, transiting Jupiter is exactly conjunct his SSR Ascendant.

His new SLR a day or two ago has a Mercury-Saturn square (exact) foreground, on his natal Saturn.

His SNQ has transiting Uranus setting - I think he was genuinely taken by surprise - and natal Mars exactly square MC.

His SQ seems inferior, marked primarily by Venus on IC.

[Venus_Daily]

I am following this too Jim, and I feel like if Jupiter was not in Libra, he would have probably walked.

[Jim Eshelman]

OJ walked with Jupiter in Libra rising at the time the verdict was read IIRC.

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

Strangely, transiting Jupiter is exactly conjunct his SSR Ascendant.

It's not over. Appeals have already been filed. And the judge may choose not to impose a ten year sentence on first time conviction, knowing it would effectively be a death sentence.

[SteveS]

Jim wrote for Bill Cosby’s r. Sun:

26°06' Gem r Sun
26°17' Sag t Pluto
26°26' Sag t Mars

Donald Bradley wrote for Mars-Pluto symbolism:

The combination is essentially criminogenic, and the native may perpetrate misdeeds for which retribution follows swiftly and mercilessly.

And, a few times on the forum lately there have been stated words by an unknown author:

Character is destiny.

[Venus_Daily]

OJ walked with Jupiter in Libra rising at the time the verdict was read IIRC.

Actually, Jim...
The verdict was read with Jupiter in Scorpio for the OJ trial, which might be symbolic for control freaks like OJ. Anyway, what complicates the Cosby verdict even more is Uranus in Aries, which gives more momentum to an already inflammed Men's Rights movement, at least the more extreme wing of that movement. I've already heard plenty of men claim that Cosby was "innocent".

[Jim Eshelman]

OJ walked with Jupiter in Libra rising at the time the verdict was read IIRC.

Actually, Jim...
The verdict was read with Jupiter in Scorpio for the OJ trial

You're right. I was confusing his natal Jupiter. Here was the lineup at 10:07 am October 3, 1985:

23°13' Lib t Mars
23°45' Lib r Jupiter
25°39' Asc

[SteveS]

I/we see ‘God All Mighty’ situations in Sidereal Astrology frequently, which makes us realize with astrology we are definitely dealing with something in Nature (TIME) much greater than ourselves. I only try and work with AA rated timed charts, but when I see t. Pluto sitting on Cosby’s Sun for months, and then witness on the day of the verdict t. Mars arrived partile cnj t. Pluto, partile cnj Cosby’s Sun---well that was a God All Mighty moment for me, not having anything to do with the outcome of the verdict, only the precise timing of the verdict. How can we rationalize the precise timing of this verdict with the heavenly bodies of Mars-Pluto lining-up to partile cnj Cosby’s Sun with a person born 8O years ago? I can only begin to rationalize this timing preciseness as a huge frigging mystery. I ponder things a-lot, and this certainly illustrates with Jim’s Sidereal Astrology teachings:

Partile aspects reign supreme.

[Jim Eshelman]

And, a few times on the forum lately there have been stated words by an unknown author:

Character is destiny.

LOL, not unknown at all. I traced it in my book Pearls of Wisdom. Though popular among several 20th Century astrologers, the phrase traces to the 6th Century BCE philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus.

(Sorry, I just saw this.)

[Jim Eshelman]

Cosby's current SLR for Pittsburgh, covering his conviction - using the 3 PM birth time - has Saturn near MC in partile mundane square to Moon setting, and a non-foreground Sun-Neptune opposition. Closest of all, his natal Saturn is rising, on EP, and square MC. Sounds like karma coming home.

For the alleged 12:30 AM time, the Sun-Neptune is widely foreground and implicates natal Neptune. It is more anxious but less decisively punitive.

For the 3 PM time, the Demi-SLR September 24 has a Sun-Mercury conjunction near IC in mundane square to a setting Pluto and zodiacal square to Saturn (which is in mundane square to his Moon). Kablam! Natal Saturn is exactly on MC opposed by transiting Mercury, while Pluto aspects his natal Sun-Jupiter across the horizon.

The Demi-SLR for the 12:30 AM time has Venus rising, which seems entirely wrong, and the Mars-Uranus square not far from the angles (except the outcome wasn't really a surprise).

I think we can confirm that the 3;00 pm birth time is the correct one.

[SteveS]

Jim wrote:

I think we can confirm that the 3;00 pm birth time is the correct one.

Indeed! Thanks.

[Jim Eshelman]

Bill Cosby's conviction was overturned this morning by the Supreme Court of PA.

The then DA had made a deal with Cosby not to charge him if he would testify in Constant's civil suit. ...the PA supreme court meets in any of three cities: Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Probably Philadelphia. Probably about 10 AM to 10:30 AM Eastern

Cosby, who is supposed to be released ASAP, is currently in the Phoenix prison in Collegeville, PA

What a strangely malicious chart for him receiving the news: At 10:30 AM in Collegeville, Mars opposed Saturn within 0°18' across the local horizon (squared by Uranus).

However, this wasn't directly connected to Cosby's chart. Mars-Saturn missed partile orb of several things that fell on either side of it.

Probably the most important transit is that this was his partile Uranus Return, with transiting Uranus square natal Uranus 0°28', setting about the time he likely learned of this. His life was changed... he got freedom... a significant turning point.

Pluto opposite natal Mercury 0°17' - the decision itself? Again, something to change his life fundamentally.

He seems unusually responsive to transiting trines and sextiles: Neptune sextiled his natal Jupiter 0°43', not an aspect of action but seeming, perhaps, elated. It also trined his Mars 0°57': I'm not sure what that might mean. Mercury squared his Neptune 0°53', marking a whole range of emotions and thoughts.

He has a birthday coming up in less than two weeks. If he stays near Philadelphia, he has a Moon-Jupiter opposition along the meridian. He will have a very good year.

His June 17 SLR for Collegeville has Sun exactly on MC with a Moon-Neptune opposition across the horizon. The Sun symbolism is entirely clear: The Moon-Neptune isn't what I would have expected, but perhaps shows the anxiety as today's hearing approached and the mixed emotions of the occasion. Today was the date of his Demi-SLR and, again, for this 3 PM birth time we have very neutral things: Mercury precisely on Asc square Moon. It's not an obvious chart.

[Jim Eshelman]

With as much an eye to testing the birth time, I'll check the quotidians. The SNQ for Collegeville has progressed Pluto on WP, transiting Sun near (but not exactly on) Dsc, natal Sun exactly on Zenith.

The SQ has transiting Pluto exactly on Asc - again, a life-changing day - opposite his Mercury.

The PSSR is totally baffling and speaks badly for the birth time, though, since its MC is 18° Capricorn, exactly absorbing the transiting Mars-Saturn opposition. OTOH it has natal Venus exactly rising.

[mikestar13]

I think the look of the chart indicates that while Cosby was a victim of prosecutorial misconduct and should have been set free, that he is in no way an innocent man who was framed, or a victim of mistaken identity, etc. It would be interesting to see comparable charts (conviction overturns) for factually innocent people wrongfully convicted.

[Jim Eshelman]

The closest that comes to mind is OJ for is original exoneration (before the civil trial nailed him).