Jack the Ripper?

[Jim Eshelman]

There is a really good chance that scientists have finally cracked the mystery of the identity of Jack the Ripper and, despite being born in 1865, we have his official published birth record with a recorded time of birth.

A genetic study just published (conducted in 2014) examined DNA sequences in semen stains found on a shawl near Catherine Eddowes’ body. (She was Canonical #4.) They match DNA sequences of barber Aaron Kosminski, a leading suspects at the time. Kosminski was born September 11, 1865, 10:00 PM, Klodawa, Poland according to his birth record.



The natal chart does not strain credulity. Immediately we see a close Mars-Neptune opposition, closely trine-sextile Venus, which in its darker expression is easily pathologically vile with erotic elements interwoven. Jupiter is visibly foreground, closely square a Leo Sun which would suggest a very high view of himself, that one might guess is true, though we don't know it to be true.

In fact, though, there are hidden layers of this chart only visible in the mundoscope. This was an era in which Pluto's latitude caused it to rise long after its longitude crossed the east. Look at these mundane aspects (and I'll include all the angularities for completeness):

Uranus 5°35' before Asc
Moon 1°29' past Asc
Jupiter 2°44' past Asc
Pluto 3°32' past Asc

The rising Moon-Pluto conjunction becomes a centerpiece of the chart. Taurus Moon says that whatever wonderful or dreadful aspects his life expressed would be expressions of the erotic.

Relocate the chart to London and Midheaven is 6°45' Capricorn, square his Saturn. Moon, Jupiter, and Pluto are removed from the angles but remain in their fairly close mundane aspectual alignment. He moves from a background Venus in 0°02' mundane square to Saturn to a middleground Venus without that aspect.

An interesting aside (though I can't claim this is a confirmed valid technique): His Novien has Mars 16°48' Virgo opposite Saturn 16°25' Pisces. Compare this to the Mars-Neptune in the natus! (The Novien has a few other interesting characteristics, especially in relation to the nativity.)

The first known "Ripper" murder occurred August 31, 1888 at 3:40 AM One other occurred before Kosiminski's birthday, then three after, ending (according to official opinion) November 11, 1888, 10:45 AM.

For the first murder, the first thing I notice is that transiting Neptune is conjunct by 0°03' his London Ascendant! (Pluto had passed it not long before.) Transiting Mars was semi-square natal Mars 0°19'. Transiting Moon for the first murder was the exact degree, in fact within minutes, of his natal Ascendant. and transiting Mars within 1° of his natal Westpoint.

Progressed Moon conjoined natal Neptune 0°23', trine natal Venus 0°07', having recently moved through the whole of his Mars-Neptune and, before the killing spree was over, to oppose his progressed Sun in a perfected Full Moon. I dare say these murders (if he did them) were intimate.

[Jim Eshelman]

Kosminski's birthday feel roughly in the middle of the known Ripper murders (after two of them, before three of them). His SSR for the start is not bad: transiting Neptune and Pluto straddling Descendant closely (Neptune 0°47', Pluto 3°13' down) mundane square a Sun-Mercury conjunction straddling MC (Sun 2°23' after, or partile mundane square the Pluto; Mercury 0°35', or 0°12' from mundane square Neptune). Solar Moon activates his natal Mars-Neptune square but not closely, and squares solar Uranus 0°16'.

Transiting Mars conjoins natal Venus 0°09' in the immediate background. Transiting Venus squares his natal Uranus 0°27'.

After two murders were behind The Ripper, Kosminski had a birthday with a new Solar Return intense of lunar aspects in particular See the various orbs interweaving these:

6°54' Sco Jupiter
7°27' Sco Mars
9°08' Tau Neptune
10°56' Sco Moon
12°47' Tau Pluto

Add: Natal Ascendant for London 9°12' Taurus.

But of greatest interest to me (not yet calculated as I start to type this sentence) is his Lunar Return which began only a few hours before the first murder and covered the first two murders . It occurred (I now calculate) August 30, 1888, 7:17:35 AM GMT in London. It is... a royal bust! What a bore of a chart. Neither natal nor transiting planets are angular. This, that should have been the premier chart if this is indeed Jack the Ripper, is nearly vacant of meaning unless you want to count a close Moon-Mercury square or a widely foreground Venus. (It has a couple of partile, non-angular transits that I won't leap all over and excite myself excessively. Saturn squared his Pluto 44;', Venus squared his Jupiter 19'.)

His SSR came and went after those two, then two more murders occurred September 30. On September 26, 1888 he had a new SLR again (what are the odds!) with little to nothing natal or transiting angular. (Natal Venus is widely foreground, like transiting Venus last time.) Transiting Neptune was 11' from his local Ascendant and Jupiter 05' from his local Descendant, while Sun is 02' from square his Uranus... oh, and transiting Mars is 23' from square natal Mercury. But that's it.

The fifth and final canonical murder occurred November 11, 1888, in the middle of the morning (10:45 AM) after a month and a half gap. Venus exactly conjoined his Jupiter (if this was the killer, he had a strong thread of lovely pleasure running through the whole thing). Ah, but one dark element: a partile Sun-Saturn square (29' at the time of the murder) falls right on his MC axis. There are rumors he quit because he was caught or almost caught. This may speak to that.

This time, after a month and a half, the lunar is not dull. His November 6 Demi-SLR had Mars near IC and even closer to square Ascendant, while square his natal Mars-Neptune across the horizon. Uranus is exactly on EP. He has the Venus - a very background 23' Moon-Venus conjunction - but the whole chart seems more desperate, impulsive, less controlled.

[Jim Eshelman]

What happened to Kosminski after November 1888?

Beginning in February 1891, he was incarcerated n an insane asylum after threatening his sister with a knife. There is some evidence that he was insane (at least so deeply troubled that he couldn't much manage his life) for a long time and under the support of his family; and medical notes later say he was insane from 1885 with auditory hallucinations and paranoia. On April 19, 1894 he was moved from the "workhouse" type of asylum to a full medical asylum.

[Jim Eshelman]

If you would like to try synastry with the victims, here is what I can find in terms of birthdate (listing them in order of the murders).

Mary Ann Nichols August 26,1845, London, England
Annie Chapman unknown 1841
Elizabeth Stride November 27, 1843, Torslanda, Sweden
Catherine Eddowes April 14, 1842, Wolverhampton, Stratfordshire, England
Mary Jane Kelly unknown 1863

Mary Ann Nichols, the first slain, had her Moon near Kosminski's Moon and opposite his Jupiter (though we can't tell how close). Interestingly, she had a partile Mars-Neptune conjunction and the same Sun-Moon pair as Kosminski (unless she was born late in the day).

Stride's Mars is exactly on Kosminski's MC and her Venus on his Jupiter, near his Descendant. Born two years before Nichols, she also had a Mars-Neptune conjunction (as part of Moon-Mars-Jupiter-Neptune).

Finally, Eddowes has at least a wide Mars-Neptune aspect (square). Again, Moon is in Taurus, somewhere near Kosminski's Moon, and her Mars likely minutes from conjunct his Pluto.

The three with known birth dates were thus a Leo-Taurus, Scorpio-Capricorn, and Aries-Taurus, which makes for a very interesting trio of women.

[SteveS]

Fascinating and most interesting chart Jim. IMO, I think this is an accurate timed chart for the Ripper.

Jim wrote:

The rising Moon-Pluto conjunction becomes a centerpiece of the chart. Taurus Moon says that whatever wonderful or dreadful aspects his life expressed would be expressions of the erotic.

I think this is a big Bingo! I would also like to add another observation about the Ripper’s Moon. It forms a hidden ‘potential paran’ to his natal Neptune, with Moon setting at 12:37:42 Sidereal Time (ST) and Neptune Anti-Culminating at 12:38:13 ST. In my work I found potential natal parans a daily psychological factor since every day with the full 360 degrees of the natal rotating around our natal wheels, a 'potential' natal paran is brought to a set of the natal angles. Ebertin writes from his book the ‘Combination of Stellar Influences’ in the Introduction about Moon-Neptune combo’s:

Pathologically abnormal emotional and mental disturbances are indicated by Moon-Neptune.
The same potential Natal Moon-Neptune paran is present in London.

Understand Ebertin uses the word "indicated."

Jim wrote:

The natal chart does not strain credulity. Immediately we see a close Mars-Neptune opposition, closely trine-sextile Venus, which in its darker expression is easily pathologically vile with erotic elements interwoven.

Another Big Bingo! We see here the Ripper’s Natal Mars for the violence afflicted to his Natal Neptune. We really need go no further than Jim’s interpretations of this Natal Chart, but I probed further into the Ripper’s ‘Direct’ Midpoints involving his angles and lights, and they are most enlightening from Ebertin’s words. I will go into detail later with Ebertin’s words with these Natal Direct Midpoints.

[Jim Eshelman]

Yes, there are several ways that Venus-Saturn shows in the chart, and a luminary midpoint contact is one of them.

[SteveS]

Jack The Ripper’s Midpoint Natal Chart analysis is the best natal midpoint example I have ever witness! Here are the rules Robert Hand and Ebertin used for Natal Midpoint analysis: They both used a maximum of only 1,30 orb. Robert Hand considered ‘Direct’ Midpoints the strongest Midpoints and stated emphatically that Direct Midpoints involving both the angles and lights are the strongest and are ‘to be ignored at one’s own peril.’ A ‘Direct’ Midpoint is when the arc of two planets equals a third planet’s point (within 1,30 degree orb). The Ripper’s Midpoints are simply astounding describing his perverse violent life toward prostitutes.
Hand would consider the Ripper’s Direct Midpoint for Mars/MC =Moon the strongest Midpoint in his chart, because it is the only Direct Midpoint in his chart which includes both an angle and light, MC & Moon. So, lets start with this midpoint.

1: Mars/MC=Moon, Direct 1,29 orb. Ebertin words for this Midpoint:

Impulsiveness, premature action, strong emotional excitability. (-) The desire to impose one’s own will upon a woman.

2: 4: Venus/Saturn= Sun, 00,2 orb (The one Jim noted in previous post) Ebertin words:

Unsatisfied desire in love, inhibitions in sex expressions, an unhealthy expression of the sex-urge…

3 Sun/Saturn=Mars, Direct 0,29 orb. Ebertin words:

Inhibitions in mental or physical development.

4: Venus/MC= Pluto, Direct 0,15 orb. Ebertin words:

An unusual power of attraction. A strange providence in love-relationship.

Note # 4 Midpoint is the only Direct Midpoint to involve a “Venus-Pluto” combo which Ebertin says:

Fanatic love, the desire for sensual pleasure, lasciviousness, an intensified sex-expression, an excessive expression of the sex-urge, lascivious or lewd desire, fanaticism in love, extraordinary stains and stresses in love-life.

Venus-Pluto combo’s are common for Rape!

I think we all get the mental picture of the above Midpoints for the Ripper, and how we probably should not ignore for a more rounded mental picture of the Natal Scope, particularly when we don’t notice any outstanding aspects on the ‘surface’ of the Natal Scope. More notable Direct Midpoints involving a light or angle:

5: Moon/Mars = Venus, Direct 1,11 orb, Ebertin’s words:

A passionate nature, sex-desire…

6: Sun/Uranus= Venus, Direct 1,07 orb, Ebertin words:

Sudden outbursts…

7: Sun/Saturn = Neptune, Direct 1,10 orb, Ebertin words:

Inhibitions in mental development, psychical or inner peculiarities…

Here are two ‘Indirect’ Midpoints partile 90 the 3rd planet, which some Siderealists who use midpoints in their work would consider just as strong as a ‘Direct’ Midpoint:

8: NEP/ASC partile 90 MC, Ebertin words:

The misfortune to suffer from lack of resistance or lack of self-control…

9: NEP/MC partile 90 Moon, Ebertin’s words:

A peculiar state of feeling, an active and intense imagination…

[Jim Eshelman]

That's... rippin'... Awesome!

[Jim Eshelman]

I want to go back and take another crack at the August 30, 1888 Sidereal Lunar Return. I didn't do a full workup and, while it still isn't as impressive as I'd like, I do see there is more to it than I thought. Here is what I get from a complete work-up.

r Uranus on MC -6°19'
t Venus on Asc +7°30'
r Sun on Asc +8°13'
r Mars on Asc -8°19'
r Jupiter on IC +8°45'
r Neptune on Dsc -9°20'

What at first looked like "nothing is very close to the angles, nothing much happening," we see an intriguing number of natal planets all around 8° one side or the other of the angles, which forms a striking number of mundane aspects and midpoints. Here is the final breakdown of aspects among foreground planets.

t Venus sq. r Jupiter 0°19'
r Sun-Jupiter sq. 0°32' in mundo
t Venus conj. r Sun 0°43' in mundo
r Mars-Neptune op. 1°01' in mundo
r Mars-Uranus sq. 2°00' in mundo
r Uranus--Neptune sq. 3°01' in mundo

r Su/Ma = Asc 0°03'
r Su/Ne on angles 0°34'

Other Partile:
t Mercury conj. r Mercury 0°04' in mundo
t Saturn sq. r Pluto 0°44'

The aspects are quite right! In the absence of close angularities, I'm curious whether we should consider the partile mundane conjunction of the Sun/Mars and Sun/Neptune midpoints as filling that feature. In any case, natal aspects foreground include the key Mars-Neptune opposition (positioned in mundo such that Uranus' square is much closer) and the monstrously lucky Sun-Jupiter square (with transiting Venus exactly aspecting, suggesting that this was oh so much fun.)

It's not everything I would have wanted, but it's far better than the "nothing happening" chart I thought we had.

[Jim Eshelman]

Having had some luck with this, I now want to check his September 26 SLR, which occurred soon before the second pair of murders. The only foreground planet is Venus, 7°56' above Descendant. A Moon-Mars opposition strikes across mid-quadrant and, while some would be tempted to say it's a 5th house Moon (and the 8th house is packed), I'm not willing to take an easy way out like that. Here, however, are the (non angular) partile aspects of the chart - they are at least interesting, especially the transits to natal Sun.

t Sun sq. r Uranus 0°02'
t Jupiter-Neptune op. 0°06'
t Jupiter sq. r Sun 0°14' in mundo
t Mars sq. r Mercury 0°23'
t Neptune sq. r Sun 0°24' in mundo

[Jim Eshelman]

Of further interest is the Ennead before the first murder. It occurred August 1, 1888, at 7:02:47 AM GMT in London. It is certainly climactic. Don't miss the mundane transit of Neptune to natal Mercury. Also look at the extra partile aspects at the bottom of the list.

t Pluto sq. Asc 0°13'
t Jupiter on IC +1°32'
t Moon on MC +2°18'
t Neptune on MC -4°57'
r Mercury on Asc -5°50'
-- t Moon-Jupiter op. 0°46' in mundo
-- t Neptune sq. r Mercury 0°53' in mundo
-- t Neptune-Pluto conj. 3°45'

Other partile:
t Saturn conj. r Venus 0°32'
t Venus sq. r Pluto 0°40'
t Sun-Saturn conj. 0°36'
t Uranus sq. r Uranus 0°48' in mundo
t Pluto sq. r Sun 0°58' in mundo

[Jim Eshelman]

I might as well check his Tertiary Progressions. Here we find the following. I'm not overly impressed (which is my usual for Terts), but there are a few interesting things. The excruciatingly close Moon-Mercury-Asc is one. Mars triggering natal Mars-Neptune is another.

p Mercury ssq. r Uranus 0°01'
p Mercury op. r MC 0°07'
p Moon op. p Asc 0°03'
-- p Moon op. Mercury 0°47'
-- p Asc op. r Mercury 0°50'
p Jupiter sq. r Saturn 0°07'
p Venus sex. r Saturn 0°12'
p Saturn ssq. r Jupiter 0°23'
p Venus sqq. p Neptune 0°24'
p Saturn tr. p Uranus 0°24'
p Mars conj. r EP 0°30'
p Sun sex. p Mars 0°42'
p Mars sqq. r Mars 0°42'
p Mars ssq. r Neptune 0°58'

[Jim Eshelman]

Finally, at least for now, we can check his Solar Arc directions for the first murder. Notice that his solar arc was 0°01' off an exact 22°30' micro-aspect, meaning that every planet in that framework forms that aspect (praised especially by the German schools and especially for Solar Arcs) to its own natal position. Otherwise we get the following. The two-directional Moon-Mars is quite striking!

d MC op. r Mercury 0°08'
d Mercury sq. r Uranus 0°15'
d Uranus ssq. r Mercury 0°17'
d Venus sq. L Asc 0°40'
d Moon sq. r Mars 0°49'
d Mars sqq. r Moon 0°51'
d Mars sq. L MC 0°58'

[SteveS]

Jim wrote:

The aspects are quite right! In the absence of close angularities, I'm curious whether we should consider the partile mundane conjunction of the Sun/Mars and Sun/Neptune midpoints as filling that feature.

I am curious too Jim—the above two midpoints makes sense in the context of the violent murderous event. Again, using the basics for Fagan’s Lunar Return analysis for noting any partile 0,90,180 t. aspects to the Natal on the day of a SLR, I note t. Mars 1,03 cnj the Ripper’s West Point as you noted. I am not sure since I don’t have all of Fagan’s writing’s on SLR’s, but I think Fagan would consider this 1,03 Mars cnj transit to the Ripper’s Natal West Point as the main aspect for the time period of the Ripper’s Aug 30 1888 SLR. During the first 24 hours of his Aug 30 1888 SLR (including time of first murder) we see t. Mars exactly cnj his Natal West Point, and as you pointed out this SLR t. Mars was partile 45 his Natal Mars, probably exciting his Natal Mars-Neptune-Venus important aspects in his Natal.

Jim wrote:

Finally, at least for now, we can check his Solar Arc directions for the first murder. Notice that his solar arc was 0°01' off an exact 22°30' micro-aspect, meaning that every planet in that framework forms that aspect (praised especially by the German schools and especially for Solar Arcs) to its own natal position.

Jim, do you remember how the the ‘German Schools’ rated the importance of these ‘micro-aspects’ to the natal position for a given year of Solar Arc activity?

Jim wrote:

The two-directional Moon-Mars is quite striking!

Indeed Jim! And putting this rare double whammy of SA Moon-Mars for timing these murderous events by the Ripper, its astounding for Solar Arcs timing events.

[Jim Eshelman]

Cosmobiologists, fed enthusiasm by Baldur Ebertin IIRC, began experimenting with half the semi-square - all multiples of 22.5° or 1/16 of the circle - and pronounced them valid as aspects and for midpoint contacts, though the tone seemed to understand that these are secondary. (I can't read the German originals, so I had only second-hand.)

Matthew and I spent several months looking at them in the elate '70s or early '80. They caught both of our attention, but I thought (and think he thought) that one could usually do without them. They were easy to see on the physical 90° dials we were using routinely, but harder without them. I concluded that they aren't valid in natal astrology - they seem to mark a spot where there is least aspect activity - and I haven't had a lot of success in them with secondary progressions. However, solar arcs are another matter, and they seem completely valid, at least as back-up aspects (or more important when they are the only aspects).

[SteveS]

Jim wrote:

However, solar arcs are another matter, and they seem completely valid, at least as back-up aspects (or more important when they are the only aspects).

This makes good sense to me, I will pay them more attention with Solar Arcs for a given year, particularly when they are the only harmonic 8 aspects. Thanks for this original post on the Ripper, it has indeed been enlightening in many ways.

[SteveS]

Just observed the NQ1 for the Ripper’s first murder Aug 31 1888 with link below:

Note:

NQ1 Mars 00,22 Lib 1,17 cnj West Point 29,09 Vir in RA. (The same symbolism for t. Mars partile cnj his Natal Asc)
NQ1 Pluto 20,55 Ari partile cnj NQ1 ASC 21,10 Ari
t. Saturn 20,35 Can partile 90 NQ1 Pluto 20,55 Ari; t. Saturn partile cnj NQ1 Nadir
NQ1 Moon 16,16 Pi
NQ1 Neptune 16,14 Pi
Natal Mars 15,12 Vir
Natal Nep 16,51 Pi

https://imgur.com/YvrfI6w

[Jim Eshelman]

I saw that and didn't think it worth posting. Moon's progression to Neptune is interesting although it's also there in the Q2 very closely. Moon is too wide for Mars. Mars is too wide for the angle. The Saturn is interesting, though, so I'm glad you posted it.

BTW I'm not sure the Saturn is fitting. (Maybe it is. Not sure it is, though.) Most of his other charts show this more as a gentle evening's pleasure. He wasn't the one stopped - it was incredibly easy for him to succeed. (There may, of course, be more we don't know.) I'm much more taken by Saturn symbolism for the last of the murders when, for whatever reason, he stopped. Rumors over the years have been that he was actually caught or, more likely, interrupted but, for whatever reason, he stopped. That seems like a Saturn impediment.

I do find the Pluto-Ascendant conjunction compelling in the Q1.

[SteveS]

Thanks Jim, I observe both the NQ1 and NQ2 but damn sure agree with your observations with your work:

More solid hits with the NQ2.

[Jim Eshelman]

Off-topic digression: The Dow is down almost 400 this morning (speaking of hits!).

[SteveS]

With the little knowledge I have with natural laws in the marketplace, if I was in a time machine back to my former trading days with present day technology with computers and the volatility which exists in today's marketplace, I damn sure would monitor on a strict day trading day basis the Quotidian of the Natal & SQ for the NYSE, now that I am very confident we have a timed NYSE chart with McWhirter's work. But, I would have to have trusted source on the trading floor to squawk me certain info that can only be seen on the trading floor.