Evita

[Jim Eshelman]

When was Eva Peron born?

The problem is that we have many possibilities. Lois Rodden, in The American Book of Charts, gives the following possibilites:

1908 May 7, 5:10 AM Cordoba time, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Source: Craswell from Astrology 26:3

Blanca Matias in Horoscope Magazine 11/1957 wrote in part: "Touchy about her age, she had the year changed from official records, impying that she was 23 years younger than her husband when there was actually 13 years between them. [Juan Peron was born October 8, 1895, so this points to either 1908 or 1918 as the possible years.] The year was definitely confirmed (emphasis added) when her younger brother died as his date of birth, December 10, 1914, was printed in his obituary. Eva was born on May 7, 1908." She then offered a speculative time.

The Penfield Collection cites "private sources in Buenos Aires" as May 17, 1919, Los Toledos, Argentina, 3:00 AM LMT. Penfield wrote in Mercury Hour 1/1980 that a recent biography, Eva: Evita by Paul Montgomery corroborated the data as May 7, 1919, Los Toledos, 5:00 AM.

There are then several other possibilities - May 17, 1917 (early in the morning) from a British TV show, another chart for 5/17/1908 5:10 AM LMT "from an astrology magazine" (which would seem to be the Craswell article),May 7, 1919 from Astrological Index, and an obit in Current Biography listing May 7, 1919.

Notice that throughout all of these there are no confirmed primary sources. Can astrology point a decisive finger at the right birth?

Summarizing these:
1908 May 7 (5:10 AM Cordoba time, Buenos Aires) per Craswell from Astrology 26:3
Earlier than 1914 December if details in your "younger brother's" obit are to be all trusted. (All the others given are for 1917-19, which throws them at least in doubt.)
1917 May 17 (early morning) per a TV show
1919 May 7 (5:00 AM, Los Toldos) per Eva: Evita by Paul Montgomery (which may have been copied into two other sources cited)

So the year is either 1908 or 1917 or 1919, and the date is either May 7 or May 17. The earliest date has some credibility from her likely greater age, and the 1919 date from the Montgomery biography (which, however, doesn't seem to provide firm sources and so is as speculative as the rest).

The 1919 date does seem to have been taken up as "official" in most places. Wikipedia even embraces it (which, admittedly, is as much of a popularity contest as anything else). What is fascinating is that the time of birth is essentially consistent across all of these! Los Toldos does appear confirmed as the birthplace (rather than Buenos Aires) from a wide range of sources. It is 22S17, 64W14 per http://www.nahuelsat.com.ar/espaniol/se ... lidad.html - All of Argentina was on Cordoba Time (Standard 64W11) until 1920.

It is no surprise that in both charts she is an Aries - and what an outstanding example of Sidereal Aries she was! Somewhat surprising is that both charts also give her a Cancer Moon. I'll post both here when I get the time, but also propose to gather some dates and test events - just to see if anything really clear-cut spills out of this mess.

The 1908 chart shows an exact Sun-Mercury conjunction in Aries partile trine Uranus, and a nearly partile Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer trine Saturn. Mars and Pluto are 3° form conjunction in the background. It seems pretty descriptive to me! The 1919 chart shows a partile Sun-Mars connunction in Aries square a partile Moon-Saturn conjunction in Cancer - that's pretty tough, too, but paints quite a different sort of person!

Juan Peron was born October 8, 1895 in Lobos, Argentina, with 6:30 to 7:00 AM times variously given (6:30 reportedly from an unspecified record). The 1908 chart puts Eva's birth at Juan's Jupiter Return. Either birth date puts her Sun (either with Mercury or Mars) near Juan's Descendant and opposite his probably rising Uranus. 1908 also puts her Mars closely conjunct his Neptune, which could certianly get his attention and inflame his imagination but doesn't seem wholly descriptive of what I know about their relationship. The 1918 chart has fewer contacts, though, and nothing phenomenal - though her Jupiter square his Sun suggests she could promote him successfully. (But it's 3° wide and not foreground in either chart.)

Her death is well-documented for July 26, 1952, 8:27 PM. Secondary Progressions are pretty worthless for both charts (OK, they loved her and there was a Moon-Venus progressed trine for the 1908 chart - but we'd expect a little more). Relocated to Buenos Aires, the 1908 chart does put that progressed Moon precisely on the Midheaven - again, just talking about the publicity angle, more than the death itself - but ties it into natal Mars (the partile aspect past, should have hit stronger a month earlier - and the Q1 is a degree too early). 1919 birth relocated to Buenos Aires for the death puts progressed Eastpoint conjunct progressed Mars - so keeps it in the running.

More when I have time. (This may amount to nothing in the end, of course!)

[Jim Eshelman]

Here are the two horoscopes under consideration.

[Jim Eshelman]

Examining transits to Evita's possible horoscopes for the well-timed moment of her death.

For the 1908 chart: The broad stage in life marked (but not with a partile aspect) was that of Uranus and Saturn both opposing their natal places. Jupiter at 23°47' Aries had been conjoining natal Mercury-Sun and, though separating, was still within a degree of conjunct natal Sol (and semisquare natal Venus).

The aspect combination most expressive of the emotional outpouring which swept her nation is shown by Venus square Mars on the eve of her death, and transiting Moon semi-square both of them from their midpoint in the hour of her death. But this aspect had no relation to this natal chart at all. (We should keep our eyes on it as we go along.)

For the 1919 chart: Now we're getting somewhere! Transiting Pluto at 26°33' Cancer conjoined natal Moon by less than half a degree, and was only 11' from semisquare its own natal place. Transiting Neptune at 25°02' Virgo opposed natal Mercury - appropriate for the breathing distress from the pulmonary metastasis of her cancer, and general wasting. Jupiter has completely passed partile phase of the conjunction with her natal Sun-Mars and was no longer supporting her strength. (Jupiter to Sun is common for such deaths, but Jupiter to Sun-Mars would have vitalized her and would not have been as indicative - it's persuasive that it had recently left orb.) - As with the 1908 chart, the transiting Moon-Venus-Mars combination doesn't touch this nativity. But the overall transit pattern does give strong support to this being the right birth date.

[Jim Eshelman]

Examining the Natal Quotidians of the two charts for her death:

For the 1908 chart: The Q2 puts neither natal, progressed, nor transiting planets on the angles. The Q1 for the claimed birth time had an Ascendant 15°48' Gemini, exactly square transiting Saturn at 15°51' Virgo.

For the 1919 chart: Though various relevant natal and progressed planets hovered several degrees either side of the Q2 Ascendant, none of them made exact contact on the day of death. Only transiting Mercury was present, crossing the Q2 Eastpoint. The Q1 Ascendant was a couple of degrees from natal and progressed Pluto, too far for quotidian consideration (it was even farther away in mundo).

So, of the two charts, the 1908 is slightly better but neither is very impressive.

[Jim Eshelman]

Examining the Sidereal Solar Returns for the two charts:

SSR of the 1908 chart: The SSR itself was all about her popularity. Natal Sun-Mercury were 5° from the Midheaven and natal Moon-Jupiter rising. One mark of her frailty and disease: Solar Moon conjoined solar Neptune to the minute, and they both opposed solar Mercury. Assessment: Not bad, as far as it goes.

Transits to the Solar Return for the time of death are few. The main one is that transiting Sun had crossed the SSR Ascendant one day earlier (if the time is trusted). The SQ for death is striking - again, if the whole event to be portrayed is the outpouring of national devotion to her. Natal Moon-Jupiter, only 63' apart at birth, straddle either side of the SQ Midheaven.

SSR for the 1919 chart: The SSR by itself, occurring a few months before her wasting death from cancer, is typical of the final chart of prolonged final illnesses. A Venus-Jupiter conjunction sits above the Descendant (showing both release from her suffering by death, and the nearly unprecedented national outpouring of adulation). Transiting Neptune is on the Eastpoint within 1°, indicative of the cancer and deterioration per se. Solar Moon is in partile conjunction with solar Saturn in the background.

Transits to the SSR are limited to the Sun's transiting square to solar Venus. But the SQ brought an important pattern to the Midheaven. For the stated birthtime, we have the following:

s Moon - 14°43' Virgo
s Saturn - 15°05' Virgo
t Saturn - 15°51' Virgo
SQ MC - 16°08' Virgo
SQ Moon - 17°35' Virgo

Again, the 1919 chart - both as to date and time - speaks very well for itself.

The Sidereal Anlunar Returns are interesting but not helpful. Her death occurred within a day before a new Anlunar. That for the 1919 birth had transiting Pluto rising exactly; that for the 1908 birth had transiting Saturn on the IC exactly. For the Anlunar occurring a few hours after her death, both charts brought exactly the same planets back to the angles - but, this time, both to the Midheaven. As I said: Interesting but not helpful.

[Jim Eshelman]

Examining the Sidereal Lunar Returns for her death:

SLR for 1908 nativity: Transiting Pluto is on the Ascendant. That's the whole story, and it's a good showing.

SLR for 1919 nativity: Transiting Saturn is on the Midheaven. Transiting Neptune is on the Zenith (upper square to the Ascendant) opposite natal Mercury. Natal Pluto is exactly on the Westpoint. That''s a very good showing (though not mirroring the positive public outcry of other charts).

[Jim Eshelman]

Based on the foregoing, I submit that the horoscope calculated for May 7, 1919, 5:00 AM, Los Toldos, Argentina (22S17, 64W14) is, with great liklihood, the correct birthchart of Eva Peron.

As time and opportunity permit, I'll gather some other key dates and see how they behave against this chart.

Evita1919.jpg