Jeanne Calment

[Jim Eshelman]

When Jeanne Calment died at age 122 years (+164 days), she was the oldest person ever documented to have lived - with well-documented birth records. We don't have a time, but what can we learn from her untimed chart?

She was born February 21, 1875 in Arles, France, and died August 4, 1997, also in Arles. (There is a little scandal from people who can't accept her age and think her daughter assumed her identity in 1934, but her life had already been sufficiently well documented by then to make that unlikely.)

She was a double Hub - Aquarius-Leo luminaries plus Mars in Scorpio. Looking only at this chart, and without claiming universal applicability, her close Sun-Mars square seems vital and strengthening. Sun also exactly trines Jupiter. Mercury was stationary, well-aspected, and possibly opposite Moon. Saturn squared Pluto closely, an aspect often associated with hardship and bearing burdens, plus the psychological toughness to do so. (It seems to me that living to age 122 might be categorized as a burden.)

When she died, Pluto was not quite in partile square to her Sun (perhaps it was foreground in a return chart?). On the day, Saturn was exactly (within about 3') sextile natal Saturn, which may not mean anything but seems to be at least an expression of Saturn's phase (she'd been through four Saturn returns).

Using noon as a starting point, her progressed Moon for her death was 6° Aquarius, near natal Sun and its square from transiting Pluto. I'm not sure what aspect I'd make exact for an attempted rectification. Progressed Sun was trine natal Sun (a definitely rare aspect!) and Jupiter.

[Jim Eshelman]

April 8, 1896 she married a second cousin who was already a success in business, so she had a comfortable life (that Sun-Jupiter trine and Leo Moon?), having servants and "never having to work hard." A daughter was born January 19, 1898 and died of pleurisy on her birthday, January 19, 1934.

For the marriage date, she has various transits that fit in different ways, but no distinguishing progressions that help identify a birth time. The day of her prior SLR had Mars on her Saturn, which I think was likely background in the SLR; either Pluto or Neptune likely was angular in the SLR, square natal Moon (depending on where that Moon fell), and Venus may have been opposite Moon (if her birth was very early in the day). Both transiting and natal Jupiters could have been angular as well - these are things to play with.

For her daughter's birth, transiting Uranus was exactly square her Sun and close to her Mars. On the day of her SLR a week earlier, Venus was 2° from her Venus, Mars squared Jupiter. We get our first serious clue - just a clue - of time of day, since progressed Moon would have been opposite natal Venus if she were born around 6 AM.

For her daughter's death, it's hard transit cycle with Mars and Saturn both conjunct her Saturn and no interesting progressions.

[Jim Eshelman]

Taking a clue from a possible progressed Moon-Venus for her daughter-s birth - which would give a roughly 6 AM birth for Ms. Calmert - the 6 AM natal chart certainly shows someone tough and surviving. But we want more... we want a good fit for the events explored.

Wedding April 8, 1896: Progressed Venus 15°10' Capricorn suggests the 18° Capricorn (6 AM) Ascendant should be slightly earlier - or, this progression could have been exact for her daughter's birth two years later, requiring no adjustment. - None of the things I estimated would be angular for the SLR fell that way, although a half hour or so later birth time would put both Jupiter angular. However, the SSR has Jupiter opposite Venus not far from the horizon. (In the SSR, Venus set 40 minutes earlier, Jupiter rose 28 minutes earlier.) I'm somewhat impressed.

Daughter's birth January 19, 1898: For 6 AM this would have had transiting Uranus cross her MC (though it is square her Sun anyway). For this time, it is Pluto exactly square natal Moon (16'), the progressed Moon-Venus opposition 06', t Venus 33' from her Ascendant. The SLR a week earlier has natal Venus exactly at MC, natal Jupiter setting - a perfect symbolism chart. (Natal Venus is near MC also.) I'm impressed!

Daughter's death January 19, 1934. This had to be a horrible event. Transiting Mars and Saturn were conjoined near (not on) her Saturn, near (not on) her Ascendant. The SLR two weeks earlier had a Moon-Neptune conjunction square SLR Asc. The Demi-SLR within a day before her daughter's death has nothing of any note. I'm not impressed.

Death August 4, 1997: For her own death, we get staggeringly impressive transits: Not only is transiting Pluto conjunct the 6 AM MC (just a little short of it), but transiting Sun crossed natal Descendant - the Anaereta - on that day. In fact, there was a New Moon on her Ascendant the day before.

Furthermore, she has a 06' Moon-Saturn progressed conjunction for her death (based on a 6 AM birth time).

Her final SLR for this birth time had transiting Jupiter conjunct natal Saturn (17') in the exact degree of Ascendant opposite Venus closely setting. Pluto conjoins her Mars near MC. The Demi-SLR has Pluto 1° from IC, conjunct her Mars in mundo, and transiting Venus on EP.

I'm impressed!

[Jim Eshelman]

Here, then, is the horoscope of the longest-lived human being known to confirmable history, about 122 1/2 years. The date and place are correct, the time is my speculation. I think this person could, indeed, have endured this long and had an interesting life.

Jeanne Calment.jpg