Jan 18: Robert Anton Wilson & Claire Coombs (Princess)

[Jim Eshelman]

Wilson, Robert Anton. Jan 18, 1932, 6:00 AM EST, Brooklyn, NY (A).
Coombs, Claire (Princess). Jan 18, 1974, 5:45 AM GMT, Bath, England (A).

Wilson has an unusual number of planetary dignities, including Moon a degree from her exaltation, Mars exalted, Jupiter exalted, and Saturn at home, against only Mercury in detriment. This is unusual for someone who ran so contrary to the mainstream (though surely his Capricorn Sun fuelled that sufficiently).

[Jim Eshelman]

Claire Coombs is a surveyor by profession and a Belgian princess by elevation and marriage. (She married the king's second son.) I thought her chart might show the marks of unusual elevation in life, but it shows quite the opposite. I think this deserves closer scrutiny.

The one thing that stands out - that I think Ken Bowser might credit as the key to the mystery - is that the fixed stars (especially "royal" and unusually dignified stars) play a significant role in her chart. I've seen some interesting examples of this but haven't seen this be a reliable marker of elevation in life. Nonetheless, it's worth observing in a chart that, otherwise is somewhat puzzling.

Foremost among the fixed stars, she has Spica 0°23' from Midheaven (measured in PV longitude), along with the Polaris on MC (0°12' in her case) that nearly everybody has. While it's tempting to ignore Polaris (since everybody has it culminating), a Spica-Polaris mundane conjunction (0°11') is somewhat eye-catching.

Also, on the theory that star aspects to planets are formed primarily by paran, Coombs has the two of the traditional "royal stars" of Persia closely connected to her luminaries. Moon has a 0°01' (!) paran opposition with Aldebaran (Moon rises within 0°01' of when Aldebaran sets). Her Moon has other star connections, including a 0°06' with Alcyone in the Pleiades, which set within 0°05' of Aldebaran. - Also, her Sun has a paran square to Fomalhaut (Sun is on MC within 0°04' of when Fomalhaut rises). I wouldn't call this her Sun's strongest star connection - it's a square, and she does have two conjunctions, one of which is to Alphecca, the brightest star in the constellation of the Northern Crown (!) - but Fomalhaut is Sun's closest and most dignified star connection.

So... her chart isn't a mystery at all if we look at luminary and angle connections to Royal Stars and others of great dignity and even "crown" symbolism. With this, we have the annoying fact that millions of people have these and similar stars highlighted and don't suddenly become princesses, but we don't have to solve that mystery here. I'm willing to leave it for now as, "well, it doesn't work out quite the same way for everyone."

Nonetheless, I'd like to ignore the stars for a bit and look at the nativity without them, in more conventional ways. I think there is an interesting exploration to be had about how her chart does NOT seem to show someone suddenly and significantly elevated in her life station.

[Jim Eshelman]

Professionally, Coombs is a land surveyor. That's easy to see in her chart and needs no pointed comment.

We know a few things about the rest of her life. Married, children, typical charitable involvements, etc.

But I want to focus on this one characteristic: She was elevated to royal status by marriage, made a princess of Belgium by the king. Now, in Belgium maybe this isn't as big a deal as in, say, England, but it seems to me that it should show as a significant feature of her life. Do we see it in the nativity?

Customarily, royal signatures include significant and obvious planetary dignities by sign plus a highlighting of Venus and Jupiter. Coombs has quite the opposite. Her Moon and Jupiter are both in their Falls, with only Mars in Aries being unusually well-placed. Her luminary signs are both anti-lunar and assertively martial - all of the luminary-sign dignitaries being malefics. Saturn is foreground while Jupiter is middleground, debilited, and afflicted. It certainly isn't a classic pattern.

On the contrary, a Capricorn Sun usually means hardship and constraint, it's great successes tending to come from people working enormously hard for them (like her fellow Cap-Scorp, Oprah Winfrey). It has no hint of aristocracy. (It's most distinguished "kings" are songwriter Carole King and Martin Luther King Jr., though there are significant U.S. presidents such as FDR, and some pointedly undignified monarchs like King Farouk.)

Between these luminary signs and the foreground Saturn, one expects this to be a life of struggle and hard work.

She does have one strong benefic indicator, now that we know mundane aspects are as important as ecliptical ones: She has a partile Sun-Venus conjunction. Sun is also 0°04' from square her culminating Uranus. OK, I think this these show her gracious bearing and sudden elevation by marriage, without overstating her importance - she is, after all, only married to the king's second son <g>. I accept this excellently aspected middleground Sun (add sextile to Moon) as a clear enough signal of her destiny. In fact, isolating her Sun for microscopic attention, it's quite good despite the Capricorn factors, and I suppose I've answered my question. Sun square Uranus alone indicates someone who, if not necessarily inclined to always behave herself according to royal protocols (AFAIK she always has), nonetheless breaks out of her early life and strikes off in a different direction than one might have thought when she was born. She's done this.

I think my answer, then, is twofold. First, while the significant event occurred of being raised to royalty and marrying well, this is a minor royalty. (She's more Sarah Ferguson than Princess Di.) Secondly, her Sun, fully examined, is pretty good, and seems to fit the circumstances. This is an example where looking at the loudest things in a chart don't necessarily show a point, but returning to look planet-by-planet makes it plain enough.

Wrapping this up, I want to comment on a few other things that did NOT help us along the way.

[Jim Eshelman]

As mentioned above, her luminary signs don't seem to reflect this particular destiny but - considering that she is lesser royalty with no significant public portfolio, probably is fitting enough, given Sun's good aspects. The Sun-Venus conjunction probably served her best in this, an image of beauty, and if we know her better (knew more about her actual behaviors, interests, the things that matter to her most) I suspect we would see her 0°04' Sun square to a foreground, culminating Uranus even more clearly.

Adding midpoints didn't help make this clearer at all. Mostly they were irrelevant; however, one that is contrary to the picture of elevation, good marriage, and a charitable demeanor is that the terribly important Moon/Sun midpoint is exactly conjunct her Saturn. If this contact is fitting for her, there's nothing about it known to me from her public record. (I suspect there are private, unpublicized matters that do reflect it.)

The chart speaks of marrying well. Moon-Sun sextile is often credited with this. Sun conjunct Venus (partile) certainly suggests it (the Capricorn placement being consistent with conventional family duties etc.). Venus' other aspects, though, would suggest some drama around the Venus part of her life: Venus square Mars helps many a marriage (and brings tensions in others), but some of its aspects put a darker tone, e.g., a sextile to Neptune. Venus trines Pluto within 0°04', which probably means the unusual, life-altering marriage (and many private things we don't know about).

Her Mars is her best planet. It's middleground, in Aries, well-aspected by both benefics - plus both luminaries are in Mars constellations. This is consistent with her rugged occupation. If I knew more about her personally, I suspect we'd see the strong, positive Mars shining through.

[FlorencedeZ.]

On the contrary, a Capricorn Sun usually means hardship and constraint, it's great successes tending to come from people working enormously hard for them (like her fellow Cap-Scorp, Oprah Winfrey). It has no hint of aristocracy. (It's most distinguished "kings" are songwriter Carole King and Martin Luther King Jr., though there are significant U.S. presidents such as FDR, and some pointedly undignified monarchs like King Farouk.

Very true Jim.
In fact there are a lot of royals in Europe with Sun in Capricorn. All working enormously hard and they have a great sense of duty seemingly.
A good example is our former Queen Beatrix. (Jan 31 1938 9:47AM Soest the Netherlands)
She has had a lot of struggle, lost her husband and one son in a ski accident not long ago. Note her tight Mars-Saturn aspect with Mercury on ASC and Jupiter in the background. Luminaries in Capricorn and a Capricorn Stellium.
Her sense of duty and work ethic is truly remarkable. She is much respected.

Some royals with Sun in Capricorn are:

King Felipe of Spain
Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Princess Caroline of Monaco
Princess Stephanie of Monaco
Princess Mary of Denmark
Princess Marilene of the Netherlands

Princess Charlene of Monaco (born 25 jan 1978 4:30AM Bulawayo Zimbabwe) Her chart relocated to Monaco gives her Saturn and Neptune closely on angles. In Monaco her life is difficult, she withdrew, entered seclusion and went into exile living seperately from her twins and King Albert.

Claire Coombs is married to enfant terrible Prince Laurent of Belgium (19 Oct 1963 11:20AM Laeken Belgium) Laurent has the luminaries in Libra and a Libra Stellium, Mars in Scorpio.

[Jim Eshelman]

Ah, I didn't know Laurent was a stinker. This is all quite interesting.