Robert Oppenheimer

[Jim Eshelman]

I want to see if I can tackle the problem of Robert Oppenheimer's birth time, on this the occasion of the premiere of Nolan's film about him.

He was born April 22, 1904 in New York City. Despite various biographies, there is much confusion about the time of his birth.

According to Astro.com:

• Church of Light quotes Gil Ibarra (an old-time Hollywood Siderealist I knew in the '70s) for a time of 8:15 AM.
• Ruth Dewey quoted Ebertin in "his Pluto book" for noon.
• The Penfield Collection quoted Ebertin for 8:00 PM.
• The "old file" has 7:45 PM.

What a mess! Especially because none of it gives a real source for anything. (If we knew which of these sources to accept, we still wouldn't know where the data came from.) It won't be better than C data at its best, and is appropriately rated DD at the moment.

Ignoring the suspicious noon time, the others boil down to just a bit after 8 AM and at or just a bit before 8 PM. It seems that either we have no times to trust at all, or that "about 8 o'clock - AM or PM" is what we have. Perhaps we can distinguish between these two times 12 hours apart and see if either leaps out at us?

I'd have liked to see him with a Gemini Moon, but it seems he's an Aries-Cancer regardless (if any of these is right). For any time, he has an appropriate Mercury-Pluto square, a fitting Venus-Jupiter conjunction, and Mars in Aries. He was broadly born in the era of Uranus opposite Pluto.

For events, we have that he died (probably secondary to his throat cancer) February 18, 1967, Princeton, NJ. He was heavily impacted by the bombing of Hiroshima, so that may be a suitable event, although the event he reported being moved by was the Trinity test of the atomic bomb July 16, 1945, 5:29 am, at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, 33.67722N, 106.47527 W. He testified in Washington, DC June 7, 1949 before the McCarthy hearings; then, on November 7, 1953 (location unknown) he was accused of being an agent of the U.S.S.R. His security clearance was suspended Dec 231, 1953 (location unknown).

[Jim Eshelman]

For events, we have that he died (probably secondary to his throat cancer) February 18, 1967, Princeton, NJ. He was heavily impacted by the bombing of Hiroshima, so that may be a suitable event, although the event he reported being moved by was the Trinity test of the atomic bomb July 16, 1945, 5:29 am, at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, 33.67722N, 106.47527 W. He testified in Washington, DC June 7, 1949 before the McCarthy hearings; then, on November 7, 1953 (location unknown) he was accused of being an agent of the U.S.S.R. His security clearance was suspended Dec 231, 1953 (location unknown).

A first pass of transits and progressions to try to screen between these two general times.

Beginning with the 8 AM chart:

• Death: Partile progressed Moon-Saturn square.
• Trinity Test: Transiting Sun exactly on his Moon! (I just realized this Moon is still barely in Gemini. I wrongly thought it had already moved into Cancer.) Regardless of the time, this all happened the year of his progressed Sun-Mars conjunction btw.
• 1949 McCarthy hearings: Progressed Moon-Pluto square still in orb.
• Revocation of his security clearance: Nothing clear that affects the time, but it was the year progressed Sun conjoined his Pluto at a time that Jupiter transited conjunct natal Pluto and transiting Sun. During this whole state of his life, progressed Jupiter (for MANY years) conjoined natal Moon for this time, which ma be a mark against the chart or part of too long a cycle to consider.

These are overall quite good!

Now let's check 8 PM:

• Death: Transiting Mars square natal Moon. (He went into a coma on the 16th and died on the 18th.)
• Testified before McCarthy: Transiting Jupiter opposite natal Moon.
• Security clearance revoked: Transiting Mars square natal Moon.

These are mixed. I can't rule out the time, but it doesn't look as good. The Jupiter transit seems all wrong, but the dual Mars transits are eye-catching. I favor the former, but will continue to look at both for the second phase.

[Jim Eshelman]

For events, we have that he died (probably secondary to his throat cancer) February 18, 1967, Princeton, NJ. He was heavily impacted by the bombing of Hiroshima, so that may be a suitable event, although the event he reported being moved by was the Trinity test of the atomic bomb July 16, 1945, 5:29 am, at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, 33N40'38'' 106W28'31''. He testified in Washington, DC June 7, 1949 before the McCarthy hearings; then, on November 7, 1953 (location unknown) he was accused of being an agent of the U.S.S.R. His security clearance was suspended Dec 231, 1953 (location unknown).

Starting with the PM chart, for events where I have a location, lets check the lunar returns. (These, however, are less likely to distinguish AM vs PM, though they will help show whether we are on the right track at all.)

• Death: Both natal malefics 100% and both natal benefics 0%. Against this, only transiting Venus contradicts. Aspects aren't impressive except that very impressive partile natal Mars-Saturn paran on angles. Then the Demi-Lunar repeated the exact natal Mars-Saturn equally close.
• Trinity Test: Transiting moon precisely setting. Natal Sun and Saturn exactly angular Partile Moon-Mars square foreground. I'll buy this as a profoundly felt dread in the face of barely imaginable violent force.
• McCarthy hearings: Nothing much, though natal Neptune was setting most closely. But not clear.

I wish I knew where he was when his security clearance was revoked. That seems a significant event. The chart for Washington, DC is interesting but mostly wrong.

Next, let's try his lunars for the AM birth:

• Death: SLR not impressive in terms of tight angularities but does manage transiting Mars square natal Moon foreground. The Demi-SLR has transiting Mars and Saturn foreground but widely (natal Moon and Uranus are closest).
• Trinity test: transiting Saturn is closely angular, but natal Venus even closer. The key is that the angular Saturn squares natal Sun, Venus, and Jupiter, plus a transiting Sun-Saturn square. It's quite horrible (meaning, a good chart).
• McCarthy hearings: Transiting Jupiter square natal Sun, partile and closely angular, is entirely wrong. Though a lot of Neptune adds to anxiety, there is far too much strong, unafflicted Jupiter and Venus in this chart for me to think it fits.

From these events, it looks like the 8 PM really pulls it out! (That's a shame. I really wanted that Gemini Moon.)

[Jim Eshelman]

Of the "about 8 PM" times, one gave 8 PM, one gave 7:45 PM. I'll have to sort through this later.

[Jim Eshelman]

After watching the movie last night, I'm returning to this. I need to get my biases on the table and say that, despite the lunar return results in the last post, I really adore the 8:15 AM time (or slightly before). For 8:15 AM (why, oh why, Gil, didn't you say where you got this time?), Pluto is precisely rising in close mundane opposition to a setting Uranus. In PVL:

0°00' - Asc/Dsc
0°44' (H1) - Pluto
2°07' (H7) - Uranus
6°24' (H1) - Neptune

Moon is 0°04' Cancer. It entered Cancer (left Gemini) at 8:08 AM, so I'm biased to think he had to be born before 8:08 AM - I'd really like to see that Gemini Moon - but maybe it's Cancer after all.

In contrast, the 8 PM chart is boring. It has an angular Mercury which is fine, and plays up the Mercury-Saturn square - but that's kind of a problem since he wasn't really a mathematician and it's the opposite of the way his mind worked. It has a Moon-Sun square, which is fitting. But it misses that extraordinary "perceive outside bounds of reality" or "hear math like it's music" of the outer planet convergence on the horizon of 8 AM.

I guess I need to do a more exhaustive examination of each chart specifically for the Trinity event.

[Jim Eshelman]

...the event he reported being moved by was the Trinity test of the atomic bomb July 16, 1945, 5:29 am, at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, 33N40'38'', 106°W28'31''.

One minute before Uranus set, with a half degree Moon-Saturn mundane square, they triggered the first atomic bomb.

Beginning with the 8:15 AM chart:

The Trinity site has his natal Mercury rising 1°17', Mars 3° from Asc, and Eris rising 0°23'. This is similar to the entire Manhattan Project area.

TRANSITS: Transiting Neptune squared natal Neptune 12'. Sun conjoined natal Moon 0°01' (oc. t Venus). t Mercury op r Saturn 22'.

SECONDARY PROGRESSIONS: It was the year of his progressed Sun-Mars conjunction, which doesn't help with the birth time.

SOLAR ARCS: Marks the center of a time of great success and celebrity: d MC conjunct r Jupiter 11'; d Moon op r M 14'. If this is the general time of birth, these directions suggest it is exactly right.

SOLAR RETURN: This occurred nearby, presumably. For this exact spot, Sun is 19' from Descendant and Pluto < 3° from MC. Natal Mars is within a degree of WP-a. All quite good (and wherever it occurred is similar to this chart).

SLR: This is the chart that disappointed me above because I wanted more trauma or Pluto-type high impact,. that sort of thing doesn't show. There is, though, symbolism matching great horror. Transiting Saturn is 0°42' from Descendant, conjunct Sun. Natal Moon is nearby (conjoined by Sun), consistent with a significant juncture and being profoundly impacted. Here are the positions:

29°18' (H6) - t Saturn - 20°49' Gem
0°00' - SLR Asc - 21°21' Sag
1°43' (H7) - t Sun - 23°29' Gem
3°14' (H7) - r Moon - 0°04' Can

More than acceptable, even though it wasn't what I anticipated. - Moving on to the quotidians:

SNQ - A strange mix of peace and war symbols. Quite useless to the astrologer in advance, though notable for their precision (and seeming suitability) in hindsight. It does bring his one most important progression of the year exactly to the angle:

15°41' Tau - SNQ MC
15°49' tau - t Venus
17°32' Leo - SNQ Asc
17°33' Tau - p Mars
18°22' Tau - p Sun

SQ - Also perfect! SQ Dsc 0°02' from t Saturn

PSSR - (Estimated method, accurate to within about 1°.) Transiting Mars and Pluto on adjacent angles - should check this for precision, but it's probably dead on.

CONCLUSION: This chart is good! The PM chart will have to be amazing to keep up with it at all. I rarely see the angular precisions that one technique after another produces for this.

[Jim Eshelman]

...the event he reported being moved by was the Trinity test of the atomic bomb July 16, 1945, 5:29 am, at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, 33N40'38'', 106°W28'31''.

Now for the 8:00 PM time... to start, relocation puts Moon and Sun near angles for the location where he was most singled out by the universe, though not precisely.

TRANSITS: Similar, of course, but without the exact Sun transit to natal Moon. Neptune squared his Neptune 13'. t Uranus oc. r Moon 17'. t Mercury op r Saturn 24'.

SECONDARY PROGESSIONS: The Mercury-Saturn square is out of orb. The Sun-Mars conjunction remains in orb.

SOLAR ARC: Although we have some aspects, we have none involving a personal point, which seems important in filtering directions for major events. The most important is d Venus-Jupiter conjunct natal Mercury within minutes, consistent with successes (present in both times).

SOLAR RETURN: This is for a location near where he probably had his birthday. Sun is on EP exactly, natal Mercury-Saturn is up, and the Moon-Mars-Jupiter opposition is closer and angular. This is definitely an acceptable SSR with much to recommend it!

LUNAR RETURN: The SLE is also pretty much just what I expected, with transiting Pluto 20' from EP - mind-boggling and life-altering. We also have a mix of transiting Mercury, natal Mars-Saturn, and especially the 2° Mercury-Pluto conjunction above Asc. This and more make this an excellent SLR for the event.

Moving on to the quotidians...

SNQ - Natal and progressed Saturn on Asc (p Sturn 14'). Totally acceptable though we don't often see a strong quotidian effect from a single planet angular (that isn't a transit).

SQ - t Pluto on Asc. A solid fit. There is also "war victory" symbolism:

28°51' Leo - t Jupiter
29°02' Aqu - SQ Mars
29°26' Leo - SQ Moon

PSSR - r Mercury on MC: There was Mercury involved but this is pretty benign and neutral.

CONCLUSION: Some of these charts are excellent. Some or awfully ordinary.

COMPARISON: Comparing these results to the 8:15 AM chart, I find so many things in the AM that (with rare precision) single this person out to this particular moment. Transits for AM are clearly better with that 01' Sun transit to natal Moon. Solar Arcs are fitting and precise for AM and bleh for PM. SSR is fine for both and somewhat better for PM. SLR is solid for both (usually the case with a 12-hour flip) but while the PM chart gives more of the symbolism I guessed in advance, the AM chart is horror-inducing. Finally, two of the three quotidians are fine for PM - the SQ Moon aspects being especially good - but the AM chart doesn't miss a beat.

Either has merits, but the 8:15 AM time is exceptional. The fact that the natal is also so stunning is the bonus prize. I'd like a Gemini Moon in theory, but the quotidians and solar arcs say that if about 8:15 AM is right, then it's exact to the minute.

[Jim Eshelman]

Here, then, is what I think is the correct chart for J. Robert Oppenheimer:

Oppenheimer.png

Oppenheimer-mundo.png

[Jim Eshelman]

His wife, Kitty Oppenheimer, was born August 8, 1910, in Recklinghausen, German Empire. At noon on her birth date, Moon entered Virgo, making it a 50-50 chance whether it was in Leo or Virgo. Based on what we know of her, it probably was in Virgo (I suspect a birth of about 6 PM).

Nonetheless, the important thing is that she had Pluto at 4° Gemini, Mars 9° Leo, and Mercury 10° Leo, meaning these three planets were tightly wrapped around Oppenheimer's angles - that she made a Mercury-Mars-Pluto impact on him - if he was born at 8:15 AM.