A Study of Murderers

[Jim Eshelman]

In the February 1957 issue of American Astrology, under the title "Murder Wil Out!" Donald A. Bradley (writing as "Garth Allen") provided a statistical examination of the horoscopes of 42 murderers.

It is unclear where Bradley gathered his data, though (given the small number and other considerations) I think it likely these were whatever charts with credible timed birth data he had been able to accumulate from astrology magazines, news accounts, and other sources over the years. From his discussion, the tone of these murders seemed more crimes of passion than calculated executions. He published the study specifically to study native vulnerability to low frustration tolerance, more than the act of murder itself.

Bradley examined planetary angularity and aspects for these 42 charts, not sign positions. With regard to angularity, he found a strong confirmation of the scaled Foreground Middleground Background model, with strong tendencies of Mars, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto to be foreground and for Venus, Jupiter, and (to a lesser extent) Uranus to avoid the foreground and favor the background. With regard to aspects, he found a gigantic surplus of Venus-Mars aspects and unusually high occurrence of Moon-Saturn, Sun-Mars, Sun-Neptune, Mercury-Neptune, Mercury-Pluto, and Mars-Uranus aspects, and unusual deficits of Moon-Venus, Sun-Pluto, Mercury-Jupiter, and others.

Despite the small number of charts in the sample, the effects of this study have been cherished. Many jewels are found in the study and, in particular, the planetary aspects have served as an excellent guide to frustration tolerance assessment.

In 2018, given the opportunity, I decided to undertake a similar study with about 30% more data - still small, but a worthy comparison. I can't properly call it a replication because I don't know the criteria of Bradley's data collection and have compiled available data on my own criteria. In a study of 56 timed charts of murderers, two things were apparent:

1. My results are often dramatically different from Bradley's. (In a proper attempt at replication, this would be reason to question the results of either study.)

2. I am persuaded that the dramatic differences arise from the different types of data used.

Most of the charts I used are either (1) long-successful repeat murderers, often with dozens or scores of kills, or (2) infamous murderers of almost celebrity status. The murders generally involve more planning and more long-term commitment than emotionally impulsive killings. Therefore, although I intentionally avoided contract killers ("hitmen"), many of these killers more resemble "career criminals" in the sense of honing their craft across months or years.

I find this interesting because the dominant aspects in this group much more resemble people experiencing much success, as if in a business enterprise.

[Jim Eshelman]

Sun Constellations
The distribution of Sidereal Sun-signs was not statistically meaningful at the sign level, although it was inferential. The most common Sun-signs (adjusted for the relative times Sun spends in each constellation in the course of its orbit) were Sagittarius and Aries. Neither fell beyond a 10% threshold of unusualness. The Sagittarius peak is more interesting because adjacent constellations, Capricorn and Aquarius, had the lowest frequency. UPDATE 7/2021: I've increased the number to 60 and Sagittarius is now significantly high at the .05 level.

However, the shared triplicity of Sagittarius and Aries did take the "Fire" triad (Leo, Sagittarius, Aries) to the 10% level. It suggests a tendency. UPDATE 7/2021: With 60 examples, Fire sign Suns are now almost at the 5% level.

Moon Constellations
High excesses above mean expectancy in Pisces, Sagittarius, and Gemini (but not in Virgo) took the Spoke Moon-signs past the 100-to-1 level of significance. Additionally, Scorpio tied Pisces for most common. Specifically, Pisces and Scorpio reached the 33-to-1 threshold. UPDATE 7/2021: With 60 examples, this has changed considerably. Sagittarius Moons are now solidly beyond 5% level (z=2.39) with Scorpio and Pisces tied for second, nearly at 5% level. Despite the boring Virgo numbers, Spoke Moons are significantly high as a group (z=2.85).

When Sun and Moon sign positions are combined, Pisces is the combined leader, with Sagittarius and Scorpio tied in close second place. UPDATE 7/2021: This has now rearranged: Sagittarius is the easy leader, with Scorpio and Pisces also significant. Gemini is significantly low (in contrast to the Sagittarius high).

Other Constellation Placements
Assessment of other inner planet placements will have to wait until I can create some different tools to filter out astronomical irregularities. As a preliminary, though, it does appear that Mars in Pisces and perhaps Scorpio will stand as a significant and important placement. Mercury is likely to have no significant sign-placement results, inasmuch as the three peak constellations center on Scorpio, where Mercury spends most of its time; this seeming bulge likely will be wiped out. Venus is very hard to assess in a study this small, but it's worth mentioning that, by raw numbers and (artificially) presumed even distribution, Venus spends most of its time in Aries, a sign of its detriment.

ADDENDUM 7/2021: Venus is unusually absent in Hub signs.

[Jim Eshelman]

Planets were grouped according to three "grounds" in the traditional way - 15° lunes centered on the angular, succedent, and cadent cusps designated Foreground, Middleground, and Background respectively.

I think this needs to be redone. The distribution, as I was compiling it, suggested to me that a more granular examination (e.g. in 10° segments of the prime vertical) would give a clearer picture of the mundane distribution. Nonetheless, here are the interesting results from the data as currently extracted:

MOON is foreground more often than it is middleground and background combined. Favoring of the foreground approaches the 1,000-to-1 level (take these with a grain of salt, considering the small sample size); avoidance of the background exceeds the 20-to-1 level.

NEPTUNE is foreground about as often as it is middleground and background combined. Favoring of the foreground approximates the 50-to-1 level; avoidance of the middleground exceeds the 10-to-1 level.

JUPITER is foreground most often, at a statistically significant level (< .05). It avoids the middleground more often than it avoids the background.

VENUS has no statistically significant results in terms of the grounds, but does appear more often in the background than either of the other two.

MARS has no statistically significant results in terms of the grounds, but does appear slightly most often in the foreground and slightly least often in the background.

PLUTO is most often foreground, but not at a statistically significant level. What does pass a mathematical measurement of unusualness is its avoidance of the background.

Combining the similarly scaled results of Moon, Neptune, Jupiter, Mars, and Pluto, and reversing the sequence of reverse-trending Venus, consolidates enough data (effectively sextupling the number of charts in the sample) to take the foreground peak over 4 standard deviations from mean expectancy, or beyond the 10,000-to-1 level. The background trough exceeds 33-to-1 (3% level).

Nonetheless, I expect more informative results will arise from a more granular mapping of these mundane positions.

[Jim Eshelman]

Ecliptical aspects (out to Saturn-Pluto) were counted for conjunctions and oppositions within 4° and squares, trines, and sextiles within 3°. The conjunctions, oppositions, and squares were totaled in one count, and the trines and sextiles added to them for a second count.

(Additionally, octiles - semi-squares and sesqui-squares - were tallied within 1° and added for a third count, but there is no need to report on them. There was no real additional effect from adding these.)

Conjunctions, Oppositions, Squares
[Updated to 7/2021] Counting only conjunctions, oppositions, and squares, the counts for each aspect pair is as follows (excluding Sun-Mercury and Sun-Venus, which have irregular probabilities):

8: Mo-Ju
7: Me-Ju, Mo-Ne, Me-Ur, Ve-Ma, Ju-Sa
6: Mo-Ma, Su-Ma, Su-Sa, Su-Pl, Me-Ma, Ve-Sa, Ve-Pl, Ma-Ne, Ju-Ur, Ju-Pl
5: Mo-Sa, Mo-Ur, Mo-Pl, Me-Ne, Ve-Ju, Ve-Ne, Ma-Pl
4: Mo-Me, Me-Ve, Ve-Ur, Ju-Ne, Sa-Ur, Sa-Pl
3: Mo-Su, Mo-Ve, Su-Ur, Me-Sa, Ma-Ur, Sa-Ne
2: Su-Ju, Su-Ne, Me-Pl, Ma-Ju, Ma-Sa

Notice that this has some sharp divergences from the Bradley study, such as a high occurrence of Sun-Pluto aspects, which were the least frequent in the Bradley study. A low occurrence makes sense for crimes of passion and conflict, where Sun-Pluto is likely to leave rather than have conflict, but a high occurrence is quite consistent with the "outside the law" life of the decades-long criminal. Also, the relatively high Moon-Jupiter and Mercury-Jupiter occurrences are more consistent with "long-term success" in an undertaking in this group, while a low occurrence is more consistent with the "poor frustration tolerance" character of the Bradley group.

Overall, though, I am struck with how this aspect list resembles a list for people who are highly successful in their own enterprises (something that fits the group for the most part), in addition to more particular aspects such as Venus-Pluto and Mars-Neptune consistent with serial murderers.

Five Ptolemaic Aspects
[Updated to 7/2021] A more rounded picture is given when all five Ptolemaic aspects are included. This list is rather amazing for the macabre (though the low occurrence of Sun-Neptune is surprising). After the obvious Neptune leaders, the other top aspects again reflect ingenuity and traits of effectiveness and success.

13: Mo-Ne, Ve-Ma, Ma-Ne
12: Mo-Ju
11: Mo-Ur, Me-Ne, Ma-Pl, Sa-Ne
10: Mo-Me, Su-Ma, Su-Pl, Me-Ma, Me-Ju, Ve-Ne, Ju-Pl
9: Mo-Su, Mo-Ma, Su-Sa, Ve-Ju, Ve-Pl, Ma-Ur, Ma-Pl
8: Mo-Ve, Mo-Pl, Su-Ju, Me-Ve, Me-Ur, Ju-Sa, Ju-Ur
7: Me-Sa, Ve-Sa, Ve-Ur, Ma-Ju, Sa-Pl
6: Mo-Sa, Su-Ur, Ma-Sa
5: Su-Ne
4: Me-Pl, Ju-Ne, Sa-Ur

[Avshalom Binyamin]

Oh I have foreground Neptune, Moon, and Jupiter!

And my Su-Pl and Ju-Sa are outside the or limits, but I've got Ju-Ur-Ma!

Every time I consider murder, I become quite aware of the amount of perseverance and ingenuity it would take, especially to research your methods without leaving a Google search trail.

Ultimately, I guess Virgo moon means I would rather use the research to write macabre murder stories.

[Veronica]

I read this with great interest.

…...and this is why I wont date anyone...….who really knows what factors are going to push someone past that frustrated level and into action. though a good chart is a nice place to possibly weed out some potential troublemakers.

anyone can be pushed and squeezed and tormented enough to act in the supreme way of interfering with another persons will and life, it lies in us all, but some factors do increase the tendency. some people can be turned into murderers who may have little in their chart to show for it, yet others seem to have some nice big red flags.


I thing that I think I am seeing though, in this data is the thing that has always stopped me from acting in a poor manner: vindictive, mean, aggressive....Control and power issues.


the people whom I have had nasty thoughts about have all in some way brought up feelings in me of loss of control and loss of power. the events that cause me to have these feelings could very well be described as the ultimate loss of power and control, which brought up huge feelings of frustration that needed a release. Yet for me, the reason that I was able to transmute those feelings and let it go was my own understanding that the Universe, and all that is in it, is a source of love and while I cant understand the totality of the meaning behind the events and feelings that overcome me, I trust the universe Knows better then me, and loves me and my feelings of being a victim are only feelings. Feelings are out of our control sometimes, we get a washed with hormones and drugs and all sorts of things that sway our mind and our body out of our control.

Einstein said: there are two ways to look at the universe, one is as if everything is a miracle, and one is as if there are no miracles.


the characteristics that I see in this data seem to show that the people who act on negative inclinations and feelings such as murder all fall with in the second group, being that those souls are inclined to have a mindset that takes away from "turning it over to god" and are, at least in that moment, filled with the egoness of I AM GOD, I know best, my will is the supreme will, I know what is needed......

I

[Jim Eshelman]

I just added Robert Strack from Fagan's "Solunars" December 1966, and updated the numbers accordingly. Small adjustments in the aspects are interesting. (For example, he has Venus conjunct Mars with both sextile Neptune.)

Another small difference: I had a typo which kept Richard Hinckley's Sun-sign from getting counted, so there's one more Taurus than I first counted.

As a funny thing (to me), as I flip through old newsstand astrology magazines I'm thinking that, if this were the old days, I'd be all set to research and write a lovely article, "Murder By the Stars," giving commonalities of different murders by Sun-sign. "For Taurus, we have Arthur Shawcross, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Hinckley, Peter Kurten, and Peter Sutcliffe, who..."

[Avshalom Binyamin]

[Avshalom Binyamin]

You've gotten much more sophisticated with your murder


analysis.

[Veronica]

I just added Robert Strack from Fagan's "Solunars" December 1966, and updated the numbers accordingly. Small adjustments in the aspects are interesting. (For example, he has Venus conjunct Mars with both sextile Neptune.)

Another small difference: I had a typo which kept Richard Hinckley's Sun-sign from getting counted, so there's one more Taurus than I first counted.

As a funny thing (to me), as I flip through old newsstand astrology magazines I'm thinking that, if this were the old days, I'd be all set to research and write a lovely article, "Murder By the Stars," giving commonalities of different murders by Sun-sign. "For Taurus, we have Arthur Shawcross, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Hinckley, Peter Kurten, and Peter Sutcliffe, who..."

as a funny thing about me, as I flip threw these people, I'd be all set to research a write a truelly mind blowing piece called "Murder of the Stars," showing these people as the sexually tormented people that society drove them to be because society would not excpet them for who they were and tormented them and frustrated them till they reached the breaking point.

I would write it thinking of their poor mothers and to help those birth givers get some piece of mind and not walk around the earthin thinknig that they gave birth to Demons. Every man and every woman is a star, and just needs to shine.

p.s. that title is already taken about the Zodiac killer in L.A.

[Soft Alpaca]

Does anyone else wonder if there really is a sign that is more murderous than others but us just so good at covering it up....

I have some signs and aspects that may be more room in in murderers in my chart. I do lack heavy Neptune, however I am still vastly interested in the marcabe.

[Jim Eshelman]

Does anyone else wonder if there really is a sign that is more murderous than others but us just so good at covering it up....

It doesn't seem to be a sign issue. Planets and angularity are more relevant.

Where signs seem to be a factor is in determiing the distinctive style. For example, Moon in Sagittarius murderers loves blades and direct sadism, Taurus Sun murderers tend to have a major sex theme, etc.

[Veronica]

Whats the glyph for earth. Nothing is more murderous then Gaia, on this planet at least. She has all the signs and angles and aspects. Vbeg

[Jupiter Sets at Dawn]

Whats the glyph for earth.

Either a circle with a cross in it (four sections) or a circle with a cross on top like a king's orb: ♁

[Soft Alpaca]

Does anyone else wonder if there really is a sign that is more murderous than others but us just so good at covering it up....

It doesn't seem to be a sign issue. Planets and angularity are more relevant.

Where signs seem to be a factor is in determiing the distinctive style. For example, Moon in Sagittarius murderers loves blades and direct sadism, Taurus Sun murderers tend to have a major sex theme, etc.

Because I can I'll put it in food terms.
Signs are like spices and planets are one of the 5 mother sauces.

[By Jove]

To be specific, what do you exactly mean by murderers? Are you talking about serial killers, mass murderers, people who commit one time crimes of passion, hitmen, soldiers, police? All these people are different kinds of murderers whose minds, methods, and motives are very different.