Joan of Arc

[Jim Eshelman]

Joan of Arc's horoscope has been discussed uncountable times over the years. Fagan took great pride in her Moon and possibly Ascendant being in Sidereal Virgo, given her nickname, "The Maid of Orleans." However, I've only today found the argument that her well-recorded birth date (we even have an official birth record for her, discovered in recent years) is probably a year off.

No Virgo Moon: This Christ-inspired mystic had her Moon in Pisces.

The birth record is clear that she was born January 6, 1412 OS, the night of Epiphany. What nobody (including Fagan and Blackwell) ever took into consideration is that the church-driven calendar under which this was recorded did not count the new year until the vernal equinox: January 6, 1412 OS was what, today, we call January 6, 1413 OS! (She was born in Domremy la Pucelle, France.)

Ignoring birth time information that only amounts to legend, we have two roughly compatible records. I had forgotten, until I researched Astro.com today, that I was one of the original sources for her birth time (which Lois Rodden got from me). I'm credited with quoting Percival de Boulainvilliers, who interviewed Joan for King Charles VII and said she was born at local sunset January 6, 1412 OS. (Visual sunset occurred at 4:34 PM LMT.) Adjusting this is Luc de Marre's quoting of "church and family documents" that say "one hour after sunset." While his exact "church and family" sources aren't specified, this sounds like a credible amendment. Going one hour after sunset would be 5:34 PM LMT (or 5:23 PM LAT): Let's not assume it was overly exact, and call it 5:30 PM LAT. (BTW, Sirius exactly rose four minutes later at 5:34 PM LAT. The star was two and a half degrees below Ascendant for the 5:30 time. Or, for 5:30 the warrior star Sheratan is on MC.)

(Prior times given included 2:00 AM from Sepharial in NN No.845 and 11:24 PM from Fagan in AA 5/1966, both spec. PC gives 4:17 PM. Blackwell gave 17:11:15 UT. All were based on January 6, 1412 OS without considering the Annunciation calendar.)

Her birth, therefore - from a formal record of the date backed by contemporary biographers, adjusted by an understanding of the calendar in use, and the time from two compatible records - was what today we call January 6, 1413, approximately 5:30 PM LAT, in Domremy la Pucelle, France.

[Jim Eshelman]

The chart is quite extraordinary. Capricorn Sun always easily fit her. Pisces Moon reflects her psychism as well as Virgo Moon, plus her proneness to dramatic disguise. But perhaps my favorite detail is that Mars conjoined Uranus within 0°18', near the exaltation degree of Mars, and - for success - squared by Jupiter. This is the chart of a great athlete or a great, bold warrior!

Before posting the chart, though, I wonder if the main events that are well-timed in her biography would allow us to tweak it slightly.

She was captured May 23, 1430 at Compiègne (591 years ago today), then burned at the stake on May 30, 1431 at Rouen. Basic transits to this chart do well for the capture (even better if the angles are increased 2°), and her progressed Sun-Uranus were conjoined within 0°01', perhaps marking out the entire period.

Let's move, then, to the execution.

On May 30, 1431 (using noon for convenience), Saturn was 1°13' from conjunct her Sun. This isn't close enough to act as a transit on its own for a climactic event, but is quite close enough if it fell very close to the angles of a temporary chart (return or quotidian). Mars was 3° shy of reaching natal IC for the 5:30 PM time. (For Rouen's locality chart, Mars was 2° past - the opposite side of the angle.)

Her progressed Moon exactly conjoined natal Jupiter. Had we no birth time at all, one would be tempted to move it ahead 1° or more so that it reached natal Mars-Uranus for burning at the stake, but that's an unreasonable shift in the birth time (at least one hour, ideally two hours).

For the 5:30 PM approximate birth time, her SSR for Rouen had natal Saturn closely angular and natal Mars-Uranus more widely angular.

Her May 6 SLR had Neptune square MC, with Pluto and Saturn near (not closely) the angles. Natal Mars and Uranus were near EP. It all looks "everything is about right except nothing is close." Pluto could shift it earlier, Saturn could shift it later, and Neptune could shift it either way.

Her May 20 Demi-SLR had Pluto 4° off MC - moving the birth time later would make it more exact. As is, it does put natal Neptune almost exactly angular.

So, we're probably in the ballpark. The time seems about right and possibly should be a little later.

SNQ: Q Dsc is 1°28' before progressed Saturn, 1°46' before natal Saturn. Progressed Moon is 0°18' past natal Jupiter, which we're simply stuck with for any time near this - it probably had personal religious significance to her.

SQ: Similarly, SQ Dsc is 1°28' before natal Mars, 1°46' before natal Uranus - the exact match of these numbers to the last example is almost shocking. Furthermore, Q MC is 1°36' before square to transiting Saturn. OTOH, Q IC is just past solar and transiting Marses.

Both of these said the Q Descendant would be perfect if 1°28' or 1°46' later - or their average, 1°37'. In round minutes, it's 6 minutes on the clock.

So, with the historic records themselves narrowing the time to approximately 5:30 PM LAT, I'm going to call it 5:36 PM LAT.

For the great warrior who marched to liberate France, this places Mars 0°44' above Descendant conjunct Uranus 1°19' from Descendant. They are both squared by Jupiter, which is 0°09' from Nadir. The warrior star Sheratan is on MC within 1°. Sirius, which it would have been nice to see exactly rising, is, however, 1°35' from Asc.

[Jim Eshelman]

Joan of Arc: January 6, 1413 OS, 5:36 PM LAT, Domremy la Pucelle, France

Joan of Arc.png

[Jim Eshelman]

King Charles VII was born February 22, 1403 (OS), time unknown, in Paris. Of new interest is that his Moon was in the first half of Pisces - close to where we now know Joan's Moon to have been. It was good enough before that his Pisces Moon aligned with hers in (as we thought) Virgo, but the Pisces match is even better.

The worst connection between their charts is that his Saturn at 21° Capricorn was near her Desc and (for any birth time) square her Jupiter: He obviously cost her eventually. But his Sun squared her Venus - an interchange of friendship - and (if I have the time reconstructed approximately right) his Venus near her MC.

[mikestar13]

I'm impressed with you Mr. E. The chart is both historically and astrologically quite credible. I have always felt an affinity for St. Joan. I am now and have always been a low church Protestant: I don't venerate saints; but I've always been sure that Joan would be one of the two I would venerate (the other being Francis of Assisi -- quite a pairing!). I haven't done a full synastry workup, but I immediately notice her Eris 6 minutes from my Sun. (Plus or minus whatever imprecision may exist in the Eris ephemeris.)

[Jim Eshelman]

Mike, you certainly share the Pisces themes with her, if nothing else.

BTW, if Fagan's reconstruction of Christ's birth (which I endorse) is correct, he - like Joan - was a Capricorn-Pisces. In fact, if both charts are to be believed:

4°04' Pisces - Joan's Moon
4°28' Pisces - Jesus' Moon
5°51' Pisces - Jesus' Uranus

An interesting (to me) synastry point between you and this chart is that your Moon-Neptune opposition is along its meridian. Eris aside, your Sun is 0°20' from square its Neptune. Your Jupiter opposes its Moon. Less kindly, your Mars conjoins its Saturn. Joan's Jupiter falls on your WP.

[Jim Eshelman]

Somehow, I missed recording (and probably missed seeing) the decisive nail that draws all this home. For her death by burning:

6°33' Ari - r MC
7°38' Cap - t Saturn

1°38' Ari - L MC
2°21' Lib - t Mars