Harry K. Thaw & Stanford White

[Jim Eshelman]

In The Solunars Handbook, p. 125, Cyril Fagan discussed (without birth times) the case of millionaire Harry Thaw murdering millionaire Stanford White. I was curious whether, in the intervening decades, birth times had been uncovered and find they have not; nonetheless, it's worth exploring as a "Fagan classic" here.

Fagan used it as an example of how our own malefics are where we get hurt, with transits to them showing unfortunate events and painful experiences.

The murder occurred June 25, 1906 11:05 PM EST, on the roof of Madison Square Gardens in central Manhattan. Fagan gave Thaw's birth data as February 12, 1871, hour unknown, Pittsburgh, PA and White's data as November 9, 1853, hour unknown, New York, NY. (White, an architect, had designed Madison Square Gardens.)

At the time of the murder, Saturn was stationary and rising in mundane square to a Jupiter-Pluto conjunction on IC. Saturn was 2°14' before Asc, Jupiter 2°18' before IC, and Pluto 2°54' so the mundane aspects were indeed close and strong! The symbolism is fantastic for a jealousy-spawned tragedy involving two millionaires. (White was Thaw's wife's former lover: It is a scintillating scandal of the time.) The other strong configuration was a 0°21' Mars-Neptune conjunction 3° from opposite Uranus.

Astro.com lists Thaw's birth time as 8:00 AM, rating it DD; perhaps it should, however, be rated C (real source unknown). One of the two sources giving 8:00 AM is normally correct, the other is sometimes right and sometimes wrong; I'll use it as a working time. Thaw committed the crime, was found not guilty due to insanity, spent years going in and out of asylums, and died of a heart attack 41 years later.

Astro.com gives White's 4:21 PM birth time as rated C (real source unknown). The chart is from Sabian Symbols which, of course, didn't explain the source. Other charts for approximately the same time (within a range of about 20 minutes) pop up in various places. The exactly rising Uranus of this time is consistent with the sex scandals.

[Jim Eshelman]

Fagan wanted to make the point that natal malefics are where we get hurt. He observed that, for the murder, Thaw's Saturn (13°40' Sagittarius) was conjoined by Uranus (13°12' Sagittarius) and opposed by Mars-Neptune (3° orb - I wouldn't accept it unless it fell on a return angle). I'd also note, though, that transiting Saturn (rising at the time of the murder) was within 2° of Thaw's Ascendant for the 8 AM birth time, and Jupiter-Pluto on his IC. This either is stunning confirmation of the birth time or was the basis some clever astrologer used to rectify the chart in the distant past.

I would also note that transiting Mars-Neptune was closer to square Thaw's Mars than it was to oppose his Saturn. In fact, transiting Mars square natal Mars was partile.

Fagan then noted that transiting Saturn at 21°36' Aquarius was conjunct White's Neptune and, perhaps, his Moon. I observe that, at best, this is more than a 5° orb and, although it was rising in New York City when the murder occurred, I'd want to see it angular on some personal chart before counting a transit so platic. There aren't any partile transits.

Nonetheless, and with all the fine points, Fagan's main point stands: Thaw, who committed the crime, had his own malefics transited by other planets (though he seems to me to have had as many malefics doing the transiting, as well).

He made the other strong observation that Thaw's Sun opposed White's Mars: It was the Mars person who got hurt.

[Jim Eshelman]

Fagan was concentrating on making a specific point, so he ignored things he might have included in a full analysis. For example, Thaw's Pluto was opposite White's Sun (0°40'). There are a lot of other interesting aspects worth mentioning, so I'll take time to mention them.

Thaw's Venus conjoined White's Neptune. I think this means, simply, that White - who had "kept" Thaw's wife, as a teenager, as a sex toy with reportedly diverse debaucheries - deeply embarrassed Thaw.

White's Sun was in Libra. Thaw's Moon was either in Libra or Scorpio and the proposed time has it in Libra. They may have been in orb of conjunction. If it was in Libra, Thaw wouldn't have felt "one down," as if dominated or "topped" by, White.

[Jim Eshelman]

So... do either of these times stand up to scrutiny for the murder?

For the possible birth time, Thaw's SSR had Pluto on IC and Saturn rising - essentially the same as the pattern for the moment of the murder, but without the benefic Jupiter. SSR Moon opposed natal Neptune. It sounds quite right for someone who ruined his own life that year.

If this time was a rectification, it surely wasn't by anyone using Sidereal return charts; yet Thaw's SLR for the murder has transiting Mars 0°07' from Ascendant conjunct Pluto 4° below Asc and Jupiter about 5° above (conjunct natal Jupiter). The Jupiter element is appropriate: In the arena of crime, it means "You have the thing I want so I'll hurt you!"; but the main point is the exact Mars and the ecliptical Mars-Pluto conjunction.

The SNQ also highlights natal Jupiter - I'm less pleased with it here, a bit too prominent. But what really pleases is that transiting Saturn conjoins progressed Moon 0°30', with Saturn within a degree of square SNQ MC. It is quite fitting for a man feeling things have been taken from him, that he is lost and small and emotionally crushed.

Based on the Sidereal solar and lunar returns and SNQ, I think we have a sound birth time.

[Jim Eshelman]

Did Stanford White's alleged birth time show his demise?

His SSR had transiting Saturn exactly square MC. Nothing is stronger. Second strongest are his own Mars and Saturn, a few degrees off angles, with transiting Saturn nearly partile opposite natal Mars:

2°26' Tau - SSR MC
2°53' Aqu - SSR Saturn
3°58' Leo - SSR Mars

Natal Saturn is nearly partile square SSR Ascendant (1°16').

His SLR, though, is not nearly as convincing (though the most angular is natal Moon-Neptune within 1° of square Asc). It seems mixed, with some really positive markers also.

But the SNQ brings us back on track with stunning symbolism:

15°25' Sag - SNQ Asc
16°05' Gem - t Mars
16°26' Gem - t Neptune

The SQ has transiting Uranus on MC (sure, he was surprised: no complaint, though it wouldn't so the job by itself). But the SNQ nailed it.

Again, I think we have a sound chart.