What, Astrologically, Makes a Person A ________?

This is, in some ways, an addendum to an earlier blog post called “Is Astrology Just Another Form of Prejudice?” (http://wp.me/pJ9hq-bV) and also a response to a question I saw in the Horoscopes section on Yahoo!Answers. I often scroll through this website either answering questions or simply seeking the attitudes and myths people hold about the uses and practice of astrology.

Recently a person asked, “What are the planetary positions of a rapist?” I certainly understand the desire to find a way to ID and protect oneself against a potential threat. What if all the dangers in life wore a sign? “I Am A Rapist” or “I Am A Thief” or “I Kill People.”

Recently I did some research with a friend of mine. Looking to find any common astrological qualities, we looked at several birth charts of known serial killers. (It will be the topic of an upcoming audio podcast.) What we found interesting was, yes, they all had charts with difficult stuff in them, but we also found they all had some very positive stuff in their charts too; planetary aspects and indicators that suggested they had positive helpful options and skills available to them. So, along the way, they made poor choices, choices perhaps affected by a lack of experience or knowledge. They did not have to be serial killers. And in a way, we were both kind of relieved to find this, because I would hate to see astrology getting used as different form of racial profiling. Can you imagine? A baby is born; “they” look at his or her astrology chart and decide “OK, put this one to death now before he/she becomes a problem.” No thank you.

And the same can be said for rapists. I look at a chart and maybe see a person with a very strong  sex drive combined with a tendency to dominate women, but that does not make a person a rapist. They could be a strong-willed person who either has a lot of sex, or many sexual partners, or both.

And then there is the belief (to which I agree) that rape is not as much a sexual crime as it is a violent crime, using sex as a weapon. But the same astrological things that could indicate a violent, dominating nature could also indicate a very active physical person, such as an athlete (professional or amateur), or a dancer or a bicycling enthusiast or a mountain climber, etc.

So there is no clear cut “rapist” sign in any chart… free will and choice is always involved. There are ALWAYS options. And this is true of all aspects of a chart. Old-time astrology believed that trines were harmonious “good” aspects and squares and oppositions were “bad.” Yet over the years, after talking with a lot of clients, I have found people with a chart full of harmonious “good” aspects have sometimes coasted and did little with their potentials. And I have seen charts that traditional astrology would categorize as bad, and some of these clients have used the adversity throughout their lives as a way to sharpen, grow and evolve, and become more fulfilled.

So what is the answer to “What makes a person ____?”

It is what you do, not what you have.