I’ve been listening to archived episodes of Chris Brennan’s excellent astrology podcast which has generated a lot of blog ideas. One of the more interesting episodes was this one on sexual orientation which features astrologer Christopher Renstrom. Chris and Christopher discuss a wide range of ideas from a historical perspective which I found very interesting since I am not that well versed in the ancient astrological works of Ptolemy and other ancient astrological history or the rules surrounding the prediction whether or not an individual was gay based on planetary configurations in their astrological chart.
Ancient astrologers such as Ptolemy were much more concerned with absolutes in prediction and description of the human experience than we are today; for example, suggesting that if Venus and Jupiter precede the Sun in a man’s chart and those two planets also aspect Mars, that man will only be interested in sex with men. Or, if Mars and Venus in a woman’s chart are both in masculine signs (fire and air signs), she will be inclined towards lesbianism. I haven’t done enough research to know if these rules are true, but I did look up Jodie Foster’s chart. Ms. Foster is a noted lesbian actor whose Mars is indeed in the masculine sign of Leo, but her Venus is in the feminine sign of Scorpio.
In my experience with gay clients as well as profiles of well-known people, it seems to me that the LGBTQ experience encompasses a very wide spectrum of attributes. There are transgendered individuals who experience themselves as having incarnated into the wrong body. There are “gender fluid” people who are attracted to people of both sexes. There are gay men who are more feminine than their body suggests, and lesbians who are quite masculine. I have written a great deal about the gender fluidity of the Aquarian Age (this article, for example) and have noticed the presence of the asteroid Pallas in the charts of transgendered individuals. Uranus rules the Aquarian Age, and Uranus is the planet that turns stereotypes upside down, demanding a new paradigm for examining the world and we are certainly seeing that in the realm of gender identification.”
I recently read an article about British singer Sam Smith who has come out as “nonbinary,” meaning he does not identify with either gender. Sam has Mars, the male archetype, in the very masculine sign of Aries, and Venus, the female archetype, in the feminine sign of Taurus, and Venus aligns with the Sun to bring more of the feminine into his personality.
Smith was born under the conjunction of Uranus and Neptune, a period during the early 1990s where the spirituality and potential for illusion of Neptune collided with the paradigm shifting of Uranus. I have noticed that people born during that time are exceptionally creative and operate on a different frequency than the rest of us, tending not to fit into the nice societal boxes in which we like to operate.
Most interesting in the topic of gender identification though is the presence of the asteroid Pallas in a prominent position in his chart (squaring Mars and conjunct the Moon and North Node). As mentioned above, Pallas continues to prove herself an important factor in the charts of those who do not identify with traditional gender roles.
This whole discussion operates on a spectrum, and the issue of gay or straight is not always clearcut; nor is the issue of gender identification. As we continue to move through the portal of the Aquarian Age these distinctions will continue to unravel and a new paradigm of human-ness will emerge.
My experience strongly suggests Uranus and Neptune as heavy contenders. I’ve seen 3 charts of women with Uranus and Neptune on the ascendant. Sexuality wasn’t fully defined but leaned toward women. Sun conjunction Uranus in both men and women. For women a strong mars, well aspected with Jupiter and a feminine Venus hasn’t seemed to be a problem . I’ve seen mars conjunct Venus in the charts of both gay men and women.
Evelyn, are you talking about those with the Uranus/Neptune conjunction on the ascendant, or either Uranus or Neptune on the ascendant?
Great article, Lynn. This helps me to better understand my trans grandson who is one of those early 90’s highly creative people .
So glad to hear it’s of help, Elah.
insightful and helpful. its going to be an interesting ride, this jupiter in scorpio!
Thank you! This means the galaxy to me!
I’m glad it’s helpful for you!
So glad to hear it, Tyler.?
When you refer to Sam Smith you still keep referring to them as “him” literally right after saying they’re non binary. Do better.
In my defense, I wrote the article in 2017 and he didn’t come out with a change in pronouns until 2019.
you misgendered them again
Explain please! My knowledge of gender identity etiquette is obviously rather lame.