Dr. Maya Angelou
A Towering Rainbow Among Life’s Clouds
A Phenomenal Person’s Horoscope
By Dikki-Jo Mullen
Just by being herself Maya Angelou rose above a childhood of chilling tragedy to become a global superstar. Her final tweet, sent just a couple of days before her passing on May 28, 2014, read, “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
The words were echoed around the world in social media as the life of a true American giant was honored. She was a respected teacher, friend and mentor whose important body of literary and artistic work inspired several generations. Although she never attended college herself, Maya Angelou preferred being referred to as Dr.. She did receive more than 30 honorary degrees and taught American Studies for many years at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Born on April 4, 1928 at 2:10 pm CST in St. Louis, Missouri, Maya Angelou’s birth chart is that of a true Aries adventurer and pioneer. Her Sun, Uranus and Jupiter are widely conjunct in Aries showing originality, an unpredictable nature and a desire to explore and experience ever expanding horizons. The Sun and Jupiter form a mutually applying grand trine aspect in fire signs with Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Leo. This auspicious pattern indicates resilience, vitality and enthusiasm. Her natal Sun is also exactly square Pluto in Cancer, indicating a need to challenge and reinvent the status quo. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings , her first and perhaps most lasting literary contribution was published in 1969. It explored racism in a daring and memorable way in the historic era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The cardinal sign transits at that time included Saturn in Aries and Jupiter and Uranus in Libra. This pattern profoundly impacted Angelous natal Moon, which is in Libra, as well as her Sun. A lunar eclipse on April 2, 1969, just before her 41st birthday, also reflected the lasting significance that the publication of this influential work would have both on readers and on the life of Angelou herself.
The Moon rules the early childhood years. At the age of 7 little Marguerite was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend. After telling her brother about the attack, the abuser was murdered, probably beaten to death by the childrens’ uncles. Maya thought her voice had killed him and fell completely silent, not speaking again for nearly six years. Its interesting to note that her Moon forms a T-Square aspect. It opposes the Aries placements and squares Pluto, showing her turbulent start in life. At the same time her Libra Moon indicates her emotional attachment to justice as well as the fine arts. Libra rules the cusp of her 3rd house, the indicator for siblings in the birth chart. By all accounts the relationship with her brother was a loving and supportive one. It was he who gave her the nick name Maya, as he had trouble pronouncing Marguerite as a child. The nickname stuck.
Maya Angelou was born when the Moon was nearly Full, in the waxing gibbous phase. This puts her Part of Fortune in Aquarius in the 6th house. Looking toward the future, expressing progressive ideas, trouble shooting and attention to details can all be seen in this placement. Mayas natal Saturn is in Sagittarius in the 4th house, the sector of the chart which describes heritage and the childhood home. Saturn is the celestial heavy weight, showing where obstacles and challenges might appear. As a very small child she lived for a time in beneficial and favorable circumstances with grandparents before being returned to the chaotic home of her mother. Shortly afterward the attack occurred. Transit Saturn was in Pisces ( February, 1935 – April, 1937) and making the first square to its natal place, illustrating again a lack of comfort and safety at home. However, during the time that the traumatized little girl was shocked into silence the Saturn transit also conjoined her natal Mercury-Venus conjunction in Pisces, bringing a need to find a different kind of expression. It was then that Maya Angelou first began to write and invent stories. Later she would state that she wanted to write so well that readers wouldn’t even realize at first that they were reading, implying that they would be so immediately engrossed in the story. A natal Mercury-Venus conjunction often gives a creative and appealing command of language. In sensitive, imaginative Pisces this Mercury-Venus conjunction aspect becomes especially lyrical and poetic in expressing ideas.
Maya studied dance and drama in San Francisco during her early teens. Standing 6 feet tall, she was a striking and flamboyant figure, exuding the pride and dignity promised by the Leo ascendant. With Neptune rising in Leo combined with the Mercury-Venus conjunction in Pisces, she had a flair for musical theater. However at age 16 she suddenly dropped out of high school and became San Francisco’s first female streetcar driver. She returned to school and earned her diploma shortly before becoming a single mother at age 17, then began working as a waitress to support her baby son. Undeterred, she continued to nurture her passion for music and dance. During the 1950s she recorded her first album, Miss Calypso and also toured Europe in the opera, Porgy and Bess. When Maya felt that acquaintances became too familiar and casual, she also displayed the Leo rising qualities by regally reminding them to call her Mrs. Angelou. Once she offended someone so much that he wrote an anonymous complaint saying that although she was a wonderful writer she had no right to insult and demean others.
Maya Angelou had Aquarius ruling the cusp of the 7th house of her natal chart. The 7th house Mars in Aquarius opposes Neptune in the 1st house. This describes an angry, confused and tense marriage situation. When it ended in divorce, at a time when divorce was still uncommon, she broke new ground yet again by keeping the name Angelou while dropping the husband. Mars in Aquarius accents her passion for humanitarian work and enthusiastic struggle to support human rights. Aquarius is also the sign of friendship. This Mars position also describes her circle of friends which included Rosa Parks, Oprah, Quincy Jones, Malcolm X. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Countless ordinary people also found her an inspiration, remarking how in various ways Maya Angelou had given them their lives. Often this was by letting it be known that someone else had managed to cope with life amid overwhelming hardships. The 11th house Pluto further reveals powerful and transformative situations through her social circle. She has four placements, the Sun, Uranus, Mercury and Venus, in her 8th house. This also hints at the theme of rebirth, renewal and insightful intensity which defined Maya Angelou.
Chiron in Taurus and Jupiter in Aries in her 9th house show Mayas affinity for teaching, and her promise to be successful with her published writing as well as languages and travel. She spoke at least 6 languages. In 1993 when she read an original poem created for President Bill Clintons inauguration, she was the first poet to do so since Robert Frost read his work at President Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. She was also the first black woman to have such a prominent role at this important National event. An observer (author Tananarive Due of the Cosby endowed chair for the humanities at Spellman College in Atlanta) said of her reading of On the Pulse of Morning that She had a tremendous gift for choosing the right language to give us peace and power. Other highlights of her full and impressive life include authoring a cookbook, being nominated for a Tony Award and receiving The Medal of Freedom in 2010, the Nations highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama. Upon bestowing the award The President praised Maya Angelou as a brilliant writer and fierce friend.
Her North Node in Gemini in the 10th house is descriptive of her prominence as well as her multi – talented and multi – faceted public image. She was born on a Wednesday, Mercury’s day of the week. This further accentuates her curiosity, versatility and tendency toward duality. When the legendary author was found by her caregiver in her
Winston-Salem, North Carolina home about 8:00 am on Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at the age of 86, it was just as her Uranus return was moving out of orb. The Uranus return often marks either a passing or a renewed sense of freedom. Perhaps both were true in a sense. Those close to Dr. Angelou remarked that she was increasingly tired and frail and suffering from heart trouble.
A statement released by Wake Forest University President Norman O. Hatch summed up her profound influence on American Culture succinctly saying, We will miss very her lyrical voice and always profound insights.
The University has published a tribute site featuring her last speaking engagement at Wake Forest.
Data Table
Maya Angelou
( born Marguerite Ann Johnson)
Born on Wednesday, April 4, 1928
At 2:10pm CST in St. Louis, MO
(Tropical Placidus House Cusps)
Sun – 14 Aries 48 – 8th house
Moon – 11 Libra 21 – 2nd house – Gibbous Lunar Phase
Mercury – 20 Pisces 25 -8th house
Venus – 21 Pisces 44 – 8th house
Mars – 27 Aquarius 53 – 7th house
Jupiter – 16 Aries 07 – 9th house
Saturn- 19 Sagittarius 05 (retrograde) – 11th house
Uranus -4 Aries 01 – 8th house
Neptune – 26 Leo 40 (retrograde) – 1st house
Pluto – 14 Cancer 59 – 11th house
N. Moon Node – 12 Gemini 37 – 10th house
Part of Fortune – 20 Aquarius 31 – 6th house
Chiron – 4 Taurus 21- 9th house
Ascendant or Rising Sign – 23 Leo 58
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