Please note: Subject headings in this paper are almost identical to those in the Simpson and Arien papers until we get to the actual chart comparisons. That is, material under subject headings titled Introduction, Method, Mars and Saturn in Synastry, and Some Chart Definitions are nearly identical. Material thereafter in this paper, beginning with the subject heading Starting Compound Mars and Saturn Sets Between Sandra and William, is unique to the “A” family.

Sandra A. was stabbed to death and her home torched on October 3, 1993. At that time, her husband was not charged in her murder. As far as I know, he has not since been charged.

Introduction
I have written a number of papers demonstrating the difficulty people experience who have mars and saturn influencing Angles in their charts. For instance, see the paper on Financial Loss. Or see the one on Mental Retardation. I have also written papers on the good fortune experienced by those whose charts have Angular venus and jupiter. For instance, see the paper on Gurus. Or, see the one on Lottery Winners Or, just look at O.J. Simpson’s life before his wife’s death. (He has venus conjunction jupiter on his birth 4th house cusp, that is, opposite B MC. Astrologically, that is the reason he will never spend much time in jail.)

Here are links to all the synastry papers. If you want to see the greatest venus/jupiter vs. mars/saturn contrast read the Browning and Simpson papers. The links: . Comments on Synastry--Astrological Compatibility--Using This Form of Astrology

Synastry, The Astrology of Venus and Jupiter Between Charts, the Sixth Couple: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward

Synastry, The Astrology of Mars and Saturn Between Charts, the Sixth Couple: Michel and Francoise Gauquelin

Synastry, The Astrology of Venus and Jupiter Between Charts, the Fifth Couple: the D Family

Synastry, The Astrology of Mars and Saturn Between Charts, the Fifth Couple: the F Family

Synastry, The Astrology of Venus and Jupiter Between Charts, the Fourth Couple: Ronald and Nancy Reagan

Synastry, The Astrology of Mars and Saturn Between Charts, the Fourth Couple: Carol and Michael Damon and Homicide/Suicide

Synastry, The Astrology of Venus and Jupiter Between Charts, the Third Couple: Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst

Synastry, The Astrology of Venus and Jupiter Between Charts, the Second Couple: Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince of England

Synastry, The Astrology of Mars and Saturn Between Charts, the Second Couple: David and Jonelle Arien and Homicide/Suicide

Synastry, The Astrology of Venus and Jupiter Between Charts, the First Couple: Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Synastry, The Astrology of Mars and Saturn Between Charts Using the Charts of O.J. Simpson and His Deceased Wife, Nicole

This paper is about the problems mars and saturn create when they exist in two separate charts but are conjunct, square, or opposition each other and an Angle. If I was writing about this condition within one chart, I would state mars and saturn were “in the same set.” But since here we are comparing planets in two charts (also known as synastry), I cannot call them sets. I will have to call them something else. I have chosen the term, “compound set.”

A compound set consists of planets from the charts of two individuals, that are conjunct, square, or opposition each other. Allowable orb is 2° (unless a light—sun, moon, or node—is involved, in which case the orb can go up to about 3-1/2°). Compound sets are more powerful if they contain a light (sun, moon, or node). They are most powerful when they contain either an Angle or the ruler of an Angle.

In the Simpson paper I stated the follow-up paper would be about a couple involved in murder who died in a locality different from their births. David and Jonelle Arien were born in Louisville, Kentucky. Both died in San Francisco, California.

Couple A. were both born at 41N51 and 87W39. She died at 41N50, 87W56—that is, there was no appreciable change in locality from her birth to her death, therefore this paper does not present any data on compound sets involving locality Angles. Sandra was 43 years old at the time.

To illustrate compound sets here, I have used the astrology between the A’s for their marriage and at the time of her death. Information from my data source is scant:

(On Sandra), American homicide victim, found repeatedly stabbed to death in her house which had then been set on fire early 10/03/1993, (41N50, 87W56). Her ex-husband (William) was a suspect due to alleged drug abuse and a bitter divorce, though he was never indicted (from Astrodatabank).

The information provided on William is as follows: American homicide suspect. His ex-wife, Sandra, was found stabbed to death in her house that had then been set on fire early 10/03/1993, (41N50, 87W56). He was never indicted but was a suspect due to alleged drug abuse and a bitter divorce. (In another place on the data sheet, it states that Sandra was an amateur astrologer)(from Astrodatabank).

Unfortunately, we do not have the date of their marriage, which would have been useful in assessing the benefic interaction at the time. Neither is it known whether or not they had children.

Before we get to those comparisons, I want to say something about this astrological method.

Method
This astrological method is not the traditional Western one. It is not traditional, period. True, it uses sidereal astrology, the predominant (traditional) astrology of the East. It also uses the Egyptian harmonic. Both are quite old. This method started with me in 1983. Its working rules were not inherited. They were uncovered gradually through years of research. As they were uncovered, a system which at first seemed too complex became almost too simple. Here are those rules:

Chart Rules

And here are links to my comments on the practical differences between sidereal versus tropical astrology as well as a paper discussing the origin of this method:

Tropical vs. Sidereal Astrology

About This Method

In this paper we want to look at the negative synastry between two people (1) as a given between their birth charts, and, (2) at a certain moment in time. The” time” for (2) is the day of Sandra A’s death (October 3, 1993, time of day unknown). For the most part their negative synastry involves looking at their compound sets involving mars and saturn, the lesser and greater malefics of astrology.

Mars and Saturn in Synastry
Mars and saturn in the same compound set produce one of the most difficult synastry situations that exist between two people. Here I have used the synastry of a couple, but these sets work the same among any two people—boss and employee, siblings, parent and child, friends, co-workers, and so on.

In astrology, mars is the symbol for aggression, assertion, cutting, tearing, breaking down, martial, penetrating, and so on. Saturn is the symbol that represents our deepest fears and our least understood limitations. Saturn also stands for deficiency, want, deprivation, darkness, depression, crystallization, sterility, and old age. In old age we become brittle and crystallized, i.e., unable or unwilling to change our ways. In youth, our crystallization (that is, fragility, rigidity, vulnerability) as it is represented by saturn is hidden deep in our personality where it was unconsciously cast during our early childhood. Generally, we are not aware of it, nor do we want to know it exists.

For the purpose of discussion about compound sets, let’s call the individual who contributes mars to the set the “mars individual,” and the one who contributes saturn, the “saturn individual.” It should be easy to see from the defining words used for mars and saturn that when they operate between two individuals some one (the saturn individual) is going to feel aggressed—cut and penetrated—in the most vulnerable, least understood part of his psyche. It almost always starts out that the mars individual inadvertently steps on the delicate toes of the saturn individual. This can go on for a long time (years), but not forever. Eventually the saturn individual “rises up” and figuratively, if not literally, flattens the mars person. At that point, the mars individual can wonder, “what did I do to deserve this?” The mars individual had seen his aggression as “natural” and the other individual’s sometimes apparent discomfort as “weakness.” Seen it, that is, if he has bothered to notice it at all. He wasn’t intending harm, he was just “being himself.” After all, what are you supposed to do if by just being yourself you are making another individual uncomfortable—stop being yourself?

When two individual share more than one compound mars/saturn set interaction gets tricky, indeed. Then the same individual can be both aggressor and the victim, depending on which set she is operating out of at the time.

My understanding of compound mars/saturn sets comes from experience as well as research. Some times when I hear of a long, drawn out, bitter divorce between two people I imagine they have at least one compound mars/saturn set between them. When two individuals share one or more compound mars/saturn sets, we have happened upon the astrological situation in which each individual believes himself sincerely in the right as well as sincerely wronged by the other individual. Each tells himself or herself that it would take little for the other individual to make things “right.” Each believes the other individual, therefore, meanly holding out. Each is in pain. Each ends up believing the other individual is fortuitously augmenting that pain. This leads to endless mutual recriminations, both imaginative and verbal. And, of course, it can escalate to violence.

One can live with another with whom they share a compound mars/saturn. It happens, unfortunately, between some parents and their children. Too, it happens among couples when they also share strong positive sets. The positive sets provide the motivation—the liking, loving, pleasure, comfort, laughter, highs—to be together. At first, the quarrels, hurt feelings, and rifts sponsored by the mars/saturn set are ignored or patched up quickly. In fact, healing the rift provides the couple with some fairly dramatic experiences of intimacy, convincing them of the depth of their attachment. The “good” feels really good especially when compared with how awful the “bad” feels. As time goes on, however, healing is less pleasurable and their differences have become more painful. Unresolved differences lead to the accumulation of bad feelings and resentment.

At the beginning of relationships we all tend to put our best foot forward, emphasizing the positive both consciously and unconsciously. With couples who fall in love, their fairy tale happiness is helped along by the strong positive astrology active when they met. So, it is not surprising no one wants to welcome discord when and if it happens. No one wants to see herself the snarly, defensive, child-like partner that is represented by a wounded saturn individual.

Even if a married couple did not start out with a compound mars/saturn set, they are together so long that sooner or later they usually experience some through progressions. When that happens, the pain starts with the saturn individual experiencing the previously loving spouse as thoughtless, insensitive, crude, and possibly even cruel. Mutual blame, anger, resentment, and even disbelief begin to accumulate. But, since the condition came about through progressions, it will pass and the relationship will improve. From the point of view of the individuals experiencing it, their temporary pain was a fluke in a usually good relationship. And, since they did not start out with the problem, they would be right. They experienced as passing a difficult condition which some couples experience as part of their life together.

So, it is difficult enough for a relationship to survive intact through a progressed mars/saturn set. It is best not to go into a relationship which starts out with strong one.

It can get worse. A couple can start out with a compound mars/saturn set. Then, one or more sets are formed between them during one period of time.

This can happen in several ways. As stated above, it can occur through progressions. It can also occur through a change in locality. The couple move and one (or both) of them provide new locality Angles for mars/saturn sets that were previously in the background (i.e., without a light or Angle). Or the locality Angles coincide with new, progressed mars/saturn sets.

Since she died in a locality close to her birth, the A’s were not influenced by locality astrology at the time. They were, however, under the influence of a powerful progressed compound mars/saturn.

Some Chart Definitions
In the tables below, b stands for birth, c stands for conception, and p for progressed. T stands for transiting. A number following the letters identifies the harmonic chart from which the harmonic planet was taken, e.g., b7 pluto identifies the harmonic of pluto for the 7th chart. All harmonics used are +2 greater than the number of the chart they are applied to. Therefore, the harmonic used for the 7th chart is the ninth, or novienic, harmonic.

MC stands for Midheaven while Asc stands for Ascendant. B-Loc identifies the locality chart for birth, while C-Loc identifies the locality chart for conception. Reasonably, then, pB-Loc MC identifies the progressed locality Midheaven for birth while pC-Loc Asc identifies the progressed locality Ascendant for conception.

Now we can look at some of the synastry in the compound sets which existed between the Ariens. I do not know in which city they met, but assumed it was Louisville, Kentucky, where they were both born. They might have met in San Francisco. Regardless of where they met, their Louisville Angles, because they are the Angles they were born with, would comprise half of their shared compound sets when compared with locality Angles, and at least one-quarter of their shared compound sets before progressions. In this paper most of the chart comparisons are between 7th charts because the 7th chart is strongest in showing relationship

Angles and House Cusps for the A’s
I have not included drawings of partial charts in this paper, therefore, house cusps are not shown. Here they are for reference in reading the rest of this paper.

House Cusps for Sandra A.:
Placidus: C MC—22 Cancer 43, c11—26Leo, c12—23Vir, C Asc—14 Libra 21, c2—13 Sco, c3—17Sag B MC—18 Scorpio 39, b11—9Sag, b12—2Cap, B Asc—3 Aquarius 50, b2—22Pis, b3—25Ari

House Cusps for William A.:
Placidus: C MC—3 Sco 53, c11—25Sco, c12—16Sag, C Asc—11 Cap 24, c2—30Aqu, c3—7Ari B MC—10 Tau 48, b11—16Gem, b12—17Can, B Asc—14 Leo 43, b2—8Vir, b3—7Lib

Starting Compound Mars/Saturn Sets Between Sandra and William
By “starting sets” I mean sets that existed between their birth charts, i.e., prior to any progressions. The A’s started with three compound mars/saturn sets:

Systematic exploration of this kind of synastry is relatively new to me. With Set (1) I had to ask myself, “since both of them are contributing a mars and a saturn to this compound set, does it really comprise a compound set?” The answer is, yes, it does, a very powerful one. Set (1) contains a light (his c7 moon, which is close in orb to her mars/saturn). It influences two Angles: (a) His c7 mars rules his C MC and c 3rd house. (b) His c7 saturn rules his C Asc (in b 5th house). (a) implies considerable mental frustration, blame, and anger (3rd house influence). (b) implies sexual frustrations and differences (5th house).

Set (1) comprises a maelstrom of negative, irreconcilable interactions between Sandra and William. Furthermore…

Her c7 mars ruled c 7th house and her c7 saturn ruled c 4th house. Mars/saturn/neptune is a description of siege conditions through partners (7th) at the end of life (4th). His moon lighted that set for her and his two Angle influences brought it forefront. Preceding and at the time of her death, his progressed b saturn (coming from 17 Virgo 34, co-ruling b 5th house) had entered the set at 22 Virgo 04. There were no other progressions and transits in play at the time.

Set (2) is a doubly lighted compound mars/saturn set with influence to two Angles. Her b mars rules B MC and b 3rd house. His c saturn rules C Asc (in b 5th house.).

The third set, shown below in Set (3), is weaker because there is only one light, and the distance between that light and the pertinent mars is 4° 26”, approaching the limit of acceptable orb of 5°.

This lighted mars/saturn set is lighted and made Angular by his c mars, ruler of his C MC. (There are three more planets in this set—her venus/venus/mercury, but I left them out because here they only obscure the compound mars/saturn. One of her venus’, however, also rules an Angle, her C Asc. Therefore this set, weak by orb, is strong by Angular influence (two Angles).

Three compound mars/saturn sets is a lot to start with—too much. Their remaining negative synastry involves two light/mars between them

His b sun rules B Asc (which is in c 7th house). His light/mars/jupiter is a set encouraging ambition (mars/jupiter), which can also contribute to gambling or risk taking (mars/jupiter). This set contains a multiply-lighted jupiter, that is true, and that is generally good. But it also contains two multiply-lighted mars—one of hers, and one of his. The most significant pairing, however, is the conjunction of his b7 mars in Libra with her b7 moon in Libra. Astrologically it suggests quarrels (mars) in relationship (Libra). Generally, in any combination of moon/mars between a man and woman, the man is the perpetrator and the woman the recipient of the “mars” action (quarrels, fights, battering, beatings).

In Set (5) her two moons rule her C MC, while his b sun rules his B Asc, so this set is lighted and forefront. In effect, she provides two more lights to his already lighted mars in Libra (quarrels and disturbance in relationships), once again increasing the likelihood she will be the recipient of his anger.

Sets (1) through (5), containing three compound mars/saturn sets and two compound light/mars sets indicate that any long-term relationship between Sandra and William would be rife with conflict. Sets (1) and (2) would have been enough to destroy the possibility of a happy relationship.

Progressed Compound Mars/Saturn Set
This couple had one very significant progressed dark malefic at the time of her death:

This compound moon/mars/saturn/neptune (siege conditions) influences two Angles through his planets. His pc mars rules his C MC and his pc saturn rules his C Asc.

All the planets in Virgo fall in Sandra’s birth 7th house.

At the time, William had progressed B MC at 20 Gemini 44 and progressed B Asc at 18 Virgo 31. Their mean value is 19 Mutable 36.

Of course, Sandra had her own progressed difficulties. In her 7th chart, she was born with saturn to one Angle (b7 saturn at 18 Aquarius 29 to B MC at 18 Scorpio 39.) On the date of her death she had acquired three more: C MC 22 Cancer 43, pb7 saturn 22 Capricorn 05, pc7 saturn 22 Libra 33, pb moon 22 Aries 59 and pb saturn 19 Leo 07R to B MC 18 Scorpio 39.

Since excessive mars also represents excessive adrenaline (related to flight or fight, fear or anger), influence of all these sets is toward anger (for William) and fear (for Sandra). Too caught up in the sympathetic nervous system (adrenaline), he would have experienced a growing need for action (actually, resolution). With compound mars/saturn over-emphasis, the only resolution I know of is complete separation and assisted “de-fusing.” Each individual is caught in a “grievous error” in their estimation of the motivations of the other individual, assigning intent where there is none. All actions based on righting such perceived wrongs are inevitably inappropriate.

What Drew Them Together?
It would be reasonable to wonder what drew this couple together. What positive sets did they share? Unfortunately, I do not have the date they met or married. Surely they had more benefic interaction at that time.

They had one apparent compound golden benefic, but both benefics were supplied by Sandra:

Note her venus and jupiter are in opposition, symbolizing “no (opposition) luck (jupiter) in love (venus). Nonetheless, his C Asc draws on the benefic quality of both of them, so she would have tended, at least early in their relationship, to be kind (jupiter), forbearing (jupiter), loving (venus), and agreeable (venus) to William. When the relationship came to end, he would have felt the loss keenly.

They had another set which brought out his arrogance, self-love, and narcissism. Her c7 and b7 suns at 11 Leo 38 were widely conjunct his c SN at 13 Leo 29, his b venus at 13 Leo 58, and his B Asc at 14 Leo 43.

They had the following set:

The widest orb in Set (b) is 4° 32’ between her b7 SN and his b7 venus. Since, however, two lights are involved, the set holds up as valid. It influences two Angles—one through her b7 mars (which rules B MC) and the second through his b7 venus (which rules his B MC). So this is forefront compound benefic (mainly) set. Interpretation is tricky. Certainly, the fact that two of his venuses are involved indicates he likes (venus) and is attracted (venus) to her. The double nodes imply this was a fated (nodes) relationship, or at least that this particular interface between them was highly subjective. Her mercury/mars can stand for quarreling, or else just aggressiveness. His mercury/venus can stand for appeasement, or perhaps a tendency to be untruthful (venus does not like unpleasantness). Generally, it is better if the man’s mars (the masculine, aggressive, penetrating side of sexuality) is to the woman’s venus (the feminine, receptive side of sexuality). Reversed, they can present the problem that she is too sexually aggressive for him

Set (b) is about sexuality, and about love to the degree that sexuality is identical to love.

The A’s shared four node/jupiter sets, only one of which involved his jupiter. That means their relationship drew on all four of her jupiters, but only one of his. In the sense of openness and forbearance, she was carrying the relationship. She was the one who gave, gave in, gave up, forgave, and so on until they separated. By then, he would have been expecting her largesse to continue.

Conclusion
The A’s started out with two very strong and one weak compound mars/saturn sets. It is doubtful any relationship, regardless of strength of benefic sets, can find the right path with that much affliction. They had a fourth, progressed compound mars/saturn set at the time of her death. His chart supplied both the mars and saturn, but their conjunction to her moon (as well as her death) let us know that she, too, was experiencing their malevolence.

Their compound benefic sets gave us a little more information on their relationship. Three of his venuses (and only one jupiter) were involved in compound sets. All four of her jupiters (and only one of her venuses) were. Attraction (venus) was stronger on his side. Forbearance (jupiter) was stronger on hers. Even had they had no compound malefic sets, forbearance alone is not enough to make a good relationship. With their four compound malefics, good will (jupiter) did not stand a chance.

Discussion
Although other astrological factors play a role in determining the quality of a relationship, the synastry of mars/saturn and venus/jupiter between charts cover the range from very difficult to very harmonious. In that sense, they are good indices of failed and successful relationships.

Summing:

William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies, whose love affair lasted over 35 years, started with two compound malefic sets, one lacking both light and Angle influence, and the other lacking Angle influence. They also started with at least two—possibly three—compound golden benefic sets and seven more sets comprised of Angle/venus, light/venus, Angle/jupiter, or light/jupiter.

Since neither of their malefic sets influenced an Angle, the troubles represented by them tended to stay in the background even when a progressing light entered either set.

All of their benefic sets contain lights, and all but one of them [Set (5)] influences at least one of their Angles.

Queen Victoria and her Prince started with zero compound malefic sets and seven compound benefic ones, at least one of which approached being a compound golden benefic.

Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning started with one weak compound mars/saturn set (it did not contain a light and had no influence to Angles). They started with eight compound benefic sets, one of which was compound golden benefic. (This number does not include any progressions or their locality Angles for Florence.)

David Arien killed his wife, Jonelle, and then himself. They started with four compound mars/saturn sets—before progressions, and before locality Angles. In earlier papers I referred to mars/saturn sets as dark malefics. I am not happy with the term but use it to represent, so-to-speak, the “opposite” of golden benefic.

O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson started with two compound mars/saturn sets, one lighted and both with Angular influence. They experienced a confluence of them (four) through progressions and locality Angles at the time of her death. All four influenced at least one Angle, often more. They started with two very weak compound benefic sets. A third compound benefic was strong—Nicole’s San Francisco locality Angles picking up O.J.’s venus/jupiter.

Finally, our third “afflicted couple—the A’s—started with three compound mars/saturn sets (all with influence to Angles) and gained one through progression (with influence to two Angles) at the time of her death. As discussed above, they had one Angular compound golden benefic and a number of lesser sets (light/venus and light/jupiter) (influencing two Angles) that showed a skew toward attraction for him and forbearance (jupiter) from her.

So far, we are getting a strong separation of happy couples from unhappy couples (to say the least) that correlates strongly with “excessive” compound benefics for the former and excessive compound malefics for the latter.

Further Work
To date I have written about three highly “failed” marriages (Simpsons, Ariens, and the A’s) and three very successful one (Brownings, Queen Victoria/Prince Albert, and Hearst/Davies). I will do one more of each—there is some difficulty finding “failed” couples because birth data for both partners is most often only submitted for homicides.

Star Flower, a rare 7-petaled flower
From Wildflowers of Michigan Field Guide, by Stan Tekiela