Bernie Madoff’s horoscope

He is guilty of the largest financial fraud in U.S. history. What can Bernie Madoff‘s horoscope tell us about this swindler?

Madoff was arrested on December 11th 2009.  He later admitted running a massive ponzi scheme. A scheme that left thousands of Madoff’s investors with losses in the billions of dollars.

On March 11th, 2009 Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies. On June 29th that year he was sentenced to 150 years in prison. His first day of incarceration was July 14th, 2009.

Bernie Madoff was born on April 29th, 1938 at 1:50pm in New York, New York. This is accurate (birth certificate) data from astrodatabank.com.

Madoff’s Sun (his ‘Sun sign’) is in Taurus. But also in Taurus are his Venus, Uranus, and Moon.

Taurus is an earth sign, ruled by Venus. It’s the horoscope sign broadly associated with possessions, money, tangible assets and ‘the finer things in life’. Such as fine food, luxury.

Venus has a particularly interesting placement in Bernie Madoff’s horoscope.

Firstly, his Venus is strong in essential dignity. This is because Venus is in a sign it rules, i.e. Taurus. And secondly Venus is fortified in terms of accidental dignity because it’s in the angular 10th house.

Ordinarily, we could take these two points as showing Madoff has a well-behaved (in its own sign) and prominent (10th house) Venus quality or aura. Particularly in terms of career, money, assets and taste.

But…

Venus has a problem. It is constrained between two awkward bed-partners: Mars and the South Node.

So while Venus may seem to have capacity to be ‘well-behaved’, it is nevertheless closely connected to two influences traditional astrologers see as troublesome.

Mars, because it can upset things and bring ‘strife’. And South Node because of its association with instinctual behaviours. Behaviours that might not be in our best interests.

So Venus will receive influence from these two sources, and this will skew Venus’s expression.

Let’s now look at the Nodes.

South Node and North Node

The South Node indicates instinctual behaviours, things we are naturally ‘good at.’ South Node by house and sign is what we’re meant to move away from during life, if we are to grow.

Our life aim, our ‘story arc,’ should be towards the North Node. Because the North Node is new behaviours we’re not comfortable with but are potentially beneficial.

Astrologer Michael Lutin likens the South Node to chocolate and the North Node to tofu. South Node is attractive and seductive. North Node is bland, but ultimately healthier.

In Madoff’s case, his South Node in Taurus is conjunct Venus in the 10th house (green oval, above).

This indicates instinctual behaviours (South Node) will influence his values, loves, and general charisma (Venus).

And also his career (10th house) and in an overall earthy, material way (Taurus).

Being a charming ‘big cheese’ of taste and discernment (Taurus) is something he’s instinctually good at (South Node). This might appear to others as a ‘talent’.

His North Node (red arrow, above) is in the Scorpio 4th house. The 4th house is about family, foundation.

So an intense (Scorpio) interest in family matters is shown as a part of Madoff’s (tofu) life journey. Rather than being in the (chocolate) spotlight, as shown by the South Node.

Here’s a few other things we can say about Bernie Madoff’s horoscope…

Neptune conjunct 2nd house cusp

Neptune is a planet associated with many things. One of them is deception. In Bernie Madoff’s horoscope, it’s close to his 2nd house cusp (purple arrow, above).

Neptune therefore influences his 2nd house matters such as resources and wealth. This area of his life is inflected with Neptunian illusion, idealism, delusion, sensitivity or vagueness.

It gives uncertainty and lack of clarity around money, assets and wealth. It indicates Madoff could ‘lie’ about his finances, to himself and others.

Jupiter square Venus

We mentioned Venus earlier. This planetary aspect (blue arrow, above) gives us further information about how Madoff’s Venus operates.

In short, it operates big!

Jupiter is expansive optimism, a sense that ‘more is better’. It adds exaggeration, opportunity and optimism to an already prominent Venus.

Jupiter can also be jovial, optimistic. Yet it can also lack a sense of ‘accountability’, which is why Jupiter is associated with ‘sales’ and salespeople.

Jupiter is conjunct (close to) his 7th house cusp. This angularity gives Jupiter additional ‘loudness.’ And the 7th is the house of ‘other people’ and relationships. It is other people who will act out Madoff’s Jupiter. Positively, they will believe in him and bolster his career. Negatively, they may blindly believe.

Pluto square Mercury

This shows powerful (Pluto) thinking and communication (Mercury). Mercury is in Madoff’s 9th house, in Aries. So we have an abrupt (Aries) communicator, short and sharp words and thoughts, backed with a underlying powerful drive (Pluto).

Mercury is also the ruler of Madoff’s Virgo 2nd house of money and resources. So this aspect indicates his potential for wealth and power.

Life event: arrest by the FBI, December 11th, 2008

The inner circle below shows Madoff’s horoscope. The outer circle shows his Solar Arc Directions (SADs) for this date.

He was arrested at a time when his SAD Midheaven (or ‘MC’) was just entering Leo and his 12th house (blue oval, below).

The 12th house, among other things, is the house of ‘self-undoing.’ In other words, the house of trouble we get ourselves into, by our own actions. Hence it is the house associated with prison.

Life event: first day in prison, July 14th 2009

What’s amazing in the above is SAD Neptune. It is exactly conjunct his North Node (red oval) and opposite his South Node (red arrows).

We saw earlier that Neptune influences Madoff’s finances. Here, we see Neptune now connecting with the Nodal axis, bringing his Neptunian side to the fore.

Some associate the Nodes with karma – the South Node representing past life, the North Node showing our destination in this life.

To me, this SAD Neptune to the Nodes indicates a kind of karma for Bernie Madoff. His grand fakery and lies are now lined-up with, or afflicting, his life journey.

Life event: transits 2008-2009

Here’s a graphic ephemeris showing planetary aspects to Bernie Madoff’s horoscope. The transits are from the left, and shown by the wavy lines. His natal planets and points are the straight lines, and are shown on the right.

There are three relevant aspects.

First, transiting Uranus square his natal Neptune (green arrow) in early December 2008.

Uranus is disruption, change, sudden reversals. Neptune is idealism, fantasy, delusion. So Madoff receives a ‘jolt’ at this time, his sudden (Uranus) arrest. Or the breaking of the spell.

Second, transiting Neptune square his natal Midheaven (red arrow), also in early to mid December 2008. One interpretation is a dissolution or uncertainty around career.

Third, transiting Jupiter in a stationing square to his natal South and North Nodes (blue) arrow, around the time of sentencing in June 2009. Jupiter in his horoscope is to with other people, and here it is ultimately other people who ensure he is punished with a 150 year prison sentence.

Bernie Madoff’s horoscope: summary

A grand sense of self, driven by other people’s unquestioning belief in Madoff’s perceived talent, style and charisma.

A charisma centred on a rather afflicted Venus, that is not as likely to make the best decisions, despite appearances.

An abrupt, fiery and action-oriented speaker, with a powerful message. A characteristic at odds with his his Taurean earthiness.

Delusion around financial matters. Not only sold to other people, but a delusion (that he could get away with it) he likely believed himself. And for many years he did.

But the time came when he was called to account. SAD MC moving into the 12th house, along with challenging transits.

And finally, SAD Neptune to the Nodes: one life dissolved, another about to be lived-out in confinement.