J. K. Rowling Chart Analysis: Part 1

J. K. Rowling probably needs no introduction. I had been thinking to analyze her chart for some time now, when it struck me that the story of Harry Potter is itself written in her chart. Allow me to explain by pointing out a basic fact:

All planets revolve around the Sun
This is of course true for any chart. In the chart of Barack Obama, we saw that all planets from Mercury to Saturn (and one could add the outer planets as well) had a particular contribution to make to the actualization of life purpose that was written in the Sun 6H Leo - redemption (6H) through leadership (Leo). In the chart of Rowling, we have another 6H Leo Sun, this time describing (so it seems) a life purpose around creativity as a craft (Leo impacting 6H). Now, if this is how Rowling actualizes her sense of purpose, should we not be able to find traces of the story she spent so many years working on written in the planets that are orbiting around, contributing to that purpose? My answer is: Yes, we should, and I think I found them.

While the analysis is ultimately about Rowling, it will include plenty of references to Harry Potter. Spoilers will abound. The funny thing is that even J. K. Rowling's Trauma Helix - the sequence of outer planets as trauma indicators from past lives - adds plenty of information to the story of Harry Potter when you look at it that way. It's as if Rowling took some of the painful things from her own life and translated them, with each planet still staying true to the archetypal combination of its particular house and sign.

Before I get ahead of myself though, let's start with Rowling's evolutionary axis.

Evolutionary Axis

Pluto, South Node and South Node ruler

There does not exist, to my knowledge, any authorized Rowling biography. Instead, I have chosen to rely primarily on the 2007 documentary A Year In the Life along with some articles and other tidbits of information. The resulting analysis will of course not be exhaustive.

Joanne Rowling grew up with her parents and her two years younger sister, Dianne. Her father apparently made it perfectly clear that he had wanted her to be a boy. Her parents had expected a boy; she was supposed to have been named Simon John. She was made to dress in blue, Dianne in pink; she was expected to be the bright one, Dianne the pretty one. Though she was scared of her father, Joanne also learnt to desperately seek his approval.

With Pluto in 7H, the question of expectations can be very significant. What do others expect of you? How do they respond (Libra archetype) to what you are and what you do? With the sign of Virgo, we have an exact fit: people are critical of you (Virgo) for not being good enough (Virgo) to meet their expectations (7H). Instead of simply being loved for who she was, she was reminded that she was supposed to have been a boy - an impossible expectation to meet. How could she not feel a chronic sense of unworthiness (Virgo)?

Now, the South Node and its ruler will tell us how this theme of unworthiness was explored. The South Node in 10H Sagittarius seems to speak of a father (10H) who was incredibly blunt (Sagittarius) in stating his opinion that his two daughters (South Node ruler in 4H Gemini - female siblings) should have been of different (Gemini - split) genders (4H).

This may seem like a very specific interpretation of the Pluto-South Node dynamics. To a great extent, the South Node also seems to speak of the harshness (10H) of an external world (10H) that was very opinionated (Sagittarius) in general. Rowling was bullied at school from age 11 and, according to one biographer, she had a teacher who "struck fear into the hearts of her children" and humiliated Rowling for performing poorly on an arithmetic test. Rowling responded by withdrawing into her inner world (SNr 4H) where she was free to daydream, read books and write stories (SNr Gemini).

Linking this back to Pluto, we find that we can also understand the Pluto soul issue in a slightly different sense, as a crisis (Virgo) of relationships (7H) in general. The South Node dynamics in the above paragraph would have been a perfect way to explore such a crisis, don't you think?

South Node ruler conjunct the North Node

In fact, Rowling wrote her first book at age six and she continued to read and write fiction throughout her adolescence and young adulthood. Here we see something unusual: as the South Node ruler conjuncts the North Node, Rowling's habitual, past-life dynamics of daydreaming to get away from the world would trigger the North Node itself. The South Node dynamics alone would not be enough to create Harry Potter, but they were still curiously aligned with the North Node.

Uranus conjunct Pluto

Uranus is also closely conjunct Pluto, which I feel is relevant to the soul narrative. When Rowling was 15, her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. What followed was a long, slow loss of Rowling's mother which wasn't made easier because of the dysfunctional relationship she had with her father. We see it expressed in her chart: the nervous system (Uranus) of a loved one (7H) started to deteriorate (Virgo), creating a crisis (Virgo). Conjunct Pluto, this story too is pulled into the soul narrative, creating yet another reason for her to try to escape into daydreams.

Skipped steps

Using a fifteen-degree orb, there are at least six skipped steps in this chart, seven if we include Chiron. This will be covered in part 2, where I will also give a basic explanation of how to interpret a skipped step in the Pluto paradigm.

North Node, North Node ruler and PPP

Setting aside the skipped steps for now, Rowling finally hit pay dirt when she came up with Harry Potter while she was waiting for a delayed train. The idea simply "fell into her head":

I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before. To my immense frustration, I didn't have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me. I think that perhaps if I had had to slow down the ideas so that I could capture them on paper I might have stifled some of them (although sometimes I do wonder, idly, how much of what I imagined on that journey I had forgotten by the time I actually got my hands on a pen).

The fourth house is a very impressionable house. Like the Moon which creates a self-image based on whatever cues it picks up from its environment, like the Cancer archetype as a whole, it is extremely receptive, subjective, taking whatever it finds and feeling it, internally molding it.

The North Node is the catalyst of change. With the above quote, we see clearly a 4H catalyst coming through the sign of Gemini - via words, connections, stories.

The North Node ruler gives us the specifics of how this happened - not just this once, but for the entire creative process. The imaginative stories were woven through the sculpting (Virgo) of characters (7H) - in many cases, characters based on real people that Rowling had known, met, or whose names had flashed by in some random setting. Biographers have speculated on some real-world inspirations for her characters, but she has also confirmed many. Hermione, the know-it-all, was based on a more extreme version of Rowling herself during childhood (there's one more aspect of the South Node for you!); Ron Weasley was based on a childhood friend; several teachers were based on real teachers, and so on. Even the Weasleys' flying Ford Anglia was based on a real car! Rowling simply took all these different people (even a car can be like an old friend!) and re-defined them (Virgo) in some fashion, crafted them (Virgo) into characters (7H).

In one sense, the Pluto Polarity Point now seems quite obvious. Through becoming an author, Rowling became completely independent (1H) which has allowed her to dedicate her life to charity, to acts of selflessness - Pisces. She is no longer dependent on dysfunctional relationships; she doesn't need to seek anyone's approval. She is independent. We will now look at the Harry Potter story and, when we are finished, I will revisit the PPP for what I believe is an even deeper layer of interpretation.

Saturn 1H Pisces - the structure of the story

Yer a wizard, Harry.
I'm a what?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)

It was some time in 1990 that Harry Potter fell into Rowling's head - I haven't been able to find the exact time, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was in March: The nodes were crossing Rowling's AC/DC axis, transiting Pluto was conjuncting Neptune and, during this month, Saturn was entering 12H. This 12H Capricorn Saturn is probably speaking of a fantasy or a dream (12H) that is being established, attaining a definite structure. What kind of "dream structure" are we talking about? As I believe transiting planets express themselves on top of the natal planet, I look to natal Saturn for answers: the dream structure concerns an identity (1H) that is otherworldly (Pisces) - the identity of a wizard. In other words, it concerns Harry Potter himself.

It is this wizard that will form the structure that all the inner planets exist inside. From Jupiter inwards, it is all about "Harry Potter". And ultimately, all the planets (including Saturn and the outer planets) serve Rowling's Sun - creativity (Leo) as a craft (6H).

(This idea, that the structure of Saturn colors everything inside it, was first developed by Jeffrey Wolf Green. You can read about it in his Essays on Evolutionary Astrology, chapter 10.)

If there is any doubt that Saturn indeed represents Harry Potter, consider this: Saturn is conjunct Chiron: A scar that Harry carries on his forehead (1H - immediate appearance) and which turns out to be a spiritual channel (Pisces).

The outer planets - the backstory

I usually deal with the outer planets as trauma indicators from the past, often from other lives. Here I want to try something slightly different: I want to examine how the outer planets, as they revolve around the Sun, also contribute to the story of Harry Potter. Curiously enough, if Saturn shows us the structure of the story, Pluto, Neptune and Uranus seem to have something to say about the backstory.

But just as I would normally read the outer planets as trauma indicators, they do seem to speak of trauma even here, this time mostly connected with Harry Potter and Voldemort.

And just as, in Michael de Baker's model of the Trauma Helix I normally use for the outer planets, Chiron is the transmitter who picks up each facet of trauma from the three outer planets and conveys it to Saturn, so does it happen even here. Believe me, I am no less mystified than you are!

Pluto 7H Virgo

If Saturn is the structure of the story, Pluto is the underlying theme. Here it seems that Rowling's own life theme of a crisis of relationships has been creatively morphed into a crisis (Virgo) of opposition (7H - the Libra archetype opposing the Aries archetype, forcing it to become aware of itself in relationship): a crisis of how the Dark Lord (Pluto), no matter how hard he tries (Virgo), cannot overcome the opposition (7H) of Harry Potter (Pluto opposite Saturn!). At his service is a political mob (Uranus conjunct Pluto) which has declared other people (7H) to be inferior, "filthy" (Virgo).

Notice how the opposition between Harry (Saturn) and Voldemort (Pluto) is very close, while the opposition between Harry and the Death Eaters (Uranus) is just a little bit looser. Rowling could not have made the story reflect her chart better even if she had tried!

Neptune 9H Scorpio

Neptune corresponds to what Jeffrey Green called "spiritual trauma". As we continue the story, we see how the Dark Lord went against all that is natural and moral (9H) as he committed murder (Scorpio) in order to make himself immortal (Scorpio). His soul was literally split into seven pieces - how's that for spiritual trauma?

Uranus 7H Virgo

He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 2

Except for its conjunction to Pluto, Uranus is also connected to "mental trauma": traumatic memories of past events that can resurface when triggered. Here we see, in the way Rowling crafted the story, that the "blinding flash of green light" (Uranus - a wave of energy), the killing curse, lies just beyond the everyday consciousness of Harry (Saturn). And what a trauma it was, not just for Harry but for Voldemort who, as he tried to kill baby Harry, was killed himself - crisis of opposition again!

Chiron 1H Pisces

The attack on Harry created a scar - a visible remnant of the backstory. Chiron bridges the two worlds as it brings with it something from each of the outer planets to the doorstep of Saturn:

• From Uranus: the killing curse that created the scar.
• From Neptune: the soul fragment that was split from Voldemort and latched itself onto Harry as the killing curse bounced back onto Voldemort himself. The eighth horcrux.
• From Pluto: the psychology that Harry shares with Voldemort, such as snake-whispering, and the ability of both to infiltrate each others' minds.

Each of these facets of trauma is summarized in the Chiron scar - the spiritual channel connecting the two. In the Trauma Helix model, this is EXACTLY how you would examine past-life trauma in the life of an actual client. Pretty strange, huh?

As the story progresses, Harry and his friends are forced to go back to the "outer realm" of Uranus and beyond and try to heal the damage that has been done. But for now, back to the boy (Saturn) and to how he impacts the inner planets.

From Jupiter to Mercury

Jupiter 4H Gemini

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.
       "Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that -- no? Well, if you're sure -- better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 7 (The Sorting Hat)

Before Harry finds out he is a wizard (Saturn 1H Pisces), he is a victim (Saturn 1H Pisces), an orphan who is bullied and neglected. But as soon as he learns he is a wizard, everything changes for him. Once the structure is in place, Jupiter is ready to interpret that structure, to give it a greater meaning and direction.

The way Jupiter interprets the structure is to say: "The wizard (Saturn 1H Pisces) needs a home (Jupiter 4H) in one of several clearly differentiated (Gemini) houses (4H)."

Mars 8H Libra

Once Jupiter has given a sense of direction, a sense of purpose - a belief system if you will - Mars now knows how to act. If Harry didn't know he was a Gryffindor, how would he be able to fight the Slytherins - through Quidditch, through the occasional duel, through fighting the death eaters and ultimately Voldemort?

For this particular combination of 8H with Libra, I would like to add a few pictures from the movies:

Throughout the series, there are numerous battles (8H) between forces (8H) that are interlocked (Libra), usually through wands. Is it not a beautiful expression of this particular combination of planet, house and sign?

Venus 7H Virgo

Once Mars has acted, Venus now knows what to relate to. "The moment I decide to do this and not that, I establish a relationship with this and not with that." (Michael de Baker 2022, p. 36). What is it Harry establishes a relationship to? With tools (Virgo) that are frequently connected to other people (7H) and, in many cases, are akin to other people (7H). There are plenty of examples:

• His wand, first of all - which he got from the wandmaker Ollivander
• His invisibility cloak - which he got from his father
• His broomsticks - most notably the Firebolt he received from "an anonymous benefactor" who turned out to be Sirius Black
• Riddle's diary - which brings him into contact with the adolescent Voldemort
• The marauder's map - which connects him to the childhood quartet of his father
• The Diary of the Half-Blood Prince - Snape, obviously
• The Pensieve - all kinds of people through their memories!
• The Horcruxes - Voldemort

But this in itself would not be complete, unless we had Mercury to finalize the picture.

Mercury 7H Virgo

"What is interpreted (Jupiter), acted on (Mars) and related to (Venus), determines what thought is directed at (Mercury)." (Michael de Baker, Same Soul, p. 36). By now I have practically given it away: Harry's relationship to the tools (Virgo) connected to other people (7H) causes him to think (Mercury) about those people (7H). In particular, it causes him to investigate (Virgo) them, creating clarity (Virgo) around them, in a way that fills in all the gaps so that the story is finally complete.

In one of the more climactic moments in the seventh book, everything comes together when Harry realizes that the invisibility cloak he had from Book 1 is one of the deathly hallows - a realization that also brings clarity (Virgo) to Harry's relations (7H):

“My mum told Sirius that Dumbledore borrowed the Cloak! This is why! He wanted to examine it, because he thought it was the third Hallow! Ignotus Peverell is buried in Godric’s Hollow. . . .” Harry was walking blindly around the tent, feeling as though great new vistas of truth were opening all around him. “He’s my ancestor! I’m descended from the third brother! It all makes sense!”

And with this, we have finally arrived at the Sun.

Sun 6H Leo

The chart analysis is still about Rowling! But as Rowling's Saturn turned out to be, on some level, Harry Potter himself, all planets within Saturn's boundaries were colored by this fact.

(This is not something I came up with myself, by the way: it is central to the Planetary Method developed by Jeffrey Wolf Green.)

Now we can see how all these planets, as they revolve around the Sun, make their own unique contribution to Rowling's sense of purpose in life: creativity (Leo) as a craft (6H), or perhaps even more accurately "as a service" (6H) - we were many who in our youth felt served by this woman's constant outpouring of creativity!

Moon 8H Virgo

As the Sun shines it light upon the Moon, we see Rowling herself using her discrimination (Virgo) to decide who gets to live and who dies (8H) - and more to the point, which power (8H) will turn out the strongest and which will be found lacking (Virgo 8H - using one's critical intellect to detect weak points). As it turns out in the end of both the first and the last book, love always wins. Good conquers evil. The explanations for why Voldemort always loses are often rather analytical, Virgoan. In letting good conquer evil, Rowling also makes an important choice (8H) which paves the way for the PPP in 1H Pisces.

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign. . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good. "

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 17

“And his knowledge remained woefully incomplete, Harry! That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of house-elves and children’s tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped. [...] “Without meaning to, as you now know, Lord Voldemort doubled the bond between you when he returned to a human form. A part of his soul was still attached to yours, and, thinking to strengthen himself, he took a part of your mother’s sacrifice into himself. If he could only have understood the precise and terrible power of that sacrifice, he would not, perhaps, have dared to touch your blood. . . . But then, if he had been able to understand, he could not be Lord Voldemort, and might never have murdered at all."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35

PPP 1H Pisces Revisited

Love, and the sacrifice that accompanies it (Pisces), has a power unto itself, beyond the reach of evil - as if existing solely unto itself (1H). Thus the crisis of opposition (Pluto 7H Virgo) is resolved. As much as Voldemort tries to kill Harry, he simply cannot touch him, cannot get to him.

Going back to what we said earlier about Rowling's soul issues, we talked about a crisis of expectations as well as dysfunctional relationships in general. And there are episodes of Rowling's life that we haven't touched upon here, such as her short but violent marriage to the Portuguese journalist Jorge Arantes. It just seems to me that when Rowling formulates the power of love like she does, it is not just a plot element, but a resolution of her own internal struggles. A resolution that ends in love.

This concludes part 1 of the presentation. In part 2, we will look at Rowling's skipped steps and how they were resolved. We will also look at the controversy surrounding some of Rowling's more recent political statements, particularly her statements on gender issues.