Ronan Farrow: Exceptional chart, exceptional talent

Ronan Farrow has been in the news again, inspiring us with his talent, courage, and amazing productivity. (1) One look at his natal chart explains much. (2)

Ronan Farrow
Dec. 19, 1987
10:49 a.m. EST
Manhattan, N.Y.
Placidus houses, True node

The ruler of his Aquarius Ascendant is Uranus, which falls in a large stellium in the mid to late degrees of Sagittarius. This stellium trines Jupiter at 19°47’ Aries, inflating and exaggerating all of those Sagittarian influences. The Jupiter–Uranus trine is perhaps the luckiest aspect; I have written about this aspect in relation to Donald Trump’s chart. (3)

In Farrow’s case, the stellium is in Jupiter’s sign, further strengthening the best and perhaps the worst qualities of a Sadge, which could include dilettantism, restlessness, inability to follow through on projects and promises, and a tendency to jump to conclusions — but also a voluminous appetite for experience and, in this case, because of his high intelligence, a need for broad-based intellectual stimulation. This large, well-aspected stellium clearly suggests some significant intellectual talents, and in the 10th house, there is a destiny for notoriety or work in the public sphere. So, why has Farrow not succumbed to the worst of these Sagittarian traits?

First, the stellium includes Saturn, a very sobering influence that curbs some of the worst tendencies of Sagittarius by endowing caution and pragmatism. Uranus in the stellium adds some brilliance, a scientific bent, originality, and perhaps a maverick quality that underscores Farrow’s ability to think outside the box. A prominent Uranus also can correlate with one who rebels against the norms of his culture and authority in general, and this Uranus is in the 10th house, suggesting a strong motivation to question authority. His Mercury gets a boost of both Uranian and Saturnian energies, which he displays with his very articulate and precise speech that is well seasoned with logic and intelligence.

Farrow’s Mars–Pluto conjunction in Scorpio also helps to curb some of the restlessness and scattering of energies that is so common with a strong Sadge nativity. Scorpio is a sign of keen focus and strong courage, and this Mars position gives great determination. Pluto in the mix strengthens this resolve and can make for obsessiveness in pursuit of an objective.

This large of a stellium (five planets and the Midheaven) is quite rare, yet even more extraordinary, we find that the four closely clustered planets are also parallel in declination. (4) And if that weren’t enough to mark this nativity as quite exceptional, three planets are out of bounds, those being Mercury, Uranus, and the Moon. (5)

Recently, astro.com posted an article by Mandy Lockley showing charts of many whistleblowers, all of whom have some prominent chart feature on the Galactic Center (26° Sagittarius.)

The chart contains only one square: that of Venus and Jupiter. In most cases, a chart heavy with trines and having only one square or opposition produces a situation where the person tends to be an underachiever. This happens because they have so many blessings and unearned opportunities early in life that they may not develop a spiritual muscle. Often, they find they can get by on their charm and a smile, or they have unrealistic expectations; then, they suffer later in life as a result of their lack of discipline, focus, and realism. It appears that this is not the case with Farrow, and the only theory I can offer as to why he seems to have escaped this fate and made the very best of his natal gifts is the position of his Moon’s nodes.

His nodal axis closely squares his Sagittarius stellium. Some astrologers in the school of Evolutionary Astrology teach that when a planet squares the nodal axis, it is a sign that in the past lifetime there was a “skipped step,” which needs to be mastered in this lifetime. This results in a great need or a karmic destiny to focus on the energies and affairs of that planet’s placement by house and sign. Perhaps this is the force that has motivated Farrow to be so effective in expressing his Sagittarian gifts by exposing powerful authority figures and the dysfunctions of our institutions through his exemplary journalism.

And last but not least, there is an interesting grand trine in fire, if we include Eris–Jupiter in Aries trine the Black Moon–Orcus and his Moon in Sagittarius. (6) Those of you who work with these points may be able to add insight into this configuration; your comments are welcomed.

Footnotes:

(1) Farrow is currently on a media tour for his new book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.
See Wikipedia: Ronan Farrow for biographical details.

(2) Ronan Farrow, December 19, 1987; 10:49 a.m. EST; Manhattan, NY, USA (40°N35’, 73°W59’); AA data, AstroDatabank.

(3) See the author’s article on Donald Trump.

(4) The Sun is at 23°S24’ declination, Uranus at 23°S34’, Saturn at 22°S10’, and Mercury at 24°S34’. (Although not part of this stellium, Venus and Neptune are also parallel to one another at 22°S31’ and 22°S16’, respectively.)

(5) Any planet beyond 23°27’ south or north of the equator is considered to be out of bounds. The Moon is at 27°S00’, Mercury at 24°S34’, and Uranus at 23°S34’.

(6) See chart .

Bio: B. A. (Bee) Eaton is a retired educator and holds a Master’s Degree in education and degrees in art and design. She coordinated a large educational research project at Kent State University in Ohio, and worked as a public school teacher. She began her love affair with astrology at the age of 15, and now devotes her time to learning, practicing, and teaching astrology in between short excursions to her garden. You can visit her astrology blog at The Living Sky