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The Tillman Story

Pat Tillman was a professional football player before serving as an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was tragically killed by “friendly fire” in 2004. A documentary, The Tillman Story, was released nationwide on August 20, 2010. It tells of the cover-up about the details of his death and his family’s determination to understand what really happened to their son.

Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, several hours before a lunar eclipse at 14°41′ Taurus.

Pat Tillman natal

He died on April 22, 2004, two weeks before a total lunar eclipse on May 4 at 14°42′ Scorpio.

Pat Tillman

The fixed signs at 15° are connected to 0° Aries, the potent Aries Point, by an eighth-harmonic aspect of 45°. The Aries Point brings an individual into public awareness or shows what that person is known for in the world. [1]

Looking at midpoints in Tillman’s natal horoscope, not only is the natal Sun (14°27′ Scorpio) on the Aries Point, indicating a heroic (solar) role in the public eye, but the Sun is also on his Ascendant/Midheaven midpoint, which connects the two most important angles in the horoscope. (On the 45° dial, his Ascendant/Midheaven midpoint is the closest to the Aries Point, further indicating its prominence in the horoscope.)

45 Sort

This midpoint (AS/MC) symbolizes the linking of the personality (Ascendant) with what we show the world in public life (Midheaven). The Sun conjunct this most significant midpoint suggests a person whose life purpose and unique creative drive (Sun) seek expression through the synergy of the personal (Ascendant) and public (Midheaven) identity. This midpoint picture is a strong indication of fame, or of someone whose life touches many.

Tillman was a renowned professional athlete when he enlisted in the Army in 2002. A member of an elite infantry unit, he served in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan, where he was killed on April 22, 2004. At the time of his death, his progressed Sun, at 12°10′ Sagittarius, had come to a conjunction with his 12th-house natal Neptune at 12°38′ Sagittarius. This is also conjunct the U.S. (Sibly) Ascendant at 12°21′ Sagittarius.

Tillman tri-wheel

A sad story indeed — the nation as a whole (the Ascendant) was touched by the loss (Neptune) of a hero (Sun). A Neptunian theme is further shown by the distorted story told to Tillman’s family about the conditions surrounding his death.

At Tillman’s death, his progressed Moon, ruler of the 8th house, was at 14°13′ Taurus, opposite the natal Sun at 14°27′ Scorpio. On that day, transiting Mars was at 20°38′ Gemini conjunct his Descendant, which is also conjunct the U.S. Mars (21°23′ Gemini). The Moon was in Gemini (6°52′) at Tillman’s death as well; his brother Kevin, who had enlisted in the army along with Pat, was riding in a vehicle not far away when Pat was killed.

Tillman tri-wheel

The U.S. Sibly horoscope has a square between angular Mars and Neptune, suggesting confusion or obfuscation (Neptune) in battle (Mars). At Pat Tillman’s death, his natal horoscope and transits aligned directly with this aspect in the nation’s chart. The capacities inherent in his life (i.e., his natal chart) and the time of his death converge with a key dilemma (i.e., Mars square Neptune) in the national psyche; thus, his story has a continuing hold on the nation’s consciousness.

Following on the Neptune theme, The Tillman Story opened nationally on August 20, 2010. The Sun was at 27° Leo, opposite Neptune at 27°Aquarius, the degree of the U.S. Sibly Moon. (Transiting Chiron was at 28° Aquarius.)

Whenever I read or think about current U.S. war stories, strategies, and statistics, I remember Robert Blaschke noting that the Sibly Mars in Libra went retrograde in 2006. As Robert has noted, this suggests that a re-evaluation of U.S. military policy might be a good idea.

The New York Times review of the film describes a lot about Pat Tillman and his family. “The Tillman family — especially Mary, Kevin, and Tillman’s widow, Marie — emerge as noble souls still choking on their rage and frustration. Kevin, who had not spoken publicly of his brother’s death, is seen reading a bitter, excoriating statement at the hearing. This devastating film persuasively portrays them as finer, more morally sturdy people than the cynical chain of command that lied to them and used their son as a propaganda tool.” [2] (Propaganda is another theme tied to Neptune.)

(This blog is based on a TMA Planet Tracks article I wrote in 2007; since the film just came out, I thought a revision might be interesting.)

References and Notes

[1] Jessica Lynch is another infamous soldier in our time. I wrote about her for TMA in 2003: “U.S. Army private Lynch was born on April 26, 1983. Her natal Mars is at 15°21′ Taurus, on the Aries Point. Could there be a clearer picture of a famous female soldier (i.e., Mars in a feminine sign)? Natal Mars is also directly on Lynch’s natal Sun/Chiron midpoint, suggesting that a wound or healing is part of her personal warrior archetype.”

Jessica Lynch’s birth data: April 26, 1983; 7:45 a.m. EDT; Palestine (Wirt County), WV, USA (39°N02′, 81°W24′); A: news report

Jessica Lynch testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on April 24, 2007, the same day that Kevin Tillman spoke. She said: “I hope whatever comes out of this hearing will be good news for the Tillmans,” Lynch said in her prepared statement. “This is more about them than it is about me. The Tillmans have been lied to so many times, it’s hard to tell what took place….Our stories are similar,” she added. The military “either didn’t take the time to tell the truth or find out what really happened.”

[2] New York Times

Charts:

Chart 1: Pat Tillman, November 6, 1976; 9:39 a.m. PST; Fremont, CA, USA (37°N32′, 121°W59′); AA: Pat Taglilatelo quotes birth certificate in hand.

Chart 2: Pat Tillman’s death, April 22, 2004; 7:30 p.m. AFT; Khowst, Afghanistan (33°N22′, 69°E57′); from news reports, quoted on AstroDatabank: “Tillman was killed that day near Sperah, Afghanistan (about 26 miles southwest of Khowst) at about 7:30 PM local time.”

Chart 4: Tri-wheel: Inner wheel and house cusps: Pat Tillman, natal; middle wheel: Tillman’s chart progressed to April 22, 2004; outer wheel: U.S. Sibly chart, July 4, 1776; 5:10 p.m. LMT; Philadelphia, PA, USA (39°N57′, 75°W10′); Source: Nicholas Campion, Book of World Horoscopes, Chart 370.

Chart 5: Tri-wheel: Inner wheel and house cusps: Pat Tillman, natal; middle wheel: Tillman’s chart progressed to April 22, 2004; outer wheel: April 22, 2004; 7:30 p.m.; Khowst, Afghanistan

 

TMA writer Mary Plumb is available for private consultations. She can be reached at mary@maryplumb.com

4 Comments

  1. Hello Mary, thanks for your presentation. Yes, a sad story indeed – and disservice to all – when first we practice to deceive with life and death ‘details’. To me, this message is reflected poignantly with Mercury turning retrograde in Virgo on the day of The Tillman Story release.

    One more detail, if I may: Recently retired General Stanley McChrystal, another high profile military presence, was involved with the Tillman cover-up. MacChrystal’s N Saturn is conjunct Tillman’s N Node –A serious, lasting connection.

  2. Great article Mary. It is sad indeed that military’s cover ups and of Tillman’s death is litte more than the ghosts of Vietnam’s war atrocitie comback to haunt us all — and still sadder for the Tillmann’s.

    However, I think one should also call attention to the all-to-often character flaw on the HERO. That flaw being the Hero’s full embrace of America’s Imperialists Wars or Nationalism,if you will, which I believe is clearly reflected in Tillman’s 11th house cluster of planets in Scorpio (altruism, group association) gone amock in the underworld in Scorpio (the house of death and secrecy).

    Thus, Tillman’s self-imposed altruism and overblown Nationalistic beliefs in American Supremacy in the war on terror can also be born out by his 8th house Saturn in Leo (the tragic football hero) opposite transiting Neptune, Chiron in Aquarius.

    Sadly, Tillman’s political beliefs in fighting the war on terror in the Middle-East played an enormous part in his own self-undoing when he enlisted in the military and began the fatally flawed hero’s journey to the middle-east — his self-undoing in a far away land — is also reflected in his progressed Suns’s conjunction to his 12 deg Neptune in Sagittarius.

    That Tillman inadvertantly caused his own death is indeed the tragic tale of the flawed hero.

    Pat Tillman should be a lesson to us all.

    May Pat Tillman rest in peace.

  3. Hi there,

    Good comments from you both..

    Thanks for sharing..

    From what I read recently (I think in the NY Times review linked above) Tillman was a very interesting and complex person..

    He read Noam Chomsky, for instance..

    War stories are sad..

  4. The interesting thing in this story is the parents nonacceptance of the realities of war. Many men die in friendly fire or other mishaps as well as by the enemy. Would they feel better if he died at the hand of the enemy? This man made a choice to be in harms way… The military coverup these incidents to avoid morale lapses and to avoid traumatizing the family. …. The family want to blame someone for their son”s death…. They cannot acknowledge the truth that he made a choice to go to war, that war is fraught with death and disaster, mishaps, danger of all kinds …soldiers crack under pressure, equipment goes awry, it is not a corporate job…

    I


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