Starself Newsletter Volume 106, October 2014

Nobel Laureate: Malala Yousafzai

Rick DiClemente 

Seventeen years old. What a brave soul. What. A. Brave. Soul. Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education was born in Minaora, Pakistan on July 12, 1997. Raised by a poet, school owner, and an educational activist stood up to the Taliban in the Swat Valley area of Pakistan and was shot at 3 times; one bullet entering her head traveling through her neck until it came to rest in her shoulder.

She survived.

Not new to the plight of acquiring education for young girls in the backward lands of Pakistan, Malala flirted with disaster and displayed uncanny courage. While girls were banned from attending school, she remained steadfast in her defiance of the repressive Taliban that had a contract out for her head.

What do we see in her birth chart, even without a birth time, that could possibly show a Cancer personality with a Moon in Libra of all places (both so non-confrontational) to find such strength of purpose and idealism?

Archetypal Libra is very socially bent, while Cancer has tremendous tenacity defending and protecting its own. But, this is not enough astrologically to give this young woman the guts to do as she has and to have earned the Nobel Peace Prize. These kinds of efforts “beyond the norm” have to come from universal energies such as: Uranus/Aquarius, Neptune/Pisces and/or Pluto/Scorpio. They just have to. And they are abundantly represented in her chart.

Inner planets, representing the first few signs of the zodiac, just don’t have the oomph, the passion to drive themselves beyond their own sense of safety for the welfare of a larger group. Those realms belong to the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto.

Let’s start with the shocking facts that her Sun is in Cancer, Moon and Mars are in peacemaking Libra, while Mercury and Venus are in proud Leo. That’s the five personal planets all residing in the first 7 signs.

So as we dig deeper, we’ll see an amazing transformation by adding the outer planets. This used to be a great thrill for us old-timers that were raised on pre-computer astrology. As we scribed with our pencils and rulers, we could watch the chart grow and blossom before our eyes! That thrill is lost to the new computer-age generation because the whole chart just pops open in front of eyes at once! Some real alchemy was lost for sure.

Now, let’s look at the full chart even though we don’t have the critical birth time which can change the chart dramatically.

First of all, the whole chart has most of the planets fanned out with tremendously gutsy Saturn in Aries all by itself on the other half of the chart blazing the trail. So much for the gentile little Cancer girl. Now, we put aggressive Mars next to her ruling planet, the critical Moon in Libra. What was nice and Venusian becomes quite Martian with the conjunction. Bravery and fight.

Then comes the massive Cardinal Grand Cross. Sun in Cancer opposite Neptune in Capricorn. This is where the sense of self-sacrifice comes in. Without a doubt, this is symbolic of a soul with plenty of past lives who enlisted in similar campaigns. Completing the cross is the Moon in Libra opposite Saturn in Aries. This not only is symbolic of a life of hardship, but gives the tactful Libra Moon aggressive attributes. Stamina.

Don’t push this woman into the corner. (Yes, the term “girl” doesn’t seem fitting any more.)

Now, because we have a Grand Cross, we also get FOUR T-SQUARES. One to the Sun, Moon, Neptune and Saturn each. The added power to the Sun gives Malala the Leo-like solar courage to stand up to anyone trying to belittle her. We see her two most critical planets, the Sun and Moon, both having to consistently deal with Saturn (reality) and Neptune (spiritual urges.) She is an avatar. She is symbolic that WE are ready to stand up to all tyranny collectively. How marvelous.

Saturn also opposes Chiron in Libra. Remember all of these cardinal planets have been or are in the vicinity of being transited by the current Cardinal Grand Cross of April 23^rd of 2014. Funny how libre means “liberty.” And here, Saturn is trying to squash it? Taliban? This is her mission, to stand up to such pressure. Granted, there are millions on earth with Saturn opposite Chiron, but you must build the entire picture and have the karmic experience.

Her sixth harmonic chart, which is a derivative of the natal chart, narrowed down to the sixth sign Virgo, is thought to be ruled by some by Chiron. This chart represents her destiny. What do we find? Sun opposite Saturn and Jupiter in Leo which say, “I don’t think so!” Also, Mercury and Taurus occupy the same degree show a mind that has phenomenal staying power combined with a revolutionary mindset.

Here come some more outer planets. Natal Mercury and Venus in Leo oppose Jupiter and Uranus in Aquarius! Now we’re talking. Astrologically, these two are the equivalent of Thelma and Louise. The two true revolutionaries standing side by side with Jupiter the planet of education, and Uranus standing for the idealistic rights for all.

What other power/harmonies do we find? A Sagittarian Pluto trines Mercury in Leo. Very fiery and confident. Pluto trines (separated by 120 degrees) give great strength; enough to quietly mesmerize those nearby just because of her sincere charismatic integrity. That comes from Pluto-the-convincer. Fiery Saturn in Aries trines Venus in Leo, need I say more? How about Jupiter trining the Moon and Mars! So, now we see all three outer planets heavily feeding her natal diagram along with Chiron the healer!

Even though she suffered the assassination attempt, she did survive and has become the inspiration of the entire country and much of the world. At the tender age 17. Actually, she’s been at this since she was FOURTEEN, when transiting Uranus entered Aries for us all. It lit up her Cardinal Grand Cross.

On October 9^th of 2012, a Taliban gunman, who since has been arrested, shot Ms. Yousafzai as she rode home on a bus. Nine days later, she came out of a coma, very lucky to have survived.

Just where were the planets in her chart that day? Transiting Pluto (death and rebirth and assassination) was directly forming a T-square to her Mars/Moon opposition to Saturn from the 7^th degree of Capricorn. That was enough to do it right there. Saturn has just entered Scorpio 3 days earlier and Mars (guns and the trigger, also rules the “head”) ingressed into Sagittarius that day nearing her natal Pluto.

When one adds all of the astro-techie talk, what does it all mean? It clearly indicates that she is not only the type of heroine that uplifts the world; she clearly had a pre-incarnation mission to do so. This is indicated by deep study of the 6^th and 12^th harmonic charts. This only goes to show us the feebleness of trying to categorize anyone by their SUN SIGN! Many times the opposite occurs: the universally ruled signs of Aquarius and Pisces are oftentimes not inspired to fight for any cause. Each chart/incarnation is extremely unique.

Other Cancerians in history that your might not like to mess with: Jimmy Cagney, Nicola Tesla, Mike Tyson, Julius Caesar, Edward Snowden, Nelson Mandela, Alexander the Great, and of course, Lizzy Borden.

They’re Moon placement is so critical; it’s like a second Sun sign.

Malala’s chart allows her to keep the innocent side of Cancer quite alive while buttressing it with plenty of outer-planet universal support and archetypal grounding. She is a very special woman to be able to stand by the promise of her natal design.

Her past-life chart shows radical Mercury conjunct Uranus in Gemini at the top of the chart! This is clearly a symbol that for many lifetimes, she has been an idea revolutionary. And, when we revisit her life purpose chart, we again see this same theme strengthened by the Sun in Capricorn opposite Saturn in hearty Leo. The Taliban had no idea what can of worms they were opening when they attacked Ms. Yousafzai. She is the symbol that their archaic, caveman mentalities are on the way out.

History doesn’t change quickly. Inch by inch, thought by thought, by the heroic efforts of souls like hers, we all gain so much.

Thank you Malala.

Here’s to your health.