Comment - Phyllis Playter

By Pauline Smith

Phyllis Playter born 29th November, 1894 at 3.08p.m. in Kansas City, MISSOURI (there are several Kansas Cities) U.S.A, (chart left), died 10 March, 1982 age 87, Wales.

Transiting positions:

Sun 19 Pisces 36. Moon 27 Virgo 28, Mercury 25 Aquarius 18, Venus 5 Aquarius 30, Mars 17 Libra 12 R, Jupiter 10 Scorpio 01 R, Saturn 21 Libra 01, Uranus 4 Sagittarius 37 S, Neptune 26 Sagittarius 56, Pluto 26 Libra 28 R, NN 19 Cancer 33.

Morine Krissdottir kindly supplied a death date for Phyllis Playter so I looked at death transits to her natal chart. The result follows below. Gadbury was really a death astrologer, and although he worked without the outer planets, the need he felt for them becomes obvious in his book in spite of revolutions for the year of death. I do not look at solar returns, neither do I set up charts for the time of death. On the the one occasion I set up charts for time of death, and for time of pronouncement of the same death, I found the latter more acute. However, death charts many answer a question regarding the state of the soul between incarnations, much as nativities answer a question about a life. We know about life on earth, but the afterlife is a mystery so death charts might be better interpreted by spiritualist mediums. The medical profession says death happens slowly.

Pluto and Neptune are natally conjunct in Phyllis Playter's 2nd house (the afterlife) and at death, transiting Neptune (ruling 12th) is on her 9th cusp square natal Nodes and opposing a post death eclipse, while transiting Pluto (ruling descendant) is within orbs of the Descendant. A pre death eclipse falls exactly on the IC, and the Nodes closely transit the meridian. Transiting Jupiter is also within orbs of the Descendant, and 150 degrees natal Pluto for the second time. Transiting Uranus is stationary on the 8th cusp. Transiting Saturn opposes natal Mars (Mars co-ruling Descendant and disposing of natal Saturn) from afflicted body 6th. Sixth ruler, Chiron, transits the 1st, opposing natal Mercury in the 7th. Background heavy stress had been building up for some time.

From the 6th house transiting Mars squares pre-death eclipse, transiting Nodes and IC. Transiting Venus reaches another pre-death eclipse in the 10th, squaring the horizon. Transiting Moon, together with transiting Uranus, formed a lethal YOD to the Ascendant late on the day Phyllis died. A good example of three quick movers together triggering death.

Mercury, dispositor of natal Neptune/Pluto, and a very important death planet, transits hopes and wishes 11th sextiling transiting spiritual Neptune, while transiting Sun is on karmic 12th cusp, so perhaps death was very pleasant for Phyllis. A feeling that everything is pointless lies behind death wish nativities - more acute during the earlier years. When she died Phyllis finally found out what it had all been for.

Comments on death and astrology

Trine and sextile aspects are generally considered to be "good" while the opposition and square "bad". The conjunction may be either, depending on which planets are involved. However, the subject of a nativity always has the option of turning a "bad" aspect to advantage. There is no good/bad at death, but it is the rarer configurations which seem to be particularly lethal: the grand trine, grand cross and the yod. A transiting planet converting a natal aspect into one of these configurations can be heavy at death. The ascendant and descendant are particularly sensitive to transit.

The influence of the Sun and Moon, so strong in nativities, is vastly reduced at death. Unless the Moon is particularly powerfully placed in the nativity, forget her. Perhaps this is because the energy of the lights is drained away into the all important two pre- and post-death eclipses?

It is amazing how few people seem to die when many planets are retrograde. For the person dying, death is a pleasant experience, but perhaps retrogradation means somebody is fighting the transition? Stationing planets seem very significant in death transits and can mean anything. Mercury's station can represent somebody pulling a suicide back from the brink or may hasten death, depending on the nativity. The only general rule regarding death astrology is that stress from outer planets forms a lengthy background, giving the quick moving inner planets time to get into the right places to trigger death, provided, of course, the four relevant eclipses are sufficiently significant. Everything in a nativity should be transited, and if a natal planet is left untransited, then that too is very important at death.

Modern astrologers do not agree with Stoic philosophy, i.e. fate rules the world and there is nothing you can do to avert destiny. There are very many ways in which planets may express. Anybody worried about imminent planetary transits to his/her chart could try to find alternative harmless channels along which planetary forces may flow, or find substitute symbols on which configurations may work themselves out. This way you may live forever.

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