Famous birth charts · John Banville
John Banville’s chart in full
Born December 8, 1945, Wexford, Ireland. The chart is cast for noon on the day, and everything shown here held all day long.
Point at a body or a sign to see its connections.
The chart, fact by fact
Planets
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The ten bodies astrology reads: the Sun, the Moon and eight planets. The planet says which part of a person it speaks for, the sign says how that part behaves, and the house says where in life it shows.
Sun in Sagittarius
The Explorer. Honest, free and far-seeing.
16°01′
Moon in Capricorn
The Moon moved from Capricorn into Aquarius at 4:35 p.m. that day, local time: in Capricorn for a birth before then, in Aquarius for one after.
27°36′
Mercury in Sagittariusretrograde
The Philosopher. The big picture.
13°32′
Venus in Sagittarius
The Adventurer. Love as an adventure.
2°49′
Mars in Leoretrograde
The Leader. Courage with an audience.
3°09′
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Jupiter in Libra
The Connector. Faith in fairness.
21°27′
Saturn in Cancerretrograde
The Guardian. The keeper of the home.
23°59′
Uranus in Geminiretrograde
15°24′
Neptune in Libra
8°19′
Pluto in Leoretrograde
11°40′
Beyond the planets
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Points read beside the planets. The rising sign, or Ascendant, is the sign coming up over the eastern horizon at the minute of birth: the first impression. The Midheaven is the highest point of the sky: career and public life. The North Node is where the Moon’s path crosses the Sun’s: the direction a life grows in. Chiron, a small body between Saturn and Uranus, is a lifelong sore spot and the gift it leaves for others. Black Moon Lilith, where the Moon’s orbit swings farthest from Earth, is what a person keeps untamed.
North Node in Gemini
The direction his life grows in: Gemini, curious and quick-witted.
29°56′
Chiron in Libra
In Libra, Chiron is a soft spot around being chosen and kept, and a gift for making others feel met as equals.
18°10′
Black Moon Lilith in Scorpio
In Scorpio, Lilith is an intensity and a private power that stay unexplained.
13°34′
The rising sign and the Midheaven need the birth time to the minute, so they are left out.
Patterns
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When several aspects lock into one shape, such as a triangle or a cross, the planets in it act together, and the shape says how: easily, under strain, or with one planet as the focus.
Stellium
Three or more planets gathered in one sign or one house, so that part of the chart speaks loudest.
In his chart, his identity, his mind and his heart (the Sun, Mercury and Venus) gather in Sagittarius, and that part of life draws his attention first.
Aspects by strength
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An aspect is a set angle between two bodies in the sky at birth. Some angles flow, some rub, and some fuse two bodies into one. The number is how far the angle is from exact: the smaller it is, the stronger the link.
Only the aspects that held from the first minute of the day to the last are shown; each figure is for noon.
Venus trine Mars almost exact at 0.3°
Charm and desire work together: he knows what he wants in love and how to win it.
The Sun opposition Uranus almost exact at 0.6°
He needs room to be himself, and any rule that fits too tightly gets broken.
Mercury opposition Uranus close at 1.9°
His mind runs ahead of the conversation: he says the unexpected thing, and not everyone is ready to hear it.
Mercury trine Pluto close at 1.9°
A probing mind: he gets to the bottom of things, and his words have power when he chooses to use them.
The Sun conjunction Mercury close at 2.5°
His mind and his identity are close together: he speaks as he thinks, and his ideas are part of who he is.
Jupiter square Saturn close at 2.5°
Growth and caution keep checking each other: he moves forward in bursts, then pauses to consolidate.
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Neptune sextile Pluto wide at 3.3°
A quiet hunger for meaning under everyday life, and a tolerance for great change.
The Moon opposition Saturn wide at 3.6°
Feelings come second to duty: he holds himself to a high standard, even in private.
Uranus sextile Pluto wide at 3.7°
He can help change things at the root, and upheaval suits him.
The Sun trine Pluto wide at 4.3°
A quiet strength: under pressure he grows more focused, and he knows how to start over.
The Sun sextile Jupiter wide at 5.4°
His confidence comes easily and spreads: he thinks big, and other people want to come along.
Jupiter trine Uranus wide at 6.0°
Sudden openings: he spots new chances early and jumps at them.
Chart signature
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The chart’s balance at a glance: which of the four elements and three modes it leans on, which body is most connected, and any body standing alone.
Elements
Modes
The Moon changed sign that day; it is counted where it stood at noon.
You and John Banville
See where your chart meets John Banville’s, and the signs you share.