Lord Lucan

Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan

This week one of the greatest mysteries of modern times came to some sort of closure, with the death of Lady Lucan.  It wasn’t exactly a whodunnit, even though there was a murder involved, the perpetrator being fairly conclusively identified.  No, it was more of a where-is-he, a mystery that was never solved.  In 2016, Lord Lucan was officially presumed to be dead.

The Murder

On the night of 7th November 1974, the nanny Sandra Rivett was killed in the basement of the family home, at approximately 8.55 pm.  Lady Lucan was injured, and identified her attacker as her husband.  A piece of lead pipe was later found, linked to the crime scene. The suspect vanished. It all would sound like a round of the board game Cluedo, if it was not so horrifying.

Birth Chart

Lord Lucan had the Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius, and was a notorious gambler (a traditional Sagittarian trait), horse racing being one of his interests.  It’s a very Sagittarian phenomenon, too, that he was (subsequent to the murder) spotted in various places all over the world, even if it wasn’t him!  A curious fact about Lord Lucan was that he was considered for the role of James Bond, so there is another Archetype associated with him.

There was a strong streak of rebelliousness in his nature, with his Saturn in Aquarius and his Sun closely trine Uranus.  His North Node (karmic mission) was also in Aquarius, and he certainly had a unique and bizarre destiny.  Mars was exactly trine this North Node, and he was forever linked with this act of bloodshed.

His chart indicates that he very likely had a problem around being wounded by women (Moon conjunct Chiron if he was born from Noon onwards; and Moon conjunct Chiron trine Mars; Mars trine Chiron) and may have been the perpetrator of wounds.  His wife certainly reported that he had hit her in the past.  This aspect pattern links in with his karma, as the North Node in Aquarius creates a Grand Trine with these planets, so the wounding may have occurred in childhood (his mother was ill and that in itself was a wound, so he was looked after by a nurserymaid) or, as is often the case where the North Node and Chiron are involved, the pattern has been repeated from past lives.

His natal Mercury was square Neptune, indicating a confused mind at times, particularly when under stress.  He also had Venus square exactly Mars, which can bring impulsiveness in matters of the heart.

A square between Uranus and Pluto, that chaotic energy we lived with for a few years recently (2012 – 5), is also important in the dynamics of his chart.  Not everyone of course, reacts like that to having that square natally!  We do not know his Ascendant, and it may be linked directly with the angles in his chart.

Marriage

Lord Lucan married Veronica Duncan around the time of his Saturn Return (which would have been in Aquarius).  They had met through aristocratic connections, and under some significant Neptune transits, a phase of glamour and illusion.  Although they had three children, the marriage only lasted 9 years, breaking up in 1972 after she had suffered depression, including post-natal depression, and they had attempted to seek help.  He had himself undergone psychotherapy in his youth for nightmares.

He had to leave the family home (with Pluto transiting his natal Mars in Libra), but fought for custody of the children, and became obsessed with this struggle.  He left notes at his disappearance, saying he only cared about the welfare of the children.  He had worked as a banker, but gave it up on the premise he could earn more gambling, and incurred a great deal of debt.

State of Mind

At the time the murder took place, there is a distinct lack of transits for Lord Lucan himself, suggesting that the planetary trigger for the event and his state of mind is linked with his Ascendant and the angles on his chart.  The Ascendant at 8.55 pm activated his natal Uranus-Pluto square, but there would be such an event at a different time on any day.  The most significant transit in my view is  his Uranus Opposition, one of the prominent life cycles that occurs around the age of 40 for an individual.  It represents the mid-life crisis and rebellion.

Lady Lucan

(nee Veronica Duncan)

Her Birth Chart

Lady Lucan’s birth chart can perhaps be seen as more revealing than her husband’s.  She was a talented artist and had been an art student (Sun in Taurus) and they had furnished their home at 46 Lower Belgrave Street in London to her taste.  Lady Lucan had Moon in Aquarius, with the Moon square Uranus (emotional estrangements in her life, notably later with her children). Her Mercury was trine Jupiter and sextile Pluto, describing her mind.  The family said about her: “She had a sharp mind, and when she spoke it, she did so eloquently.  She was courageous, and, at times, outrageous, with a mischievous sense of humour”, which is a good description of her Mercury aspects.  She had Venus square Pluto, which can indicate a volatile love life.  Her Jupiter was exactly opposite Pluto, which means power struggles, and points to the power struggle in their marriage and over the children.  Her Chiron was on the South Node in her chart, so she had brought through karmic wounds, and maybe the current circumstances were a replicated pattern from previous lives.  Her Neptune was exactly square her Nodal Axis – “karmically associated with a great mystery” (remember that phrase).

Synastry with Lord Lucan

In their astrological relationship, their Marses were sextile (an attraction), and his Uranus squared her Jupiter (the power of surprise).  Their main karmic link was her North Node in Sagittarius closely conjunct his Mercury, which suggests that he thought of his role as being a teacher to her.  Moreover, his Saturn was square to her Mercury, so he may have tried to discipline her mind or control it.  He attempted to teach her a string of subjects, among them hunting, shooting and fishing.

Lady Lucan’s Death

Again, the transits for the time of her injury were sparse.  This would make the birth time, Ascendant and angles a crucial piece of information.  It also makes me think of the phrase “nature abhors a vacuum”.  In contrast, the transits for the death of Sandra Rivett the nanny are very evidential.  The transits for Lady Lucan’s death this week are also prolific, among them Chiron trine Pluto (a healing through death).

At her death, Lady Lucan was estranged from her three children, one of whom (Frances) was a witness to some of the proceedings of the night in question:” Frances had heard a scream, and a few minutes later had watched as her mother (blood on her face) and father had entered the room.”  Mars was on Frances’ Mercury on the night.  Their son George was determined to inherit the family title, and after the Presumption of Death Act had come into force, petitioned to have Lord Lucan legally declared deceased, which came about on 3rd February 2016, whereupon he became George Bingham, 8th Earl of Lucan.  Their youngest child Camilla, four years old at the time of the murder, has Pluto square Veronica’s Jupiter (highlighting a power struggle), but with her father his Pluto squares her Sun (the father lost to her).

Sandra Rivett

Sandra Rivett, who lost her life that night, and who was probably mistaken in the dimly lit basement for Lady Lucan as she was usually out on a Thursday evening, was the unfortunate victim of this whole event.  She had North Node in Cancer (nannying) conjunct Mars (known for an incident of bloodshed), with that conjunction square a complex triple conjunction of Jupiter/Neptune/Chiron in Libra.  I would hasten to add that North Node conjunct Mars normally only implies that the Warrior Archetype is important within the karmic mission.  Another very interesting feature of her birthchart is that Neptune was exactly square her Nodal Axis, exactly as in Lady Lucan’s chart (“karmically associated with a great mystery”). They occur in different signs (Cancer North Node-Libra, and Sagittarius North Node-Virgo) as they were born 8 years apart.  We do not know what Houses they occupied in their charts, without birth times.

Sandra had herself given birth to a boy (Stephen) the same year as Veronica’s son George, but she had him adopted.  They were both 7 years old at the time of the murder, but Stephen was not told about his mother until years later.

What was her relationship like with the Lucans?  Apparently, Sandra’s parents reported that she got on well with Lady Lucan and the children.  Their Venuses were exactly in trine with each other.  Sandra had Uranus on Lady Lucan’s South Node, showing some bizarre past life karma.  On the surface of things, her relationship with Lord Lucan did not seem troubled: Her Jupiter/Neptune conjunction was trine his Chiron.

At her death, the North Node (karma) was trine her Pluto (death), which although one would not expect a murder to have taken place from such a transit, it certainly shows dramatic karma.

Conclusion

Lady Lucan has taken her story to the grave.  There are those who believe she was not telling the truth in her account of that night (and her account was supported by forensic evidence). So, mysteries remain…where was Lord Lucan all those years before he was officially presumed dead?  He had left his passport in a drawer, but had friends who may have helped his safe passage abroad.  What was the motive for the murder (most think he intended to kill his wife, and not the nanny)?  And what are their birth times and Ascendants?

Aspects

The theme for this week is Self-Empowerment…  It rings the changes, doesn’t it, from last week’s challenges?

And you can start from today, as we have the most powerful aspect forming today, a trine between Mars and Pluto.  Not only that, but if you are late to the table today, you won’t have missed it because it occurs at 23.36 Hrs in the U.K.  So everyone’s a winner (providing you look in to the blog today!)

What can you hope for from this combination?  Firstly, dynamic energy.  If you have been feeling jaded recently, you could experience a re-birth in your motivation and in the ability to tap into the sources of your energy, be they nutritional, gymnastic or cosmic.  So if you are catching this blog reasonably early in the proceedings of your day, make a list of everything you wish to accomplish today, and just get on with it, and zip through it.  This aspect may also be useful in dealing with aggressive behaviours constructively, and possibly solving disputes using determination equalling the opposing forces.

Tuesday (3rd) brings the empowerment to the heart.  Venus trines Pluto, favouring Love, Money, and their intertwining.  The energy that powered the beginning of the week can be brought to bear to inject life and depth into your relationships.  Other beneficiaries are projects in connection with the Arts, including of course Music.  It is a good day to put all these connections into context and perspective at a deeper psychological level.  For example, if you have recently made a new friendship, that can progress in mutual awareness.  If ecology is your passion, Venus in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn can help you help the planet.

A sweet conjunction follows on from that on Thursday (5th), that of Venus and Mars.  If you married (metaphorically) on Tuesday, you can honeymoon (metaphorically) on Thursday with this sensuous combination.  Men may be from Mars and Women from Venus and this conjunction can bring them together, but in these days of LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex) any combination is acceptable.  No one needs to feel left out, but there is still a need to respect boundaries and personal space (!)

…Of course, we can’t have a week which is all plain sailing, and a little rain or a few tears may fall on the Full Moon which takes place early evening in the U.K. the same day.  The Full Moon occurs at 12 degrees Aries, opposing the Sun at the same degree of Libra.  This Full Moon is about Selfhood and Relationship, and bringing the two into balance.  After the intensity of relating this week, you may so feel emotionally identified with the significant other that you need to stand back and reclaim your own individuality.  If there is Full Moon drama going on, it may not be your own, and you may need to remind yourself of that.  So it is about taking stock of yourself, taking stock of your relationship, and understanding the difference between the two.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – Empowerment
  • Tuesday – Deepening Relationships
  • Thursday – Merging and Unmerging
Date: Oct 1st, 2017 · Comments RSS · Tags: Historical · Obituary