<\/p>\n
Muhammed Ali (1942 – 2016)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n “I am the greatest.\u00a0 I said that even before I knew I was.”<\/em><\/p>\n Boxer Muhammed Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, passed away on Friday evening, from respiratory complications while in hospital on life support.\u00a0 He was 74.\u00a0 He ensured his place in the history of professional heavyweight boxing.\u00a0 But he was a larger than life character, not least in his own estimation, and earned worldwide admiration inside and outside the boxing ring.<\/p>\n His Birth Chart<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Some of the strength of Ali comes from a legendary 7 (of 10) planets in Fixed signs: no one is going to deflect him from his course! [Quote: “The will must be stronger than the skill”<\/em>].\u00a0 He also has 5 (half) his planets in Earth signs, which is also a great strength.\u00a0 He has 0 planets in Water, so may not be deflected by emotion.<\/p>\n His Sun was in Capricorn, a strong sign; he managed to live with Parkinson’s Disease for 32 years, a condition which has had many demoralized very quickly, but he bore it with dignity and always managed a humorous quip when in public.\u00a0 The Pugilist in him comes from a square of Mars to his natal Sun, real fighting spirit, square closely Pluto (violence).\u00a0 His talent for fighting was further enhanced by a trine to his Mars from the Part of Fortune.<\/p>\n He also had a strong Grand Trine, composed of his Sun in Capricorn, Saturn\/Uranus in Taurus, and Neptune in Virgo.\u00a0 The Saturn\/Uranus strength could be devastating to an opponent.\u00a0 The Sun in his chart was exactly trine his Uranus, so he was very independent and relied on the power of Surprise over his opponents.<\/p>\n His verbal prowess came from Mercury closely conjunct Moon (imaginative language: “The man who has no imagination has no wings”) and Venus (poetic prose) in Aquarius (thought ahead of his time).\u00a0 The Moon was exactly trine his Jupiter, so his emotions were extremely positive, and he kept himself buoyant by expressing those thoughts about himself: “It is the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief.\u00a0 And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”<\/em><\/p>\n His Midheaven (careerpoint) was in Taurus (which is associated with boxing) square exactly the Moon in Aquarius.\u00a0 Mercury too was square his Midheaven.\u00a0 Chiron was exactly square his Midheaven, too.\u00a0 On a personal level, he will have had a lot invested in his career, but there was an enforced career break along the way.<\/p>\n Uranus trine his Neptune gave him a higher tactical intelligence; he could see complexities and nuances that perhaps his opponents could not, and devise strategies accordingly (such as wearing them out).<\/p>\n The showman in him came from Leo rising, with Chiron and Pluto also in Leo (in 12th House).<\/p>\n Career<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n At the age of 18 he made his professional debut, on October 29th 1960, and won against Tunney Hunsaker.\u00a0 Mars was sextile his natal North Node in his 1st House in Virgo, and Jupiter was square his natal Neptune.<\/p>\n His breakthrough came at the age of 22 when he took the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston.\u00a0 That this was a major watershed in his life is shown by his Progressed Sun\u00a0 reaching his natal Descendant at the time.<\/p>\n Sonny Liston<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The result of his match against Sonny Liston was a major upset in the boxing world.\u00a0 Cassius Clay as he then was, became the youngest boxer to defeat a reigning heavyweight champion.<\/p>\n Sonny Liston, who was nicknamed “The Big Bear” had Mars conjunct Uranus and Mercury in Aries, and Sun conjunct Chiron in Taurus.\u00a0 His Mars was exactly square Muhammed’s Sun in Capricorn, and at the time of the fight, Neptune was exactly opposing Sonny’s Neptune, throwing him into confusion.<\/p>\n Muhammed Ali had already established a verbal sparring technique of psychologically taunting his opponents ahead of a match.\u00a0 For Liston, he had the words: “Liston even smells like a bear. After I beat him I’m going to donate him to the zoo.”<\/p>\n After the match Muhammed Ali declared: “Eat your words!” He added, “I am the greatest! I shook up the world. I’m the prettiest thing that ever lived.”<\/p>\n He had written a poem, stating:<\/p>\n “Who on Earth thought, when they came to the fight,<\/em><\/p>\n That they would witness the launching of a human satellite.<\/em><\/p>\n Hence the crowd did not dream, when they laid down their money,<\/em><\/p>\n That they would see a total eclipse of Sonny.”<\/em><\/p>\n At the time of this triumph, Jupiter was exactly trine Clay’s Ascendant, Mars was sextile his Mars, and Pluto was trine his Midheaven.<\/p>\n Boxing was a very high profile sport in the 1960s possibly because of Cassius Clay, and it seemed to me, as a 14-year old in 1964 a barbaric way of expending energy in a leisure pursuit.\u00a0 I was told wrestling was more humane, as it was more controlled by certain conventions, but I never watched any wrestling.\u00a0 Cassius Clay was mesmerizing and charismatic, whatever you thought of his choice of profession.\u00a0 I was to have more admiration for his character as time went on.<\/p>\n I also felt sorry for his opponents, who he would inevitably label as “ugly” while holding up his own “beauty”.\u00a0 For a teenager, this was very conflicting and shocking.\u00a0 But his self-esteem was to be applauded, even if it did transcend all boundaries of arrogance and megalomania. He was the first American I remember to have expressed Black Pride, and that was heartwarming to hear, and of great service to many.<\/p>\n Conscientious Objector<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n How often it seems that warriors turn peacemakers.\u00a0 Mohammed Ali (as he then became) refused to fight in Vietnam for reasons that he had “no quarrel with them Vietcong.”<\/p>\n Mars was opposite his natal Mars, and Uranus was trine his natal Saturn.\u00a0 His boxing licence was revoked.<\/p>\n This was quite a sacrifice for Muhammed Ali in the prime of his boxing career, and he was not allowed to fight for nearly four years, from early 1967 to late 1970.\u00a0 He started to fight again around the time of his Saturn Return in 10th House of Career.\u00a0 Transiting Neptune was also sextile his natal Sun, and Pluto trine his natal Uranus.<\/p>\n Joe Frazier<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n His next major opponent was Joe Frazier, their first fight taking place in 1971, a match which Ali lost.\u00a0 Joe Frazier had a natal conjunction of Pluto and the North Node (a karmic mission to embody the Shadow).\u00a0 His natal Mars was exactly sextile Ali’s Pluto, his Saturn trine Ali’s Venus and his Uranus sextile Ali’s Pluto, which are strong connections.\u00a0 Ali went on to win the second and third matches against Frazier, and considered him a fine opponent.\u00a0 Frazier felt that the verbal sparring was unfair.<\/p>\n George Foreman<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n George Foreman was Ali’s next opponent, their first meeting being in October 1974, with Neptune square Foreman’s Ascendant.\u00a0 He admitted that Ali “outthought me and outfought me.”\u00a0 While Sonny Liston was a Taurean (a traditional sign for a boxer), Muhammed Ali (17th January), Joe Frazier (12th January) and George Foreman (10th January) were all Capricornian.\u00a0 That’s one for the stats!\u00a0 Foreman’s Mars was exactly opposite Muhammed’s Pluto, and Foreman’s Jupiter was exactly trine Muhammed’s Midheaven.\u00a0 These two factors would give Ali a natural advantage.\u00a0 The South Node on Ali’s Jupiter may have conferred an extra karmic advantage.<\/p>\n Decline<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On July 27, 1979, Ali announced his retirement from boxing, but this was to be shortlived as he was enticed back into the ring, with poor results. He was beginning to display the beginnings of Parkinson’s Disease, very likely from head injuries related to boxing, though he is quoted as denying it.\u00a0 Saturn was square his Jupiter in Gemini in 10th House.\u00a0 He was formally diagnosed with the syndrome in 1984.<\/p>\n Parkinson’s Syndrome<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In a blog of\u00a0 August 2012 I analysed his condition thus:<\/p>\n ” For Muhammed Ali, one of the most relevant features in his birthchart might be Uranus exactly trine with his Sun.\u00a0 Although this is a favourable aspect, and accounts for his brilliance, there may have been a degree of strain to his nervous system involved.\u00a0 His Uranus in turn is stressed by a conjunction with Saturn.\u00a0 Mars squares his natal Pluto by 1 degree, which describes the violence of his profession, but also the strain on the physical body.\u00a0 It has been thought that his Parkinson\u2019s was caused by repeated trauma to the head during his boxing career.\u00a0 He also has Pluto conjunct Chiron (extreme suffering) in the 12th<\/sup> House of chronic conditions.\u00a0 Also causing difficulty would be Saturn exactly square his Venus.\u00a0 For the planet I associate with the nervous system, Mercury, there is a trine with Jupiter (he has a way with words) but a close opposition with Chiron (the wounded healer).\u00a0 A connection between Mercury and Chiron often disrupts the nervous system.<\/p>\n At the time of his diagnosis in 1984 he was undergoing his Uranus Opposition, and Uranus may be a key planet in relation to this disease.\u00a0 Also in that year Neptune was squaring his natal Neptune, an aspect which may bring confusion and illness.”<\/p>\n Religion<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Strong aspects to his Jupiter (two trines and a sextile) testify to his strong religious convictions, and strong aspects to his Neptune (two trines) show the strength of his spirituality.<\/p>\n Muhammed Ali always portrayed Islam as peaceful.\u00a0 He converted to Sunni Islam in 1975, under his mentor Elijah Muhammed, who led the Nation of Islam movement.\u00a0 Elijah Muhammed had a natal conjunction of Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Virgo, which may have given him mental positivity.\u00a0 He also had Uranus conjunct Saturn, like Muhammed Ali, in Scorpio, opposite his conjunction, but with Uranus exactly opposite, offering a unique perspective for Ali, almost a telepathic link.\u00a0 His Jupiter was trine Ali’s Uranus, and his Saturn\/Uranus was exactly sextile Ali’s Sun.\u00a0 At the time of this conversion, Ali’s Progressed Sun entered Pisces.<\/p>\n Later in life, he converted to Universal Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, as a follower of Inayat Khan.\u00a0 Although Khan had died before Ali was born, there was a great affinity in their charts.\u00a0 Their Marses were in trine, Khan’s Uranus was conjunct Ali’s North Node in Virgo, firing his karmic path, and\u00a0 Khan’s Pluto was exactly trine Ali’s natal Neptune in Virgo, initiating his mystical power.\u00a0 At the time of this conversion, Ali’s Progressed Sun entered the sign of Aries.<\/p>\n Boxer turned Peacemaker<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Notably, Ali intervened in the Gulf War in 1991, in visiting Saddam Hussein to try to sway him in the matter of the release of American hostages.<\/p>\n Later, in 2002, he travelled to Afghanistan as the “U.N. Messenger of peace” guesting as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. in Kabul.<\/p>\n Marriage and Children<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Muhammed Ali had Venus in 7th House of Marriage, with the sign of Aquarius on the cusp. \u00a0<\/strong>He had four marriages.\u00a0 <\/strong>Sagittarius was on the cusp of his 5th House of Children, which was empty, but its ruler Jupiter was exactly trine Moon (depicting his 7 daughters).\u00a0 He also had two sons.<\/p>\n His third wife was Veronica Porsche, whose Sun was in his 5th House of children, and their second daughter Laila Ali followed her father into the boxing profession.\u00a0 Laila is also a Capricorn (30th December), with an exact trine between Chiron and Saturn, exactly bisected by Jupiter forming two sextiles.\u00a0 She has Mercury, Venus and Sun in his 5th House of Children, and herself has two children (his grandchildren).<\/p>\n Ali’s Mars (fighting spirit) is trine Laila’s Venus and Moon, his Neptune squares her Jupiter (she is not religious), his North Node is exactly sextile her Uranus and his Nodal Axis exactly square her Neptune.\u00a0 So they have quite a karmic bond, based on inspiration and empathy.<\/p>\n His fourth marriage was on 19th November 1986, to “Lonnie” Williams, with whom he has an adopted son.<\/p>\n Archetypes and Animal Totems<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “I’m a poet, I’m a prophet, I’m the resurrector, I’m the savior of the boxing world. If it wasn’t for me, the game would be dead.”<\/em><\/p>\n “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”<\/em><\/p>\n Death <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ali looked increasingly frail in recent years, and his aspects on Friday evening were mixed.\u00a0 Mars was sextile his natal Sun, Saturn was sextile his natal Moon\/Mercury, Neptune was square his Jupiter as he crossed the veil, Mars opposed his Uranus at his shock departure, and Chiron was sextile his Uranus which may depict a merciful end, to a true individual.<\/p>\n “I’m the champion.\u00a0 There’ll never be one like me”<\/em><\/p>\n Aspects<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We have the tail end of the Grand Cross early in the week, and the gentler manifestations of it.\u00a0 Today begins with a square between Venus square Jupiter, perhaps gauche socially but fairly harmless.\u00a0 Then a New Moon at 14 degrees Gemini enables a new start in mental projects and ideas.\u00a0 All forms of communication benefit, so even small talk can have its place.\u00a0 Today’s words may remain in your mind…<\/p>\n Tomorrow the Sun conjuncts Venus – what’s not to love?\u00a0 All forms of Love are favoured, as well as the enjoyment of cultural activities such as painting and listening to music.\u00a0 Some musical greats have passed away this year (e.g. Dave Swarbrick on Friday), so dust down your vinyls, play and reminisce…<\/p>\n On Tuesday (7th) Venus squares the Nodal Axis, and a re-examination of karmic relationships may come up for you, especially in regard to groups.\u00a0 Look at past patterns, and past-life patterns and causes.<\/p>\n The Sun then goes on to square the Nodal Axis, so an examination of power is also required, perhaps in relation to groups or subsequent to a realization about relationships.\u00a0 You may take both squares together.<\/p>\n On Wednesday (8th) Mercury sextiles Chiron, ideal for bringing conventional and unconventional medicine together, in the pursuit of Health.\u00a0 A good time for the use of affirmations, speech or counselling on the healing path.<\/p>\n Thursday (9th) brings a constructive trine to the North Node from Pluto, so you can resolve deep karmic issues, and come to some worthwhile conclusions about relationships, patterns and power.<\/p>\n By tea-time that day (cue scones and cream) Mercury opposes Mars, so caution is needed while travelling and in speech (cutting speech could have consequences).\u00a0 Best eat the scones in silence and a sense of quiet communion, and check health and safety. Geminis and Virgos especially incident-prone, and Arians could be irritable.<\/p>\n Despite a slightly frazzled ending to the week, it’s a lot more mellow than last week, which was full on in the eye of the Grand Cross.<\/p>\n The week in bullet points:<\/p>\n Muhammed Ali (1942 – 2016) “I am the greatest.\u00a0 I said that even before I knew I was.” Boxer Muhammed Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, passed away on Friday evening, from respiratory complications while in hospital on life support.\u00a0 He was 74.\u00a0 He ensured his place in the history of professional heavyweight boxing.\u00a0 But he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-icons","category-obituary"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph9pin-12A","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4004"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4011,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4004\/revisions\/4011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n