The Astrology of James O’Keefe

James O’Keefe is easily a controversial figure. He’s been in the news lately for being booted off of his own board and accused of misuse of funds from his very popular “Project Veritas” nonprofit organization. It is often said that he takes videos of his intended targets out of context for the sake of right-wing talking points, but is he really the type of person to do these things? Well, the stars don’t lie. So, let’s do the deep-dive.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this month’s breakdown immediately indicates what nearly all of our subjects do: a packed tenth house. It is difficult for me to have conversations with people who think they understand astrology when they very clearly have no experience with it and/or that experience is extremely limited. They commonly believe there is no evidence for it to function as it purports to when this is simply untrue. The very fact that all of the highly visible, famous people I analyze repeatedly have a heavy emphasis on the tenth house is in itself very credible evidence. And it would only take people a little bit of effort to see this evidence, but they would rather plug their ears and pretend it isn’t happening.

This also speaks to something else most people do not want to accept– the idea of fate. If indeed fame comes from tenth house planetary emphasis, then that means it is predetermined. And if it is predetermined, that means that it is not for everyone. Now, this does not necessarily remove the need for hard work for most (although some people become famous through absolutely no work at all), it merely states that when the work is put in that the results will bear out. You can stand around flapping your arms forever, but that hard work does not mean you will fly. Similarly, you can try your whole life to become rich and famous, and if it isn’t in the stars, it’s not going to happen.

This makes many people despondent, but it shouldn’t. It merely means you are focusing on the wrong thing and that your value system needs adjusting. Fortune and fame are not the most important things in life by a long shot. So, don’t despair if this is not in the cards for you.

Now that I have my tangential rant on predetermination and fate out of the way, we can begin in earnest. And as we do, we start out with a bang, as O’Keefe has a stellium in the tenth house consisting of Sun conjunct Moon, Mercury, and Venus! This is quite a draw of energy toward the career and fame sector of the chart. And all of those planets are also conjunct the others, making it a tangle of aspects that need teased out.

Sun conjunct Moon is a birth during the new moon phase. This puts the ego and subconscious emotions in alignment, giving the person a sense of purpose and righteousness in their behavior. It also strengthens the will but at the expense of accurately perceiving objective reality. I think this is well-noted in James’ demeanor.

Sun conjunct Venus is an artistic bent, but also has several other traits that one might not initially intuit from the aspect. First, is that it makes the person a little narcissistically in love with themselves. I think this is also documented in O’Keefe’s personality. But along with this, it tends to make the person lack empathy for others. The reason is that while the Sun energizes, it also blots out what it is close to. This is called “combustion,” and it burns out the other planet’s ability to shine on its own. However, there is a caveat to this called “cazimi,” which means “in the heart of.” If this is the case, then the two are perfectly fused and the second planet is enhanced by the Sun’s rays. This is much rarer, however, and it does not apply to James’ chart.

Then there’s Mercury conjunct Venus. This aspect always bores me, to be honest. There isn’t much to it, other than artistic thinking and appreciation for the arts. It can make a passive mind as well but is often mitigated by other factors in the chart. Mercury aspects on their own don’t produce much effect unless aspected by outer planets. Nonetheless, it’s always worth bringing up.

I’m not going to waste time going over the rest of the tedious, simultaneous conjunctions associated with the stellium. But there is still more yet connected to it. I have previously mentioned that oppositions to the tenth house also produce fame and career. And in this instance, James has Jupiter and Neptune opposing that stellium in the tenth. Jupiter, as the planet of expansion and luck, is always well suited to create great fame and good fortune. But so is Neptune, actually being the ruler of glamor and Hollywood itself. As Neptune is the god of illusion, and as movies are actually themselves illusions, this only makes sense. But let’s look at the specifics.

The first that jumps out at me is Venus opposite Jupiter. This is the lesser benefic and the greater benefic coming together in a powerful collaboration. But, the power of this aspect lies in sociality and superficiality. It’s a “big promises, but not so big on delivery” aspect. It makes a person magnanimous and good-hearted, but often a shallow social climber as well. Placed where it is in James’ chart, however, it tends to indicate his vacillation between his love for home and attraction to career. This energy tends to see-saw in an ever present game of balance between the two that never gets solved. But, in spite of this, it isn’t an unpleasant aspect to have.

But Sun opposite Neptune is another matter. This is a visionary’s aspect, and O’Keefe certainly is a visionary. One who has built up a nonprofit over the years of hard work into a million dollar venture. All the more difficult is the fact that James came from humble origins. However, as with all things Neptunian, it creates confusion about his identity and who he truly is. It makes him critical of himself, and in turn, critical of others. His marked high expectations likely stem in part from this aspect.

Moon opposite Neptune is similar to Sun opposite Neptune, but it is obviously more about emotions and the subconscious. Neptune is often associated with disappointments, as expectations are built up around an illusion and then dashed when reality hits.

Ah, but I’ve been waiting for this next aspect. It’s a serious set of planets and it alone may explain much of James’ behavior and reputation for coldness, discipline, and accusations of abuse toward others– that of Mars conjunct Saturn. This is one of my favorite aspects. We find this commonly in death metal band members, soldiers, and even serial killers. Mars is our inner warrior while Saturn is calculated control and restriction. When you put them together, you get something that is like a machine. However, it has a tendency to produce severe frustration and even rage. It grants the native the ability to endure harsh conditions and to persevere for long periods of time that most simply could not take. But when it becomes cornered or stifled, it blows up in a destructive display that shocks all around them. I was amazed to find this in James’ chart, but not surprised. And as soon as I spotted it, all of the rumor of his personality made sense. Heaven truly does not lie.

But as if to reinforce that, O’Keefe also has Sun trine Saturn, Mars, and Pluto. Even if he only had these aspects, it would be enough to make him an intense person. However, in combination with the Mars conjunct Saturn placement, he is a powerhouse of a person that simply does not care what others think or feel. He is a man on a mission and nothing will stop him.

Sun trine Saturn gives a great and natural discipline and organizational talent that allows him to be very intentional about his efforts and actions. By itself, this is a very fortunate aspect to have.

Sun trine Mars is what gives him his energy to get things done. He is forward and willing to take on all comers. It gives the ability to argue and fight about something one cares about without being too over the top about it and without hesitation. The ego is healthy here.

Sun trine Pluto is a great placement for getting to bottom of something, like a detective, but it is also a fighter’s placement as well. Yet, where Mars give the raw drive, Pluto gives one the gift of dealing with darkness. And if you’re going to truly fight the good fight, you need to deal with the darker parts of life. It’s that killer instinct.

As usual, this list in not meant to be exhaustive. I’ve covered the major things in James O’Keefe’s chart, touching on the points that make up the larger parts of his visible personality. There is always more, but never enough time. That being said, I think I’ve given a fairly comprehensive overview of what makes him tick. I always find it to be fascinating when my suspicions about another’s character are verified in their chart. It makes astrology worthwhile.