The Astrology of George Washington

Welcome to a special edition of “The Astrology” series in honor of America’s birthday! And as such, it is only fitting we celebrate with ole George Washington, himself. Known to be an upstanding man by both contemporaries and legends alike. But, does his character stand up to divine scrutiny? Let’s find out what the astral realm has to say.

Washington is a fascinating historical figure. A gentleman farmer and wealthy tobacco plantation owner out of Virginia, a land speculator, a surveyor and map-maker who played a role in the very shape of some of our now current borders, an author, general, spymaster, statesman, and president.

With such an exceptional life, one would think that the person’s astrology chart would be equally exceptional. And, indeed, it is. No one gets involved at the level of earth-shattering matters like this without karma and fate playing a part. Moreso, destiny plays a part.

Destiny is different from fate and karma. Karma is the energy that flows from actions, thoughts, and events across time to create fate. Fate is the build-up of certain actions and thoughts that converge into a moment in time or person which results in diseases, relationships, psychological complexes, catastrophes, etc. But destiny is the path you were meant to live up to. It is you at your greatest. And it takes a combination of fate and human will to fulfill one’s destiny. Certainly, Washington did that.

For starters is the “grand trine” in Washington’s chart. This is an indicator of good karma. In other terms, this is positive fate. A grand trine is three planets that form a triangle across the chart, linking the parts of that chart in a beneficial way. Here, it is Mercury, Jupiter, and Neptune stemming from the first, sixth, and tenth houses. And this connection amplifies their meaning in the individual sense, creating a kind of synergy.

Mercury is conjunct the Midheaven in this grand trine. In essence, this is giving Washington’s voice an importance to the public. It makes it audible to the world-at-large. His writings and speeches are something that are fated to be heard.

The next two aspects are something we’ve covered in previous articles before– Mercury trine Jupiter and Neptune. Mercury is such a fast planet that a plethora of connections are made in a short time, giving an abundance of varied potentialities from person to person, but also making those potentials more common.

Mercury trine Jupiter is the big picture type thinker. They are positive mentally, but not so much that they become arrogant in their visions and plans as with the square or opposition. They can see the long term view, and it is good. They are very interested in philosophy and religion, and this tends to make them very tolerant of other ideas, which is something they love to discuss in a good-natured way.

Mercury trine Neptune is the artistic dreamer in the best ways because the trine is such a beautiful position. They are full of imagination and possibilities and make great writers, actors, and musicians. Neptune usually drags things down with his inclination to produce delusion, but the trine doesn’t have much of this problem.

Now, because Jupiter is trine to Mercury on the Midheaven, this also means he is in a trine to the Midheaven, too. Here’s the heavy hitter for fame in George’s chart. As talked about in previous articles, Jupiter in connection to the Midheaven is the greatest producer of fame, although, far from the only one. He literally “blows up” the public persona, and in a way that George doesn’t have to try; it just happens.

Then there is Neptune retrograde in the first house as the third planet of this grand trine. When we see Neptune in the first house, it always gives a sense of mystery. And this was very much in line with Washington’s reputation. People looked up to him with awe and an air of mystique. But it also makes the native a social chameleon, changing with his surroundings. Yet, the person may be a bit of a mystery even to themselves, not really having a sense of self unless other factors ground them.

Along with that Jupiter is a conjunction with potent Pluto. Jupiter conjunct Pluto is present in many very powerful figures, and is considered “the magnate aspect.” They do not give up, ever. They have boundless ambition and they chase after it until it’s achieved. Jupiter, as the amplifier, makes Pluto that much bigger and more intense. And because Jupiter is trine to the Midheaven, Pluto’s conjunction to it adds its flavor and comes along for the ride. This is similar to having Pluto trine the Midheaven on steroids. Power is projected out into the world. We see Washington as this looming figure in our lives, and that’s the effect of this position.

Next up is Venus conjunct Saturn in a trine with Mars. There’s a lot going on here, and it is a set of gorgeous apects anyone would be lucky to have.

Venus conjunct Saturn can have a bit of an isolating effect in love an relationships, but ultimately it pays off. It is good for long term commitments and building a career and money over time. It also makes them loyal people and capable of sticking it out through almost anything. But, it is the wisdom that Venus conjunct Saturn gifts that might be the most important. Washinton was known for how he inspired awe in people around him, and that they looked to him for his sage-like leadership. Indeed, they asked him to be their king before writing the Constitution.

Mars trine Saturn is similar in nature. However, it is not focused on love, but rather action, masculinity, and anger. Mars and Saturn do not get along as planets, but the trine blends this into its highest manifestation. They make the native naturally patient and willing to work hard over long periods to complete tasks, instilling a kind of strong inner compass. Any contact between Mars and Saturn is good for warriors and soldiers. As a general, Washington would have made use of this in spades. We nearly lost the war at many moments, and Washington’s resolve saw it through in part because of this particular aspect.

Believe it or not, Washington was a ladies man! And it is no shocker with his Venus trine Mars aspect. This is possibly the best combination of these two, having neither the overbearing energy of the conjunction, nor the hostility of the square. This perfect integration of the two planets of love and attraction makes charming a potential mate quite easy. The person exudes a natural affinity with the opposite sex and draws them in effortlessly. George apparently had a thing for married women…

I always love seeing amazing figures play out the way I predict. When you are as familiar as I am with the inner workings of the chart, you can begin to pick out the aspects in people, like reading “the matrix” in code. The world truly is an intruging place.

Happy Independence Day.