MANLY P. HALL

My choice for the next case study is Manly P. Hall. For those of you who don’t know who he is, you should, especially if you have an interest in astrology and metaphysics. I thought his chart would be an interesting use of derivations, which is the process of finding information about events or people close to us in our own natal charts.

For background, MPH was, from the age of 19 and up until his death at age 89, one of the most respected experts in occult knowledge of the 20th Century. His most well-known book, The Secret Teachings Of All Ages, is a must-read and covers topics such as Kabbalah, astrology, tarot cards, Rosicrucianism, ancient Egyptian symbolism, and more. He was also a renowned lecturer and philosopher, and it’s said he was able to speak for hours without notes. You can find recordings of his lectures on iTunes and Spotify which are excellent. He also founded the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization and center for research and learning, which houses one of the largest collections of philosophical and occult texts.

Aside from his extensive knowledge, my strong 8th house is fascinated by the intrigue in his personal life. Not only was the death of his first wife a bit of a mystery, but he was also apparently swindled out of his fortune in his final days by business associates. His second wife even went so far as to accuse them of murdering him.

I used Astrodatabank for the birth data and Wikipedia along with this piece from NBC News for bio information.

Regarding his death, I used this 1st-person account from his second wife where she accuses his business associates of murder and attempted theft of their fortune, and this coverage of the court settlement of his assets in the LA Times. 

Before jumping into the first wife, I wanted to point out the complexity of his chart and underlying motivation through a few key points.

Notice he has the sign of Aquarius on the ASC and the entire sign of Pisces enclosed within the first house. These two signs are connected to advanced thinking (Aquarius) and spirituality (Pisces). Together, they work to give the ability to distill complex spiritual topics into clear, concise language.  

Aquarius ASC with enclosed Pisces

Uranus as co-ruler of his ASC is in his 10th in Sagittarius sending a sextile to the cusp of the ASC. The sense here is the use of communicating his unconventional philosophy to the masses/groups. In the early 20th Century, that meant film, radio and publishing.

The second co-ruler of the ASC is Saturn, which is in domicile in Capricorn and in the 12th house of secrets, suffering and hospitalizations. Saturn, the planet of limitation, concentration, karma, has an affiliation with the 12th house, so despite the fact it’s placed in a cadent house, there is an inherent and powerful influence on his unconscious motivations connecting him to what’s hidden and mysterious. Such a strong Saturn can bring anxiety and an obsessive need for privacy as well. Conjunct his Jupiter in Capricorn, Saturn could subdue any natural optimism. The 12th house also represents his secret enemies, which we’ll get to later.

Rulers of the Aquarian ASC, Uranus and Saturn

Since Pisces is enclosed in the 1st house, we also have to look at Neptune, Jupiter and Venus and we see Neptune in Gemini in his 5th house, an exalted Venus in Pisces in his 1st house, and Jupiter in fall in Capricorn in his 12th. If you look at the planets and the aspects they receive, you start to notice the multiple connections to the modern planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). When the moderns are strong, the person can feel out of step with conventional society, so while he captured the public’s fascination at the turn of the century with mysticism, his views were definitely not mainstream. In a powerful horoscope like this, combined with the connection to fame and mass media, these people can shift the consciousness of society for good or for bad.

In terms of fame, the Sun and Moon are both in the 1st house and connected to his MC and 11th House, mostly through Jupiter. We see that the “light” is literally on him. However, I’d say the Moon is more impactful on him given that his enclosed Sun suffers from a quantitative decrease in strength. This would be supported by the role his mother and grandmother had on him since the Moon is a significator of the mother and women in general.

Coupled with Saturn and Jupiter in the 12th and planets in Pisces, my impression here is that despite the seemingly confident persona he creates for public, there is a shyness and a strong sensitivity to his environment. 

Rulers of Pisces and position of Sun and Moon

To that point, Neptune in the 5th, connected to planets in 1, including the Sun and Moon, gives the idea of inborn talent and the magnetism and showmanship he brings to deeply complex spiritual topics. Just check out that smoldering gaze in this publicity photo!

We mentioned Jupiter as a co-ruler of the ASC, but it’s also ruler of his MC, dispositor of his ruler Uranus and conjunct Saturn, the other co-ruler of the ASC. Multiple connections like these between the ASC and MC show a powerful alignment and motivation to express himself through the work he does. With Jupiter and Saturn in the 12th, you get the idea of it relating to things that are hidden or secret.  

Multiple connections to Jupiter in the Horoscope

FIRST WIFE

His first wife would be seen as MPH’s 7th house with Leo on the cusp but also an enclosed Virgo, making her rulers the Sun and Mercury. We don’t know a lot about her, other than she was a secretary for MPH before he married her, that it was considered a troubled marriage, and that she died by suicide (per Wikipedia).

Her ruler is the Sun, which is typically not very strong in the sign of Pisces because Pisces has nothing to do with the ego. To have it enclosed reinforces the idea of a weakness of vitality and likely an oversensitivity to the environment. Because of Pisces, we need to look at the dispositors: Jupiter in Capricorn in her 6th, Neptune in her 11th house in the sign of Gemini, and Venus in Pisces in her 7th. Together, there’s an idea of depression and perhaps mental illness due to her sensitivity to the environment (Neptune, Pisces, 7th house) and connection to illness and the mind (6th house, Gemini).

MPH’s 1st wife’s ASC is his 7th house by derivation

We also need to look at Mercury as co-ruler because of the sign Virgo is enclosed in the 7th house. Here it’s in ultra-sensitive Pisces in her 7th house and retrograde. When we consider Mercury’s dispositors, Neptune and Venus may give her a more sensitive and artistic nature, but I would say the Jupiter in Capricorn conjunct Saturn (MPH) is too heavy and a very oppressive influence. This Jupiter is also sextile to and dispositor of Mercury (her) and squaring the cusp of her 8th house from her 6th house of sickness. This gives the sense of depression being in-born and causing tremendous pressure. How does she react? Aggressively and eventually violently (Mars in Leo). Jupiter is also connected to her 12th house as ruler by exaltation of Cancer, connecting her sickness to hospitalizations.

MPH’s 1st Wife; Mercury as co-ruler of her ASC and connections to Jupiter

She has a strong Mars sitting on the cusp, which would indicate an emotional and aggressive temperament, which is also reinforced by the opposition to the Moon. See also the Uranus/Pluto opposition in her 4/10 axis, explaining her attraction to occult subjects, but contributes to a sense of inflexibility and power struggle with MPH, who would be represented by Uranus.

Notice that this Mars comes from her 8th house, connecting her life (ASC) with her death; that somehow death comes to her by ruler of 8 in 1. As an aside, if the ruler of 1 was in 8 it would mean she goes toward death, or somehow is attracted to dangerous things.

The burying of the incident has to do with MPH’s proclivity for secretiveness and control, which we discussed as part of the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction falling in his 12th, but also the Uranus/Pluto opposition, and influence of Neptune. Neptune is the planet of confusion, mystery and secrecy and not only is it sending a sextile to her ASC from the 11th house, but it’s also square to the Sun, sextile Mars in her 1st house, and dispositor of Mercury, co-ruler of her ASC. And who else is represented by Neptune? MPH as co-ruler of her 7th house.  

MPH’s 1st Wife: Stressful aspects and connections to Neptune

MPH’S DEATH

When we start to analyze MPH’s 8th house, we see the importance of Venus, but also the heavy influence of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto and Uranus. Even though Venus is exalted, it’s considered besieged by the influence of these heavy planets. Add to that the fact that Venus is enclosed, and you get the sense that he’s unable to overcome his enemies.

MPH’s 8th house has Libra on the cusp so is ruled by Venus, which we find in Pisces in his first. Like his first wife, his life is connected to his death but its ruler is a benefic, Venus, which is quite different than rulership by Mars, which is considered a malefic. Exalted, it indicates the potential for something extraordinary through the connection, which makes sense given his long career investigating occult subjects.

Now, notice that this Venus receives squares from both Pluto in the 4th (end of life) and Uranus in the 10th (him and his future). The T-square is an intense aspect made up of two planets in opposition and a third in square to both. The focal point, and the release of the tension comes through the planet sending the square aspects: Venus. I see this as a power struggle, or a need for control. In his career, he was able to command attention and respect, but in his personal life, it also gives the potential for power struggles between him and his business partners.  

MPH’s 8th house and T-Square in the angles

We also need to look at Saturn since it’s the ruler of Libra by exaltation. This Saturn becomes more influential on the affairs of the 8th house than the Venus because it also sends a square aspect to the cusp whereas Venus is not connected by aspect. In Capricorn in his 12th, it connects his death to secrets, sicknesses and hospitalizations. Saturn is the planet of constriction and if you’ve read through some of the links it mentions MPH became frailer over the last few months of his life, and the weekend he died, he was suffering from a bronchial infection.

Now where in his chart do we find his business partners? I’d put them in the 7th house of partnerships because they took over MPH’s personal and foundation finances. The 7th house is also considered the house of open enemies. With Leo on the cusp and Virgo enclosed, we need to look at the Sun and Mercury, and of course we see them connected to Venus, ruler of MPH’s 8th house in MPH’s 1st. IT’s almost like they’re surrounding the Venus.

Notice also that MPH’s 2nd house of money is ruled by Aries and look where the rulers are. Mars is in the 7th/1st house of the partners, indicating that his money comes to them in some way (I’d say forcefully). The Sun, as ruler by exaltation of Aries, is in the 1st with the Venus so there is this repetition that the business partners are connected to his money.

Let’s zero in on this Jupiter here, too, because not only is it the dispositor of all three planets in Pisces, but it conjuncts the Saturn and sends a square to the cusp of the 8th. This Jupiter is extremely important because I also take it as signifying the son of the business partner, who was part of the trip. MPH’s 11th house has Sagittarius on the cusp, and it’s also the 5th (children) of the 7th (the business partner). Notice also Sagittarius on MPH’s 10th, which would be the 12th (secrets) of the son. It’s totally a guess here, but I would say if MPH was smothered, like his wife accuses, it was done by the son. The red flags to me are the approaching conjunction of Jupiter to Saturn, Jupiter is the dispositor of both Venus (ruler of MPH’s 8th) and Uranus (ruler of MPH’s ASC) and it falls in the son’s 2nd house of money and income.

A bad Jupiter, representing the business partner’s son

The business partner’s 10th house is Gemini (MPH’s 4th) ruled by Mercury, again conjunct Venus and in sextile to Jupiter. Pluto in their 10th opposite Uranus (MPH) and square Venus. Their future is tied up in MPH’s death and money, plus the power struggle for control.

Complex power struggles with the business partners over money

MPH’S SECOND WIFE

This whole accusation, of course, stems from MPH’s second wife so let’s look at her motivation. She would be represented by the 9th house because the derivation method I learned was that you move counter clockwise every other sign to find the next spouse. If you have someone like Elizabeth Taylor, who was married 8 times, you’d then go to the 11th, the 1st, the 3rd, etc. until you get to the 8th husband, even though she married Richard Burton twice.

We see her as Scorpio with Mars in Leo in her 11th and Pluto in Gemini in her 8th. She definitely wasn’t a shrinking violet and the impression is that of intensity. She enjoyed the power that came with being MPH’s wife and was able to forge relationships with influential people. She seems to be more aggressive than MPH and probably enjoyed shaking things up through some pretty blunt comments.  

Her 10th house would be Cancer, which we see in MPH’s 1st and opposite the Mars in the 7th. Her 10th is also the 12th of the business partner, so the sense is that she exposed their secrets when they made her an enemy.

Her legal fights with them would fall in her 7th, which is Taurus, MPH’s 3rd house. And again we go back to this Venus and all of the challenges with Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto and Uranus. She was helped by the exalted Venus, but also the good state of her co-ruler Mars and the strength of her other co-ruler Pluto. So, while she didn’t get everything she wanted, she was partially vindicated in the courts.

MPH’s second wife in his chart

So, nothing like a little true-crime action as viewed through the natal chart to spark a conversation. Comment below if you see anything else or have questions. Thanks for reading!