So, this is a post that I’ve wanted to do for a while, but for various reasons was put on the back burner. Funny thing though, it never seemed to want to go away. I first thought Dave Grohl would make an interesting case study back in October 2021 when he published his book “The Storyteller.” I read an interview with him about the book and his humor, energy and enthusiasm were very apparent. Then, he popped up again when my husband randomly said he wanted to see the Foo Fighters horror movie “Studio 666.” Um, what? And finally, with the news of the tragic death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recently, there was that feeling that there was something very unusual about this chart.

I used Astrodatabank for his birth information and using the Regiomontanus house system, and pulled from his excellent interview with NPR and this interview with Spin. There is another great interview on RollingStone.com if you want to search for it, but there is a paywall. I highly recommend you read the interviews because so much of his personality shines through.

I’ve mentioned before I’m a Gen X’er so Nirvana clearly was very influential to my…ahem…college years. Lots of flannel, Doc Martins, velvet chokers, and vampy lipsticks were worn. Not that I was a superfan, but their music defined the early 90’s, and the death of Kurt Cobain was a major event for many of us. And of course, music from the Foo Fighters has been a constant in our house since their first album.

For a little more background, here’s a random fun fact: Back in 2004 when I had a super glamorous job, I got to attend the Grammy Awards. One of the fun perks was that I got tickets to a fancy after party and Dave Grohl was there. Being my lame self, I was far too intimidated to go up and say anything to him, but man, he had a magnetism that you could feel from across the room.

This case study is a fascinating example of motivation and drive, and the indicators of success. There is such a strong repetition of houses 1 and 10, connections between the Sun and Moon with the rulers of the angular houses, and a very beneficial 11th house, the house of friends and good fortune (bona fortuna). There’s also obviously been the very high-profile tragedies that he seems to weather with grace and humility.

So, jumping in with a quick overview, we see Capricorn on the ASC, the sign of maturity, security, seriousness, and hard work. The ruler, Saturn, is found in the 3rd house in Aries, and the ruler by exaltation, Mars, is in the 10th house in Scorpio. To paint a picture, this is one serious, intense, hard-working guy who finds success in the way he channels and expresses what he’s feeling. Mars will come up frequently, but notice how Mars is impacting his ASC multiple ways from just from this first point: As ruler of the ASC by exaltation, as dispositor of Saturn in Aries and in honor of domicile in Scorpio. Right off the bat, we’d expect this person to have a lot of ambition, passion, and energy.

**Capricorn ASC and Rulers Saturn and Mars.**

Now, with Aquarius enclosed – more on that soon - we also need to take Saturn, the traditional co-ruler, and Uranus, the modern co-ruler, into account. This makes Saturn twice as important with the considerations above, so let’s focus on Uranus. Uranus is the planet of rebellion, originality, innovation and humanitarianism. In Libra, a fellow air sign, it brings out the idealism and a love of social justice. It can also cause him to have some unusual relationships. In his 8th house, this energy becomes transformative and it makes him money. A lot of money as indicated by dispositor Venus exalted in his 2nd house of earned income. And notice Saturn again involved as ruler of Libra by exaltation.

**Aquarius Enclosed and Rulers Saturn and Uranus**

As an aside, notice also the ruler of the 8th house is in 1 (Mercury) and the ruler of 1 is in 8. Then Mercury is disposed by Uranus, heading back to the 8th house again. This ties him strongly to not only death, but to the resources of other people. They like his thinking and his ideas and want to be a part of them. Add to that the repetition of Scorpio on the MC, Mars in domicile, and a very powerful Pluto, and we have a strong 1-8-10 loop that keeps repeating.

Next, a quick 16-point analysis shows a majority of planets in Feminine, Cardinal signs, and an even split between Earth and Water. This aligns with the Cancer/Capricorn axis, so reinforces the idea of a polarity between desiring intimacy and outer achievement. The cardinality adds to his motivation, boosting the energy from the three points in fire.

The layout of the chart, 6/10 planets above the horizon and 8/10 on the east suggests he’s focused on building up his own life in a public way. I’m counting Mars in Scorpio as working for his 10th house here.

We also see house distortion due to the time and location of birth. He’s Capricorn rising so in a “normal” chart, he should have Taurus and Virgo on 5 and 9, but instead we see the air signs Gemini and Libra. I was taught that you identify with element of your rising sign, so he’s much more connected to his background (4th) and issues of intimacy (8th). What we get is a quincunx (awkwardness) with the giving and receiving of love (5th) and a square (struggle/push) with his philosophy (9th). In the NPR interview, he talks fondly of his mother’s support and there’s a sweet story of pushing himself to get over a fear to set a good example for his daughter.

This distortion also puts causes the signs Aquarius & Leo to be intercepted in the 1/7 axis, and a repetition of Sagittarius on 11 and 12, and Gemini on 5 & 6. The interception can be seen as difficulty expressing the qualities of Aquarius/Leo since there’s no outlet (house cusp) for them to be realized. In the case of Aquarius/Leo, it can be difficult for him to put forth his own individuality and express his ego. This can be humility or a lack of confidence, or a mix of both depending on the situation. He may feel like he’s always better as part of a group rather than the front man.

This also puts Scorpio on his MC instead of Libra. In the Archetype, the ideal is to have a square between 1 & 10, symbolizing the motivation to push yourself to build up your life. Having the 11th sign from Capricorn on the 10th house means that you want to be part of a given group with your career. This placement puts the struggle (square) between the 1st and 9th houses, so he feels more of a push to come to a realization in relation to his values.

The dual signs on the house cusps show that these house affairs are somehow yoked together. Because each house has multiple meanings, it’s possible for various interpretations depending on the age of the person and question you’re trying to answer. For example, the 5th could relate to his children, love affairs, the money of his parents, etc. Since we’re focused on his motivation and achievements – and because I don’t know him personally - I would read this as his talents/hobbies (5th house) become his work (6th house). And with a mutable air sign on the cusp, he has multiple interests and learns quickly, which is confirmed by his interviews where he talks about learning new instruments on a whim. With 11 & 12, a simple interpretation is that his friends are connected to his suffering, and ultimately his personal transformation with Jupiter in his 8th. But we could also say he’s able to bring out his subconscious through groups and associations.

THE ASCENDANT/ASC

We’ve noted above the Capricorn ASC and the placement of the rulers, Saturn and Mars, and when we look at the aspects to the ASC, we see Saturn in Aries sending a square, Sun conjunct in Capricorn, and Pluto in Virgo sending a trine.

Saturn in Aries sends the most exact aspect, and as ruler of the ASC, this becomes a focal point for the chart. Saturn in Aries is in his 3rd house, his field of learning. With Aries on the cusp, he is all fire and passion when there is something he wants to learn. Saturn, however is considered in fall in Aries; not an easy placement because Aries is all about freedom and Saturn is restriction. They don’t tend to bring out the best in each other, but that Saturn energy, used productively, helps to concentrate the intense passion into something he can use. It helps that his Mars is excellent in domicile, and Saturn receives aspects from a powerful Sun (his will) and a good Mercury (his mind/concentration).

Now this Sun is conjunct the cusp of the ASC, sending a square to Saturn (him), and dispositor of Saturn by exaltation. This is a powerful configuration, but now we add that it is in an angular house, in a cardinal sign, and co-ruler of his 7th house since Leo is intercepted. This is one of the first strong indicators of success. The light of the Sun is literally on him, and in multiple ways. Not only is it symbolic of his own actions, but also that he brings the public to him with the Sun as co-ruler of the 7th.

Pluto is the planet of destruction and rebirth in his 8th house, where it has a natural connection in the Archetype. In Virgo however, it’s working with Mercury (also in the 1st!) so this affects this thinking and I would say contributes to the manual dexterity and intense power of his drum playing. There’s a funny story in the NPR article about how fiercely he played the drums and how none of his friends wanted him to use their kits because he’d break them. I would also say he’s quite the perfectionist and demands a lot from himself. He can also be intensely critical if he disagrees with you.

When we look at aspects to the rulers of the ASC, Saturn, Uranus and Mars, we suddenly realize every planet is connected to his ASC. Saturn is forming aspects with the Sun and Mercury, while Mars is connected to Mercury and Venus. Then we see Uranus is connected to the Moon, Jupiter and Mercury. You might say, wait a minute, there’s no connection to Neptune. But Neptune makes an approaching sextile to the Sun in his 1st house, just as Pluto sends a trine. What we have is every planet at his disposal to execute his will (the Sun), an incredible show of power that he’s able to harness thanks to the strength of the sign on his ASC and the angular and cardinal positions of key planets.

To put how significant that is into perspective, most of us only have a few planets connected to the ASC, while others have every planet connected but a debilitated ASC so aren’t able to leverage the conflicting energies. All of this energy is shown in his comments about not being able to sit still. It amplifies the Mars energy but Saturn and Sun help give it direction.

Every Planet Connected to his ASC. Charts (left to right): Aspects to Capricorn Ruler Saturn (1), Aspects to Capricorn Ruler by Exaltation Mars (2), Aspects to Aquarius Ruler Uranus and Planets in the 1st (3)

THE MIDHEAVEN/MC

Now on to his MC, the cusp of the 10th house. We noted that he has Scorpio on the MC when he should have Libra. Scorpio is the sign of emotional power. There’s a creative potential that is tapped through the Mars in domicile on the cusp at the top of the chart. This brings passion, ambition, and intensity that is sustained lifelong.

The planet most closely aspecting his MC is Mercury sending a square from the 1st house in Aquarius, which while enclosed, he pushes to express his innovative ideas and emotional passion through his career.

Venus is also sending a trine from his 2nd house in the sign Pisces. This exalted Venus indicates something remarkable in relation to his career and his earnings, especially through his relationships. And where Venus is a benefic, we’d expect really good things if there’s no affliction. With Pisces on the cusp, it also indicates Piscean ways of making money – music, art, film, etc. – and in a mutable sign, he’s had his hand in more than one creative outlet.

We’d then move on to aspects to the rulers of Scorpio, Mars and Pluto. With Mars so close to the cusp, it also receives aspects from Mercury and Venus, so he’s using his energy to express his ideas and it brings him money.

Pluto in the 8th ties his career to the resources of others and he’s not only able to attract these resources, but transform them into something new. This definitely has to do with money and investments, but I would also categorize “resources” as the talents of others too. He’s able to create something transformative through his creative experience with others.

This Pluto also receives a trine from the Sun in his first, an indicator of incredible willpower and intensity, and a sextile to Neptune in his 10th, providing deep creativity and imagination. On the flip side, this could also bring obstinance and fanaticism. Again, a strong Sun rooted in the cardinal earth sign Capricorn helps him immensely.

Speaking of Neptune, since it’s in the 10th house and ruler of his 2nd, it adds another connection between his income and his career. Although the modern planets have no official dignity designations, I would consider it at home in fellow water sign Scorpio, giving him access to the creative benefits Neptune bestows. Neptune has to do with the unconscious, fantasies, and the sense of dissolution, which can bring strong artistic abilities. Its aspects to Pluto and the Sun bring intensity, willpower, and concentration to the 10th house as well (8 and 1 again.)

**Aspects to Rulers of MC, Mars and Pluto**

One thing I learned about the truly famous is that they also have a strong 11th house. This makes sense because it shows who your friends are, or the type of people in your corner. With Dave Grohl’s chart, the sign of Sagittarius is on the cusp representing freedom, expansive thinking, and adventure. And what’s sitting right on the cusp of the 11th? The Moon, ruler of his 7th, representing the public as well as his instincts. There’s a sense that he knows exactly what the public wants on an instinctual level (the Moon) and they’re drawn to him. We could also say his fans make money for the boss (the 11th house is the 2nd of his boss). I’m sure one of many reasons he still has support in the industry.

This Moon also receives a double-approaching sextile from Uranus in Libra, co-ruler of his first house (him) and planet of speed and innovation. There’s also an approaching sextile with Jupiter in Libra, ruler of the house. Notice also that in Libra, both Jupiter and Uranus are disposed by this exalted Venus, amplifying the benefic influence on him. We see Venus again, too, with an approaching square to the Moon, connecting the public to his 2nd house. And of course, with the Moon sitting on the cusp of the 11th, the influence is doubled.

If the Moon is what he’s craving (freedom) and the Sun is how he organizes his life to get it (duty, obligation), there’s no natural connection given the competing goals. The result is that the Moon can end up unsatisfied. Some people give up in this situation, but his Mars and Saturn then become very important as the engine and the compass to keep him focused. The Sun, angular and in a cardinal sign, also provides tremendous will so he’ll always keep working towards his goals. The challenge is to not let it be at the expense of everything else.

Like with most charts, there’s so much more to say, but as an example of a highly integrated and powerful chart, I’ll end it here. There might be a part 2 in the future related to solar/lunar returns since there’s so much to unpack about his relationship with Kurt Cobain, who I’d place in his 7th house as a partner, and the events related to the deaths of his bandmates. If you see anything else, let me know in the comments.

DAVE GROHL

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