Natal Chart Comparison Part 1: Entering The Chart
This is a lecture I prepared for one of my classes that I thought would be a fun Halloween-themed comparison of two charts with the same Ascendant and Midheaven, but even I was surprised by how revealing the examples were in explaining the differences between seemingly similar natal charts.
The selection of Jeffrey Dahmer was intentional given the spooky Halloween theme, but I happened to remember that Ilona Maher, the subject of my post last August, had the same Libra Ascendant & Cancer Midheaven.
As usual, I want to point out that I referenced Astro-databank for the birth times and Wikipedia for the general bio information. I will caution you that the Jeffrey Dahmer writeup on Wikipedia is surprisingly long, graphic and disturbing if you read through the entire bio.
The purpose of this class was to demonstrate Chart Synthesis, the ability to “make the chart come alive” as my teacher likes to say, by using the 5-step process that was taught to me. It’s the system I follow in my other case studies on the site, and here, through chart comparison, it demonstrates the nuances of the individual charts.
Here we have the two charts side-by-side showing they have the same signs on the Ascendant & MC.
Natal charts of Ilona Maher and Jeffrey Dahmer. Birth data provided by astro-databank.com.
As with any natal chart, we want to start with answering our four questions.
Ilona Maher
Female, Birth time with an AA Rodden Rating (excellent), 29 yrs old (as of this posting).
Background, edited from Wikipedia (bold text from me highlighting important information that is relevant to our analysis). Ilona Delsing Rosa Maher born August 12, 1996) is an American rugby union player, social media personality and reality television star. As of December 2024, she has signed for Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women's Rugby league and began playing for them in January 2025.[3] She won bronze with the United States in rugby sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Maher took up rugby at age 17 and went on to win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championships as a college player at Quinnipiac University. After debuting in 2018, she represented the United States national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics. She is also known for her body positivity advocacy.[8]
Maher was born on August 12, 1996, in Burlington, Vermont, to Michael and Mieneke Maher. Her mother is a Dutch native who works as a nurse. Her father, who has Irish ancestry, is a former rugby player who previously played for Saint Michael's College. Maher's older sister, Olivia, is a social media content creator who is known for coining the term "girl dinner" on TikTok.
Maher and her sisters started playing "high-level" sports such as field hockey, basketball and Little League softball at a young age. During the spring of her senior year at Burlington High School, Maher grew tired with softball and was encouraged by her father to play rugby. She attended Norwich University for one year before transferring to Quinnipiac University, where she graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in nursing. She later received a master's degree in business administration from DeVry University.
Jeffrey Dahmer
Male, Birth time with an AA Rodden Rating (excellent), 34 at time of death in 1994.
Background edited from Wikipedia (again, bold text denotes important points I want to highlight for our analysis). Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the first of two sons to Lionel Herbert Dahmer, a Marquette University chemistry student and later a research chemist, and Joyce Annette Dahmer (née Flint), a teletype machine instructor.
Some sources report Dahmer was deprived of attention as an infant. Other sources, however, suggest that Dahmer was generally doted upon as an infant and toddler by both parents, although his mother was known to be tense, greedy for both attention and pity, and argumentative with her husband and their neighbors.
As Dahmer entered first grade, Lionel's studies kept him away from home much of the time. When he was home, his wife—a hypochondriac who suffered from depression—demanded constant attention and spent an increasing amount of time in bed. On one occasion, she attempted suicide using Equanil. Neither parent devoted much time to their son, who later recollected that, from an early age, he felt "unsure of the solidity of the family", recalling extreme tension and numerous arguments between his parents during his early years.
[Doctors] noted that Dahmer strongly identified with the villains of The Exorcist III and Return of the Jedi, particularly the level of power held by these characters.
Forensic psychiatrist George Palermo stated that Dahmer was motivated to commit murder by a "pent-up aggression within himself. He killed those men because he wanted to kill the source of his homosexual attraction to them. In killing them, he killed what he hated in himself."
Friedman testified that it was a longing for companionship that caused Dahmer to kill and testified that Dahmer was not psychotic. He described Dahmer as "amiable, pleasant to be with, courteous, with a sense of humor, conventionally handsome, and charming in manner.
Referencing his reasons for consuming his victims, Dahmer stated he had initially consumed portions of his victims due to "curiosity" before adding: "I suppose, in an odd way, it made me feel they were even more a permanent part of me."
Describing the increase in his rate of killing in the two months prior to his arrest, Dahmer stated he had been "completely swept along" with his compulsion to kill, adding: "It was an incessant and never-ending desire to be with someone at whatever cost. Someone good looking, really nice looking. It just filled my thoughts all day long."
Well, then. Where do we go from here? I personally like to just look at the chart and see what draws my attention. It’s usually the sign on the Ascendant first, and as you get more comfortable with analysis, certain things become noticeable quickly.
Ilona Maher natal chart
With Ilona Maher (right), I notice the Cardinal signs on the angles, Sun & Moon conjunct (new moon birth), the majority of planets in upper left, 7 planets in angular houses, the interception of Sag/Gemini in the 3/9 axis, and the signs of Libra and Aries doubled on the 1/2 and 7/8 houses. (I use the Regiomontanus house system).
I also like to do the 16 Point Scale analysis which comes up with masculine, cardinal, fire emphasis, or an underlying Aries energy in her chart. Aries is the sign opposite Libra, so will this compliment or compete with her Libra Ascendant? Can she integrate this energy effectively?
Jeffrey Dahmer natal chart
When we look at Jeffrey Dahmer (left), my eye is drawn to the Cardinal angles; the Moon on the cusp of the 7th (Angular light); the emphasis on 8th house with both the Sun & ruler of the Ascendant (Venus); Neptune, Saturn, Uranus in angular houses; and Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury in domicile. Remember a planet in domicile is a show of strength. It doesn’t have to work with a dispositor, so it is able to express its true nature.
His 16-point scale reveals an emphasis on masculine, cardinal, air, or an underlying Libra energy in his chart. Now, when it’s the same sign as the Ascendant, the question becomes whether this will exaggerate or refine the expression of the Ascendant.
Since this is the basis of a 90 minute class, it’s a lot to put in one post. I’ll break it down into multiple parts with Part 2 being a full analysis of the Ascendant. Before you jump to the next post, let’s review the 5-step process for natal chart analysis. It can be time consuming, especially when you’re first starting out, but when you follow a set process, you develop speed, which allows you to synthesize the chart.
The Ascendant, which includes the sign on the cusp, the Ruler by house & sign position, aspects to the Ascendant (cusp), aspects to the Ruler, and analysis of any planet in the 1st house, including aspects.
The Midheaven, following the same steps as the Ascendant.
The Moon by house & sign position, plus any aspects.
The Sun by house & sign position, plus any aspects and its relationship to the Moon.
Anything Unusual, such as enclosures, stelliums, feral planets, focal planets, absence or abundance of a particular sign or element, etc.