Have you ever thrown a stick of lit dynamite? That’s what I feel that I’m doing with this post. But since we’ve been on the subject of birth certificates for the Presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, I feel obliged to address why one hasn’t turned up for Trig Paxson Van Palin, the son of GOP Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
According to newspaper reports, Trig, who has Down syndrome, was born Apr. 18, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. at Mat-Su Regional Hospital in Palmer, Alaska, one month early. However, columnist Andrew Sullivan says the hospital won’t release the details of Trig’s birth even though two other births are displayed in a public registry for that day.
The idea that Trig is the grandson of Palin and the son of her 17-year-old daughter Bristol Palin, who is currently pregnant, has been dismissed as a liberal smear job. Still, if you want to trawl the Net, there are plenty of You Tube videos and Web sites dedicated to the topic. Sullivan has done a comprehensive job of piecing together the story of Trig’s birth. Some blogs these contain comments asking people to refrain from investigating Trig’s birth, lest Bristol Palin be pushed to the breaking point.
As I note in my “About” section, I’m quite sensitive to the issue of teen mental health since my best friend in high school killed herself at 16.
As an astrologer, I decided to run Trig’s chart with the idea of looking for clues about his life and heritage. Because of where he was born, you get a strange-looking chart that has nearly three signs occupying both the sixth and twelfth houses, regardless of what house system you use, be it Placidus, Regiomantus, etc.
Normally a house might span parts of two signs at the most.
Looking at the chart, we can see that Trig has an out-of-sign conjunction between Sun in late Aries and Mercury in Taurus rising. Other prominent features of the chart: a very tight grand earth trine involving Mercury, Pluto, and Saturn, and T-square that involves Jupiter in Capricorn, Mars in Cancer, and either the Sun in Aries or Venus in Aries, or both, depending on what orbs you use.
You can see Trig’s chart, courtesy of Astrodienst here.
What do you astrologers out there think this chart says about Trig’s life and heritage? I’m looking solely for astrological interpretations here. Other comments will not be approved. Yes, it’s tough love day at Astrology Mundo. We’re staying on message.
Let’s approach this chart from an analytical standpoint and leave politics at the door. Thanks in advance for your interpretations.
Astrology Mundo 
Monica – Being myself an Aries, I have to come to the rescue (if needed) of Trig, especially because he’s a double Aries.
What I see in his chart is not all that complicated. By coincidence I have a neighbor here who is a double Aries as well, and also has some Down syndrome issues. He is over 50 now. He was an executive in a publicity firm, then retired because of health and not because of mental problems. He turned into a cultivator of Japanese mushrooms (the humid climate here helping) and is very successful. More so, he is very much fun to be with! All I wish for Trig is that some day a neighbor of his will be able to say the same!
Some astrological observations: Having my neighbor’s chart as a guide, so to speak, Trig has Venus on Sarah’s Jupiter in Aries. Mars/Jupiter in T-square to this very Jupiter. My neighbor’s chart is quite similar.
Out of discretion I will only address one more aspect in Trig’s chart: His Mercury is “combust,” too close to the Sun to be effective. It sadly happens to often. We need to complain to the Man Upstairs and get Him to change Mercury’s very narrow orbit around our Sun.
The chances are good the boy will be all right. — GP
Monica, I forgot to mention something.Trig’s horoscope is indeed marked by large houses and small ones, being born in the extreme north.
That’s why (by the contrary effect) people born more close to the Equator are in a sense more “equilibrated”. Yesterday, our Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, in an effort to become even more popular than what he already is, proposed legislation for Venezuelans to only have to work six hours a day five days a week. That leaves them 2 full days to watch their beloved President on state TV!
I believe that people born in the extremities of our globe are naturally more curious, and intellectually more active. That’s why most Nobel prize winners are Nordic. There are few “tropicals” in this area, vs. football, samba, and what have you.
Monica,
As you know, I’ve posted on Gauquelin’s planetary heredity theory, where he and his wife found that parents and children share signs in common. Gauquelin found connections in the personal planets, Jupiter and Saturn. I’ve found it helpful to expand the comparisons to all the planets.
Trig is Sarah’s child. They share four zodiac signs including most of their planets.
On her Moon sits his Jupiter in Capricorn, representing restrictions.
On her Sun, Mars, Saturn stellium sits his Chiron/Neptune combination.
His Venus sits on her Jupiter (big mama love there!)
His Saturn sits on her Uranus which is also opposite her Chiron.
I don’t have that many connections with my own children.
Beth — Thanks so much for weighing in. I wasn’t aware of Gauquelin’s research on signs. I have a friend who has done her family tree back to the 19th century and she’s found a lot of aspects, say Moon square Saturn, in common. — Monica
Monica
Gauquelin’s work doesn’t seem to be required reading for us astrologers, especially since his conclusions does not seem to affirm common astrological precepts. But they are fascinating for the breath of his studies (thousands of charts!).
The book is “Astrological Heredity” by Michele and Francois Gauquelin if anyone finds it to purchase.
In my own family research there are a lot of similarities in birth dates. In my soon to ex-husband’s family the number 21 is repeated over and over in the birthdays. Weird, huh?
Monica–
Love the challenge, but no time right now–will get back to you soon!
Julie
Hi Monica,
Interesting post. What I noticed is the Pluto conjunct MC in that Grand Trine. What a powerful position right on the Aries Point and in a grand Trine with Sun/Mercury and Saturn.. He’ll have a major Pluto transit very early in life in connection with his parents as the planet passes over his Midheaven. Maybe Trig should run for President…
The Mars in Cancer in the 4th, of course, shows a lot of upheaval in the homelife. He definitely comes from a competitive family. Palin must have been a wreck during the pregnancy. I remember that Mars was in that long retrograde opposing Pluto for much of the time.
Hi All, and Ms Monica, very interesting on this little mite with the ‘big’ parents!
The Pluto/Mc was my first notice too, 2nd was Mars in Cancer and thoughts of the long Rx period as Comet says.
And Mars is at a degree that seems (for me) to turn up in difficult charts: 19 Cancer.
Other than its obvious connection to Castor and Pollux, i haven’t decided why this degree appears so often in certain types of charts…anyone know something about this degree? Cardinal ’20’ is a critical degr, of course, but if the birth time is correct, Trig’s Mars = 19:01:54.
Be anything as it may astrologically or healthwise, the little fellow is sure to bring joy and many cozy snuggles to the van Palin family and i wish him well!
Hi Monica, and All!
I might have a somewhat odd take on things–if I hadn’t known about the genetic situation, I might have taken this to be the chart of someone very withdrawn or introverted, as so much of the energy seems ‘caught up’ with restrictive factors or confined–for example, the Nodal axis and conj, with the Saturn influence suggesting a living out of lessons from the past, or at least a past that is the wellspring of the present, and the Nep/ Chiron at the NN suggesting skills developed in the imagination for later or next life use?–there seems to me to be a lot of authority (Mommy) dominated existence in store (contributing to the impression of withdrawal or overwhelming circumstances restricting individual expression): Ceres in 1st trine Moon, Ceres sesquiquadrate Jupiter (control by authority of his social role and interactions), Pluto conj Juno in 9th at MC (learning and growing in front of the public, again controlled by a strong woman), Venus conj. Pallas (ladies know best!)
Also standing out to me was the fact that Uranus (ruler of 12th of hidden influences, connection to Collective, and subconscious) has only 2 aspects, a trine to Mars and sextile to Jupiter–with Mars ruling the ASC, this suggested to me that he may be very motivated to be outgoing and sociable, but that the restricted social evirons and the female overseer he seems destined to have guiding him will chafe at too overt expression of his individuality.
There’s also the Sun/ Earth in such late degree–combined with other indicators, I thought it showed someone on a very singular, private journey, perhaps birth circumstances this time around allowing him to concentrate much more closely on the inner journey.
Thanks, Monica!
Julie
I did a cursory look when you posted the article. When I went back to look at the chart in more detail, the link was blocked. What stands out in my memory, was the Moon not in close aspect to any other planet. Take from that what you will about Trig’s parentage.
Jennie — I hope you’ll try again to look at Trig’s chart. I need to get my act together and post PDFs. Sometimes Astrodienst logs me out. I’m logged back in now. Thanks for writing, though! — Monica