Cities, like people, have a natal, or birth chart, which can be used to analyze their character and destiny. The branch of astrology that considers charts of cities or nations is called mundane astrology and it is one of the oldest way of using astrology to understand the world.
Sometimes, however, it is difficult to determine the date to use for city’s birth chart, since the historical records can be lost or contradictory. The city of Jackson, for instance, has “Founded 1822″ on the official city seal, probably referring to the date in April of that year, when the plan for the city’s layout blueprint was officially adopted. This does not quality as an astrological birth date, since the rule in astrology is to cast the birth chart for the date the city became incorporated and/or became self-governing. Given this requirement, 1822 is not astrological birth year, even though the city seal, and maybe the city government, may proclaim it.
Every Mississippi history book reports that the state legislature approved the site for building the capitol city on November 28, 1821 and named this city ‘Jackson’. They approved a charter for the city on January 21, 1823 and set up a Board of Trustees, but according to Brinson’s, The Story of Jackson, this structure was never put into effect. Throughout the 1820′s Jackson’s fate hung in the wind. The town was so rudimentary and bleak that there were revolts of legislative factions rallying to move the capital to Clinton or Vicksburg or anywhere but the primitive frontier outpost of Jackson.
After the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit of the early 1830s and appropriation of Choctaw lands in Mississippi north of Jackson for settlers was a done deal, the decision to put the capitol in the center of the state at last made sense and took hold. Jackson began thriving. On December 25, 1833, the General Assembly re-incorporated Jackson and defined a new self-governing structure for it, an elected body of five selectmen with a president holding mayoral authority.
An election was held the following January, say the history books, but the date is not reported. The new mayor took office in February, 1834, again with the exact date nowhere to be found. Now the question becomes, do we use the date that the legislation establishing self-government was passed, or, the date the first mayor took office? Suppose, like in the first charter, the second charter never took hold. It would seem that to be safe on this point, the date and time of the swearing in might be defining moment of birth as a self-governing entity.
This situation certainly comes up with many or most city birth charts, and in actual astrological practice, the date of passage of the commissioning legislature to set up self government is used, not the first swearing in. So we will use the date of December 25, 1833 and see if we get a chart that seems to fit Jackson. We will consider the chart for when the site of Jackson was approved a conception chart and look in it for connections to the December 1833 one, which should be there according to astrological theory, since the one thing led to the other.
Jackson’s Planets
Neptune was in Capricorn throughout the whole period from 1821 to 1834, representing the idealization of government and the state. In 1821, Uranus was conjunct Neptune, showing the radical nature of changes being undertaken as part of Neptune’s idealization, the innovating of government in the wilderness of the remote reaches of new world. This is the signature of frontier idealism, and much of our nation’s expansion, not just Jackson, was born from it. In Jackson’s case, the image is literal–carve a seat of government in the forests and wilderness with the far-sighted goal of its future value.
More personal though is the conjunction of Moon and Venus in Capricorn in Jackson’s 1821 chart. These two planets are the ‘feminine’ ones, the softer, gentler influences but in Capricorn they are given a harder edge, this sign being more about working hard in conservative and socially sanctioned efforts toward success. The ambition, self-discipline, and ruggedness which instigated the building of a state capitol from scratch shows here.
In addition to the strong Capricorn flavor of the site selection legislation chart, we have a Sagittarius Sun. In astrology, the Sun gives an entity its individuality and center. Sagittarius is a philosophical yet sporty influence, a sign all about the love of freedom and mental and physical expansion. The Sun is the only planet in Sag here, though, and it isn’t well integrated into the rest of the chart.
Interestingly, however, the chart for the second (but first executed) charter for the city, the birth chart we are using, has the opposite astrological circumstance. In the 1833 chart, the Sun is in Capricorn alone and somewhat isolated from the other planets but there is a bundle of planets in Sagittarius. This gives a strong impression that these two signs play a big role in Jackson’s astrological identity.
It is obvious to Mississippians that Jackson expresses Capricorn energy, since this is the sign of government and Jackson is the seat of the state government. The Sun in Capricorn in the birth chart for December 25, 1833, shows that government gives Jackson’s its identity. Corporate headquarters and administrative centers are Capricorn institutions. Capricorn has a spiritual side, too; it represents the peace gained from wisdom gained from experience. Martin Luther King was a Capricorn. The mountaintop is a Capricorn symbol and is well suited for an urban environment of high rises and careers.
Mercury, Venus and Mars are all in Sag in the 1833 chart. This is an emphasis on higher education and so is the case in Jackson where Jackson State, Millsaps and Belhaven Colleges all reside.
As well as higher education, Sagittarius rules foreign lands and cultures and ethnicity and of course Venus rules the arts. The Sagittarius Venus shows up prominently in artistic venues in Jackson, with “international” being a part of many of them like the International Ballet, the Treasures of St. Petersburg and of Versailles, exhibits which recently were hosted by the city. With Venus in Sag Jackson is well-suited to a multicultural emphasis in artistic expression and actively exploring the arts in an international context.
The role of race and ethnicity as a big topic in Jackson can be described by Mercury in Sagittarius. Here talk and writing and discourse are linked to cultural diversity, ethnicity, philosophical and religious understandings and beliefs. Although Mercury in Sag in healthy adjustment is broad-minded and tolerant, ethnic perspectives can also become strident, obsessive, or overly stressed. This is especially true when Mars is also in Sagittarius, as it is here.
One fine and healing way to express these athletic and artistic energies at their best is dance. Venus conjunct Mars engages the artistic side of expressing physical energy and it makes sense that Jackson would host the International Ballet. Jackson used to be famous for hosting Teen Tempo, a tv dance show that came on Saturday mornings in the 60s. We pre-teens from the boonies watched it and marveled at the sophistication of those Jackson teens. Also in entertainment (a Venus-Mars experience), the rodeo and the state fair held annually near downtown Jackson are both instances where this Sagy configuration shines, since large animals, cowboys, and conferences are all themes associated with this sign.
This Venus-Mars-Mercury conjunction in Sagittarius has some real positives in terms of cultural development and diversity, and expressive physical activities. A problem is that Mars in Sagittarius can be rowdy, boisterous, and at times quick to take offense and act on impulses. Ethnic identifications can inflate behaviour if under certain stresses.
In addition, the December 25, 1833 chart has some interesting degree similarities to the November 28, 1821 site selection chart:
Jupiter’s return to Aries. Jupiter’s cycle is about 12 years, so 1833 is the year of the Jupiter return for the 1821 chart. This cycle is about growth and fruition, so the conception to birth process is showing completeness.
Jupiter conjunct Saturn in Aries square the Capricorn planets (11/28/1821)- Pluto in Aries opposite Saturn and square Capricorn planets (12/25/1833)
These Jupiter-Saturn hard aspects, involving the high-energy, action-oriented and at times aggressive sign Aries, indicates a forceful and bold approach to growth and development that pushes hard to make its way. Jackson’s reputation among some in the state as a violent city, its military invasion in the Civil War, the Jackson State student shooting during the Civil Rights era, Medgar Evers murder and high ranking in the crime statistics can be linked to the emphasis on a stressed Jupiter in Mars-ruled Aries and Saturn’s involvement with it. A square of these stressed placements to the natal Sun in the 1833 chart, shows how the identity of the city has to struggle to rise above these discordant elements. The 1980′s past slogan for the city, the “Bold New City” took a positive approach to the Jupiter in Aries tendency to push ahead.
Another common feature of both the 1821 site selection chart and the 1833 re-charter one is the shortage of water signs. Both charts are sparse in air signs as well, although in 1833 the Moon was in Gemini and Saturn in Libra so there is some good representation of air there. In general, for a person, water represents the emotions, imagination and mystical sense. On the positive side, one compensation for this lack advances healing as a profession. Healing the emotions, finding and releasing emotional blockages, including those manifesting in physical illness find themselves being utilized and developed in this environment. More problematically, there could be either compensation going on for the missing water/emotions by means of hyper sensitivity, touchiness, helplessness, surreptitiousness, or on the other hand, a total cut off of the feelings in the form of a soulless bureaucracy, social isolation, depression.
For a city without water signs in the birth chart, a special effort must be made to create connectedness to others in caring. Cleaning and refreshing energy needs to be actively sought. There is an emotional need to be filled. Worship through church services or, again, the arts, is a good way to express the watery emotions in a fire form, since fire is where much of the lacking water energy goes in the 1833 chart. Any performance-centered release of emotional energy benefits from the instinct for ‘the moment’ given by Fire sign energy and offers good emotional therapy although also lots of drama. The recently advocated idea of putting a river walk through the center city would be good therapy for this lack.
So, is Jackson a Capricorn city? Yes, this sign is very much a part of the city’s character. But Sagittarius plays a big role as well. Later we will look at specific dates in the city’s history to see how well each of these charts describe the past events. If this goes well, we will may be able to find a “rectified” time, which is a birth time derived by working backwards from past events. If we can rectify the chart, it would be possible to look forward and use the birthchart to forecast on upcoming trends for Jackson’s development.
