The Mad Genius: The Crazy Ones and how the Astrology Birth Chart Can Show Brilliance

The Mad Genius: How Aquarius, Uranus Dominant, Pluto, Scorpio Strength and Lilith Cardinal Position Indicate Brilliance and The Ways These Rare Gems Shine.

“I want to put a ding in the universe.” ~ Steve Jobs

What line distinguishes madness from genius?

Obvious one is proving you’re not crazy. Thumbing through history, mania turns into eccentricity when one has something to show for it. But it’s pudding that usually takes a while to whip up and serve. Van Gogh imprinted his madness in art history with his famous mutilated self-portrait. Destitute most of his life, it wasn’t until his death and his stay in a looney bin that his iconic Starry Night, his gifts would find a place down our cultural walk-of-fame.

Persistence then? Dedication and unwavering faith in self and your idea?

Kanye West surely flexes confidence. His work and the associated brilliance continues to grant him street cred and as one of the greatest musician of our time, despite his notorious live antics.

Then there’s timing and luck.

Timing that there is supply and demand, a necessity to make changes in the world. Had Thomas Edison’s mother not home schooled him after having difficulties in a traditional setting—to which he thrived in the independence, the world may not have been illuminated by his genius ideas. Being part of the boom in the industrial revolution, he flourished in an era encouraged for new inventions and innovation. The invention of the light bulb made life more efficient and convenient.

What about divine timing, perhaps? Fate?

Some people were destined to be stars, their bum cushioned with luck, through wealth or strong, rooted upbringing. Making the right friends also adds to ones luck. Kim Kardashian and her sex tape come to mind, along with the entire Kardashian and Jenner Clan fate, their genes, circle of friends and material resources at their disposal helped shift how we consume pop culture.

Without these key solid ingredients ones fate might be bound as an hysteric, blasted nodes of shockwave to complacency, prescribed Zoloft, Xanax, Valium or whatever numbing solution is in vogue. Deviant behaviour forever ostracized, rejected and forgotten. However, baked in self-acceptance from scratch, kneading in your genius self and self-resolved from rejections and unpopularity are likely the staples to reaching brilliance. If you Google the journey that created Amazon and the man behind it, Jeff Bezos, much is said about his difficulties and rejection. It was his unwavering faith in himself (Jupiter in Aries, in the 12th) and his product—I’m sure it didn’t hurt to have a team backing him up— that likely pulled him through those rough moments and help the slow success of the now multi-billion dollar Amazon.

The question is what ingenious threads do they hold onto, when life unravels them? What strains keep them on a high? How differently is someone like Steve Jobs cut from the rest of the cultural fabric? What makes the crazy ones, blaze through obstacles, pave roads with their radical ideas without the stigma of insanity? Looking through an astrological lens, down a list of notable figures from past to present, from varying disciplines, woven together by the historical dents made, a pattern was found. The dots connected strong Aquarian and Uranus energy, a chart dominant in cardinal modality, while Pluto and Scorpio being prominent, and, not surprisingly, a pronounced Lilith in a cardinal position.

Albert Einstein, an isosceles peg in a square world, failed in grade school. Uranus retrograde in his 3rd house would have made it hard for concentration. His mind a live wire, without the wisdom of age to insulate him, the constant flow of thoughts and ideas had likely distracted and overwhelmed. With Virgo as the expression, he sought to improve navigation down his brilliant and unconventional mind map. The sails of his thoughts, helmed by his natal Jupiter in Aquarius, flew above the mundane and rational and out into the boundless horizons of the 9th house. A life-long mission, envisioned in the most radical sense with a 9th house, Aquarius North Node. That flame burnt bright even under the darkest skies. Lit up from his youth by his Aries stellium (Mercury, Venus, Lilith) and into old age with Saturn keeping the wick alive. Being in the 10th house and with his Part of Fortune involved, reaching his destiny was his luck.

Cardinal Modality Dominant

Deviating from the rest takes a strong understanding of self, or no understanding of how to be anything but. The cardinal houses show what we are being, essentially, just being who we are. It’s part of the 1st quadrant of self, initiation and selfishness. With a strong reliance on self, natives with planets here don’t wait around for anyone to tell them how or when to do it. A strong need to share when 7th is activated, a need to show what you are made of, your accomplishments with 10th house tenants.

Like Einstein, physicist Marie Curie believed in something different, sharing a natal Aquarius Jupiter, beyond the scope of the norm. Jupiter being in her 1st house equates to a strong sense of self and self-belief, powering her through the opposition she faced from a then male dominant field. She defied the role of a nurturing, domesticated woman, with the help of others, instead nurtured her genius side with Uranus in Cancer in the 7th. Having Uranus charged up in her chart, aspecting her major three and Midheaven, in Scorpionic passion, she was determined to show the world her true nature, right to the core, her identity, her actions, an aggression that helped her acquire fame as a Nobel prize recipient twice.

American aviator Amelia Earhart shone deviantly bright as well with her North node in Aquarius in the 10th house. She defied cultural values and her own comfort with Lilith in Taurus, in the first house, by piloting a plane solo across the Atlantic. With Uranus and Saturn in Scorpio in her 7th house, she had a deep sense of responsibility to change and transform how others saw her, to sway others to her own unconventional ideas and values(Gemini Pluto, Venus, Moon in 2nd house). When there was few choices for women at the time, Earhart defied (Uranus) the structure of tradition, society (Saturn) by being the first female aviator to mark the skies.

With Uranus, Mars, Pluto in the 1st house, actor Johnny Depp has entertained us with his off-beat characters for decades. Each one of his cardinal houses are activated, impelling him to do things his own, original way. A self-reliant force of nature with all cardinal signs also activated. Defying the boundaries of an 80’s heartthrob, he took on roles to avoid being type-casted. He’s brought to life strange and fantastical characters to redirect his eye-candy fate (Venus and Mercury in Taurus, 10th house). Pushing the envelop, the value of beauty, how he distinguishes himself through his characters cemented his successful acting career. (Saturn in Aquarius in the 7th house)

Pluto and Scorpio penetrative strength and regenerative power

Having an oddball nature, inventor Nikola Tesla flows in powerful Uranus force in his 1st house. In the expression of Taurus he was a disruption to the earth itself, by radicalizing the way we use electricity. Changing the flow and function of life by the discovery of the magnetic field, he helped us advance into the modern era. His revolutionary inventions were part of his purpose, fuelled his ego and his luck in career. However, with Pluto in a tight 2 degree orb to his Ascendent, it was passion and intensity, and a built-in recovery button that helped his resurrections, after numerous failures and set-backs.

Just like Tesla, Sigmund Freud marches through life with strong Scorpio regenerative force, a penetrative outlook fitting for the man who introduced us to subconscious realities and the expressive powers of our dreams. His deeply held ideas (Gemini 8th house moon) was meant to aggressively shake up, agitate (Mars conjunct Lilith in Libra) current notions held by those in the psychology community( 11th house). Through his 6th house works, he elevated health care by pioneering ideas relative to the subconscious mind, which continually heal others today—Pluto in Taurus conjunct 7th.

 Building a career healing others, sharing stories, Oprah Winfrey grew in fame and established her legacy with her own talk show (Neptune in Libra in the 10th). The broad range of topics, involving celebrities, while also sharing her stories permeated American culture, winning her show a number one spot for 24 consecutive seasons (Mars and Saturn Scorpio in 11th house). While her  boundless, humanitarian (Aquarius) values (Venus) and purpose(Sun) help create her empire (2nd + Jupiter in Gemini in the 6th house), having Sagittarius Rising, her aim was to break down the barriers of traditional perception, disturb the paradigm by continually exploring new horizons, reaching others with her grand ideas in the comfort of their own home, (Uranus in Cancer in the 7th house.)

Awakened Lilith in a Cardinal Position

An unabashed Lilith adds a kick to each chart. With the exception of Edison and Bezos, Lilith is strongly position in a cardinal element. Symbolically, Lilith is the energy that seeks equality at all cost, reforms in order to gain independence from suppression and tyranny. Wherever she sits in the natal chart is where one can express their raw and authentic truth, a combination of Uranus and Pluto energy. Lilith in a cardinal sign adds another flavour of autonomy, of self-initiative and going in salmon direction.

Though his Pluto in Gemini in his 1st house may have been an influence to his eventual seclusion later in life, Howard Hughes had Lilith in spirited Aries, in the 11th house. A prodigy child, Hughes was a prolific inventor like his father. He had a knack for pursuing various ventures (film, aviation, health and the casino industry), to his success, generated him wealth and fame. A genius streak that was not without controversy. His Sagittarius Mars, conjunct Uranus in 7th house show just how fierce he was with others who got between his vision. He was known for his erratic and bizarre germaphobic behaviour. In high voltage energy, Hughes was constantly charge to reach new horizons, set-out towards new adventures and consequently spark up his own madness.

As one of the most outspoken figures in tech today, Elon Musk has been known for his outrageous ideas and thoughts. His simulation theories to alien talk can be aligned to the energy coming from the queen of unconventional Lilith conjuncting the king of rebellion Uranus, in the sign of Libra. A sign that symbolizes objective perception and relating. “I was bullied.” He once shared in an interview. We all know being different in the school yard has its consequences. Attention he likely attracted, as he not only liked different things, he acted on them having Mars expressed in Aquarius. With Mars conjunct his North Node, there was a pull to embrace his unique self, a calling he chased that was obviously worth the mileage.

Under the belief the world was not ready for wizards and magic, the first instalment of the Harry Potter books was rejected by all of the biggest publishers when J.K. Rowling was selling it around. For any writer, the gruelling process of constant rejection is never easy. An especially difficult process for Rowling who has five planets conjunct in the most self-critical sign of Virgo, and in the setting, relationship house of the 7th. When there are planets in this area of the chart, a person’s identity and existence relies heavily on relationships and how those relationships view her, which of course can impact self-worth. Her healthy ego must have helped maintained her spirits, having a strong purpose in her work with Leo in her 6th house. Her Part of Fortune in the 10th, as well as, Jupiter in the writing sign of Gemini may have also come to aid. However, Lilith in Capricorn in the spiritual 12th, is what had likely given the faith needed, the trust in the unknown and the unconventional to build her stories, her career to mammoth and unprecedented commercial success.

Wearing it like a proud badge, Spanish painter Salvador Dali reigned in outlandish artistry. But unlike Kanye West, his persona in the art world was always connected to his surreal imagination and exploration. As a supporter of Freud’s theories, he built his career on the analysis of his dreams, his visions, in psychological nuance( Aquarius Lilith in the 8th house conjunct Saturn).  With Jupiter sitting lucky in Dali’s 10th house and all his personal planets in the social sphere of his chart, his career was promised warm reception, an advantage to paint his madness onto the canvas of life.

@astro.wild.child

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes … the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. … You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things.” ~Steve Jobs