“Study after study has show that human behavior changes when we know we’re being watched. Under observation, we act less free, which means we effectively *are* less free.”
What is Snowden doing on this Blog? For one his chart is very much Pluto heavy and the above quote was spoken like a true Scorpio Moon. Human behavior is interesting but what makes someone well known for what they have to say?
Edward Snowden is first and foremost FAMOUS. He may not like that one bit, but that is a fact. Famous for what? For uncovering and sharing information. This fits with his chart in which a Gemini Mercury (the message bearer and the Fool) is conjunct the ascendant. On the surface, it is clear from the natal chart. This person will be known due to what they will communicate to the world. A rising planet is our face to the world and if supported by outer planets, it brings some level of fame. A rising Mercury gives a person a youthful persona and appearance. A person who reads, travels and is always searching for new information. He likes the information to be fast and easy to digest. A rising Mercury would also give a remarkable ability to talk and communicate in a flexible manner. However, this is no regular Mercury rising person because his communication is expressed as a reaction to his heavy seventh house placements. Snowden’s Gemini Mercury is in opposition to Jupiter-Uranus in Sagittarius. What he says is all about what he sees outside of his perception. This is a very fascinating position because of how impersonal it may seem. The message of Mercury becomes motivated by the culture and society. Jupiter-Uranus is all about the collective ideals and the big ideas shaping our social institutions, political ideals and pop culture. In itself, Jupiter-Uranus would suggest a person with very innovative or progressive ideas that can be somewhat “over the top” in terms of shaking the status quo. Jupiter makes things big and is often found taking ideas to extreme conclusions that apply to EVERYONE. Jupiter in Sagittarius is society and the tribe. It is not the individual or the family. The mind is therefore geared towards applying concepts to the bigger picture. A very INTJ type of chart if you are into MBTI. Snowden may be aware that his discoveries and explorations can hold a very different meaning on a personal level. He would not be telling us what that meaning is. This position also suggests someone who is very future-oriented and cares more about tomorrow than today. In addition, the position of Jupiter in such close conjunction to Uranus suggests someone who wants to break down the accepted norms and regulations in order to get people to think for themselves. If Jupiter relates to politics and government law, then Uranus relates to technology and innovation. So politics and technology is the theme of his Gemini message. He could have been a good teacher in another life. In all lives, this is a chart of a philosopher. He is a person more concerned with the mind and ideas than anything else. It is a misunderstood place to be because, for others, his ideas hold practical applications that can be hard to deal with. For Snowden, the revealing of structures and ideas is an end in itself. The practical application of the secrets revealed is not something he is likely to be too concerned with…He is always on to the next ideas and the next puzzle piece that needs to be studied. A very restless personality indeed. Funnily enough, Sagittarius is a traditionalist at heart but with Uranus in the mix Snowden is likely to form a personal philosophy in reaction to the accepted norms. I use the word “reaction” because that is how the 7th house works on the psychological level. Whatever Snowden is thinking or telling us is not personal to him. It is not about him at all or his feelings. It is about his Jupiter-Uranus position, which he projects and finds outside of himself. He reacts to this perception of the world and whatever comes out is for everyone to hear. It some ways it is not rational at all because Uranus works in sudden bursts of inspiration. Snowden gets moments of amazing insight and genius that are fleeting. Those moments come and go and sometimes Snowden is awfully bored by how things are. He needs constant stimulation, communication and information. He is easily frustrated if his life is not full of movement and excitement of the intellectual kind. He needs to at least travel inside his mind to keep himself sane. His body and mind are very nervous and electric and can cause high levels of anxiety.
The 7th house is how we see the world outside of us. So if the “I” is Snowden’s Mercury, “the world” is the dangerously unstable Jupiter-Uranus. Snowden seeks security and stability above all else, which is elsewhere indicated as an impulse in his chart. His own motivations are universal enough to become a personal cause. The world is symbolized by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction for a whole generation of people. Therefore, whatever Snowden communicates or becomes known for is about people’s collective fears and desires to change the social order. The interesting thing here is that although this is not personal, it can become a coping mechanism for psychological struggles and inner fears around a lack of stability. Snowden never stood a chance but to fulfill his role one way or another. But he had a choice about how to let it manifest. Aspects always manifest one way or another but the choices are ours. He could have easily stayed in the shadows forever and done well for himself financially. Mercury is not the boss- he is the employee. However, Mercury is also a trickster and The Fool is meant to educate us all in our own foolishness. In addition, with Jupiter-Uranus so close to the descendant, there could have been issues with his teammates at work. He needed to break free before they swallowed him up with their ideas and way of life. The 7th house is that very part of us that can become too passive and immersed up in the social norms and expectations in others. It is easy to reject our 7th house calling and become silent and accommodating. I suspect Snowden used to be funny and harmless. Probably he is now funnier than ever. His humor is likely to be sharp and surprising to people. No one is funnier than a Gemini-Sagittarius and no one is more harmless appearing. He could have said or done outrageous things countless times, but I doubt anyone would take him seriously. Jupiter tends to make things seem humorous and unthreatening. Oh, but Snowden is a gray cardinal at heart.
“You should always let people underestimate you. Because when people misappraise your intelligence and abilities, they’re merely pointing out their own vulnerabilities—the gaping holes in their judgment that need to stay open if you want to cartwheel through later on a flaming horse, correcting the record with your sword of justice.”
Why? Looking beyond the obvious, Snowden’s natal chart is powerfully Plutonic. He knows power and he knows how power works. He knows because it is in his psyche to understand it. Snowden is a Scorpio Moon and the rulers of his Moon are a very powerfully positioned. As flexible and easy-going as Snowden may appear on the surface, a deep intensity motivates his actions. For one, Snowden’sSnowden’s core ego is ruled by Mars and Pluto. This is someone with a lot of ambition, tenacity and a certain edge. His Sun conjunct Mars is also in Gemini but the energy works towards his 2nd house. He is someone who can work hard if he is motivated by his values. The 2nd house also relates to our confidence and self-esteem and he is very confident about his intellect (Gemini). In turn, he can make a good income with his abilities around tech and if he puts effort into communicating his values. Sun-Mars is also someone who is a fighter at heart. That said, Snowden’s Sun opposes Neptune, which makes him more of an idealist than a physical fighter. Idealism is a tricky thing but not something to be underestimated. People have done crazy things in the name of idealism. But Neptune doesn’t believe in crazy it only believes in the truth behind the veil. It also believes in isolation and loneliness. It goes without saying that his self-perception is guided by sudden insights (Uranus) and the collective unconscious (Neptune) and is not always realistic in the usual sense of the world real. He could have a hard time grasping his own identity and role in the world. He is a chameleon and his flexibility and curiosity would make him less likely to have a solid sense of Self. The self can be easily discarded for the sake of knowledge. He should avoid lies and deception by people by keeping his suspicions awake, which leads me to suggest that Snowden’s life work is motivated by his own unpleasant experiences around deception. His own lack of clarity about the truth and what is real motivates him to fight for coherence as a form of justice. I usually tell people that the universe would support them if they can channel personal struggles towards actions for the greater good. It is not so much a question of truth but of a higher purpose.
The clearest and interesting voice in the chart is Snowden’s Scorpio Moon. This Moon is a detective that hears the whispers about the figures who really hold the strings behind the curtain. This Moon understands the hidden aspects of power in an almost visceral manner. It is a great position for detailed hard work and deep research and it would keep the lies of Neptune at bay. Snowden’sSnowden’s Scorpio Moon is a very clear voice in the chart because it is the most challenged planet. Scorpio Moon is all about survival and security. It has the instinct fo a person trapped in a city during an apolocylptic event. It feels this way all the time. It can detect danger miles way and it is a classic position for a spy. It is also all about quiet power rather than laud displays. The Scorpio Moon is best in a crisis and it is nurtured by pressure. This Moon may not like it, but she shines the brightest light when some dirt is uncovered. I should mention that Mark Zuckerberg is a fellow Scorpio Mooner and it is not a coincidence. The previous generation of the computer revolution has all fit with the Pluto in Scorpio generation that brought us the internet. Snowden fits in with the Scorpio theme of the techies but he is younger and his actions are all about moving towards a new way of sharing information that fits in with the new Pluto in the Sagittarius generation. I could write a book about that topic and the figures at play at not today. What about cybersecurity? And what about power in the shadows? This is indicated in Snowdens very strong Saturn conjunct Pluto which supports his Sun-Mars. The rulers of Snowden’s Moon are Saturn-Pluto on his 6th house cusp. This is kind of interesting because this is again someone who is born to work very hard for somebody else who is the boss or handler. However, it is also a position of someone who is very powerful in their own right and with time, will gain authority. Saturn-Pluto people are the ultimate survivors but they also tend to deal with a. Lot of repression from powerful figures who sense their potential and try to nip it in the bud. Authority figures and employers can be a pain. The Libra Saturn-Pluto conjunction is very well aspected so it shows that through his work, Snowden can overcome the struggles of his Moon. I like this position fro him because otherwise, he would be flying off into revolution land. The Saturn-Pluto aspect is grounding and very capable of holding stamina over time. Libra would add some tact and ability to work behind the scenes to reach his goals without always disrupting people and situations apart. The ruler of this conjunction is Venus in Leo, which would add an element of hedonism and fun to otherswise very intellectually driven person. Venus would suggest that Snowden could also learn to live in the moment and enjoy life as he gets older. Leo would also help him take the stage as an authority in his own right and would add a flare of style that otherwise would be misplaced. However, it is naive of us not to consider that Snowden is in danger and he is facing a lot of peers working around him. His superb survival instincts and ability to strategize have always helped him but different transits and times can bring some storms. Venus also rules his 12th house which is most important when it comes to forces isolation, hidden things, hidden enemies and secrets. Snowden would have to think hard about when not to appear visible to others and on “the stage” of public life. He can be faced with some issues around choosing to step out when he should hide. Leo would compel his Venus to go out and communicate (Venus is in the 3rd house) but it is square his Moon and can disrupt his security or health. He would have to pick and choose these battles carefully in the near future.
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