Sinead O’Connor, the Irish singer with a long history of controversy and dramatic life events, was recently in the news after a post on her Facebook page claimed that she had taken an overdose and was in an unnamed hotel. She was eventually found and was not harmed, but her apparent mental illness has become a topic of discussion in the entertainment news circles.
Between 1962 and 1968 or so, Uranus (radical behavior) and Pluto (destruction and rebirth) were aligned in a conjunction in the sky, the last time these two planets were locked in a dance that deconstructed and transformed the status quo. Everyone born during this period has this urge for radical reconstruction locked into their astrological chart, and for much of that time Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing, formed a stressful opposition to Uranus and Pluto.
People born with a strong Chiron aspect in their chart like this tend to come into this incarnation already wounded – they are more emotionally sensitive and often in some degree of psycho-emotional distress. The evolutionary purpose of this woundedness is to clear and release these painful emotions so that awareness and wisdom can take their place but not everyone is able to understand their distress from this higher perspective. I call the Chiron/Pluto combination the aspect of “soul surgery” – the core wound generally requires some focused effort in order to be fully released so that the soul may be liberated and free.
To make matters more complicated, between 1967 and 1968 the planet Saturn aligned with Chiron – the “Celestial Mentor” (Saturn) adding another layer of challenge to the already painful dynamic. This intense Chiron/Saturn opposition to Uranus/Pluto formation figures prominently in the chart of Sinead O’Connor (born 12/8/1966).
It’s somewhat of a mystery why some people have such difficult astrological chart (and lives) and others sail through life rather unscathed by turmoil. It is said, and I do believe this to be true, that before we incarnate into life we choose a course of study in the Earth school which will help us to complete unfinished business or learn important lessons. I myself have one of these difficult charts, and I believe that this has helped me to grow and evolve in a way that would never have occurred had my life been easier and less painful. However, it has taken many years of study, meditation, and therapies of various kinds!
Ms. O’Connor has made no secret of her difficult childhood and the physical and sexual abuse she experienced at the hand of her mother and the Irish Church. She has had a colorful relationship history and most recently has been embroiled in a child custody battle.
Ms. O’Connor has the Sun in Sagittarius, and while Sagittarians are delightful people who tend generally to be positive and optimistic, that does not always work in their favor when they are faced with challenging life experiences. The Sagittarian archetype tends to want to fly above trouble rather than face it head on. According to Astrotheme her birthtime of 7:37 am would give her a Sagittarius ascendant, doubling the influence that inspires one to flight rather than spend time in the much of the psychic underground.
What makes life especially difficult for her now (and others born in 1967-1968) is that transiting Chiron is making a return to Chiron in the birthchart, setting off this difficult dynamic and triggering unresolved emotional pain to be released. This is a time that requires lots of healing work: psychotherapy, energy work, yoga and meditation, vision questing but most importantly, understanding the evolutionary purpose of the psychic distress so that it can be best utilized for the growth of the personality and of the soul.
One of these wounded, erratic double Sagitarians (Dec 14,1963) is my adorable, vulnerable, exasperating partner. You have described her to a tee!
I couldn’t agree with you more. Those difficult transits in November, I feel in my body and have learned not to take them personally. I thank all my guardians that I was born a Cap with Aq rising. I’ve spent a lot of time in the underworld transforming my emotional turmoil. It’s been a fun but often very intense ride. 12/25/66
I didn’t see her whole chart in your article, but it seems also that Saturn is currently in her 12th house, and perhaps also her Sun depending on the degree of the Sag asc. Jolly times.
Right on! Excellent post, you nailed it.
Right on! Excellent post, you nailed it.
I’ve had the impression that this generation really comes of age, with regards to releasing their pain during their Chiron return, especially as not only is Chiron being returned, but also Pluto is being trined, and is often trining Uranus as well, and perhaps Saturn, depending on its proximity to the Chi/Plu-Ur opposition.
I’m about 36 hours older than sinead and although my scorpio ascendant and slightly different aspects on personal planets has given me a much less dramatic life in publicand private, the main beats have been similar. So her death today has me not just grieving for the loss of her great brilliance and bravery, but shaken by the implications for my own mortality.
12/8 birthday? Then she’s a Leo.
Ah… I get it American-style dating.