The Last Days of Jackie O. - Transits, Progressions and Directions between January and May 1994

 Jackie Kennedy - Onassis was diagnosed with lymphoma (a form of cancer that proved to be very aggressive) in January 1994 and passed away on May 19^th, after four months of chemotherapy (since February) and a hospitalization for bleeding ulcer.

Several solar arc aspects were formed at the time: directed Moon sextile the MC, directed Mercury sextile natal Sun, directed Venus trine natal Saturn, directed Mars conjunct natal AC and the south Node and trine natal Pluto (with this latter aspect starting being active a little before her death), directed Jupiter trine natal Uranus, directed Uranus square natal Mars, directed Neptune square natal Mercury, and directed Pluto square natal Venus.

I feel that especially directed Mars in conjunction with the ascendant is very revealing. The AC represents health, vitality, the physical body so with any planet arching it we would expect some changes regarding these areas. Mars is a malefic planet something that probably points towards a ‘negative’ change and I think, without though having worked much yet with transits, progressions and directions in Jackie’s chart, that Mars might have been particularly challenging for her since it is the ruler of her chart which is also a diurnal chart (from a Hellenistic point of view Mars tends to be particularly problematic in day charts). In any case, in Jackie’s chart Mars rules both the 1^st house of health and the 6^th of disease and describes very well Kennedy’s particular condition and especially the bleeding ulcer incident (a bleeding cut in the stomach – blood and cuts have always been associated with Mars ; let’s not forget that lymphoma is a type of blood cancer).

The conjunction of directed Mars with the south Node is probably another indication of an ‘unpleasant’ development (illness) since two ‘malefics’ (again more ‘traditionally’ speaking) come together.  With directed Neptune in square aspect with Jackie’s Mercury, there might have been a ‘confusion’ regarding her perception of the situation, a ‘deception’ of some kind; as mentioned in her Wikipedia biography, Jackie and her family were initially very optimistic and herself quit smoking and continued working not having ‘foreseen’ that cancer would be so aggressive. There are two aspects between directed and natal planets involving Uranus, in one of which Uranus is the arching planet. Making a square to Mars it probably bring a sudden and unexpected development regarding Jackie’s physical condition (Mars ruler of the 1^st house and generally and indicator for physical strength). Overall, what happened was very quick, Jackie died just four months after the diagnosis. But, on another hand, one could say she had a good end, she did not suffer, she did not have to go through therapy, on drugs, in pain, for years, as other cancer patients, she faced the whole situation with much courage as her biographers claim and one night she just died peacefully in her sleep. The disease and eventual death came at a point of happiness and great satisfaction with her life; again according to her biographers, she enjoyed very much her role as a grandmother, she was surrounded by her children and grandchildren whom she adored, she had a very good relationship at the time, and her she loved her job as an editor (going in the business was a source of great fulfilment for her since the beginning). So this ‘good’ and quick end of her life, without suffering, might be shown by the directed Jupiter - natal Uranus trine (Uranus is also the ruler of 4^th house – endings of all things?). The situation developed very quickly (something that can be associated with Jupiter – the quick growth of her condition) and death came ‘easily’ (the trine).

Around the same time, transiting Uranus and Neptune (in Capricorn) formed square aspects with Jackie’s natal Moon in Aries. I consider this to be a 6^th-house Moon since it is very close to its cusp (just a bit more than 1-degree orb using Placidus – with WSH it is clearly a 6^th house Moon) and in the same sign (Moon and 6^th house cusp both in Aries). The fact that the transit is on a 6^th house planet probably indicates some health issue occurring and with Uranus being the one of the planets making the transit it is not surprising that it occurred all of a sudden and it actually didn’t give time to realize what was going on. Jackie’s diagnosis obviously was the reason for some amendment in her living conditions (Moon) – besides Uranus is the modern ruler of her 4^th house (I don’t use modern rulerships generally, but..) - , also her habits as mentioned (a ‘fanatic’ smoker for years) and it surely affected her emotions. Her Moon is also the ruler of her 9^th house and I believe that it was in this week’s readings that the idea of 9^th house involvement in times of death was discussed (the ‘long journey’). Generally, two planets generating change in hard aspect with one of the luminaries is again an indication of an ‘unpleasant’ situation, most probably of high significance. Looking at these transits only one could say that a health issue alters living conditions, has, as would be expected, psychological implications and probably creates the need for travel – many people travel to see doctors abroad and get more specialized treatment, especially in our part of the world, this could be an assumption looking at the transits only. Evidently, interpreting directions adds more detail revealing some extra challenges to be faced. There many are the outer planets transits at the time, but trying to stick to not very wide orbs I would refer to the ones above and probably also Pluto squaring (on and off) her MC.

 In Jackie’s natal chart there is a configuration but not according to the very strict definition of aspect patterns (i.e. it does not involve only planetary bodies as Burk suggests but also points). Taking also angles into consideration, Jackie’s MC (at 28 degrees Leo) forms a grand trine with Saturn (24° Sagittarius) and the Moon (25° Aries). Her Venus in Gemini opposes this Saturn and is (as expected) in sextile aspect with the Moon and MC, so a kite is formed. This kite is activated in early 1994 both by directions and transits as transiting Uranus and Neptune square the natal Moon, directed Moon is sextile natal MC, directed Venus is trine Saturn and directed Pluto squares Venus. I tend to connect this configuration mostly with her relationships and marriages, the status she wanted to gain and her public image, and how her family had influenced her in all that. Jackie became an idol partly because Neptune (idealization) was conjunct her MC (public image). She did put effort (Saturn) on it for some time but even when she ‘retired’ , and even after her death, her ‘icon’ lasted (and still does). It was easy for her to attract people (Moon trine the MC) and femininity (style, the way she dressed especially) was the main part of the icon she created (Venus sextile Moon and MC). So, and I might be total wrong here, but the way I see her, with her death Jackie made history as one of the iconic figures, one of the greatest, most beautiful and graceful women of all time (directed Moon sextile MC).

Directed Pluto, a planet associated with death, was also at the time in hard aspect with Venus in Jackie’s 8^th house, the house of death, probably acting as an indication of the fatal event but again activating the pattern and also contributing in Jackie gaining a ‘place in eternity’. I am not sure if one could also say that with Saturn being the traditional ruler of her 4^th house (endings) and it being involved in this configuration, generally good conditions towards the end of the life are suggested. Jackie was lucky enough to die without suffering, among her beloved persons and maybe more importantly, she was lucky enough to die without having seen her son being killed.  



When Jackie was diagnosed with this form of blood cancer, there were not many aspects formed between natal and progressed planets but interestingly there was some Mars activity again. In particular, progressed Mars formed an opposition with Jackie’s natal Moon in Aries. By the time of the diagnosis, the progression was in the waning phase but still within an orb of 1 degree. Mars, natally the ruler of both Jackie’s 1^st and 6^th houses (vitality/illness), opposed her natal Moon which, as above mentioned , is very close to the 6^th house cusp and could be considered a 6^th house Moon. Throughout the four months between the diagnosis and her death, progressed Mars was about (less than 1 degree orb) to enter Jackie’s 12^th house (opposing the 6^th house cusp). This was obviously another indication of a possible disease and hospitalization and I view again the Mars-Moon contact as very indicative of the bleeding ulcer incident (Moon rules stomach whereas Mars is connected with cuts and bleeding).

Although according to March and McEvers the death of an individual cannot be predicted looking at his/her chart, I believe that one could also think of this possibility looking at Jackie’s progressed chart. Progressed Mercury (Mercury is the ruler of her natal 8^th house of death) was trine her natal Venus in her 8^th house with the trine probably being indicative of the fact that her condition developed quickly leading to an ‘easy’ end. Furthermore, at the time of the diagnosis, the progressed Moon formed a one-degree orb separating conjunction with natal Mars. With the progressed Moon acting as a highlighter it was likely that issues regarding Jackie’s health and physical condition (Mars ruler of 1^st and 6^th) would come up.

At the time, the activated natal Moon was also aspected by transiting Uranus and Neptune. The two outer planets were square the natal Moon. A 6^th house body being aspected by transiting planets likely indicates a health issue occurring and everyday routine being altered (leading to other events). The fact that Moon was also activated by progressions made these aspects being expressed more probable. A challenging (the square) situation regarding health (the Moon in the 6^th) did indeed occur. It ‘popped-up’ suddenly and developed very quickly (an Uranian element). By the time of Jackie’s death, transiting Saturn opposed natal Mars, again indicating some kind of ‘limitation’ of physical health, strength and vitality. It also interesting that Mars was square natal Moon at the time of the diagnosis and conjucted it by the time Jackie passed away (an exact aspect). Of course Mars is not an outer planet, yet, it could be very challenging for Jackie who likely was ‘sensitive’ to its transits. 

Overall, considering solar arcs, progressions, and transits one could note important Mars-Moon activity reinforcing the hypothesis of a challenging health situation. Bernadette Brady characterizes Saturn-Neptune aspects as the major signifier of health problems in predictive astrology. Jackie also had a similar transit; by the time she was diagnosed with lymphoma transiting Saturn in Aquarius had already started forming a dissociate opposition (another challenging aspect) with her natal Neptune in early Virgo which soon became exact; another indication pointing out to a health issue.