Patricia Cornwell & The Ripper

by A. E. O'Neill

[April 2003]

I watched a show today about the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders with American crime author Patricia Cornwell explained her theory that much of the century-old evidence points to painter Walter Richard Sickard.

She spent nearly two years researching the case and going through forensic evidence with a team of experts to support her conclusion and, in the end, presents a very compelling case. The experts, although impressed with her theory and unable to disprove it, could not say conclusively that she's right due to the lack of DNA evidence.

Throughout the show, in brief biographical interludes, Cornwell tells her audience that she felt compelled to seek a sort of justice-in-truth, even though this case is over a century old, because she feels somehow connected to the victims. She was the victim of a sexual assault years ago and has been involved in criminal research in one way or another for the last decade.

To me, this is the kind of information that begs to be explained — or at least illustrated/illuminated — astrologically. In fact, I find it almost impossible to sit through a compelling biography or exhibition of someone's art or exploration of their character without jumping up to look for their chart online. I was able to find her date and place of birth but not the exact time — a detail that is extremely hard to find in many cases — which leaves us without an Ascendant (or Rising Sign, for any non-astrologers who are still reading) and no house information.

That's fine, though — the key points that her autobiographical information touched on are vividly illustrated through two factors we can find out from just the date.

The first is that she has both the Sun and Mercury (and posssibly the Moon) in Gemini — not the least bit surprising for a famous author, especially one who is considered an intellectually voracious expert in such an unusual field. An incredible number of authors and songwriters are born with the Sun in Gemini (Prince, Aaron Sorkin, Paul McCartney and Salmon Rushdie, to name just a very few).

The second factor is that there are trines in her chart (an aspect which facilitates natural cooperation) between Mars and the Moon, Venus and Neptune (regardless of birth time). Of the Moon-Mars Trine, astrologer Robert Hand says, "You will also be known as someone who fights for the people and ideas you believe in... you make it part of your inner self and defend it as you would defend yourself."

The Venus-Mars trine indicates a passionate creative urge, as does the Mars-Neptune trine, of which Hand also says, "You have successfully integrated your aggressive and desirous nature with your social responsibilities. Your inner perception is highly developed to detect insincerity or dishonesty in people. Your inspiration and driving ambition to serve others are particularly suited to welfare work, medicine, law..."

Most interesting to me was that three of her personal planets are in water signs — and this is where my weird intuition thing makes it fun to do this kind of research — because, at exact moment that the narration was explaining why Cornwell felt particularly drawn to helping victims of sexual crimes, the visual was a scene of her swimming in a pool with her dogs. Just as she was saying how she feels compelled to champion "these fallen women," with whom she shares a common bond, I was struck by the image of her strong, muscular arms cutting through the water which had, for me anyway, a quality that seemed powerfully symbolic.

Sure enough, as I leapt to verify my hunch, I immediately noticed that she has Saturn in Scorpio, of which Hand says:

"You are keenly aware of the significance of emotional factors in any situation... you may use your intuitive and perceptive powers to develop a penetrating understanding of the structure and content of all human interactions. You are most likely to mature into this... after some painful experiences"

Venus (and possibly her Moon) is in Cancer and her Mars is in Pisces. All three water signs are associated with strong emotions, possible psychic abilities, strong intuition and empathy or extreme compassion for the downtrodden — and, in the case of Cancer, a protective, mothering instinct.

All of this I found to be perfectly in line with the character of a woman who has devoted her life to criminal research in support of her creative passion and what some would call her morbid fascination with the dark side of human emotions and the need to find justice — or at least, an explanation — for the horrors that she investigates.

For anyone who's interested, the rest of her planets are listed below:

Sun in Gemini
Moon in Gemini or Cancer
Mercury in Gemini
Venus in Cancer
Mars in Pisces
Jupiter in Leo
Saturn in Scorpio
Uranus in Leo
Neptune in Libra
Pluto in Leo