Stephen Paddock: Astrology of a Mass Murder
Stephen Paddock opened fire from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas and killed 58 people and injured 851 more. It is always puzzling why a person who lived within law for so many years would suddenly act out violently and commit murder on a mass scale. Was there something specific that triggered him? How much of it was that he always had a violent predisposition that stayed dormant? Certainly there is some evidence that those who were mistreated as children are more likely to become abusers themselves. But not always. There seem to be traits in some people that make them more likely to strike out violently. They have a shorter fuse to violence.
In Astrology we look for clues in a persons birth chart. But, not every person born on that day will commit murder. Still, the chart could offer important clues. Another killer, Bernard Giles, a serial killer of women, was born on that same day, April 9, 1953. This makes it more likely that this chart will give clues as to what makes someone want to murder.
The authorities who investigated could not assign a single motive to Paddock's crime. Psychiatrists speculated that he may have a personality trait called alexithymia which is different from sociopathy or psychopathy. This disorder is defined in Wikipedia as:
"1. difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing between feelings and the bodily sensations of emotional arousal
2. difficulty describing feelings to other people
3. constricted imaginal processes, as evidenced by a scarcity of fantasies
4. a stimulus-bound, externally oriented cognitive style"
Can Astrology agree with this description and can it possibly tell us more? Since the exact birth time of Stephen Paddock is known, the chart below is accurate. The natal chart is in the inner circle and the transiting planets of when he first got the idea to commit mass murder are on the outer circle.
Astrologically, Stephen Paddock's natal disposition can be grouped into 3 categories: depressive, emotionally volatile, and rebellious. The aspects that contribute to the depressive outlook are: Saturn conjunction Neptune, Mercury quincunx Saturn-Neptune, Jupiter quincunx Saturn-Neptune, Sun opposition Saturn-Neptune, Venus opposition Saturn-Neptune, as well as Ascendant square Saturn-Neptune. To paraphrase the British astrologer Roger Elliot: these aspects cause a person to feel depressed, moody, insecure, unable to bridge the gap of what might be and what is, pessimistic, to believe that fate is against them, and unable to bridge the gap between fantasy and real life. Saturn has the effect of limiting and stifling the expression of the planets it touches. Saturn in conjunction to Neptune limits a person's dreams and fantasies.
The emotionally volatile quality in Paddock's chart is enhanced by the Sun, Venus, Eris and MC being in the Fire sign Aries. This is a person who demands to have his way in the world. The volatility is further increased by these aspects: Moon square Jupiter, Moon opposition Pluto, Jupiter square Pluto, Mars conjunction Jupiter, Moon semisextile Mercury, and by Eris semisquare Moon and Jupiter. These aspects lead to characteristics such as extravagance, wanting more than one can get, restlessness, repressed inner emotions, sudden outbursts of feelings, being bombastic, overcompensating for inadequacies, refusing to admit personal faults, ruthlessness, excitability, exaggeration, passions prevailing over common sense, hastiness, impulsiveness, moodiness, changeableness, and an over influence of the unconscious. This is a person who could be pushed over the edge.There is also a mismatch between the personal and emotional planets and signs, and the impersonal. Paddock's Mercury (thought) is not well placed in Pisces, the impersonal Uranus is in emotional Cancer, and the Moon (feeling) is in impersonal Aquarius. This means that Paddock may not respond in emotionally appropriate ways.
The third characteristic is rebelliousness. Paddock has only one planet that is Mutable. This means that he is not very adaptable. The rebellious streak is indicated by Uranus being at the tip of a T-square and by Mars sextile Uranus. This is a freedom loving and self reliant person who is quick witted and full of schemes (Mercury sextile Jupiter). The only planet the True Node touches is Mars. This aspect has been interpreted by Roger Elliot as "being difficult in company, trying to grab people's attention, and a need to assert oneself". This could mean that Paddock needed to dominate over other people. His final act toward others was to shoot them from a superior position on the 32nd floor.
For a person like Paddock who is not able to articulate or define his feelings, the ability to process what is going on internally is limited. With his Mars square True Node his bad feelings could easily get directed toward others. In May 2017 when Paddock first got the idea of mass killing, the transiting planets made fateful contacts with his natal planets. His Ascendant (the way he presents himself to the world) was opposed exactly by the heavyweight planet Pluto, both at 19 degrees. This contact often signifies the end of a phase of life. The person may feel that every way forward is obstructed, and a sudden drastic action (Pluto) may seem the only way out. At the same time the transiting Pluto was in conjunction with the natal Chiron. This is a time when people feel their wounds intensely and often feel they failed in life.
At this same time in May 2017, the transiting Eris and Uranus were at the top of his chart contacting his natal Sun and Venus in Aries. Eris and Uranus can spur people to bizarre actions. Eris at 23 degrees of Aries was also contacting his Mercury, Jupiter and the Saturn-Neptune. The stressful contact of Uranus to Saturn and Neptune has been described by Roger Elliot as "time when it may be necessary to resign oneself to destiny". The person may feel "a deep hidden grudge" and "wants to liberate oneself from a real or imaginary bondage." For a man like Paddock who won't own his problems there is only one way out: blame and hurt other people, just as he is hurting.
As a Sun, Venus and Eris in Aries in the Tenth House, Paddock had to assert his superiority and power over other people. He was losing a lot of money in the last two years and the power he felt in being wealthy and important was disappearing. The only power he had left was his arsenal of guns. In his final act he would assert himself as powerful. The happy concert goers were the opposite of what he was: an unhappy man who lost and who could not bear his life any longer.
The chart below shows the transiting planets at the time of the actual shooting on the outside, and Paddock's natal planets in the inner circle.
In this chart the transiting True Node reached 23 degrees and was in Grand Trine with transiting Saturn and Eris. This was a time when something shocking could easily happen to a group of people. This was a time when the unconscious destructive forces took over. Paddock responded to the pressures of these forces. The repeat angle of 23 degrees cross-energized these charts. It was a fateful day when so many innocent people died.
In Astrology we look for clues in a persons birth chart. But, not every person born on that day will commit murder. Still, the chart could offer important clues. Another killer, Bernard Giles, a serial killer of women, was born on that same day, April 9, 1953. This makes it more likely that this chart will give clues as to what makes someone want to murder.
The authorities who investigated could not assign a single motive to Paddock's crime. Psychiatrists speculated that he may have a personality trait called alexithymia which is different from sociopathy or psychopathy. This disorder is defined in Wikipedia as:
"1. difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing between feelings and the bodily sensations of emotional arousal
2. difficulty describing feelings to other people
3. constricted imaginal processes, as evidenced by a scarcity of fantasies
4. a stimulus-bound, externally oriented cognitive style"
Can Astrology agree with this description and can it possibly tell us more? Since the exact birth time of Stephen Paddock is known, the chart below is accurate. The natal chart is in the inner circle and the transiting planets of when he first got the idea to commit mass murder are on the outer circle.
Astrologically, Stephen Paddock's natal disposition can be grouped into 3 categories: depressive, emotionally volatile, and rebellious. The aspects that contribute to the depressive outlook are: Saturn conjunction Neptune, Mercury quincunx Saturn-Neptune, Jupiter quincunx Saturn-Neptune, Sun opposition Saturn-Neptune, Venus opposition Saturn-Neptune, as well as Ascendant square Saturn-Neptune. To paraphrase the British astrologer Roger Elliot: these aspects cause a person to feel depressed, moody, insecure, unable to bridge the gap of what might be and what is, pessimistic, to believe that fate is against them, and unable to bridge the gap between fantasy and real life. Saturn has the effect of limiting and stifling the expression of the planets it touches. Saturn in conjunction to Neptune limits a person's dreams and fantasies.
The emotionally volatile quality in Paddock's chart is enhanced by the Sun, Venus, Eris and MC being in the Fire sign Aries. This is a person who demands to have his way in the world. The volatility is further increased by these aspects: Moon square Jupiter, Moon opposition Pluto, Jupiter square Pluto, Mars conjunction Jupiter, Moon semisextile Mercury, and by Eris semisquare Moon and Jupiter. These aspects lead to characteristics such as extravagance, wanting more than one can get, restlessness, repressed inner emotions, sudden outbursts of feelings, being bombastic, overcompensating for inadequacies, refusing to admit personal faults, ruthlessness, excitability, exaggeration, passions prevailing over common sense, hastiness, impulsiveness, moodiness, changeableness, and an over influence of the unconscious. This is a person who could be pushed over the edge.There is also a mismatch between the personal and emotional planets and signs, and the impersonal. Paddock's Mercury (thought) is not well placed in Pisces, the impersonal Uranus is in emotional Cancer, and the Moon (feeling) is in impersonal Aquarius. This means that Paddock may not respond in emotionally appropriate ways.
The third characteristic is rebelliousness. Paddock has only one planet that is Mutable. This means that he is not very adaptable. The rebellious streak is indicated by Uranus being at the tip of a T-square and by Mars sextile Uranus. This is a freedom loving and self reliant person who is quick witted and full of schemes (Mercury sextile Jupiter). The only planet the True Node touches is Mars. This aspect has been interpreted by Roger Elliot as "being difficult in company, trying to grab people's attention, and a need to assert oneself". This could mean that Paddock needed to dominate over other people. His final act toward others was to shoot them from a superior position on the 32nd floor.
For a person like Paddock who is not able to articulate or define his feelings, the ability to process what is going on internally is limited. With his Mars square True Node his bad feelings could easily get directed toward others. In May 2017 when Paddock first got the idea of mass killing, the transiting planets made fateful contacts with his natal planets. His Ascendant (the way he presents himself to the world) was opposed exactly by the heavyweight planet Pluto, both at 19 degrees. This contact often signifies the end of a phase of life. The person may feel that every way forward is obstructed, and a sudden drastic action (Pluto) may seem the only way out. At the same time the transiting Pluto was in conjunction with the natal Chiron. This is a time when people feel their wounds intensely and often feel they failed in life.
At this same time in May 2017, the transiting Eris and Uranus were at the top of his chart contacting his natal Sun and Venus in Aries. Eris and Uranus can spur people to bizarre actions. Eris at 23 degrees of Aries was also contacting his Mercury, Jupiter and the Saturn-Neptune. The stressful contact of Uranus to Saturn and Neptune has been described by Roger Elliot as "time when it may be necessary to resign oneself to destiny". The person may feel "a deep hidden grudge" and "wants to liberate oneself from a real or imaginary bondage." For a man like Paddock who won't own his problems there is only one way out: blame and hurt other people, just as he is hurting.
As a Sun, Venus and Eris in Aries in the Tenth House, Paddock had to assert his superiority and power over other people. He was losing a lot of money in the last two years and the power he felt in being wealthy and important was disappearing. The only power he had left was his arsenal of guns. In his final act he would assert himself as powerful. The happy concert goers were the opposite of what he was: an unhappy man who lost and who could not bear his life any longer.
The chart below shows the transiting planets at the time of the actual shooting on the outside, and Paddock's natal planets in the inner circle.
In this chart the transiting True Node reached 23 degrees and was in Grand Trine with transiting Saturn and Eris. This was a time when something shocking could easily happen to a group of people. This was a time when the unconscious destructive forces took over. Paddock responded to the pressures of these forces. The repeat angle of 23 degrees cross-energized these charts. It was a fateful day when so many innocent people died.
