Prince William Venus Pleiades - © Dr Shepherd Simpson

Definition: [Prince William Horoscope] Various astrologers, for examples, authors 14 and 15 in the Horoscope Collection, mention that in William's birth sky Venus is conjoined to the star Algol, The Eye of the Gorgon. In fact, as can be seen in the star chart of William's natal sky, below right, at William's birth Venus lies much closer to the famous star cluster of the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. Alas, though Algol is far away from William's Venus, the Pleiades are also considered to be malign astrological influences. In classical astrology, the natal Venus-Pleiades conjunction is predicted to bring William disgrace, and loss of fortune, through women and passion!

Star Lore of the Pleiades: The quotations below are from The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923. This book is a useful summary of two thousand years of lore concerning the 'fixed stars'. Much of what is quoted below probably finds its origins in Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos.

Quotation from The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923. pp 181 -184.

The Pleiades or Atlantides were the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, six of whom are described as visible and one as invisible or "lost". They were the virgin companions of Artemis [Diana] and were translated into heaven in order to escape the importunities of Orion, or according to another account because of their grief at the fate of their father Atlas, who was condemned to support the weight of the heavens on his head and on his hands.

The names of the sisters... are as follows: Alcyone, Maia, Electra, Merope, Taygete, Celaeno and Sterope, and to these have been added the parents Atlas and Pleione

The missing or lost Pleiad has been said to be Merope, who alone married a mortal, Sisyphus, and hid her head in shame at being the only one not married to a God, but other accounts substitute either Electra, who withdrew her light in sorrow at the destruction of Ilium [Troy], which was founded by her younger son Dardanos; or Calaeno, which Theon the Younger said was struck by lightening. [Curiously, however, there are now seven again as the above photo shows.]

The Pleiades form a cluster with Alcyone as the principal star, situated on the shoulder of the Bull. For all practical purposes the longitude of Alcyone may be used for the whole group, as all are contained within about one degree of longitude.

Influence: According to Ptolemy they are of the nature of the Moon and Mars; and, to Alvidas, of Mars, Moon and Sun in opposition. They are said to make their natives wanton, ambitious, turbulent, optimistic and peaceful; to give many journeys and voyages, success in agriculture and through active intelligence; and to cause blindness, disgrace and a violent death. Their influence is distinctly evil and there is no astrological warrant for the oft-quoted passage Job (xxxviii. 31)" Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades? "which is probably a mistranslation.*

*[The complete passage reads - King James Bible Job 38 31 - "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" Vivian Robson was correct about the translation in the King James version. In the more modern New American Bible this passage is given as "Have you fitted a curb to the Pleiades, or loosened the bonds of Orion?" I have read that Jehovah's Witnesses once believed that the Pleiades, specifically Alcyone, was the place of the eternal throne of God, on the basis of that passage, but this may be apocryphal.]

If rising: Blindness, ophthalmia injuries to the eyes and face, disgrace, wounds, stabs (operations nowadays), exile, imprisonment, sickness, violent fevers, quarrels, violent lust, military preferment. If at the same time the Sun is in opposition either to the Ascendant or to Mars, violent death.

If culminating: Disgrace, ruin, violent death. If with the luminaries it makes its natives military captains, commanders, colonels of horse and emperors.

With Sun: Throat ailments, chronic catarrh, blindness, bad eyes, injuries to the face, sickness, disgrace, evil disposition, murderer or murdered, imprisonment, death by pestilence, blows, stabs, shooting, beheading or shipwreck. If in 7th house, blindness, especially if Saturn or Mars be with Regulus. If with Mars and Venus the native will be a potent king obeyed by many people but subject to many infirmities.

With Moon: Injuries to the face, sickness, misfortune, wounds, stabs, disgrace, imprisonment, blindness, defective sight especially if in the Ascendant or one of the other angles, may be cross-eyed, Color-blind or the eyes may be affected by some growth. If in the 7th house, total blindness especially if Saturn or Mars be with Regulus and the Moon be combust.

With Mercury: Many disappointments, loss of possessions, much loss from legal affairs, business failure, trouble through children.

With Venus: Immoral, strong passions, disgrace through women, sickness, loss of fortune.

With Mars: Many accidents to the head, loss and suffering through fires. If at the same time Saturn is with Regulus, violent death in a tumult.

With Jupiter: Deceit, hypocrisy, legal and ecclesiastical troubles, loss through relatives, banishment or imprisonment.

With Saturn: Cautious, much sickness, tumorous ailments, chronic sickness to family many loses.

With Uranus: Active mind, deformity from birth or through accident in childhood, many accidents and troubles, many unexpected losses often through fire or enemies, marriage partner proves false especially if female, troubles through women, occult interests, unfavorable for children, if any, and lack of harmony with them, heavy losses at end of life, violent death. [Uranus was discovered in 1781.]

With Neptune: Bold, military preferment, honor, wealth, help from friends, many serious accidents, many travel, somewhat dishonorable occupation involving secrecy, ill-health to marriage partner and peculiar conditions respecting parentage, bad for children, may lose everything at end of life, violent death, often abroad while following occupation. [I am not sure from where Vivian Robson takes this information as Neptune was only discovered 76 years before her book in 1847.]

With Pluto: [There is no information for this planet. Vivian Robson wrote her text in 1923. The planet Pluto was discovered on 18 Feb 1930 and not named until May 1930.]

The Fixed Stars and the Tropical Zodiac: There is a problem with trying to use fixed stars in this way in William's astrology. The problem is that this is both having our astrological cake and eating it. Remember, the Pleiades have specific characteristics associated with them as stars.

What is the problem with that? Isn't that the basis of astrology, that the stars, or more generally the constellations of stars, conjoin with planets? Well, no it isn't. In Western astrology, it is the Tropical Zodiac sign which a planet is said to transit, not a constellation. And in the Tropical Zodiac the "signs" and the constellations are no longer in the same place, so Western astrology nowadays assumes that the influence of a "sign" is not based on the stars of the constellation of that sign, as they now lie behind a completely different "sign". Yes, it does sound a bit mad to me too, and to many other astrologers, but that's the basis of Western astrology.

We can't have it two ways. Either the Tropical Zodiac rules all, in which case we can not logically say anything about the properties of any fixed stars. Or the powers of the stars rule, in which case we have to throw away the Tropical Zodiac and use the real constellations, i.e. the Real Solar Zodiac. My money would be on the stars every time. It's called Astrology after all.

Prince William's Venus and the Pleiades