I think it would be wonderful to find a consistent, repeatable formula in astrology. Nikola Stojanovic’s “Degree Theory” promises a formula, of sorts…. but does it deliver?
In this system, the 1st degree is ruled by Aries/Mars.
The 2nd by Taurus/Venus.
The 3rd by Gemini/Mercury and so on through the zodiac.
After the 12th/Pisces degree, we start over at Aries. 13th=Aries, 14th=Taurus, 15th=Gemini, and so on. (Zero Degrees is considered the purest manifestation of the sign in which it is found).
22 degrees of any sign is said to be a “killing degree”. A degree of death and destruction. It’s a degree ruled by Saturn. So anything having the significations of Saturn….cold, slow, dark, and old.
Going alphabetically through my personal astrological database of serial killers, here’s what I have found…
Charles Albright — “The Eyeball Killer”
Charles Albright targeted sex workers and cut out the eyes of his victims. 3 women were found on different dates between December 1990 and March 1991. He was apprehended in March 1991.
Albright does not have anything at 22 degrees in his chart unless we include Ceres. He does however have planets on the so-called “cutting” degree. Pluto at 23 Cancer and Jupiter at 23 Virgo.
Ceres square Pluto recalls the mythology of Demeter’s grief at having to split “custody” of her daughter with Hades. Ceres has been associated with nurturing (and grief), while Pluto is linked to obsession and control. Albright was adopted as an infant, his birth mother coerced into giving him up. His adoptive mother is said to have been “over-protective” and “strict”. “Mommy issues” are a common theme among serial killers. Pluto-Ceres is definitely an item of interest but the degrees at which they are located don’t necessarily mean anything.
Digging deeper into the chart, Albright’s (mean) Lilith is at 21.55 Gemini. This is almost 22 degrees. Sun/Uranus midpoint is at 22 Gemini.
Lilith=Sun/Uranus=Jupiter
Lilith is connected with female rebellion no matter which Lilith you are looking at. Marina at Darkstar Astrology associates asteroid Lilith with sex workers.
Sun/Uranus= Tension, excitement, upsets.
Jupiter with Sun/Uranus = Inventive ability, reformers, technicians.
Jupiter is also morals, beliefs, and philosophy. In a square to Lilith, we could make a fairly easy assumption that Albright had no moral objection (Jupiter) to harming prostitutes (Lilith).
During the time of the murders, transit Lilith was opposing his natal Lilith while squaring Transit Pallas conjunct to his natal Jupiter.
Pallas = Creative intelligence, courage, strategy, and pattern recognition
Perhaps Pallas has an affinity with eyes? You can make of this what you will…
Ed Gein — “The Butcher of Plainfield” aka “the Plainfield Ghoul”
The poster child for being a “mama’s boy”, Ed Gein dug up corpses to make a “woman suit” after the death of his mother. He confessed to killing 2 women and is suspected of murdering others
Gein’s birth time is a little suspicious due to being “on the dot” , but I’m going by the assumption that it is correct or at least close…It certainly appears to be fitting!
He had the Ascendant at 21 Gemini and Pluto at 23 Gemini. Pluto/Ascendent midpoint = the killing degree. No planets at 22 degrees, but he did have Vesta at 22 Pisces, square to his Pluto/Asc. And he had Juno at 23 Virgo, also square to Pluto/Asc.
What to make of this? Juno is the “wife” archetype, while Vesta is associated with “Vestal Virgins”. Gein was discouraged by his religious nut of a mother from associating with women. Her aside, women were dirty, sinful whores. All of them! Except for her! So he didn’t date and was never married. His sexual and romantic feelings were displaced….onto her. Unless you count defiling a corpse as “sex”, Gein was — more likely than not — a lifelong virgin.
Pluto/Asc=Vesta: Virginity has a powerful effect on one’s personality.
Vesta is also connected to dedication. Dedication to one’s home, specifically.
Faith McInerney of the Midpoint Observatory says that Vesta represents the home/land, locations, vessels/containers. Further, she says that Pluto/Vesta may be related to cemeteries. As for Juno, in addition to marriage, she relates this asteroid to the appearance or aesthetic of a thing.
Pluto/Asc=Vesta: Oppressive home environment. Home is near a cemetery (In Ed Gein’s case, his home was a cemetery.)
Pluto/Asc=Juno: Marriage (or lack thereof) has a powerful effect on one’s environment. Personal power and transformation through marriage. Domination in marriage. Strongly attracts (or repulses) a marriage partner.
Juno opposite Vesta square Pluto: Macabre home décor (Juno=decorative, Vesta=Home, Pluto=death)
He also had Moon/MC at 22 Capricorn squaring his Uranus/Node at 22 Libra.
Moon/MC=Strong relationship with a woman. Can represent the mother and her authority.
Uranus/Node: Relationships that are sudden, unusual, or upsetting.
In 1944 Gein had transit Saturn conjunct his Pluto/Asc (at 25 Gemini). Transit Juno was at 22 Aries, forming a T-square with his Moon/Mc and Uranus/Node. This is the year that his brother, Henry – who was engaged to be married, died under suspicious circumstances.
Henry – allegedly worried over Ed’s weird attachment to their mother – often spoke “ill” of her. Now, the average person probably won’t murder others for bad-mouthing their loved ones….but Gein wasn’t exactly normal.
In 1957, Gein killed a local hardware store owner, Bernice Worden. “Due to prohibitive costs, Gein was tried for only one murder—that of Mrs. Worden.” At this time, He had Progressed Mars at 22 Virgo, conjunct natal Juno….and effectively “triggering” his Pluto/Asc and natal Vesta as well.
At various times from the late 1940s to 1957, planets progressed to 22 degrees. But we can’t really verify that any killings took place during these years. He confessed to only one other murder.
Edmund Kemper — “The Co-ed Killer”
Known for targeting female college students, this 6’9” guy was definitely not a “gentle giant”. Kemper killed 10 people; starting with his grandparents in 1964 and ending with his mother (and her friend) in 1973. The murder of his mother was especially brutal and sick. I won’t give the gory details here, but you can read about it on Wikipedia if you’re so inclined.
Kemper has nothing at 22 degrees – unless you look at his midpoints. He has Uranus/Pluto -a tumultuous midpoint – at 22 degrees Cancer. A sign, often attributed to mothers through its association with the Moon.
Venus/Mars is at 22 degrees of adventurous Sagittarius. And Mercury/Neptune is at 22 degrees of secretive Scorpio.
Venus/Mars is a midpoint of lust and passion. Family members aside, Kemper’s victims were all female hitchhikers. Sagittarius is a sign that I would associate with hitchhiking. Others might assign Gemini, due to it being connected to travel of short duration and automobiles. Sagittarius is associated with long-distance or foreign travel – but is also a sign of adventure and risk. Venus/Mars on the killing degree makes a lot of sense, and I think lends some credibility to “degree theory”.
As for Mercury/Neptune, this can be fraudulent communication. In Scorpio, it can represent lies by omission. Scorpio is known for being secretive and not laying all the cards out on the table…
Kemper essentially went on a spree between May of 1972 and April 1973, starting out with hitchhikers and then turning himself in after his ……unpalatable act of matricide.
On May 7th, 1972 – the date of his first hitch-hiker murders, transit Mercury was at 22 degrees Aries, squaring his Uranus/Pluto midpoint from his natal 8th house.
During the murder of Cindy Schall in January 1973, Transit Uranus was at 22 degrees Libra, also squaring his Uranus/Pluto Midpoint.
Throughout 1972, his Progressed Sun was at 21 degrees Capricorn (opposing Uranus/Pluto). Note that the 21st degree can mean “a large road” and can be related to “searching or looking for something”. By the time he killed his mom and then turned himself in, the Progressed Sun moved to 22 degrees.
So, that’s a lot to take in. I’m not entirely convinced of the efficacy of Degree Theory, but it does seem at least sort of promising. I’ll be delving into the charts of Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, and Ted Bundy in an upcoming post.
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