Yesterday, Jerry Springer died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 79.
As a young teenager in the late 1990s, I used to watch his show after school. It was a different time, and I was certainly a much different person than I am today. I had an attraction toward all things deemed “bad”. Having been somewhat sheltered, it was sort of my mission to expose myself to the “seedier” elements of our society. Even so, my favorite part of the Jerry Springer Show was his “Final Thoughts”.
I’m not sure that I thought very deeply about it at the time, but I suppose that Springer’s ability to treat outrageously depraved people with dignity and a desire to understand them really appealed to me. His moral musings were more gentle wisdom than a heavy-handed judgment.
It’s been many years since I’ve watched the Jerry Springer Show. It was a cultural phenomenon that at a certain point became less than phenomenal. I couldn’t tell you exactly how many stripper fights it takes to become bored by stripper fights…It might just take a small change to the formula (Rock of Love, anyone?)
It is undeniable that The Jerry Springer show paved the way for “Trash TV”. And he faced his fair share of criticism. But was Jerry Springer really exploitative of his guests, and manipulating the masses into deviant behavior? Or was he simply the messenger for a world gone mad?
The Chart of Jerry Springer
The Libra Ascendant is indicative of diplomacy and tact being deeply embedded in one’s outlook and personality. I’m not sure about the exact degrees of his angles. When you see a birth time where the minutes are at “00, 15, 30, or 45” it’s more likely than not that the birth time is approximate. But with a change of just minutes, his Ascendant sign will remain in Libra. His MC could potentially be at the critical 29th-degree, Cancer – if were to deduct 7 minutes. For this chart reading, I will defer to the given birth time. But either way, the IC/MC axis still is within orb of the recent Solar Eclipse in Aries.
Springer has a “Kite” pattern in his chart. This is a grand trine with an opposition joined by two sextiles. It is the “diamond-like” shape in blue.
Trines and sextiles are indicative of “ease” – the energies typically blend well together and are supportive. It is often said that a preponderance of easy aspects shows a person who may be too lazy to work towards anything because things are essentially handed to them. With a Kite, there is still a certain amount of ease – but the opposition aspect adds enough struggle to act as a motivating force. The opposition acts as the “backbone” – or the structure which motivates a person to put their talents to use.
The Backbone of the Kite
Springer’s chart has Mercury, Pluto, the Nodes, and the MC/IC axis acting as the “backbone” of his Kite.
There are many different views on what the Nodes represent. My opinion is that in a natal chart, the North Node strengthens any planet that it is conjunct to, while the South Node weakens whatever it comes into contact with. The North Node will give strength to the house it is in, while the South Node gives more difficulties. I resonate with the idea that planets square to the Nodes represent a challenge or obstacle in this lifetime, while trines and sextiles will assist a person on their path to fulfillment.
Jerry Springer had Pluto conjunct to the North Node. And a weaker conjunction of Mercury to the South Node.
The Pluto, North Node, and MC conjunction indicate a magnetic pull towards a very public life. Leo on the MC will incline one to show business.
Mercury opposing Pluto favors investigative work and the uncovering of secrets. People with this aspect are not content with surface-level explanations and want to dig deeper.
Mercury is tightly conjunct to the IC showing that Mercury is a VIP (Very Important Player) in the chart. Anything tightly conjunct an angle is going to be strong. Interestingly, it is still within orb of a conjunction to S Node which, as I already noted, has a dissolving or weakening effect upon whatever it comes into contact with. So which is it? Is Mercury weak or strong?
I would say…BOTH!
Damaged Mercury
Jerry Springer was not a “dumb” guy, and appeared to be a skilled communicator. He got his start as a lawyer – which requires a sharp mind. He was also a political commentator prior to becoming a television host. Mercury rules his 9th house. The 9th house rules over broadcasting, politics, and law!
So how is Mercury weakened, dissolved, or debilitated?
Well…The Jerry Springer Show has been accused of contributing to the “dumbing down of America”, and was certainly the reigning champion of the distinction, “Trash TV”. The guests – more frequently than not – displayed a major lack of communication skills and most of the time came across as not very intelligent.
His show was of ill repute, and cost him a more serious career in broadcasting and politics – both 9th house things.
Further, Mystic Medusa claims that Mercury/South Node conjunctions show a disdain for the status quo and a desire for “radical authenticity”. This is certainly applicable to the Jerry Springer Show, and from what I’ve seen, applicable to Jerry Springer himself.
Grand Trines and Sextiles in the Kite:
Mercury Trine Uranus
This aspect shows up in the charts of people with inventive minds. People who are skilled innovators. There is often an “ahead of their time” or trailblazer sort of vibe with Uranus trines.
Sometimes there is psychic ability – or a skill at predicting trends.
Mercury and Uranus are also in “mutual reception” if we are to use Uranus as the modern ruler of Aquarius. This adds extra “oomph” to the Trine between them.
Note that Uranus is in the 8th house of hidden things. Jerry Springer perfected the shocking reveal (Mercury-Uranus) of sexual secrets (8th house). This theme is reinforced by the trine between 8th house Uranus and 12th house Neptune. Neptune is also in a “hidden” place – one also associated with “bed pleasures”. Neptune is the planet of deception and illusion. There was certainly plenty of that on his talk show.
Uranus Trine Neptune
This is more of a generational aspect – common to those born in the late 1930s and early 1940s when the world was at war. These are the people who came of age in the 1960s. Uranus-Neptune is said to be highly idealistic, compassionate, and creative. It is a spiritual combination that inclines toward the unseen world. Obviously, not everyone who was born during the trine of these 2 planets will display these traits. Other planets act as modifiers.
Mercury Trine Neptune
Mercury trine Neptune is another “psychic” aspect. Not everyone with it will be able to read minds – but they will most certainly have a more sensitive antenna for the subtleties of communication. People with this aspect are adept at reading a room and knowing the “right” things to say in almost any situation. It would not be at all surprising to find in the charts of poets, writers, or inspirational speakers.
Mercury trine Neptune also gives a rich imagination and artistic, creative, or musical ability. I did not know this until today, but Jerry Springer actually recorded a country music album!
Uranus sextile Pluto:
This is another semi-generational aspect. In the past century, it has only occurred in the early 1940s and the mid-1990s.
This is an additional aspect that inclines people towards inventiveness, and being “ahead of the times”. The people possessing this aspect may be seen as radical, revolutionary, or boundary-pushing.
Neptune sextile Pluto:
This aspect spans several generations! Everyone born from 1950 onward has it – though in some charts the aspect is more exact than it is in others.
It is related to probing (Pluto) the unseen world (Neptune). From ghost-hunting to quantum mechanics, depth psychology to psychonauts, the past 70 or so years have made great strides in exploring non-tangible reality.
Multi-generational aspects in the kite:
Generational aspects in a chart are simply reflective of the times that a person is living in. It’s only when one of the personal planets makes contact with these aspects that they become more fine-tuned to the individual. In Jerry Springer’s case, Mercury is the only personal planet making a strong Ptolemaic aspect.
His job essentially was to broadcast (9th house, ruled by Mercury) the message that society (11th house ruled by Mercury) is undergoing some fundamental shifts. With Pluto tightly conjunct with the North Node and opposing Mercury, it makes sense that he would call himself the “ringmaster of civilization’s end”.
Other aspects:
Venus as chart ruler
Venus is Jerry Springer’s chart ruler. We’ve already described the Libra Ascendant (unimpeded) as tactful and diplomatic. When an Ascendant ruler such as this goes into the 3rd house, a pleasant way of communication is further emphasized. Venus in the 3rd is also associated with humor and wit. Jerry Springer had a light-hearted way of connecting with people.
Venus is associated with values and valuables through its Taurus/2nd house connection. With Venus in Capricorn – in the 3rd house, self-controlled speech and responsible behavior are assets. I’m not sure that The Jerry Springer Show would have been successful with a less “respectable” host. The juxtaposition between an easygoing, yet refined “ringmaster” and a raucous cast of characters on the stage just worked really well.
Venus as Apex of a Yod.
A yod – also known as a “Finger of Fate” – occurs when 2 planets are joined by a sextile, and a 3rd planet is connected to both by 2 quincunxes.
A sextile is an easy aspect that allows for the planets within the aspect to work together.
A quincunx is a tension aspect, in which the planets have very little in common and aren’t able to work well together without first making some sort of adjustment.
Venus is the Apex of the Yod in Springer’s chart. Jupiter and Saturn are both “pointing” at Venus, putting pressure on “her.”
So what does it all mean?
Jupiter sextile Saturn shows a person who is not afraid to work towards whatever opportunities may come their way. With Venus, the chart ruler, as the Apex – Springer probably didn’t find the opportunities that came his way to be particularly pleasant. In fact, he has been quoted:
“Life is what it is, and you take what’s handed, and you work as hard as you can, and hopefully you’ll be successful, but I just don’t spend too much time worrying about that. I do my show and I’ve always said it’s a stupid show, and I’ve had a wonderful life because of it and all that, but I’ve never for a second thought that it’s important. It’s trivial. It’s chewing gum. I recognize that. Once you do something that’s significant in life, all this other stuff is just a way to eat.”
Venus quincunx Saturn, in particular, shows a disconnect between his personal values, and his career responsibilities. With Venus as his chart ruler, there’s also a disconnect between his private self-image” and his public persona. Venus inconjunct Jupiter can indicate Venus’ distaste for the indulgence of Jupiter in showy Leo. In order to do his job and be okay with it, Venus had to undergo adjustments to her reserved Capricornian nature. “My show is trivial….and that’s ok” is basically the adjustment here. A few other quotes to consider:
“I’m not conflicted. Because I know. There’s me, and there’s the show.”
“The bias against the show is purely elitist. We’re all like the people on the show – the difference is that some of us speak better, or were born richer. There’s nothing that happens on my show that rich people don’t experience.”
“We can’t just have mainstream behavior on television in a free society, we have to make sure we see the whole panorama of human behavior.”
Final Thought:
There’s a lot more that could be said about Jerry Springer’s chart. I didn’t even touch upon his Aquarian Sun! But for the sake of brevity (2000+ words later!) I’m going to leave it as is.
The decline of the nuclear family didn’t start with the Jerry Springer show. Nor did cheating, lying, violence, or other forms of social deviance. His show pretty much reflected society’s creation of these issues back to us in the form of entertainment. An Indiana University Professor, Maria Grabe, even went so far as to write a “functional analysis” in which she stated that the show actually “promoted conservative family values through the cheers and jeers of the studio audience and Jerry Springer himself.”
Jerry Springer, in my opinion, was a fairly straightforward, down-to-earth, all-around nice guy. His show may have been a tad exploitative, but it really isn’t fair to blame him for the “downfall of civilization”. He and the producers were essentially giving the people what they wanted….perhaps even what they needed.
