Essays

Harry Potter’s Astrological Birth Chart

by Witherwings

Although I am aware — reluctantly aware, but still aware — that Harry Potter is a fictional character, the fact remains that he has a birth date. Any person, real or otherwise, with a birth date also has an astrological birth chart, and Harry is no exception!

In analyzing Harry Potter’s chart I have made an effort to view him as a real person and to be objective. In other words, I did not take what I knew of Harry’s character and make it fit into his chart to prove that astrology “works.” Whether you believe in astrology or not is up to you. I have found it to be an unexplainable yet fascinating and useful tool, especially in the field of personality analysis. I rarely use astrology for purposes of divination because predicting the future is such a tricky thing, and so many factors are involved in the outcome of events.

When reading Harry’s chart I often got goose bumps because this chart fits his character so well. Intentionally or not, Joanne Rowling has eerily picked the perfect birth date for her hero! I tried a few different times, since we don’t know the time of day when Harry was born, and I feel 5PM, or thereabouts, gives the most accurate chart. My map of England was oddly missing Godric’s Hollow ;), so I just used London as the birth city. Enjoy!

Now for the fun part . . .

Interpretation

Destined to Make a Splash

With eight planets splashed across the Southern Hemisphere (top half) of the chart, Harry was clearly born to make a big impact on the world! This top-heavy chart is usually present in politicians, religious leaders, and others in the public eye. Add to this the triple threat of Harry’s Sun, Moon, and ascendant each representing a different fire sign (Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius, respectively), and you have a fiery force to be reckoned with. An overall view of the chart indicates a complex person who is brave, proud, spirited, honest, generous, loyal, self-centered but caring, fated for fame, likely to inherit legacies from dead loved ones, friendly yet temperamental, more sensitive and dreamy than he lets on, vengeful, emotional and darkly brooding at times. Follow me up the ladder to Professor Trelawney’s classroom and I’ll explain in more detail. . . .

Fire Flowing Freely

Since the element of fire signifies passion, creativity, vitality, enthusiasm, courage, loyalty, and physical strength, and he is “triple fire,” Harry has these qualities in abundance. As a Leo, he would possess many of these qualities already, but throw in a Sagittarius Ascendant (rising sign) and an Aries Moon and you have someone whose fire flows freely from superconscious to subconscious to conscious. Harry’s fiery, courageous nature is not a front. It is genuine, neither forced nor repressed; it emerges effortlessly from within.

These complementary fire signs also indicate a person who values truth too much to fabricate facts. Harry may tend to be secretive, he may break all the rules, but he is not dishonest. His temperament simply has little patience for lies, because he views them as annoying obstacles in the way of the truth. It is therefore appropriate that in addition to his famous lightening-bolt scar, our hero has acquired a second scar across his hand in the form of the phrase “I must not tell lies” (OP13).

What Sagittarius rising people lack in bulk and brawn they make up for in speed and physical agility. Sagittarius on the Ascendant also adds a certain risk-taking quality to Harry’s personality and a willingness to put his life on the line in the pursuit of an idea. This is a boy who never backs away from a challenge! This can present a problem if the risk is too dangerous, because Harry doesn’t stop to analyze the situation — he just goes for it! Game-playing Sagittarius mixed with showy Leo loves to win, and makes Harry’s desire for that Quidditch cup outweigh any fear of an injury. However, Sagittarius’s ruling planet (Jupiter) in the analytical sign of Virgo indicates that Harry’s mind is quite capable of detailed thinking, particularly when there is a mystery to solve. It also shows a sense of humor that leans toward the sarcastic and cynical end of the spectrum.

Harry’s Aries Moon trining his Leo Sun explains why his peers are so eager to view him as a leader. He unconsciously exudes a quality of leadership…it practically seeps from his pores. This can make Harry’s role as a leader clear to others even before it is clear to him, like when Hermione suggests he teach his peers Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry may have been surprised at first, but he fell quickly in to the role of teacher and captain, because it is his nature. All of this free-flowing fire can give Harry a lazy streak though, especially where classroom work is concerned. Any triple fire sign personality is going to have a hard time concentrating on his studies while his Firebolt gathers dust.

Eighth House Lion

As a Leo, one of Harry’s defining personality traits is pride. The Sun’s eighth house placement also gives Harry’s proud ego a Scorpion streak, and his self-esteem can be fueled by a desire for revenge. His need to avenge the death of his parents gives him a mission to fulfill and a definite identity, but Harry needs to be careful not to use revenge to define who he is as a person. He would also be well advised to open up more about his plans instead of trying to accomplish everything covertly, which is a Scorpio trait. (No wonder the Sorting Hat considered placing Harry in Slytherin!) This placement also gives Harry the potential for emotional depth beyond the reach of many Leos and explains why he is so physically small and dark for one born in July, as Professor Trelawney once pointed out (GF13).

Also, Harry’s Sun (conscious self) being placed in the eighth house of death and legacies seems ominously appropriate for a boy who is in many ways surrounded by death, haunted by it, resentful of it, yet curious about death and the afterlife. Legacies and fortunes from the dead are also destined to benefit Harry, due to his Sun conjoining his Part of Fortune (Pars Fortunae) in the eighth house. He has already been the heir of two wills, and may benefit financially from death again before all is said and done. Harry’s Part of Fortune snuggles up so close to his exalted eighth house Sun that good fortune is a natural part of who he is. Harry was, in a sense, born “under a lucky star.” Harry needs this extra luck to continually emerge intact from the dangerous situations he attracts, and it will always be there to ensure he remains victorious. Those with this position are born winners who mysteriously attract good luck and often end up in just the right place at the right time, with or without a dose of Felix Felicis!

Harry’s unique personality creates a paradox of generosity combined with self-absorption. Harry is giving, loving, and extremely loyal, yet essentially self-centered in the way a child is self-centered. It is simply not in a child’s nature to be focused on the needs of others, and neither is it in Harry’s — even as an adult. For example, when Harry mourns the deaths of Sirius and Dumbledore, it is a kind of selfish mourning. His sorrow is for himself and how he will have to live without them in his life rather than for their own lost lives. His powerful ego can also get him into trouble because he truly feels that rules do not apply to him; he is above following the guidelines laid out for everyone else. Harry’s actions are chiefly ego-driven, yet luckily his chart displays other factors which keep him from becoming egomaniacal and bestow a fair amount of sensitivity and introspection upon him. (I will discuss these later.)

A Lonely Moon

Harry’s moon in Aries sitting all alone at the Nadir (very bottom) of his chart tells me many things. First, I see a powerful inner spirit that could go unnoticed or misdirected for years until properly channeled and schooled in the right direction. Thank goodness for that Hogwarts letter! It took a school (third house rules education) to allow Harry the opportunity to unleash his hidden nature (Moon governs the inner self) upon the world. Still, even at a school he loves, that Arian temper tends to have little patience with authority figures and it’s not surprising that Harry has a hard time obeying authorities and not lashing out at his teachers and classmates now and then. An intense yet independent emotional structure keeps Aries-Moon types from sharing their emotional reactions with others. No matter how painful their feelings, they would always rather suffer alone.

Interestingly, a mother who loved him with a fierce, warrior-like devotion is also likely with Harry’s Moon sign, but that same fierceness from a mother figure directed against him is the other side of the coin. Petunia Dursley is in many ways an “evil twin” of Lily Potter; they are both strong-willed and aggressively protective of their sons — Harry just unfortunately ended up in the care of the wrong Evans sister! Harry’s Aries Moon also draws him to women (or girls) who are passionate, headstrong, and independent. He is not attracted to submissive, shy girls and it makes sense that Ginny had to show her assertive side before Harry noticed her.

A Dreamy Introduction

One reason I believe 5PM to be an accurate birth time is because it places retrograde Neptune in Sagittarius in Harry’s house of self (first house). To me, this fits Harry’s personality, especially his dreams and fantasy life. Now we all know Harry can be hot-tempered and quick to act, sometimes before even thinking first. Yet in many respects he is still a dreamer first and a doer second. The moment we are first introduced to an eleven year-old Harry he is dreaming. He is ordered to wake up, then rolls over on his back trying to remember the dream he had because it was “a good one” (PS2). He can’t quite pull himself from that dream world to face reality just yet. Even as Harry matures, we are often told of his vivid nightmares, daydreams, and wishful thinking. He usually dreams first, then sets his dreams into action.

This dreamy aspect of Harry’s personality makes sense considering he was basically locked in a closet for ten years, alternately ignored and bullied into submission. Naturally, any child in this situation will channel his or her energy into daydreams to create a fantasy life in which the dreamer can shine. With all of Harry’s creative fire and Leonine energy, we can assume his dream life was particularly lively and probably played a vital role in keeping him sane during the pre-Hogwarts years of his life.

Neptune’s retrogradation (apparent backward movement) through Harry’s first house seems to foretell that his dreams and desires can never be fully realized. Sure, he is able to escape the dreaded Dursley residence for a magical alternate world (just what a Neptunian dreamer would hope for, as Neptune rules alternate realities, fantasies, magic and deceit), but upon entering this new realm Harry soon discovers that things are tough all over, so to speak. He learns facts about himself that would make a more timid boy wish he had stayed safely in the cupboard beneath the stairs! Although Harry is a brave Leo, I suspect at times he still falls back on that good old dream world in which his parents never died and life is a happy fairy tale.

Venus’ opposition to Neptune confirms that although dreams will always play a big role in Harry’s life — more so than he will ever let others see — his dreams are fated never to bring him contentment. They are more of a bittersweet pleasure; a deep yearning for what can never be attained. This lends a constant tinge of melancholy to his personality even in the brightest moments, but also gives him powerful intuitive abilities. If our fiery little hero had more patience to develop these talents he would find that he has a natural gift for Legilimency, it is just undeveloped.

Although Dumbledore helped Harry learn not to “dwell on dreams and forget to live,” Harry must draw upon the strength of his bold Sun and Moon signs to avoid falling back on escapist fantasies and forge ahead on the rocky road to reality. Harry’s view of reality, though, is likely to always be blurred by his own ideas and beliefs and he has a hard time viewing anything in an objective, impartial light. This trait is manifested physically in Harry’s natural blurred vision without his trademark glasses. A certain magnetic charm or glamour is also present in those with Neptune on the ascendant, and Prince William is one who shares this position with Harry.

The Chosen One

Harry’s Mars conjoining his Pluto in the Libran tenth house could not make his life goal any clearer. Any planets sitting at the Midheaven (very top) of the chart indicate a person’s career goals, aims in life, and aspirations, and Mars mixed with Pluto is a very volatile combination! Mars is concerned with fighting, brutally if necessary, while Pluto adds three D’s to the battle: Determination, Destiny, and Death. Pluto is not a planet to be taken lightly; it means business. Paired with Mars in the tenth house, it clearly points to Harry as “The Chosen One” to fight a duel to the death with Lord Voldemort. This placement also enables Harry with the drive to see his mission through and to handle the pressures of being fated for such a dangerous destiny.

Happily, a Libran influence of harmony and kindness is bestowed upon this aspect, showing that Harry is not a vicious killer by nature. Harry’s temper may cause him to have murderous thoughts, but truly he would rather solve problems in a more peaceful way. He will probably only be driven to murder when the choice is to kill or be killed. If (when?) Harry finally defeats Voldemort, it is clear that he will constantly seek out new evils to conquer, so in a sense his life’s work will never be completed. An Auror is a perfect career choice for someone this willing to “fight for what’s right.” With Venus harmoniously trining Pluto, Harry could never be swayed by the Dark Arts. He truly has love (Venus) on his side and in a strange way he actually views his impending showdown with Voldemort as a labor of love, not hatred. Speaking of love, let’s move on. . . .

Love on the Quidditch Pitch

Harry’s Venus is in Gemini in the seventh house trining Pluto in the tenth house, opposing Neptune in the first house and squaring Saturn in the ninth house. Wow. Harry has a variety of conflicting issues to deal with when it comes to a romantic relationship! The placement of Venus in the seventh house (house of relationships) in harmony with Mars gives every indication that Harry is very interested in having a girlfriend and someday a wife. He wants and needs a stable influence to love him and be the recipient of all the love he has to give in return, but with Pluto’s influence on Venus Harry is not likely to date too many girls or play the field in pursuit of the right partner. Although men with Venus in Gemini can tend to be fickle and casually date many different women, the rest of Harry’s chart shows that deep down he is too loyal and serious about love to dole out his affections frivolously.

So we know that Harry dreams of the perfect mate and would be a good catch himself, so what’s the problem, you ask? Well, that pesky retrograde Neptune rears its head yet again by opposing his Venus, confusing him and making girls and romance seem at times like a foreign language to him. His judgment is so cloudy in this area he sometimes would rather just dream about love than actually attempt to decipher its mysteries. At the heart of his romantic reluctance lies a fear of being deceived by women, which would wound his lion’s pride. This explains why Ginny Weasley would appear gradually more appealing in Harry’s eyes — he has been around her long enough to establish trust and familiarity. Fiery Ginny has much in common with Harry astrologically, so he sees her as a like-minded ally and feels comfortable with her. However, two Leos together can become competitive, and mutual tempers might be a problem area if their relationship continues.

All of the factors in Harry’s chart point toward him falling for a girl who is assertive, spirited, athletic, and loves to fly through the air as much as he does (Venus and Mars are in air signs Gemini and Libra), so it figures that Harry would look for love on the Quidditch pitch. However, Saturn (planet of restrictions) in reserved Virgo at odds with Harry’s Venus gives Harry shyness and inhibition around girls he is attracted to. Saturn’s hold on Venus does not exactly help Harry to see himself as a social magnet, and he will always suffer from a touch of social insecurity. Unfortunately, the more he avoids girls the more attractive he becomes to them, so poor Harry can’t win! His innate charisma will always shine through any bashful façade, keeping him at heartthrob status forever, whether he likes it or not. Mars in Libra gives us a hint that Harry is just not as aggressive in his love life as in other areas. In love, unlike Quidditch, he would rather be the Snitch than the Seeker.

A Constructive Sadness

Mercury (planet of thoughts and communication) in Cancer in the eighth house adds more fuel to Harry’s “secret” intuitive powers and makes his mind an ideal recipient of Voldemort’s Parseltongue abilities. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry possesses other secret, mysterious gifts of communication waiting to be discovered. Mercury’s position also indicates that however confident, however popular, however brave Harry becomes a portion of his thoughts will always dwell on his losses. The sign of Cancer is associated with orphans, and I feel that one of Harry’s worst habits is to continually remind himself and others that he is an orphan, that his loved ones are dead, that fate has cruelly singled him out. This can intensify Harry’s dark side, lending a degree of sadness and self-pity to his words and actions, but it is also a necessary reminder of his life’s mission; it is a constructive sadness.

Harry is not one to waste his life wallowing in depression, but he is bestowed with just enough misery and longing to effectively hold a long-term grudge. He can cling to a prejudice or hatred with crablike tenacity, never forgiving or forgetting. This trait is useful because, well… where would the wizarding world be if Harry just decided to bury the hatchet with Voldemort and go have a Butterbeer? Harry’s ability to hold a grudge is instrumental in providing him with the motivation he needs to fulfill his mission, but the down side is that Harry also tends to brood over and cling to his hatred of others who may not deserve it. He is too proud and stubborn to easily forgive those who have wronged him.

Although Harry is generally self-confident, Mercury in Cancer tends to instill him with more bouts of doubt and sensitivity than the average Leo male, but again this serves a purpose. It keeps Harry from becoming too arrogant or power-hungry, for he can’t help but feel for others and want to be accepted by them. He possesses a very Cancerian need for a home and family, which explains why he loves staying at The Burrow. Harry desperately needs to feel familial warmth and acceptance, and Mercury’s link with Uranus (okay, no Uranus jokes!) in the eleventh house proves that the answer to Harry’s need for family can be found in his friends, who have become his surrogate family. This also indicates a willingness to befriend unusual or unpopular people (like Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood) and remain loyal to them, perhaps acting on a deep “misfit bond.”

The Healing Power of Friends

The comet Chiron, though not a planet, can show an area where a person feels deeply wounded, and Chiron falls in Taurus in the fifth house of Harry’s chart, opposing Uranus in the eleventh. This tells me that Harry’s long-term lack of Christmas presents, clothes that fit, and good food (that wasn’t eaten by Dudley first) left a void in him that all the Galleons in the world couldn’t fill. The only way for Harry to heal the wounds caused by the Dursleys’ deprivation is to be generous with his friends, and he knows it. This is an area in which our Harry shines. He was glad to give away his Triwizard Tournament winnings to Fred and George, and would probably split his Gringott’s vault with Ron if he thought Ron would accept it.

Because Ron Weasley’s Sun falls in Harry’s third house,^[1] Harry sees Ron as someone with whom he can communicate; a sounding board for Harry’s thoughts and ideas. With Ron, secretive Harry tends to open up the lines of communication more than with anyone because Neptunian Harry feels a strong emotional bond with Piscean Ron, also a dreamer. (Neptune rules Pisces.) Although neither boy is comfortable acknowledging this emotional bond, it is still there, permeating their friendship with a mutual, unspoken trust. Ron’s Leo Venus gives him a dose of bravery and pride as well — enough to admire these traits in Harry and aspire to be more like him.

Hermione Granger, a double Virgo (Sun and Moon in Virgo)^[2] also brings an important quality to Harry’s world. She stops to logically analyze a situation before haphazardly reacting like Harry does. Hermione’s Sun falls in Harry’s ninth house of ideas and higher learning, joining Harry’s Saturn and Jupiter in Virgo. This tells me that Harry views Hermione as crucial in expanding his ideas and bringing them to life. Hermione’s Mars conjoining Harry’s Mercury in Cancer shows that Hermione’s energy fuels Harry’s thinking — her presence inspires him, helps him work harder, and she might even be able to teach him a thing or two about expressing emotions before all is said and done.

A Misdirected Enemy

Dumbledore was right in his assessment of Draco Malfoy, a Gemini with Moon in Pisces.^[3] He is not a murderer. In fact, Draco is acutely sensitive to what others think of him, especially someone like Harry Potter who has the natural gifts of fortitude, stability, and endurance. These are gifts Draco will never possess and he actually hates himself for it, as well as hating Harry for being what he can never be. A cursory glance at Malfoy’s chart tells me that he can be brutally self-critical to the point of being his own worst enemy, and his lack of a clear identity has left him vulnerable to the lure of the Dark Arts. Although part of him is drawn to the power of Lord Voldemort, his abundance of planets in mutable (changeable) signs is the real villain. It makes him too easily swayed and his creative energy too apt to become misdirected.

Draco’s Sun in Harry’s seventh house^[4] means that Harry would be willing to view Draco as a partner — maybe even a friend — but any partnership between them would probably always remain tenuous at best. While I don’t see Draco having enough backbone and conviction to b come a powerful Death Eater, he is so prone to bad influences that one wonders, should he join Harry’s side, if could he be trusted not to slip back into his old ways. Draco is, by nature, a fence-straddler. He is too sensitive and insecure to truly follow in his father’s footsteps, yet he has been taught to equate sensitivity with weakness so he must constantly work to keep up the tough act. This is why he goes so far to prove himself as a “bad guy,” when deep down he doesn’t know who he is.

Harry, who always knows who he is and what side he is on, could actually be the leader and positive role model Malfoy needs so desperately. Draco’s Mars makes an exact conjunction with Harry’s Jupiter, which speaks volumes about the potential of their relationship. Under the right circumstances, Harry could be instrumental in leading Draco down the right path. If Draco were removed from the comfort zones of Crabbe and Goyle and the Malfoy family, and if Harry swallowed his pride enough to initiate a fresh start, who knows what might happen between these two?

Old Man Potter

With aggressive Mars ruling his fourth house of old age, I can’t envision a retirement-age Harry sipping tea on the front porch swing. He will still be out there on the front lines of the battlefield, fighting for all that’s good. His strength and magic skills will keep growing as he ages, making him an ever more valuable asset to the wizarding world.

The Moon’s North Node (Caput draconis) lies in the eighth house next to Harry’s Sun, while the South Node (Cauda draconis) rests in Aquarius in Harry’s second house. This implies that the final step in Harry’s spiritual evolution will be to stand alone, facing life and death without relying on friends, social approval, or the comforts of the material world. Harry is an exceptional person, and exceptional people can be close to others but must still journey through life essentially alone. No one else knows what it feels like to be “The Chosen One,” so Harry is basically fated to a somewhat lonely existence. Before feeling too sorry for him, we must remind ourselves that he is strong enough to handle it. Studying his birth chart, we can see that every weapon our hero needs to save the world was given to him at birth by the planetary forces.

His soul’s quest is to confront his own mortality without fear, and to make peace with the death that seems to surround him. Dumbledore’s final lesson in the Inferi-filled death waters of the cave illustrated this to Harry, although Harry is still too young to reach this level of fearlessness. Wizards may come of age at 17, but Harry still has a lot to learn. If he can modify his temper with wisdom and patience, be genuinely thankful for who he is and what he has been given, resist the temptation to escape into fantasies, and put the needs of others above his pride, Harry Potter just might grow to be an ideal man.

Notes

^[1] Ronald Bilius Weasley was born March 1, 1980, which makes him a Pisces. Pisces rules the third house in Harry’s chart.

^[2] Hermione Jane Granger was born September 19, 1979.

^[3] Draco Malfoy was born June 5, 1980.

^[4] Gemini rules the seventh house in Harry’s chart. Draco’s sun sign is Gemini.

© 2006 by lunalove
edited by Paula Hall