‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.’ – Martin Luther King, Jr
King’s vision of social justice was not limited to the topic of colour. A champion of all downtrodden, it is certain that deep within was the recognition that enslavement can plague anyone regardless of the tone of their skin, the contents of their wallets or the ideas in their minds. Liberation is neither determined nor bought by money, but instead is a birthright to all and gained when the freedom of mind and spirit are not limited by the restraints of the ego. His dream was of true equality with respect to individuality.
In the second part of our Astrological Profile of King, let us begin by looking at the planetary energies that contributed to the strength and lucidity of his apsirations. The eleventh house in astrology is associated with not only with visions and goals, but also with one’s relationship with the collective. Martin’s natal Venus occupied his eleventh house, in the sign of Pisces. Although Pisces is a bridge between the realm of spirit and the material plane, its energy is more comfortable with the ethereal than the mundane. Venus functions at its best in Pisces as it bears the mark of someone selfless in their values. When other factors contribute, it expresses an energy willing to sacrifice for a cause. King’s Venus is placed in the lunar mansion of Shatabhisha, connected with independence , healing and determination. His transpersonal ideas were of a world where the rift between races, nations and creeds could be healed.
MLK’s natal Moon was also in his eleventh house and Pisces, forming a harmonious aspect known as a trine, with Pluto in Cancer. The invigoration and power that can be bestowed by Pluto blended with the protective nature of Cancer. He believed in equality and dignity for all people. Impoverishment destroys self-esteem by eating away at mental, emotional and physical stability. King’s Natal Pluto is in the lunar mansion of Punarvasu, associated with the return of that which has been lost, spurring him to work relentlessly for civil liberty. This Plutonic energy, wanted to eliminate the problem from the root, and restore respectability to those long deprived:
‘True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.’ – Martin Luther King, Jr.
King’s Moon, forming a trine with Pluto, was in the lunar mansion of Purva Bhadrapada, connected with elevation of spiritual energy. Moved by true compassion, it was impossible for him to sit idly by in the face of indecency, indignancy and injustice.
As a Sun sign Capricorn, he understood the practical steps to be taken in the correction of a great wrong. And his natal Sun, placed in Uttara Ashadha, gave him the patience and perseverance to overcome defeat. Much injustice still rules, but many of the rights which he stood so steadfastly for have been granted, where previously denied. This virtuous placement of his natal Sun, bolstered by the rest of his astrology, is the force behind the following words:
‘Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man.’ -Martin Luther King, Jr.
In closing, I will expand upon the momentousness of King’s astrology, which I touched upon briefly in the closing of the first part of his profile. King’s natal Mars, opposing his natal Saturn increased righteous anger at the wrong perpetrated by the greedy and ignorant, by creating a pressure that would not let him rest. He had to do something, or that energy would have likely turned in on him. His Saturn, in the lunar mansion of Mula and sign of Sagittarius, recognised how deeply closed and lost in ignorance were the minds which opposed him. Although this was a great obstacle to overcome, his natal Mars, retrograde in Gemini and the lunar mansion of Mrigasira, gave him penetrating insight which helped him to motivate activism and unite others behind a common cause.
‘We’ve got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh’s court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that’s the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.’
