Celebrity Astrology: Who Are Your Enemies?
August 22, 2008 by Nina Gryphon
What if your horoscope could tell who your enemies will be? A tidbit in Ibn Ezra’s The Book of Nativities and Revolutions (written c. 1140-1160) tells us a quick way to do just that. All you have to know is your rising sign; the 12th sign from the ascendant tells us about the nature of people who will make your life just a little less pleasant. I won’t give away all of the signs, because you should really read this great book yourself, but I will use a few famous examples to illustrate the simplicity and accuracy of Ibn Ezra’s method.
Bill Clinton – Libra rising –> Virgo ruling 12th sign. “Quarrels with the learned people.” Pretty accurate for someone who spent much of his presidency in court and especially in the press (both ruled by Mercury, ruler Virgo). John McCain, Jimmy Carter, and JFK all have Libra rising as well.
George W. Bush – Leo rising –> Cancer ruling 12th sign. “Most people will hate him,” because the 12th sign ruler is the Moon, ruler of the people. This correlates with Bush’s chronically low approval ratings and general lack of popularity worldwide.
Barack Obama – Aquarius rising –> Capricorn ruling 12th sign. “He will hate himself and will bring upon himself quarrels for no good reason.” Ouch! The reasoning is that the same planet rules the 12th and the 1st houses, so Obama is the cause of his own undoing and his own worst enemy.
What is your 12th house sign? Does it describe your enemies or interpersonal conflicts?
Similar Posts:
- Astrology of Current Affairs: November 7th U.S. elections and Jupiter square Saturn
- Halloween Costumes & Astrology – Your Best Costume by the Stars – Mercury
- Astrology 101: An Easy Way to Predict Your Fate
- What the Parents of Barack Obama Could Not Have Known: Obama’s Horoscope
- Astrology of Eclipses and Celebrities: Eclipses in the Chart of George W. Bush
Comments
34 Responses to “Celebrity Astrology: Who Are Your Enemies?”
Feel free to leave a comment...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
Subscribe by Feed/Email
Badges
Hello, Nina
Well, I’m a Virgo rising so my 12th house ruler is the Sun. According to Ibn Ezra then, my secret enemies would most probably be some important, ruling people, those on high posotions that garner some kind of power, influence and eminence. Honestly, I cannot tell whether this was/is so, but on the other hand, they are SECRET enemies, right? So they wouldn’t work openly against me, but in a hidden manner-good reason for not recognizing them, I suppose.
But I know that my PRIDE has cost me so much until now, in virtually all areas of my life…and pride/arrogance are the destructive/negative attributes of the Sun, aren’t they?
Thanks in advance for your comment and once more…if it hadn’t been for your blog , I would have never learned so much about traditional astrology.
Best wishes,
Goran
But what if for example one has 2 Sagittarius ASC and the 12th cusp at 20 Libra, with Scorpio intercepted? Do we count Libra for the enemies or the intercepted sign of Scorpio?
I also noticed that many times the planets that afflict the Moon (showing the Native’s soul and feeling) by opposition often shows enemies. For example Mars in tight opposition to the Moon, if angular in the 1st and 7th, shows open harassment by many people in the Native’s life and maybe even violence, if other indications suggest it too.
Hi Goran,
What an interesting insight! Ibn Ezra just talks about external enemies, but there is no reason for the problems not to be internal, as you say. I don’t know why someone would manifest the internal vs. the external obstacles. It might have to do with the rest of your chart, whether it is more inwardly or outwardly focused, and I’m sure that the condition of your natal Sun will have a lot to do with it as well.
Thank you for visiting!
Nina
Hi Nina:
I have Neptune in Libra in the 12th House, and it looks like my secret enemies are secret because they misunderstand me, and I them. The cause of misunderstanding on my part is due to severe childhood issues when I could not understand the messages I was getting from people that were supposed to love and nurture me, but instead shamed and abused me. The cause of their misunderstanding me is due to their own feelings of self-worth and need for a scapegoat, I think, coupled with irritation at my neediness.
From earliest childhood until today I can recount so many stories of people who, without warning, betrayed, abused and abandoned me, and told me I was to blame for what they did. I always responded with self-pity and self-defense, thus I have had a hard time learning enough from this pattern to change it for the better in my life.
Lately I have been working with the challenge of accepting my shadow, loving all of me, especially those parts/situations where other people told me stories about myself that were not true. This has helped tremendously.
I want to thank you for bringing up this topic – because of it, I checked out my 12th house aspects on astrodienst, and that was tremendously helpful as well. Other Neptune aspects: conjunct Scorpio Ascendant; Sun square Neptune; Mercury square Neptune; Venus square Neptune; Uranus square Neptune; Neptune sextile Pluto.
Now I just have to figure out how to get unstuck from this pattern and set reasonable goals for myself about where I am going in the future. Thank you again for opening my eyes.
I have pisces in 12th… maybe “quarrels with priests ?”. I never know any priests to quarrel with, but I am always in trouble with gurus
In GWB chart, I was thinking, a little before you wrote this, that maybe cancer 12th house meant “lack of limits”, specially with booze.
I have 29 Leo rising and Placidus puts Leo on the 12th cusp? I may be my own worst enemy, but like someone said, this is supposed to be secret enemies. I’ll work on that.
Re: Barak Obama:
““He will hate himself and will bring upon himself quarrels for no good reason.” ”
If there is or has ever been a politician more in love with himself than Barak Obama, I have no idea who it might be. Asked about this vanishing early lead in the polls Obama, said, “I’ll just have to get my story out.” “His story? His story is all he ever talks about. How about getting out his policies instead? Giving an acceptance speech in front of a huge “live” audience in the convention center isn’t good enough. He’s going to be “crowned (his supporters word)” in a sports stadium.
I love Ibn Ezra, but I can’t abide by this one.
However, Obama’s Saturn, Lord 12 (and Lord 1) is in his own sign of Capricorn (rules himself) trine the “me” planet Mars (exaltation ruler of Capricorn) in the 7th house of “others.” It really is all about him.
Hi Norman,
Thanks for visiting. Ibn Ezra’s technique looks at signs, not houses, so the sign preceding Sagittarius is Capricorn. You will have to watch out for Saturnian characters. Stay away from farmers, for instance
Thank you also for sharing your view of aspects to the Moon; that is a very valuable and interesting observation. I wonder if these oppositions would be especially problematic in a nocturnal chart, where the Moon is the sect luminary.
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Peppermint,
I like your name. It is cool and spicy at the same time!
With Scorpio rising, you would have trouble with Venusian people (Venus rules the 12th sign, Libra). So, problems with women (though not all women, I hope!), perhaps artists, women of ill fame, that type of thing. We don’t even have to go the Neptune route, see?
I am glad the article prompted some investigation on your part. Our charts are one of the best objective tools we can have. Even better than therapy, as I’ve heard said.
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Yuzuru,
Yes, stay away from priests, at all costs. Also nobility, and the rich. And lawyers…especially lawyers
I think that Cancer in the 12th and a very populated 12th as with GWB’s chart can spell trouble, depending on the rest of his chart. I never did a full character assessment on his chart, as I can see the result on my television daily, but I am sure there are serious issues in that regard.
Thanks for dropping by!
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Tom,
Regarding your own chart, this is whole signs. So you’d be looking at Cancer as the 12th sign. According to Ibn Ezra, probably not a good idea to live in the public eye, at least based on the popularity rankings of your fellow Leo rising, GWB.
What you say is true, but look at the second part of that statement: he will bring quarrels upon himself for no good reason. You don’t have to hate yourself to do that; in fact, thinking you are master of the universe will tend to attract quarrels. Lots of people seek to disabuse Obama of that notion, and I’m sure it’s going to get nastier. Look at all those people who are trying to connect him to the Weather Underground.
Oh, well, it’s not like it’s the first time a presidential candidate (or president) thought they could do no wrong. Our culture does encourage serious narcissism.
I’m glad you are visiting, and hope to see your comments on here in the future!
Best wishes,
Nina
With Leo rising it puts Cancer on the 12th house cusp (no interceptions in my chart) and the Moon in the 4th square Pluto. You can bet this denotes an abusive mother (who is deceased) and jealous women as enimies. However, the jealous always has to be pointed out to me as I’m unaware until such time and then I feel stupid that I didn’t see it for myself. It seems there is always a woman behind the scenes who is working against me. It doesn’t help that my Moon is in Scorpio and it feels that the jealous never ends.
Interesting discussion going on here…let’s broaden it a bit, it may bring some other valuable insights.
Let’s take Scorpio rising, for instance. Venus is in this case the ruler of both the 7th and the 12th. Wouldn’t that mean that one’s personal alliances would also be enemies of a hidden/open sort, and a constant cause of misfortune and disappointment? Also, this might suggest that a person often chooses false kind of partners(in the broadest sense of the word). Of course, one should take radix as a whole into consideration, not just this sign positions, but I was wondering if this fact could explain why scorpions often do suffer major relationship setbacks. As well as Taurus rising people. But who doesn’t, right?
So, the Capricorn rising would meet his worst enemies in the neighbourhood and in brothers/sisters, short journeys and gossips. The same goes for the Cancer rising. And Libra, with Mercury ruled signs on the cusps of the 12th and the 9th…well, feel free to combine the influences of these two houses. McCain was a POW in a foreign country with just that kind of constellation, (other important planetary positions and aspects concurring) pointing strongly towards just that kind of experience in his life. The same would also be true for Aries rising people, I suppose…albeit depending upon the celestial state of Jupiter, the great benefic which is more likely to show his mercy than Mercury.
What do you think?
Hi Nina,
I missed the part about whole signs, so what you say is correct. Cancer is on the 12th sign in my chart and GWB’s and every person in history and yet to be born with Leo rising. Every Leo rising can’t have the same kind of secret enemies. I have to think that Ibn Ezra was smarter than that. Although it is something to look for in a nativity – perhaps as a red flag.
Quarrels on himself with no good reason? Again I have my doubts that every Aquarius rising is an innocent victim of some kind. To use your example, connecting Obama to the Weather Underground is like connecting water with mud. It’s easy. He was and is still good friends with Weather Underground leaders William Ayers and his wife Bernadette Dohrn. He recommends Ayers extremist writings on the campaign trail, and Dohrn once made the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. Ayers once said he is only sorry he didn’t blow up more buildings. That quote hit the papers on Sept 12, 2001, but he may have actually said it prior to the 9/11 attacks. Nevertheless they are not nice people.
Ayers raises money for Obama. Obama is a long time and current friend and does not deny this. What else do we need? But he does bring it on himself. That much is true. It’s the “no good reason” that I have a problem with. Perhaps Ibn Ezra should have said that Capricorn on the 12th meant if you lie down with dogs you’ll come up with fleas.
A good Aquarius rising example of this is John Dean. Remember him? He was in the Nixon White House and got caught up in the Watergate Scandal. He was convicted of something, I’ve forgotten what, in connection with Watergate, and wrote, arguably, the best book on Watergate: “Blind Ambition.” Dean was, by his own admission apolitical. He never even registered to vote. He wanted the prestige of working in the White House. He loved the fact he could obtain unlisted phone numbers of attractive airline stewardesses and agreed with Henry Kissinger that “Power is an aphrodisiac.” That’s not what most of us mean when we think of “public service.” Dean very much did lie down with dogs and came up with fleas.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jimmy Hoffa, and Evel Knieval all had Aquarius rising and all did themselves in one way or another via booze, criminals, and playing with death. While Mick Jager and Elton John, both with Leo rising certainly don’t seem to suffer at the hands of the public.
But I can’t give up on Ibn Ezra. Perhaps we should qualify this aphorism with a peek at the condition of the 12th house rulers and then we might be more accurate. Still it’s a fascinating point that I can’t get out of my head. Thanks for pointing it out.
I have Scorpio rising. My Venus is in Virgo, which suggests that my “enemies” may somehow be related to my job. As Goran noted, those of us with Scorpio on the AC have Venus ruling both the 7th and 12th houses. Some years ago, I got a job at an organization that provided legal assistance to artists who couldn’t afford an attorney. Initially, I had a wonderful relationship with my boss, a woman who was universally admired for her work in the arts community. It was like a dream–she worked very hard at mentoring me, and did many things to promote my work in the organization. After a little over a year, she asked me to work on a special project with her. I was incredibly flattered. For reasons that are still mysterious to me, she did a 180 on me during this project. Suddenly, I could do nothing right. She began to exclude me from important meetings and downplay or fail to mention my contributions to projects. She had a couple of private meetings with me where she really reamed me out–the things that came out of her mouth were just shocking in how inappropriate they were. The weirdest thing was that no one else would believe any of this was happening. She had such a golden reputation that everyone thought she must be a great boss. A couple of years after I left, I think some of her strange tendencies did finally come to light and she was forced out of her position–but while I was there, everyone thought my boss could do no wrong.
So, the 7th house elements are present in that I was working for a legal services organization. And my boss was an “open enemy” to me.
The 12th house elements are present in that no one else could see that this woman was my enemy. They thought something was terribly wrong with me. The Libra elements are present in my employer was an arts group.
This blog post was really interesting. Thanks.
I have Cancer rising and Venus in Gemini in the 12th. Does this mean that my enemies are my lovers? Or gossipy women are my enemies?
Hola, Nina:
Mensaje copiado. Entendido. Cambio y fuera.
Saludos
Hi Achernar,
Thanks!
Nina
Hi Eme,
Gee, I hope not! With Mercury ruling the 12th sign, it’s the Mercurial people you should watch for. The learned people, literati, writers, astrologers, bloggers
Venus’s placement in the 12th might modify this somewhat, as would aspects/placement of Mercury.
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Judy,
What a story! I don’t know that Virgo is necessarily connected with work, unless Venus is in your 10th house natally. Anyway, Venus ruling the 12th sign would mean women as enemies, so there you go. And because Venus is in fall here, we have someone who looks good on the outside (Venus is a benefic and in its triplicity) but is rotten within (Venus in fall).
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Tom,
Okey dokey, point taken. Aquarius rising = get fleas.
I think Ibn Ezra should be taken more broadly than your example of Leo rising suggests. He is providing just one example of what kind of enemies you might have with Leo rising & the Moon ruling the 12th sign; the general populace. All of the planets are multi-determined; they have lots of meanings, and it doesn’t make sense that just one signification of the Moon should apply to all Leos rising.
Maybe another Leo rising would have fishermen as deadly enemies, and another would have women, and so forth. The exact meaning depends on the Moon in that chart and that person’s circumstances.
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Goran,
Good point; I wondered about that as well. While we shouldn’t generalize, I remember reading some traditional text where they said that Scorpio rising people were the authors of their own illnesses (Mars rules the 1st and 6th houses). It might have been Culpeper, or one of the medical texts of that time.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Leo Rising,
Yes, I think your chart is a very good example of the Moon indicating problems with women (and with your mother in particular); the Moon is not just the populace, but a bunch of other things, too, and it will manifest differently in each chart. Thanks for sharing!
Best wishes,
Nina
Yes, I’ve recently read the same text(over and over again:-) – it’s probably Bonatti’s “Considerations” you’re referring to. Like Aries, Taurus is also described as contributing to his own infirmities, because Libra is posited in the 6th house. Libra contributes consciously or unconsciously to his/her death, the same goes for Aries…interesting stuff.
Writers? Oh, no. I’m a writer myself and that doesn’t bode well. I can’t remember which planet aspects my natal Mercury but I do know it’s only one and it’s a wide orb of ten degrees.
Hi Goran,
Yes, Bonatti sounds right. Though, to be honest, I think most people contribute to their own infirmities and/or death through bad diet, no exercise, etc., not just these few rising signs.
There is so much in the Considerations, I’ll have to dig around in there in the next few days.
Best wishes,
Nina
Hi Eme,
Don’t worry, it’s the *other* writers you have to watch out for
Maybe also critics, publishers, and agents.
Best wishes,
Nina
Thanks, Nina. But I understood you right the first time. Which is why I meant it doesn’t bode well. Bah! Oh, well. Maybe the public will like me. I can only hope.
I have just recently stumbled on your Blog looking for answers in dealing with secret enemies. I have Sagittarius on my ascendant, Scorpio on the cusp of my 12th house. Mars conjuct with Saturn in my 12th house and also my natal Moon in my 12th house. Any answers?
Hi Roman,
Sure. Mars and Saturn in the 12th are not going to be easy, but it does help that Mars is in its own sign. Strong malefics in bad houses can help avert the worst (I think Morin says this somewhere). The Moon in the 12th is tricky, so some of these secret enemies might be women. What’s been your experience with secret enemies thus far?
Best wishes,
Nina
Thanks for your reply. I have suffered from secret enemies all my life and it is only after some other person has told me later that so and so has tried to undermine me, that I have discovered so and so has been a secret enemy! I have been told that with Mars in my 12th house I can use this planet and its energy to confront these secret enemies. Is this true?
Roman -
The ancient astrologers say that Mars and Saturn in the 12th mean you will see the death of your enemies. With an essentially dignified Mars, this might make sense.
Best wishes,
Nina
Thanks for the advice Nina. There is a complication; my natal Mars which is conjunct with my Natal Saturn in my 12th House is squaring with my Natal Pluto, which is posited in my 10th House, the House of vocation!
Roman -
When I stopped using the outer planets (since they can’t be seen with the naked eye), I found my chart had a lot fewer squares and oppositions, and lost no accuracy because of it
Very liberating, indeed.
Best wishes,
Nina