By: Walter Cambra

The natal chart for British writer Jane Austen shows Virgo (intellect and analysis) rising at the ascendant making Mercury (planet of the mind) her ascendant sign ruler and overall chart ruler (Astrodatabank).

Ms. Austen’s sign-signature is Gemini (mutable-air) which is also ruled by Mercury. Her sign-signature’s mutable “quality” as well as her air “element” suggests inconsistency. The day after accepting a marriage proposal she informed the gentleman that she recanted[*].

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Jane Austen’s sign-signature indicates an intellect that is being driven by antithetical impulses. Emotional and motherly instincts are being thwarted by a conjunction of the Moon (nurturing) with an exalted Saturn (limitation) in different but adjacent houses (first and second).

The Moon-Saturn conjunction is located within the malefic “via combusta zone” (Libra-Scorpio), which adversely impacts her fourth house of home whose natural ruler is the Moon.

Venus (lesser benefic) is the natural ruler of Libra, but it is in detriment in Scorpio. Ms. Austen’s fourth house is further afflicted by the square aspect between the Mars-Pluto conjunction and the Moon-Saturn conjunction. Her Moon in the first house of personal behavior squares an exalted Mars (urge to rule) in the fourth house of home.
Ms. Austen’s Moon forms an adverse aspect of opposition with a retrograde Chiron (re-experiencing an inner wounding) at 11° 54’ of Aries in the seventh house of marriage. Jane Austen never married.[2] Chiron also forms a square aspect with an exalted Mars (irritation) in the fourth house of home.

Jane Austen’s ruling planet (Mercury) is in detriment and is adversely aspected by an opposition with Jupiter in detriment. Although both planets are in mutual reception, their influence is not benefic. Retrograde Jupiter (urge to gamble) is conjunct retrograde Uranus (disruptive) in Gemini (nervously) in the ninth house of religion.

Ms. Austen’s first house (personal behavior) and Mercury ruled Virgo ascendant is representative of her personality (her public presentation of self). However, her personality is over-shadowed by Neptune in detriment (self-delusion) in her first house. Neptune in detriment indicates flights of fantasy, which may be very conducive for writing yet may be an obstacle for developing meaningful relationships such as in a marriage.Jane Austen’s Neptune in detriment forms an afflicted aspect (square) with her Sun (basic character: egocentricity) in the fourth house of home. Although the Moon is the natural ruler of the fourth house, it is occupied by the Sun (ego-centricity), Mars (urge to be first), and Pluto (inner-psyche/hidden forces).

Ms. Austen’s Moon (subconsciously driven personality) in the first house of personal behavior squares an exalted Mars (frustration) in the fourth house of home. The natural rulers of the first and fourth houses are ill-placed, generating tension within Ms. Austen’s psyche.

The T-square (difficult configuration) formed by Mercury in detriment opposing a retrograde Uranus, while both square Lilith (frustrating/denying) in Leo (sexuality/need for recognition), indicates subliminal agitation.

The aspect of conjunction between Neptune in detriment with her ascendant indicates elusiveness in Ms. Austen’s personality. This is reinforced by Venus in detriment in Scorpio (secretiveness). “The ascendant and the IC in anyone’s chart indicates the two points of the house structure that determines who we are at the personal leve”[*].

Jane Austen’s letters written to her sister, Cassandra, were destroyed by Cassandra at Jane Austen’s request. The square from the ascendant to the fourth house Sun at the IC indicates that her true personality was kept under wraps, apparently abetted by her sister Cassandra, whose destruction of Jane’s papers is a collusion in denying Jane’s reality to the outside world.[*]

The retrograde Neptune conjunct her ascendant squaring the MC and IC indicates Ms. Austen had issues with those in authority over her as well as within herself.

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[*] beyondthestarsastrology.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/jane-austen-the-ultimate-romantic/