This morning, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died from injuries sustained in a car accident resulting from a domestic dispute with his fiance:
Talented but troubled Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry died Thursday from injuries suffered when he was thrown from the back of a moving pickup truck during a fight with his fiancee.
Henry, 26, was injured a day earlier in Charlotte, N.C.
He was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. at a North Carolina hospital, police said. - NY Daily News
Chris Henry was born on May 17, 1983 in Belle Chassee, Louisiana. Note: I can't find his birth time so I'm using 4:48am to make Chris' Sun his Ascendant (rather than the traditional noon as birth time method).
His 8th house is ruled by Sagittarius and Jupiter. 8th house Jupiter in Sagittarius opposes 2nd house Mars in Gemini. Were they fighting over resources, possessions, how to spend money? It's too soon to know the details of the argument, but those are likely topics. Sagittarius and Gemini are the most "mobile" zodiac signs (translated literally here as death by moving transportation). The ruler of Chris' 8th house is in the 8th house and is conjunct Uranus in Sagittarius: sudden "freak accident" death by transportation:
After Henry and fiancee Loleini Tonga began arguing at a Charlotte house, Tonga started to drive off and Henry apparently jumped into the bed of the pickup truck, police in Charlotte said.
As Tonga drove, Henry tumbled out the back of the moving vehicle. The mortally wounded NFL player was found lying in the street about a half-mile from the home, police said. - NY Daily News
The ruler of Chris' 8th house also opposes Chiron in Taurus in the 1st house: fatal wounding to his head (area of the body ruled by the 1st house). Both Chiron in Taurus and Mars in Gemini aspect Saturn in Libra which is at the end of his 6th house, moving into his 7th house of romantic partners and open conflict. Saturn in Libra is all about learning lessons through interpersonal relationships, learning how to negotiate and work out fair deals in partnership, learning how to overcome the fear of being alone or of being in an unfair partnership. If Chris had learned these lessons, the fight wouldn't have escalated and he wouldn't have taken that fateful leap into the back of a moving pickup truck. Obviously, his fiance was doing the responsible thing by driving away. (It's interesting to me that Chris was a couple years shy of his first Saturn Return - a time when he surely would've been tested by his relationships and, hopefully, would've come out the other side wiser for it. I would advise anyone with Saturn in Libra to wait until after their first Saturn return before entering a serious relationship/marriage. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes not the case because people with Saturn in Libra are overly focused on being in a relationship.)
I can't help but be reminded of the Tiger Woods situation. There are quite a few similarities: both athletes were involved in romantic disputes that resulted in physical injuries, have Moon in the 4th house (domestic bliss is necessary for emotional security, attracted to nurturing women, family/childhood traditions strongly influence home life), have Mars in Gemini (aids athletic agility, arguing for sport with lovers, attracting argumentative lovers, etc.) opposing planets in Sagittarius (huge foolish risks, tunnel vision, acting on principles). (Also noteworthy is that both men were involved in interracial relationships. I previously noted in my Tiger Woods post how Sagittarius and Gemini are often prominent in the charts of people involved in, or open to, interracial relationships.)
Just as Tiger's 4th house Moon in Sagittarius was activated by transits at the time of his accident, so was Chris' 4th house Moon in Cancer (an extremely strong placement because his Moon is in both its ruling sign and house!). Transit Uranus in Pisces was trine to Chris' 4th house Cancer Moon, which was surely the trigger point in setting off Chris' strong emotional reactions at home with the person who represents his Moon - his fiance. Because the trine involves Pisces and Cancer, I suspect he was feeling depressed and dependent, perhaps he wanted to be pampered back to health and didn't know how to ask for that from his fiance in a productive way? I can believe that her leaving him in his time of need would've set off a childish reaction of chasing her down. It's important to note here that his Moon in Cancer (irrational grievances!) is sextile his Mars in Gemini (verbal arguments!) and square his 6th house Pluto/ 7th house Saturn conjunction in Libra (power struggles in relationships!). Along with resources, they might have also been fighting about something in their daily routine like household chores, taking care of the kids, etc.
The theme of Sagittarius/Jupiter is very strong in Chris' chart and this was all reinforced in the sky. At the time of the accident, the transit Sun/Moon/Venus conjunction in Sagittarius was moving through Chris' 8th house.
What's in Chris' natal 8th house of death and transformation? Uranus and Jupiter in Sagittarius. Jupiter is in it's natural home in Sagittarius and indicates that Chris was a person with big goals, an optimistic point of view, a risk taker, a person of faith and principle, and had an aversion to standing still in life (literally and figuratively). Chris was probably feeling stir crazy not being able to work due to a recently broken arm. (With transit Neptune in Aquarius squaring his Sun in Taurus, Chiron in Taurus and sextile his Neptune in Sagittarius, Chris might have been heavily medicated at the time of his argument to ease his physical pain). On Nov. 9, James Parker wrote:
As a person with Sagittarius rising exactly opposing Mars in Gemini, I can tell you that being restricted mentally or physically feels like death. Yes, we do go stir crazy and get argumentative when we can't move around the way we want. As a child, I had a tendency to climb anything with substantial height and jump off (bunk beds, trees, roofs) just to test myself (and get a pretty cast). In order to direct my excessive physical energy into a relatively safer outlet, My mom (with Sun in Gemini and Saturn in Sagittarius) enrolled me in various recreational activities, including swimming, horseback riding, tennis, soccer, gymnastics - pretty much every sport you can imagine. While other mothers were teaching their little girls how to sit with their legs closed, I was wearing shorts under my dresses so I could do cartwheels with modest abandon. Without all of the extracurricular activities, I would've surely been a terror in the house.
The paradox of having the Sag-Gem opposition in one's chart is that we can be both extraordinarily athletic and well-coordinated while also being extremely clumsy and a hazard to ourselves. The same near-sightedness (Sagittarius) that helps us anticipate a ball coming at us is the same point of view that allows us to trip over our own feet (Gemini). Also, this opposition practically guarantees that you have a risktaker on your hands. It's in our DNA to take huge gambles. We have a faith in our ability to navigate circumstances that less...adventurous people wouldn't dare to do, which has both positive and negative results. To us, life is an experience and not worth living if we can't test our limits. And that doesn't just pertain to physical endeavors.
One of my exes once remarked to me after I finished my impersonation of a race car driver to get a better parking space: "I'm worried about you. You are the smartest person I know, yet take some of the dumbest risks I have ever seen. You're always looking for the upgrade in life. Why can't you just sit still and enjoy the moment?" (His Moon is in Sagittarius but squares a lot of planets in Virgo so...that was the voice of prudence trying to talk some sense into me before I leapt off of another metaphorical cliff.)
As football fans who follow football players off-field lives know, Chris has had many troubles involving him over-indulging in the good life. His track record with alcohol, speeding, etc. is, to me, a direct link to his Uranus-Jupiter conjunction in Sagittarius being in the 8th house (opposing Mars in Gemini): ignoring society's laws and gambling with his life. The same aspects/placements that aided him in being a great wide receiver known for being able to make the big jumps to catch passes are the same aspects/placements that led him to believe that he had enough superhuman ability to jump onto a moving pickup truck with a broken arm and survive.
Once again, I feel a kinship here. My Jupiter is also in a fire sign in the 8th house (remember, in a Jupiter-ruled chart) and is sextile my Mars in Gemini. The Jupiter-Mars combination involving the 8th house gives one a penchant for living life at full throttle at all times. Because we've "won" our gambles so many times, we tend to think that our luck in this area will never run out. But it always does. Whereas Chris has Uranus in Sagittarius urging his Jupiter in Sagittarius and Mars in Gemini to take bigger risks, I have Saturn in Virgo telling my Mars/Jupiter sextile to slow down and take the safer path for good health.
I'm not a football fan by any means (despite having played a lot of touch football in my younger days), but this story is affecting me on a more personal level than the Tiger Woods situation. I can relate a little too much to Chris' foolish stunt because that has been me more times than I care to remember or count.
One of my favorite quotes: "If you can't be a good example, then you'll have to be a horrible warning." ~ Catherine Aird
We should all heed Chris Henry's life and death as a "horrible warning" to look before we leap.
R.I.P.
Related posts:
Why Tiger Woods Got Caught By His Tail (A Chart Interpretation)
What's in Chris' natal 8th house of death and transformation? Uranus and Jupiter in Sagittarius. Jupiter is in it's natural home in Sagittarius and indicates that Chris was a person with big goals, an optimistic point of view, a risk taker, a person of faith and principle, and had an aversion to standing still in life (literally and figuratively). Chris was probably feeling stir crazy not being able to work due to a recently broken arm. (With transit Neptune in Aquarius squaring his Sun in Taurus, Chiron in Taurus and sextile his Neptune in Sagittarius, Chris might have been heavily medicated at the time of his argument to ease his physical pain). On Nov. 9, James Parker wrote:
CINCINNATI -- Bengals receiver Chris Henry wasn't sure whether he'd play again this season after he broke his arm during a 17-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Henry broke his left forearm just above the wrist when he was tackled by cornerback Fabian Washington after a 20-yard reception. Henry's back hit the ground and Washington landed on top of him. A replay showed the forearm bowing slightly.
He knew immediately that the injury was severe.
"I was about to get up and I felt my arm [hurt]," Henry said. "Then I noticed it was broken."
As a person with Sagittarius rising exactly opposing Mars in Gemini, I can tell you that being restricted mentally or physically feels like death. Yes, we do go stir crazy and get argumentative when we can't move around the way we want. As a child, I had a tendency to climb anything with substantial height and jump off (bunk beds, trees, roofs) just to test myself (and get a pretty cast). In order to direct my excessive physical energy into a relatively safer outlet, My mom (with Sun in Gemini and Saturn in Sagittarius) enrolled me in various recreational activities, including swimming, horseback riding, tennis, soccer, gymnastics - pretty much every sport you can imagine. While other mothers were teaching their little girls how to sit with their legs closed, I was wearing shorts under my dresses so I could do cartwheels with modest abandon. Without all of the extracurricular activities, I would've surely been a terror in the house.
The paradox of having the Sag-Gem opposition in one's chart is that we can be both extraordinarily athletic and well-coordinated while also being extremely clumsy and a hazard to ourselves. The same near-sightedness (Sagittarius) that helps us anticipate a ball coming at us is the same point of view that allows us to trip over our own feet (Gemini). Also, this opposition practically guarantees that you have a risktaker on your hands. It's in our DNA to take huge gambles. We have a faith in our ability to navigate circumstances that less...adventurous people wouldn't dare to do, which has both positive and negative results. To us, life is an experience and not worth living if we can't test our limits. And that doesn't just pertain to physical endeavors.
One of my exes once remarked to me after I finished my impersonation of a race car driver to get a better parking space: "I'm worried about you. You are the smartest person I know, yet take some of the dumbest risks I have ever seen. You're always looking for the upgrade in life. Why can't you just sit still and enjoy the moment?" (His Moon is in Sagittarius but squares a lot of planets in Virgo so...that was the voice of prudence trying to talk some sense into me before I leapt off of another metaphorical cliff.)
As football fans who follow football players off-field lives know, Chris has had many troubles involving him over-indulging in the good life. His track record with alcohol, speeding, etc. is, to me, a direct link to his Uranus-Jupiter conjunction in Sagittarius being in the 8th house (opposing Mars in Gemini): ignoring society's laws and gambling with his life. The same aspects/placements that aided him in being a great wide receiver known for being able to make the big jumps to catch passes are the same aspects/placements that led him to believe that he had enough superhuman ability to jump onto a moving pickup truck with a broken arm and survive.
Once again, I feel a kinship here. My Jupiter is also in a fire sign in the 8th house (remember, in a Jupiter-ruled chart) and is sextile my Mars in Gemini. The Jupiter-Mars combination involving the 8th house gives one a penchant for living life at full throttle at all times. Because we've "won" our gambles so many times, we tend to think that our luck in this area will never run out. But it always does. Whereas Chris has Uranus in Sagittarius urging his Jupiter in Sagittarius and Mars in Gemini to take bigger risks, I have Saturn in Virgo telling my Mars/Jupiter sextile to slow down and take the safer path for good health.
I'm not a football fan by any means (despite having played a lot of touch football in my younger days), but this story is affecting me on a more personal level than the Tiger Woods situation. I can relate a little too much to Chris' foolish stunt because that has been me more times than I care to remember or count.
One of my favorite quotes: "If you can't be a good example, then you'll have to be a horrible warning." ~ Catherine Aird
We should all heed Chris Henry's life and death as a "horrible warning" to look before we leap.
R.I.P.
Why Tiger Woods Got Caught By His Tail (A Chart Interpretation)
