Asteroid Persephone And Kidnapping — An Explorative Study
INTRODUCTION
The story of the abduction of Persephone is one of the more prominent stories from Greek mythology that illustrates victimization and powerlessness. The core theme of abduction and descent into the Underworld is the commodification and forced compliance of females and the repercussions of the event that manifest in all parties involved. This research project came into focus while reading an article on famous kidnappings. Later, when scrolling through the asteroid menu in Solar Fire software, the asteroid Persephone appeared, and the story of her abduction, search, and rescue sparked an interest in this asteroid and whether it played a prominent role in the charts of kidnapping victims and the timing of their abductions. The main objective of this study is to explore if the asteroid Persephone and Ceres/Pluto Midpoint play an important role in kidnapping events.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Persephone, daughter of Ceres and her brother, Zeus, whose name translated from the Greek means “bringer of death,” is gathering flowers when Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, pulls her down into his realm, holding her captive (1)(2). Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, searches endlessly for her lost daughter, neglecting her duties as the protectorate of farming and harvests. Crops failed, resulting in hunger and desolation. Zeus ordered Ceres to give up pursuing Persephone and return to food production. Ceres refused, demanding to know what happened to her daughter. Helios, the all-seeing Sun god, informed Ceres of her daughter’s location. Raging at her brother, Ceres told Zeus that if he did not secure Persephone’s immediate release all crop production will cease and famine will prevail, leaving no mortals on earth to worship him. Zeus replied that he had already agreed to allow Pluto, also their brother, to abduct Persephone as his consort. Consequences must be accepted. Persephone, now Queen of the Underworld, was seduced but treated as an equal. Distraught at her situation, Persephone refused to eat, because consuming Pluto’s food would bind her to him forever. Whether from hunger or acceptance of her fate, Persephone consumed six pomegranate seeds, resulting in a successful compromise of her release: In order to return to her mother, Persephone, in proportion with each seed consumed, would spend six months in the Underworld followed by six months above the earth. This timing defined the growing season and the winter months when crops are dormant (3).
METHODOLOGY
Since a study of this nature has not been conducted anywhere else, charts were collected from Astrodatabank, Wikipedia, FBI public records, the internet, literature, and private sources.The FBI’s definition of kidnapping is as follows: “The taking away of a person by force, threat, or deceit, with intent to cause him or her to be detained against his or her will. Kidnapping may be done for ransom or for political or other purposes.” Charts were collected using this criteria, noting the date of their abduction. One hundred and twenty-six charts were used in this study. Thirty-six charts of victims of kidnapping are AA-rating. The remaining 90 charts have no time of birth but fit the criteria. Noon charts were used for the charts without birth time. Placidus houses system was used for all charts.
The kidnapped were mostly children, teens and, particularly, young women who were abducted against their will and usually, but not always, raped. Some of them were adult victims held hostage for political revenge or for ransom. The kidnappings of children between spouses or family members, which are so prevalent in incidents of domestic disputes and divorce, were not used. Orbs were kept as small as possible, usually within minutes but seldom exceeding 3 degrees. In examples with no time of birth, orbs of greater than 4 degrees were allowed, but were rarely used. As seen below in Figure 1, ages of people kidnapped range from newborns to 85 with most of them less than 25 years old.
For the purposes of this study, all the observations made were focused on the day of the kidnapping. “Persephone, the Ceres/Pluto midpoints are the main natal points in the chart that were observed for this study as they were thought to be relevant to kidnappings. Only hard aspects were studied and this included conjunctions, oppositions, squares, semi-squares, and sesqui-squares and orbs were kept around 3 degree for transits, and around 2 degrees for secondary progressions.
Using the 126 kidnapping charts, these were the following aspects that were measured:
- Transits and secondary progressions in tight aspects were measured to the natal 399 (asteroid Persephone) and Ceres/Pluto midpoint on the day of the kidnapping. An orb of 3 degrees was used for transits and 2 degrees for progressions and all 8 hard aspects were considered.
- Also, the solar and lunar eclipse preceding and nearest to the day of kidnapping was first determined and then aspect from these eclipses to the natal Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoint was observed. Please note that both solar and lunar eclipse were taken into account and sometimes both the preceding and nearest eclipse were the same. An orb of 3 degrees and all 8 hard aspects were considered.
No natal aspects in birth charts were measured as this is beyond scope of this study.
RESULTS
Transits: Consistently Transiting Chiron and Transiting Uranus showed up with highest frequency to both the natal Persephone and to natal Ceres/Pluto midpoint. Random chance of a planet hitting a point with 3 deg orb and 8 hard aspects is around 13%, but in the study 25% and 18% of the kidnapping charts had Chiron transiting natal Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoint respectively on the day of kidnapping. In Greek mythology, Chiron experienced unbearable pain being injured by the arrow from Herakles, and gave up his immortality in order to get relief from the pain through death. So Chiron transits could show experiences for which there is no healing and the pain has to be borne in some way. This makes sense, as kidnapping victims endure the most horrific kinds of pain imaginable. They lose everything, including their identity, loved ones, and hope, and are subjected to frequent abuse and torment. Some even tragically lose their lives. Another perspective is that Chiron was half man, half animal. His birth was the outcome of a rape between the god Cronos, who took the form of a horse, and the nymph Philyra. His hybrid appearance at birth caused both parents to reject him, creating an outlier who possessed an eclectic intelligence. Chiron’s association with wounding can also extend to psychological disorders.
| Transiting Planet | Percentage Observed on Day of Kidnapping | Chance Occurrence /random | |
| Transit to Persephone | Transit to Ceres/Pluto | ||
| Chiron | 25% | 18% | 13% |
| Uranus | 18% | 22% | 13 |
Uranus transits on the other hand show up in incidents that include sudden changes, both for negative and positive experiences. It also expresses change and an unpredictable reversal of fortune, which again can go both ways.
Secondary Progressions: Progressed (same as Solar Arc Sun position) Sun aspects to both Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoints were the only consistent and significant resultsobtained in the study. SecondaryProgressed Moon to natal Persephone aspects also came higher than expected but since 89 out of 126 charts do not have a time of birth, the results are questionable. As progressed Sun moves through the birth chart with one day of the sun’s movement equal to one year, it brings to light the area of the chart it aspects, opening up different areas of experience, which can be both easy and challenging.
Solar and Lunar Eclipse: Throughout the ages, eclipses have been considered important factors in predictive astrology. In antiquity, they were the harbingers of mundane events, particularly according to element. Eclipses in air affected winds and storms, in fire, heat and arson, in water, rain and floods, and in earth, acquisitions and crops. They are prominent in the ascents and demise of royal figures. In natal charts, eclipses bring upheaval and and often inexplicable turns of events that bring both disruption and enlightenment when conjunct or opposite a planet or angle within a four-degree orb. Both preceding and nearest eclipses were observed from the day of kidnapping to see if any of them made an aspect to natal Persephone or the Ceres/Pluto midpoint. A three-degree orb was used and all 8 hard aspects were considered. As seen in Table 2 below, 35% and 27 % of the charts had a preceding eclipse aspecting the natal Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoint respectively. About 53% of the charts had an eclipse to either the Ceres/Natal Persephone or Natal Ceres from the day of kidnapping. To consider the significance, we could compare the random chance of an eclipse occurring at a particular point of the zodiac with 3 -degree orb and 8 aspects. However, due to the nature of eclipses, it is a bit challenging to ascertain the random chance of an eclipse occurring at a particular point of the zodiac. But to get an idea, for a specific point (for example – natal Persephone), a single eclipse event with 3 degrees orb x 8 aspects covers 24 degrees in the dial. However, since solar and lunar eclipses come in pairs, the eclipse covers 48 degrees on the dial. The probability of an aspect occurring to a specific degree in the zodiac with the nearest eclipse is 48/360 or 13% (for one set of eclipse).
| Eclipse (Lunar or Solar) | Percentage of Eclipse to Natal Persephone | Percentage of Eclipse to Natal Ceres/Pluto |
| Preceding eclipse to the Day of Kidnapping | 35% | 27% |
| Nearest Eclipse to the Day of Kidnapping | 28% | 18% |
CASE STUDIES
In Solar Fire software, the number 399 appeared next to this asteroid Persephone in the software. With no standard symbol available for this asteroid, the glyph “a” is used to identify Persephone in the chart of kidnapping victims.
Jaycee Lee Dugard
Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped at age 11 while walking home from school and lived for over 18 years in a tent in the yard of her kidnapper, being raped repeatedly and bearing him two children (4). On June 11, 1991, the day of her abduction, as seen in Chart 1, transiting Saturn opposed her natal Persephone (given as “a”) within 20 minutes and her natal Ceres/Pluto midpoint. It is incredible to note that her natal Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoint were conjunct within 1 degree orb! So all 3 important mythological symbols related to kidnapping are connected. Although the Mars/Uranus midpoint and Mars/Pluto midpoint have not been included in this study, they did show up in a number of charts forming meaningful midpoint structures. In Jaycee’s natal chart, her Mars/Pluto midpoint = Natal Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoint. In addition, the previous lunar eclipse aspected her Persephone within 3° 12’ and her Ceres/Pluto midpoint within 56 minutes.
Etan Patz
On May 25, 1979, Etan Patz, aged six, was abducted while walking two blocks to board his school bus in Lower Manhattan (5). His widely publicized disappearance helped launch a nationwide campaign, including new legislation and cutting-edge methods of tracking down missing children. One of the first children to appear on the photo of a milk carton, President Ronald Reagan designated May 25, the date of his disappearance, as National Missing Children’s Day in the USA.
On the day of kidnapping, transiting Chiron Venus and Mars made a semi-square (45 degree) aspect to the natal Persephone (given as a) and Transiting Uranus along with T Persephone also made a hard aspect to the natal Ceres/Pluto midpoint. The lunar eclipse prior to Eytan’s abduction opposed his natal Persephone within 1°5’, and his progressed Saturn, SA Mercury, and transiting Jupiter and Neptune were in hard aspect to it within 2º 17’. Progressed Jupiter and solar arced Ceres were in aspect to his Ceres/ Pluto within 1 degree.
Jemima Boone
Jemima Boone, Daniel Boone’s daughter, whose abduction was the basis of the book “The Last of the Mohicans,” was kidnapped by Native Americans on July 14th, 1776, on the day of a partial solar eclipse. Three days later her father rescued her. It is interesting to note that she has a natal midpoint structure of Mars Pluto = Natal Persephone and on the day she was kidnapped, as seen in Chart 3, transiting Saturn was conjunct natal Persephone triggering this midpoint related to intense aggression. Saturn could denote the separation from loved ones. Jemima’s Solar Arc Node and Ceres were also sesquisquare (135 degrees) her natal Persephone. Concurrently, as seen in many kidnapping events, both Transiting Chiron and Uranus were active, making an aspect to her natal Ceres/Pluto midpoint.
Patty Hearst
The granddaughter of publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst, heiress Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, (SLA), an urban guerrilla left-wing group (7). She was held captive for 19 months, raped repeatedly, and temporarily adapted to the SLA’s philosophy and tactics as she joined their sprees of robbery and even changed her name. She has the midpoint structure of Mars Pluto midpoint = Persephone in the natal chart showing the complicated nature of her kidnapping and the aftermath of how she got involved in their strategy. On the day of her abduction this midpoint was triggered by transiting Chiron and Persephone making an opposition and sesquisquare respectively. Also, her progressed Mercury stationed direct sesqui-squaring Persephone within 1 degree and 8 minutes, and the previous Full Moon conjoined Persephone within 1 degree, 3 minutes.
Polly Klaas
Polly Klaas was born with natal Persephone at 7 Scorpio 34 making a semisquare aspect to her Neptune Venus Midheaven Conjunction (as seen in Chart 2). She was kidnapped through her bedroom window at 10:30 PM on October 1, 1993 in Petaluma, CA (8). In the natal chart, both Pluto and Ceres make a square aspect. Although on the day of kidnapping, there were no major transits , Polly’s Solar Arc Pluto and Ceres conjoined and squared her natal Persephone respectively. Again all the 3 significators of kidnapping, Pluto, Ceres and Persephone are connected.
Sally Horner
Sally was the kidnapping victim upon whom Vladimir Nabokov based his blockbuster novel Lolita. Her natal Persephone was 10 Cancer 52. She was kidnapped on June 14, 1948 (9) when transiting Neptune was squaring her natal Persephone within 39 minutes, and her Progressed Mercury was stationary retrograde semi-squaring her natal Persephone within 35 minutes. Her natal Uranus conjoined her Ceres/Pluto midpoint within 55 minutes.
CONCLUSION
Natal Aspects to Persephone and Ceres/Pluto midpoint were not used in this study. As mentioned above, the primary focus was to assess the correlations between natal charts of victims and the date of abduction using planets, eclipses, progressions, solar arcs, and three critical points. The high occurrence of Transiting Chiron is very telling about the intense pain suffered by kidnapping victims. It also highlights how Chiron is associated with both mental and physical pain, for which there is often no real healing. Further potential for this study lies in examining other midpoints that could be related to the experience of being kidnapped. These interesting correlations and others can be used for future study of kidnapping. Many thanks to Dave Campbell and Anna-Cristal de Lyon for their assistance in providing accurate data of kidnapped victims.
CHART INFORMATION
Chart 1: Jaycee Lee Dugard, Natal Chart: May 3, 1980, 10:43 PM PDT Anaheim, CA Placidus, True Node. Rodden Rating: AA. Source: Astrodatabank.
Chart 2: Eytan Patz, Natal Chart: October 9, 1972, New York, NY. (No time of birth). Placidus, True Node. Source: Wikipedia.
Chart 3: Jemima Boone, Natal Chart: October 4, 1762 Mocksville, NC (No time of birth) Placidus, True Node. Source: Pearl, Matthew, The Taking of Jemima Boone.
Chart 4: Patty Hearst, Natal Chart: February 20, 1954 6:01 PM PST San Francisco, CA. Placidus, True Node, Rodden Rating: AA. Source; Astrodatabank.
Chart 5: Polly Klaas, Natal Chart: January 3, 1981 at 10:40 AM PST San Francisco, CA. Placidus, True Node, Rodden Rating: AA. Source: Astrodatabank.
Chart 6: Sally Horner, Natal Chart:: April 14, 1937 EST Camden, NJ (No time of birth). Placidus, True Node. Source: Weinman, Sarah, The Real Lolita.
REFERENCES
- Stored. (2022, April 26). Persephone: Bringer of Life or Destruction? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hBkgFGG-cM&t=507s
- Gillespie, I. (2022, April 14). The Myth of Hades and Persephone. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLAYGZeVTPQ
- Ovid, & Raeburn, D. (Trans.). (2014), Metamorphoses. Penguin.
- Dugard, J. (2021). A Stolen Life. Simon and Shuster.
- Cohen, L. R. (2009). After Etan: The Missing Child Case that Held America Captive. Grand Central Publishing.
- Pearl, M., (2021). The Taking of Jemima Boone. Harper.
- Hearst, P. C. (1982). Every Secret Thing, Doubleday.
- Bortnick, B. (1995). Polly Klaas: The Murder of America’s Child. Pinnacle Publishing.
- Weinman, S. (2018). The Real Lolita. Ecco.
- Beers, K. Gusoff, C. (2015) Buried Memories, My Story. Beaufort Books.
Biography
Jackie Slevin M.A., C.A. NCGR-PAA, is the author of Finding Success in the Horoscope, available on Amazon.com. An internationally published and full-time professional Astrologer, she is the Education Director for NCGR where she hosts monthly webinars and was a Track Coordinator or Presenter at United Astrology Congress (UAC) from 1995 to 2018. A biography writer for Lois Rodden’s world-renowned Astrodatabank, she has been featured in the New York Post, Psychology Today, and in numerous radio shows and podcasts, including her show “Planet Speak” on the Bold, Brave, TV network. From 2008 to 2022 she wrote astrology columns for Horoscope Guide Magazine, and is currently the Secretary of the New Jersey NCGR chapter. Visit her website at www.geocosmicstudies.com.
Copyright 2024 by Jackie Slevin. All Rights Reserved.
