The astrology of a Murder: Matthew Shepard
The Astrology of a Murder: Matthew Wayne Shepard
& Primary Directions and others techniques
A gay male, he was only 21 years old when killed by two men, beaten up, robed, pistol-whipped and tortured in a rural area of Laramie, Wyoming, where he was left to die in a fence. Still tied to the fence, Shepard, who was still alive but in a coma, was discovered 18 hours later by Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow.
Shepard had transiting Pluto conjunct natal Mars by the year of 1998. Such a conjunction at its worst, brings dangerous and bloody (Mars) scenarios to the individual, tragic events tends to happen specially if the person if vulnerable or even showing some characteristics of a ‘death wish‘. This contact is often showed in charts of cold murders, but also in the victims, people with this conjunction suddenly attract cruel people to their lives.
Posted originally on October 8, 2013 by Rafael VR – Now Updated with Primary Directions (2019)
Vulnerable World
Dealing with a chart of a person that has been killed brutally, emerges an awareness of how vulnerable we are to the other people and life’s circumstances at its extremes. As for astrology, we are vulnerable to transits, but is not correct to say that a transit alone ‘kills’ us, it is wise to consider carefully what has been triggered the chart, what make us vulnerable to the dangerous situations or a surprising death. However, by old techniques integrated, the astrologer is then able to find the actual ‘killing cause’.
The Radix
Speculum & Aspects
Jenny Dusky Chart's Rectification
Matthew Shepard Background; the Stellium in Sagittarius & Dodecatemoria of the Ascendant
Matthew was born on 1st December 1976 in Casper, Wyoming at 17:07:30s (rectified by Jenny Dusky). He was described by his father as “an optimistic and accepting young man who had a special gift of relating to almost everyone. He was the type of person who was very approachable and always looked to new challenges. Matthew had a great passion for equality and always stood up for the acceptance of people’s differences.” Interesting enough, that the first word he used was optimistic, which is a key word of the sign of Sagittarius, which he had a Stellium in the chart, including a Sun/Mars conjunction, Sagittarius is also the sign related to wide connection of people as he had the ability to form easy friendships. Pluto was in Libra, and with connecting with the Moon is made him strongly sensitive to other people’s feelings, and with Libra, it encourages him to stand up for the others who cannot do it by themselves. As more I could say about his Stellium here is an extract from his official website:
“The story of Matthew Shepard begins on December 1, 1976 when he was born prematurely to Judy and Dennis Shepard in the small city of Casper, Wyoming. Matthew attended school in Casper until his junior year of high school when he finished his primary education at The American School in Switzerland. His experience abroad fueled his love for travel. He took the opportunity to explore Europe and learn multiple languages including German and Italian… Matthew’s college career took him to a number of different universities and later ended up studying political science, foreign relations and languages at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He was extremely interested in politics and was chosen as the student representative for the Wyoming Environmental Council.”
I shall tell you by now that the Dodecatemoria of his Ascendant was in Aquarius at 8°degrees in the 9th house of political and foreign studies. Such position indicates an area of life where the native can’t anything but to dedicate the mind and intentions into it. Travelling, foreign relations, experience abroad, languages, politics, travel, universities etc. – all of them are key words of the Sagittarius and Gemini axis. By the way, Gemini was rising when Shepard was born, indicating a life full of curiosities and possible bi-language as he was.
Besides his powerful stellium, Shepard also had a Grand trine formed by the Moon in middle Aries and Saturn in Leo, to all his stellium planets: Mars, Sun, Neptune and a wide trine to Mercury all in Sagittarius. One of his friends later added that Shepard was HIV positive, possible making him suicidal, it provoked him psychologically to the point he wouldn’t matter where he would be the next day, so he let an automatic behavior lead him to a careless attitude, where he ended up badly. All that said, still, the trine could have helped him to move on with his studies and his life despite the negative happenings.
Shepard had Moon in Aries, indicating he was somehow innocent to people and situations that brought him adrenaline, with Pluto opposing it, it intensifies his amazing ability to live life emotionally at its best.
Transiting Pluto and Rape & Lunar Eclipse Activated
Shepard was a very Sagittarian gal, which sometimes lead him to be overconfidence and perhaps too optimistic to the point of being careless and tactless, leading him to be over disappointed with people and situation, especially with Neptune (illusion) being part of that potent stellium, and with Mars in the game, a violence act could also be encouraged afterwards. Yet, he was seen as lovely person and indeed had people close to his heart. The Director of the documentary (photo) was a friend of his when young.
An example of his stellium being played out badly, during a transit of Jupiter in the stellium and transiting Pluto opposing his natal Jupiter (which was exact square Mc – 10th house’ cusp), he was attracted to a situation in a trip with the high School to Morocco in February 1995, where he was beaten and raped, developing a long-term depression and panic attacks – according to his mother. The ruler of the 8th house of sex and death is Jupiter, and Pluto rules the world of panic and attacks and is organic ruler of the 8th house. Pluto and Jupiter touches can be rough and attract experiences that are out of ordinary in abundance that changes us forever to the core, and with Jupiter is a matter of a deep change of everything we believe in and our faith in the universe, Matthew would have then felt threatened by the world, felt helpless to the point that saw the drugs as a channel of scape, since that year Jupiter also crossed his Neptune – the planet of scape of reality, after this life change experience, Shepard then became addicted to drugs since the sexual attack – a friend stated. The year before in November 1994, there was a lunar eclipse at 24 Taurus, making a conjunction to his natal Jupiter, compromising his lack of luck that winter, and in the 12th house of imprisonment and tied up to immobility.
progressed Moon had conjunct the cusp of his 8th house on his 21st birthday; the house of death
Progressed chart and the forming T-square
We never think something bad could happen with us until it does happen; changing deeply our sense of self, life becomes abstract and surreal. Society can ruin our lives when we are vulnerable. Wikipedia says:
“On the night of October 6–7, 1998, Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming. It was decided that McKinney and Henderson would give Shepard a ride home. McKinney and Henderson subsequently drove the car to a remote, rural area and proceeded to rob, pistol-whip, and torture Shepard, tying him to a fence and leaving him to die. According to their court testimony, McKinney and Henderson also discovered his address and intended to steal from his home. Still tied to the fence, Shepard, who was still alive but in a coma, was discovered 18 hours later by Aaron Kreifels, a cyclist who initially mistook Shepard for a scarecrow.”
In Matthew progressed chart for the day of his murder (no chart shown), he had a forming T-square involving Venus in Aquarius in exact opposition Saturn in Leo squaring Uranus in Scorpio while the Moon was activating the T-square and almost exact square homossexual Uranus. The apex planet of such configuration is the one who receives the energy frustration from the opposite planets. With Uranus in Scorpio at the apex of the configuration (it was also the murder planet in primary directions), representing a suddenly stress through his sexuality (Scorpio), with Venus opposing Saturn, would amplify the limitations with relationships, so he would try it consistently until someone could open heart to him as he was desperate to find someone who he could hang out with. It is said that when the 2 mans were driving him to the rural area, Shepard was too drunk and put his hand on McKinney’s leg, provoking a violence reaction from one of the murder, McKinney was on meth that night, pulsing him to keep beating him up even after Shepard gave him his wallet. From abcnews:
“Shepard was sitting at the bar, McKinney recalls. “He said he was too drunk to go home. And then he asked me if I’d give him a ride. So I thought, yeah, sure, what the hell,” according to McKinney. All three got in the front seat of McKinney’s pickup, and Henderson took the wheel. McKinney told police that at some point Shepard reached over and grabbed his leg. In response, McKinney said, he hit him with his pistol. “I was getting ready to pull it on him anyway,” he said.”
Shepard CHART & Transits for October 6th 1998
What most intrigued me was that, he had transiting Pluto conjunction his Mars by the year of 1998. Such a conjunction at its worst, brings dangerous and bloody (Mars) scenarios to the individual, tragic events tends to happen specially if the person if vulnerable as Shepard was showing some sort of a suicidal tendency. This contact is often showed in charts of cold murders, also the victims, people with this conjunction usually attract cruel people to their lives:
“Mars-Pluto is definitely a violent aspect. It is one of the rape aspects, either Mars conjunct, square, or opposite Pluto. I always worry about these aspects because it is important to use this energy up properly, otherwise it could manifest in a negative way…The other thing that can happen with a Mars/Pluto aspect is abuse, battery, or violence.” – By Carol Rushman – The Art of Predictive Astrology
Astrologers have been conservative about this aspect in many ways, as they see it in charts of abused children and woman. Despite the awful meaning for Mars/Pluto conjunction, there is a bright side of it which was not the case in Matthew story.
Realize now that everything comes back to the enemy and its ruler: Jupiter again. Jupiter is ruler of 7th house of open enemies. At the day of such tragic event, the transiting Moon was conjunct natal Jupiter, while empowering the enemy at sexual level, once natal Jupiter sextile natal Venus in the 8th house of sex and rape.
Matthew had the Moira’s finger, or the Kite aspect as popularly known. Observe the transiting Sun at fall in Libra conjunct natal Pluto. Shepard’s natal Sun was ruler of 4th house of end of matters. The Sun was the apex of the Kite Apex.
Primary Directions of a Murder
Primary Directions are impressive to their core. There are hard to get once truly understood, because there is usually no comfort in it unless Benefic planets are involved, great aspects etc.
Jenny Dusky Chart's Rectification
The Murder Planet,
Transitig Uranus was exactly conjunct Shepard’s Dodecatemoria of the Ascendant, ruler of body. Uranus is ruler of 10th house of the reaper, the most Hylegical place of the chart.
Uranus, the sexual different planet of the realms of celestial bodies was Shepard’s murder planet. And the Sun was of course, the Hyleg of his chart. The killing planet can only truly kill the Hyleg and no place else. Uranus is also, annual ruler (solar return) of 8th house of death and sexual abuse as you read below.
By doing the same configuration as in the illustration above, you will get the exact same date when, unfortunately, the young man didn’t healed enough and dies in the hospital.
Shepard was pronounced dead at 12:53 a.m. on October 12, 1998 in Colorado, at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. Police arrested McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim’s shoes and wallet in their truck.
Solar Return 1997 & Killer Uranus Again
& The Monsters Behind it
The Date at the bar followed by the kidnapping – where anyone’s nightmare was real for Shepard. The killers in desperate argued “gay panic defense”. Weird Uranus is the planet of everything opposite in sexuality, thus its ‘gay’ vibe it gets. Uranus is annual ruler of 8th house of rape and violent death (and panic), and by culminating it direct (cusp of 10th house of the reaper), the world was to witnessed a life finished by maniacs and clearly homophobics. Weirdly enough, Aaron McKinney was supposedly suppressed gay or bisexual, as once of his friend (Tom O’Connor) testified he once had sex with the killer. Apparently, Aaron didn’t accept his life’s terms with sexuality and projected such hate onto other. The direction of Uranus to Mc direct gives the exact date of the bar night. In this case I had utilize the static key of Naibod and significator converse. Uranus was also promissor and killer from the radix, and now from SR, but in this case, it is directed to the house of the reaper itself.
Sun conjunct Antares fixed star
Shepard had natal Sun conjunct fixed star Antares by exact degree (o° orb). In Matthew’s case, the fixed star had an effect as those described by the Greeks and Romans, a violent red star.
Whenever a planet is directed to Sheppards natal Sun/Mars, it will also touch fixed star Antares, which was the primary direction from the radix of Uranus as promissor.
“Antares is of violent character and is credited with being significant for a violent death, either in battle or by process of law.” – [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.70-71.]”
The Repercussion & Lunar Eclipse – The born of Hate Crime new Legislation
2 months earlier the murder, there were a lunar eclipse in Leo conjunction Shepard natal Saturn, indicating that his story was to be a lesson to society. Transiting Pluto was also activating his grand trine coming from the Moon (public and the mother) and Saturn (authorities/law enforcement). Although some still disagree that Shepard lesson didn’t change the way people relate to hate, it indeed caused some changed in America and thus worldwide (Wikipedia):
“Henderson and McKinney were not charged with a hate crime, because no Wyoming criminal statute provided for such a charge. The nature of Shepard’s murder led to requests for new legislation addressing hate crime, urged particularly by those who believed that Shepard was targeted on the basis of his sexual orientation. Under then United States federal law and Wyoming state law, crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation were not prosecutable as hate crimes.”
President Barack Obama greets Louvon Harris, left, Betty Byrd Boatner, right, both sisters of James Byrd, Jr., and Judy Shepard at a reception commemorating the enactment of the legislation. Later on the request was denied, but in 2009 president Obama (Saturn) signed the measure into law on October 28. The aftermath was a documentary of his life, a book, a new legislation, musician making music inspired by him counting Lady Gaga performing Elton John’s music from the murder, a play and 3 narrative films, The Lamarie Project and the first openly homosexual NBA Player, Jason Collins, wore the jersey number “98” in honor of Shepard during the 2012–2013 season with the Boston Celtics (Wikipedia). Nowadays Matthew’s mother (Moon) is well-known in the LGBT rights as a great advocate relating to youth sexuality
Aaron was convicted of first-degree felony murder and second-degree murder in the 1998 beating death of Shepard. The 2 murders were received with two life sentences.
Mathew's Father declaration
“I would like nothing better than to see you die Mr. McKinney, but now is the time to heal,” Shepard’s father told the 22-year-old roofer.“Every time you wake up in your cell, remember you had the opportunity or the ability to stop your actions that night.
“Mr. McKinney, you will not become a symbol,” the elder Shepard continued. “Just a miserable symbol and a more a more miserable end. That’s fine with me.”
Pluto-Mars Fragments Aftermath
Sad but true. The hate from the moment received from the thugs remains until today, in the mind of maniacs; Murderpedia writes:
The anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, led by Fred Phelps, picketed Shepard’s funeral as well as the trial of his assailants, displaying signs with slogans such as “Matt Shepard rots in Hell”, “AIDS Kills Fags Dead” and “God Hates Fags”.
When the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that it was legal to display any sort of religious message on city property if it was legal for Casper’s Ten Commandments display to remain, Phelps attempted and failed to gain city permits in Cheyenne and Casper to build a monument “of marble or granite 5 or 6 feet (1.8 m) in height on which will be a bronze plaque bearing Shepard’s picture and the words: “MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God’s Warning: ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.’ Leviticus 18:22”.
SOURCES & RESOURCES
For more of his history:
http://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/mckinney-aaron.htm
http://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/mckinney-aaron.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-m-weinberg/matt-shepard-is-a-friend-of-mine_b_3936324.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard
http://www.matthewsplace.com/matthews-story/
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=4
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/435582595192756495/
http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Shepard,_Matthew
http://www.richardtaddei.com/PaintH/FigH/MatthewShepard2.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/matthew-shepard-s-ashes-be-interred-washington-national-cathedral-n919141
http://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/mckinney-aaron.htm
- END OF ARTICLE-
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