INTRODUCTION: The Karl Marx Revival

Many people, myself included, thought that Marxism had suffered a death blow with the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991, but now that Neptune has returned to its own place in the chart of The Communist Manifesto, there is a renewed interest in Karl Marx and his writings.

                                              Karl Marx in 1882

The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Mark and Friedrich Engels, was first published February 21, 1848 in London, England with Neptune at 0 Pisces 08’01”(with a 12 noon chart). On February 21, 1848 Neptune was traveling at the speed of 2 minutes a day, which means Neptune at 0 Pisces 08’01” is either correct or within 1 minute of being so.

Here are the dates for Neptune's return to its own place: April 9, 2011 - August 5, 2011 - February 7, 2012 -- so we can bracket the period April 9, 2011 – February 7, 2012 as a time when there will be an increased interest in The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx, and his ideas. For starters, let's begin with amazon.com. If you search for the words "communist manifesto", you'll find that twenty-four different publishers have reprinted The Communist Manifesto since April 9, 2011, the day that Neptune returned to its own place.  Reprints of celebrated books often occur when Neptune returns to its own place in the natal charts of those books, so this is not an unusual occurrence. During this same period of time, Marx’s Das Kapital, which was written in 1865 when Neptune was not in Pisces was reprinted only six times.

Of greater significance is the fact that on page 18 on September 12, 2011, Rana Foroohar in her Time magazine review of Sylvia Nasar’s latest book Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius  made the following observation: “In economics, as in fashion, everything comes back in style if you wait long enough: state run economies are having a resurgence, and the term Marxism has been trending high on Google

PART 1: The film Marx Reloaded  and Karl Marx

I don’t know if the term Marxism began trending high on Google on April 9, 2011, the very day that Neptune began its transit of its own place in the chart of The Communist Manifesto, but I do know that two days later, the television film Marx Reloaded had its world premiere in Baden-Baden. Germany at 11:20 P.M., April 11, 2011 with Neptune 0 Pisces 12’19”  -- just 0 04’18” past its natal place. In a nutshell, this documentary features six notable philosophers discussing the contemporary relevance of Karl Marx's ideas in the aftermath of the world economic crisis of 2008-9. (left: Marx Reloaded cover art)

I have already shown that the horoscopes for Marx Reloaded and The Communist Manifesto are related through the common denominator of Neptune at the same degree, but is there any relationship between the natal charts of Karl Marx and Marx Reloaded? Karl Marx does not have Neptune or any other planet or angle at 0 degrees. A chart comparison reveals only two close inter-aspects between these two charts.

Transits of Marx Reloaded to Karl Marx natal chart

Transiting MC 3 Libra 17”03” trine Mercury 3 Gemini 38’17”.  ---------------------------- Transiting Chiron 3 Pisces 55’44” square Mercury 3 Gemini 38’17”. ---------------------

Obviously, these two aspects lend no support to my thesis that a Marx revival is occurring with Neptune’s return to its own place in The Communist Manifesto chart. However, if we progress Karl Marx’s natal chart to April 11, 2011, the night of the Marx Reloaded premiere, not only are there are a plethora of aspects between Marx's Progressed /Directed charts and the Marx Reloaded natal chart, but there are also inter-aspects between Karl Marx's Progressed and Directed charts and Neptune at 0 Pisces 08’01” in the natal chart of The Communist Manifesto. So the emphasis in this article will be on the importance of Progressions and Directions that occur after a person's death as a tool of interpretation for the astrologer. 

In the tri-wheel chart above I’ve included Marx’s Converse Secondary Progressions and his Solar Arc Directions, as these both reveal significant aspects involving Neptune and the chart for Marx Reloaded. Note the following:

Karl Marx natal chart progressed to 4/11/2011 to transiting Marx Reloaded- CP MC 0 Gemini 08’53” square Marx Reloaded Neptune 0 Pisces 12’18”------------- CP Sun 0 Scorpio 21’50” trine Marx Reloaded Neptune 0 Pisces 12’18”-------------- SA Asc 0 Virgo 11’33” opposite Marx Reloaded Neptune 0 Pisces 12’18”-------------

What we have here are three aspects under 0 10’0” orb involving Neptune at 0 Pisces 12’ 18”. These aspects confirm the facts that the film Marx Reloaded, Karl Marx’s horoscope, and Neptune’s return to its own place in The Communist Manifesto chart are integrally related and that this relationship is significant and not happenstance. Note also the following;

Karl Marx’s Progressions/Directions and the Marx Reloaded MC. -------------- SA Neptune 3 Cancer 16’38” square Reloaded MC 3 Libra 17’03”---------------------- SA Pluto 3 Libra 04’01” conjunct Reloaded MC 3 Libra 17’03”--------------------------- SA Moon 18 Scorpio 23’40” semisquare Reloaded MC 3 Libra 17’03”------------------ P Moon 3 Gemini 20’40” trine Reloaded Mc 3 Libra 17’03”-------------------------------- Asc Arc Mercury 3 Capricorn 23’31” square Reloaded MC 3 Libra 17 03”--------------

Of these five aspects, what stands out? A nearly exact aspect from the Progressed Moon to the Reloaded MC indicates that we are dealing here with charts that are fairly accurate. That the aspect involving SA Neptune has the smallest orb of these five aspects again underscores the importance of Neptune to this analysis.

I think it is also important to note that there are several aspects involving Karl Marx’s natal chart and his April 11, 2011 Progressed/Directed charts. I will only mention one of them here: Asc Arc Sun 13 Sag 40’57” conjunct natal MC 13 Sag 42’39”     

Karl Marx’s Progressed Locality chart and Marx Reloaded------------------------ If we progress Marx's natal chart to Baden-Baden, Germany where the film Marx Reloaded premiered on April 11, 2011, we have transiting Ascendant 7 Sagittarius 53’45” square locality CPAsc 7 Virgo 53’41”. In dealing with locality charts, I often find the transiting MC, Asc, or Vertex of an event in close aspect to the MC, Asc, or Vertex of the locality natal chart or progression.  

PART 2: The Contemporary Relevance of Karl Marx

There are eight events that will be very briefly discussed in this article. There is no need to go into great detail about the content of these events, as it all boils down to this one theme - in light of the contemporary worldwide economic crisis, the ideas of Karl Marx have a contemporary relevance. The fact that all five of these events involve transits, progressions, and directions closely linked to Neptune at 0 Pisces is significant -- and it is also significant that what is being primarily aspected in the Communist Manifesto chart is not Pluto, Uranus or Mars etc. but Neptune.   Rather than deluge you with aspects, I will focus solely on aspects involving Neptune, as well as a few significant inter-aspects between locality and event charts. With a few exceptions, only aspects with an orb less than 15 minutes will be discussed. 

Neptune opposite Neptune – 0 Pisces 08’01” - 1^st hit – 4/9/2011 – 6:51:19 GMT

During this period while Neptune has been transiting its own place in the chart of The Communist Manifesto (i.e. 4/9/2011 - 2/7/2012), the following Marx-related events have occurred:

1) April 11, 2011 - the television film in Germany, Marx Reloaded (already discussed)

2) April 12, 2011 - Approximately five hours and forty minutes after Marx Reloaded premiered, the British literary critic and Marx scholar, Terry Eagleton, published his new book Why Mark Was Right in New Haven, CT at 12 00 A.M. 

(photo left: Terry Eagleton in Manchester - 2008)



Since this event occurred shortly after the premiere of Marx Reloaded we can expect similar Neptune aspects and indeed we have the following--------------------Transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 12’40” square CPMC 0 Gemini 08’44”--------------------- Transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 12’40” opposite SAAsc 0 Virgo 11’44”--------------------- Transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 12’40” square CSAMC 0 Gemini 08’44”--------------------

However, there are also differences between the astrology of these two events.  The transiting Moon in the Marx Reloaded chart is at 27 Cancer 00’28”, but in the chart for Why Mark Was Right, the Moon is at 0 Leo 13’03’.quincunx transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 12’40”. Because the orb involved in this Moon/Neptune quincunx is 0 0’23”, it is an important aspect in this chart. In fact, we can say the Moon here spotlights Neptune’s return to its own place in The Communist Manifesto chart. In addition, Karl Marx’s natal chart relocated to New Haven, CT and directed to April 12, 2011 sheds further light on the significance of this Moon/Neptune aspect, as his VA Sun at 0 Libra 14’31” sextiles the transiting Moon 0 Leo 13’03” and quincunxs both transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 12’40” and The Communist Manifesto chart’s Neptune 0 Pisces 08’01” .

3) April 21, 2011 - Marxism 2011, a four-day conference featuring Marxist scholars from around the world opened in Melbourne, Australia at 6:30 PM  

Bi-Wheel: Marxism 2011 and Karl Marx’s natal Converse Secondary chart-----Transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 26’05” trine CP Sun 0 Scorpio 20’19”---------------------- Transiting Moon 15 Sagittarius 12’29” semisquare CP Sun 0 Scorpio 20’19”---------- Transiting Ascendant 17 Scorpio 51’31” conjunct South Node 17 Scorpio 59’14”----- Transiting MC 29 Cancer 22’50” quincunx CPSaturn 29 Aquarius 22’50”---------------- Transiting Vertex 22 Aries 00’04” sesquisquare CPAsc 6 Virgo 57’16”------------------ Transiting Vertex 22 Aries 00’04” trine CPNeptune 22 Sagittarius 13’30”--------------

Here we have all three transiting angles (the Ascendant, MC, and Vertex) aspecting Marx CP chart. In addition, note Marx’s CPMC 0 Gemini 07’16” square Communist Manifesto Neptune 0 Pisces 08’01”. Finally, Marx’s locality Melbourne PAsc 17 Aquarius 38’ 56” is square transiting Marxism 2011 Ascendant 17 Scorpio 51’31”

4) 6/30/2011 - Marxism 2011, a four-day conference about Marxism opens at 3:45 PM in London England (this has nothing to do with the Melbourne, Australia conference.)                                                                                          Marx Natal CP Sun 0 Scorpio 08’46” trine Manifesto Neptune 0 Pisces 08 01 -- Marx  local AA Mars 0 Pisces 09’12” conj Manifesto Neptune 0 Pisces 08’ 01” -- Marx local VA Mc 0 Gemini 10’16” square Manifesto Neptune 0 Pisces 08’ 01” -- Marx local CP Asc 2 Virgo 42’21” conj transit MC 2 Virgo 28’26”                                            

Neptune opposite Neptune – 0 Pisces 08’01” Rx – 2^nd hit – 7/30/2011 – 19:36:22 GMT

                Pedro Reyes, Baby Marx pilot in production , 2009

5) August 11, 2011 – Pedro Reyes’ video puppet show Baby Marx, opened in Minneapolis MN at 11:00 AM at the Walker Art Center. Originally conceived for television, this exhibit is set in a small town library where a group of precocious children have brought Karl Marx and Adam Smith back to life by zapping their influential books in a microwave. The founders of communism and the free market then confront each other and their legacies, haunted by the visible disembodied spirits of Joseph Stalin and Bernie Madoff, as well as the latest global economic crisis.

Transits of Baby Marx to Karl Marx’s Progressions and Directions---------------Transiting Neptune 29 Aquarius 49’43” square CPMC 29 Taurus 48’55”--------------- Transiting Neptune 29 Aquarius 49’43 trine locality CP Sun 29 Libra 47’11”---------- Transiting Vertex 0 Taurus 32’06” trine  SA Asc 0 Virgo 45’ 02”-------------------------- Transiting Vertex 0 Taurus 32’06” trine AA locality Jupiter 0 Virgo 28’16” ------------- Transiting Sun 18 Leo 39’08” square SA Moon 18 Scorpio 43’43” ----------------------

As with the charts/events discussed earlier in this article, once again we have highly significant, almost precise, transits involving Neptune and Karl Marx’s progressions and directions. In addition, transiting Vertex trine SA Asc confirms my belief that there usually is a close aspect between an angle of a locality chart and a transiting event. 

Transits of Baby Marx to Karl Marx’s Minneapolis natal locality chart-----------Transiting MC 15 Cancer 12’35” semisquare locality natal MC 0 Virgo 21’22”-------- Transiting Vertex 0 Taurus 32’06” trine locality natal MC 0 Virgo 21’22”--------------- Transiting Asc 12 Libra 32’30” sesquisquare locality natal Venus 27 Taurus 31’03”-- Transiting Venus 17 Leo 19’03” square  locality natal Asc 17 Scorpio 09’52”--------- Transiting Mercury 28 Leo 06’31” sextile locality natal Vertex 28 Gemini 18’54” ----

To me the above transits are truly amazing. Not only are all three transiting angles in close aspect to points in Karl Marx’s locality chart, but all three locality angles are also closely aspected by transiting points. I can’t remember ever doing a chart comparison where all six angles were involved – and with orbs less than 12 minutes! Minneapolis on August 11, 2011 was certainly a Karl Marx event waiting to happen! A comparison between Karl Marx’ birthplace chart and Baby Marx transits reveals no such inter-aspects. However, Marx’s locality MC is 0 Virgo 21’22” opposing Neptune 0 Pisces 08’01” in the chart for The Communist Manifesto.

6) 8/11/2011 - Later that same day in New York City at 6:42:02 PM, The Wall Street Journal interviews controversial economist Nouriel Roubini, who states “Karl Marx got it right, at some point capitalism can destroy itself,”          Transiting Neptune 29 Aquarius 49’16” square CPMC 29 Taurus 48’54”-- Transiting Vertex 28 Leo 38’02” quincunx locality PMC 28 Pisces 25’14”

7) 8/28/2011 -  Economist George Magnus publishes his op-ed piece for Bloomberg.com at 8:00 PM, New York City, entitled “ Give Marx a chance to save the world economy.”   --- ----- Transiting Neptune 29 Aquarius 21’26” conjunct CP Saturn 29 Aquarius 24’16” --Transiting Asc 17 Pisces 38’14” trine NYC Marx PASC 17 Cancer 44’22”  

   (above) Nouriel Roubini in 2008

 Neptune opposite Neptune – 0 Pisces 08’01” – 3^rd Hit – 2/7/2012 – 9:26:46 GMT

8) February 7, 2012 – Everyman’s Marx by cultural critic Roger Gathman, is scheduled to be published by Mark Batty Publisher, 12 00 AM, Brooklyn, NY on the very day that Neptune returns to its own place for the final time. Transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 07’36” is conjunct The Communist Manifesto natal Neptune 0 Pisces 08’01”.

Here are a few other aspects of relevance----------------Transiting Neptune 0 Pisces 07’36” trine Marx locality CPAsc 0 Cancer 14’13” – orb 0 06’47”.---------------------- Transiting MC 15 Leo 15’54” semisquare locality CPAsc 0 Cancer 14’13” – orb 0 01’41”----------------------------------

Author’s Note: On November 3, 2011. I completed the final version of this article, and on a whim, decided to look at my own chart to see if there were any connections between my progressions and Neptune in the chart of The Communist Manifesto.  Here is what I found: My PMC 0 Virgo 08’43” opposite Communist Manifesto Neptune 0 Pisces 08’ 01 – orb 0 0’42”.

Chart Data

Karl Marx, May 5, 1818, 2:00 AM NS, Trier Germany Source. Rodden AA, Astrodatabank.

Communist Manifesto, February 21, 1848, Time Unknown – 12 noon chart, London, England Source. Wikipedia for date and place.

 Marx Unloaded, TV Premiere, April 11, 2011, 23:20 CET, Baden-Baden, Germany. Source. Date and time listed at www.marxreloaded.com/

Why Marx Was Right, hardcover book, by Terry Eagleton, April 12, 2011, 12 midnight EDT. New Haven, CT,  Source.  amazon.com for the correct date of publication. (Note:When amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or a publisher’s book catalog lists a publishing date April 12, 2011, this means the book will be available (at bookstores and internet sites) to the general public to buy beginning 12 midnight on April 12, 2011 -- in other words, 12 midnight is the correct birth time for this book.)

Marxism 2011, April 21, 2011, 18:30 AEST, Melbourne, Australia Source. Date and time listed at www.marxismconference.org

Marxism 2011, June 30, 2011, 15:45 UT, London, England Source.  www.marxismfestival.org.uk/  

Baby Marx, 1^st USA museum exhibition, August 11, 2011, 11:00 AM CDT, Minneapolis, MN, Source. Date and time are listed on the Walker Art Canter website, but to make doubly sure this was correct, I verified time with a personal phone call.

Nouriel Roubini  interview with the Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2011, 6:42:02 PM EDT, New York, NY. Source. online.wsj.com/video/roubini/

Give Marx a Chance to Save the World Economy by George Magnus, August 28,2011, 8:00 PM, EDT, New York, NY, Source. Bloomberg.webarchive

Everyman’s Marx, paperback book, by Roger Gathman, February 7, 2012, 12 midnight EST, Brooklyn, NY. Source.   amazon.com for correct date of publication. (Note: see Chart Data for Why Marx Was Right for an explanation as to why 12 midnight is the correct birth time for Everyman’s Marx).