Meet the Hackers

Kevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant and author. He was a world-famous controversial computer hacker in the late 20th century, who was, at the time of his arrest, the most wanted computer criminal in United States history. At the age of twelve Kevin Mitnick used social engineering to bypass the punchcard system used in the Los Angeles bus system. After a friendly bus driver told him where he could buy his own punch, he could ride any bus in the greater LA area using unused transfer slips he found in the trash. Social engineering became his primary method of obtaining information, whether it be user names and passwords, modem phone numbers or any number of other pieces of data.

In high school, he was introduced by "Petronix" to phone phreaking, a method of manipulating telephones, which he often used to evade long distance charges. Mitnick also became handy with amateur radios; using radio equipment, Mitnick reportedly managed to gain unauthorized access to the speaker systems of nearby fast food restaurants. Mitnick gained unauthorized access to his first computer network in 1979, when a friend gave him the phone number for the Ark, the computer system Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) used for developing their RSTS/E operating system software. He broke into DEC's computer network and copied DEC's software, a crime he was charged and convicted for in 1988. He was sentenced to twelve months in prison followed by a three year period of supervised release. Near the end of his supervised release, Mitnick hacked into Pacific Bell voice mail computers. Mitnick fled after a warrant was issued for his arrest, becoming a fugitive for the next two and a half years.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice while a fugitive Mitnick gained unauthorized access to dozens of computer networks. He used cloned cellular phones to hide his location and, among other things, copied valuable proprietary software from some of the country’s largest cellular telephone and computer companies. Mitnick also intercepted and stole computer passwords, altered computer networks, and broke into and read private e-mail. Mitnick was apprehended in February 1995 in North Carolina. When arrested he was found with cloned cellular phones, over one hundred clone cellular phone codes, and multiple pieces of false identification.



Astrology chart

The Sun is in Leo opposite Saturn in Aquarius, when the Sun is opposite Saturn it can show trouble with the Government, and authority, can be viewed, as limiting his self-expression. The opposition in fixed signs is more rigid in expression. According to Carter in his book: Essays on the Foundations of Astrology. "Leo-Aquarian oppositions have produced great men, distinguished for courage and endurance, Leaders (Leo) of men (Aquarius) in difficult circumstances (the opposition). It is a sign of one who will attempt the seemingly impossible. Often the aim is through Scientific research, and always seems to indicate elevated powers". We can further the Aquarian archetype of Science, and add in another astrological key word for Aquarius - and that is an involvement with computers (Uranian). The only way to combat his opposition (Sun-Saturn) is for him to become an authority/expert in his field, and own his Saturn, otherwise he will persistently meet the law of limitation in the outside world. I have a Sun-Saturn opposition and in certain situations it pays to play by the rules and follow social conduct, this does not mean losing all individuality or an innovative mental life.

Kevin's Saturn in Aquarius shows the lone wolf, he is overly concerned with social acceptance. Perhaps in childhood he felt different from others, and the opposition between his Sun (ego) and Saturn (denied) can show an 'inferiority' complex here. Kevin can set himself apart from the rest of the crowd or herd. And "others" can identify him as geeky, intellectual, or someone who appears "different" to them. Saturn could stifle Aquarian energy, and this may contribute to his rebellious behavior. Saturn in Aquarius is a strong placement for a Scientist or someone who is seriously gifted with intuition, and there can be career goals in things of a Uranian nature, like computers. This is doubly true because Kevin's Mercury is in the analytic sign of Virgo in EXACT conjunction to Uranus, and this describes an original, inventive mind, his mental capacity woks at lightening speed. Mercury in aspect to Uranus can depict brilliance, but also difficulty in following the rules of the status qua (a rebellious mind).

Everything Kevin learns is stored away and can be used in practical and useful ways, he can provide a service involving computers, combined with his powerful analytical abilities (Virgo). Mitnik was born at the time of the Uranus-Pluto conjunction, an aspect associated with revolutions in technology and Science. Kevin also has Mercury conjunct Pluto, and he has a probing, intense, obsessive and secretive mind. He can ply information out of others, in a manipulative manner by not revealing his true motives. To summarise, Kevin can get in trouble with authorities (Sun-Saturn) for hacking (Mercury-Uranus) and reading information that was not open to the public (Mercury-Pluto). The conjunction also describes his new career of raising awareness (Uranus) of computer threats (Pluto). The Sun-Saturn opposition forms a t-square to Neptune in Scorpio - and a t-square to Neptune is one indication of deception in a natal chart.

Meet the Computer Hackers

Jonathan James

Source Wikipedia: American hacker Jonathan James was the first juvenile incarcerated for cybercrime in the United States.The South Florida native was 15 years old at the time of the first offense and 16 years old on the date of his sentencing. He died on May 18th, 2008. Although details regarding his death were never released, it is notably speculated, including by fellow hacker Adrian Lamo, that James committed suicide by gunshot.

Between August 23, 1999, and October 27, 1999, James committed a series of intrusions into various systems, including those of BellSouth and the Miami-Dade school system. What brought him to the attention of federal authorities, however, was his intrusion into the computers of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a division of the United States Department of Defense, the primary function of which is to analyze potential threats to the United States of America, both at home and abroad. James later admitted to authorities that he had installed an unauthorized backdoor in a computer server in Dulles, Virginia, which he used to install a sniffer that allowed him to intercept over three thousand messages passing to and from DTRA employees, along with numerous usernames and passwords of other DTRA employees, including at least 10 on official military computers. This intrusion, when detected, caused NASA to shut down its computers for three weeks that July, costing $41,000 to check and fix its systems.

It was later revealed that the precise software obtained was the International Space, Station's source code controlling critical life-sustaining elements. According to NASA, "the software supported the International Space, Station's physical environment, including control of the temperature and humidity within the living space.

Jonathan's Natal Chart

James was born under the sign of Sagittarius, he had Sun, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus all in the 9th sign of the zodiac. Freedom, space, and big dreams, are some of the things we can associate with this combination. The Sun makes three conjunctions in his chart. Sun conjunct Jupiter is placed in it's own EXPANSIVE sign of Sagittarius, James had excessive optimism and confidence, and he felt "lucky" in life and perhaps God like. James goals were to "better" himself and climb the social ladder. The Sun is conjunct Uranus, this describes a personality that is strong-willed he lives life the way he wants to. Personal freedom is extremely important to him. Sun-Uranus can find it difficult sticking to an ordinary routine. Uranus rules space travel, aviation, astrology and computers, James will be interested in these things. Obviously his main interest is computers, and rules are broken with Uranus, as well as Security systems invaded (Saturn in Scorpio).

Sun is Conjunct Neptune, and from his Sun profile alone - boundaries are not part of his psychological makeup. I think that he can also be to a great extent, an escapist and had difficulty defining his identity . Overall a very expansive conjunction in Sagittarius. Jonathan had three planets in Scorpio - Venus, Saturn and Pluto. Scorpio needs power and control: Saturn in Scorpio often feels his own privacy has to be defended. Here it worked both ways, he invaded security systems and they hunted him down and raided his home taking all his computers away.

Below is an excerpt of his interview with Frontline:

What is it about the computer that makes it become such an obsession for young guys?

Well, it's power at your fingertips. You can control all these computers from the government, from the military, from large corporations. And if you know what you're doing, you can travel through the Internet at your will, with no restrictions. That's power; it's a power trip.

How hard was it for you to get into some blue-chip locations?

The government didn't take too many measures for security on most of their computers. They lack some serious computer security, and the hard part is learning it. I know Unix and C like the back of my hand, because I studied all these books, and I was on the computer for so long. But the hard part isn't getting in. It's learning to know what it is that you're doing.

And how do you learn that?

Oh, by reading, by talking to people. And by spending so much time on the computer, learning how it works, learning the source code and the programs and the commands.

So is it just the rush of getting in there, of doing something smarter than they do? Or did you find anything there that was of interest to you?

Generally, the thrill is over once you've realized that you're on the computer and that you can do whatever you want--but it's not downloading their information, because usually it's pointless, bureaucratic stuff you don't need to know.

Mercury square Mars

Jonathon's Mercury was in Capricorn square Mars in Libra, a cardinal and ambitious configuration. His mind needs mental stimulation, and can be active. He needed to be challenged and thrived on "beating" the system. Mercury-Mars always to needs to compete in mental competition- whether in verbal debate i.e winning the argument, or in his case putting his mental skill to the test and challenging security networks. He wanted complicated mental tets, ones that go way beyond "word puzzles" and solving "crosswords", that Mercury-Mars traditionally enjoys. Capricorn is a security conscious sign, with an efficient and organized brain, it's a placement that can do well with admin tasks. Mars in Libra can battle perceived injustices, and he challenges security and threatens the whole structural balance (Capricorn/Libra). Mercury-Mars is an aspect associated with theft and plagiarism.

The Postcard Bandit

Brenden James Abbott is an infamous Australian bank robber known as the Postcard Bandit. During his criminal career he is believed to have stolen as much as AUD$5 million from a number of banks, though very little of this money has ever been recovered. He is currently detained in the Woodford Correctional Centre and is often moved between this facility and the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

In this criminal minds chart we have Mercury and Venus in Gemini forming a T.square with his Jupiter-Pluto opposition. Often, when Mercury in Gemini is stressed, it can signify a multifaceted, versatile and extremely changeable personality. The Gemini energy in his chart on the devious side can be cunning, manipulative and he exemplifies the trickster. The focus is on mental interests but he can get restless and bored easily. Mercury is square to Pluto and this often adds more depth to the mind. However, in this case, it shows up his secretive side, and he knows knows what is going on in the street (Gemini) for his survival. A Mercury-Pluto contact can be very suspicious, and information is often a means of survival. Obviously here we have the mind (Mercury) of the criminal (Pluto), and knowledge is power. Many individuals in the police force have this aspect and they get inside the criminal’s mind.

This Mercury is square to Jupiter too and this aspect may describe poor judgement, and Abbot can be arrogant/self confident about his opinions. We also see someone who spreads himself quite wide in his contacts (Jupiter), and travels long distances. Jupiter when opposed to the lord of the underworld - Pluto, often represents buried wealth. I am wondering where all his stolen money is hiding... Enormous sums of money can be handled through banks with this natal aspect. Sun in Taurus seeks security and a solid material base. The Sun is opposite Neptune can show an evasive and deceptive personality.

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

LIARS, FIBBERS, CHEATERS, and downright twisters of the truth, how can these traits be seen astrologically in the natal chart, I do believe some propensity to lie can be seen in all the Mercury aspects in astrology they all just do it in different ways, which I will explain later on. There are many reasons to lie and not all lying is for manipulative purposes, some people need to lie as a way to survive, others lie to make themselves appear more interesting. Many people get paid to LIE like journalists, politician’s, clothing assistant’s, and advertisers. Deception can also be used to create a different sense of self, as some individuals are not happy with themselves as they are and want to be like someone else, to gain a desperate need for approval. We are all liars to some degree and we all have the ability to lie or we wouldn’t have Mercury or Gemini in our chart!

The Trickster in Myth and Modern day Movies:

Mercury (trickster) is the god of quick thinking, magic, illusion, communication, and also the divine manipulator. Mercury is considered the protector of thieves and businessmen, is skilled in story telling and games. On the negative side he can be crafty, calculating and false.

Modern Day Trickster’s

Both of these are fictional characters and are very lovable and amusing. Which says a lot about the Mercurial character represented by Gemini and it’s ruler Mercury. The first ”trickster” is Ace Venturer played by Jim Carrey.




Here is a description of Ace in the movie:

Ace Ventura is an eccentric and histrionic detective who specializes in cases involving pet animals. Ace possesses extreme vanity, extraordinary powers of observation, and equally great powers of deduction. He has a tendency to use foul language and to make vulgar jokes, as in the scene where he manually moves the halves of his rump to simulate a speaking mouth. He often draws complex, correct conclusions, but does not reveal them until a critical moment. He is sexually promiscuous, talkative, dedicated, and clever. It is implied in a scene in the first film that he was originally a member of the police force, but left because he resented his superiors pointing out all the mistakes he made.

The second Mercurial character is Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean:



Sparrow is the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea and can be treacherous, surviving mostly by using wit and negotiation rather than weapons and force; although he will fight if necessary, he tries to flee most dangerous situations. Sparrow is introduced seeking to regain his ship the Black Pearl from his mutinous first mate Hector Barbs in the first film, and in the sequels, attempts to escape his blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones while battling the East India Trading Co.

Mercury in Aspect

Mercury is the planet of communication, verbal expression. Mercury will tell us how we communicate and what we are interested in. I will look at Mercury in aspect to other planets, and lets see how Mercury changes his communication depending on who he is paired with in the natal chart.

Mercury/Jupiter Promises TOO MUCH andcannot deliver what he promised. Mercury-Jupiter can EXAGGERATE!!!! Individuals with this aspect can be very eager and enthusiastic, but they tend to lose interest, and wander off making more BIG PLANS without even putting their last idea into any practical form. The aspect has often been called full of hot air, and often they do not realize how they have exaggerated and distorted the facts because of OVER ENTHUSIASM.

Mercury/Saturn This aspect does not appear to be a LIAR. Here is what Liz Greene has to say on the aspect between these two planets in her book “Saturn a New Look at an Old Devil”.

By Liz Greene: The curious expression of the chronic and uncontrollable liar is also one of the less attractive facets of Mercury-Saturn. But Saturn remains true to form here in that there must be present a reasonable degree of intelligence, sensitivity and complexity in order for such distortion or OVERCOMPENSATION to exist.

Mercury-Saturn often is afraid of appearing dull and less intelligent to others. A lot of these individuals have significant intellectual abilities. However they can bend the truth in order to have their way with people, sometimes at worst this only creates isolation for themselves because of their critical and scheming ways . (it is an excellent aspect for the politician/goverment.)

Mercury/Uranus These types are not prone to lying, as they protest for the TRUTH, but they can often champion one idea/belief rather rebelliously. And then all of a SUDDEN these individuals can turn around and radically oppose the same statement they were championing. Which only tends to make them come across as contradictory. And if confronted with their own contradictory statements they will deny they said such an idea or belief, and be very offended. Individuals with Mercury in aspect to Uranus will often say they are MISUNDERSTOOD.

Mercury/Neptune individuals with this aspect are confused as to what the truth is. They can be highly GULLIBLE themselves, and may therefore understand how other people can equally be prone to deception, and cheat and deceive other people for they know their MENTAL VULNERABILITIES. The IMAGINATIVE quality is often over emphasized and problems of perception can be created . These individuals can make mistakes in judgments and misinterpret the facts. The aspect can also manifest as SELF DECEPTION, and there is also the inability to distinguish between the real and unreal.

Mercury/Pluto This aspect has a natural investigative ability, their penetrating insights can sometimes lack sensitivity. Individuals with Mercury in aspect to Pluto may try to mentally dominate others, they find it difficult to trust others, yet it can be a form of projection as they themselves can be guilty of plotting and keeping secrets. The criminal master mind or the fighter of crime, this aspect understands the psychology of the criminal.