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.

Keanu Reeves

The absolutely gorgeous Keanu Reeves was first recognised for his role in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” he played the part of Ted a lovable airhead. However, in later roles it was hard for many people to take him serious because of his accent and earlier movies. Undeterred Keanu continued to work hard, and has proven he is a force to be reckoned with in the film industry. After his role in the blockbuster movie “Speed” he proved he could deliver intensity and drama on the big screen. Keanu is now taken seriously as leading man in any movie he auditions for.

Keanu is most famous for his role in “The Matrix” a futuristic film that broke new thresholds in movie making. Keanu was cast in the role of Neo (One) he played a computer programmer and hacker. There is a prophecy that one human being (Neo) once connected to the computer world can override the system rules and manipulate the code directly. Throughout the trilogy of Matrix movies we see Keanu awakened and thrust into the role of savior, and he comes to terms with his role as a messiah in some sense and his own humanity and love for trinity.



The Natal Chart

Keanu has his Sun in Virgo conjunct Mercury, Uranus and Pluto. Planets in a stellium reveal great focus and intensity upon the sign, house and planets involved. Early life had it’s fair share of instability for Keanu, he has dyslexia and never focused on academics; he had also been expelled from school and dropped out of college (EXACT Mercury-Uranus conjunction). The stellium is in wide opposition to Saturn in Pisces. This archetypes his role in the Matrix, as the computer hacker and leader of the rebellious group (Uranus) against the agents of control (Saturn)…

Family History

Keanu's family background was an unstable one; his father abandoned the family when Reeves was three years old. The Sun relates to father in astrology and is conjunct two outer planets (Uranus and Pluto) sudden abandonment can be one symbolism of this configuration. He also has Saturn in Pisces, and statistically this has been associated to cases of a father disappearing or vanishing completely. Keanu's’s father did spend time in prison for selling heroin (Saturn in Pisces again).

Tragedy Strikes

Keanu’s sister is sadly battling Leukaemia, and further tragedy was in store: In December 1999 Reeves girlfriend gave birth to a stillborn daughter who he named Ava. It was a particularly hard few years for Reeves as transiting Pluto the planet of death, change and transformation was moving through Sagittarius and squared his stellium of Virgo planets (Sun, Mercury, Uranus and Pluto). Pluto transiting the Sun (life force) can indicate a time when your life is being transformed by the birth of a child, or the birth of new creativity, but unfortunately the baby didn’t survive. When an outer planet moves into a mode where you have a stellium (i.e. mutable) your life becomes a lot more eventful, and it can indicate a phase in life where you may experience uncomfortable change or testing challenges.

In 2001 tragedy struck again when his ex girlfriend was killed in a car accident, she was later buried next to their baby daughter. Transiting Saturn squared his natal Saturn in Pisces, and this can describe times of loss and separation, and a difficult period. Transiting Jupiter was in the mutable sign of Gemini and square to his natal Sun, Mercury and Uranus. For Keanu this would have indicated a restless time, and unexpected time - as Jupiter stirred up his Virgo stellium. Jupiter-Uranus can foretell major change and disruption.

Permanent Home

Keanu has mostly lived in hotels, and this pattern changed when he bought a home in 2003, this was a good time to put down roots as Saturn was transiting through Cancer (security, home, family) and sextiled his Sun and Mercury in Virgo. Overall Keanus has had massive success in sci-fi films, and he even received positive reviews for his role in “The Gift”, in his part he played an abusive husband. I watched this movie and was stunned by his emotional intensity and explosive rage. Natally Reeves has Sun conjunct Pluto and this worked well for his powerful yet brief performance.

The Astrology of Unusual Accidents

I thought it would be interesting to look at the charts of people killed in the most unusual accidents. I have different cases of accidental death here, from the self-inflicted gunshot, to accidental fire, and even electrocution. According to astrological observation and research, the signs most prone to accidents are in fact the mutable signs; these are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. The Jupiter ruled signs (Sagittarius and Pisces) can commonly indicate careless accidents, and the Mercury ruled signs (Gemini and Virgo) are prone to diseases of the mind. The planet Mars can represent physical danger and a red warning flag, and let’s face it the war god acts on impulse, and does not think about the consequences.

The personality/psychological link with accidental incidents can be obvious especially in view of the following cases. Accidents Involving gas or drowning can be related to Neptune. The planet Mercury rules transport in our immediate environment inclusding bikes, scooters, cars, etc. For any immediate transport accident we look to Mercury, Gemini,  or the 3rd house. For long distance travel we look to Sagittarius, Jupiter or the 9th house. Astrologers look to the natal chart to explain external events by analysing the inner workings of the individual. Should we, however, take full responsibility for an accident? Is an accident exactly that, an unexpected event that is no ones fault? We are made up of “psychic energy” and the stuff we are made of permeates every part of life, and our accidents often refelct our own personality.

Self inflicted Gunshot

Clement Vallandigham was an Ohio Unionist of the Copperhead faction of anti-war, congressional representative opposed to Lincoln. Vallingdom dies at the age of 50, after accidentally shooting himself with a pistol.He was representing a defendant in a murder case for killing a man in a barroom brawl. Vallandigham wished to prove the victim had in fact killed himself while trying to draw his pistol from a pocket while rising from a kneeling position. As Vallandigham conferred with fellow defence attorneys in his hotel room, he decided to show them how he would demonstrate this to the jury. Grabbing a pistol he believed to be unloaded, he put it in his pocket and enacted the events as he imagined them to have happened, shooting himself in the process. Vallandigham proved his point, since the defendant, Thomas McGehan, was subsequently acquitted and released from custody. Vallandigham, however, died of his wound.

Natally Clement has a mutable T-square involving Mars in Virgo opposite Jupiter in Pisces, and this implies careless (Jupiter) actions (Mars). Chiron and Pluto are also in Pisces, and ALL square to Uranus in Sagittarius. This configuration has accidental written all over it. Mars is the planet of violence and impulsiveness and Uranus rules the unexpected surprise, shocking, or accidental events. Mars rules firearms and weapons of all kinds, and his Mars-Pluto aspect can indicate extreme forms of violence. Jupiter is in Pisces squares Uranus in Sagittarius. This heightens the probability for accidents. I have seen the combination of Mars-Jupiter in many charts involving the dare devil type and it describes actions that are not thought out carefully. This is an extremely tense configuration involving the mutable signs and all T-square accidental Uranus.

Martha Mansfield - Severely Burned when a Cast Member Tossed a Match that Ignited her Civil War Costume


While working on the film The Warrens of Virginia, Mansfield is severely burned when a match, tossed by a cast member, ignited her Civil War costume of hoop skirts and flimsy ruffles. Mansfield was playing the role of Agatha Warren, and had just finished her scenes and retired to a car, when her clothing burst into flames. Her neck and face were saved when leading man, Wilfred Lytell, threw his heavy overcoat over her. The chauffeur of Mansfield's car was burned badly on his hands while trying to remove the burning clothing from the actress. The fire was put out but she sustained substantial burns to her body she was rushed to a hospital where she died in less than twenty-four hours.

Natally Martha has a tense and violent mutable t-square involving Mars in Virgo at the apex of a tense t-square to Saturn in Sagittarius and Pluto in Gemini (Mars-Saturn-Pluto). Mars rules fire and Pluto is an explosive energy, and this combination is highly inflammable. The planet Saturn restrains the energy of Mars and I have seen this contact in the chart of a little girl who was killed in a fire. Both Mars-Pluto and Mars-Saturn are classed as violent aspects. The whole combination describes anger that has a tendency to be bottled up and restrained, and it can build up to potentially violent consequences. Natally Mars-Pluto can be uncontrolled fire, and deep seated rage. Martha’s psychic energy is powerful and full of rage and anger.

J.G Parry-Thomas - Head Partially Decapitated

He was killed at Pendine Sands in March 1927 while trying to regain his own world land speed record that had been broken just weeks earlier by Malcolm Campbell on the same beach. He was suffering from influenza and turned down a lucky black cat charm from a little girl, announcing, "I will put my faith in my maker!" His car, Babs, used exposed chains to connect the engine to the drive wheels while the high engine cover required him to drive with his head tilted to one side – the right. On his final run the right-hand drive chain broke at a speed of 170 mph (270 km/h), partially decapitating him. Astrologically, Venus, Saturn, Chiron and Pluto all conjunct in Gemini (transport), Pluto is in Taurus at the 29th degree. Mercury in Aries squares Jupiter in Cancer. He does not always think the consequences through, Aries is impulsive and fast.

Claude Francois - Electrocuted: 

While standing in a filled bath, he noticed a light bulb that was not straight, tried to straighten it and was accidentally electrocuted. That was the official version. There are those, who believe other accounts including foul play. Whichever is true, with Claude François having died at only 39 years of age, his death brought a wave of public sympathy for a French "national treasure'.

The Sun is in Aquarius in the 11th degree and is square to Uranus. Astrologically we would describe his personality as progressive, interested in technology and someone who needs to be different from society, we might describe such a strong combination of Aquarian energy as electric with a need to shock others or with a futuristic focused personality. He has a Mars-Jupiter contact and again in mutable signs, which suggests carelessness.