Wayne Turner on Buddha's Birth Chart

After a three month semi-solitary retreat at a Buddhist center last summer, I was inspired to see if a horoscope for Buddha could be arrived at through the use of various techniques. In fact the results--using your chart service--were quite astonishing and I think make it likely that these are actually the correct charts for major events in his life. Here is the data for those who may wish to investigate these important moments for themselves:

Buddha's birth: 15 May 587 BCE Gregorian 21 May -586 Julian 6:15 am LMT Kapilavastu, Nepal 83e16 27n28 (I don't have coords for Lumbini yet) 0:41:56 UT 21:41:32
LST JD 1507161.52912

Buddha leaves home: 15 June 558 BCE Gregorian 21 June -557 Julian 12 noon LMT Kapilavastu, Nepal 6:26:56 UT 5:29:37 LST JD 1517784.768704

Buddha's enlightenment 16 May 552 BCE Gregorian 22 May -551 Julian 4 am LMT Gaya, India 85e00 24n47 (Bodh Gaya will be slightly different) 22:20 UT 15 May Gregorain, 21 May
Julian 19:32:08 LST JD 1519946.430556

Buddha turns Dharma Wheel 1 July 552 BCE Gregorian 7 July -551 Julian 3 pm LMT Benares, India 83e00 25n20 9:28 UT 9:35:19 LST JD 1519992.89444

Buddha's parinirvana 16 May 507 BCE Gregorian 22 May -506 Julian 9 am LMT Kapilavastu (no coords for Kusinara yet either) 3:26:56 UT 0:33:21 LST JD 1536382.643704

One very interesting discovery that these charts reveal is that there are important sol-lunar cycles completed near our 35th and 80th birthdays that I wasn't aware of. Traditionally four of these events are believed to have been on full moon days, but we see that Buddha was born and enlightened within two days of a new moon, while the Dharma Wheel turning and Parinirvana occurred on full moon days as expected. Near our 35th birthday, a cycle of 433 synodic months and 468 sidereal months comes to fruition, while our 80th anniversary is one half of a long cycle of 160 years (sidereal is very exact) and 1979 synodic lunations.

The angles for the charts seem to work quite well and are crucial for a full delineation of the events, though adjustments of a minute or so might be appropriate. Mars plays an unusually prominent role in this drama, as you'll see when you compare the charts. You'll find that at the time of Buddha's enlightenment, there was a transiting conjunction of Venus and Neptune on his exact natal Venus/node conjunction, and at the time of his death the transiting MC/IC passed over the positions of Mars in the home leaving and Dharma Wheel charts, with the full moon also in close hard aspect to these positions. Mars was sometimes known in ancient India as Yama, god of death, and Buddha himself seems to have understood Mars as a planet of separation and pain in his advice to monks, 'There will be a parting and separation from all those who are dear and loving to me,' should be reflected upon always (Dasadhamma Sutta). Here in Massachusetts my natal Mars is on the Midheaven, interestingly enough. Buddha used astrological symbolism extensively in his teaching, showing me that very sophisticated and advanced psychological astrology is more a rediscovery than a discovery of us moderns.

Here is an article regarding the work of a Swiss architect who is helping to restore a temple at Angkor. Sacred art, architecture and geometry are other interests of mine:
http://nzz.ch/2004/04/21/english/page-synd4871114.html

Also, congratulations to your Swiss firm Contraves Space for the successful separation and descent of the Huygen's probe to Saturn's giant moon Titan. Quite an achievment for everyone involved.

Perhaps there are some folks who would also find charts for Jesus of Nazareth of interest. Although the Christmas season has passed, Easter approaches, so here is the chart data that I came up with some years ago and recently checked with your service. It is based on the research of Dr Ernest L Martin which came out in the 1980's and which I was alerted to by an article in Sky Telescope, December 1986, pages 632-635, titled Computing the Star of Bethlehem by Roger W Sinnott. It was Sinnott who first noticed this Jupiter/Venus conjunction back in 1968 according to the article. A follow up letter and illustration of the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus was printed in the April 1987 issue, pages 357-358, from James DeYoung and James Hilton of the US Naval Observatory.
http://askelm.com/star/star000.htm

Jesus birth, 15 June 2 BCE Gregorian, 17 June -1 Julian, 4:35:45 PM LMT, Bethlehem, Israel, 35e12 31n43, 14:14:57 UT, 10:07:37 LST, JD 1720860.0937145

Jesus baptised, 27 August 28 CE Gregorian, 29 August 28 CE Julian, 9:30 AM LMT, traditionally near Jericho on the Jordan, 35e27 31n52, 7:08:12 UT, 7:52:18 LST, JD
1731525.797362

Jesus death, 5 April 30 CE Gregorian, 7 April 30 CE Julian, 3:00 PM LMT, Jerusalem 35e14 31n46, 12:39:04 UT, 3:53:34 LST, JD 1732112.027130

The death and birth times seem quite accurate, but the baptism time might be refined with more work. There are many powerful connections between these charts, besides the unusual exact conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in the natal chart that Matthew and Luke seem to have delineated the same way, as 'great joy', in their descriptions of the birth. This conjunction was in close 'hard' aspect to the full moon that day.