Harry Potter and the Cycle of Destiny
Tomorrow is just one more turn of the wheel of destiny for the author JK Rowling and her creation Harry Potter. The final film in the series will premiere in London. Is this finally the end?
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| The cycle of the dragon’s nodes features strongly in the publishing history of these books. |
This is the the culmination of a long publishing/filming project that began back in 1990 on a stalled train somewhere between London and Manchester, when JK Rowling had the idea for Harry Potter. It’s been 21 years – three-quarters of a Saturn cycle – seven books, eight films, fame, prizes and a whole heap of money since then.
The Harry Potter books are a brilliant, imaginative exploration of bereavement, immortality and coming of age. The author JK Rowling has said herself that the books are all about death.
I will not recap the story here except to point out that the hero Harry begins the series as an orphan and is then repeatedly bereaved, as each potential father figure is snatched from him. His stalwart friends Hermione and Ron support him but never really share his pain.
These books and the films have had a powerful effect on the imagination of at least one generation already (Pluto in Scorpio/Neptune in Capricorn) and I have no doubt that they will continue to get right into children’s minds for years to come. That is because these subjects are so profound, so important and so hard to grapple with head on. The only way we can really discuss them is slant-wise through art – or astrology.
Here’s the astrology.
It took JK Rowling the best part of two decades to write the Harry Potter books. With that stretch of time, one should be able to trace a pattern of planetary cycles.
Because of the powerful central theme of the book, the first planet I wanted to investigate was Saturn, traditionally the grim reaper. Harry’s story unfolds over a period seven years, a quarter turn of the Saturn cycle. In the first book, he turns 11 at the start and the last book finishes as he is coming up to 18. (I think: I have a few more chapters to go.)
The other thing to look at is the north node, since so clearly Rowling has been fulfilling her destiny with these books. Harry Potter came to her, the legend goes, on a train journey in 1990 some months before the death of her mother, who had spent ten years struggling with MS. The whole story arrived almost complete. In fact, Rowling wrote the last chapter of the last book some time that year.
In 1990, the eclipse series was across Aquarius/Leo hitting Rowling’s Sun repeatedly. (An eclipse happens when the north node conjuncts the Sun or the Moon, so eclipses and nodes are connected).She experienced a light going out in her life (her mother), but also she was apparated on to the road of her destiny. In January 1991 (the first eclipse after her mother’s death), Saturn was conjunct Rowling’s North Node.
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| JK Rowling’s natal chart – for more on this click here. |
(This shows perfectly how an eclipse giveth and it taketh away. Good to remember when you’re being given the left-hook and the right uppercut.)
In 1995, Rowling finished the first book in the series and had her Saturn Return. In fact it must have been quite a painful year for her since transiting Chiron was also opposing her very difficult Saturn-Chiron conjunction in Pisces.
In June 1997, the first book was published (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) and Rowling’s life took off. Now the north node was in Virgo and opposing that Chiron-Saturn, squaring Jupiter, and conjuncting the Moon (more or less). Saturn had moved into Aries (the first sign after her Saturn Return) exactly opposite her Mars. Aries is, of course, the beginning. Saturn had moved a quarter of a way around her chart since 1990, and the publishing history of the book began.
On 16 November 2001 the first Potter film was released. North node was in Gemini conjunct Rowling’s Jupiter and squaring that royal Mercury. And Saturn? Exactly on her natal north node also in Gemini, opposing Pluto (which can be about vast wealth).
So we’re beginning to see a pattern of the north node in mutables. The north nodes takes 18.6 years to go through every sign of the zodiac.
On the 11 January 2007, Rowling is said to have completed the last book in the series. And we’re back to that natal Saturn-Chiron conjunction in mutable Pisces. The north node conjuncts it exactly. Jupiter is opposition Jupiter, and Saturn is hovering around in Leo between natal Mercury and the Sun.
On 15 July 2011, the last film is due to be released. North node is in mutable Sagittarius (associated with broadcasting work to a big audience) opposite Rowling’s natal north node. And Saturn? Is opposite its position back in 1997, when the cycle of publishing began. It’s a half-return.
So the most obvious cycle is the nodal one. The north node is in a mutable sign at each critical point in the revelation of the story. Those signs rule (among other things) Gemini (communication), Virgo (writing), Sagittarius (publishing), Pisces (the collective imagination). And each time the node keys in with Rowling’s generational Uranus-Pluto opposing Saturn-Chiron.
I wonder what will happen in seven years time, when the Harry Potter series has its Saturn Return.
Oh and by the way – tomorrow’s premiere is one month to the day since the lunar eclipse across Gemini-Sag when the Sun conjuncted Rowling’s Jupiter.
You said: ‘(An eclipse happens when the north node conjuncts the Sun or the Moon, so eclipses and nodes are connected)’
I’m afraid I don’t understand that bit.
Oh, and I’m so pleased Murdoch’s chickens are finally coming home to roost (sort of)…
Not very elegantly put is it.
The North and South Nodes (Rahu and Ketu if you know your vedic stuff) are the points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic. In other words they are mathematical points but very significant in astrology.
These points move backwards through the chart on this long 18.6 year cycle. So you know how you share outer planet placements with people your own age? Well, you also share nodal placements.
BTW – these are always directly opposite each other of course.
So when you get a Full or New Moon that conjuncts the Nodes, you get an eclipse. That is why you get the eclipses in clusters in opposite signs.
So the eclipse cycle and the nodal cycle are the same thing really.
I hope that’s clearer. It’s easier to show on a chart.
Really great to see this as I had my daughter in 1996 and she was 5 when we started watching the films. By the way, she has Pluto 0 degrees Sag…which is what alot of the children who grew up with Harry Potter have. It does feel, as she is now almost 15 (in Sept.) the end of an era and the end of her childhood. I loved all the films and books and I must say…seeing just how long it took JK Rowland to write, publish, etc. has also given me hope as a writer…as I have been working on my own book since 2006. My North Node is in Sag, 11th house, with Saturn in wide conjunction in the 10th. Cap rising 17degrees and Sun and Mercury 16 degrees both in the 3rd, so I am hoping my publishing and finishing my book will be successful. Looking at her chart, knowing I am coming up to my Second Saturn return (born in 1956) gives me hope. Thanks! ps. In your next article, you mention the movie “Philadelphia Story” but that song “True Love” is from “High Society” with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly, where Bing sings it to Grace’s character “Tracy” on their yacht the “True Love”…just thought you’d like to know. 😉
@Ms.Shawn M. Cohen – good luck with the writing. I think thing are shifting a lot for people born in the 50s/60s, since we’re all going to live much longer. You’re only half-way through your life, so it’s a perfect time to get that book published!
High Society is the musical remake of Philadelphia Story. Grace Kelly is gorgeous in it but for me Katherine Hepburn is Tracy Lord.
Here’s a link to my previous piece on Rowling’s chart. I don’t have a birth time.
http://oxford-astrologer.blogspot.com/2011/06/jk-rowling-perfect-writers-chart.html
I just got back from seeing the last HP movie for the 3rd time at the Smithonian’s big IMAX. I have been to HP World in Orlando Fl and this is truly one of my Happy Places.
Astrologically, it is interesting to note that Mercury turned D by progression in 1990, when she began writing these books.
Lynn Koiner
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