Annie Sprinkle

In the second post of this series, I’d like to look at the chart of Annie Sprinkle. She has been involved in the lustful side of sexuality in just about every way possible. She was a prostitute for two decades. Sprinkle has also been a stripper, porn star, porn producer, etc.  She has really positioned herself center stage as an icon of licentiousness, calling herself a “sacred prostitute”. You can read more about her biographical details in her Wikipedia entry.

As in the look at Traci Lords, I will be pulling out some factors in the chart that pertain to signification of licentiousness.  As the series progresses we’ll see certain trends and confluences of factors appear repeatedly as a common theme.  The reader is urged to first read the last post on this topic before proceeding, as I discuss some of the basics and give some warnings appropriate to this type of work.

Annie Sprinkle’s Birth Chart

Annie Sprinkle was born Ellen Steinberg on July 23rd, 1954 at 11:34am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Her birth information is Rodden-rated AA for accuracy and her natal chart is pictured here.

Venus as Ascendant Lord in a Dark Place

Again, as in the chart of Traci Lords, we are dealing with a Libra rising chart, with Venus as Lord of the Ascendant and in a dark or “bad” place (i.e. one that doesn’t regard the Ascendant – 6th, 12th, 8th, and 2nd) while out of sect.  This identification with Venus and placement of Venus into a vulnerable place subject to corruption is noted by Masha’allah in relation to licentiousness. Note that like most simple delineation statements, the following illustrate the principle with extremes rather than being a cookbook delineation. In other words, the principle is that Venus as lord of the Ascendant inclines to identification with Venusian things and that planets in bad places incline to the darker side of things. According to Masha’allah (On Nativities, Ch. 5, Dykes trans., 2008, p. 400):

If Venus were the Lady of the Ascendant, and in a good place, it designates him to be handsome and humble.  And if she were in a bad place, it designates he is hot [in desire] (and if were a woman, it designates her to be a prostitute).

Venus in XII Regarded by Jupiter and Mars

Another passage by Masha’allahn from the Book of Aristotle was previously mentioned in the Traci Lords post. It also holds in this chart, with Venus in the 12th, regarded by Mars and Jupiter:

Indeed for the appetite of longing and sexual impurity, consider the following.  For, Venus in a place of longing-namely the sixth or twelfth-under the regard of Jupiter and Mars, or if she would be lingering with the Lord of the Lot in the Midheaven, it defames the female spouse because of prostitution, hides an abortion, presents [her] for sale […]                (Masha’allah, Book of Aristotle, Dykes trans., 2009, Book III, Chapter 7, Section 8, p. 146)

Reinforced Venus

Also, as in the chart of Traci Lords, we find that Annie Sprinkle’s Venus is in the bound of Venus.  While we may be tempted to draw some conclusions based on the position of Venus in her sign of fall, Virgo, as pertaining to ill-dignified Venusian behavior following the later medieval idea of “negative dignity” when a planet is in fall, this would lead us down the wrong path. Venus is in her own bound and triplicity here. Also note that Venus is in her own bound and domicile in the chart of Traci Lords and in her exaltation in the chart of Jenna Jameson.

It may instead be the case that some deeper connection of Venus to prototypically Venusian matters of sexuality, as opposed to other manifestations of love and beauty, is important. The reinforcement of these Venusian indications is shown through Venus being in her own domicile, exaltation,  bound, or triplicity. Triplicity is more effective if it is the first triplicity ruler, which Venus is here of Virgo by day.

Notes on “Dignity”

In my own opinion, a form of rulership in its own place makes a planet more independent in action. The planet is less tied to other planets or encumbered by dependencies to them.  In that sense, a form of rulership in its own place can make a planet a little bit stronger, less restrained or forced to cooperate. However, it should never be interpreted as having effects that are in some sense more “dignified”, in the sense of admired, socially accepted, commended, honorable, or even as conferring greater success.

I’ve addressed this at length in prior posts on the issue, most succinctly in The Curious Case of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Turner. I contrasted Dahmer’s 4 very positively “dignified” (in domicile) planets with Turner’s 4 planets in detriment and fall with none in domicile or exaltation. Their charts illustrate the absurdity of identifying a planet in a form of rulership with the degree to which a planet signifies dignified matters in the life.

Venus-Mercury-Mars

There is a substantial connection between Venus and Mercury in the chart, which are in a partile sextile and have most of the important planets of the chart under their rulership.  For instance, the Ascendant and the Moon are in domiciles of Venus but bounds of Mercury. Venus is in the domicile of Mercury but in her own bound. Mercury is in the bound of Venus. The Lot of Venus (Eros – at 20GEM) is in the domicile of Mercury and bound of Venus. The MC is in the bound of Venus. Five planets are in water or earth signs where Venus is the first triplicity lord.

Mars is the only planet in a “stake” of the position of Venus (i.e. in the 1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th sign from Venus – in this case square to Venus). Given the strong interchange between Mercury, Venus, and personal signification, we get a sense both for the passionate sexuality of Mars-Venus and the strangeness, “talk”, and notoriety that Mercury can bring to the mix.  The chart doesn’t fulfill the following statement by Ptolemy but the strength of the ties Venus has to Mars and Mercury reflect it:

Therefore Venus, with Mars, produces merely amorous dispositions, but if Mercury is present, notoriety also…      (Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos, Book 4, Ch. 5, Robbins trans., 1940, p. 401)

Similarly, Rhetorius claimed, “Venus and Mercury and Mars aspecting each other will make lechers” (Compendium, Ch. 66, Holden trans., 2009, p. 121).  But this indication is so commonly occurring in natal charts as to be worthless predictively. Though it does indicate the way that combinations of Venus, Mercury, and Mars can be indicative of mind/talk, passion, and sexuality getting mixed up in possibly scandalous ways.

Mercury in X in Bound of Venus

With Venus in the 12th and all the back and forth between Mercury and Venus, we particularly get the sense that sex is strongly on the mind and on the tongue.  Mercury in the 10th, strongly advancing on the MC, and strong due to stationing direct days prior to birth and being in phasis, along with being fortunate through being with Jupiter, all give strong indications of great career success through her words and mental personage.  She has indeed lectured on a wide variety of topics and claims to have a Ph.D. in human sexuality (unconfirmed).  In the following video she discusses her sexual history a bit and one gets a good sense of her style of sexual advocacy and openness.

Mercury in the bound of Venus is typically a good and pleasant thing, but it does associate Mercury with sexuality. Given that Venus is out of sect and in the 12th, the identification with Venus, and some of the other Mercury-Venus connections, we might expect that some of the more difficult indications of Mercury in the terms of Venus to come forth. As Maternus noted for Mercury in the bound of Venus:

They will certainly be lustful in sexual intercourse, and those who corrupt the marriages of others with a depraved mental desire.  They will be full of moral faults, and those who are always battered with constant scandal because of these faults.    (Maternus, Mathesis, Book 5, Ch. 5, #6, Holden trans., 2011, p. 297)

Moon-Venus

Venus is moving more than twice as fast as Mercury at the time of birth. Therefore, the Moon was invested in application to Venus in the chart until shortly before birth when Mercury intervened.  Venus and Mercury are in partile sextile, and the Moon applies to both, to Venus with the stronger type of aspect (trine), but first to Mercury with the sextile. Technically, the Moon is separating from Saturn and making her next application to Mercury, but the application to Venus may be important as well.  I note this because Maternus provided the following among his indications for a waning Moon separating from Saturn and applying to Venus:

But if she was of little light, it denotes the depraved enticements of love affairs, or it makes [them] to be involved in impure and indecent passions, or it denotes disgraceful actions in continual succession.  (Maternus, Mathesis, Book 4, Ch. 3a, #7, Holden trans., 2011, p. 188)

Conclusion

Many indications involve a Venus with more malefic associations in the chart. In this case, Venus is out of sect, in a dark place, and regarded by malefics and Mercury . Many indications also pertain when prominent and personal factors connect with Venus by rulership, regard, and application. I mean factors such as the Ascendant, Moon, the strongest planet in the chart (Mercury in this case), and the Descendant.

This chart and the chart of Traci Lords show a trend that we’ll continue to see, in which Venus in her own term, sign, exaltation, and/or triplicity is more likely to give indications directly pertaining to sexuality than a Venus that lacks such rulership in her own place.  I think there is a sense behind this in which Venus prototypically refers to the procreative nature, with her additional indications pertaining to beauty, art, and so forth being extensions of this. Venus in a place of her rulership is more independent for better or worse. She is also reinforced which strengthens her significations related to sex in the person’s life.

References

Bishr, S. ibn, & Masha’allah. (2008). Works of Sahl & Masha’allah. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.

Masha’allah, & al-Khayyat, A.  ’Ali. (2009). Persian Nativities I: Masha’allah and Abu  ’Ali. (B. N. Dykes, Trans.). Minneapolis, MN: The Cazimi Press.

Maternus, J. F. (2011). Mathesis. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). American Federation of Astrologers.

Ptolemy, C. (1940). Ptolemy: Tetrabiblos. (F. E. Robbins, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Loeb Classical Library. Retrieved from http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Ptolemy/Tetrabiblos/home.html

Rhetorius of Egypt, & Teucer of Babylon. (2009). Rhetorius the Egyptian. (J. H. Holden, Trans.). Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.

Featured Image

The featured image of the Statue of Leda and the Swan at Hever Castle, Kent, England is in the public domain.