I've always thought the name given to this experience/phenomenon is a wee bit misleading. It leads one to think it means projecting one's self or one's consciousness into the stars. What astral projection seems to me to be is a kind of manipulation, involuntary or forced, of brain function (putting explanation at its most simple, or crude). A person feels, in this state, that they have left their physical body and can move around outside of it- sometimes at long distance from it. Never having experienced this, however, I'm not best fitted to describe it. There's lots of related information on-line - some highly suspect. Wikipedia has a good page covering most aspects.
Two names come up frequently in articles on astral projection - also called "out of body experiences" (OBE for short): Sylvan Muldoon and Robert Monroe. Both claimed to be experts on the subject, both have written or collaborated with another to write books on the topic. Monroe founded an institute devoted to research into out of body experiences.
As nobody else seems to have looked into the natal charts of these two - I will , just out of curiosity to see whether anything significant emerges.
There's a problem though, I can't find exact birth places for either. Muldoon was born in "the midwest" - I've used Chicago Illinois; Monroe's birthplace is given variously as Virginia, Kentucky or Indiana. I've used Lexington, Kentucky, where he is said to have grown up. Using these locations will at least throw up planetary positions, and as there's no information on times of birth, the ascendant and Moon position can't be accurate anyway.
Sylvan Muldoon was born on 18 February 1903
Sun and 3 personal planets in Aquarius, a strongly mentally oriented individual. Moon more than likely in Scorpio - intuitive/psychic indication.
Robert Monroe born on 30 October 1915
Monroe had Sun in Scorpio as well as a Grand Trine in Water signs linking Venus, Jupiter and Saturn - all indications of intuitive and/or psychic potential.
What I see as linking the two men though are planets conjunct the same Fixed Star. The star in question is Tejat Prior which sits in the early degrees of Cancer, though is actually in the constellation of Gemini. Muldoon had Neptune conjunct Tejat Prior, Monroe had Pluto conjunct the same Fixed Star. In both cases the respective natal planets are also linked to natal Sun via harmonious trine.
C.E.O. Carter wrote that the presence of this Fixed Star in an early degree of astrological Cancer would impart a definite Mercurial value to that degree. In traditional astrology Tejat is interpreted as meaning pride and over confidence, though I tend to take these ancient interpretations with a pinch of salt. As both these 'astral travellers' had a planet close to Tejat Prior, with its Mercurial indications, makes me wonder whether this is in any way linked to the ability to project one's consciousness - an exercise which must surely be linked strongly to Mercurial traits. Both men had natal Mercury in an Air (mental focus) sign: Aquarius and Libra; this places even more emphasis on mental orientation.
Two names come up frequently in articles on astral projection - also called "out of body experiences" (OBE for short): Sylvan Muldoon and Robert Monroe. Both claimed to be experts on the subject, both have written or collaborated with another to write books on the topic. Monroe founded an institute devoted to research into out of body experiences. As nobody else seems to have looked into the natal charts of these two - I will , just out of curiosity to see whether anything significant emerges.
There's a problem though, I can't find exact birth places for either. Muldoon was born in "the midwest" - I've used Chicago Illinois; Monroe's birthplace is given variously as Virginia, Kentucky or Indiana. I've used Lexington, Kentucky, where he is said to have grown up. Using these locations will at least throw up planetary positions, and as there's no information on times of birth, the ascendant and Moon position can't be accurate anyway.
Sylvan Muldoon was born on 18 February 1903
Sun and 3 personal planets in Aquarius, a strongly mentally oriented individual. Moon more than likely in Scorpio - intuitive/psychic indication.
Robert Monroe born on 30 October 1915
Monroe had Sun in Scorpio as well as a Grand Trine in Water signs linking Venus, Jupiter and Saturn - all indications of intuitive and/or psychic potential.
What I see as linking the two men though are planets conjunct the same Fixed Star. The star in question is Tejat Prior which sits in the early degrees of Cancer, though is actually in the constellation of Gemini. Muldoon had Neptune conjunct Tejat Prior, Monroe had Pluto conjunct the same Fixed Star. In both cases the respective natal planets are also linked to natal Sun via harmonious trine.
C.E.O. Carter wrote that the presence of this Fixed Star in an early degree of astrological Cancer would impart a definite Mercurial value to that degree. In traditional astrology Tejat is interpreted as meaning pride and over confidence, though I tend to take these ancient interpretations with a pinch of salt. As both these 'astral travellers' had a planet close to Tejat Prior, with its Mercurial indications, makes me wonder whether this is in any way linked to the ability to project one's consciousness - an exercise which must surely be linked strongly to Mercurial traits. Both men had natal Mercury in an Air (mental focus) sign: Aquarius and Libra; this places even more emphasis on mental orientation.
