Early Degrees Can Be Fun

In yesterday's post there was a mention of the possibility that the middle degrees of a zodiac sign could have some relation to music and musical abilities. That possibility reminded me of something I investigated in my early years of astrology blogging - not relating to middle degrees, but to the early degrees. I had wondered whether the early degrees of zodiac signs had some relevance to humour, in particular to the talent for cartooning. I looked for birthdates of a few favourite cartoonists, then compared charts. I did note a common factor, in looking at 12 noon charts, as birth times are unknown. I noticed, and it's not necessarily astrologically significant - but it might be - most were born with the Sun or Mercury on the edge of, or in early degrees of the zodiac sign, and/or there are other planets in early degrees too. Look.....


From the British press of the 1950s and 60s Wally Fawkes aka Trog ("Flook") 21 June 1924, Vancouver, Canada.

The incomparable Carl Giles ("Giles"). 29 September 1916, Islington, London, England. Giles is the odd one out of this group of 5 because he didn't specialise in cartoon strips, he put everything into one big drawing. You had to study it carefully to see all the fun.This example is too small , but the best I could manage.

From the USA, the legendary Walt Kelly ("Pogo"), 25 Aug 1913, Philadelphia PA

Charles Schulz ("Peanuts") 26 Nov 1922, Minneapolis, Minnesota and

Bill Watterson ("Calvin and Hobbes") 5 July 1958 Washington DC

Berkeley Breathed ("Opus", "Bloom County", "Outland") 21 June 1957, Encino, California.

Summary

Wally Fawkes: SUN 00* Cancer
Walt Kelly: SUN 1* Virgo. Pluto 00*Cancer, Uranus 4*Aquarius
Charles Schulz: SUN 3* Sagittarius. Venus 1*Sagittarius, Jupiter 6* Scorpio.
Carl Giles: SUN 5* Libra, Jupiter 3* Taurus, Pluto 4*Cancer
Bill Watterson: (a bit later) SUN 13*Cancer, but Mercury slipped into 1* Leo, Pluto 00*Virgo, Neptune 2* Scorpio.
Berkeley Breathed: SUN 00*Cancer, Mars 00*Leo, Uranus 5*Leo


All this proves nothing, of course, it could be pure coincidence. I chose the 6 cartoonists because I like them, and they are well known. I wonder, though, could the early degrees of all zodiac signs carry some qualities of Aries, first sign of the zodiac.....a childlike, fun-loving flavour, which might lead an artist towards cartooning ?



How about Gary Larson, of "The Far Side" fame? He was born on 14 August 1950, Tacoma, Washington. Sun and Mercury are not in early degrees here. But Mars at 2 Scorpio, Jupiter at 3 Pisces, Uranus at 7 Cancer, the Nodes at 00 Aries/Libra. The Moon is more than likely to be in early degrees

Female cartoonists? There are a few, but none as well known as their masculine colleagues.

An early female cartoonist was Dahlia (Dale) Messick, originator of the "Brenda Starr" comic strip about a glamorous red-headed a reporter who has a taste for fashion, romance and intrigue. I've written a full post about her, with natal chart, here. She was born 11 April 1906 in South Bend Indiana. Talented and witty as she was though, her work doesn't have the same whimsical quality as that of, say Charles Schulz. It's a different style entirely. Even so, she had 3 planets in those early degrees, which might possibly be a kind of signature for cartoonists -Venus 4*Taurus, Jupiter 5* Gemini and Uranus 8* Capricorn.



Another female cartoonist, with birth data available, is Cathy Guisewite. Her  focus is mainly on feminist or feminine issues. Cathy Guisewite was born 5 September 1950 in Dayton,Ohio. Early degrees as follows: Mercury 2* Libra. Jupiter 1* Pisces, Uranus 8* Cancer.




Different - yet similar:
The 2006 movie "Idiocracy" was written, produced and directed by Mike Judge. A satirical, somewhat twisted, illogical yet funny look at what the world (or more accurately, the USA) might be like after 500 years have passed. The premise is that the USA is becoming more and more dumbed down as years go by. The brainy intelligentsia do not breed at nearly the same rate as yo-yos. Therefore, in time, the yo-yos will take over. Mike Judge was acting as a kind of cartoonist here, doing a similar thing, using a different medium.

Mike Judge was born on 17 October 1962 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. No birth time available. There are several planets in early degrees of their signs: Mercury 6* Libra, Mars 2* Leo, Jupiter 3* Pisces, Saturn 4* Aquarius. Also Moon's nodes @ 4 Leo/Aquarius.






Is it time to rest my case for the early degrees often playing a significant part in cartoonists' birth charts? It's interesting, anyway, to notice this phenomenon popping up.