by Jude Cowell, partisan for the common good
Reading the Wikipedia page of fabled DC columnist Drew Pearson we find described a journalist (called by some contemporaries a muckraker and a liar, usually by folks trying to hide something!) who possessed a double fire Sun Sagittarius-Moon Leo personality blend: dramatic, creative, and visionary.
Born during the 1890s' Neptune-Pluto era on December 13, 1897 in Evanston, Illinois, Andrew Russell Pearson's Mercury-Jupiter square is significant in his psyche and natal horoscope especially since messenger Mercury rules communications, journalism, reporting, and reporters. The separating square (unconscious) suggests that a measure of exaggeration may occur but it helps create a dramatic effect.
Meanwhile, his natal Ascendant in fact-based Virgo is ruled by Mercury, and he was born during a Dissemination phase of the Moon - born to spread information. As for his controversial columns that revealed what others preferred to stay hidden, Pearson's natal Mercury is out-of-bounds of the earthly plane (secret meetings with sources?) and forms no aspect other than a Mercury-Jupiter square. And with Jupiter in Libra, we know that fairplay was part of his nature. For example, what Pearson published was always factually backed up by corroborating sources. It's called, journalism.
Plus, the columnist's Mercury is in Capricorn, sign of government, law, and business, as is his North Node @27Cap09 conjunct America's 1776 position of powerful Pluto. Noel Tyl informed me once that a Pluto-NN conjunction is the "tiger by the tail" combo, and columnist Pearson certainly had a growling one beginning in the early 1930s, through Joe McCarthy's 'Red Scare', and into the Civil Rights era of the 1960s.
A Recommended Video: Don Ritchie: The Power of Political Journalism: Leaks, Lies, and Libel in Drew Pearson's Washington (56M 45S).
Neptune-Pluto: corruption, criminality, The Underworld, gangsterism, scandals, mass publication
These areas were persistently exposed by Drew Pearson's reporting on Washington DC politicians whom he perceived to be acting against the public interest. In fact, this weekend I have procured a used copy of Drew Pearson's notes in the form of a book, Washington Merry-Go-Round, pictured below, and I'll point out that the book, first published in July 1931, opens with what I consider to be a revealing dedication:
"To Those Who Still Reach For The Brass Ring."
Why? Because his natal Ascendant @2Vir59 at 10:00 pm CST could be a rounded-off time as sometimes is the case, so that perhaps his Ascendant could actually be "6 Virgo," a degree with the Sabian Symbol of "A Merry-Go-Round" and "reaching for the brass ring"! (Jones). Fourteen minutes later (10:14 pm) also switches his Career Point (MC) from late Taurus at 10:00 pm to Mercurial Gemini, sign of the writer. Plus, his natal Sun conjuncts his Mercury-Saturn midpoint with the duo the sign of the professional writer. This picture also suggests Pearson's "getting down to work" dedication and "knowing what has to be done" ability (N. Tyl).
Yet as you can see in his 10:00 pm A-rated natal horoscope (also shown below) Pearson's Midheaven ('MC') at 27Tau39 is the Zodiacal neighborhood where transit Uranus lurches these days, a transit that can alter one's public reputation. My thought is that the dedicated work of Drew Pearson deserves more recognition in these harrowing days when journalism, or what passes for it, could use all the improvement it can get considering how low it has sunk in the public's opinion.
Of course, bad faith actors have had much to do with the sabotage of truth especially since the neo-fascists poked up their ugly heads. After all, facts are not their specialty, you know, for sane people despise their anti-societal ideas and the weirdos who promote them. Yes, Washington DC, our nation's capital, is infested with enemies and much more so than when I added the description you see above to Stars Over Washington way back in 2005! And slack journalistic practices aren't helping our nation at all nor are those who get their corrupt way via blackmail, bribery, and threats.
So below is a view of Drew Pearson's natal horoscope. An additional note: he passed away from a heart attack on September 1, 1969 Washington DC, not quite making it to a repetition of his 7 South Eclipse Series which manifested on September 11, 1969 @18Virgo with themes of crisis, or huge obstacles suddenly clear (Brady). However, with his death occurring within 10 days, 7 South themes could still have influenced events. Certainly a heart blockage would be an obstacle and a crisis.
August 1969: Pearson's final Jupiter Return (@7Libra43 - square natal Mercury: too little time) had perfected on August 29, 1969, while his 1969 Mars Return was ongoing as a three-fer that year: exact on April 15, May 8, and August 26. We should note that the Mars-Jupiter pair relates to the heart muscle (R. Ebertin). Perhaps a lack of energy was a health complication such as heart failure can bring. Plus, I must sadly report that on his day of death, transit Sun @9Virgo spotlighted his natal Saturn-Pluto midpoint revealing potentials for ill health, enforced changes, injury, physical separation, and privation (N. Tyl; R. Ebertin):
Pearson's Natal Chiron in Scorpio: An intense Quest for answers and depth of purpose; getting to the bottom of things regarding morality, ethics, and principles; may idealize power and/or psychological insight; lessons on sharing power and/or using power wisely (M. Pottenger). This sounds like Drew Pearson to me, how about you?
And so this astro-tribute to journalist Drew Pearson closes with a sincere R.I.P. for this crusader for truth, and a photo of his book that I received today: Washington Merry-Go-Round, the first volume published in 1931:
