Terence McKenna: Astrological Article and Chart

Horoscope and chart of Terence McKenna

^* A planet less than 1° from the next House cusp is considered to be posited in the said House. 2° when the AS and the MC are involved

Astrological portrait of Terence McKenna (excerpt)

Disclaimer: these short excerpts of astrological charts are computer processed. They are, by no means, of a personal nature. This principle is valid for the celebrities included in our database. These texts provide the meanings of planets, or combination of planets, in signs and in houses, as well as the interpretations of planetary dominants in line with modern Western astrology rules. Moreover, since Astrotheme is not a polemic website, no negative aspect which may damage the good reputation of a celebrity is posted here, unlike in the comprehensive astrological portrait.

Introduction

Here are some character traits from Terence McKenna's birth chart. This description is far from being comprehensive but it can shed light on his/her personality, which is still interesting for professional astrologers or astrology lovers.

The dominant planets of Terence McKenna

When interpreting a natal chart, the best method is to start gradually from general features to specific ones. Thus, there is usually a plan to be followed, from the overall analysis of the chart and its structure, to the description of its different character traits.

In the first part, an overall analysis of the chart enables us to figure out the personality's main features and to emphasize several points that are confirmed or not in the detailed analysis: in any case, those general traits are taken into account. Human personality is an infinitely intricate entity and describing it is a complex task. Claiming to rapidly summarize it is illusory, although it does not mean that it is an impossible challenge. It is essential to read a natal chart several times in order to absorb all its different meanings and to grasp all this complexity. But the exercise is worthwhile.

In brief, a natal chart is composed of ten planets: two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, three fast-moving or individual planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars, two slow-moving planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and three very slow-moving planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Additional secondary elements are: the Lunar Nodes, the Dark Moon or Lilith, Chiron and other minor objects. They are all posited on the Zodiac wheel consisting of twelve signs, from Aries to Pisces, and divided into twelve astrological houses.

The first step is to evaluate the importance of each planet. This is what we call identifying the dominant planets. This process obeys rules that depend on the astrologer's sensitivity and experience but it also has precise and steady bases: thus, we can take into account the parameters of a planet's activity (the number of active aspects a planet forms, the importance of each aspect according to its nature and its exactness), angularity parameters; (proximity to the four angles, Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant and Imum Coeli or Nadir, all of them being evaluated numerically, according to the kind of angle and the planet-angle distance) and quality parameters (rulership, exaltation, exile and fall). Finally, other criteria such as the rulership of the Ascendant and the Midheaven etc. are important.

These different criteria allow a planet to be highlighted and lead to useful conclusions when interpreting the chart.

The overall chart analysis begins with the observation of three sorts of planetary distributions in the chart: Eastern or Western hemisphere, Northern or Southern hemisphere, and quadrants (North-eastern, North-western, South-eastern and South-western). These three distributions give a general tone in terms of introversion and extraversion, willpower, sociability, and behavioural predispositions.

Then, there are three additional distributions: elements (called triplicity since there are three groups of signs for each one) - Fire, Air, Earth and Water - corresponding to a character typology, modality (or quadruplicity with four groups of signs for each one) - Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable - and polarity (Yin and Yang).

There are three types of dominants: dominant planets, dominant signs and dominant houses. The novice thinks astrology means only "to be Aries" or sometimes, for example, "to be Aries Ascendant Virgo". It is actually far more complex. Although the Sun and the Ascendant alone may reveal a large part of the character - approximately a third or a half of your psychological signature, a person is neither "just the Sun" (called the sign) nor just "the first house" (the Ascendant). Thus, a particular planet's influence may be significantly increased; a particular sign or house may contain a group of planets that will bring nuances and sometimes weaken the role of the Ascendant, of the Sun sign etc.

Lastly, there are two other criteria: accentuations (angular, succedent and cadent) which are a classification of astrological houses and types of decanates that are occupied (each sign is divided into three decanates of ten degrees each). They provide some additional informations.

These general character traits must not be taken literally; they are, somehow, preparing for the chart reading. They allow to understand the second part of the analysis, which is more detailed and precise. It focuses on every area of the personality and provides a synthesis of all the above-mentioned parameters according to sound hierarchical rules.

Astrological Quadrants for Terence McKenna

Each quadrant is a combination of the four hemispheres of your birth chart and relates to a character typology. The Southern hemisphere – the top of your chart, around the Midheaven – is associated with extraversion, action, and public life, whereas the Northern hemisphere prompts to introversion, reflexion, and private life. The Eastern hemisphere – the left part, around the Ascendant – is linked to your ego and your willpower, whereas the Western hemisphere indicates how other people influence you, and how flexible you are when you make a decision.

Terence McKenna, the diurnal South-eastern quadrant, consisting of the 10th, 11th and 12th houses, prevails in your chart: assertion and goals achievement are at the centre of your concerns. You are very keen to implement your dreams and your plans. You achieve your ambitions as soon as possible, whether through an active social life, highly charged friendly relations, or an urge to take actions in order to reap - in the eyes of the world, of course - the rewards of your dynamism. It is likely that spirituality or humanitarian actions are part of your motivations, sometimes at the price of some degree of isolation.

Elements, Modes and House Accentuations for Terence McKenna

Terence McKenna, here are the graphs of your Elements and Modes, based on planets' position and angles in the twelve signs:

The predominance of Water signs indicates high sensitivity and elevation through feelings, Terence McKenna. Your heart and your emotions are your driving forces, and you can't do anything on Earth if you don't feel a strong affective charge (as a matter of fact, the word "feeling" is essential in your psychology). You need to love in order to understand, and to feel in order to take action, which causes a certain vulnerability which you should fight against.

Terence McKenna, Fire is dominant in your natal chart and endows you with intuition, energy, courage, self-confidence, and enthusiasm! You are inclined to be passionate, you assert your willpower, you move forward, and come hell or high water, you achieve your dreams and your goals. The relative weakness of this element is the difficulty to step back or a kind of boldness that may prompt you to do foolish things.

Air is under-represented in your natal chart, with only 5.03% instead of the average 25%. Air symbolizes the values of communication, exchanges with others, but also adaptability and flexibility abilities: if you don't get out of your cocoon to talk, to show interest in others, and to socialize, you may have problems understanding others. Because of your lack of flexibility or of your refusal to adapt yourself, you may be suddenly overwhelmed by events. You should get into the habit of talking, of phoning, and of thinking in terms of "mobility, flexibility, adaptability, change" in every circumstance. It will spare you so many troubles!

The twelve zodiacal signs are split up into three groups or modes, called quadruplicities, a learned word meaning only that these three groups include four signs. The Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable modes are more or less represented in your natal chart, depending on planets' positions and importance, and on angles in the twelve signs.

The Fixed mode corresponds to a majority of elements in your chart, Terence McKenna, and represents the desire for security and durability: you are able to concretely appreciate a situation and its stability. You definitely prefer to play the role of a loyal, obstinate and hard-working person, rather than to try new and risky experiences - beware, however, not to confuse obstinacy with intransigence. You structure, cement, and strengthen everything you find on your way: it is your nature, although you are not especially interested in swiftness: slow and steady...

Houses are split up into three groups: angular, succedent and cadent.

The first ones are the most important ones, the most "noticeable" and energetic houses. They are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses. Their cuspides correspond to four famous angles: Ascendant for the 1st house, Imum Coeli for the 4th house, Descendant, opposite the Ascendant, for the 7th house and Midheaven for the 10th house, opposite the Imum Coeli.

Planets are evaluated according to a whole set of criteria that includes comprehensive Western astrology rules. At their turn, planets emphasize specific types of houses, signs, repartitions etc., as previously explained.

Cadent houses, namely the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th houses, are very emphasized in your chart, Terence McKenna. They indicate important potential for communication, adaptability and flexibility. These houses are symbolically linked to the mind and intellect. The relative weakness implied by these characteristics indicates your tendency to hesitate or to be indecisive, but also your remarkable ability to start off again, which is a nice quality, finally: you can easily get yourself out of a tight spot thanks to your mobility and casualness, in the best sense of the term. This group of houses corresponds to evolutionary characteristics of your personality. However, they are only indications and you must include them in the rest of your chart in order to see whether they are validated or not!

N.B.: this dominant is a minor one.

Dominants: Planets, Signs and Houses for Terence McKenna

The issue of dominant planets has existed since the mists of time in astrology: how nice it would be if a person could be described with a few words and one or several planets that would represent their character, without having to analyse such elements as rulerships, angularities, houses, etc!

The ten planets - the Sun throughout Pluto - are a bit like ten characters in a role-play, each one has its own personality, its own way of acting, its own strengths and weaknesses. They actually represent a classification into ten distinct personalities, and astrologers have always tried to associate one or several dominant planets to a natal chart as well as dominant signs and houses.

Indeed, it is quite the same situation with signs and houses. If planets symbolize characters, signs represent hues - the mental, emotional and physical structures of an individual. The sign in which a planet is posited is like a character whose features are modified according to the place where he lives. In a chart, there are usually one, two or three highlighted signs that allow to rapidly describe its owner.

Regarding astrological houses, the principle is even simpler: the twelve houses correspond to twelve fields of life, and planets tenanting any given house increase that house's importance and highlight all relevant life departments: it may be marriage, work, friendship etc.

In your natal chart, Terence McKenna, the ten main planets are distributed as follows:

The three most important planets in your chart are Mercury, Pluto and Mars.

With Mercury among your dominant planets, you are certainly cerebral, nervous, swift, curious, quick-witted, and you love to communicate. Your psychological pattern is intellectual, all the more so since Mercury is important, with its whole set of assets but also of weaknesses, obviously.

Your sensitivity, emotions, and heart's impulses give precedence to thinking, which can lead people to believe that you are a playful and witty but heartless person, intellectualizing situations and juggling with words and numbers whilst ignoring human aspects of things. Of course, it is said that cats always land on their feet - this is your Mercurian strength and your trump card!

Your weakness lies in your nervousness, and you may miss your goal because of your "over-intellectualization" that may be detrimental to other kind of energies such as instinct, spontaneity, heart, sensitivity, etc.

With Pluto as a dominant planet in your chart, you are a magnetic and mighty predator, like the Scorpio sign ruled by this planet, who needs to exert pressure on others in order to "test" them. You are always ready to evolve, to risk destruction for reconstruction - including your own - to live more intensely whilst imposing your secret authority on things and on people you encounter.

You may come across as wicked, cruel or too authoritarian, but actually you only follow your instinct, you sound people out, and you like to exert your domination simply because your vital energy is too powerful to remain inside. You are inclined to be passionate, with hidden motivations. You are sometimes misunderstood but one of your great Plutonian assets is to go successfully through each life ordeal with ever growing strength.

Mars is one of your dominant planets and provides you with its efficient energy and enthusiasm: with a powerful Mars in your chart, action - but also will and ability to undertake - is not an empty word for you. You are active, dynamic, willing to fight, courageous, and you are never afraid to move mountains, even though risks are part of the adventures that you start with determination.

However, your patience is not always up to your boldness and a kind of feverishness, or even anger, can tarnish the quality of your achievements. That would be a pity since the Marsian is a champion in matters of efficiency! Mars symbolizes display of action, conquering spirit that favours discipline and order - beware of not being fussy - and lies at the frontier between action and brutality, between conquest and potential aggressiveness.

In your natal chart, the three most important signs - according to criteria mentioned above - are in decreasing order of strength Scorpio, Sagittarius and Virgo. In general, these signs are important because your Ascendant or your Sun is located there. But this is not always the case: there may be a cluster of planets, or a planet may be near an angle other than the Midheaven or Ascendant. It may also be because two or three planets are considered to be very active because they form numerous aspects from these signs.

Thus, you display some of the three signs' characteristics, a bit like a superposition of features on the rest of your chart, and it is all the more so if the sign is emphasized.

With Scorpio as a dominant sign, you are a strong and astute person, complicated and passionate, sometimes destructive and intolerant, but strong-willed, tough and daring, sometimes bordering on aggressive. So many qualities and dangers combined in one person! Obviously, this often results in a natural selection of people around you: those who stand up to you or admire you and those who can't bear you anymore! But that is precisely what you want. You are what you are and you are not going to transform yourself just to please. You are too proud and you never dread confrontations, although your way of fighting is secret, like your nature that, mysteriously enough, you are so reluctant to reveal even to your close friends who will never understand you. That said... what a hellish charm you have!

Sagittarius, an adventurous and conquering fire sign, is dominant in your chart: you are enthusiastic, enterprising, optimistic, very sociable, and mobile - you have itchy feet, both physically and mentally. Nobody gets bored with you because you are always planning things and suggesting excursions, at least... when you are around and not already gone on a trip! Obviously, so many movements for one man may scare people off, and some of them may even criticize your brutality or your tendency to loose your temper, but you are so warm and genuine, so expansive, isn't this a good thing? And all the more so, since your sense of humour is overwhelming...

Virgo, associated with perfectionism, numbers and reason, is among your dominant signs: you inherit its sense of responsibility and tidiness, a clear mind, an unfailing logic, as well as a need to be useful and to fulfil your task to the best of your abilities. Obviously, people may think that you are too modest or reserved, suspicious or pessimistic because of your exceedingly critical mind, but aren't logic and wisdom great qualities? Of course, they are. Moreover, you keep your feet on the ground, you never behave irrationally and you are helpful and hardworking - what more can you ask for?!

The 12th, 9th and 1st houses are the most prominent ones in your birth chart. From the analysis of the most tenanted houses, the astrologer identifies your most significant fields or spheres of activity. They deal with what you are experiencing - or what you will be brought to experience one day - or they deal with your inner motivations.

The 12th house is emphasized in your chart: like the 8th house, it has a rich and complex meaning. Although its bad reputation is likely to scare most readers in the first place - it is indeed the house of hidden or isolated places, of solitude, of ordeals or enemies - it can also mean that a part of your life is very deep and intense. If your achievements are not visible in the public eye, you may fulfil yourself in a different but equally important way: you may be involved in secret activities, humanitarian causes, and projects in favour of disadvantaged people. You are likely to work in quiet and remote places. In many cases, you will gain from these hidden activities as many treasures as people who have a more public destiny. It may be because you sublimate your work, or only because you successfully carry out your task within your environment. There is no such things as a good or a bad house, because each area of life is necessary in its own way, and we need all of them, if we are to improve spiritually.

Your 9th house being one of your most tenanted house, or at least emphasized, travels and faraway places play a major role for you: travels may take place in a symbolic sense, namely mind speculations or conceptions about political matters, philosophy, religion or spirituality, or in the literal sense, such as real long distance travels by plane. It may also be that you spend a part of your life far from home, etc. You are driven by some kind of rebelliousness, which urges you to explore the Unknown; it may also be the call of the adventure. Besides, if the rest of your chart concurs, you may be considered as a real draught, often up hill and down dale, constantly on the lookout for exciting discoveries and new, enchanting horizons.

With a dominant 1st house, your magnetism is powerful, and your individuality as well as your willpower are out of the ordinary. You are a determined, strong-willed, and assertive person, with this relative criterion at least.

It is likely that you never go unnoticed when you are in a crowd or a in reunion: an important 1st house suggests that you are a charismatic person with above average vital energy, especially if the Sun is present in this sector.

Your personal interests are always important and you never forget them, which doesn't mean that you are self-centered, but only that you behave according to what is in harmony with your deep nature!

After this paragraph about dominant planets, of Terence McKenna, here are the character traits that you must read more carefully than the previous texts since they are very specific: the texts about dominant planets only give background information about the personality and remain quite general: they emphasize or, on the contrary, mitigate different particularities or facets of a personality. A human being is a complex whole and only bodies of texts can attempt to successfully figure out all the finer points.

The Moon in Virgo and in House 9: his sensitivity

Votre sensibilité Terence McKenna semble dominée par la raison et vous avez tendance à vouloir analyser vos réactions émotionnelles dans les moindres détails, comme si vous cherchiez à les mettre à distance pour ne pas être submergé et affaibli par elles. Inquiet de nature, plutôt timide, vous n'aimez pas vous mettre en avant et manquez souvent de confiance en vous. Vous développez alors un perfectionnisme extrême où tout doit être examiné, organisé et planifié selon une certaine logique. Vous aimez rendre service et vous sentir utile, que ce soit pour la réalisation d'un travail bien fait ou tout simplement par l'apport de conseils judicieux et ingénieux mais vous pouvez aussi vous montrer très exigeant et critique voire même presque devenir insupportable tant vous savez insister et trouver toujours à redire à ce que disent ou font les autres. Apprenez à prendre confiance en vous et ne cherchez donc pas tout le temps la petite bête...

Vos émotions, Terence McKenna, vous poussent à expérimenter ce qui est lointain et étranger à vos racines. Vous êtes attiré en effet par l'inconnu ou ce qui est différent de vous, et c'est beaucoup en dehors des frontières que vous constatez que votre émotivité est exaltée ou... (excerpt)

Mercury in Sagittarius and in House 1: his intellect and social life

Votre soif d'apprendre est considérable Terence McKenna et vous pouvez passer votre vie à étudier, notamment les langues, la géographie, la philosophie ou le droit. D'une grande ouverture d'esprit, vous souhaitez abolir les frontières quelles qu'elles soient et l'humaniste qui sommeille en vous pourra alors devenir un "grand voyageur" allant au-devant des autres pour apprendre à les connaître et communiquer avec eux. Vous exprimez avec franchise et clarté vos opinions et croyances et accueillez celles d'autrui avec enthousiasme. Du fait de vos nombreux centres d'intérêts, vous pourrez parfois être perçu comme quelqu'un de superficiel, insouciant et excessivement optimiste. Mais si vous parvenez à maîtriser cette tendance à la dispersion, toutes les rencontres et découvertes que vous aurez pu faire influeront positivement sur votre attitude et votre conception philosophique de la vie.

Votre intellect et votre communication ne s'expriment pas vers tel ou tel domaine particulier, Terence McKenna : vous êtes en effet par vous-même curieux, vif, mobile et votre nature s'adapte en général remarquablement bien à l'environnement qui vous entoure. Cette polyvalence de votre personnalité vous permet de vous... (excerpt)

Venus in Scorpio and in House 12, and the Sun in Scorpio: his affectivity and seductiveness

Dans votre thème, le Soleil et Vénus sont tous deux en Scorpion. Avec le Soleil et Vénus en Scorpion, l'amour ne peut qu'être excessif, brûlant... ou inexistant. C'est tout ou rien, rose ou noir ! Une relation de couple est pour vous nécessairement intense, passionnelle. Entre aimer à la folie ou haïr, la transition est floue. Voila qui laisse présager d'une vie affective exaltante. Mais gare aux situations moyennes ! Votre caractère enflammé se satisfait mal des liaisons ordinaires, monocordes, sans heurt ni histoire. Parce que vous savez vous remettre en cause et que vous affectionnez les défis amoureux, vous provoquerez volontiers crises ou grincements de dents... jusqu'à un hypothétique paradis affectif au sein duquel votre partenaire tout comme vous, garderez votre spécificité, votre volonté, votre vérité propre. Vaste programme ! Il importe de relativiser, parfois, l'analyse démesurée que vous avez tendance à faire des questions sentimentales. Sensible aux rapports de force, vous ne ferez pas de cadeau aux êtres désarmés, exploitant parfois, si vous n'y prenez garde, leur fragilité. Mais que de passion, que d'exaltation en perspective avec ceux qui vous suivent dans votre volonté d'aller jusqu'au bout de vos engouements.

L'amour avec vous, Terence McKenna, n'est pas dissociable de la passion. Vos sentiments sont immédiats, impérieux, intenses, et vous ne pouvez absolument pas concevoir une relation amoureuse sans fusion avec votre partenaire, sans ce désir irrésistible de ne rien ignorer de l'autre : émotions, sentiments, sexualité, tout doit être vécu à la limite de la possessivité absolue et sans retenue. En réalité, vos sentiments sont aussi complexes qu'ils sont profonds et vous aimez rarement  mais avec une ardeur brûlante qui consume votre couple dans des ébats aussi torrides que violents. Bien sûr, ce type de sentiments aussi puissants peut mener à la jalousie et à l'exclusivité absolue, presque au contrôle de votre partenaire. Si la relation est véritable, cela se passera bien et dans le cas contraire, les risques de blessures partagées sont réels à l'intérieur de votre couple ; il est difficile de toute façon de concilier la passion et la tranquillité et il est clair que pour vous, la sérénité sentimentale passe par la rencontre d'une personne qui serait soit aussi complexe que vous et qui vous comprendrait ainsi instinctivement, soit de votre complémentaire, d'une nature aussi calme et solide que vos pulsions sont intenses et profondes.

Terence McKenna, vous illustrez que vous le vouliez ou non ce célèbre adage : "Pour vivre heureux vivons cachés ! " Rien ne vous convient mieux en effet que la tranquillité, le calme et finalement quelque part le secret pour votre vie amoureuse. Cela peut provenir de... (excerpt)

The Ascendant is in Scorpio and the ruler of the Ascendant is Pluto, in Leo: his behaviour

The ruler of the Ascendant, also referred to as the chart ruler, brings a few interesting nuances to the meanings provided by the Sun and the Ascendant. The sign in which the ruler of the Ascendant is posited fine-tunes the style of personality described by the Sun and the Ascendant. It may strengthen it if the sign is identical to either of them.

The ruler of the Ascendant, Terence McKenna, is Pluto. In the sign of Leo, it may endow you with authority and a certain inclination for prestige. Generous and noble, you loathe pettiness. You are not aware that you sometimes irritate the members of your entourage because of your excessive pride or your self-centredness.

The Sun in Scorpio and in House 12: his will and inner motivations

Your sun is located in the same sign as your ascendant. Therefore, your external behaviour and your inner self are perfectly in harmony. Characteristics described in the previous chapter are strengthened and amplified.

Terence McKenna, votre désir d'accomplissement passe par une forme un peu particulière et originale, dans le sens que vous ne pouvez résister à l'attrait du mystère et d'un certain retrait par rapport aux évènements et aux situations. Vos penchants naturels vous poussent souvent à vous isoler et... (excerpt)

Mars in Sagittarius and in House 1: his ability to take action

Terence McKenna, vous êtes une force de la nature et vous excellez souvent sur le plan sportif ; vous avez soif de conquêtes et vous vous lancez des défis de façon presque permanente. L'enthousiasme dont vous faites preuve dans toutes vos entreprises est parfaitement soutenu par vos conceptions morales et un idéalisme compatible avec les valeurs de la société dans laquelle vous vivez. Pragmatique, entreprenant mais parfois un peu naïf, vous ne vous souciez guère des détails et vous lancez dans de grands projets variés et aventureux où vous avez toutes les chances de parvenir à vos objectifs. Dans certains cas plus rares, vous pouvez canaliser votre grande énergie vers des voies plus philosophiques voire même spirituelles ou religieuses où toute votre fougue fera également merveille. Sur le plan sexuel, votre ardeur et votre spontanéité font merveille et le danger réside peut-être dans une certaine dispersion dans la mesure où vous pouvez oublier un peu toute notion de fidélité, notamment au cours de vos nombreux voyages lointains dont vous êtes si friand.

Vous êtes une personne active par nature, Terence McKenna. C'est la seule position de Mars qui finalement ne vous oriente pas en particulier vers tel ou tel domaine de la vie mais c'est aussi peut-être la plus forte, puisque votre personnalité est justement par cette caractéristique combative,... (excerpt)

Conclusion

This text is only an excerpt from the portrait of of Terence McKenna, which we hope will inspire you to deepen your knowledge of astrology.

Regarding the sources of the birth data in our possession, kindly note that the pages we publish constitute a starting point for more detailed research, even though they seem useful to us. When the sources are contradictory, which occurs rarely, after having analysed them, we choose the most reliable one. Sometimes, we publish a birth date just because it is made available, but we do not claim that is it the best one, by no means.