The Story
Over the last few weeks a big story in the UK has been the manhunt for Raoul Moat. I wanted to write about him earlier, but I couldn’t find his birth date.
Raoul, a nightclub bouncer and sometime steroid user, was serving a short prison sentence for assault. While in prison he discovered that his ex-girlfriend was having an affair, and when he was released he got hold of a shotgun and took revenge. On July 3 he wounded the ex-girlfriend and killed her boyfriend, and the following day he shot a policeman in the face. The ensuing manhunt was huge, involving dogs, snipers and even a military aircraft. On July 10 he was tracked down, and after a long stand-off he killed himself.
From a psychological point of view, Raoul Moat was a man with grudges, and this was reflected in his choice of victims. So he didn’t just have a grudge against his ex-girlfriend, but also against the police. Indeed at the time of his release the prison authorities warned the police that he was dangerous, but the warning wasn’t properly heeded.
Western Astrology
Raoul Moat was a Capricorn, born on January 1 1973. You don’t normally associate the sign Capricorn with murder, but there are some infamous British murderers who have this as their star sign. For example Harold Shipman, the doctor who killed hundreds of his patients; and Ian Brady, who along with Myra Hindley was responsible for the Moors Murders.
I suppose if a Capricorn does become a murderer, they’re likely to be very systematic about committing their crimes. They’ll decide what needs to be done, and they won’t allow anything to get in their way.
However looking at Raoul Moat’s horoscope, it’s the sign Sagittarius that counts – he has the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Neptune in this sign. He was someone who valued his freedom, and in his own way he was probably honest and straightforward. He was clear about the things that upset him, and he gave plenty of clues that on release from prison he was going to settle some scores.
His impulsiveness was shown by a conjunction between the Moon, Mars and Neptune. The Moon symbolises one’s emotional responses, while Mars is the planet of anger. Therefore he was someone who lost his temper quickly. Neptune is the planet of confusion, and also of drugs – so his steroid use is indicated.
The sign opposite Sagittarius is Gemini, and he had Saturn, the planet of frustration, in this sign. He would have felt that circumstances beyond his control were restricting his freedom, and significantly Saturn is making an exact aspect to his Venus. Venus is the planet of women, and one can read this aspect as injury and mistreatment of women, but also as blaming women for his problems.
As far as Raoul Moat’s death is concerned, in his natal chart he had Uranus making a 45-degree aspect to his Mars-Saturn midpoint. Mars-Saturn is a pairing that astrologers often connect with death, while Uranus can be associated with firearms. So this describes a person who killed with – and was killed by – a shotgun.
Eastern Astrology
I try to avoid writing long astrological monographs, because I reason that no-one’s particularly interested. However in the case of Raoul Moat, it might be worth expanding the discussion, to look at his Eastern horoscope.
Usually the Western horoscope is better suited to understanding someone’s psychological make-up, but Moat’s Eastern, or Hindu, horoscope provides an incredibly vivid picture.
When looking at a horoscope from a Hindu perspective, the key planet is the Moon. And if we don’t have a birth time, we can often set up a special chart, where the Moon sign represents the First House.
We know from Raoul Moat’s biography that his upbringing wasn’t perfect, and at the time of his death he felt that he had been abandoned by his family.
During the manhunt his mother was quoted in The Daily Telegraph as saying:
I feel like he hasn’t been my son since he was 19 years old. He now has a totally different character, attitude and manner. Now when I see him I don’t recognise him at all. He would be better off dead. If I was to make an appeal I would say he would be better dead.
And right at the end, just before he short himself, and again according to The Telegraph, it was reported that he said ‘I have not got a dad – no one cares about me’.
In astrology the Moon is a universal significator of one’s home and family. Using Hindu astrology, his Moon is in Scorpio, which is the sign of its fall. It’s also aspected by Mars and Saturn, the two malefics.
As we saw with the Western chart, Saturn is very important. Using the Hindu chart, with the Moon sign set as the First House, Saturn is ruler of the Fourth House, which relates to the home and family. He therefore felt very much estranged from his family.
Also, the Moon is ruler of his Ninth House, and in Hindu astrology the Ninth House represents the father. A weak Moon, and potentially a weak or non-present father.
Yet just because you’re born on January 1 1973 doesn’t mean that you’re doomed. Astrology can often be seen as an interaction, where the material and emotional circumstances of one’s upbringing interacts with the planets.
Going back to Western astrology, Raoul Moat was a Capricorn, and if you’re a Capricorn you thrive in a structured environment. If he’d had a strong father figure, throughout his childhood, Raoul Moat would no doubt still be a live, and he’d probably be leading a happy, productive and law-abiding life.
Copyright © 2010 Archie Dunlop
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