Alcoholism (Part 4)
Testing Reader Suggestions

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Commentaries on this study

Part 1:  Control Group
Part 2:  Jungian Rules
Part 3:  C.E.O. Carter Rules

Introduction

The votes are in and tallied. Your suggestions are duly noted. I have tabulated the results from everyone’s suggestions of which astrological factors should be significant in alcoholism. Now it's time to make sense of the numbers. This week we: 

• Review all the suggestions. 
• Sort the results so the most significant factors come out on top. 
• Begin the discussion of what the numbers mean.

Readers of our earlier alcoholism studies have sent in 40 suggestions for other factors to test for in an alcoholism AstroSignature. Here is what you have suggested:

From Marybeth Beechen:

I have seen tight Mars-moon connections, not always hard aspects, in the chart of alcoholics. You might check out moon in Aries as well.

AstroSignature translation:

1. Mars Con, Sex, Squ, Trine, Inc, Opp Moon
2. Moon in Aries

From Lenore Canter: 

I've noticed that, in addition to the Neptunian elements you describe, there is frequently a disruptive aspect between Uranus and the Sun or Moon which creates the discomfort of being too tense to access the Neptunian dream. The alcohol is an attempt to resolve that conflict.

AstroSignature translation:

3. Uranus Squ, Inc, Opp Sun or Moon

From Doug Egan:

There is an excellent and brief discussion of the subject in James (not Jim) Lewis' Astrological Encyclopedia, where he mentions a study by Ann Parker. She believes that in addition to the stereotype of Neptune problems, that the planet Uranus (especially Moon contacts) was often involved. I have found this to be true, and believe that there are really two variant types of the alcoholic personality; one with the dreamy, "crush my ego 'cause I hate myself 'cause I don't fit in 'cause I'm looking for cosmic wholeness" Neptune type; and the other with the willful, out of control "f**k you 'cause you don't understand me; you're all just a bunch of bourgeois a**holes who don't understand what real fun and excitement are" negative Uranian types. My gut feeling is that there may be no real "signature" that would leap out at one, but that it may be likely that there is a significant tendency towards difficult Neptune and Uranus aspects to major points. What about a dual Neptune / Uranus sifting? And what about a 3rd type of alcoholic, perhaps best labeled as the depressive type. Perhaps Moon-Saturn or Capricorn Moons could be factored in.

AstroSignature translation:

4. Uranus Squ, Inc, Opp Sun-Saturn 
5. Uranus Squ, Inc, Opp Moon 
6. Uranus and Neptune Squ, Inc, Opp Sun-Saturn 
7. Uranus and Neptune Squ, Inc, Opp Moon 
8. Moon Squ, Inc, Opp Saturn 
9. Moon in Capricorn

From Alicia Keenon: 

Pluto in fourth or twelfth house. Neptune conjunct, square, inconjunct or opposite Moon. Neptune conjunct, square, inconjunct or opposite Jupiter. Neptune in fourth or twelfth house.

AstroSignature translation: 

10. Pluto in 4th or 12th house 
11. Neptune conjunct, square, inconjunct or opposite Moon. 
12. Neptune conjunct, square, inconjunct or opposite Jupiter. 
13. Neptune in 4th or 12th house. 
(Thanks for being specific so I don't have to guess what you mean.)

From Pippa: 

I remember reading a study by Ann E Parker which showed that a high number of alcoholics had the Moon in Virgo ~ "also showing chi square significance are the Midhaven and Mars in Scorpio and the Sun in 8th house." Interestingly, she adds "showing inverse significance, is Jupiter in 12th"

AstroSignature translation: 

14. Moon in Virgo 
15. Midhaven in Scorpio 
16. Mars in Scorpio 
(I am assuming you don't mean Midheaven and Mars in Scorpio) 
17. Sun in the 8th house. 
18. Jupiter in 12th house - less among alcoholics

From Simon-Astley Scholfield: 

While wary of looking for an AstroSignature for "alcoholism" (which has diverse manifestations) I suggest you apply your factors 1, 3 and 4 to Sagittarius/Jupiter. I've found Jupiter types can be big social drinkers while Neptune types can privately drown themselves in the booze. Moreover, Neptune and/or Jupiter in aspect to Twelfth and Ninth House rulers and cusps (and their decanate rulers) indicate a potential for alcohol problems. It shouldn't matter (even in factor 4) whether the aspects are hard or soft – only that there is a connection. Hard aspects can challenge people to face up to (and eventually overcome) their drinking/drug problems especially after easy aspects have allowed them to deny (and sink further into) them.

AstroSignature translation: 

19. Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Ruler of the Ascendant in Sagittarius (#1) 
20. Jupiter on an angle (#3) 
21. Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed Sun, Moon , ASC, or ASC ruler (#4) 
22. Neptune conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR9 and HR 12 
23. Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR9 and HR 12 
24. Neptune and Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR9 and HR 12 
25. Neptune conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR9
26. Neptune conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR12
27. Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR9 
28. Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR 12
29. Neptune and Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR9 
30. Neptune and Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine inconjunct or opposed HR 12

Notice that in English the sentence "Neptune and/or Jupiter in aspect to Twelfth and Ninth House rulers and cusps" is ambiguous. It could indicate aspects to the 12th and 9th house rules individually or at the same time. I am testing both. I am also going to assume that Simon-Astley meant to test modern rulers e.g. Pluto also rules Scorpio. And sorry, AstroDatabank does not do decante rulers yet.

When working with house rulers one has to deal with of whether or not to use the modern co-rulers. I tested of all these with just the traditional rulers. Then I tried all the retested all the rulers that referenced house rulers but using both the traditional and modern rulers. These are designated as rules 41-51 and have PS rulers (Primary and Secondary) at the end of their description.

From Dave Campbell:

How about many planets in the 12th house, or South Node in Pisces or in the 12th, or Pisces on 4th/10th (mother/father) for an indicator. Additionally in a chart with high tendencies for alcoholism, I have found that Asteroids Bacchus, and Dionysus are prominent in their charts.

AstroSignature translation: 

31. Sun-Pluto in the 12th house 
32. South Node in Pisces 
33. South node in the 12th house

Sorry, I can't test Asteroids yet.

From Anonymous: 

I have found an Aries Sun with a Taurus moon to produce a very strong drive to alcohol.

AstroSignature translation: 

34. Aries Sun AND Taurus Moon. (Sounds like a generalization from one particular individual, but we'll test it anyway.)

From Linda L.: 

I have frequently seen in charts of alcoholics excessive water signs. Neptune in hard aspects to the Sun: alcohol heredity from the father. Neptune in hard aspects to the Moon: alcohol heredity from the mother Neptune in hard aspects to the ascendant: alcohol addict. The signs Pisces naturally. (Already tested in Part 1 rules 1&3)

AstroSignature translation: 

35. Sun-Saturn, As, MC in Water 
36. Neptune square, opposed or inconjunct Sun 
37. Neptune square, opposed or inconjunct Moon 
38. Neptune square, opposed or inconjunct ASC

From Claire Cabeza de Baca:

When I first began my study of the stars over 20 years ago, I read that Neptune retrograde in the 1st house pointed to one's self-undoing through alcohol and/or drug abuse.

AstroSignature translation:

39. Neptune in the 1st house and Retrograde

From Michael Naylor, M.Ed, LSAC

I am a practicing substance abuse counselor and also a full time astrologer in Maine.  I study the charts on men who come through our Half-Way House, and it is interesting to see how often they reflect a Neptune/Sun/Moon configurations, or a Neptune/Chiron configuration.  I have found almost no correlation with sign of Pisces however, and in addition, have found that Pluto/Sun configurations show up quite frequently. 

AstroSignature translation:

(Rule 36.) Neptune conjunct, square, opposed or inconjunct Sun
(Rule 37.) Neptune conjunct, square, opposed or inconjunct Moon 
40. Neptune conjunct, square, opposed or inconjunct Chiron

The Results

Discussion

Believe it or not it took less than an hour to test all of these 51 suggestions. Only three factors had at least a 6 point differential between the alcoholic and control group. Notice that all of them involved using both the primary traditional rulers and the modern co-rulers.

Rank	Factors	Pct in Alcoholics	Pct in Control	Diff.	Rule #
1	Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine, inconjunct or opposed HR9 and HR 12 - PS Rulers	27	5	22	21
2	Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine, inconjunct or opposed Sun, Moon, ASC, or ASC ruler (#4) - PS Rulers	35	26	9	4
3	Jupiter conjunct, sextile, square, trine, inconjunct or opposed HR 12 - PS Rulers	12	3	9	3

 

Let us add the eight factors from the previous studies with a point differential of at least 6. These are the top eleven factors that we have found so far in Alcoholics.

J=Jungian Study;  C=Carter Study;  R=Reader Suggestions

Now I invite the readers to construct an astrological story that pulls these factors together. What makes these factors come out on top and others that seemed logical (astro-logical) not pan out? Here is where we tap in to the creativity of all the people who visit us on the web – and where our joint effort can really pay off. The Internet was originally intended to help the military and academic institutions coordinate research projects. Let's all use it to coordinate our astrology research!

– Mark McDonough:  President, AstroDatabank Company

P.S. We can also assemble of a list of the factors that were more prevalent among the control group than among the alcoholics. Presumably, these negative factors are sobriety enhancing. We could probably find much strong ones if we went fishing for them. These just popped out as the least likely factors among alcoholics. They are negative because they are more popular amongst the control group.

by Mark McDonough

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What Do You Think?

Give us your feedback on this study. Specifically:

1. What patterns can you find amongst the most significant and least significant factors? 
2. What story do these astrological factors tell about the roots of alcoholism? 
3. Can we consolidate the factors into a smaller set of coherent factors that tell the same story?

View Others' Answers

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2/10/2000: