(3 December 2014) They say what goes around comes around. That definitely seems to be the case here for beloved American comedian Bill Cosby whose squeaky clean image is now in tatters after the accusations of rape by more than dozen women. The 77-year old star has is now the subject of investigations over a string sexual assaults that date back as far back as 1960s. After years of whispered accusations and formal denials, Cosby’s luck may well have run out as he has seen his current television show abruptly canceled amidst this very public scandal. While no criminal charges are pending at this time, the fallout thus far is such that Cosby has been forced out of the board of his Alma Mater at Temple University in Philadelphia. The rape charges are a shocking contrast to the public persona of the friendly and avuncular Cosby whose appeal over the years cut across both age and racial lines.
It is hard to imagine how he can reinstate his name and reputation after this episode. The first whiff that something was amiss came in October when a fellow comedian, Hannibal Buress, gave voice to the murmured attacks in a stand-up performance and publicly accused him of repeatedly drugging and raping women. The accusation then took on a life of its own in social media. By mid-November, the scandal became undeniable as more women came forward with more stories of abuse.
So how bad will things get for the man affectionately known as ‘The Cos’? Even if Cosby comes clean and gives a public confession and makes reparations to the victims, he will probably see his reputation and status fall much further.
As usual in situations like this, there are two astrological dimensions to consider. The first is looking for any hints of Cosby’s behavior in his natal chart and the second is understanding the current situation in light of the prevailing planetary influences now.
Sexual problems are usually seen through afflictions to Venus (women) and Mars (the sex act). The more afflicted these planets are, the more likely that the individual will experience some kind of suffering relating to that area of life. Obviously, there are a range of possible outcomes here so we should be careful to not rush to judgment about the possibility of sexual assault. Many decent people can have an afflicted Mars and Venus and not do harm to other people. Therefore, we could look at Venus and Mars in this case as somewhat necessary but not sufficient conditions for "explaining" abnormal sexual behavior, especially that which injures others.
We can see that Cosby’s Venus (representing women) is subject to significant affliction. It is widely conjunct Ketu (South Lunar Node). By itself, this is not a damaging influence although it does suggest a possibility of thinking about women in a different or unconventional way. Saturn’s 3rd house (60 degree) aspect is much closer to exact, however, and this is more problematic, especially by virtue of hindsight. On the plus side, we can see that Bill Cosby has been married to wife, Camille, for 50 years. Saturn is the planet of the long term so this Saturn-to-Venus aspect could be seen as relationships to women that last a long time. But Saturn’s more negative side could also manifest here, especially since it is tucked back there in the 1st house. It is almost a 12th house Saturn and therefore could carry some of that hidden and secretive 12th house energy with it.
But the bigger problem for Cosby could be his sex drive (Mars). His Mars is sitting exactly on the equal 8th house cusp. The 8th house is already a sexual house with a tendency for extreme or intense energy. Mars in the 8th usually indicates a person with a high sex drive. Mars aspects Venus (and Ketu) through its 8th house aspect so that could ramp up his sexuality that much more. In fact, the 210-degree 8th house aspect exactly conjoins his 3rd house cusp. The 3rd house represents determination and will and this Mars influence would likely increase Cosby’s sense of initiative and ambition. Given his highly-sexed chart, this strong sense of determination could more easily translate into extraordinary measures to fulfill his physical desires, perhaps even to the point of transgressing the wishes of others.
The reason why Cosby is facing these kinds of questions about his past behavior now can be seen just though the transits. When Hannibal Buress made his public accusation against him on on October 16th, transiting Saturn was exactly conjunct his Mars. This is often a transit that indicates some kind of stressful situation, and given the 8th house Mars placement, it is more likely that the situation should involve an embarrassment or scandal that interferes with normal life. We can also see that Ketu (25 Pisces) was just past its exact conjunction with the Ascendant (27 Pisces) — another classic timing indicator for new challenges that upset routines. Depending on Cosby’s exact time of birth (00.30 is the listed time and seemingly rounded off), the nodes may even be closer to exact. We should also note the square aspect between Neptune and Venus. Neptune-Venus squares usually involve some kind of distortion or deception (Neptune) involving women (Venus). In less afflicted charts, they can simply coincide with a failed romance or a romance that is on shaky ground. They may also represent some kind of illness or suffering that involves women. But given the other simultaneous transits in Cosby’s chart, this Neptune affliction of Venus could also be interpreted as deceptions involving women that causes greater suffering to the self.
Cosby may be receiving some protective effects from Jupiter’s close aspect to the Ascendant. Jupiter stations next week and then begins to move backwards away from this point. Without this positive Jupiter influence, I would think Cosby’s problems could increase in early 2015. Ketu and Rahu will still in prominent through their trine aspect to their natal positions in December and early January although this would not appear to be qualitatively worse than what has happened thus far.
But the real risk here is that Saturn will be moving towards a very close opposition aspect with his Venus in February and March. The retrograde station in March will only be one degree from an exact aspect with Venus so additional difficulties with women are likely then. Significantly, Cosby is running the Saturn-Venus dasha period now so this Saturn-to-Venus transit is an apt reflection of those planet’s energies. This may be the time when Cosby is finally held to account for his past actions with women. One would think his marriage will suffer at this time and that his status and income will also become more vulnerable. Saturn will remain within range of his Venus throughout all of 2015 so I would not expect things to improve for him. Indeed, they are likely to get worse. Ketu hits his natal Saturn in June. Since Saturn rules his 12th house, he may be more likely to suffer some tangible losses or undergo more formal punishment at that time.
