Just as people and events can have natal charts, so can cities and countries. Astrodienst has an extensive database of charts for various locations throughout the world and the one for Manhattan piqued my interest. New York City has an intriguing mythos around it, despite being a very real place. It's often characterized as the city of pursuing one's dreams, striking it rich, or finding one's community – especially for queer people alienated by conservative origins.
The fantasy of New York is preserved by media which more often than not depicts the lives of wealthy straight white people, which is just a fraction of the population in a multi-cultural and racially diverse city. While often characterized as a "safe-haven" for liberal politics, New York City is not exempt from issues related to racism, sexism, transphobia, ableism, and any other institution that marginalizes people. It's a city with a complex history – from using slave labor to build it to its occupation of lands belonging to the Algonquian peoples.
This post seeks to use astrological interpretations to add another layer to how we perceive and experience a place like Manhattan, New York. I will be looking specifically at Manhattan, although I know New York City is composed of five boroughs. Each neighborhood has its own unique history and astrological significance that's worth exploring too, but perhaps in another post.
Map of New Amsterdam, circa 1660
For this interpretation, I'll be looking at the chart when lower Manhattan was first purchased by Dutch settler Peter Minuit from the Lenape, which is most consistently dated at 1626. This was actually an illegal deal between Minuit and Seyseys, the chief of the Canarsees. He sold land that was controlled by the Weckquaesgeeks, which the Dutch settlers further marginalized when they protested their occupation. It was difficult to find the exact date of when this happened, so I'll rely on Astrodienst's claim that it occurred on May 16th, 1626 at 8:56 AM.
Then, I'll be examining the chart of when New Amsterdam was renamed New York City. This happened barely 40 years later – on September 8th, 1664 – when Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor at the time, surrendered the colony to Britain. Finally, I'll be taking a closer look at the chart that captures the consolidation of the City of New York which occurred on January 1st, 1898. This expansion incorporated Brooklyn, western Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
By interpreting these charts in isolation and later in connection, I hope to weave together an astrological vision of a complicated and interesting history of New York City.
New Amsterdam: the Inception of Prosperous Delusion
One of the interesting aspects that first caught my eye is the exact conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune in Libra located in the 4th house. This aspect occurs approximately every 13 years and tends to exaggerate both planet's negative and positive qualities. Jupiter aggrandizes everything it touches while Neptune tends to dissolve boundaries. There is a limitless quality to this transit, which can create the opportunity for being incredibly far-reaching in one's ambitions. It can also bolster deception.
Perhaps this aspect solidifies the idea of the prosperous delusion, which would explain why Peter Minuit was duped in his deal with Seyseys. It's likely that Minuit's vision for New Amsterdam was so broad that he failed to acknowledge the practical steps it would take to get there. In addition to this, Neptune and Jupiter square the Moon in Capricorn, aspects that evoke the issue of proper discernment between reality and fantasy.
This dynamic is present even in modern depictions of Manhattan as the city of pursuing your dreams. Movies and television shows often glamorize the journies of naive young people moving to the city and living in gorgeous loft apartments despite being interns. While this may be the experience of some, it's definitely not the reality of many.
In the chart of New Amsterdam, Uranus in Leo squares the Sun, Venus, and Pluto in Leo. These difficult aspects reveal a dynamic, albeit intense, relationship with change and transformation. Uranus square Pluto tends to reveal major shifts or break-downs of institutional power. Not too long after Peter Minuit illegally acquired Manhattan, King Charles I of England dissolved the English Parliament. He believed he didn't need Parliament's advice or consent to rule England.
While the effects of Uranus square Pluto aren't inherently negative, it's impossible to see European occupation of indigenous land in a positive light. Perhaps this tense square between major outer planets symbolizes the volatile beginnings of New York City.
New York City: a Blueprint Etched with Patterns from the Past
In this chart, there is the same Jupiter-Neptune conjunction although it's significantly weaker than it was nearly 20 years ago. Both of these planets are now in Capricorn instead of Libra. It's fascinating that Jupiter is so close to Neptune again, given the fact that Jupiter only takes a year to travel through all the signs. This cosmic alignment with the chart of New Amsterdam reaffirms the expansive dreaminess of New York City, but this time, in a more grounded, materialistic way.
This chart has two T-squares. Saturn is opposite Pluto which both square Mercury and the Sun. All these planets are in mutable signs – Sagittarius, Gemini, and Virgo – which tend to create a feeling of never feeling satisfied with one's progress, despite investing a lot of time and energy into working towards something. Saturn opposite Pluto is an intense aspect that can reveal conflicts of power and domination. It's not surprising this chart delineates the Dutch's defeat and England's victory. Perhaps it also foreshadows the eventual power struggle between the English colonies and monarchy.
This chart also contains a square between Neptune and the Moon like the first chart, but now the Moon is in Aries instead of Capricorn. This aspect also feels like another cosmic flux, as the Moon only takes about 2 to 3 days to move between signs. Despite New Amsterdam's demise, New York City is imprinted with this push and pull between creative imagination and tempting illusion.
The Consolidation of New York City: Holy Capricorn!
On January 1st, 1898, New York City evolved beyond it's Manhattan origin to include Brooklyn, Queens, the Brox, and Staten Island. Part of what fueled this political decision was New York City's competition with Chicago, another major city of commerce and trade. This context seems obvious given the Capricorn stellium in the 10th house of career and recognition!
The exact conjunction of the Sun with the chart's Midheaven also reveals a strong pride in the work-orientated New York City port. Perhaps this is a lingering legacy, given New York City's prominent dominance in business ventures and the competitive job market. The present-day culture of this city also seems to revolve around one's public image and how one is seen in a professional or influential sense.
Like in the previous chart when Britain overtook New Amsterdam, Saturn also opposes Pluto in the city's consolidation. Before this bill was passed, there were many people who did not support the merge. Since history is often recorded by and for the elite, we know that many elites of these different regions thought they would become financially responsible or Manhattan's problems. It's possible that even working-class citizens thought they'd have to pay higher taxes too. The Saturn-Pluto opposition may also be an influence in the United States declaring war on Spain a few months later in April.
Since Neptune has been a prominent point of my analysis, let's look closer at the opposition between Neptune in Gemini and Mars in Sagittarius. Mars is in the 29th degree, which is considered a crucial point that indicates urgency. Since Mars is a planet of action and initiation, it's possible this degree can result in aggressive or uninhibited passion. Jupiter is also squaring Mars, which further intensifies the competitive exuberance already associated with Mars in a fire sign. Perhaps this could explain why New York politicians felt so eager to prove their city was better than Chicago. In a more symbolic sense, this aspect can create ample motivation but also an inflated sense of confidence.
An opposition between Neptune and Mars can expose the darker undercurrents of subconscious desire. There's often a discord between presentation and internal motivation with this aspect, which creates an imbalance in interpersonal relationships. In the context of New York City's consolidation, perhaps there is a general suspicion about how the parts fit together as a whole. This aspect could also reveal the gritty underbelly of this major metropolitan city, where competition, deception, and feelings of inadequacy are just as part of the culture as glamour, self-confidence, and professional competence.
It's interesting to see the repetitive patterns across these three charts, especially the iterations of the tension between reality/fantasy and rapid change/unhinged mutability. The history and present-day of New York City are influenced by more than astrology transits, so it's important to acknowledge the complexities of European colonization, western capitalism, and the marginalization of minorities within its formation. I have only lived in New York City for one year, so I don't have extensive personal experience with the nuanced aspects of this dynamic city. I'd love to hear your thoughts, dear reader, about what you think of my analysis.
