Was Martha a scapegoat? 

Commentators concerned with matters of civil liberties and abuses of power by the government have cited Martha’s case as one where she was used by the US Justice Department as an example to the public; while letting offenders of a much greater magnitude, such as Kenneth Lay of Enron who sold off $80 million in company stock while telling his employees to keep buying[1]. 

Many feminists are regarding the trial of Martha Stewart’s as an excessive-masculine government attack at a powerful (and basically benign) feminine figure.  Of all publications, it was Ms. Magazine that came to her defense[2]. 

Recapping Martha’s natal chart; her most powerful planet is the Sun, which is the lord of the eleventh house powerfully placed in the tenth in Cancer.  In plain English, she is a dominating, authoritative individual who focuses on home, family, and issues of comfort and security; and she is considered a success.  Click here to see Martha’s chart

The Sun in Cancer clearly highlights the idea that Martha Stewart embodies at some level the archetypal feminine mother goddess with her great nurturing power and focus on personal needs.  Was the Stewart trial a not-to-subtle message from the government? 

Martha’s Ascendant ruler, Venus; is in regal, but magnanimous Leo in the eleventh house; again reinforcing her success and ability to receive the rewards of her career.  Both Martha’s Sun and Venus, as important chart rulers; are well placed in the other varga charts (navamsha, dasamsha, etc.); which gives Martha an overall positive factor. 

Martha’s much-touted aggressiveness would be attributed to her Moon in fiery Sagittarius in the contentious third house, the dispositor of which (Jupiter) is in the intense eighth house conjunct malefic Saturn.  In the career and reputation chart, the dasamsha; Martha has her powerful Sun (referenced above) in the equally contentious and hard-driving 6^th house; and her dasamsha Mars (focusing ambition and aggressiveness) is also prominently placed[3]. Click here to see Martha’s dasamsha chart

Martha’s “Fatal Flaw"

In Martha’s legal situation it is very important to take into account her prominent Sun in the tenth house of career success is also conjunct the twelfth house ruler, Mercury.  The twelfth house influence is one of slander and conspiracies against oneself.  In effect, Martha has the astrological signature of a “fall” from grace, but one possibly brought about maliciously by one’s enemies. 

Martha does have a particularly nasty combination of planets; Mars and Saturn, two malefics, in her navamsha twelfth house reinforcing the theme of “hidden enemies”[4].  Click hre to see Martha’s navamsha chart

Martha’s conviction (March 5, 2004) coincided roughly with the commencement of her Sun dasa[5] (period) on February 18, 2004.  Remember the Sun is Martha’s powerful indicator of success and fame, but it is also tainted by its connection to the twelfth house ruler; so the acclaim for her in this period would be of the negative variety. Click here to see Martha’s dasa periods

Martha’s next sub-period commences in January 2005, that of the Moon.  The Moon in Martha’s chart is somewhat afflicted by its position in the third house and its dispositor being in the eighth conjunct Saturn.  The 2005 period, supposedly when an appeal is fully underway, does not look to be smooth sailing. 

Transiting Saturn (a malefic) moving through her tenth house of career and reputation in sidereal Cancer will not let anything come easy to Martha through 2006.  Saturn only has two bindus in Cancer for Martha, and Saturn is intrinsically debased in Cancer anyway.