Self-named, self-invented, self-motivated, champion boxer Muhammad Ali was a modern embodiment of the archetype of hero. He was charismatic, strong, graceful, poetic in speech, courageous in deed. He spoke up for the millions and laughed at the powerful. He took his punishment squarely and came back to defeat his enemies. He was brave and inventive.
Muhammad (Cassius Marcellus Clay Jnr) was born in Louisville, Kentucky at 18.35 on 17th January 1942 into a poor family in the city. On 3 June 2016, the greatest sportsman of the twentieth century died at the age of 74. The extraordinary Heavy Weight World Champion Cassius Clay was born when the Moon was transiting Aquarius and the Sun Capricorn, both in the Sixth House, the Sun in square to Mars in Taurus (see his struggle with Parkinson disease which eventually killed him).
Here I am re-posting an article on Muhammad Ali’s Astrology I did publish in occasion of his death, on June 3, 2016. Like many great figured we’ve lost recently… David Bowie and Prince are two that come to mind… Muhammad Ali will tend to reflect back to us what we want to see about him.
Looking at his astrology chart, I want to try and dig a little deeper to try to explain why he was “simply the greatest”.
The Sun in Capricorn and Leo Rising
He was a Sun sign Capricorn, had an Aquarius Moon and a proud Leo ascendant. The Sun in Capricorn showed someone who would always have great ambition in his life and would want to make an impression by doing the right thing. Capricorns are patient and disciplined and often doubt their own ability producing a wonderful humble streak, and yet the world can be their oyster as they know the value of preparation and hard work. Capricorns do tend to have a quirky streak and on occasions they can be hysterically funny too.
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Also, the golden Sun rules the chart from the sign of Capricorn - cardinal earth - often a physically strong placement. Capricorn Sun can take a beating. And Ali’s Sun is pivotal in a wonderful earth Grand Trine that dominates his chart, connecting glamorous, smooth Neptune in Virgo (poetry), Uranus (surprise attack) in Taurus and that Sun.
Here is Leo Rising: the sign of the king on the Ascendant. Again Leo Rising. This man would want to be front and centre in being known for his achievements (Capricorn Sun) and in his life I think he achieved that, don’t you?
His Ascendant was Leo and so the Sun in Capricorn was his Ruling Planet. That Neptune combined with Leo Rising gave Ali his shine. He was never just a boxer, he was always a superstar.
Like a real hero, Muhammad Ali set an example by his deeds. Again this is the right journey for Leo Rising, balanced in his case by the stellium in popular Aquarius.
Often, coming from adversity gives you the motivation to aspire to greatness. Like so many famous people I have looked in the past, the young Cassius Clay had a lack of love from his father and this is often confirmed by Saturn being retrograde in the chart as is the case here.
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The Sun was part of a grand earth trine connected to Neptune and Uranus so I am unsure whether the young Cassius would have got the proper guidance from his dad that he really needed. Growing up as the eldest child in any family is not easy and any Capricorn can severely suffer with self doubt and self worth if they are not given the love that they need.
The Sun in Capricorn, in the House of ‘Health and Sickness’ (sixth), with the Moon and Mercury in Aquarius in the same House, say a lot about the chronic illness he had to live with for most of his life.
At home he was vilified and even hated for the anti-military position he took, his vocal stance against discrimination and the action of changing his faith. This peaceful and public stance from a man from an “inferior race” and of different religious beliefs to many around him was also directed at the nation through his refusal to join the military during the Vietnam War, which drew meant that the authorities threatened to throw him in jail.
Aquarius Moon and Venus
The Moon in Aquarius showed a real compassionate and independent streak in Ali, and through it his emotions were very much cooled allowing him to detach them from any task he was doing. There is an enigmatic and magical quality to anyone with an Aquarian Moon, they are unpredictable and yet incredibly kind too. Here is a sneaky liking for a bit of glamour and being in the spotlight, and this dispensation was enhanced immensely by the Leo Ascendant.
Ali’s Venus in Aquarius finds beauty in patterns. He was a dancing fighter, like a toreador. Venus (grace) is in mutual reception with both Saturn (ambition) and Uranus (surprise) both in heavy, earthy Taurus. Venus conjuncts Moon-Mercury so again we might expect dexterity. It’s right on the Descendant too, opposite the will-filled Leo Rising.
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Ali’s Mercury and Venus were, like the Moon, in Aquarius and all conjunct, all in trine to Jupiter in Gemini. The emphasis on Aquarius, with the Moon (opposition Chiron, the wounded healer), Mercury and Venus in this Sign, are a testimony to his strong social conscience and the desire to right injustice and discrimination in the world. Like many strongly Aquarian types he trail blazed his way through history, anticipating trends and broadcasting ideas that were hardly considered acceptable at the time he became famous.
It is interesting that in his house of self worth and values, the 2nd house sat Neptune and the North Node. This was his goal in life, to foster that self worth in himself and to achieve a dream of financial and spiritual peace.
The Moon is closely aligned to Mercury, aspect that made Ali highly intuitive and receptive, with a strong emotional need to communicate. His speech was often coloured by emotions, trying to convey his feelings as well as his ideas.
Aquarius confers special talent with quickness of mind and of thought. Combined with the cool Aquarian Moon calming the emotions, Ali was able to outthink his opponents as well as out manoeuvre them, keeping calm to deliver the knockout blow of an assassin while maintaining his composure.
Moon in Aquarius trine to Jupiter showed a wonderful philanthropic attitude. This was a generous man who cared deeply about those suffering around him.
We have Venus in his 7th house of relationships bang opposite his Ascendant in humanitarian kind Aquarius. Venus in Aquarius likes to relate, to get on with people and thus will rebel against discrimination.
Mars in Taurus
Mars, his physicality, is in Taurus - a boxer’s placement (“Raging Bull”), and it is making a tight aspect to Pluto. This square is a killer punch. The planets in Taurus give stamina. Ali said fighting Frazier in Manila was like going to hell and back.
His Mars was in Taurus in the Ninth House. The Midheaven is in Taurus, with Mars nearby - a natural indicator of athletic potential. Now, normally one might look at Mars in Taurus (which is a naturally “debilitated” placement according to traditional techniques) squared by both the Sun and Pluto and assume that this guy was a rageoholic (those squares) who turned his propensity for violence towards his spouse (Venus on the Descendant). In fact, he was physically powerful (strongly aspected Mars) gifted with unusual boxing technique (the ruler of Mars is in Aquarius).
Mars, the masculine planet of assertion, is in stubborn, wilful Taurus, making Ali indeed a fierce opponent, his likes and dislikes clearly pronounced.
From his Capricorn Sun there is an opposition to Pluto in Leo, yet another indication of wanting to be a notable person and this opposition is squared by Mars in Taurus. Mars in Taurus has a store of steady energy and this was enhanced by Pluto. Mars Pluto can be hugely destructive and hugely controlling. Ali could summon his energy expertly, using his technique (Sun in 6th) allied to his brute strength (Mars/Pluto).
We all know that Cassius Clay changed his name to Mohammed Ali because of his association to the Nation of Islam group, headed by Malcolm X. Here we see Mars in the 9th house of faith and it’s sign Aries on the cusp of the 9th squared by Pluto the planet of transformation.
Three midpoints completed the picture. Ali’s Mars sat opposite his Sun Pluto midpoint (huge aggression and control), his Saturn opposed his Sun/North Node midpoint (known for his ambition and work) and Pluto opposed his Sun/Moon midpoint (transformation of his identity).
It is interesting that after changing his religion and name, it was abroad where Ali’s new identity was more accepted. Mars and Aries in the 9th not only shows athletic ability shown internationally, but and enthusiasm and progressive attitude to his personality away from the US. Mars received a square from Pluto, so abroad there was jealousy of his ability, but ultimately his ability and his humanitarian stance won over his critics there. In contrast in the US it was much harder for him to gain acceptance.
Additional Astrological Aspects
This chart gets an AA rating from astrodatabank.
Saturn (rules) and Uranus (rule-changing), the two rulers of Aquarius are working together - so he played within the rules of boxing, but he played differently, and when he was never tried to dodge the draft, he simply refused to be drafted.
By going to hell - the boxing ring - he brought back a fortune. He made a lot of money boxing.
Ali had a tendency to fight with his fists down and his head up - which is the first habit any YMCA boxing instructor would normally berate his students for. Similarly, Ali made his quirks a strength. His fighting style wasn’t textbook… it was merely perfect. Keeping his head up provided a huge target to any opponent, but Ali’s almost supernatural reaction speed (Mercury conjunct the Moon, both aspecting the Midheaven) meant few of those punches would land. His style was uniquely suited to his strengths, as befits Aquarius.
One more thing worth noting is the Moon-Pluto aspect. This can make a person an emotional powerhouse (for good or ill), but one of the things that often comes with that aspect is physical toughness.
Muhammad has three major planets in his 10th house of worldly ambition and career, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Both Saturn and Jupiter in this house conferred the desire to be someone of note and someone who made a big impression on people, touched their lives in some manner. My word, didn’t he do that?!! Uranus here bucks society, shows a rebel tendency and wants to initiate change. Now what type of change? Peaceful change.
It is interesting that after changing his religion and name, it was abroad where Ali’s new identity was more accepted.
Looking to his 3rd house of his local environment and his 4th house of home and country things were more tricky. On the 3rd house cusp we find Libra and Venus it’s ruler receives a squares from a critical Saturn and rebellious Uranus. The 4th house cusp has Scorpio on it’s cusp, and of course Pluto it’s ruler receives a square from aggressive Mars.
The same peaceful ascendant/Venus opposition is squared by Saturn, laying down the law against him. You know in astrology when you get to planets in conjunction and in competition in the same sign, there may be a battle for supremacy but the slower moving planet will always win. This time in a battle between Saturn square Ascendant/Venus and Uranus square Ascendant/Venus, Uranus did win the day, Ali had the charges eventually dropped and this provided the inspiration for his friend Martin Luther King to raise his voice on behalf of the oppressed black community in America.
There was however a second link to faith on the chart. We have a grand earth trine on the chart, a store of talent & inspiration which was one of the driving forces in his life. Uranus in his public 10th house trine to spiritual Neptune in his 2nd house of self-worth trine to his Capricorn Sun. By changing religion, Ali became twice the person and his self belief would have soared. By using his spiritual beliefs in opposing war, he change society and precipitated a revolution of equality.
As might be expected, Sun-which also forms a Large Talent Triangle in earth with Uranus and Neptune-seeks the limelight in the cardinal zone of the 6th house, and Pluto is focused in the fixed section of the 12th.
Haumea, the Hawaiian goddess of creation is at 16°13 Leo, behind Ali’s Ascendant at 19°32 Leo and in opposition to Venus on Descendant, while Venus in Aquarius is exactly sextile Sedna the Pacific sea goddess at 20°02 of Aries in the 9th house, emphasizing far-reaching impact of Ali’s charisma.
Makemake, the creator bird god of Easter Island, at 11°49 Cancer in the 11th house adds a splash of water to a predominantly earth/air chart, combining a quincunx to Moon and a semi-sextile Jupiter to make a new Searching Figure and give imagination to Ali’s quest on behalf of humanity.
The Sun was also part of a Earth Grand Trine with Uranus-Saturn in Taurus and Neptune in Virgo.
Parkinson's Disease
Of course as Ali’s glittering boxing career ended and he moved into middle age, he had another battle to fight, his one with Parkinson’s disease. I return to that Pluto in the 12th house opposing Ali’s Sun Moon and Mercury in the 6th house of health. Pluto is retrograde and coming out of the 12th house of sacrifice and suffering.
Whenever I see an opposition across the 6th/12 house of health axis involving an outer planet (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto) and one of the planets involved in the opposition rules the ascendant (this time the Sun), one knows that health issues may affect the subject and the body. Pluto not only opposed the Sun, but also opposed the Moon ruling that same 12th house and made an opposition to Mercury representing the brain. Parkinson’s disease is a slow degrading of the brain, exactly expressed by this opposition.
Conclusion
He was undoubtedly an amazing human being, with endless compassion and the heart of a lion. He may have been known as a warrior in the boxing ring, but I think the greatest fight he won was the stand he took in opposing violence and eventually bringing freedom to his community. He’s now free from pain, and may he forever rest in peace.
Like all proper heroes, Ali was flawed. Sometimes his trash talk was just trash, and perhaps he should have stopped boxing earlier, but what a man, what a life. Has there been another sports champion as clever, as beautiful and as articulate?
Table with some additional data:
| Planet | Sign | House |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Capricorn | 6th |
| Moon | Aquarius | 6th |
| Mercury | Aquarius | 6th |
| Venus | Aquarius | 7th |
| Mars | Taurus | 9th |
| Jupiter | Gemini | 11th |
| Saturn | Taurus | 10th |
| Uranus | Taurus | 10th |
| Neptune | Virgo | 2nd |
| Pluto | Leo | 12th |