Fabrice Muamba – Capturing the hearts and collective love of the sporting world.

Firstly sorry I have been away for a while as I have been doing some study in other areas of astrology. I return with a sports story that has captured the hearts of many around the globe. Fabrice Muamba who was playing for Bolton Wanderers on Saturday 17th March 12 when he suddenly collapsed on the pitch in a FA Cup match versus Tottenham without warning. Paramedics rushed onto the pitch giving him instant treatment as he suffered a cardiac arrest, and probably saved his life. How can a fit athletic 23 year old suddenly go from looking as energetic as anyone on the pitch in one minute, to fighting for his life the next? As an astrologer, I know that these critical moments in life are so often buried in the natal chart waiting there to be activated.

Fabrice was born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and travelled to the UK as an asylum seeker with his father at age 11. He is an assertive Sun Sign Aries with either a Scorpio or Sagittarius Moon; because of the lack of a birth time the Moon lies in that range where it could have been in either sign. This is a very go ahead chart with planets in cardinal signs yet also down to earth too. Five planets sit in earth signs including Saturn in Capricorn instilling huge ambition and work ethic in him. Fabrice despite coming to the UK unable to speak a word of English went on to excel in his school studies, and to all accounts was constantly trying to improve himself, which holds up the qualities of the Capricorn Saturn and Aries Sun. I can imagine this is a lad who is quite quiet but determined (Saturn square Mercury) but someone who would be direct in thinking and speaking up (Aries Mercury) as well as obviously having a sharp mind (Mercury square Uranus).

Now what was sitting in his chart?  The thing I eventually focused on after a lot of searching was Chiron, the wounded healer sitting at 24 Gemini square to the Nodal Axis. Now this is where I get rather technical. Chiron sits at a point which is known in ancient horary astrology as at the “North Bendings”. Effectively what you do is find the North Node then move round in a clockwise motion. The first square point – at 90 degrees to the North Node is called the “South Bendings”. The point opposite this (270 degrees clockwise from the North Node is called the “North Bendings”. These two points historically are very significant. Any planets sitting here are at odds with the direction of the life force and so can manifest themselves quite awkwardly. The difference between the two points seem to be that a planet located at the South Bendings is used by the subject internally or as a point of release or sacrifice to the collective – the energy can’t be used well in an outward manner. Conversely planets at the North Bendings sees the energy coming in an inward manner and so any planet sitting here will be shown through events and experiences in the outside world, sometimes happenings one has little or no control over.

With Fabrice the one planet sitting square to that Nodal Axis was Chiron, the planet associated with wounding, suffering and healing. Not only that but this Chiron was also weakened severely by a quindecile to Neptune at 10 Capricorn in the natal chart. Neptune in Capricorn is in it’s fall sign, the one where it traditionally operates less well than elsewhere in the chart. Chiron also received a wide opposition from erratic Uranus conjunct to Saturn. One can safely say that natal Chiron on his chart was very much under stress and vulnerable to transits from any malefic planets, which could affect some wounding in him in some way.

Moving forward to the night of the match where he collapsed, that Chiron was under even more attack. Transiting Pluto was conjunct to Fabrice’s Neptune making a close quindecile to Chiron (0:20 degrees) and the transiting  North Node was also making an even closer quindecile (0:10 degrees). I have noticed on many occasions this Yod like structure often being the catalyst for significant events in people’s lives. On this occasion, the planet under stress Chiron was at the North Bendings point, so an event of wounding and suffering did occur to him, a cardiac arrest completely out of his personal control.

You know the thing about Chiron is that once the wounding occurs, it often manifests a great outpouring of love. I have read that Chiron shows our true direction in life, the route through which we can receive the truest form of received love. In such a manner, the concern and the wonderful worldwide response to Fabrice’s plight and condition has been heart warming. Just looking at the alignment of the planets in that night in Tottenham is revealing. We have a cross, Mars representing the sportsman opposed by a combination of Chiron and Neptune, Chiron’s wounding and the associated collective love, sacrifice and suffering of Neptune, all square to the Nodal axis of the day. This event was meant to happen at this time!!

Thankfully to all reports, Fabrice is slowly showing signs of recovery. His heart is now beating unaided and he has moved his limbs. One can only hope that he will make some sort of recovery. With the brain being starved of blood on the same manner as Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands a few weeks ago who was caught in an avalanche, one does wonder what type of recovery he will make. I urge caution, as on this incident as transiting Uranus was conjunct Fabrice’s natal Mercury (ruling the brain) as well as being square to it’s own position and Saturn. These aspects alone can bring difficult circumstances, but with a natal square between Mercury and these two planets Saturn & Uranus sitting there in the chart, a difficult transit could activate a hidden weakness in him.

Just to show that this is not an isolated case, look at the chart of another person who had Chiron square to the nodal axis, former boxer Michael Watson. He was critically injured in a fight back in September 1991 with Chris Eubank and after being in a coma, he has since become a beacon of light and love for the boxing community in the UK. Amazingly at his birth we have a similar picture to the one a few nights ago. At the North Bendings point square the nodal axis we have Uranus Mars and Pluto in Virgo showing the outward aggression and boxing skill of Michael using his brutal side in a most public way, and of course suffered when he was floored by Eubank on that fateful night. At the South Bendings point we see Chiron & Venus (conjunct to Saturn), showing the internal wounds that he suffered as well as the love and contentment Michael now receives from the collective. Michaels Chiron like Fabrice’s was compromised from birth, weakened by difficult natal aspects, liable to wounding of the most severe nature. Despite these inherent weaknesses, Michael without doubt is now truly loved  by everyone for the way and the dignity he showed in dealing with his own injuries, even completing the London Marathon several years ago, a feat that is difficult for most people let alone ones who suffered such a handicap as he did.

I dare say whatever the future holds for Fabrice, he will forever be in the hearts and minds of everyone for the rest of his life. He’s a battler for sure, and in getting to the UK out of Africa and succeeding in the English Premier League shows fortitude and determination. He needs all resolve again right now.

******* UPDATE 21st March 2012 *******

So pleased to hear that Fabrice is recovering well. He is a lucky lucky lad as the doctor/cardiologist who treated him on the pitch was quoted to say that he was “effectively dead for 78 minutes!!”. This appears like an isolated incident that just happened to him. Looking astrologically between Fabrice and Michael Watson there is one crucial difference. Chiron on Michael’s chart made a direct connection to his Sun whereas Fabrice’s Chiron is rather disconnected from the other inner personal planets on his one. I truly hope he can make a full recovery.