Sad news today that Steve Irwin, TV’s “Crocodile Hunter,” was killed by a stingray while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. Irwin was born February 22, 1962 – a Pisces Sun (opposed Pluto), but one of those folks with a cluster of planets in Aquarius. I don’t know his time of birth, but at the time of his death transiting Jupiter was conjunct his natal Neptune and progressed Jupiter was conjunct his natal Sun. Wouldn’t you have thought that would be a lovely transit? I suppose it depends on your interpretation of “lovely.” Jupiter enlarges us, and there is ultimately nothing larger or more lovely, I suppose, than to merge with the cosmos – though it never seems to feel like that to those who are left behind.
Fortunately, I know nothing about how to predict death in a natal chart, and would like to keep it that way. I do know that my teacher used to tell us that Jupiter usually figured more prominently in charts of death than we would normally expect, given his reputation as a sort of kindly, jovial uncle who brings us gifts and enjoyment. And I doubt it’s coincidental that the Saturn/Neptune opposition at 17 Leo/Aquarius hit Irwin’s natal planets pretty hard, too, conjunct his Nodal axis, close to natal Mars and Jupiter (conjunct and opposed Uranus), and square Neptune.
It’s odd that the news of his death feels so surprising, given that this was a guy who made a living getting up close and personal with beasts of the wild. But it is surprising. He had such an oversized, ebullient persona – Jupiterian, indeed – that it’s a bit of a shock that his luck ran out. I’m keeping his wife and two young children in my thoughts today.
