MIKEY WALSH – “THE GOONIES”

“Goonies never say die!”

Mikey Walsh is a 13-year-old boy who leads his friends, the self-titled Goonies, to an adventure that involves a pirate treasure; one that changes their lives forever.

His Sun is in Pisces, the Moon is in Aries, and the Ascendant is in Sagittarius.

The Sun in Pisces reflects a sensitive, compassionate, and gentle individual, who adjusts to situations rather quickly, and who has tendencies to escape reality through fantasy and great imagination (and/or a possible addiction, which is not the case here). The Sun in the 3rd house points to communication of all sorts, short journeys (of the mind and body), and social interchanges to be areas in the life in which the native shines. The stellium in the 3rd house adds to the Sun’s 3rd house placement and additionally stresses Mikey’s immediate environment and neighborhood (the Goon Docks), his bond to his brother and neighbors, who are also his friends (Aquarius in the 3rd house and on the cusp), short excursions (a neighborhood adventure), and even acting as a communicator; in our case, in a spiritual way to a certain extent between One-Eyed Willy and his fellow Goonies (Mercury conjunct Neptune).

The Moon in Aries implies of an impatient and independent person, who desires to lead and who passionately goes after what he wants. This is not a dormant position: Natives whose emotional lives are in Aries thrive on instant gratification and feel highly confident when facing challenges. Mikey’s excitement over and impulsive need to go on the adventure that suddenly presents itself is proof of this planetary position. 

The Moon in the 4th house (accidentally dignified) points to great focus on one’s domestic life and stresses his deep need to feel safe in and connected to his home environment and the family. This feeling is obviously under quite a bit of stress in Mikey’s life right now due to the imminent foreclosure on his house and consequent move. A close observation shows that other people’s resources and support tend to affect the native’s emotional well-being: This is seen by the Moon’s rulership of the 8th house and in the 4th house, Mars’ rulership of the Moon in the 4th, in Scorpio, and the Moon’s trine to Pluto and in the 8th. Since the Moon is mostly creating soft aspects with some other planets in this chart (which will be described later), the boy’s general sense of security is somewhat balanced. However, it must be noted that that the Moon is placed in Aries, not a warm and fuzzy sign in which it feels comfortable, as well as is approaching a square to Saturn, a serious aspect that brings feelings of responsibility and even melancholy with it. (The orb of this square is very wide and the exact aspect took place over a day after Mikey was born. However, when the Moon approaches a hard angle to another planet in its two-and-a-half-day cycle in one sign, I, personally, make a point to notate that. The importance of this wide-orbed aspect will be modified by other factors in the horoscope, as the case is with anything else found in a chart.)

Sagittarius Rising reflects a person who approaches life with a restless and philosophical spirit, optimism, and an adventurous attitude. This individual usually takes chances in pursuing his grand visions, which are generally based on blind faith and luck and rarely on practicality and calculative planning. This expression can be modified by the sign and house placements of the ruler of the chart, depending whether it’s positioned in a complementing sign and/or house to that of the ASC sign’s, or not. Here, Jupiter is in the same sign of that of the rising point’s and in the one that it rules (Sagittarius), as well as placed in the 12th house, a house in which it is accidentally dignified (by traditional rulership), which reiterate the ASC sign’s natural expressions. 

In addition, there are three standouts in this chart that must be addressed:

1. Fire Grand Trine and Kite
2. Pluto-Uranus Opposition
3. Planetary Dignities

A quick examination of the elements reveals a Fire Grand Trine that is formed between the Moon in Aries in the 4th, Pluto in Leo in the 8th, and Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 12th. This configuration highly emphasizes the Fire element in the personality, which benefits the boy with high spirits, enthusiasm, passion, courage, and a general positive energy.

Moon trine Jupiter reflects an everlasting inner sense of hope and inspiration and high levels of optimism; Moon trine Pluto implies of regenerative emotional powers, deep attractions to life’s mysteries, a need to dig deep into situations, and an intuitive understanding of the unseen; and Jupiter trine Pluto points to the ability to bring about change and transformation through inspiration and on a large scale. The involvement of the three water houses – the 4th, 8th and 12th – in this configuration focuses on hidden, psychological, complicated, criminal, and even psychic elements in the expression of this planetary pattern.

Interestingly, the expedition on which Mikey leads his fellow Goonies is literally detailed in this Fire Grand Trine: An adventure (Jupiter/Sagittarius) that is based on a mysterious, vague, and exaggerated tale (Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 12th house) about a larger-than-life pirate (Pluto) and his hidden treasure (Pluto in Leo in the 8th house), which eventually save the Goonies’ homes (Pluto and Jupiter trine Moon and in the 4th house) from foreclosure and demolition. The activation of this important configuration is set in motion through the planetary progressions in the boy’s horoscope and their activating transits of the day. (More on that later.)

It must be noted that great potential for inheritance and other people’s resources (like One-Eyed Willy’s loot) is certainly reflected in this horoscope through the Moon, Jupiter, and Pluto’s accidentally dignified house placements and harmonious trines with one another, as well as their involvement in this very lucky Grand Trine. Also, each of these three planets rules the house in which one of the other planets in this pattern are placed: Pluto rules Scorpio on the 12th house cusp; the Moon rules Cancer on the 8th house cusp; and Jupiter rules Pisces on the 4th house cusp.

Since Grand Trines in any element “only” produce a flowing energy within the individual but not necessarily the urge to act and make a change in life, they are regarded as inducing laziness to some extent. However, if a 4th planet makes an opposition to one of the three planets in this configuration, a Kite is then formed, which activates the potential with which the Grand Trine is blessed. This opposition adds stress to the harmonious flow and through it the native gets the need to produce something in his life using the talent to which this configuration points.

The activating opposition in Mikey’s chart is formed between Uranus in Aquarius and Pluto in Leo. A hard aspect between these two planets is never easy and reflects unpredictable, upsetting, and shocking energies that are contradicted by elements of control, death, power struggles, and deep transformations. A need to break away vs. the desire to hold on obsessively to ideas, physical matters, and/or people are general signatures of this planetary combination. This opposition’s activation of Mikey’s Grand Trine is manifested in the boy’s obsession (Pluto and in the 8th) with keeping his friends (Uranus in Aquarius) together, which can only be done at this point by exploring the neighborhood (Uranus, ruler of the 3rd house) and digging-out a hidden treasure (Pluto and in the 8th). 

Pluto acts as an extremely prominent planet in this horoscope by being the most elevated (closest to the MC and semi-square it), as well as accidentally dignified in the 8th, its natural domain. As such, it is very powerful in its expressions of great will-power, shrewdness, resourcefulness, and manipulative tendencies within the personality (Chunk and frame; manipulating Brand so the boys can leave the house and begin their adventure). This planet’s strength is expressed that day through the boy’s coming in contact with dead people (Chester Copperpot and Willy), the Fratellis (criminals), and pirates, as well as in the actual act of physically going beneath the surface (through the tunnel under the city that leads to their destination); all factors under the rulership of Pluto/Scorpio/the 8th house. Mikey’s strong powerless feeling over his life at the moment, until he learns that he can actually take control and create the needed change to better the situation, is also an expression of this activated Plutonian energy that day.

Uranus in Aquarius, its own sign, stresses the expressions of this 11th sign of the zodiac through Mikey’s group association (the Goonies), rebellious act, thinking outside the box, and non-conformity to the status quoto, to name a few. Uranus in Aquarius, a very strong position on its own, is additionally accentuated by the Aquarius Stellium that’s spread out between the 2nd and 3rd houses in this horoscope, as well as by the Moon’s sextile to Uranus. It must be added that the child’s self-esteem is connected to his like-minded friends, revealed by Uranus, the natural ruler of the 11th in the 2nd, as well as the placement of Venus, the natural ruler of the 2nd, and the natal ruler of the 11th, in Aquarius and also in the 2nd. Mikey’s emotional security, too, is connected to his friendships and group associations shown by the Moon in the 4th sextile Uranus in Aquarius.

Mikey’s chart consists of an unusual amount of planets in the signs and/or houses that they rule (in Dignity/Exaltations). These are the Moon in the 4th, Mercury in Aquarius and in the 3rd, Venus in the 2nd, Mars in Scorpio, Jupiter in Sagittarius and in the 12th, Saturn in Capricorn, Uranus in Aquarius, and Pluto in the 8th. All these planetary positions and placements imply of their respective strengths; not necessarily only positive expressions, but more like prominence in the life and the personality. Additional information regarding each planet’s expression will, of course, be given by the aspects it makes. In general, Dignity can be compared to a team’s “home game,” rather than playing at another team’s court.

Saturn in the 1st house is the only planet in this chart that is placed in its Accidental Fall. This can be compared to being a guest in someone else’s home, where one is not at ease to fully express himself as he would be in his own place. Some restrictions apply to this planet’s expression and the native feels that he must put some effort in order to bring out its energies. After all, Mikey is the asthmatic young son and baby brother, whose desires and needs to exert himself are being subdued by his over-protective mother and Jock older brother. But Saturn in its own sign, Capricorn, definitely holds authority and an executive power within it. Mikey simply needs to be conscious of those (at least in his young age) and work hard in order to express them out in the open. However, with time, this boy has great potential to reach the top in his chosen profession as signified by Saturn’s trine to the MC.

Some Transits and Progressions:

The less than a day adventure on which the Goonies embark takes place on a chilly fall afternoon. As such, transiting Sun, Mercury, and Venus at the time are positioned somewhere in the 4th Quadrant – houses 10, 11, 12 – and the 1st house in Mikey’s horoscope, scattered between the Autumn signs of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. (The Sun travels the zodiac in the fall between 00 Libra (Fall Equinox) and 00 Capricorn (Winter Solstice). Mercury and Venus are always nearby.) That day, the transiting Sun is conjunct natal Mars at 21˚ Scorpio (mid November), pointing the spotlight to the boy’s assertive spirit and leadership abilities (Mars) over a group (11th house): Mikey’s strong urge to do something about the Goonies’ unfortunate fate by trying to bring about change is certainly a plausible manifestation of this transiting Sun’s aspect in the sign of transformation and change, Scorpio.

At the same time, transiting Mercury and Venus are both conjunct natal Jupiter in the 12th house at 8˚ Sagittarius, which stress Mikey’s sense of adventure and excitement, inspired and inspiring inner qualities, and last minute luck that is always present with this Jupiterian house placement. More specifically, transiting Mercury’s conjunction to Jupiter is manifested in the newspaper clip found in the attic that inspires Mikey’s adventurous idea, in the spirited speech he gives during the stop at the well, and even in the local adventure (Mercury, Sagittarius) that presents itself out of nowhere (12th house). Transiting Venus’ conjunction to natal Jupiter is reflected in the hidden ‘rich-stuff’ that the Goonies find, as well as in Mikey’s first kiss (with Andy). And the transiting Moon’s crossing over to the natal 8th and entering Leo that morning, adds a Leonine spirit that activates the natal Fire Grand trine together with transiting Mercury and Venus.

All these daily transits take place while the progressed Moon has been moving through Mikey’s natal 10th house and at the very early degrees of Libra – Progressed Moon Opposition – which reflects an emotionally testing period in one’s life that may stress domestic issues (especially here through the Moon’s natal position in the 4th house), as well as changes on the public scale (by the Moon’s progressed movement in the 10th house). (Between the ages of 13-14, the progressed Moon reaches its opposition to its natal position.) From the early degrees of the progressed Moon in Libra, the natal Grand Trine/Kite is now activated. And the daily transits described above add their flavors to the emotional effects of the Progressed Moon’s Opposition that the boy experiences at this time in his life.

Bibiliography:

“Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology”

“The Rulership Book” – Rex E. Bills

“Delineation of Progressions” – Sophia Mason

Sean Astin (Mikey) and I