Capricorn Research has a collection of over 20,000 charts of public figures and famous people. These have been divided by career choice.
In most cases the spread of planets is very much what astrologers would expect. Even if we just confine ourselves to looking at the Sun sign distribution the results are very often simple and stunning. An obvious case in point is the division between artists and scientists.
In the sample of 753 artists, Pisces is by far and away the most common Sun sign with a score of 100, the next highest is 76. The ” p ” figure for this distribution is 0.0002608.
In the sample of 737 scientists, Gemini and Capricorn share the top score with 85, but this is still significant enough to produce a ” p ” figure of 0.0001606.
Its likely that if you asked astrologers which signs they would expect to score highest, these are the ones that they would come up with. These findings on their own are enough to prove an astrological effect.
Many others are just as straightforward, Engineers – Aries, Musicians – Taurus, Teachers – Virgo, Politicians – Aquarius, Dancers and Novelists – Pisces.
There are also some that are perhaps not so obvious but make sense anyway like the most common Sun sign amongst Actors being Aquarius.
There is one however that does seem rather peculiar.
In the 2680 charts of Sportsmen and women, the top scoring sign is Pisces with 255. The p figure for this distribution is 0.0315, not stunning but just getting near to the magic 0.01 point where statisticians recognise it as an influence.
Of course there are many different types of Sport and they do tend to attract different personality types.
In the charts of 250 American Footballers, Leo is by far the highest scoring with 32 ( 2nd place has only 23 ).
The same thing occurs in the 397 Baseball charts, with 47 Leos ( 2nd place 42 ).
Leos are also the most common in Athletics with 21 out of a sample of 171 ( 2nd is 17 ).
In 116 Basketball charts its Virgo with 15 ( 2nd is 11 ).
In 106 Motor Racing charts its naturally Aries with 18. This distribution has a p figure of 0.000186 which is staggering in such a small sample.
But the one that is on the face of it most difficult to explain is that in a sample of 239 Boxers, by far the most common Sun sign is Pisces with a score of 30 ( 151 % ).
The pugilists who endeavour to succeed in the noble art of boxing have been called many things over the years but its a fair bet that if you looked through the keywords for Pisces in most astrology books you wouldn’t find many of them in there.
There are however, so many other things about the distribution of this sample that fit very well with the classic astrological description of a boxer.
Venus scores highest in Aries with 146 % and Aries rising comes out highest ( once the adjustments for general Ascendant distribution have been made with 159 % of the expected figure.
But of course its Mars where we would expect the results to be most emphatic, and this is true as the highest scoring planet in any sign is Mars in Taurus with 36 ( 181 % ). The 2nd highest is Leo with 27. This Mars distribution has a very strong p figure considering the sample size of 0.0023.
Some might raises their eyebrows as Mars is in detriment in this sign but it does convey a sense of physical strength and stamina.
When it comes to aspects, the contact that most astrologers would expect is between Mars and Pluto. This is without doubt the combination that is most closely associated with aggression, fighting and violent activity in general. It gives an ability to react suddenly in any situation but can be linked to an explosive temper.
The sample does not disappoint as Mars / Pluto is the highest scoring aspect combination of all of them. The conjunction scores 141 %, the opposition 132 % and the sextile a whopping 169% of the expected figures.
The Venus / Jupiter conjunction occurs very frequently at 179 %. This might seem odd but it is an aspect that occurs frequently in all successful people’s charts and the members of this sample have all been champions.
The Mercury / Uranus conjunction scores high at 169 %, which shows a common ability to think quickly on one’s feet. Its interesting that this aspect fits well with Mercury in Aquarius which scores extremely high with 34 hits ( 171 % ).
But by far the strongest single aspect is the Mars / Saturn opposition which scores 217 % of the expected figure. Its also interesting that the Mars / Saturn conjunction only figures 66 % of the time.
Mars and Saturn are opposite forces, Mars is assertion and aggression, Saturn is restraint obstruction and limitation.
When Mars and Saturn are in conjunction the two energies are both operating within the person which can often result in the suppression of aggression.
In opposition however, the Mars of the person tends to experience the Saturnian limiting factors as being imposed on him by external means, and this would make him more determined to fight through it.
This is a good interpretation of a boxing bout. One man is trying to impose his own Mars on another but is receiving the other guys Mars as an obstructing and limiting Saturn force. This naturally makes him fight harder.
So all these findings make perfect sense for Boxers apart perhaps from the Sun in Pisces. It is also worth pointing out that Neptune is more likely to be rising than any other planet, occurring 143 % of the expected number of times.
It may be interesting to note that of the 30 boxers that have the Sun in Pisces the only one that would be called a household name is the Irish fighter Barry McGuigan, so its perhaps not the sign that is most associated with the very top names in the sport.
The 2nd most common Sun sign in the sample is Capricorn and a quick look down the list shows considerably more top boxers including George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Floyd Patterson and of course the king of them all, Muhammad Ali.
Ali naturally has a great many of the astrological features that are common in the boxers sample.
He has Mars in Taurus as well as Mercury in Aquarius, the top two planet / sign placings. Mars is also square to Pluto.
But its most interesting to look at Ali’s two major aspect patterns particularly as they both include his Sun. They both represent the two very different sides of a champion boxer.
Its worth noting that when the Sun is involved with the major aspect patterns it shows someone whose talents or challenges become woven into the very fabric of his or her being. They become a larger person as a result of it. So to have the Sun as central to both a T Square and a Grand Trine, its likely that this person would have a very strong sense of his own power.
Of course Ali was the ” Greatest “, we all know that but just in case we forgot he would frequently remind us of the fact.
Ali’s Sun is in Capricorn opposite Pluto. This powerful aspect forms a T Square with an apex Mars in Taurus.
He also had the Moon closely conjunct Mercury in Aquarius in trine to Jupiter in Gemini. His boxing style was all about movement, dancing round the ring.
But the extraordinary Grand Trine between his Sun, a Saturn / Uranus conjunction in Taurus and Neptune in Virgo completed the picture. This is a wonderful example of an extremely fluid person, able to think, move and act outside of the conventional narrow box.
A large part of Ali’s success was that it was extremely difficult for any of his opponents to land a punch on him because of his effortless upright stance and his ability to dance round the ring, ducking and diving always keeping his opponent at arms length. This was the Grand Trine in action, the Sun / Uranus trine was the quick unexpected movement, the Sun / Neptune trine was the ability to dodge and evade any of his opponent’s punches.
The Uranus aspect involved trickery and the Neptune one deception. A common vision of Ali was with him dancing round the ring, even dropping his guard, taunting his opponent, challenging him to make an easy punch, but then shifting his balance at the last microsecond so that the exhausted fighter missed his target altogether.
As the Sun was involved in all this he would force his opponents to recognise that he was the greatest, that he was just toying with them and any time he wanted he could unleash the Sun / Pluto / Mars in Taurus T Square and finish them off.
But he would just play his Grand Trine Uranus / Neptune games with them first, just to make sure everyone got plenty of entertainment and the opponents got maximum humiliation.
Ali first won the World Heavyweight title in 1964 against Sonny Liston. Both Pluto and Uranus were square his Jupiter that year.
Unlike the vast majority of boxers, Ali was quite happy to hold forth on a number of issues. In 1967 he became even more famous for his stand as a conscientious objector against the war in Vietnam.
This was triggered by a series of Neptune transits.
It’s very interesting that the Vietnam war was so strongly opposed by a generation born in the early forties who had the Uranus / Neptune trine.
As Ali had the Sun connected to this by Grand Trine he became a a spokesperson and an icon for this anti war generation, a most unlikely position for a heavyweight boxer to hold.
Ali had converted to Islam and refused to fight unless Allah commanded him to.
In 1967 when he refused the draft the transiting Neptune was opposite his 10th house Saturn. Saturn in the 10th house indicates limitations in terms of one’s career and the result of Ali’s Neptunian peaceful stand was he was stripped of his title and banned from boxing.
Ali was also sentenced to five years in jail for draft dodging, although he lodged an appeal immediately which meant that he never actually served the any time in prison.
His response to the situation was to continue to speak out and during this time he became an iconic figure against the racist discrimination that was so much a part of the culture in the US at the time. His statement that ” no Vietcong ever called me nigger ” summed up his position.
Neptune moved on to oppose Uranus and sextile his Sun as Ali drew more support for his stance.
In 1971 as Pluto was trine his Sun, the US Supreme Court overruled his conviction and Ali was able to return to boxing.
In October 1974, with the transiting Uranus square his Sun, Muhammad Ali regained the World Heavyweight crown by defeating George Foreman. This fight was a supreme example of Ali’s skills.
Ali retreated to the ropes and invited Foreman to hit him whilst verbally taunting him. (“Is that all you got, George? They told me you could hit.”) This tactic became known as “Rope-A-Dope”, letting one of the hardest hitters in boxing strike at will but as Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and began tiring, Ali countered with punches and flurries. In the end an exhausted Foreman failed to make the count and Ali had regained the title by knockout.
The real turning point in Ali’s life however came in December 1981 when he retired from boxing with Pluto square his Sun. It was widely recognised that Ali should have retired sometime earlier and that some of his final bouts contributed to his diagnosis of Parkinson’s syndrome, a disease that is common to head trauma victims from sports like boxing.
Even ” the Greatest ” gets beaten by a Pluto transit.
When we look at Ali’s boxing style it can help to explain why so many boxers have the Sun in Pisces.
Boxing is a two way sport. You have to attack and punch your opponent but you also have to dodge the punches coming your own way. In no other sport is the need for evasive action so strong and clear. This is where Pisces comes in, it is the sign of retreat, more than any other it knows how to find quiet places in order to rest and it needs this ability because of the many impressions ( punches ) that come the signs way.
Basically no matter how strong a fighter you are, if you don’t have the ability to move freely and fluidly to get out of the way of the blows that come raining down on you from all angles, then you are finished. So the Piscean ability to move along the line of least resistance becomes invaluable.
Ali had this through his Sun / Neptune trine, others have it through a Pisces Sun.
In boxing, it really is a case of float like a Piscean / Sun trine Neptune, sting like an apex Mars in Taurus.
Interesting article. I see that the current self proclaimed ‘TBE’, Floyd Mayweather is a Pisces with Venus in Aries, a very close Mars Saturn opposition (2′ out) and Mars Pluto trine (2 degrees out). Interestingly, Astrotheme.com has the symbolic degree interpretation for the position of his Mars (11 degrees Aquarius) as “Two bulls butt heads at the edge of a precipice”.
Thanks so much for that, not looked at Mayweather’s chart before. That Mars / Saturn / Uranus Fixed T square is one of the closest I’ve ever seen. If he was born in the early hours, the Moon makes it a tight Grand Cross. Classic boxers chart. Bulls butthead would be a good name for him.
Regards
CC
Yes, that T Square in fixed signs must give him real determination. His work ethic is pretty intense and whatever you think of him, he is a ballerina in the ring, possibly reflecting what you say about Pisces, i.e. able to avoid punches while pot shotting. He may not be particularly likable but he isn’t all that dumb. He won’t end up like some punch drunk fighters. Pity his tob is not available…
Pingback: Muhammad Ali: Leo Rising - The Oxford Astrologer
No mention of Ali’s Leo Rising as having at least some influence as well in the fight? Leo Rising gives a strong, athletic body and the ferocity and strength and courage of a lion.
Thanks Sol
Ali’s Leo rising would certainly contribute to ” I am the Greatest ” But not every 12th person in the world is World Champion boxer
Leo ascendant would also give him the showperson personality he had, needing and wanting the public’s attention. And IMO, if this Sun-Uranus trine is responsible for his fast reflexes and movements, it is more because the Sun is the ruler of his ascendant (Leo) than because it is the Sun. If his Sun were the ruler of the second or sixth house, that same trine would like work out quite differently.
You are right about the Leo rising qualities. But the Sun is the most important single feature in everyone’s chart, whether or not they have a Leo Ascendant.
Oh, also, is it possible to get a link of the study? I find it very interesting to see how astrology reflects in real life and where Leo tends to fall.
This is the only thing I have written on it. If Leo had come out strongly, I would have mentioned that fact
Why do not think Leo came out strongly? The fact that Muhammad Ali was quite the showman, fighter, religious, charismatic are all Leo traits too and Leo was his Ascendant so…I think it was a strong placement.
You seem a bit mixed up here. Firstly you are castigating me for suggesting that Leo’s might be a tad attention seeking. Then you are saying that I’m not giving enough attention to Ali’s Leo traits. Are you yourself a Leo perchance ?
I was criticizing modern astrologers in general for exaggerating and twisting Leo’s supposed need for attention, but I did expect you to at least mention a little of Ali’s Leo attributes since although Mars is usually credited for sports-related fields; the Rising sign is one of the big three placements (Sun, Moon, Rising). And it’s not that you didn’t give “enough” attention to his placements. You didn’t give any attention to it.
Most Leos don’t want more attention than any other sign, but if the other placements are included and mentioned, then it’s only fair to include the Leo placements too if Leo is in an influential placement in the chart and I think a Rising sign certainly qualifies as that.
This is the kind of foot stamping I would expect from an attention needing Leo. So what planets or points do you have in the sign ? A stellium ?
Why is it “foot-stamping” to ask that you give Ali’s Leo Rising the same attention you gave his Capricorn Sun, especially when you yourself admitted Leo is the most represented in athletics in general with 1st place in American football and baseball and 2nd as a Mars sign after Taurus?
And yeah, I’m a Leo Sun, Taurus Moon and Virgo Rising (and ironicallya Capricorn Mars)…surprise, surprise. But should I make a clichéd stereotype about Capricorn now?
You can say whatever you like about Capricorn. You have just read an article that has thoroughly researched over 2,000 charts of sports people. It includes at least 10 times more information than the vast majority of articles about astrology. You have been shown the frequencies of a great many aspects and placements, particularly in the charts of 239 boxers. Muhammad Ali’s chart was used as an example of the themes that regularly come up in boxers charts. This article has even included the major transits throughout Ali’s life.
Yet you get all upset because in your opinion I haven’t said enough nice things about your Sun sign.
This is the problem with 90 % of the so called followers of astrology. They don’t really want to learn about the subject. They just want to hear nice things about their own placements.
I didn’t get “all upset.” I asked a question and you claimed the Leo influence wasn’t important which as an ascendant, I found hard to believe. But don’t make it seem like I was losing control or “foot-stamping.” Don’t exaggerate.
No. The problem with 90% of modern astrology is that the ASTROLOGERS like to only say nice things about THEIR own placements, but then continue to propagate the tired, ugly stereotypes about everyone else’s signs and placements which your jibes at Leo proved.
If you care to read other articles on my site, you will see that I can be quite scathing about Capricorn placements. You would also note that my approach to astrology is not limited by sign placements and in fact puts far more emphasis on aspects.
I have not claimed Ali’s Leo rising wasn’t important. I have written extensively about Ali’s aspect patterns as they fit very strongly with my research into hundreds of boxers charts.
But given your limited understanding you only look for good things or bad things about your own sign placements.
It seems that you only responded to my article because you wanted more favourable attention for being a Leo. Which kind of proves my point.
But you did say that “if Leo came out strongly, I would’ve mentioned that fact.” So I wanted to know why you didn’t think Leo “came out strongly.” And yet somehow you took offense to that and made it personal by belittling my sign which proves MY point.
This is the problem. You have looked at a whole website based on 40 years research proving astrology. And your only response is to get upset by what you perceive is one piece ” belittling my sign “.
Can you not see that such a response is a caricature of the lowest form of Leo ?
I didn’t “get upset” about you not mentioning Leo before. I was disappointed, sure. But I only “got upset” when you got personal and described me as a “foot-stamping, attention-needing Leo.” You’re the one not being able to tell the difference.
Again thats just the point. You have taken the trouble to come on my website to reprimand me for not giving enough favourable attention to your Sun sign. And you are continuing to demand my attention. You are a ” foot stamping, attention needing Leo ” I am just pointing out your behaviour. If the truth upsets you, then you have to examine why.
It wasn’t a “reprimand” and I was not “demanding” attention. You were the one who took them as such. Or did you intend for the comment boxes to be only for those who unquestionably agree with you like most astrologers? In that case, you are an arrogant, know-it-all Capricorn. I’m simply pointing out your behavior as well. And that’s the truth too so if that upsets you, maybe you should ask yourself why YOU were so bothered by my questions?
On Wed, Apr 1, 2020 at 12:01 AM Capricorn Astrology Research wrote:
> ccapricorn commented: “Again thats just the point. You have taken the > trouble to come on my website to reprimand me for not giving enough > favourable attention to your Sun sign. And you are continuing to demand my > attention. You are a ” foot stamping, attention needing Leo ” I a” >
I’m not in the least bit upset or bothered by your questions. My site is dedicated to a sophisticated level of research into real astrology. I’m just pointing out the obvious that you continue to come on here demanding more attention for your Sun sign. Just like the teenagers who read their horoscope columns
I again say that I wasn’t “foot-stamping” originally. I simply wanted to know why you didn’t think a Leo Ascendant was “important.” But yet you mentioned in depth his Neptune, Mars, Pluto, and just about every other planet and House.
Does it bother you he was also a Leo Ascendant? Not every Leo Ascendant are boxers but neither are every Pisces or Capricorn Sun.
Its been two years since your last comment. You’ve obviously been getting plenty of Leo worship elsewhere then.
I just didn’t see the notification until now. But that doesn’t change the truth of what I said. As for “Leo Worship,” hmmm your username is named after Capricorn and you dedicated a website to Capricorn. Why not talk about Capricorn worship?
Those are exactly the double-standards I’m talking about when it comes to how modern astrologers talk about Leo. Heaven forbid if a Leo Sun gives feedback on our sign but all the other signs can talk and promote THEIR signs to their heart’s content and not be considered equally “egotistical?”
Ha ha ha. Have you noticed that I’m not coming onto your site looking for attention.
Keep claiming I was “looking for attention.” But I did notice how you mentioned just about every other placement and aspect Ali had but barely spoke of his Leo Ascendant despite the widely known fact that the Ascendant is one of the Big Three placements (Sun, Moon, Rising).
If a Leo website mentioned every sign and placement except Capricorn for a famous athlete that had a significant Capricorn placement, you’d be the first to complain too. But keep living in typical Cappy hypocritical denial.
And you clearly ARE bothered by my questions if you continue to dodge them and instead resort to ugly horoscope stereotyping.
You’re only judging me by Leo Sun, forgetting that I’m also a Taurus Moon, Virgo Rising and CAPRICORN MARS. But oh of course….only the Leo in me gets the blame?
So are you not too engaging in the same teenage, stereotypical behavior you’re accessing me of??
You might have noticed from my articles that I don’t place much emphasis on personality, I focus on life themes which are indicated in the planetary aspects. As shown by the title of this article – Float like a Sun / Uranus / Neptune Grand Trine, Sting Like a T Square Apex Mars in Taurus.
I don’t bang on about Sun sign characteristics nor Ascendant signs, yet you have spent the last 3 years whining to me about me not mentioning the fact that Muhammad Ali has a Leo Ascendant, a fact that you think qualifies him for being ” The Greatest “.
From this I correctly deduced that you are 1. A Leo Sun and 2. A massive attention seeker.
If you wish to extol the virtues of your Sun sign, feel free to write your own articles about it. I’m sure you will have a large audience with fellow Leo placements.
The fact that you continue to harass me over my supposed ” anti Leo bias ” is just more evidence of your own childish foot stamping, a simple fact that readers of this blog can see very clearly dripping from every post you write.
Your whole website is tailored to writing about Capricorn Suns so don’t lie.
And now you are putting words in my mouth again. I never said that Ali’s Leo Rising was directly responsible for him BEING the “Greatest.” I said that any Rising sign is one of the Big Three (Sun, Moon, Rising) and that Ali’s confidence and at times arrogance in CALLING HIMSELF “the Greatest” was probably an effect of his Leo Rising. And I said that because you claimed his Leo Rising “wasn’t an important factor” when any Rising sign IS important since it’s how the world perceives you.
But stop trying to pretend that you only talked about aspects when you also conveniently mentioned the position of his other planets like Mars, Neptune and all that in other signs.
You can write whatever you want but don’t play the double-standards game just because I happen to be a Leo Sun who asked a question (which you kept dodging) about a Leo Rising.
Your readers will also know the part you played in our argument and how despite your claims of talking only about aspects you still have a username of Capricorn and a website named after Capricorn. Call yourself an “attention-seeking, foot-stamping” Capricorn too.
Let’s hope you never go to another site to find information about a Capricorn and if you do, I hope they treat you the same way you treated me. Let them make ugly stereotypes about YOUR Sign and see how you like it, hypocritical Capricorn.
I don’t care anymore about Ali’s Leo Rising but I refuse to have you insult me or my Sun sign either.
Your readers can also go back and see how you were the one to get triggered and bent out of shape first and then personally attacked me and my Sun sign just because I dared ask a question about a Leo Rising placement and asked for clarification when you claimed a Rising placement “wasn’t important.”
So don’t pretend to be innocent in all this. You were the one who made this personal first.
Your complaint is that my website doesn’t talk enough about Leos. Well you are certainly doing your best to compensate for that. One thing you have taught as all is that Leos have tremendous endurance and stamina, particularly when it comes to attention seeking.
Every time you respond you confirm that.
You’re again twisting everything I say. I asked a question about ONE Leo placement and YOU pitched a fit and began attacking me and my Sun sign about it. But keep trying to twist what happened to fit your narrative.
Yeah, we Leos certainly have stamina because Leo is a fixed placement but I guess you ignored the rest of the Earth (the most stubborn element) in my chart: my Virgo Rising, Taurus (also fixed) Moon and Capricorn Mars. But I notice how you don’t blame your fellow Earth signs, just the Leo in me gets the blame as per usual in these biased sites.
And you taught me that self-centered, attention-seeking Capricorns think only Capricorn placements matter.
Ha ha ha, as I said every post you make confirms your attention seeking. Keep em coming.
And that’s the response of someone that ISN’T just as “attention-seeking?”
Yes because I’m not coming onto your site looking for attention from you
No, you were just the first to insult someone when they asked a question about a sign placement that wasn’t about Capricorn.
And I guess you never go on other astrology sites looking for information about Capricorn? And would you respond the same way if I asked about any other sign placement that wasn’t Leo? 🙄
I have been an astrology researcher for almost 50 years. I don’t go on other astrology websites. I don’t need to. I certainly don’t need any more information about any signs, particularly not Capricorn. I am not the needy one here.