I have prepared a rectification of Julian Assange’s time of birth which I think has a lot of merit and potential. Julian Assange was born on July 3, 1971 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia (official birth time unknown).

We always begin the rectification process by finding a strong starting point with a sign on the Ascendant. After researching many articles and interviews with Assange, I felt two very strong possibilities for his Rising sign: Aquarius or Sagittarius.

Assange has been described as: tall and lanky, nomadic, cynical, strange, elusive, cautious, paranoid, highly intellectual, non-conformist, with altruistic motives, charming but cautious, forgetful and masking details about his life.

This description provides strong corroboration for Sagittarius rising, colored by its ruler Jupiter in Scorpio sitting in the 12th house and receiving a close conjunction from natal Neptune. Furthermore, Assange’s Moon in Scorpio would also fall in the 12th house, a perfect placement for a man who works “behind the scenes”. The natal Sun would be situated in the eighth house reinforcing his slippery nature and elusive personality. That was enough to convince me of a solid starting point for the birth time rectification process.

Now he had to find unambiguous corroboration of solar arcs and outer planet transits to horoscope angles (or to natal Sun or Moon) during major life events. Everything has to fit throughout the development of your life. The horoscope needs to sing from birth throughout the present.

Assange was born into domestic turmoil. A childhood and lifestyle fairly described as Tom Sawyer. No mention of his biological father. Within the first 6 months of her life in 1971, her bohemian single mother moved with Julian to Magnetic Island in Australia. As she described, “living in a bikini and going native with my baby and other moms on the island.”

Working with my proposed birth time of 3:01 PM (Ascendant 2 Sagittarius 16, Midheaven 20 Leo 13), transiting Neptune was conjunct the Ascendant and transiting Saturn was opposite the Ascendant in 1971, with the Solar Arc ( SA) Saturn opposite the Ascendant (exact February 1972).

Shortly after her first birthday (approximately around August/September 1972; exact date unknown), her mother married SA Midheaven opposite Mars (November 1972) and SA Neptune conjunct Ascendant (February 1973).

Four years later, in 1976 (4 or 5 years), the family moved back to Magnetic Island with Jupiter SA conjunct Ascendant (September 1976).

In 1979, at age 8, her mother left her husband to start a tumultuous relationship with a musician. The Secondary Progressed Moon (SP) opposed the Midheaven, and transiting Uranus squared the Midheaven in 1979.

This new relationship gave birth to a baby boy (born c. 1980 or 1981), however, in 1982, when Julián was 11 years old, the relationship with the musician ended. Julian’s mother was afraid that her father would take the baby away from her, so she told Julian, “Now we have to disappear.” They went into hiding in 1982 (they returned to Magnetic Island again) and lived on the run for the next 5 years. In 1982, SA Midheaven was square Neptune, SA Mars was square Ascendant, and transiting Uranus was conjunct Ascendant.

In 1987, they stopped living on the run. After turning 16 in 1987, Julian began his early professional life “hacking” computers with transiting Pluto conjunct his Moon in Scorpio.

In 1989, at age 17, Julian fell in love with a sixteen-year-old girlfriend, they moved into a squatter union in Melbourne together, until they found out she was pregnant (April 1989). When Julian was 18 in 1989, they married in an unofficial ceremony and gave birth to a son on January 26, 1990, in Melbourne. Transiting Neptune and transiting Saturn opposed Julian’s natal Sun throughout 1989.

Problems arose on September 29, 1991 when Julian was arrested for hacking into computers. Over the next several months in 1991, his wife took her child and left Julian. The following year, in 1992, Julian pleaded guilty to the charges and was found. It is also reported that he had an emotional breakdown, fell into a depression, and was hospitalized in 1992. In 1991 and 1992, transiting Pluto squared the Midheaven for a prolonged transit. Transiting Uranus opposed his natal Sun in 1991.

In 1993 and 1994, Julian was working as a computer programmer in Melbourne. The following year, in 1995, Julian wrote “Strobe”, a free open source port scanner. Also in December 1995 he was arrested and fined again. The Solar Arc Moon was conjunct Neptune in the 12th house (exact August 1995). Transiting Pluto was approaching conjunct your Ascendant (exact first hit on January 10, 1996).

Beginning in 1997 (ultimate success, tr. Pluto conjunct Ascendant), Assange co-invented the Rubberhose deniable encryption system. Originally, he intended the system to be used “as a tool for human rights workers who needed to protect sensitive data in the field.” Transiting Uranus was square the Moon, and the SA Moon was conjunct the Ascendant.

In 1999 (age 27/28), after a long custody battle over the last seven years, Julian finally reached an agreement in court over child custody with his wife. It was also in 1999, that Julian registered the domain name, leaks.org, although at that time he didn’t start anything with it. SA Mercury was conjunct the Midheaven. Transiting Saturn opposed its Moon.

Shortly after settling the custody court cases, her hair (which had been dark brown) began to lose color, turning prematurely gray. Assange was burned out and on a motorcycle through Vietnam, working various jobs to earn money as a computer consultant to support his son. In 2000, transiting Uranus opposed his Midheaven, SP Moon was conjunct his Ascendant, and SA Uranus was conjunct his Moon.

From 2003 to 2006, Julian studied physics and mathematics at the University of Melbourne, although he never graduated.

It was in 2006 that he began formulating his ideas for WikiLeaks, barricading himself in a house near the university to begin the work. WikiLeaks launched in December 2006 publishing its first document with SP Moon opposite Midheaven, and transiting Saturn conjunct Midheaven.

In 2007, he left Australia permanently, going to Kenya for several months. Assange claims to have changed the 2007 Kenyan presidential election by exposing corruption at the highest levels. While in Kenya, staying inside a guarded compound in Nairobi, six armed men entered the compound but fled when Assange began screaming alerting the security team. He was sure they were after him, as he says “there was no one else worth visiting in the compound.” Transiting Neptune opposed his Midheaven throughout 2007.

In 2009, he received the UK Amnesty International Media Award for his work in Kenya. SA Sun opposite Node (Oct 2008), SA Uranus square Node (Dec 2009).

On March 30, 2010, he moved to Iceland, where he rented a house to run his operation. In April 2010, the most explosive leak of his: a secret video shot by a US attack helicopter of Iraqi civilians being murdered in cold blood. SA The Midheaven was conjunct Pluto (exact March 2010).

In June 2010, Pentagon officials were trying to find his whereabouts with SA Ascendant squaring Uranus (July 2010). In November 2010, Interpol placed Assange on its wanted red list with the first hit from transiting Saturn squaring her Sun.

***

More corroboration for a time of birth around 3:01 pm:

Natal Mars conjunct North Node in Aquarius, angular opposite Midheaven: “Assange preaches [Sagittarius Ascendant] a radical democracy that is taking online activism into new and uncharted territory.”

Natal Saturn in Gemini opposite your Ascendant: your youthful face, your premature gray hair, your cautious nature, your sense of humor, your communications business. His mother’s description of him as a child, taken from the Herald Sun newspaper, “He was a charming boy, very sensitive, good with animals, quiet and with a wicked sense of humour.”

Corroboration using Sabian Symbols, taken from Blain Bovee’s book, The Sabian Symbols & Astrological Analysis:

Rising 3 Sagittarius: “The ocean covered with whitecaps:”

“Apply this couple of degrees with a mind to awareness of deeper issues that lie beneath surface appearance; motives for apparent generosity; suspicions of being deceived. Beware of disguises. Be on the alert for anonymous gift giving ; occult stealth; charitable hat-wearing organizations. A hit to detect undercurrents.”

Midheaven 21 Leo: “Intoxicated Chickens:”

“Dispelling notions of being the chosen one; Think of the effects of poison: one drop induces a healing crisis; too much of the wrong poison really kills a dream, and sometimes literally kills it. Be alert to the young, naive illusions; mature and sober perspectives; business that sours; business that rises beyond inhibitions.”

Moon 8 Scorpio: “The Moon shining across a lake:”

“Applying this couple of degrees with a clever cunning mind to get around a problem; to recover lost business. Consider slippery stories; slippery slopes that can lead one into deep waters; mere reflections of truth; ahead of your time; Ahead of the law; clever delays and diversions; quick wits; finding forgotten treasures; smoothing out frictions; a moonlit frame of mind.”

Julian Assange describes himself as the kind of person who, he says, “can hack into the most sophisticated computer system. But forget to show up for an interview. Or cancel at the last minute.” Sounds to me like a Sagittarius Ascendant with Neptune conjunct the ruler of the Ascendant, Jupiter in Scorpio in the 12th house.

Life events adjust to the proposed time of birth and the horoscope begins to sing.

© copyright Lauren Delsack, December 2010