On the Origin of the USA Gemini-rising charts

In a recent post I speculated about how Evangeline Adams might have studied the current pandemic in her version of the USA Gemini rising chart, cast for 3:03 AM on July 4th 1776. Some readers questioned whether the Adams’ chart of the USA could be considered a valid event chart. Having studied Adams work for many years, I believe that she was using a symbolic chart based on her understanding of the importance of eclipses in mundane astrology. I have written about this theme previously but thought it might be useful to recap the argument.

According to the site https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-declaration-of-independence/fascinating-facts/, “In fact, independence was formally declared on July 2, 1776, a date that John Adams believed would be ‘the most memorable epoch in the history of America.’ On July 4, 1776, Congress approved the final text of the Declaration. It wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776.” Apparently the last signature on the Declaration of Independence was placed there some five years after its July 4th drafting.

Thus, any chart for July 4th 1776, regardless of the time, simply reflects the final draft and formal declaration of independence. It did not achieve full legitimacy until August 2nd 1776 when most of the state signed on and agreed to unite to fight for independence from Great Britain. My hypothesis is that Adams, in her understanding of mundane astrology, looked for the solar eclipse nearest to August 2nd to determine the cusps of her symbolic chart for the USA Independence and then, following her own horary method, she placed the planets of July 4th into the wheel generated by the August 14th solar eclipse. Here is was the solar eclipse chart looked like in Philadelphia (using maximum eclipse time as the measure):

To generate a symbolic chart for the July 4th final draft of the Declaration of Independence (officially signed on August 2nd, just 12 days before the solar eclipse), Adams appears to have cast a July 4th chart with the same Ascendant (20 Gemini 34) as the August eclipse chart. Thus, Adams’ USA chart, which she rounded to a 3:03 AM chart, looks like this:

Adams’ chart is not the only USA chart in the literature. Another commonly used USA chart, which was popularized by Elbert Benjamine of the Brotherhood of Light, has around 7 Gemini 35 rising and is based on presumptive USA “birth data” of July 4th, 1776 at 2.14 AM LMT, Philadelphia (74W08, 39N57). The site http://lightofegypt.com/rs_backissues/terror-events-an-astrological-perspective/ gives the following reference to a Dr. Keifer:

As per Dr. James D. Keifer from a letter written by Elbert Benjamine to American Astrology magazine in January 1940 where he wrote: `Dr. James D. Keifer and I, as far back as 1900, belonged to the same occult fraternity. In 1908 I was in Iowa, and in the summer of that year I dropped all other interests to devote the balance of my life to astrology and occult work. I was in correspondence with Dr. Keifer who was about that time organizing and incorporating the First Temple of Astrology in Los Angeles (1907). He gave me the chart of the U.S. merely writing that the data had been supplied by an acquaintance of his who was a descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence.’”

The reasoning behind this popular USA chart has not been fully explained. If I were to venture a guess, I would speculate that Dr. James Keifer, like Evangeline Adams, was also working with a symbolic chart. William Lilly had written “that Gemini is the Ascendant of the City of London all authors agree.” The Declaration of Independence of July 4th 1776 was a clear statement of the intent of the colonies to break free of the British rule centered in London, governed by Gemini. What better symbol of the intent to revolt against the British King in London than a chart with Uranus about to conjoin the Ascendant in the sign Gemini?

Why choose a 2:14 AM time which gives an Ascendant of 7 Gemini 31, with Uranus at 8 Gemini 53? Here Uranus lies 1 degree 22 minutes from the Ascendant. Again, I would speculated that this Ascendant was chosen on the basis of the August 14th 1776 partial solar eclipse, which fell close to the August 2nd signing. August 14th is 41 days after July 4th. If we use the symbolic measure of one degree equals one month (30 days), the 41 days converts to 1 degree 22 minutes of arc, the exact distance between Dr. Keifer’s USA Ascendant and the planet Uranus in his USA Gemini rising chart, as can be seen below:

In his famous 19th century text Elements of Astrology Luke Broughton writes:

“According to the writings of ancient astronomers, such as Claudius Ptolemy and other ancient Astrologers, each country was said to be ruled by a particular sign of the Zodiac; for instance, Aries was said to rule England, Taurus Ireland, and the celestial sign Gemini has been considered by students of astral science to be the constellation which rules the United States. The incidents which have led to the adoption of this theory are worthy of study; particularly those phenomena which
have seemed to follow the advent of Uranus and other planets into this constellation.” (Broughton, p.69, italics mine)

No doubt that Evangeline Adams, Elbert Benjamine and James Keifer were familiar with Broughton’s popular book, which propounded the idea that the sign Gemini ruled the United States, just as Gemini ruled the city of London, and also the notable impact that the transits of Uranus through Gemini had on events (especially wars and revolutions) in the United States.

About Anthony Louis


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