This is a must write because Diana Nyad shares my Grandson Finn’s birthday, August 22 – albeit hers in 1949! She and I are close in age – she is 64, we are both athletic, love swimming, and I am simply taken by her strength, physical and fortitude!
For those of you who do not know of her, she just completed a 112 mile swim from Havana’s Hemingway Marina to Key West’s Smather’s Beach, Florida in 53 hours without a shark cage. Upon completion, as she staggered exhaustedly onto the beach, surrounded by well wishers and press, she said “I have three messages, One is we should never ever give up. Two is you are never too old to chase your dreams. And Three is it looks like a solitary sport but it takes a team.”
Her team, which included five boats that had escorted her through the rough waters, Tweeted at 2 p.m. that “Our #FearlessNyad has at long last achieved her #XtremeDream and reached #TheOtherShore. An historic moment that proves #DreamsDoComeTrue.”
The Tweet was soon followed by one from President Barack Obama, who sent his congratulations to Nyad.
My Grandson and Diana are both 29 degree Leos, the last of the sign! Diana’s Sun is/was at the same degree as Regulus, the Star of Kings, when she was born. She has surely captured her Crown! Diana is a double Leo, both Sun and Moon! We don’t know her birth time, so don’t know her Ascendant sign, or what houses the planets are in. I have calculated the chart for noon to get the planets mid possible positions.
Diana Nyad’s Astrological Birth Chart – birth time unknown
Age is nuthin’ but a number. True for her! Her Mercury, the thinking planet, works in terms of health, technique, steadfast practice. That Mercury is teamed in a trine connection, with lucky and famous Jupiter of well-being, in Capricorn of achievement, perseverance, and the wisdom of age. And Mercury had just sextiled Mars when she was born. Not only does she put mind over matter, Virgo, an Earth sign, by paying attention to details, but with Mars afoot in Cancer, she takes care of business! Mars is the action planet, the very planet of Firsts! Cancer remembers, and Mars gives it the drive of moving on beyond past mistakes! And leadership! At her age, she is now leading a whole generation of seniors into better health, more successful retirements!
Though we know her Moon is in Leo, we don’t know it’s degrees. The Moon may be coming to, or quite near, trining Chiron the planet of healing. The Moon is nurturing, in Leo, a Mother with her kits, ready to perform for the world. Chiron is referred to as the wounded (jelly fish stings and previous failures), healer (never give up), teacher! It is in Sagittarius, the university sign, and the sign of travel – she did the 112 mile ‘Xtreme Dream’ to make her points! Diana had presence of mind in her exhaustion, to give us those three points above – as human beings. And she is wanting peace and more, unity of the peoples of the US and Cuba. Venus in one of its own signs Libra, is sitting sextile right between Moon and Chiron, giving blessing to the possibilities of tribal harmony. I believe there will be a generosity, a further respect, a weighing and balancing of affections.
Here is the chart of her jump into the Hemingway Marina waters!
Astrologers vary about which chart is the one, the beginning of the event or the official end of the event! That is particularly true in the case of elections when there is a finite ending! In this case, we didn’t know when the end would be until it happened, so of necessity, predictions needed to have been made from the starting chart. For your pleasure, here are both!
On an immediate glimpse, I would have predicted success because the Moon is at the top of the chart in the 10th of success, with success and fame Jupiter. Jupiter has to do with travel and they are in Cancer, a water sign. And they have just finished a Grand Water Trine, the luckiest of formations in astrology! They were well set to do the venture. Venus is in one of her own signs Libra in the first house, with Libra rising (the Ascendant), how a person is seen. A planet what we call angular, 1st and 10th houses the most significant, is strongly placed. Venus makes the person attractive, admired, graced. There may be money coming, perhaps from senior products, or the like. Certainly her story is worth the money! Mars of sports and athleticism is also in the top of the mark 10th, sextile the Ascendant, action! It is in Leo a sign of prowess and not giving up! Yes it does square Saturn, a classic aspect of cold and exhaustion.
The Sun in Virgo might be considered weak, but it has strong connections. It and Mercury are opposite Neptune (ocean) and Chiron. Another facet of Chiron is it is a business planet. In Pisces, the sign of the ocean, and next to Neptune, the planet of the ocean in its own sign, it knows what it is doing. The strong intermediary helpers, at sextile points, are Saturn and Pluto, in each others’ signs. They are in compatible lock step signs, each reading the other perfectly. Saturn In Scorpio knows the price of previous failures, and calls upon the strength of age and wisdom to get beyond old blocks. Pluto in Capricorn is both death and rebirth! There is healthy respect for dangers, jellyfish and sharks! The rebirth comes in that this is Diana’s 5th attempt and she makes it! No quitter her!
Diana’s arrival at Key West! 64, 110 miles, 53 Hours!
I’m guesstimating a tad on this time, 1:55 PM. The news says just before 2 PM. I think it’s pretty close.
53 Hours later, Mother Moon is in Leo. The Moon rules the public, and Leo loves a good show, the conquering heroine actually walks ashore! The MerWoman arises! Pull the seaweed from her hair…oh, just help her stand up! I will tell my Grandson about her when he is old enough to understand more. The Moon trines the Ascendant in Sagittarius, successful traveler and teacher. She wins the award! And they make a Grand Fire Trine with Uranus in Aries! Uranus is often a wild card, the unexpected, in Aries, a First! After those first four tries, you had to wonder though….
The Sun in the 9th, Sagittarius’s house, trines Pluto in Capricorn in the 1st. She doesn’t look all that great, but who would after more than 2 days in the water at 64?! Yet she still has her mojo, makes sure we are listening, and tells us our catechism! Power be. I keep telling everyone how Sun trine Pluto is one of the most powerful aspects there is! It’s the ultimate test to see if you can live with success! If you don’t die, you are on the mountain, I mean beach!
I encourage you not to underestimate aspects like Saturn trine Chiron. Saturn can be the bones of an operation, the appropriate surrender (bowing, bending the knees) to necessities that make the ultimate difference. Saturn rules timing. Diana had to meter her energy, eat even if she didn’t want to, swim to keep warm when she was cold in the night. Saturn is the experienced pro. Chiron is in Pisces. Never think Pisces is only a wimpy sign. It also dreams. It believes. It dedicates its very life to a cause bigger than oneself. Chiron suffered from his wounds, but he learned, and taught, passed on his knowledge. He surrendered to his dilemma of an unhealing wound. Pisces surrenders too. It senses the ethers, the eddies in the water, responds ever so accurately.
Diana’s Cuba-to-Florida swim was an elusive dream over the last 35 years. She first tried in 1978 at age 28. She tried again in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It takes the time it takes.
Let’s learn from her, work together. Her words to her team: “I am about to swim my last two miles in the ocean,” Nyad said, treading water. “This is a lifelong dream of mine and I’m very very glad to be with you. Some on the team are the most intimate friends of my life and some of you I’ve just met. But I’ll tell you something, you’re a special group. You pulled through; you are pros and have a great heart. So let’s get going so we can have a whopping party.”
I was surprised to see Diane Nyad on the news at the beginning of another epic swim, especially after the trials of last year, and thrilled, Thrilled!, for her when she finished. Yup, It takes what it takes, lining up – above and below! Thanks for another great perspective! Blessings
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Thanks, Dear LJ! I had never heard of her, but was touched by her story, her courage, grit to get it done – at 64! I definitely need to stop whining and take care of a little business of my own! :) A sweet day to you!
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