Want to know what people will say about you at your funeral? It’s likely they’ll invoke the influence of the planets in your chart. Ted Kennedy’s planets have appeared in a great many of the things people have said about him in the days since his death.  (Here’s my source for his chart if you’d like to look at it yourself.) Here are some of the ways his planets have appeared in the eulogies given about him:

Saturn in Capricorn: perseverance. Both his sons told stories about his belief in perseverance and others have said that he never quit.

Saturn in Capricorn: the patriarch of his family. You cannot get more of a patriarch symbol than Saturn in Capricorn. He’s the archetypal patriarch.

Capricorn Ascendant and Saturn in the 1st: A life of adversity, marked by as many tragedies and struggles as triumph. (This does go against, however, the image of him as a carefree youth. Saturn in the 1st feels burdened from the beginning.)

Two Capricorn placements: the ability to work with and understand conservatives even when his own policy views were different.

Mars in Aquarius: love of political combat. Aquarius is a rather political sign, sometimes progressive, and Mars is the warrior. Kennedy’s reputation as a fighter in this particular arena is a contribution, at least in part, from this planet.

Mercury in Aquarius: Great friend. Aquarius is friendship sign also.Kennedy was described as more willing to talk about other people, his friends, and policy than about himself. This is also partly a function of Mercury (talking) conjunct Mars. His chart was not comfortable talking about Kennedy the man, but was actively engaged in speaking about his passion for politics.

Sun in Pisces: A humble person constantly doing things for others, including the poor and left out in society. An idealist. A person who took great care to always be giving to others.

Venus and Uranus in Aries in the 3rd house: Those famous brothers. Third house is the house of siblings. Uranus symbolizes the disruptions in his life caused by those brothers and their fates; Venus symbolizes the love. The conjunction entangles the two.

Pluto in Cancer in the 7th house: Difficult first marriage. Pluto in the 7th is very hard on a marriage.

Pluto in Cancer in the 7th house: Known for a life marked by tragedy and death. Other people can typically see the effect of angular planets even from a distance. Kennedy’s angular planets were Saturn and Pluto (and Jupiter), so people saw him through a lens of difficulty and tragedy. By the way, Kennedy also belonged to the Depression era Uranus square Pluto generation, a generation that saw upheavals in society that succeeding generations did not have to contend with in the same way.

Jupiter in Leo in the 7th house: This one is eerily literal. Jupiter is liberal. Leo is the lion. Kennedy was the ‘liberal lion of the Senate.’ He grew into this label only after he lost his bid to become president. I suppose you could say that not becoming president was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Jupiter in Leo in the 7th house: Very happy second marriage. Jupiter in the 7th often signals a happy marriage. Oddly, I see a fair number of people who undergo a difficult first Pluto marriage and a Jupiterian second one.

Pluto and Jupiter in the 7th: a life in the limelight. The ability to wield power while retaining the affections of even his political foes.

Neptune in Virgo near the top of his chart. “And the dream shall never die.” Kennedy was described as a dreamer who longed for a better world. Neptune in his chart symbolizes that these dreams were his chart’s ultimate aspirations.

Neptune opposite sun in Pisces: those ‘personal failings.’ A lifelong difficulty with excessive drinking. Both Neptune and Pisces are symbols of alcohol.

Neptune opposite sun in Pisces: an avid sailor. Neptune and Pisces both symbolize the sea.

Moon conjunct Neptune in Virgo: The lifelong dream of universal healthcare in this country and beyond. Virgo is the sign of healthcare. Neptune is the planet of universality and big dreams. The moon conjunct made this a personal passion, a true feeling from the heart. The elevated position of these planets made this the ultimate north star of his chart, so to speak, the thing that kept him going and striving.

What will your planets say about you when you’re gone?