Charles XII of Sweden

Even a cursory glance at the horoscope gives the image of the king (the Ascendant and Saturn in Leo) as a warrior (Midheaven and Uranus in Aries), fighting for his country (the Sun, Pluto, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in Cancer). Of the elements dominate Fire and Water. Cardinal qualities predominate.

The fact that virtually all activity takes place in the "upper half of the field" with Aries as the spearhead mirrors the king's characteristic "aggressive style". It is well documented how he despite severe numerical inferiority constantly praised the principle that "attack is the best defense". Initially the strategy succeeded but in the end it came to have disastrous consequences for the Swedish army. This "warrior king" was himself constantly in the forefront where he called on his men and commended assault. One of the officers wrote: "It is a miracle that this prince escapes, the way he exposes himself." (Lieutenant General Conrad Ranck).

Without a doubt, the king sought to achieve results in the outer reality and make his mark on the world, as reflected by the dominant southern hemisphere (upper half) of the chart. Also the eastern hemisphere dominates strongly over the western and shows the king's desire to go his own way and not let anything stand in the way.

How was he then as a human being, this legendary warrior king? The House signs of his chart seem to describe him quite well.

The First House in Leo of course shows the absolute monarch and the special charisma he projected according to many testimonies. It is funny that Prince Charles when only six years old wrote in his diary: "One should be harsh against one's enemies, like a lion ...". Charles XII also came to be called "the Lion of Bender" and the "Lion of the North".

Also the Second House is in the sign of Leo. The King was known to be generous and sometimes downright wasteful with government money.

The Third House is in Virgo. Charles could be very precise in his communication and was known for his laconic statements, like: "Such is my will. And so it will be."

On the Fourth House cusp we have Libra. Prince Charles grew up in a harmonious environment. His parents, Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora, were attached to each other and loved their children and the family ties were strong. But growing up was also marked by grief, as both parents passed away while the prince was still quite young. (The Fourth House ruler Venus is squaring Uranus and Chiron in Aries in the Tenth House).

Fifth House in Sagittarius shows the king's testified foolhardiness and boldness.

Capricorn on the Sixth House cusp fits perfectly with his well-organized, disciplined and goal-oriented routines.

Seventh and Eighth Houses are in Aquarius, and may well be said to reflect Charles' need for freedom in relation to others. He never had a woman. "I seem to be married to the soldier mob for better or for worse, to live and die," he confided in a letter to his sister, Ulrika Eleonora.

The Ninth House is in Pisces and is home to Charles' Moon, forming a trine to Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in Cancer in the Twelfth House and a square to Mars in Gemini in the Eleventh. This indicates a more delicate and restrained side of the king, as well as his great love for his mother. It also reflects his religiosity. He learned early that the king ruled by divine right and was only answerable to God. Charles' political views came to be characterized by a religiously colored moralism suggested by the Moon-ruled Twelfth House with Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in trine to the Moon in the Ninth House. It was in the army (which in this case may be associated with the Twelfth House), in the battle for the nation (Cancer) that his entire adult life was to take place.

The Moon in the Ninth House also suggests the king's long stay abroad. He spent over fifteen years of his short adult life in foreign countries during the drawn-out campaigns in the Baltics, Poland and Russia, and then again during his long stay in Turkey after the defeat at Poltava.

The Tenth House in Aries gives, as I have already mentioned, the image of the prominent warrior king. It also demonstrates the great ambition, leadership, initiative, independence and resourcefulness that characterized Charles XII.

The Eleventh House in Gemini reflects the importance of friendship in the king's life. He could be reticent and reserved in public (Mercury square to the MC) but in informal groups, he lived up and was "delighted and thrilled". The French ambassador in Stockholm reported on the still young prince Charles: "Privately, he is delighted and thrilled to excess. He hits one, snatches the wig of another." The blunt jokes and jests may be attributed to Mars in Gemini in the Eleventh House. The Sun in conjunction with Pluto in Cancer in the same house demonstrates something of the intensity of Charles' friendships. It also indicates his more private dreams and visions, which he only confided to those who were closest to him.

Finally, the Twelfth House in Cancer mirrors his life in the army and his self-sacrificing service to his nation. It was also there, in the last of the many campaigns, that he finally met his fate in the form of a bullet through the head.

Can the horoscope say anything about his death? It has long been speculated whether it was an enemy bullet or a shot from his own side that put an end to his life.

The Fourth House can be said to represent the final stage of life, and we see that the Fourth House ruler, Venus, is in Cancer in the Twelfth House (the nation and the army) in square to Uranus in Aries in the Tenth House, which may well represent a sudden shot at the unprotected king as he stretched up his head out of the trenches to scout the enemy. Uranus controls both the Seventh House of open enemies and the Eighth House of death. Neptune on the Eighth House cusp reflects the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the king's death. The Seventh House (the Descendant) stands for open enemies, i.e. in this case the Norwegians, while the Twelfth House, where the Fourth house ruler Venus squares Uranus in Aries in the Tenth House, stands for hidden enemies, i.e. a possible sniper from the Swedish side.

So from whence came the shot? The horoscope seems to reflect precisely this uncertainty about the king's death (Neptune in the Seventh House, on the Eighth House cusp).