Hans Christian Andersen

The storyteller Hans Christian Andersen was born on 2 April 1805 in Odense, Denmark. He grew up in humble and poor conditions. Fourteen years old, he went to Copenhagen, where he wanted to study acting. However he was deemed as lacking aptitude and talent. Yet he was helped to start studying at a Latin school, and although he is said to have been bullied - the ugly duckling, perhaps - both by his classmates and the headmaster, he nevertheless managed to graduate.

His great literary talents were noticed and came to determine his lifelong career. Most famous have his fairy tales become – The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid all belong to the world's finest literature. However, he also wrote travelogues, like In Sweden, Shadow Pictures of a Journey to the Harz, Swiss Saxony, A Poet's Bazaar and A Visit to Portugal.

The horoscope:

Hans Christian Andersen, 2 April 1805, 01:00 Odense, Denmark

(Source: Astro-Databank)

The horoscope gives us some idea of H.C. Andersen unusual talent and also demonstrates his literary career. Aries, Libra and Sagittarius are dominant signs. The Fire Element dominates, otherwise there is a certain balance between the other elements. That the Water Element meant something special to the fairytale writer, the poet himself suggests in a letter: "I am like a water. Everything moves me, all is reflected in me, it goes well with my poetic nature and sometimes I have the joy of it, but often it is also a nuisance.”

The Third House (narratives and writing) is in Pisces, where he has the planet Venus. Also the Sun and Mercury, both in Aries, are in the communicative Third House. Mercury in Aries in the Third House in conjunction with the Sun shows a quick and agile intellect and also indicates his remarkable literary talent. Mercury also rules the Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Houses.

Sensitive, romantic and dreamy Venus in Pisces in the Third House forms a Grand Trine with Mars in Leo in the Eighth House and Neptune in Scorpio in the Eleventh House. Surely, from this one can deduce something about the poet's writings, his storytelling and the sensitivity and receptivity as described by himself!

That the young Hans Christian against all odds managed to raise himself and reach a position where he in his professional life could use his writing talent and genius, can probably be attributed to the Sun in Aries in the Third House, which in addition to being in conjunction with Mercury also forms a trine to the Ascendent ruler Jupiter in its own sign Sagittarius in the Twelfth House.

Jupiter in this position - in the Twelfth House and in trine to both the Sun and Mars - demonstrates a strong ability of the author to seek the meaning of life deep within himself. Jupiter also forms a wide conjunction with Neptune in the Water sign Scorpio in the Eleventh House (visions, dreams, ideals), in its turn forming a trine to Venus in the Neptunic Pisces in the Third House – his storytelling sprang forth as it were out of a rippling inner source (Jupiter in Twelfth House and Neptune in Scorpio) and took outward form through the poet's extraordinary rich imagination and creative ability (Venus in Pisces in the Third House along with the Sun and Mercury in Aries). Pluto in Pisces in the Second House (resources, talents) is in mutual reception with Neptune in Scorpio, ie. they are in each other's signs and color each other.

A very interesting and intriguing horoscope, I think! There is a lot more to bring forth. What does it mean that he has Chiron in Capricorn in his First House in conjunction with the North Lunar Node? His MC is in Venus-ruled Libra, what is that indicating about his career and life path? And what about the Moon in his Fourth House in sextile with Pluto in Pisces? And Pars Fortunae in Scorpio in the Eleventh House in conjunction with Neptune - what does it say about the poet's greatest joy and self-fulfillment? What does Uranus squaring his Lunar Nodes indicate? And what can it mean that he has the Sun and Mercury in opposition to Saturn and Uranus in Libra in the Ninth House?

© Mats Bergman 2013