General George Custer (5 December 1839 – June 25, 1876)

We’ve all heard about “Custer’s Last Stand”. Did you ever wonder why he could make such an error in judgement that condemned his whole fighting troop of soldiers to death at the hands of the Lakota Sioux?

There is only one astrology site with his birth chart. I followed their lead because it makes sense that most of the planets and lights would be below the horizon at his birth, with only Pluto signaling his death at age 36. The inconjunct between the Moon and the Midheaven could be the indicator of his ‘pride before the fall’. His natal Sun is also within 10° of the Moon. His mother must have told him he was the best. This quote from the Wikipedia post about his life, relates the story (at age 4) for the Moon/Sun conjunction:

Emanuel Custer was an outspoken Jacksonian Democrat who taught his children politics and toughness at an early age. In a February 3, 1887, letter to his son’s widow Libby, Emanuel related an incident from when George Custer (known as Autie) was about four years old:

“He had to have a tooth drawn, and he was very much afraid of blood. When I took him to the doctor to have the tooth pulled, it was in the night and I told him if it bled well it would get well right away, and he must be a good soldier. When he got to the doctor he took his seat, and the pulling began. The forceps slipped off and he had to make a second trial. He pulled it out, and Autie never even scrunched. Going home, I led him by the arm. He jumped and skipped, and said ‘Father you and me can whip all the Whigs in Michigan.’ I thought that was saying a good deal but I did not contradict him.”

So, yes, I think the accuracy of the timing of his birth fits the story.

The Battle of Little Bighorn is a tale told by the victors. 3:30 pm was the start of the battle, and it lasted only 30 minutes. You do the math. Mercury is inconjunct Jupiter. Jupiter is in opposition to the Pluto/Midheaven conjunction and they are all square to the Moon/Ascendant conjunction in Leo. Bad news: you overestimate your abilities and underestimate the number of your enemies. Deadly mistake.

On the day, Custer’s natal Uranus/North Node conjunction was being transited by his ‘fatal’ Saturn. The “grim reaper” did his ‘best’ work that day.