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The Mars Effect for Real: Towards a Science of Astrology

Can astrology be scientifically valid? This study on Mars in the charts of athletes suggests so...

In this special presentation, I sit with fellow astrologer, my husband Michael, as he presents his research to us in which he’s cultivated a fascinating technique to determine what planet in our charts is most “assertive,” meaning prominent, or strong.

Focusing on a number of sample groups of elite athletes considered to be all-time greats, across various sports, he created and experimented with a unique system of rating the strength of the ten planets, sun through Pluto, in the chart, assigning numerical values to each planet. A fascinating pattern began to emerge - MARS was, again and again, the strongest planet in the charts of these athletes.

And although intuitively, it makes “sense” that Mars might be an important planet for athletes, it’s not merely the fact that Mars is the answer that is exciting. But rather, the fact that there was one planet that consistently showed up as strong in this specific group of people suggests a kind of provability of astrology.

If the scientific, skeptical community is correct, there should be no consistency to any kind of statistical analysis of astrological placements. But here we are, finding that within a group of people who are linked by profession and background, a shared planet is strongest in their charts. This, at least to my knowledge, has not been demonstrated before.

(And please note, what makes a body strong in the chart, according to Michael’s findings, is not what Michel Gauquelin claims makes a body strong, though this work seeks to continue the sort of research undertaken by Gauquelin, particularly with respect to his “Mars Effect.”)

Tune in with our presentation above, and see what you think. I’d love to hear from fellow astrologers with questions, challenges, and responses to their own experimentations with Michael’s technique.

INTRODUCTION

There is a consensus within the scientific and skeptical communities that astrology lacks empirical evidence to support its claims about influencing personality, behavior, or vocation. In a scientifically oriented worldview, the positions of celestial bodies at the time of a person’s birth are considered not to have a measurable impact on individual characteristics or life events.

That the natal horoscopes of high-performing individuals, such as elite athletes, would fail to show any consistent patterns or favoring of specific celestial bodies is consistent with the scientific perspective on astrology. In a world where astrology is regarded as a pseudoscience, there would be no statistically significant correlation between the positions of celestial bodies and individual achievements or traits.

Right now, the view is that if one were to rate each planet in the horoscopes of the most elite athletes and calculate the mean, there would be no difference in the average ratings for each body. The mean for each planet in the horoscopes of elite athletes would be relatively similar to the mean for the general population.

This is because, within the scientific understanding, the positions of celestial bodies at the time of a person's birth are not considered to have any causal relationship with their physical abilities, skills, or achievements.

Using a single method for reading a natal horoscope, I rated the celestial bodies in the chart of elite athletes. My instructions are highly explicit, cut and dried, and easy to follow in a mechanical fashion. Each chart and each celestial body in a given chart was measured the same way. A score for each celestial body in every chart was obtained (there are ten bodies recognized in total). The mean rating for each celestial body in each group under consideration was calculated. Among elite athletes, Mars consistently came out with a significantly higher average score than other celestial bodies. There was also what looks to be a statistically significant difference between the highest and lowest scores, which in theory should not have happened.

What I am about to show might be considered as a starting point for scientific inquiry. However, several important considerations and challenges will admittedly need to be addressed to make the data scientifically credible:

Methodological Rigor:

  • The method for measuring natal charts should be transparent, standardized, and free from subjectivity. It should be clear how each celestial body is rated, and the process should be replicable by other researchers.

Correlation vs. Causation:

  • Establishing a correlation between celestial body positions and athletic success would be a first step, but it does not imply causation. To demonstrate a causal relationship, additional evidence and rigorous study designs would be required.

Control Groups and Randomization:

  • Including control groups (individuals with similar demographic characteristics but not considered elite athletes) and randomizing the assignment of celestial body ratings would help control for confounding variables and increase the study's internal validity.

Sample Size and Diversity:

  • A larger and more diverse sample size would enhance the generalizability of the findings. The data provided here is limited, and a more extensive dataset would be needed for robust statistical analysis.

Peer Review and Replication:

  • The study and its findings should undergo rigorous peer review by experts in relevant fields. Replication by independent researchers using different samples and methods is essential to validate the results.

RATING SYSTEM - VOCATIONAL ASSERTIVENESS OF A GIVEN BODY

1) Body in a cadent place - 2 points

2) Non-cadent body in either a traditional easy aspect or a non-traditional/rare aspect to a cadent fast-moving point - 2 points

3) Body first in line to a fast-moving point, moving either clockwise or counterclockwise - 1 point (for each applicable point, within a span of no greater than 180 degrees)

4) Cadent body in a traditional hard aspect to a cadent fast-moving point - 1 point

5) Body aspecting two or more fast-moving points (including any cadent point) - 1 point

6) Body is unaspected or nearly unaspected* by other bodies - 1 point

7) Body makes at least four aspects (traditional or non-traditional/rare) to bodies in at least 3 signs other than its own - 1 point

8) Body makes any additional aspect of any kind to a cadent fast-moving point - 1 point

* “unaspected” means the body makes no traditional aspects with other bodies; “nearly unaspected” means the body makes either only one traditional hard aspect and no traditional easy aspects, or traditional easy aspects but no traditional hard aspects. Please note that this study does not include out-of-sign aspects, for traditional aspects, even if within allowable orb

VALID ASPECTS

conjunction (0 degrees) max orb of 9.5 degrees

opposition (180 degrees) max orb of 9.5 degrees

square (90 degrees) max orb of 8.5 degrees

sextile (60 degrees) max orb of 4.5 degrees

trine (120 degrees) max orb of 9 degrees

quintile (72 degrees) max orb of 1.5 degrees

biquintile (144 degrees) max orb of 2 degrees

tredecile (108 degrees) max orb of 1.5 degrees

septile (51.43 degrees) max orb of 1 degree

biseptile (102.86) max orb of 1.5 degrees

golden angle (137.5 degrees) max orb of 2.5 degrees

quincunx (150 degrees) max orb of 2 degrees (only in the case of a Yod, with two bodies or two points)

OTHER RULES

-No out-of-sign aspects counted for traditional aspects, whether between bodies or between bodies and fast-moving points

-House system in use: Whole Sign

-Charts used only if AA, A, or B Rodden Rating

-No charts with on-the-hour birth time, to the minute (e.g. 4.00AM), even if chart has acceptable Rodden Rating

RESULTS

20 GENERALLY UNDISPUTED GREATEST ALL-TIME ATHLETES IN HIGH-PROFILE SPORTS / COMPETITIVE GAMES (only high-rated charts with birth times that are not exactly on the hour)

Mean Rating for each Celestial Body

Mars: 5.90

Jupiter: 4

Pluto: 3.65

Neptune: 3.45

Moon: 3.25

Mercury: 3

Sun: 2.3

Venus: 2.05

Saturn: 1.75

Uranus rating: 1.65

Athletes Considered

Michael Jordan

Mars rating: 7 Jupiter rating: 6 Pluto rating: 5 Moon rating: 4 Neptune rating: 4 Venus rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Sun rating: 1 Mercury rating: 0

Lebron James

Pluto rating: 7 Moon rating: 4 Mars rating: 3 Venus rating: 3 Mercury rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Neptune rating: 2 Uranus rating: 1 Sun rating: 0 Jupiter rating: 0

Novak Djokovic

Pluto rating: 5 Saturn rating: 5 Neptune rating: 4 Sun rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Mars rating: 2 Moon rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Venus rating: 1 Jupiter rating: 1

Roger Federer

Neptune rating: 6 Mars rating: 5 Uranus rating: 5 Sun rating: 4 Moon rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Venus rating: 2 Pluto rating: 1 Jupiter rating: 0 Saturn rating: 0

Rafael Nadal

Neptune rating: 5 Mars rating: 4 Venus rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Moon rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Sun rating: 1 Mercury rating: 1

Serena Williams

Mars rating: 8 Neptune rating: 7 Sun rating: 4 Venus rating: 3 Saturn rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Jupiter rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Moon rating: 2 Mercury rating: 2

Steffi Graf

Saturn rating: 6 Mars rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Sun rating: 4 Venus rating: 3 Moon rating: 2 Jupiter rating: 1 Neptune rating: 1 Mercury rating: 0 Uranus rating: 0

Diego Maradona

Mars rating: 9 Moon rating: 6 Saturn rating: 6 Mercury rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Venus rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Pluto rating: 1 Neptune rating: 0

Lionel Messi

Mars rating: 6 Jupiter: 6 Pluto rating: 5 Neptune rating: 5 Mercury rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Moon rating: 2 Venus rating: 1 Moon rating: 0 Uranus rating: 0

Wayne Gretzky

Mars rating: 5 Moon rating: 5 Jupiter rating: 5 Sun rating: 4 Saturn rating: 4 Mercury rating: 3 Venus rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Neptune rating: 2 Pluto rating: 1

Conor McGregor

Mars rating: 6 Jupiter rating: 5 Sun rating: 4 Moon rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Neptune rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Venus rating: 3 Saturn rating: 1 Uranus rating: 1

Ronda Rousey

Mars rating: 7 Pluto rating: 6 Mercury rating: 4 Sun rating: 3 Neptune rating: 3 Venus rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Moon rating: 0

Hank Aaron

Moon rating: 5 Venus rating: 4 Mars rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Neptune rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Jupiter rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2

Willie Mays

Moon rating: 6 Mercury rating: 6 Neptune rating: 6 Sun rating: : 4 Uranus rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Mars rating: 1 Venus rating: 1 Saturn rating: 0

Tom Brady

Mars rating: 7 Neptune rating: 5 Pluto rating: 4 Sun rating: 4 Moon rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Mercury: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Venus rating: 1 Saturn rating: 1

Joe Montana

Mars rating: 6 Neptune rating: 6 Mercury rating: 4 Saturn rating: 3 Sun rating: 3 Pluto rating: 2 Neptune: 2 Jupiter rating: 1 Uranus rating: 1 Moon rating: 0

Jack Nicklaus

Mars rating: 6 Jupiter rating: 6 Neptune rating: 5 Venus rating: 4 Mercury rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Moon rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Saturn rating: 2 Sun rating: 0

Tiger Woods

Saturn rating: 7 Pluto rating: 5 Mars rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Venus rating: 3 Jupiter rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Moon rating: 3 Sun rating: 1 Neptune rating: 1

Magnus Carlsen

Mars rating: 7 Moon rating: 4 Mercury rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Saturn rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Neptune rating: 4 Uranus rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Venus rating: 2

Garry Kasparov

Mars rating: 7 Mercury rating: 6 Sun rating: 6 Moon rating: 5 Neptune rating: 5 Saturn rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Uranus rating: 1 Pluto rating: 1 Venus rating: 0

Chess Champions - 4 of the Greatest Ever (only high-rated charts with birth times that are not exactly on the hour)

https://www.chess.com/article/view/best-chess-players-of-all-time

Mean Rating for each Celestial Body

  1. Mars: 5.75

  2. Neptune: 4.5

  3. Saturn: 4

  4. Mercury: 3.75

  5. Sun: 3.75

  6. Jupiter: 3.5

  7. Pluto: 2.5

  8. Venus: 2.25

  9. Moon: 2.25

  10. Uranus: 1.5

Garry Kasparov

Mars rating: 7 Mercury rating: 6 Sun rating: 6 Moon rating: 5 Neptune rating: 5 Saturn rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Uranus rating: 1 Pluto rating: 1 Venus rating: 0

Magnus Carlsen

Mars rating: 7 Moon rating: 4 Mercury rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Saturn rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Neptune rating: 4 Uranus rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Venus rating: 2

José Raúl Capablanca

Mars rating: 5 Saturn rating: 5 Sun rating: 4 Mercury rating: 4 Neptune rating: 3 Venus rating: 2 Jupiter rating: 1 Uranus rating: 1 Pluto rating: 1 Moon rating: 0

Bobby Fischer

Neptune rating: 6 Jupiter rating: 5 Venus rating: 5 Mars rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Sun rating: 3 Saturn rating: 3 Mercury rating: 1 Uranus rating: 1 Moon rating: 0

NFL QUARTERBACKS - 8 of the Greatest Ever (only high-rated charts with birth times that are not exactly on the hour)

https://clutchpoints.com/greatest-nfl-quarterbacks-of-all-time-ranked

Mean Rating for each Celestial Body

  1. Mars: 5.375

  2. Neptune: 3.875

  3. Pluto: 3.375

  4. Saturn: 3.25

  5. Sun: 3.125

  6. Moon: 3.125

  7. Uranus: 2.875

  8. Mercury: 2.625

  9. Jupiter: 2.625

  10. Venus: 2.125

Athletes Considered

Joe Montana

Mars rating: 6 Neptune rating: 6 Mercury rating: 4 Saturn rating: 3 Sun rating: 3 Pluto rating: 2 Neptune: 2 Jupiter rating: 1 Uranus rating: 1 Moon rating: 0

Troy Aikman

Saturn rating: 7 Uranus rating: 6 Mars rating: 4 Venus rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Moon rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Mercury rating: 1 Neptune: 0

John Elway

Mars rating: 6 Neptune rating: 6 Mercury rating: 4 Uranus rating: 3 Moon rating: 3 Jupiter rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Pluto rating: 2 Venus rating: 1

Tom Brady

Mars rating: 7 Neptune rating: 5 Pluto rating: 4 Sun rating: 4 Moon rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Mercury: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Venus rating: 1 Saturn rating: 1

Aaron Rodgers

Mars rating: 9 Moon rating: 5 Venus rating: 4 Neptune rating: 4 Mercury rating: 2 Jupiter rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Sun rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Pluto rating: 2

Fran Tarkenton

Saturn rating: 6 Neptune rating: 5 Moon rating: 4 Jupiter: 4 Mars rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Venus rating: 1

Otto Graham

Sun rating: 6 Moon rating: 4 Pluto rating: 4 Uranus rating: 4 Saturn rating: 3 Neptune rating: 3 Mars rating: 2 Mercury rating: 2 Jupiter rating: 2 Venus rating: 1

Roger Staubach

Pluto rating: 7 Venus rating: 7 Mars rating: 6 Sun rating: 4 Mercury rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 3 Moon rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Saturn rating: 2 Neptune rating: 2

Greatest Athletes of all Time - 6 Total (only high-rated charts with birth times that are not exactly on the hour)

https://icef.fit/events/top-10-greatest-athletes-of-all-time/

Mean Rating for each Celestial Body

  1. Mars: 5.15

  2. Jupiter: 4.17

  3. Neptune: 3.83

  4. Pluto: 3.17

  5. Moon: 3

  6. Mercury: 2.33

  7. Uranus: 2

  8. Venus: 1.83

  9. Sun: 1.83

  10. Saturn: 1.66

Athletes Considered

Michael Jordan

Mars: 7

Jupiter: 6

Pluto: 5

Neptune: 4

Moon: 4

Venus: 2

Uranus: 2

Sun: 1

Mercury: 0

Saturn: 0

Wayne Gretzky

Mars: 5

Moon: 5

Jupiter: 5

Sun: 4

Saturn: 4

Mercury: 3

Venus: 2

Uranus: 2

Neptune: 2

Pluto: 1

Lionel Messi

Mars: 6 Jupiter: 6 Pluto: 5 Neptune: 5 Mercury: 3 Sun: 2 Moon: 2 Venus: 1 Uranus: 0

Muhammad Ali

Pluto: 4 Sun: 4 Mars: 3 Neptune: 3 Saturn: 2 Mercury: 2 Venus: 1 Moon: 1 Jupiter: 1 Uranus: 0

Roger Federer

Neptune: 6 Mars: 5 Uranus: 5 Sun: 4 Moon: 3 Mercury: 3 Venus: 2 Pluto: 1 Jupiter: 0 Saturn: 0

Jim Thorpe

Mars: 5 Jupiter: 4 Venus: 3 Uranus: 3 Pluto: 3 Moon: 3 Mercury: 3 Neptune: 3 Saturn: 2 Sun: 0

SOCCER GOALKEEPERS - 5 of the Greatest Ever (only high-rated charts with birth times that are not exactly on the hour)

https://www.sportbible.com/football/53021-best-goalkeepers-of-all-time-20210518

Mean Rating for each Celestial Body

  1. Mars: 5.3

  2. Uranus: 3.9

  3. Pluto: 3.8

  4. Sun: 3.6

  5. Neptune: 2.6

  6. Venus: 2.9

  7. Moon: 2.9

  8. Mercury: 2.6

  9. Saturn: 2.4

  10. Jupiter: 1.8

Iker Casillas

Mars rating: 6 Sun rating: 4 Uranus rating: 4 Mercury rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Neptune rating: 3 Moon rating: 2 Venus rating: 2 Saturn rating: 1 Jupiter rating: 1

Gianluigi Buffon

Pluto rating: 6 Mars rating: 5 Venus rating: 5 Jupiter rating: 4 Sun rating: 3 Uranus rating: 3 Mercury rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Neptune rating: 2 Moon rating: 1

Dino Zoff

Mars rating: 4 Sun rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 3 Venus rating: 3 Neptune rating: 3 Uranus rating: 2 Moon rating: 1 Saturn rating: 1 Pluto rating: 1 Mercury rating: 0

Oliver Kahn

Mars rating: 4 Saturn rating: 4 Pluto rating: 3 Moon rating: 3 Venus rating: 2 Mercury rating: 2 Neptune rating: 2 Uranus rating: 1 Neptune rating: 1 Jupiter rating: 0

Peter Schmeichel

Moon rating: 6 Uranus rating: 5 Saturn rating: 4 Venus rating: 4 Jupiter rating: 4 Mars rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Pluto rating: 2 Neptune rating: 0

BOXERS - 4 of the Greatest Ever (only high-rated charts with birth times that are not exactly on the hour)

https://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/the_best_pound_for_pound_boxers_of_all_time_110923/s1__28860971

Mean Rating for each Celestial Body

  1. Mars: 4.75

  2. Sun: 4

  3. Neptune: 3.75

  4. Pluto: 3.5

  5. Uranus: 3.5

  6. Moon: 2.5

  7. Mercury: 2.5

  8. Saturn: 2.5

  9. Jupiter: 2

  10. Venus: 1.25

Athletes Considered

Muhammad Ali

Pluto rating: 4 Sun rating: 4 Mars rating: 3 Neptune rating: 3 Saturn rating: 2 Mercury rating: 2 Venus rating: 1 Moon rating: 1

George Foreman

Moon rating: 4 Mercury rating: 4 Neptune rating: 4 Mars rating: 3 Venus rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Jupiter rating: 2 Saturn rating: 2 Uranus rating: 2 Pluto rating: 2

Sugar Ray Leonard

Mars rating: 7 Sun rating: 6 Pluto rating: 5 Saturn rating: 5 Jupiter rating: 4 Neptune rating: 3 Moon rating: 2 Venus rating: 1 Mercury rating: 1

Marvin Hagler

Mars rating: 6 Uranus rating: 5 Neptune rating: 5 Moon rating: 3 Mercury rating: 3 Pluto rating: 3 Sun rating: 2 Saturn rating: 1 Venus rating: 0 Jupiter rating: 0

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