Robin Williams came from a tribe of cosmic magician healer-empaths, dropping into this world to be a creative force, express his novelty and challenge the notion of reality and use compassion and love in new ways to create joy in the world. But a big part of his purpose was to push the edge of life, develop a healthy ego, self-love and also mold and shape the life around him along the way. Terry Gilliam, of Monty Python fame expressed in 1992 that, Williams had the ability to “go from manic to mad to tender and vulnerable,” adding that to him Williams was “the most unique mind on the planet. There’s nobody like him out there” (Wikipedia and BBC)

I normally don’t write about the astrology of famous people, but this is a rare case in that he and I shared Pisces Moons and a ‘feminine’ Mars (he had Mars in Cancer while I have Mars in Pisces) but also we both share a strong Neptune complex as well. So, I was moved to astro-examine what had taken place in his life from the past and up to the present to find reasons for his suicide.

Other well-known comedians of Robin’s cut have died much younger, such as John Belushi (Sagittarius Moon, Aquarius Mars and Aquarius Rising but with Neptune Complex) and Chris Farley (Pisces Moon and Mars, Leo Rising), dying due to complications from one drug or another, including alcohol. Robin was conscious of these deaths, especially from his friend Belushi. Robin certainly had varying degrees of addictions to drugs and alcohol and the impact from Belushi’s death likely saved his life. At the time, he was about to be a father and described the event as a “wake up call” in March of 1982 (in an interview with James Lipton on Bravo, 2001).

It was more than 20 years later, when he began drinking again, covering a decades-long battle with depression among other things, before going to rehab a few years later in 2006 and again in 2014, a few months before his passing. It was also revealed recently that Robin developed the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease.

His comedic genius is generally agreed upon across the board and his acting is right up there with many other brilliant actors, especially in films such as Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, What Dreams May Come, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Fischer King and Awakenings.

Robin Williams on laughter, “I have to say that laughter does give you a brief neuron pump that helps. Or a nice serotonin fix.”
– Robin Williams from Reddit interview Sept 25, 2013 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1n41x1/

I can list many more of his credits, but I would like to focus on what really was going on, some of the driving forces in his life, insecurities and vulnerabilities, and where and why he really shines in the mediums of the entertainment industry.

What is, in your opinion, the recipe for success? “Truly loving what you do. Because there will be good days and bad days”

– Robin Williams from Reddit interview Sept 25, 2013 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1n41x1/

I’ve included a copy of his astrological chart for your convenience but will list the most prominent features:

Pisces Moon (Aquarius Job) – His Lineage and what he mastered coming into this world. This is the Empath, the Healer, Selfless Giver, the Dreamer. With the Aquarius job, add novelty and brilliance to his empathic, healing gifts. His shadow figures heavily here as Pisces Moons can be prone to a variety of ways of escaping reality through drugs/alcohol, dreams and entertainment. Many times, the idea of reality is so foreign that coping with it the best a Pisces Moon can do in a structured, production-security society.

Neptune & Uranus in Dynamic Relationship (Square & Opposition) with Mars & Vesta in Cancer, and Jupiter in Aries – A big part of his caring nature and compassion for others (especially family) rests here, but he gives it in unusual ways through his comedy primarily. He wants to be loved for being a good father/provider, a caring and compassionate man. He strives full force at times only to hit sudden breaks, walking into a fog or stumbling upon insight after insight, seeing them transform before his eyes.

Scorpio Rising/Ascendant in Dynamic Relationship (Square) with Pluto, Mercury and the Midheaven in Leo – Here is the area that brings in his incredible intensity, will, and creative force, invigoration and literally ‘making it up as he goes along’ in his work and perceptions in life. It is where many people saw him shine on stage live or in film/television. This is where his improvisational genius came alive with vitality and flourish! But it also is an area where he was forced through the minefields of what it is to live on the edge or beyond the edge.  Like the Pisces Moon, he also had a specialty within the Scropio Rising, which is the Leo job.  This is the radical, radiant Scorpio pushing the edge of life, but as a beginner!

There are, of course, other important areas to see on his natal chart, but in lieu of not turning this into a novella, I will leave it at that. However, I will also get into the planetary transits or initiations that were going on at the time of suicide, because they provide additional insight into his decision to end it.

His Own Imagination
According to sources like Wikipedia, various interviews, stand-up comedy specials and in this case, the book, Paranoia & Power: Fear & Fame of Entertainment Icons (pg 30-31) Robin spent most of his early youth alone in a big house with his 2000 toy soldiers. His imagination was fostered there, but also abandonment issues rooted inside from there as he didn’t see his mother or father often (due to their work). He was likely happy at times being in that position, but he had abundance of want of connection through his heart to nurture those he loved – and was generally denied it due to circumstances beyond his control. Of course, as a child, it is not easy to accept them and self-blame enters the picture.

Also during his childhood, he experienced bullying and was forced to walk different routes to school to avoid the bullies. I’m personally familiar with this as I also had to get a bit creative at times when walking to junior high school in L.A. This creates more insecurities and brings up abandonment issues again (parents not there for him). It plants the seeds of depression to be hatched years later. But it also forces him to find more power in his creativity and imagination.

Between the Pisces Moon and the Neptune Complex (with some Uranus influence), Robin found a sanctuary for his mind and heart to play, getting lost and escaping the density and emptiness of reality: Worlds of his Creation. Robin’s imagination flowed from that world into creative space and into a way to get the attention of others by imitating voices. He began to gain that attention that got people to notice him more than just being shy or strange, but being funny. This fed his Leo energy (Mercury/Midheaven, but also his Pisces Moon in the 5th house) A Gem was found, but there was only so much power in that Gem.

The Magician at Work
Robin was a genius-magician. His work stands on its own and his start came after he was accepted in Julliard School in 1973 (Christopher Reeve and William Hurt were classmates). He was so brilliant, in fact, that his school instructor stated, “There is nothing more we can teach you here. So you should go out and work” (Maslon, Laurence, and Kantor, Michael. Make ’em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, Twelve, 2008 pp. 241-244); that was 1976.

During the early 1970s, Robin was doing stand-up work in California, on breaks from Julliard. And by 1978 (around the time of his Lunar Nodal Reversal between 27-28 yrs of age) he landed a starring role as Mork, in Mork & Mindy, a spin-off from the popular TV series, Happy Days, in which Robin appeared only once! That is again a testament to his magic and brilliance, leaving unforgettable impressions on people. But as he was doing all of this, he was continuing to cover up a building depression, anxieties and adding the beginnings of drug and alcohol addiction. The rooted abandonment/victimization issues continued to sit within his heart and soul.

In the film industry, Mork (aka Robin) had a chance to show his magic on the big screen and it worked numerous times and he even won an academy award in 1998, in the film, Good Will Hunting. But during this long span between being Mork and all of the film characters, life continued outside of his work as he experienced two marriages and subsequent divorces with three children.

“Anytime compassion can be contagious, it’s a good thing!” Robin Williams quote from Reddit interview

On the subject of life: what is the key to life? “family and friends. And a good pet. For pure loyalty there is nothing like a pug.”

From Reddit interview 09-25-2013: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1n41x1/

Back to the Roots
Through all of his work and family life, the depression came and went, possibly alongside a few more struggles with addictions (but that is more speculation based on allusions in interviews and reports). It wasn’t until most recently that it was revealed that Robin was in depression and had the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease. While depression can literally happen to anyone, in his case there was an underlying dissatisfaction with life and psychologically and astrologically-speaking, he tended to hold his truer feelings within, using his comic mask (which appeared to always be “on”) to cover up the real self. This was the one that sought light, connection and healing. Robin knew how to give immensely to others and receive the attention of others, but he ran into blocks with facing his deeper fears, rooted from his Pisces lineage (and/or past). These were abandonment, coping with reality, being very sensitive and absorbing other’s emotional and psychic energy and likely not learning how to healthily release other’s energies, especially in this western world.

His Neptune complex fed into it and his Cancer Sun, Mars and Vesta kept him giving over and over and over again without truly replenishing his internal resources. The leading edge of who he was is Scorpio Rising – in Shamanic Astrology, it is what we are here to learn in this lifetime, our Personal Identity Project. It is so vastly different from his Pisces lineage, his Cancer planets and Neptunian energy that for him to really be an edgewalker in life, develop a healthy ego and learn control over the energies or life force he was absorbing, was a monumental challenge. I am not saying that attempting to be a Scorpio led him to suicide, but I do think he had trouble navigating into those waters.

A person’s Rising Sign is generally beginner’s territory, compounded by the extra dynamic relationship with Pluto (in a square) means the minefields learning about Scorpio were not necessarily more numerous, but deeper, brought up more fears and also was ultimately more empowering and scary all at once. His Leo energy helped him pull in creative energies, improvising as he went – especially how he perceived and worked with the world. His genius came through, but so did what haunted him.

The Initiations of the Magician
People continue to ask if there is usually one type of planet or cycle that commonly shows up in a person’s death. I’ve talked with many astrologers and I myself have to agree that there is no one planet or cycle that is the cause or “shows up” at the time of a person’s death.

For each person, it depends heavily on where they are in there own timeline, what they have learned, their personal choices, health, etc. Shamanic Astrology is not deterministic, therefore a person’s death isn’t necessarily written on the astrology chart anymore than a doctor can determine the precise moment a terminal cancer patient may pass away or potentially recover.

The major cycles (initiations) that are going on are:
• Uranus Squaring Mars (ended in April)
• Uranus Squaring Uranus (ended in March)
• Mars Return (Libra Overtone)
• Venus Return (Capricorn Overtone)
• Pluto opposing Mars
• Uranus conjunct Jupiter (triggering Neptune complex)
• Pluto square Jupiter
• Saturn square Mc and Mercury (triggering Pluto complex)

Prior to his death, Robin had experienced a number of trials pushing him in directions in which he was not comfortable. When we enter the 62-64 range in age, sudden, dramatic shifts occur in our lives from outside our plans or even remotest thoughts. Robin experienced what he presumed was a new lease in his television acting with the new show called, “The Crazy Ones” that premiered in autumn of 2013, only to be cancelled shortly thereafter. By the spring of 2014 (around the time two of the Uranus cycles ended for him, but a third one began), he checked himself into another rehab center. But it was likely during the time between spring of2013 and the rehab check-in that he found out and/or experienced symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Cobbled onto severe depression, it could most certainly push a person over the edge – in essence a horrible way of going beyond the limits as a Scorpio Rising would (in training). However, it is also a teaching of things beyond one’s control and to make use of the opportunity in some way. Robin had great trouble seeing the silver lining of what was happening in his life. He masked his pain with comedy while giving it to millions as well as his families. He may have drained himself and this phase could have been a way of seeing a way to truly heal.

Would you change how things turned out with your alcoholism? Or did your experiences from that shape how you are now? “They definitely shaped how I am now. They really made me deeply appreciate human contact. And the value of friends and family, how precious that is.” – Robin Williams from Reddit interview Sept 25, 2013 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1n41x1/

The other major factor relates to who he is as a man (Mars in Cancer) and his Mars Return cycle and Pluto opposition to Robin’s Mars. His emerging masculine energy in this lifetime was to be a provider, nurturer and father in some capacity. Combined with his Cancer Sun sign, he certainly was all that and much more. He truly cared for his tribe or family in the deepest sense of the word. But with all the issues I outlined above and to experience a Mars Return initiation (a phase in which a person can become re-acquainted with their masculine archetypal energy, in this case, Cancer archetypal energy). I believe that he loved his family and friends so much, he didn’t want to burden them his illness plus he wouldn’t be able to provide for them anymore. But there may have been a lack of love for himself in a deeper way, that stems back to his early years where no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t fill in what was lost or abandoned in those days (related to parents, through no fault of anyone’s).

Robin healed others through his comedy, through nearly always being “on”, regardless of social, professional or even personal settings. He was loved by millions but he had trouble feeling or seeing that love. He gave so much of his time and energy to those in need and yet could see the fun in all situations. But who was this man really behind the magician’s mask? What were those deeper experiences and emotions that were his and not something he absorbed from others? As a fellow Pisces Moon, I can relate. My heart goes out to his family and friends. There are others like him out there unable to speak about their darkest, deepest feelings. Hopefully, they too will see Robin’s message.

by Erik M Roth, Shamanic Astrologer

Resources:

Wikipedia – Robin Williams

Reddit Interview on Sept 25, 2013 with Robin Williams http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1n41x1/

Maslon, Laurence, and Kantor, Michael. Make ’em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, Twelve, 2008 pp. 241-244

Chicago Tribune – Robin Williams’ Childhood Memories Aug 13 2014 http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-forest-lake-bluff/ct-robin-williams-childhood-memories-met-20140813-story.html

The Shamanic Astrology Handbook by Daniel Giamario with Cayelin Castell

Paranoia & Power: Fear & Fame of Entertainment Icons (pg 30-31)

BBC News with Terry Gilliam on the Miracle of Robin Williams  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk1dCoCqXoE

Countless more interviews, articles, stand-up gigs and movies can also be resourced.  There were several others in Wikipedia that provided additional insight, but I didn’t want this to turn into a biography 😉  Perhaps I will expand on this at some point.  The dust is still settling from Robin’s death and more information will presumably come to light so I leave this article of my own as ‘open’ to changes and expansion in the future.