The Astrology of Leos in Black Liberation: Marcus Garvey

The Astrology of Leos in Black Liberation: Marcus Garvey

I decided to make a mini-series for Leo season titled: Leo Liberation Season where I talk about Leo sun sign people, countries, ideals in regards to black Liberation. I am a lover of history and obviously astrology. We are living in socially, historically and spiritually important times and I want this series to reflect this.

It's hard to ignore and not talk about the social climate in the world now. The anti-police brutality protests have died down but the revolution and quest for Liberation is not dead. The protests didn't just come out of nowhere and when using astrology to analyze Issues of racism, white supremacy, and anti-blackness it's often seen from the gaze that these issues are new, happened out of nowhere, simple, and solvable. However racism, oppression, white supremacy and anti-blackness is more covert, insidious, strategic, and ever evolving. 

That's why I want to introduce a mini Astrology of Black Liberation series. I especially want to see the what’s up with this especially spiritually being that we are in a spiritual warfare for centuries with it reaching to a place where a lot of people cannot ignore anymore.

When I think Liberation and Social Justice with Astrology I think of specifically zodiac signs Aquarius, Sagittarius and Libra and planets/aspects with Uranus (rebellion, independent), Pluto (personal power), and Mars (forceful, combative, energetic). However every sign has an inner social justice warrior in them. Hence why I will be talking about Leo and Liberation.

Since my post on Jamaica's Independence Day, it got me thinking about Leo, Aquarius, and Liberation. I think with Leo Liberation is important because the dichotomous nature Leo has with its opposite sign Aquarius. I mention this several times (and in a podcast) that opposite signs want, do, go after, and believe in the same things but go after them in the opposite ways. Aquarius archetype is the humanitarian, the social justice warrior, the rebel, the different individual and generally a person for the people. Aquarius uses it's ego to elevate people and bring attention to others and causes.

While Leo uses their ego to bring attention to themselves and in turn inspire others with their own personality. Aquarius is the 11th sign out of 12. If you look at the zodiac wheel, you would see it's a journey where every sign takes and learns from each other. It's a progression of energy. How does Aquarius detach and loosen its grip on its ego to help others and to share their light? 

It's through the lessons it learns from its opposite sign Leo. How can you love others when you don't love yourself? How can you fight for others if you can't fight for yourself? By learning the lessons of Leo and Leo season the social justice warrior archetype in Aquarius energy can learn its own lessons and move it forward. Leo Liberation is an act of love, the love you give to ones’ self, that inspires people to love themselves and give/receive love. It's a demonstration of what it means to lead by example.

The Leo archetypes and themes is royalty, the actor, the performer. Leo rules over the 5th House of creativity, love, romance, dating, casual sex, children\child rearing among everything. It's the lion, king of the jungle, and it's the pride. The 4th House/Cancer season was about understanding your wants and needs, creating families, learning how to make connections and nurture others and yourself. The 5th house/Leo season is continuing this tradition but also teaching us to love ourselves, to develop our egos, figure out who we are, to move these practical family/ familial connections beyond the means of survival but also for fun and ego fulfillment/development.

For this installation of Leo Liberation I want to breakdown the astrology of introspective American writer, essayist, poet, and social critic James Baldwin, charismatic Jamaican political activist, entrepreneur, and publisher Marcus Garvey (obviously).

Marcus Garvey was a powerful controversial polarizing figure in black Liberation. Regardless of who is was as individual; his message was unique and important in the grand scale. That message being black pride in your history, physical features, and struggles, confidence, independence, and self-sufficiency. He inspired the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Ho Chi Minh and his ideas’ helped to inspire some of aspects in the Rastafari’s, black nationalism, and Black power movements.

A political preacher with a ministry for teaching mixed in with his own self interest need to boost ego black identity self confidence and self pride,

A quick biography Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican black nationalist, political activist, orator, entrepreneur, and journalist born on August 17^th 1887 in St Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. He grew up in well-to-do peasant “petty” bourgeoisie family in Jamaica. In 1900 he began an apprenticeship at his godfather’s printing business. In 1903 his formal education ended and a few years after that he moved with his mom & sister to Kingston working at a printing shop. He rose the ranks of the printing shop. A 1907 earthquake devastated Kingston and a year later in his mother died.

Around this time Marcus became interested in trade unions becoming a trade unionist and leading a strike and getting fired. His interest in Black Nationalism grew while his time in Kingston he converted to Roman Catholicism. After difficulties finding employment and his growing anger with social inequalities, he got involved in a nationalist group, published Garvey’s Watchmen newspaper, and began elocution lessons to perfect his speech.

In 1910-1912 he traveled around central and South America traveling to Costa Rica (where he lived for a few months and edited a newspaper), Panama editing a variety of political newspapers in both countries. 1912-1916 Marcus moves to London for the first time to attend Birbeck College, travels around Europe to countries like Spain, France, Scotland, and published articles. Eventually he moved back to Jamaica in this time he read a lot, being inspired by a variety of intellects including Booker T. Washington. In 1914 Marcus reaches out to Booker, who responds favorably to him and invites him to America (Tuskegee). Marcus Garvey also established Universal Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) in Cancer season on July 20^th 1914 forming and developing it until 1916. In 1916-1918 Marcus moves to New York where he spread, inspire and galvanize his Black Nationalist messages and ideas such as black pride, the beauty of black features like hair and skin color, moving back to Africa to establish a country, black separatism, miscegenation, financial self-sustainability and self-sufficiency via speeches.

Garvey’s organization, UNIA, experienced rapid growth from 1918-1921 launching a weekly newspaper in April 1918 called the Negro world that was backed by many black philanthropist and entrepreneurs like Capricorn Madame CJ Walker. He established UNIA branches in over 20 US states and in countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and West Africa mailing his newspaper, Negro world to these places. As UNIA grew so did Marcus Garvey’s enemies including 1919 assassination attempt by a disgruntled employee of his newspaper.

Marcus Garvey became a divisive figure with many prominent American black organizations activists/intellectuals like the NAACP and Pisces W.E.B Dubois (they disliked each other A LOT). Dubois didn’t contribute to Garvey’s newspaper, plus they clashed on how they went after liberation. Garvey with UNIA appealed to poorer, migrant blacks allowing black only membership, while NAACP/ W.E.B Dubois appealed to American black upper class elites (doctors, teachers, intellectuals) and was a multi-racial organization. Their relationship worsen especially after Marcus began to collaborate with KKK and white nationalists (both believed in the separation of races and that blacks need to go back to Africa. American black activist made a Garvey Must Go campaign

Marcus Garvey began to draw the attention of the head of the FBI Libra sun J Edgar Hoover who saw him as a threat and started an investigation to deport him under the pretense of communism. J Edgar Hoover couldn’t get Marcus Garvey on communism but he settled on mail fraud. Garvey was arrested and charged in 1922 with a trial in 1923. He was out on bail for 2 years after a very brief imprisonment during this time he did a speaking tour around the USA, giving lectures and speeches, meeting with the KKK, and making plans to send 3,000 American blacks to Liberia. His newspaper, The Negro World was banned in Africa in 1922.

He was later imprisoned in Atlanta, Georgia for 2 years (1925-1927) for mail fraud due to soliciting mail donations (via stocks) for his The Black Star Line, with a ship he wanted to purchase for travel between Africa and the Americas for blacks. It was illegal to sell stocks on a ship he didn’t own/wasn’t licensed.

After his imprisonment he was deported and, moved back to Jamaica for about 8 years (from 1927-1935). There in Jamaica he continued being controversial getting into politics, starting the first political party established the country's first political party, the People's Political Party (PPP) where he advocated for the rights of workers and farmers and for minimum wage. He also travelled to Europe and Canada during this time and had children (2 sons). He served short stints in prison multiple times for going after corrupt judges and systems. However the Great Depression changed everything for him and left Jamaica in 1935 broken and broke, vowing to never come back.

He later moved to England and settled in England in 1935 for the remainder of his life. He reestablished UNIA but was never able to get it back to his organization’s glory days especially with rise in socialism and communism (which Marcus was against). Marcus Garvey he died in June 1940 from a stroke at the age of 52.

Long biography aside let’s get into Marcus Garvey’s astrology

Marcus Garvey
Wednesday, August 17, 1887

Sun in 24 Degrees Leo
Moon in 3 Degrees Leo
conjunct Saturn, Mars
Venus in 2 Degrees Libra
Mercury in 5 Degrees Libra
Mars in 23 Degrees Cancer
Saturn in 29 Degrees Cancer
Jupiter in 0 Degrees Scorpio
Pluto in 4 Degrees Gemini
Neptune in 0 Degrees Gemini
Uranus in 9 Degrees Libra
North Node in 19 Degrees Leo
Lilith retrograde in 28 Degrees Pisces

https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Marcus_Garvey

A Leo's Leo, a Libra’s Libra with multiple planets in Leo and a stellium in Libra. Marcus Garvey was a Leo sun & moon (not conjunct) with North Node in Leo conjuncting his Sun. Marcus also had a Venus conjunct Mercury & Uranus all in Libra. This all means his ego (Sun) aligned with his destiny (North Node) & emotions (Moon), and was in at ease sextiling with his mind/speech/ideas/thoughts (Mercury) and this sense of beauty/who he was in relationships (Venus), and why/how he rebelled (Uranus) all in Libra.

Off the bat Marcus Garvey is charming, dynamic, dramatic, energetic, and extra/theatrical. As a Leo sun/moon/north node he created a persona that was larger than life, often wearing British style military suits and shouting out his Cadillac with a megaphone. He wanted to be seen, the attention and accolades and recognition as great liberator of blacks globally.

Especially with his Pluto conjunct Neptune in Gemini trining his Venus/Mercury/Uranus conjunction in Libra. This means Marcus Garvey also had an otherworldly, boundary breaking quality (Neptune) matched with GREAT POWER and influence (Pluto). He travelled to the USA from Jamaica, he had supporters in the US, Africa, South America, Europe. He broke down actual physical borders (Neptune) with the power (Pluto) of his words (Pluto in Gemini trine Mercury in Libra). Even after his death in 1940 with interest in him being revived in 1960s' Pan Africanist/Civil Rights era of black liberation.

Marcus with his intense Libra/Gemini energy it seems he spread his ideas and fought mainly with his mind, intellect and words. He wrote and edited articles, ran several newspapers that he distributed, gave rousing traveling speeches and lectures which is all very mercurial. He recognized the importance of appealing to black people’s intellect for liberation. Libra compromising energy he had a willingness to work with the enemy of American blacks (the KKK).  Marcus Garvey met with the KKK (because they both agreed on sending blacks back to Africa (aka racial separatist) which is honesty then and now is disgusting and wrong. A fatal faux pas that still gets brought up in black diaspora war conversations. He probably was going on the premise the enemy of my enemy is my friend but in terms of racism and black supremacy, it don’t work that way but I can understand his sentiment and reasoning (though I disagree).

Marcus was a man with contradictions. On one hand he was for the people and appealed to the poorer classes but also had a contradictory, pompous, respectability nature that condemn the poor blacks “backwards” culture, and sought for himself and fellow backs to be respectable. Being respectable or respectability politics means being the perfect black (no flaws, well spoken, well educated, not poor, not threatening, cultured, and travelled to appeal and get support from whites. Akin to being on your best behavior.

Mars in Cancer

Not only did Marcus appealed to the intellect of blacks but also to their emotions and trauma, and the collective black experience. This can be shown with his Mars conjunct Saturn in Cancer. He moved and conducted himself with emotions and also appealed to the emotions of others.

It reflects his approach of appealing to his skinfolk (black people) in the quest for a Black ruled country in Africa. He appealed to dark skin black people as a fellow dark skin black man because he knew the effects of colorism and Eurocentric beauty standards on his people. He knew the effects of white supremacy. In a sense he wanted to create an international BLACK family and home base where he was the head of the household. Where he was the actual and symbolic patriarchal figure of the Black Nationalist movement. This is so Mars in Cancer.

He reacted emotionally, personally, and pettily to people that criticized his ideas/intellect. Mars in Cancer has highly petty energy demanding unwavering loyalty that is significance with Leo placements mixed with Cancer (and even Scorpio).

Marcus Garvey also had Mars conjunct Saturn in Cancer. He wanted to be seen as an Authoritarian and respected. He was much more controlling, conservative, and traditional than it seems he would be. He supported temperance (anti-alcohol), was anti-socialism, Roman Catholic, and partial to respectability politics.

Marcus Garvey’s Cardinal and fixed energy promoted financial independence which is could be why he favored capitalism. He knew blacks needed to develop a strong financial hold in order to enact real societal change for the betterment of their condition.

Jupiter in Scorpio moon squared Jupiter

Marcus Garvey had Jupiter in Scorpio squared moon (his emotions) Jupiter (beliefs, ideals, expansion, luck). Jupiter in Scorpio have very intense and powerful beliefs and ideals that can be very diverging even divisive. Scorpio placements are VERY POLARIZING and in Jupiter in a weird way can expand your polarizing qualities.

In his time Marcus Garvey was loved or hated and nothing in between. He was stubborn in his beliefs, proud and unapologetic about it. He was shot in a failed assassination attempt and a few days later was giving speeches. While some of his enemies and competitors wound up dead from murder. Not by him necessarily but I suspect with his Scorpio Jupiter energy Marcus Garvey attracted loonies stan supporters that literally gave their unwavering loyalty and would kill for him. FYI this is only a casual theory.

His enemies and detractors felt he ran a cult like organization and developed a cult of personality with him appointing himself as a demagogue like figure and his haters calling him Negro Moses in a shady way.

Marcus Garvey is quite a character has done, said, and accused of questionable things. In a weird way another polarizing and controversial Black Nationalist Leo sun sign Umar Johnson is following in Garvey’s footsteps.

Marcus proudly called himself a fascist and that fellow Leo Mussolini copied him before realizing that fascism isn’t good for black in the retrospective observation of Italy invading Ethiopia under the leadership Emperor (Negus) another fellow Leo Haile Selassie (a black leader Garvey admired then later disliked).

He pissed off the American Blacks with his collaboration with the KKK. He pissed off mixed raced, quadroons, mulattos black people because he advocated miscegenation/against interracial relationships/reproduction (because he felt white blood diluted the black race).

He wanted Africa to be unified with him as the President and support for the Back to Africa movement even though he’s never been to Africa and romanticized it. A bit out of depth in his approaches he was unapologetic.

I am saying these things not to slander him or his legacy but as a way to show that Black Liberation is messy. There isn’t one way for Black Liberation and the important figures have their own hang ups, nuances, contradictions and missteps. You can look up, be inspired by someone, but disagree with some of their actions and beliefs.

While Marcus made promises and had ideas and plans that he couldn’t live up to. However his name and legacy saw a revival decades after his death with the Pan-Africanist/ Civil Rights, Black power/pride eras in the 1960s/1970s onward. Maybe Marcus Garvey with his strong Uranus energy was ahead of his time.

Overall Marcus Garvey’s ideas of black Leo liberation model was to see yourself as more than you are, to take pride in your skin/black features, and to seek a camaraderie in blacks from around the world. His message was global and important for Liberation.