The Astrology of Scorpios in Black Liberation: Victor Hugo Green
The themes of Scorpios in Black Liberation is one of survival and control over one's self and environment specifically. This is why I chose Victor Hugo Green.
Victor Hugo Green was a mail carrier for the US Postal Service. He was also the creator of The Negro Motorist Green Book later retitled The Negro's Travelers' Green Book but also called Green book for short. This was a travel guide for Blacks (Negroes) on how to navigate and travel cross America in the 1930s', 1940s', 1950s' and 1960s'. It wasn't just a travel guide but a survival guide for blacks during the 1950s'Jim Crow era.
Starting in the 1930s' using his over 23 years of experience, skills, and expertise as a US mail carrier; Green collected, reviewed, and provided information of which US towns, motels, hotels, gas stations, stores, restaurants, bars/taverns and resorts, blacks were safe to visit and travel to. This was during the time of Jim Crow, racial segregation and more extreme and overt forms of racism, racial profiling, violence, aggression, and LEGAL discrimination against black people. It's important to note that blacks especially after World War II were able to achieve more middle class lifestyles which included traveling and owning automobiles.
Despite their emerging wealth it was hard to navigate the tumultuous and often dangerous landscapes and environments when traveling. Blacks often had to deal with segregated restaurants, gas stations, and hotels. Not only that but also had to deal with whites only and/or sundown towns (blacks had to be gone by sundown) that often proudly attack and lynched blacks.
As a way to provide a solution to these experiences and challenges, from 1936-1966 Green later with the help of his wife (he died in 1960) he published the "Green book." This was a guide for black motorists
In 1947 he retired from the Postal Service and established a travel agency business to go along with his annual Green book. He would offer readers money to submit reviews about their experiences as black travelers and black motorists. He will also ask for information from his Post Office colleagues about their own experiences and expertise of the different cities, and businesses/services in their routes. He also created a partnership with Standard Oil later known as Esso gas stations that were more open to black travelers.
Other gas stations like Shell gas stations refused black customers. Esso endorsed and sponsored The Green Book while The Green Book provided business and customers to Esso gas stations.
The Green Book had sold about 15,000 every year via mail order and the success of it allowed Victor Hugo Green to retire, hire a small staff and start a black travel agency
Not only was it known as The Green Book it was known as the bible of black travel during Jim Crow. It not only covered the United States of America but also Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. After the 1964 Civil Rights Act that abolished and made racial discrimination illegal The Green Book's popularity fell.
He didn't try to change the laws or rules or policies specifically. I think he worked with the challenges for blacks at the time and tried to control the environment and make life easier for black people despite the abuse and violence against blacks. He did his own thing and catered to his people, allowing them to truly experience life not as second class citizens but as ones with dignity
Let's get into his astrology:
Ascendant in Capricorn
if born 12 am - 28 Degrees Leo
if born 12pm - 29 Degrees Capricorn
if born 9pm - 23 Degrees Cancer
Sun in 17 Degrees Scorpio
Moon in 26 Degrees Cancer
if born 9 pm Moon in Leo**
Mercury in 06 Degrees Sagittarius
Venus in 07 Degrees Libra
Mars in 00 Degrees Pisces
if born 9 pm Pisces <> 12am Aquarius
Jupiter in 16 Degrees Aries
Saturn in 08 Degrees Libra
Uranus in 07 Degrees Scorpio
Neptune in 10 Degrees Gemini
Pluto in 09 Degrees Gemini
North Node in 07 Degrees Taurus
There isn't a time of birth plus he was born in 1892 so I had to find an online astrology birth chart calculator that went that far back for birth years.
It's important to note that with an unknown birth time I don't have access to information on his houses. That aside it is fitting for him to be a Capricorn ascendant seeing how business minded and disciplined he was.
I can also see Libra, Virgo, Cancer, and other signs too but the personal information on him is a bit limited.
Sun in Scorpio bastard conjunction to Uranus in 17 degrees Scorpio
Victor Hugo Green has Sun and Uranus in a bastard conjunction aka wide conjunction in Scorpio. This shows that he knew his own power.
People love to talk shit about Scorpio and it's darker "less evolved" traits (eye rolls) but Scorpio has the amazing ability of using their darkness, their shadow to transform themselves, others, and their environments.
Victor Hugo Green was resourceful, intuitive, emotionally intelligent, and resilient. He not only transform himself but also transformed the lives of other.
He started out as a long term mail carrier and was able to use the skills and connections learned as a mail carrier to create a business that not only employed others but provided guidance and safety to skinfolk. This is big Scorpio energy especially with Uranus.
One thing to note with Scorpio is that they are just as independent as they are relationship minded. Ruling the 8th House, Scorpio is not just about death, taxes, "secrets", and the shadow self. It's also about relationships, shared resources and about navigating between the personal, impersonal, the spiritual, and the worldly.
Scorpio has lone wolf energy that needs introspection and time to reflect in order to realize it's own power and ascend itself. Victor with Uranus in Scorpio rebels against his own nature by breaking out the mold and reaching out to world not solely focusing on its own survival but also others survival.
Victor wanted to live a worldly existence and wanted his skinfolk to live the same way. Instead of just using his skills and connections just for himself he shared it with others. It wasn't just information he shared but also a means of survival and social/spiritual survival currency.
This is one of the main reasons I chose Victor Hugo Green as Scorpio archetype for Scorpio energy in Black Liberation. Black Liberation is about survival amongst many other things. It was hard to find an appropriate Scorpio for this archetype though I am sure they are plenty to choose from.
Scorpio is a very low key sign and are not traditionally known as being about liberation in the traditional sense. That's more of an Aquarius, Libra, Capricorn thing because they are willing to work both within the system and without the system and often strive to galvanize via politics, political power, and associations.
All signs have Liberation energy but some are more overt, strategic about it than other signs.
Victor didn't use the power of politics and working within a system. He didn't set out to change laws, or work the system. No he transformed himself and use his own skills, power and associations to bring Liberation energy his own way. His Scorpio form of liberation was using his intuition and natural survivalist skills to allow himself and others to live fully and survive in dangerous, hostile environments.
Moon in Cancer (maybe Leo)
If he was born in the evening especially around 9pm he would be a Leo Moon. I can see that too.
If he's a Leo moon, it's because:
- He named his guidebook after himself.
- His guidebook catered to more affluent black people that could afford to own an automobile and to travel.
This signifies that he felt that blacks can aspire, be, and live greater than what society brainwashed and conditioned them to be. This takes natural confidence/assurance which Leo moons have.
However I can also see his Moon as Cancer too. He seems to want to look out and be protective for others which is protective compassionate energy of a Cancer moon.
The motto for the Green Book is “Carry your Green Book with you—You may need it.”
This is fatherly, protective energy, it's like a parent reminding you to eat or to keep a water, a knife, and a blanket in your car.
Also Moon in Cancer is business minded and intuitively knows how the minds and emotions of others work. Being business minded is about intuition, to deliver a service that you think others are willing to pay for. Moon in Cancer has this ability.
To keep it simple I will choose Moon in Cancer.
Mars in Pisces or Aquarius.
Mars square Mercury and Pluto/Neptune in Gemini
If he was born in the early morning hours he would have a Mars in Aquarius. It's still up in the air for me on which Mars sign he has since his 12pm/unknown birthtime Pisces mars is at 0 Degrees.
If he has Mars in Aquarius, it will make sense, that's a big part of his Liberation for the people energy. Mars in Aquarius is the humanitarian and individualist doing the work for both themselves and for other people. It's for the greater good, doing something for yourself that also helps others. He ran The Green Book
He also acknowledged that The Green Book would not be here forever and he hoped that the conditions of blacks in this country will eventually improved. This is quote from Victor Hugo Green:
“There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States. It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication for then we can go wherever we please, and without embarrassment.”
He acknowledges the social climate in which the Green Book was created in spite of/to push back against. Mars in Aquarius is independent and social minded, the individual in the community. The Green Book was progressive, socially minded, and focused on giving black travelers a sense of independence and autonomy. The fact that he paid for readers to submit reviews shows that he valued the voices of others not just himself and was very community minded.
Not only that it's pretty rebellious in the sense that traveling and owning automobiles isn't as typical for blacks during this time. So many obstacles were put to discourage blacks from travel and living a good life so the Green Book was also like a soft subtle fuck you to the system and a way to rebel (tell me I can't do something, I am going to do it with a smile on my face).
If he has Mars in Pisces he would have a grand trine in Water. This means heighten intuitive abilities, a vast supply of emotional intelligence and very passive/receptive to the emotions of others. Mars in Pisces can put themselves in others people's shoes and give them what they want. Mars in Pisces is very adaptive and also progressive.
Victor Hugo Green knew the Green book wouldn't last long. Not only that but he changed it's name to accommodate international readers and readers who use planes and trains and not just automobiles. It wasn't just for Americans, not just for motorists, but people with the desire to travel, to fulfill their wanderlust. It's important to note that Pisces traditional ruler (before Neptune was discovered) was Jupiter. Victor understood that blacks needed a space to wander, to experience life, to see new things, and to learn about themselves through travel.
You have to be able to slip into someone's shoes and also be willing to get rid of your ego to cater to others' needs and sensibilities. Mars in Pisces can do this.
To keep it simple I will choose Mars in Pisces.
Venus conjunct Saturn in Libra
Victor with Venus conjunct Saturn in Libra he was socially charming and able to use his charm and social graces to form partnerships. Libra is ruled by Venus and represents the more intellectual, social, equality/social justice and side of Venus. Opposing Jupiter in Aries seesawed between wanting fairness, civility, and collaboration and also wanting to buck (and say fuck) the system and do his own thing.
I think The Green Book was also a silent but potent fuck you to society and the limitations set for blacks. Perhaps he was too polite to organize himself politically so he used his guidebook as a mute non political way to get his opinions across and show his support and confidence in his people.
Mercury in Sagittarius bastard trine Jupiter in Aries
If Victor's moon isn't in Leo and my points aren't valid you can look towards his Mercury in Sagittarius bastard trine Jupiter in Aries as a show of a larger than life confidence and belief in self.
His Mercury is in Sagittarius which shows he's quite confident and thinks of himself as greater than society thinks of him. What gives him the nerve after over 20 years working as a mail carrier to start his own business on travel? Yes his Scorpio energy plays a major role but it's not just this.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter and rules over traditionally the 9th House. Jupiter and the 9th House is about expansion, exploration, travel, higher education and crossing boundaries. The symbol for Sagittarius is the Archer, a person with a bow and arrow. The phrase is I Aim.
It takes a lot of self belief and confidence to switch up and do something different. Sagittarius mercury is a mutable sign so it's comfortable with change. Plus mercury is not just about writing and communication. It's about thinking processes, how one thinks. Confidence and belief starts in your mind, and Sagittarius like the other fire signs are naturally confident independent risk takers.
Not only this but his mercury in Sagittarius is supported by Jupiter in Aries. Jupiter in Aries is also confident and has a warrior mentality when it comes to their beliefs, ideals and values. Jupiter trining Mercury is like a overconfident, optimistic and expansive mind and mindset.
North node in Taurus opposite Sun/Uranus in Scorpio
Victor has North Node in Taurus opposite Sun/Uranus in Scorpio. I think this was the egg in the cake. The binding ingredient of his greater life purpose. His north node in Taurus is seeking worldly abundance and to live good. In his time and even now this meant travel and owning a car. His Scorpio energy would naturally be more focused on introspection and being abundant emotionally and spiritually. However Victor leaned into his North Node in Taurus and wanted to experience the Venusian pleasure of travel.
Travel for blacks during this time meant packing lunches in case they couldn't find an establishment that would allow them to eat inside.
Travel for blacks during this time meant carrying extra gasoline in case they were refused at gas stations.
Travel for blacks during this time meant bringing an empty bucket and leaving it in the backseat in case they couldn't find a colored bathroom in time for their next bowel movement.
Being black in America is not truly safe anytime but especially between 1930s-1960s. Victor wanted his skin folk to travel with both comfort and dignity to know that they didn't have to pack their own food, carry around and shit in buckets or lug around flammable material in order to fulfill their wanderlust desires. He provided the resourceful insight and survivalist skills of his Scorpio energy but also the pleasure and abundance seeking and business savvy of his North Node in Taurus.
Pluto and Neptune conjunct in Gemini opposite Mercury
This is like the icing on the cake or more like cupcakes. Pluto and Neptune are intergenerational outer planets so they effect a generation. This generation from roughly 1884-1914 is known for making strides in terms of communication and travel. This is the generation that lived to see the invention of telephones (1876 patented) airplanes (1803), cars (1885) and the popularity of mail in publications. This mercurial generation communication and travel were information. Victor was no different, indulging in travel via automobile and using his voice and others voices to show the possibilities for blacks.
His voice via The Green Book, was the voices for others too, others that wanted to learn, grow, experience life through travel and leisure. I think he used his Mercury opposite Pluto and Neptune well in the fact that he seesawed successfully between using the power (Pluto) and imagination/boundaries breaking (Neptune) of publishing/writing (Gemini) with the travel/expansive mindset of his mercury in Sagittarius.
Overall with Victor Hugo Green/the Green Book, is one example, one archetype of Scorpio in the Astrology of Black Liberation. Scorpio in the Astrology of Black Liberation is a worldly, experienced, intuitive powerful survivalist who despite difficult, dangerous circumstances and environments had found a way to thrive and transform itself and others. Not needing to galvanize via a social movement or to get into politics to achieve it's desires.
