Thanksgiving, Helen Keller, and Anne Sullivan: We Were Blind. Now We Can See.

“We greet you and we thank you” is spelled out on a drawing of a vine growing from an amphora.   The drawing was itself on the face of a card written in 1932 for Thanksgiving.  One had to touch the letters to read them, for they were written in braille.  (American Foundation for the Blind, www.afb.org)  The author of those words was Helen Keller, and in the card she asked others to hire the blind.  She wanted the sightless to be able to enter the world of work so they could be self-supporting.

I was fortunate enough to visit Helen Keller’s childhood home in Tuscumbia, Alabama where she had an epiphany.  I saw the pump where Anne Sullivan, her teacher, poured water over Helen’s hand while concurrently signing the word in it.  Said Helen: “Suddenly I felt a misty conscience as of something forgotten—a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me.  I knew then that w-a-t-e-r meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand.  I learned a great many words that day.”  (Mindful Swimming:  Swimming for Joy, Health, and Happiness, website:   https://mindfulswimming.org/tag/helen-keller/)

What is not so well known is that Anne Sullivan had contracted trachoma at age five and for a time was nearly blind herself.  Together Helen and Anne showed humanity how an indomitable collective will harnessed in friendship to a noble cause could bring about great things.

Anne Sullivan had a myriad of struggles of her own before she was hired to teach Helen.  Her mother had died of tuberculosis when she was only eight.  Dad abandoned the family.  She and her brother were sent to a run-down almshouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.  Her brother passed away from TB a short while later.

Anne endured four unsuccessful eye operations.  The almshouse was subject to a state investigation for sexually perverted practices.   Moved about to other places, she helped nuns by running errands at a hospital.  Anne pled with the State Inspector of Charities to be allowed to attend Perkins School for the Blind. Her plea was granted.  She had more operations there, and her vision greatly improved.  Anne graduated as valedictorian of her class in 1886 at age twenty. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

During her life, blind and deaf Helen Keller learned to read, write, speak, row a boat, and use a typewriter.  Anne and Helen had a forty-nine year relationship, one that changed from governess and teacher to companion and friend.  (Wikipedia)

Let’s look at their individual charts and compare the two.  We will then see what made the relationship so rewarding.  Helen was a Cancer with the Moon in Pisces and Scorpio, the sign of growth and regeneration rising.  Mercury and Mars were in Leo at 0 and 15 degrees (d) respectfully.  Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion and Saturn, representing hard work, trials, and discipline were both in Aries.  [16/27 d]    Neptune, Chiron, and Pluto were all in Taurus.  [13-27 d]

Notable features in Helen’s chart included all planets being in the Western Hemisphere.  This means her destiny was largely in the hands of others.  Her chart type is the bowl where “there is a complete segment of experience from which [the native] is excluded in some subtle fashion.”  (Marc Edmund Jones, The Guide to Horoscope Interpretation, p. 60)   Helen had a Sun/Venus conjunction. “This [gives] warmheartedness, generosity, and a charming disposition.” (Parker, The Compleat Astrologer, p. 136) Neptune, the planet of illumination and charity was in her sixth house of work. Conjoined with Chiron, it probably meant she sought to heal her own wounds by being of service to others.  The Moon In helpful, self-sacrificing Pisces supports that hypothesis.   Jupiter and Saturn were both in the 5^th House of creative self-expression while Pluto was in the 7^th House of partnerships. Pluto there signifies a partner that will aid growth.  Helen’s Sun and Venus were both placed in the 8^th House. This too signifies an emphasis on growth and regeneration. The air element is lacking.  “This contributes to the possibility of sensory deficiency.” (Jones, p. 71) With Anne’s help she built up her own set of sense skills.  These enabled her to form relationships with others.

Anne’s natal chart included a strong Arian emphasis with four planets there.  [Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Neptune] The Sun and Mercury were in combust (24d 0m and 24d 6m).  That may signify a close spiritual identity between her individuality and the need to communicate.  (Ronald C. Davison, Astrology, p. 109) Moon and Neptune may have been together. If so, that would have contributed kindness.  The time of birth is not known.  Mars, the Sun’s ruler, is in Pisces and is trine to Saturn in Scorpio.  That aspect gave her an ability to live through hardship.  In Pisces Mars can seek to help those in need. Looking at Anne’s chart as a whole, we see a bucket pattern with Saturn being the handle.  “The energy of the handle ‘holds’ life together during both the good and bad times.  This shape is associated with a strong tendency towards conflict and crisis or the effort to avoid {those] situations.”   With Saturn as the handle, authority, state administration and power structures are dominant features. (Astroseek, https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/astrology-chart-shape/bucket)

When we compare Helen and Ann’s charts we see a Sun Jupiter conjunction, a good pairing for friendship.  There is also a Moon Mars conjunction.  This aspect means “that both partners are highly sensitive to each other’s moods and emotions.”      Mars provides the energy for accomplishment while the Moon gives emotional support. (Crow Astrology, https://crowastrology.com/moon-conjunct-mars-synastry)

Anne’s Saturn trines Helen’s Sun providing structure and organization.  It is also square Mars.  This might have made the Moon/Mars conjunction between the two a little less intense.    Helen’s Saturn was also with Anne’s Sun.  “That acts as a spur for both parties to grow and improve.”   (Crow Astrology)

I really like what Marc Edmund Jones said about Helen Keller.  “She dramatizes the principle, expressed by Jesus, that man is not born blind to suffer, or even be handicapped, but only that the works of God be made manifest, i.e., that the acting capacity of the human soul may be revealed.”  Keller was freer than those who were imprisoned, figuratively and literally, by their bad ideas, decisions, and choices. She was also fortunate in having an able, caring friend and partner.  Note also Helen and Anne did charitable work, a practice of sound mental health.

 

Brian Hill, blog writer