Athina Onassis, the heir to a Greek shipping fortune, is gradually emerging from seclusion after her divorce several years ago which turns a focus back onto her family which has been blighted by early deaths, accidents, suicides and dramas.
All the cliches about the curse of money which have haunted dynastic wealth like the Onassis and the Guinness family in Ireland, make it an attractive project for drama producers. Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, has an up and coming Netflix series looking at the 19th Century House of Guiness starting withBenjamin Guinness – who is credited with the brewery’s early success. Along with their prosperity comes a tragic tale of seemingly endless misfortune for the family.
In the Greek Onassis shipping family, Athina Onassis, 29 January 1985 2.50am Neuilly Sur Seine, was the only child of Christina Onassis and product of her fourth marriage; the only grandchild alive of Aristotle Onassis. Christina within 30 months in her early twenties lost her only brother to a plane crash and shortly after her mother Tina Livanos to a drug overdose, and her father Aristotle (still married to Jackie Kennedy) to ill health. Christina then died aged 37, it is assumed because of heavy medication use, struggles with her weight, stress and a turbulent emotional life.
Her daughter Athina was then 3 and then went to live with her father Thierry Roussel whom latterly she has been estranged from. Her marriage to a Brazilian showjumper was complicated by the two children they took in belonging to his former girlfriend who subsequently committed suicide.
Aristotle Onassis’ marriage to Jackie Kennedy after JFK’s death, which shocked the American public and did not go down well with his two children, was also part of the saga. Never mind poor Maria Callas, Aristotle’s abused and bemused lover who was dumped when Jackie turned up. [See previous posts: Maria Callas in Search].
Athina Onassis has a 3rd house Aquarius Sun square a 12th house Pluto opposition a Taurus Moon, so she would feel trapped with both Plutonic parents outwith her control. She has a defensive Saturn in Scorpio in her 1st opposition North Node and Algol in her 7th house, so relationships will be a challenge for her.
Wading through a handful of Onassis-related charts, Algol is a recurring presence in many. Maria Callas had Algol conjunct her Descendant. Jackie Onassis has Algol in her 7th, (and her father Black Jack Bouvier had Algol conjunct his late Taurus Sun.)
Both Aristotle Onassis and JFK had their Jupiter in Taurus conjunct Algol, as did Tina Livanos (Christina’s mother). Alexander Onassis (killed young in a place crash) had his Mars conjunct Alphard square Algol. Thierry Roussel, Athina’s father, has his Aquarius Sun opposition Alphard and Black Moon square Algol.
Benjamin Guinness, 1 November 1798, who elevated Guinness to rarified heights of wealth, had his Jupiter in Taurus conjunct the North Node and Algol square Pluto. And subsequent generations of the Guinness family do appear to have had more than their fair share of accidental deaths and suicides.
Algol is not specifically related to curses but it has more than a touch of ‘the heart of darkness’ about it. Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas with it in their 7th house of one-to-one relationships would be attracted to men with a ‘dangerous’ aura, like moths to a flame.
Algol does have a positive side when it can harness destructive powers to do good but it takes great strength of character not to be pulled into its darkness.
“Cursed be he above all others Who’s enslaved by love of money. Money takes the place of brothers, Money takes the place of parents, Money brings us war and slaughter.” Anacreon
There are sadly no astrological titbits from the Greek tale of the Fall of the House of Atreus when grandfather Tantalus’s act of hubris initiated the curse. He offended the gods by serving them a stew made from his son Pelops’ flesh to test their omniscience. Bitter feuds, revenge, murder and mayhem followed down the generations. The curse is eventually lifted but it is a potent tale of inherited guilt.
See previous post Algol – light in the heart of darkness.
25th March 2024
The post Family Curses – Algol down the generations first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
