Alex Honnold, an American rock climber, has succeeded in a free solo climb of the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, the tallest urban free solo climb in history. He rose to worldwide fame in 2017 when he became the first person to free solo a full route on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, a climb described in The New York Times as “one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever”.
Born 17 August 1985 2.19am Sacramento, California, he started climbing in a gym aged five.
In 2016, he was subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging scans that revealed that, unlike other high sensation seekers, his amygdala barely activates when watching disturbing images. The amygdala acts as the brain’s threat-detection centre and regulates fear, aggression, and anxiety, triggering rapid “fight-or-flight” responses. He confesses to feeling fear occasionally. Through imagination and practice, he has desensitized himself to most fearful situations.
He has an attention-seeking 3rd house Leo Sun square an obsessive Saturn in Scorpio; with a practical ‘worrier’ Virgo Moon. But what is most striking in his chart is his 8th house Jupiter in Aquarius in an energetic, enthusiastic and courageous opposition to Mars Mercury in Leo square North Node in Taurus – with his Jupiter in a confident square to Pluto in his performing 5th. Mars Jupiter and Jupiter Pluto are high vitality aspects but can have a tendency to over estimate abilities and bite off more than the individual can chew. Clearly it has not happened yet and he could not attempt such insane feats without these aspects but ???
His Mars is also trine Uranus which gives a love of excitement, danger and risk.
Had I been asked in advance I would have said not to attempt the latest climb since at the moment his Solar Arc Saturn is in an uncertain conjunction to his Neptune; and Solar Arc Neptune is conjunct his Jupiter which could have led to over-optimism. But he clearly does not process feelings like normal people.
He is married with two children. His mother started climbing at 60.
The post Alex Honnold – Mars Jupiter flying high first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
