Martin Luther King
3d house delineation

Birth Name: King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Birth Date: 01/15/1929 (Jan. 15, 1929)
Birth Time: 12:00 (12:00 PM) CST (+6:00)
Birth Place: Atlanta, GA
Latitude / Longitude: 33 N 45 / 84 W 2

MLK’s 3d House (Alcabitius) cusp:
3 degrees Cancer 39 minutes and 48 seconds

Rulers (from strongest to weakest):
Sign = Moon
Exalted = Jupiter
Triplicity = Venus, Mars Moon (Day, Night and Participating)
Egyptian Term = Mars
Face / Decan = Venus

W

hen we look this chart we find none of the five visible planets, nor either of the two luminaries, in the third house. As this is a traditional thread, I am ignoring the outer, invisible planets. We do find, however, the part of fortune is there at 8 degrees 15 minutes Cancer.

The POF is trine to the moon in Pisces, who is both domain ruler and triplicity ruler of Cancer; sextile to Jupiter, the exalted ruler of Cancer; and trine to the triplicity and term ruler, Venus. All this is to say, that even in a cadent house, the POF is supported by mot of its rulers with receptions. This will definitely strengthen any weak planet or part. It is, however, cadent and that is always a sign of mediocrity.

Delineation in steps:

1. Sign on Cusp: Cancer, a fruitful sign. The third house cusp is in wide aspect to the Moon, her ruler (the moon has a wide orb / moiety).

This indicates that MLK was supported by the people and things of the third house, especially as the Moon is favorably strong in Pisces.

2. Planets in House: Part of Fortune (POF).
This indicates that MLK would have received benefits from relatives, siblings and neighbors. It also would strongly state that he has a number of relatives and kin.

3a. Domain Ruler in the house of the good daemon (angel) = the 11th house.
This indicates that MLK would have been surrounded by neighbors, possibly people who work for government in positions as medical attendants (Moon’s ruler, pisces, in the 12th), folks who worked with horses / large animals, and people who work in the service industry. They would have religious intentions and motives, with the 11th being the 9th house from the third — the ninth house of his relatives, kin and close friends and neighbors. The 11th indicates government money and property, so this is part of how I delineate what they do. Only certain kinds of profession get government money. Rather, there are certain professions (prison guards, etc.) that get government money regularly. Loans and grants are another kind, but not a regular thing. So, I see, with Moon — significator of the third house — in the 11th, people who make their way on government support, as well as people involved in community, friendship and spiritual / religious service. (This is interpreting the 11th both as his natal 11th, and also as the derived 9th house of neighbors, close friends and kin.) Since the second house is a house of servants (as well as the 6th), the 11th house indicates the servants of government.

3b. The moon is square to Mars (who is in the natal second in Gemini). Mars is in his Term rulership at 21 degrees of Gemini. This makes him not so bad. He isn’t really helpful, however. Square to moon, there is problems arising from his siblings, relatives and neigbhors giving him money problems. He might have given out a lot of loans to those close to him. Mars is in his second, of money, and the kin’s derived 12th house. There is a certain amount of loss and labor associated with his money and its relations to others. Also, though the moon is in a fertile sign, square to a malefic I would hesitate to consider her so fruitful. There is a partial reception as the Moon is in Mars’s triplicity rulership, i.e, disposed by Mars. Mars would take away some of what the moon adds, but the moon is still strong. So, instead of eight brothers and sisters, I would guess maybe three or four siblings, with possibility that his mother miscarried perhaps twice? This could be verified or denied by a little research.

3c. Moon is (barely) trine to Jupiter. This isn’t a strong aspect but did lightly apply. She trines her sign ruler. She also is conjunct Venus, the exalted ruler of Pisces. This is really good as they are corporeally conjunct in reception. Venus provides success and honor, as well as fun and much contact with women. They are both in a feminine sign.

4. The moon as a “universal indicator”? She represents womyn and the general public, definitely. As well, she indicates “sailors, travelers, messengers, and servants” according to Ibn Ezra in “The Book of Wisdom.” So, we get that MLK’s friends and neighbors had a magical touch with the masses / common folk, as the moon is well placed in the 11th in Cancer, aspecting her house cusp (3d). He would be loved by women. As the moon rules women and conjuncts another universal indicator of women (Venus) in a feminine sign, I understand this as meaning that he had more female relatives than male, as well as neighbors. More sisters than brothers. His closest friends and confidants would be female, or involved in trades like music, art, gardening, and religion.

All of the indications are in fruitful signs, mostly in good places in the houses. Even the third house is the second strongest of the four weakest houses.

So, most of the indications are favorable. This would suggest that he would have many kin, a moderate amount of (mostly female) siblings who showed him much support (though cost him money). He would have lost some of those very close to him through violence (moon square mars) or to prison (derived 12th house of prisons of the kin and neighbors Ascendant = MLK’s third). He had good relatives and neighbors with good intentions, who also had secret enemies that worked to spread rumours about them and attempted to harm them. As a whole, they rose above the problems through celbration, unity and music.

This example is to show you the general tools for looking at a house. I don't expect to be 100 percent accurate. Though, I do expect 75 percent!