Results: Birth Order and Planetary Factors (WLS Data) #

Overview #

This analysis investigates the relationship between Birth Order and planetary placements using real-world data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). The dataset contains 10,317 graduates (Class of 1957) and their siblings, totaling 34,762 individuals.

Data Source #

• Source: Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) Public Data (Release 15.2).
• Features:
  • Birth Year: Available for all subjects (Graduates + Siblings).
  • Birth Order: Explicitly recorded.
  • Limitations: "Day of Birth" and "Century Month of Birth" were redacted/unavailable in the public files.
  • Approximation: Planetary positions are calculated for July 2nd (Mid-year) of the given birth year. This limits usage to outer planets and nodes.

Methodology #

• Coordinate System: Sidereal (Lahiri Ayanamsa).
• Planets Analyzed: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Rahu (North Node), Ketu (South Node).
• Metric: Circular Mean Angle ($\bar{\theta}$) and Concentration ($R$) for each Birth Order group efficiently summarize the "Generational Location".

Results #

1. The Generational Shift (Secular Trend) #

Since Birth Order roughly correlates with Birth Year (older siblings born ~1935, graduates ~1939, younger siblings ~1945), we observe a clear "Generational Drift" in the outer planets. This confirms the data quality and calculating method.

Planet	1st Born Mean (deg)	Sign (Sidereal)	5th+ Born Mean (deg)	Sign (Sidereal)	Shift
Saturn	342°	Pisces	53°	Taurus	+71°
Uranus	14°	Aries	48°	Taurus	+34°
Neptune	140°	Leo	158°	Leo	+18°
Pluto	93°	Cancer	105°	Cancer	+12°

• Interpretation: First borns in this cohort generally have Saturn in Pisces, while later borns (younger siblings) have Saturn in Taurus.

2. Nodal Analysis (Rahu/Ketu) #

The Lunar Nodes move retrograde ~19° per year. The correlation with birth order is significantly weaker ($R \approx 0.17-0.48$) compared to outer planets ($R > 0.9$) because the Nodes cycle faster (18.6 years) than the generation gap, causing "mixing" of nodal signs within the sibling groups.

• 1st Borns: Mean Rahu ~210° (Libra).
• 2nd Borns: Mean Rahu ~180° (Virgo).
• 3rd Borns: Mean Rahu ~165° (Virgo/Leo).
• Correlation: Weak positive correlation with Cosine component ($r \approx 0.16$), indicating a drift, but high variance ($R$ values are low).

3. Usable Placements Results #

Our "usable placements" are based on year-only data:

Saturn (Logic/Structure) #

• First Borns: Strong concentration ($R=0.61$) in Pisces (Sidereal).
• Later Borns: Data becomes more diffuse ($R=0.26$) as the "younger sibling" tail stretches over many years (1940-1960), entering Aries and Taurus.

Uranus (Rebellion/Innovation) #

• Uniform Shift: Moves steadily from Aries (1st Borns) to Taurus (Later Borns).
• High Concentration: $R > 0.85$ for all groups, indicating this cohort is very tightly defined by the Uranus-Pluto generation.

Conclusion (WLS Data) #

• First Borns in the WLS sample are astrologically distinct from their younger siblings primarily due to the Saturn sign change (Pisces $\to$ Aries/Taurus).
• Rahu/Ketu: While less concentrated, there is a trend where First Borns cluster around Rahu in Libra, whereas immediate younger siblings cluster around Rahu in Virgo.
• Data Validity: The strong secular trends in outer planets validate the extraction method. Future analysis requiring Sun/Moon/Ascendant will require restricted-access WLS data or a different dataset (e.g., Gauquelin).

---

Birth Order & Sun Aspects (Pantheon Data) #

Overview #

To overcome the "Birth Year Only" limitation of the WLS dataset, we analyzed a subset of 291 famous figures from the Pantheon dataset (enriched with Wikidata sibling info). These individuals have full birth dates (Year-Month-Day), allowing for Sun Sign and Aspect analysis.

Methodology #

• Dataset: N=291 famous historical figures (enriched via Wikidata).
• Calculation: Exact Julian Day calculation (handling BC dates) -> Sidereal Planets (Lahiri).
• Aspects: Sun-Saturn (Structure) and Sun-Jupiter (Luck) using a 7° orb.
• Categories: First Born, Middle, Youngest, Only Child.
  • Note: "Only" sample size was small, focusing on First/Middle/Youngest.

Results #

1. Sun Sign Distribution (Tropical vs. Sidereal) #

We analyzed both Tropical (Western) and Sidereal (Vedic/Lahiri) placements to see if specific zodiac signs appeared more frequently in certain birth orders.

A. Tropical Sun Signs (12-Sign Distribution) #

Category	Ari	Tau	Gem	Can	Leo	Vir	Lib	Sco	Sag	Cap	Aqu	Pis	Peak Feature
First	6.1	17.4	3.5	12.2	4.3	6.1	7.0	7.0	9.6	13.9	7.8	5.2	Taurus
Middle	3.2	10.8	11.8	5.4	5.4	9.7	5.4	9.7	10.8	11.8	9.7	6.5	Gemini/Cap
Youngest	12.9	6.5	11.3	4.8	0.0	9.7	11.3	9.7	1.6	11.3	14.5	6.5	Aquarius

• Tropical First Borns: Strongest Peak in Taurus (17.4%), followed by Capricorn.
• Tropical Youngest: Strongest Peak in Aquarius (14.5%), followed by Aries.

B. Sidereal Sun Signs (12-Sign Distribution) #

Category	Ari	Tau	Gem	Can	Leo	Vir	Lib	Sco	Sag	Cap	Aqu	Pis	Peak Feature
First	16.5	8.7	9.6	4.3	7.8	5.2	7.8	6.1	**13.0**	11.3	5.2	4.3	Aries & Sag
Middle	9.7	14.0	4.3	4.3	8.6	6.5	9.7	14.0	4.3	11.8	10.8	2.2	Taurus/Scorpio
Youngest	8.1	12.9	4.8	1.6	1.6	14.5	11.3	4.8	3.2	14.5	14.5	8.1	Cap/Aqu/Vir

• Sidereal First Borns: Strongest Peak in Aries (16.5%) and Sagittarius (13.0%). This aligns perfectly with the "Fire Element" hypothesis for leaders.
• Sidereal Youngest: Strongest peaks in Capricorn, Aquarius, and Virgo (all 14.5%).

C. Elemental Distribution (Sidereal Summary) #

Aggregating the Sidereal signs into elements reveals the clearest pattern:

Category	Air	Earth	Fire	Water	Dominant Element
First Born	22.6%	25.2%	37.4%	14.8%	Fire (Leadership, Initiative)
Middle	24.7%	32.3%	22.6%	20.4%	Balanced / Earth Leaning
Youngest	30.6%	41.9%	12.9%	14.5%	Earth (Practicality, Stability)

• Finding: First Borns in this famous sample are heavily skewed towards Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), fitting the archetype of the "leader" or "active initiator."
• Finding: Youngest children are heavily skewed towards Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn).

2. Sun-Saturn Aspects (Structure & Responsibility) #

We examined the frequency of Hard Aspects (Conjunction, Square, Opposition) which often signify struggle, discipline, or heavy responsibility.

Category	Hard Aspect %	Soft Aspect %	None
First Born	18.3%	19.1%	62.6%
Middle	10.8%	12.9%	76.3%
Youngest	25.8%	17.7%	56.5%

• Finding: Youngest children had the highest rate of Hard Saturn aspects (25.8%), followed by First Borns. Middle children had the lowest "friction" with Saturn. This challenges the stereotype that the oldest carries the most "Saturnian" weight, or suggests the youngest often faces different structural challenges.

3. Sun-Jupiter Aspects (Luck & Expansion) #

Looking for markers of "luck" or "ease" (Soft Aspects: Trine, Sextile).

Category	Hard Aspect %	Soft Aspect %
First Born	18.3%	13.9%
Middle	20.4%	17.2%
Youngest	19.4%	11.3%

• Finding: Middle children showed the highest percentage of Soft Jupiter aspects (17.2%), potentially aiding in their role as negotiators or indicating a slightly "luckier" chart configuration in this specific sample.