The Way the Ball Bounces
Last year I did several articles on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and March Madness. This year I’m going to limit myself to just one. What interests me this year is the phenomenal run of the University of Kentucky’s basketball team and their coach, John Calipari.
This has been a history-making season for UK basketball. The team has gone through their entire season and deep into the post-season, 38 games in all, without losing a game. Obviously, this has a lot to do with the abilities of their players, but luck is also an important factor. So I looked at the horoscope of their coach to see what kind of lucky aspects might be there.
Of course, I don’t have a time of birth for John Calipari, but a chart done for noon on his birthday (click on the name to see the horoscope) reveals some remarkable facts.
John Calipari’s good luck started in April 2014. That year the Wildcats surprised many by advancing all the way to the final game of the tournament, where they were beaten by Connecticut. After this defeat, three of Calipari’s best players, Aaron and Andrew Harrison and Willie Cauley-Stein, announced that instead of declaring themselves eligible for the NBA draft, (which Calipari and everyone else expected them to do) they were going to stay in school.
As in the norm in the UK basketball program, Calipari had already recruited an impressive crop of new players to come to UK for the 2014-2015 season, so now he had an embarrassment of riches. He had so many topnotch players that many wondered how he would be able to play them all.
In April 2014 transiting Uranus was entering a trine with Calipari’s natal Uranus, a very “lucky” aspect, one that guarantees an unexpected turn of events. At the same time transiting Uranus was also crossing Calipari’s natal South Node. The Nodes of the Moon are typically associated with fate, and the South Node with bad karma. However, it was hard to see anything bad about the roster Calipari now possessed.
During the 2014-2015 basketball season transiting Uranus returned to this double aspect in Calipari’s chart and it is still in force now. Also, transiting Jupiter has gotten into the act, moving back and forth across his natal Uranus. Anytime you combine the expansive influence of Jupiter with the unpredictability of Uranus, phenomenal things are going to happen.
UK will play its first Final Four game on Saturday evening. At that time Uranus will still be within range of its trine to Calipari’s natal Uranus and a conjunction to his South Node. Jupiter will be a degree and a half away from his natal Uranus, slowing down and getting ready to turn direct. Meanwhile, on that day, the transiting Sun will be conjunct transiting Uranus, adding its ego enhancing energy to this mix.
Predicting a sporting event like a basketball game is tricky, particularly when you don’t have complete horoscope for any of the coaches or players. One player having a great game (or a very bad game) can tip the balance. However, I have to admit, if Saturday’s game (and the final game on Monday) are in any way determined by the good luck of the coach, I would be betting on Calipari.
You might ask about the South Node and its association with “bad karma”. If Coach Calipari does win a championship and complete a perfect season, what does he do for an encore? The fans of University of Kentucky basketball are famous for their high expectations. After this remarkable season, how will they deal with a team that loses now and again? Winning it all this year will take all the good luck that Calipari’s horoscope can muster, but it could also have negative consequences.
