After much
discussion, research, and chart-casting, AuKestrel and I would like
to offer the following as possible birthdates for Benton Fraser
and Ray Kowalski. We have heard that the 'canon' birthyear for
Fraser would be 1962, based on the series pilot where Fraser is
reading his father's journal. The entry is dated 10 January 1969
and Robert Fraser refers to Ben as being 7 years old. The actual
statement is, "the last time I saw Ben he was barely tall
enough to reach my belt...7 years old and he's already a better
man than I'll ever be..." So it's really open to some
interpretation. It could have been a very long time since he's
seen him. If he was born in November of 1959, then it would have
been at least two years since Bob had seen his son. We wouldn't
find that impossible. It's stated several times that Ben was
raised by his grandparents, and didn't really know his father
well because he wasn't around a lot as Ben was growing up. So not
even the pilot nails it down. The only thing we know for certain
is that Ben was conceived in an igloo his father built, which
implies a winter conception.
In any case, what we did was use the actors' birth years for the
year. These are our opinions, and only our opinions, and no one
else is required to agree with us. Note, these are for the
characters not the actors. And, yes, we know, "It's JUST a
TV show!"
--Kellie Matthews & AuKestrel
Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child must work for a living
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is blithe and bonny, good and gay.
BENTON FRASER
Sunday 15 Nov 1959 12 am
Long: 115W18 Lat: 63N27 (North of Great Slave Lake, NWT, Canada)
Scorpio Sun: [Inner Self] Powerful emotions, a
strong sense of purpose, highly imaginative, discerning, subtle,
persistent, determined. May also be jealous, obstinate, stubborn
and intractable. Tends to be secretive and suspicious. Passionate
in all fields of his life, be it sexuality, work, or play. A
peculiar intensity permeates his entire being, and his enormously
powerful energy gives him hidden depths which are often
unsuspected by less emotional people. When this force is properly
channeled it can give the Scorpio great quantities of endurance
and he will battle against severe odds to win. Will rise above
earthly difficulties and soar away from earthbound antagonisms.
Great personal magnetism, a sense of something fascinating and my
sterious. Has a strong sense of perception, and an analytical
mind capable of penetrating to the root of any problem. Scorpio's
powerful emotional level finds a positive outlet through sex. He
loves intensely, passionately, ardently and enduringly. Should
his sex life be unsatisfactory, he will find it very difficult to
fill this gap in his life. Likes discipline and responds to it.
(Not THAT kind, getcher mind outta the gutter!) Best career
choices are police work, or the armed forces, or anything related
to psychiatry and the science of the mind.
Virgo Ascendant: [Outer Self] Discriminating,
analytical, meticulous, modest, tidy. May be fussy, a worrier,
hypercritical, over-fastidious, and finicky. A hard worker,
extremely practical with a great appetite for detail. At his
best, the Virgoan is both careful and eager to help his fellow
man. He thrives on constant activity and has energy to burn. He
finds it difficult to let up, though, and often his ideas of
relaxation may seem like hard work to others. Precision and
neatness are natural to him, as is a purity which the sign's name
suggests. In some cases this can build up a psychological barrier
that is difficult to break down. Virgoans make very good and
loyal friends and their natural reserve can be charming. Virgoans
often take an interest in health and diet. The Virgoan mind is
more capable than any other sign of analytical and detailed
assimilation of facts. Confronted with a problem, his immediate
instinct is to break it down and analyze it, missing no aspect of
the situation. The Virgoan often has trouble in emotional
relationships as he has difficulty expressing himself as fully or
as ardently as he really wants to.
Taurus Moon: [Emotional Self] The moon is at its
most stable in Taurus, impulsiveness balanced by persistence and
determination. A hopeful and positive outlook, ambitious and
reliable in action. Usually sociable and sensual, but may be
overly possessive.
Mercury in Sagittarius: [Communication/Thought] The
eternal student, having a constant need for intellectual
challenge. Broad-minded, can grasp a situation quickly. Sincerity
and a natural sense of justice are usually in evidence. Writing
/storytelling talent is common, as are a certain duality and
versatility.
Venus in Libra: [Love/Sex/Femininity] Business and
emotional partnerships are powerfully stressed and bring
fulfillment to the personality. Being in love with love can be
mistaken for the real thing, so bonds must not be too hastily
formed. Finds great happiness and joy in relationships. Libra
gives a natural duality to the sex drive.
Mars in Scorpio: [Power/Drive/Masculinity] The
placement contributes deep emotions. If these are allowed to flow
positively there is real strength and powerful leadership
potential, but if blocked the negative side may become dangerous
resulting in cruelty, jealousy, and revenge. A love of good food
and drink, sometimes to excess, may be evident, perhaps in
compensation for frustrated emotions. Strength of character is
required to realize the great potential of this placement.
STANLEY RAYMOND
("I go by Ray") KOWALSKI
Monday 4 April 1960 2:30 am
Long 87W39'42" Lat 41N51'54" (Chicago, IL, USA)
Aries Sun: [Inner Self] Enthusiastic, generous,
lively. Quick-witted but not good on details. Quick to give and
take offense. Undiplomatic. Tends to be a very bad liar. May be
selfish, but is easily turned away from that selfishness by
reasoned argument. Will put up with adverse conditions only so
long as he is confident that they will eventually bring him what
he wants. This desire to achieve his own ends may lead to
impulsivity. Restless, impatient, brave and sometimes foolhardy.
Risk-taker. Careless. In relationships tends to be extremely
romantic and expresses his sexuality more strongly than most.
Will probably have a childlike quality about him. Has a
pioneering spirit; challenge is important to him. May seem
difficult and may not be an easy friend, but has an enormous
store of energy -- lively as well as powerful. Needs a lot of
freedom, but will always return if given that freedom. However
trying he may be, the Arian has a quickness of wit, often
satirical, that will come to the rescue of any situation. That
quickness can be dangerous, because his mind often works
erratically rather than logically, however when a snap decision
needs to be made, he will usually make the right one.
Aquarius Ascendant: [Outer Self] Humanitarian,
independent, friendly, willing, inventive, frequently
unpredictable. Original, rebellious, tactless, possibly
inflexible. Clever, but an erratic and indifferent learner.
Demands trust and reliance from others. Attracted to 'causes,'
and has a strong underlying sense of right and wrong. Will be
strongly in favor of reform and change, and the advancement of
the human condition, but also strongly opinionated on how that is
to be accomplished. Not easily persuaded that he is wrong. Tends
to be very broad-minded, and completely indifferent to the
opinions of others. Once a relationship is established, he is
very stable, extremely loyal and faithful, although personal
independence is extremely important and he will demand a large
amount of understanding from a partner. In a career, the Aquarian
looks for independence, originality, and scope for inventiveness.
Will often be involved in humanitarian work. May feel strong
revolutionary tendencies. Tends to have disdain for authority.
Cancer Moon: [Emotional Self] Positive lunar traits
are strongly emphasized. The need to cherish and protect, and a
powerfully developed family instinct are prominent. In
relationships a natural tenacity could become clinging if poorly
aspected. Sympathy for the feelings of others is common. This
placement usually makes good parents. A powerful imagination and
a high emotional level are always present.
Mercury in Pisces: [Communication/Thought] Kind and
charitable, a flexible and easily impressionable mind. Forgetful
and absentminded but highly creative and intuitive. A high
emotional level requiring some positive outlet like poetry or
dancing, generally has a flair for comedy and entertaining
others.
Venus in Pisces: [Love/Sex/Femininity] Totally
ruled by emotions in any relationship. At times overly
sentimental, but with great ability to express genuine feeling.
Will make considerable sacrifices for the loved one, to the point
of self-abnegation. Desire to help the underdog and
identification with suffering. Will not find it easy to keep a
rational outlook. Generous to a fault; money and professional
success mean nothing.
Mars in Pisces: [Power/Drive/Masculinity] Strong
emotional desire to work for the betterment of others, involving
considerable self-sacrifice. Sometimes a tendency to be
influenced by others
Some of the discussion that led to the above chart castings:
Fraser as Virgo -- can sort of see this, but it's all external.
Internally, he's got very deep and hidden emotions which are not
very Virgoan. I would say that he has a Virgo ascendant. His outer
persona, what everyone else sees, is
precise, almost fussy, analytical, even virginal-- but the deep
part, the part about love and sex and death and 'knowing' what he
knows without being able to explain it, his self control, his
self hatred -- that all points to Scorpio, as does his continual
connection to the Other Side (in the person of Bob Fraser).
Scorpio's Plutonian nature makes him especially sensitive to
death and its attendant issues. Scorpio is an expert in the fine
art of self-control, usually (but not always) keeping his
emotions disciplined. Not to mention that Scorps are supposed to
be really good housekeepers AND they love uniforms. :-)
>From Linda Goodman's Sun Signs,
on Scorpio:
"Replacing the frown most people resort to when they're displeased is the Scorpion's blank stare. That is, his features stare blankly at you, if you know what I mean, without giving you a hint of what's on his mind. His eyes contain the secret, but they gaze at you with such hypnotic intensity when his emotions are aroused that, even if they do give you a hint of what's going on within, you're thrown into a trance like state that causes you to immediately forget what you thought you almost knew. His smiles are the most complicated code of all, the most difficult to translate. There's that heart tugging grin, containing all the innocent delight of childhood, the one he used to grin when he was a little boy, before he mastered the impassive trick . . . seen so rarely you're never sure if you really saw it or only dreamt it. Then there's the quick, broad smile (you have to look fast or you'll miss it) of pleasure, happiness, and approval, so seldom bestowed, its all the more a blessing when it appears."
For Ray, we had trouble with the widely posited Crab idea for two
main reasons: money and moodiness. Crabs have the money thing
going on -- they need piles and piles of it to be happy, which we
never see evidence of in Ray. Emotionally yes, Ray is volatile
but he's not moody and withdrawn and depressed and constantly
needing reassurance. He does have that tough guy shell though. We
pegged him as a Fire sign with a Cancer MOON maybe, but not Sun!
(That needing to be reassured that he really is loved is very
much in tune with a Cancer moon.) Probably sun in Aries. He's got
that Cardinal Fire volatility and energy, though he could just as
easily be Sagittarius-- loves the offbeat, loves to travel, no
housekeeping, no cooking! Whichever, he's probably Aquarius
ascendant. Aquarians are natural detectives, and 'march to their
own drummer', and are anti-authority. Though this could be
flipped, with Aquarius sun and Aries rising, since Ray does not
really HAVE an inner and outer personality, both facets are
pretty much constantly showing, unlike Fraser who hides his inner
being.
Note: astrological analyses
were developed in part using The Compleat
Astrologer by Derek & Julia Parker, as
well as Sun Signs and Love
Signs by Linda Goodman.