Suggested by Hammond Guthrie, Gavin Arthur was a San Francisco astrologer and Gay Liberation fore-leader.
He was asked by the Oracle staff
to select the chart for the first Human-Be-In, thereby determining the date
for that historic event. He helped Kinsey with his research into gay
sexuality and wrote the now out of print Circle of Sex, which
catalogued sexual preferences by sign.
Grandson and namesake of US President
Chester Alan Arthur, he was Alan Watts' father in law.
An adventurous soul, he worked his way around the world as a merchant seaman. The gay community abounds with lore about his
life, and he was allegedly associated from his youth with a variety of
eminent or notorious folk in ways we are far too discrete to mention here. (If
you are diligent in your research, you may find more information on his life by entering his name
on a search engine and by following the links
here and
here.)
You will also find a tribute page for him on the Summer of Love
website, which provided this photograph:
Arthur's extensive obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle of April 30, 1972,
notes that in his travels he fought for the Irish Liberation movement, founded a literary magazine,
prospected for gold, taught in San Quentin prison, was secretary of the Utopian Society, and led a commune.
BIRTH AND DEATH DATA: AstroDatabank cites
the following, rated A, from him to Edwin Steinbrecher. He was born March 21, 1901, at 9:50 AM MST,
in Colorado Springs, CO, 104W49; 38N50.
Astrological historian Ed Dearborn forwarded
a copy of the obituary printed in the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, April 30, 1972,
which notes, "Gavin Chester Arthur, the colorful maverick grandson of President Chester A. Arthur and
one of the nation's best-known astrologers died yesterday at Fort Miley Veterans Hospital. He was
71."
As befits a quinessential Uranian type, this memorial was created as Uranus
approached his 23 degree Aquarius Midheaven, shortly before the Centennial of his birth. At least some of
the rumors about his love life may be true, given his exceedingly Mutable t-square of Venus
at 20 Pisces in the tenth house, Uranus on his Descendant at nearly 17 Sagittarius, and Pluto at 15
Gemini conjunct his 17 degree Gemini Ascendant. His Moon was in Aries, squaring Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn but
closely trining Uranus, showing both his notable family ties and how his life style differed from theirs.
It is interesting to note that one of the things that made his reputation was predicting
Kennedy's assassination under the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, and Arthur himself had a Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in Capricorn in the eighth house.
See His Chart
Return to the List, A-K
To the List, L-Z
An AIDS Quilt for Astrology
CREDITS: Biographical information for this memorial came from AstroDatabank, Ed Dearborn, and Hammond Guthrie.
The marvelous photo came from the Summer of Love
website. This memorial was created by Donna Cunningham.