When The AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT was first unfurled in all its enormous glory, the radiant Sun was rising in pacifist and artistic Libra and ruling the 11th House of community. Hence, the Quilt is the largest ongoing community arts project in the world. It is currently comprised of more than 44,000 colorful panels, each of which memorializes the life of a person lost to AIDS. When the Quilt was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the chart ruler -- Venus -- had progressed to 2° Scorpio where she aspected the Moon's Nodes, while the final dispositor of the chart -- Pluto in Scorpio -- had progressed to 11° Scorpio to conjunct Mercury which rules the memorial Gemini Moon. Pluto in Scorpio acts as final dispositor by ruling both Venus and Mercury (in Scorpio); the latter dispositing Moon and Chiron (in Gemini). Venus disposits Mars, the Ascendant and the Sun (all in Libra), while Mars rules Jupiter (in Aries) that in turn disposits Saturn and Uranus (in Sagittarius). Finally, Uranus rules (Neptune in Capricorn). Placed prominently in the 1st House, regenerative life-and-death planet, Pluto, in her own sign, Scorpio, serves as the guide and nexus to all the other planets in the chart, particularly those she also aspects: After so much death and sorrow due to the crisis, and "as the epidemic claims more lives, the Quilt continues to grow and to reach more communities with its messages [Pluto conjunct Mercury] of remembrance [Pluto quincunx Moon], awareness [Pluto conjunct Ascendant-ruler, Venus] and hope [Pluto sextile Neptune]." The "cometoid" Chiron was highest in the sky on the morning of the unfurling of the Quilt, thus she overlooked the event. This maverick object which astronomers claim to be either a comet or planetoid (hence, my term "cometoid") is known as the "wounded healer" in astrology. She was discovered in 1977 just before the arrival of what has become known as HIV/AIDS. Chiron appeared then to inspire us all toward global healing. Chiron's sign Virgo rules arts and crafts. Hence, as a healing response to the wounds caused by the AIDS crisis, the AIDS Memorial Quilt provides the highest expression of Chiron's energies. The Quilt is "a memorial, a tool for education, a work of art, a unique creation, and an uncommon and uplifting response to the tragic loss of human life."
Sy Scholfield
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