Robin Williams

I certainly don't practice Astrology to be able to predict the death of a person nor do I believe Astrology can be used as a purely predictive tool where our lives are just purely fated.  It is true the planetary energies affect us and bring about themes in our lives.  The manner in which those energies play out and how we choose to interact with the energetic possibilities must also be considered as we always have a variety of expressions for the energy dependent upon our freedom of choice or free will.  With the tragic and shocking death of Robin Williams, I have felt compelled to pull his Astrological chart to see if it can shine any light into what may have been going on for him during those final hours. 
Robin Williams had a Cancer Sun, Pisces Moon, and Scorpio Ascendant which are all water signs signifying a level of emotional sensitivity.  Cancer Sun is affiliated with the Crab which has a hard shell and a tender inside.  The shell guards the Crabs sensitivity and can be shed as it evolves.   Feelings and sensitivity would be paramount for this sign resulting in times of moodiness due to the effects of experiencing the world primarily through the emotional arena.  As all Planets orbit the Sun, it is a critical part of the natal chart.  In addition, the Moon sign reflects the emotional flavor of the person and with his Moon in Pisces, we imagine an incredibly compassionate and sensitive individual, especially in matters of the heart.  Pisces aim to dissolve the ego can result in the individual intuiting and feeling others emotions as the boundary between self and other is faint.  Scorpio rising or ascendant would depict our first impressions of Robin which would be through a Scorpio filter.  This could present as a powerful, intuitive, psychologically adept individual who could see between the truth and the lies.  Scorpio is often affiliated with clever wit and a good sense of humor as the ability to see the dark and the light, the good and the bad, and what is going on below the surface allows one to poke fun at the reality of our complicated, complex, and at times ironic lives. As we know, Robin Williams was a creative genius who captured the hearts of many.  To look for the Planet associated with the Genius, we would look to Uranus.  Uranus rules the higher mind which can show up as madness or pure genius depending on how it is expressed, the veil can be thin between the two realities.  His Uranus was right next to Mars in Cancer in the 8th house.  Unraveling that energy could play out as great will and courage to express feelings in a somewhat shocking or surprising manner in the context of talking about things that may make some people uncomfortable or provide a much needed release through the magic of comedy.  8th house relates to harsh areas of life that we may deny such as the ever present reality that we will all die one day.  It is a house correlated to transformation, rebirth and intimacy as it seeks to explore all deep aspects of humanity.  Humor is a great outlet, for sometimes it is easier to laugh or you will cry. If we want to look at his communication style, we find his Mercury in Leo right next to Pluto, ruler of the 8th house and Scorpio.  This indicates a playful, fun loving, childlike, creative, performing style of expression with a tinge of truth telling and sarcasm reminiscent of the Scorpio influence via Pluto.  

In terms of the movement of the Planets in the sky today, which we call Transits, Pluto was opposing his Uranus and Mars cluster in the 8th house.  This would have the effect of asking him to look at the shadows of the Soul, issues of self-esteem and his values would be under review.  The Lord of the Underworld, Pluto, seeks to transform by first digging into the depths to find out what needs to be reclaimed and what can be discarded.  After foraging through the muck and hidden parts of the soul, he could emerge transformed and stronger like the alchemy of purification.  In this he had to feel (Cancer) the dark and the light of Mars and Uranus.  The shadow side of Mars is violence and rage and the shadow side of Uranus is madness and unpredictability.  Robin Williams had a history of depression which could be a result of having an emotional temperament and a tendency towards mania illustrated through Uranus.  We can see how confronting his demons, Pluto, may have become too much to bear. Steven Forrest has lectured on the 8th house and how one can see the flavor of one's death by analyzing the symbolism of an individuals 8th house.  Robin's 8th house is ruled by Gemini which refers to Mercury and the mental realm.  In it's glory, Mercury could present as mental mastery and intelligence which as a comedian, he was always one step ahead.  It is also the sign associated with twins and can reference a splitting or 2 sides of the mind.  A sudden, Uranus, violent death with anger turned inward, Mars is symbolized by the Planets in the 8th house.  Mars in Scorpio was going through his 12th house, the final house, the final exit.  In addition, Saturn in Scorpio had just entered his 1st house asking him to be more responsible to himself, more disciplined.  Saturn can depress the sense of self as it seeks to expose the hard face of reality and rebuild the structure of the self for the better. Robin Williams had a choice, confront the demons, submerge himself emotionally into the depths of his psyche or give in to the extremely emotional psychological and mental chaos being presented to him.  Maybe his legacy will bring about more openness and acceptance of mental illness and it's tragic toll.  He was a brilliant and loving man, may his incredible creative works that filled the world with laughter live on in our hearts and may we all have compassion for him.