Astrological predictions are never set in stone; whilst it’s believed by many that the planets and stars influence us to some degree, it’s only a fraction of the story. This means the stars cannot literally create a serial killer – but I’d love to see that argument posed in court by a criminal defence lawyer – however, there are certain psychological traits consistent with particular zodiac signs which, combined with other sociocultural factors, direct certain signs of the zodiac to be more likely to kill than others, and some similarities between killings and star signs can be unveiled.
Last week, I touched on some stereotypical behaviours of each zodiac sign. In particular, Ted Bundy’s murderous tendencies were pretty reflective of his Sagittarius sun. This got me interested in examining how other typical serial killer traits are reflected in astrology.
There are four personality traits that psychologist Del Paulhus lists as being capable of causing harm:
Narcissism
A narcissist is a person who experiences a feeling of superiority over other people. It’s the classic Sagittarius superiority complex – Ted Bundy is the prototype. Sagittarius confidence (okay, arrogance) has the potential to morph into narcissism in the wrong circumstances. Bundy illustrates this narcissism when he famously refers to himself as “the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you’ll ever meet”; giving himself the top ranking place on this hypothetical list is classic narcissism.
I’m a Sagittarius and this is hurting me, so I’m going to move on.
Psychopathy
The term ‘psychopath’ tends to be hugely overused, but clinically it refers to a person who does not feel any empathy or compassion toward others. Psychopaths are impulsive and can tend toward violence. However, the lack of emotions they feel means they’re super adept at smooth talking. They’ll appear extroverted and confident, which only makes them more dangerous.
Aries serial killer, Alexander Pichushkin, is a clean match for the above. Aries natives are known for having a classic mix of confidence and impulsiveness. Pichushkin was known as “the chessboard killer” (after his arrest, police found a chessboard with dates on most of its squares, denoting kill dates) and was caught in Moscow in 2007. He was convicted for killing 48 people. As befits a fire sign, Aries natives are classic smooth talkers, which undoubtedly was a gift Pichushkin harnessed when he lured several of his victims to drink with him socially.
Pisces natives are also more prone to psychopathy than other signs; they’re known to shift between several personalities, causing some instability. Pisceans also have trouble putting the past to rest, and their introversion often means they don’t process their trauma effectively. John Wayne Gacy, a Pisces, committed crimes reflective of this. A professional children’s performer who did charity work in his spare time, Gacy sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered more than thirty young men in the 1970s. This was quite possibly due to Gacy not being able to effectively process his traumatic childhood, in which he grew up with an alcoholic father who violently punished him with a vengeance.
Sadism
A sadist is a person who enjoys causing pain to others; they tend to be very cruel. I’m not saying Taurus natives are cruel by nature, but there are some common traits amongst them that can grow to be liable to sadistic behaviour: they’re stubborn, inflexible and can hold grudges for a long time. Communication is not generally their strong point, and this can make them feel deeply frustrated. For this reason, it mightn’t surprise you that more serial killers are born under the Taurus sun than any other sign.
Aquarius serial killers have also been known to be sadists; killers under this sign are known as the type that lash out for their own enjoyment, and get angry if someone breaks a promise. Bad combination, right? Gary Ridgway, the ‘Green River Killer’, confessed to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder, although it’s likely his number of victims was much higher.
Machiavellian
Machiavellians are known for being extremely manipulative.
Cancer is a zodiac sign known for being emotional in a positive way: they’re loyal and passionate. But there is a point where these emotions can spill over the line and become uncontrollable. They’re also criticised for being moody. Obsession and manipulation are thus traits which can lead a Cancerian down the serial killer path. Cancerians have a reputation for being ‘passion killers’, however there are very few known Cancer serial killers compared to other signs.
It’s impossible to talk about manipulation and the zodiac without bringing up Scorpio. Scorpios at their worst can be jealous, secretive and aggressive. Moses Sithole is a Scorpio killer who was found guilty of 38 murders and 40 rapes in South Africa, owing to a childhood where emotions such as jealousy, accompanied by abuse, gave him a power complex that employed manipulation to coax victims to their deaths.
Do the astrological matches between serial killers and their zodiac signs have any significance, or is it mere coincidence? Let us know what you think in the comments below!