Robin Williams – one of the comic greats – Astroinform with Marjorie Orr

Robin Williams is being remembered in a BBC celebration ten years after his death. Known for his improvisational skills, he was regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time with an award strewn career in Good Will Hunting; Good Morning, Vietnam; Dead Poets Society; and The Fisher King amongst many others. During his career, he suffered substance abuse issues and phases of severe depression though his eventual suicide was attributed to the debilitating effects of Lewy body disease, akin to dementia, which induces sudden and prolonged spikes in fear, anxiety, stress and insomnia, worsening into memory loss, paranoia and delusions. His wife later said “Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it.”

  He was born 21 July 1951 1.34pm Chicago, Illinois, into a wealthy family and was a quiet child until he found drama. He had a communicative, thoughtful 9^th house Cancer Sun sextile hard-working Saturn in Virgo. His Pluto in the 10^th conjunct Mercury in Leo would make him influential though with a strong need to be in control. What drove his mischievous, anarchic sense of humour was Uranus Mars in Cancer on the focal point of a T square to Jupiter in Aries opposition Neptune – volatile, excitable, could be fanatical in his obsessions, a risk-taker, uncompromising, unrealistic. His 12^th house Neptune would incline him towards escapist addictions. His sensitive Pisces Moon on the cusp of his performing/entertaining 5^th house was in a soft-hearted opposition to Venus.

  A strong Uranus often appears in comedians charts – Lionel Shriver’s satirical bent comes from there. James Gillray, the 19^th Century caricaturist has Uranus on the focal point of a yod square Pluto – it gives an ability to think outside of the box and take a quirky view of life.

  When the first symptoms of his illness appeared he had his Progressed Moon moving through his 8^th house; with his Solar Arc Sun just over the conjunction to his Saturn. Probably more significantly his Progressed Mars was conjunct his 10^th house Mercury conjunct his Progressed Pluto – so enormous pressure on his ability to think clearly and communicate. No 6^th house influences at all.

A lovely man, fondly remembered.