Death at Abundant Life
On Monday, 16 December 2024, shooting suspect Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, 15, discharged a 9mm handgun in a study hall at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, killing two and wounding six others, before turning the gun on herself. The incident, sadly, is hardly isolated, but it is unusual. The vast number of mass shootings are perpetrated by males, using assault-style rifles; women constitute only 5% of mass shooters, and with both victims also female, this becomes an “all-female” cast of characters.
It was Ugly Christmas Sweater Day at ALCS, a fun tradition anticipating the holiday break. Why Rupnow chose this day, and why she committed this act, remains a mystery. All we know is the carnage that followed, as reported in a 911 call to police at 10:57 AM CST. Killed were Erin West, 42, coordinator of the substitute teachers program, who had taught at the school for four years; and Rubi Vergara, 14, a fellow student with an artistic bent and a love of music. We’re fortunate to have birth data and many exact asteroid matches for this story.
Suspected shooter Natalie Rupnow, who identified as “Samantha,” was born 7 November 2009, represented by asteroids Natalie 448 and Samantha 3147; teacher Erin West was born 10 September 1982, and is seen as asteroids Erin 2167 and West 2022; student Rubi Vergara was born 17 March 2010, represented by asteroids Ruby 2474 (traditional spelling) and Vergara 5659. The Abundant Life Christian School specifically is seen as asteroids Abundantia 151 and Christian 192158; the general Madison, WI scholastic setting is reflected in asteroid Madisonvillehigh 269323, a general marker for schools in that city.
Let’s begin with the shooting itself. On December 16th, asteroid Christian came to its station, turning direct at 3 Taurus. This indicates a pivotal moment, a major turning point, for entities related to the word “Christian,” as in the Abundant Life Christian School. Stationing points, standing stock still in the heavens, are like a beacon, crying out “Look! I’m here! Something BIG is about to happen!”
Christian lies on the fulcrum of a T-Square focused on the Leo/Aquarius polarity. Leo is the Sign governing children generally, and on the Leo end of this opposition we find asteroid Askalaphus 4946 at 4 Leo, (representing the witness) Mars at 5 Leo (ruling firearms, attacks and violent death) and asteroid Madisonvillehigh at 10 Leo (for the Madison, WI school system). On the Aquarius side, we find a truly remarkable grouping, beginning with Pluto, modern lord of death and planetary ruler of homicide, at 0 Aquarius, followed hotly by asteroids Erin and West (for victim Erin West) at 1 and 3 Aquarius; asteroid Abundantia (for the school), also at 3 Aquarius; and asteroid Child 4850 exact with Venus at 10 Aquarius, reflecting the underage status (Child) of the shooter and one victim, and the shared gender (Venus) of all three.
Just out of orb of the T-Square is asteroid Osiris 1923 at 15 Aquarius, named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead. This point does conjoin Child/Venus, and opposes Madisonvillehigh, designating a minor (Child) female (Venus) as a source of mortality (Osiris) in Madison (Madisonvillehigh).
The 911 call at 10:57 AM CST yields an Ascendant of 26 Aquarius, closely conjoined by Damocles 5335 at 28 Aquarius, a point representing the looming threat or peril, hanging unseen overhead, about to descend at any moment. Also here is asteroid Anubis 1912 at 1 Pisces, named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites; and opposed is asteroid Atropos at 2 Virgo, on the 26 Leo Descendant, named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death. This axis becomes a Grand Cross with the inclusion of Uranus, planetary ruler of shootings and shocking acts, at 24 Taurus, opposed asteroid Samantha, Natalie Rupnow’s chosen name, at 22 Scorpio, personally linking the shooter to the pattern.
With two death indicator asteroids angular on the Horizontal Axis, death was in the air in the moment; two scholastic indicators occupy the Vertical Axis, defining where that death was likely to play out. Mercury rules students and basic, primary education. It was at 6 Sagittarius, cojoined the 12 Sag MC. Jupiter rules educators and academic pursuits generally, and appears at 15 Gemini, on the 12 Gemini IC. Further, Jupiter is accompanied by asteroid Requiem 2254 at 18 Gemini, named for the funeral mass for the dead, and increasing the propensity to find death in an academic setting. The Mercury/Jupiter polarity becomes a T-Square with the inclusion of Saturn at 13 Pisces on the fulcrum, an energy associated with loss and hardship, known to the ancients as lord of death.
The Sun at 25 Sagittarius is conjoined by asteroid Rip 7711 at 21 Sagittarius (for the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription). Lending an additional flavor of mortality to the day. As well, the Sunn is just leaving the orb of conjunction with asteroid Apophis 99942 at 15 Sag, and just entering the orb of conjunction with TNO Ixion 28978 at 5 Capricorn. Apophis is named for the ancient Egyptian personification of pure evil, associated with horrible, irredeemable acts; Ixion is named for the first murderer in Greek myth. The Sun squares Neptune at 27 Pisces, indicating confusion and possible mental health issues.
The Moon at 12 Cancer is conjoined by asteroids Gunn 19243 (alternate spelling of “gun”) at 11 Cancer and Lachesis 120 at 6 Cancer named for the Greek Fate who determines the span of life. These oppose Ixion (murder) at 5 Capricorn and form a T-Square with asteroid Natalie (for shooter Natalie Rupnow) at 10 Libra, conjunct dwarf planet Makemake 136472 at 11 Libra. Makemake is known as a disruptor, an energy that promotes wild, uncontrolled responses and shocking developments. Overall this pattern identifies a female (Moon) shooter (Gunn) named Natalie (Natalie) who disrupts (Makemake) and terminates lives (Lachesis) via homicide (Ixion).
We’ve already seen how the slain teacher and the alleged shooter factor into the skies of the day. The second victim, Rubi Vergara, is there as well, with asteroid Ruby at 17 Taurus, conjoined Uranus (shootings) at 24 Taurus and opposed Samantha (her killer) at 22 Scorpio, in a T-Square with Osiris (death) at 15 Aquarius. Asteroid Vergara at 17 Sagittarius is highlighted by the Sun (focus, for good or ill), Rip (death) and Apophis (evil acts) at 25, 21 and 15 Sagittarius, opposing Jupiter (fame and celebrity, from whatever cause) and Requiem (death) at 15 and 18 Gemini, in a T-Square with Saturn (death again) at 13 Pisces.
We made note briefly of the presence of Askalaphus, the witness, at 4 Leo in the primary T-Square involving Pluto and Christian. One prominent witness, in the study hall at the time of the murder, and highly visible in press interviews afterward, was Angel Brube, 14, represented by asteroid Angel 11911. At 5 Libra, Angel is closely sextile Askalaphus and conjoined asteroid Natalie at 10 Libra, placing Angel and Natalie, witness and shooter, in celestial proximity as well as terrestrial juxtaposition.
Let’s turn now to the victims. Erin West (born 9/10/82, no time available) has the 17 Virgo Sun conjoined asteroid West at 15 Virgo, with asteroid Erin at 0 Virgo semisquare Mercury at 13 Libra which comports with standard placements for one’s own PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids), typically connected to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury. Also with the Sun are asteroids Ruby and Anubis, at 18 and 19 Virgo, providing the first link between death and the other victim. Solar contacts promote bonding of some sort with the asteroid-represented individual. I have no way of knowing how connected Erin and Rubi may have been in life, but they did die together.
The other mortality factor binding these two is asteroid Rip, which is stationary at 4 Capricorn (turning direct August 31st). Rip is accompanied by an exact pairing of asteroids Osiris and Vergara at 0 Capricorn, doubly highlighting the theme of death with the other victim. Asteroid Atropos at 1 Taurus is also at station (turning retrograde August 28th), and these two death indicators form a Grand Trine Kite pattern with asteroid Erin, itself accompanied by Venus and asteroid Requiem at 3 and 5 Virgo. The String of the Kite is formed by Atropos’ opposition to asteroid Samantha at 9 Scorpio, joined by Jupiter at 7 Scorpio and Ixion at 14 Scorpio. This depicts a death (Rip, Osiris, Requiem) by homicide (Ixion) for Erin West (Erin) and Rubi Vergara (Vergara) at the hands of a female (Venus) assailant named Samantha (Samantha) in an academic setting (Jupiter), which is widely publicized and grants some form of celebrity (also both Jupiter). Note that the stationing transit Christian at 3 Taurus sets off this entire pattern.
Persons with death indicator asteroids at station often have memorable endings, and this tragedy is seared into the minds, not just of those involved, but the entire community. As we shall see, Rubi Vergara also had a pair of death indicators at station.
Additional markers of Erin West’s ultimate end include Mars at 23 Scorpio (firearms, attacks, violent death) with asteroids Gunn (gun) and Madisonvillehigh (the city) at 28 and 29 Scorpio, and Uranus (shootings) at 1 Sagittarius. Uranus also reaches out to asteroid Abundantia at 9 Sag, which is too far wide to be included in the basic conjunction, but also squares the Erin grouping, affirming the specific locale for the murder. Asteroid Natalie at 18 Aquarius squares Mars and conjoins Damocles at 27 Aquarius, the unperceived threat.
As at the time of her death, natal asteroid Angel (for Angel Brube, the prominent witness) is making an aspect to asteroid Askalaphus, symbolizing the witness. From 5 Taurus (conjunct the stationary Atropos), Angel squares Askalaphus at 10 Aquarius (the exact placement for Child/Venus at her death). Moreover, Askalaphus broadly conjoins asteroid Natalie, as it did for the shooting.
As noted above, Rubi Vergara (born 3/17/10, no time available) also sports two death indicator asteroids at station in her birth chart. These are Atropos, which she shares with Erin West, and Lachesis. Atropos appears at 0 Leo, in exact conjunction with Mars, and turned direct March 22nd. From there, this duo anchors a Grand Cross, comprised of squares to asteroid Erin, her fellow victim, at 6 Taurus, and asteroid Christian, the school’s name, at 4 Scorpio, and a wide opposition to asteroid Natalie, her killer, at 10 Aquarius. Christian is also at station (turning retro on March 11th), just as at her death, reiterating the importance of that name in her biography. Note further that natal Natalie is an exact match for the transit Child/Venus conjunction for her murder.
Natalie is also conjoined by asteroids Angel (the prominent witness) and Ruby (self-referential) at 11 and 15 Aquarius (Ruby exact with the transit Osiris); this again places Angel in proximity to the shooter as well as one of the victims, both Above and Below. Lastly, Natalie is exactly sesquiquadrate asteroid Nemesis 128 at 25 Gemini, a point noted for bringing ruin and destruction.
Additional stationary points include asteroids Vergara and Lachesis (lifespan), both at 19 Scorpio (with Vergara turning retro on March 14th and Lachesis following suit the next day); and asteroid West, which at 24 Scorpio turned retrograde on March 16th.
Ruby Vergara’s 26 Pisces Sun is exactly conjunct Uranus, also conjoined by asteroid Anubis and Mercury, an early warning signal of a potential shooting (Uranus) death (Anubis) by a student (Mercury). Asteroids Madisonvillehigh and Abundantia at 3 and 6 Cancer establish the city and the school, in a Grand Cross, opposing Pluto at 5 Capricorn (modern lord of death, planetary ruler of homicide), with the crossbars Saturn at 1Libra (ancient lord of death) and a pairing of asteroids Samantha (Rupnow) and Osiris (death) at 5 and 9 Aries. Once again we see multiple markers of death linked to the shooter and the venue. A second major configuration keys off the Madisonvillehigh/Abundantia conjunction – a Grand Trine Kite formed with the stationary Christian at 4 Scorpio and asteroid Gunn at 5 Pisces, with Pluto on its String.
It’s also notable that Rubi Vergara’s natal TNO Ixion (murder) at 17 Sagittarius was exactly conjoined by transit asteroid Vergara for her murder, and that natal asteroid Abundantia at 6 Cancer was exactly conjoined by asteroid Lachesis (lifespan) when she died in the Abundant Life Christian school.
Which brings us to the alleged shooter. Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow came from a troubled home life. Unmarried at her birth in 2009 her parents later married and divorced – twice, complete with various custody battles. As of this writing, it still unknown what her motive was, or how she obtained the weapon; one of her classmates, whose locker adjoined her own, described her as “really quiet. She didn’t really have any friends and she just seemed really lonely,” adding, “It wasn’t like she was trying to fit in. She seemed very content being alone.”
Born 7 November 2009 (no time available), Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow’s 15 Scorpio Sun is exactly conjoined by asteroid Apophis, that ancient Egyptian symbol of pure evil. Mercury is here, too, at 16 Scorpio, perhaps prompting her to direct that energy to classmates and teachers. The Sun is also squared a conjunction of Mars and Atropos at 9 and 14 Leo (the same forming conjunction that would be exact four months later when Rubi Vergara was born), inciting a deadly (Atropos) anger and violence (both Mars). Asteroid Natalie at 14 Sagittarius is semisextile the Sun, a weak connection. Natalie is also involved in a T-Square, opposed asteroid Hermite 24998 at 8 Gemini, with asteroid Hermitage 4758 on the fulcrum at 18 Virgo, the two asteroids closest to “hermit,” possibly inclining her to her solitary ways. Asteroid Christian joins this pattern from 15 Virgo, suggesting that the urge to isolation may have been exacerbated by her participation in the Christian school (alternately, this coloration could have been why fellow students saw her as reclusive).
But asteroid Samantha is much more strongly placed; at 18 Aquarius it squares the Sun, perhaps the source of Rupnow’s adoption of that name for herself. An exact conjunction with Jupiter may have made “Samantha” feel expansive and optimistic, but asteroids Requiem and Osiris, also here at 12 and 17 Aquarius, may have made death seem the quickest route to the celebrity she sought.
I am not well-versed in Fixed Star lore, and rarely refer to it (nobody can do everything in astrology!), but as I researched Natalie Rupnow’s birthdate (which was not readily available in press reports), I came across this at the Astrology King website, regarding the conjunction of her Sun with Fixed Star Zubenelgenubi, also at 15 Scorpio: “conjunct Sun (0°44′ orb) and Mercury (2°30′ orb), Zubenelgenubi is symbolically called the Insufficient Price. It causes malevolence, obstruction, an unforgiving character, violence, disease, lying, crime, disgrace, and the danger of poison. It gives an immortal name. However, this comes about more by tragic circumstances than by well-noted success.” This seems to me a remarkably apt descriptor of the circumstances as we know them.
Rupnow had three points at station, all germane to the story. These are asteroids Nemesis (bringer of destruction) at 3 Cancer (turning retrograde November 1st); Madisonvillehigh at 14 Cancer (retro on November 20th) and Abundantia at 17 Cancer (retro on November 16th). Nemesis at station may have caused Rupnow to feel herself an agent of vengeance or retribution; it opposes Pluto (homicide) at 1 Capricorn and asteroid Gunn at 4 Capricorn, in a T-Square with Saturn (death) at 0 Libra. Madisonvillehigh and Abundantia confirm the name of the school and the educational district in which it is located; they form another T-Square, on its fulcrum, squared to an opposition from asteroids Vergara and West (both victims’ surnames) at 14 and 22 Libra to asteroid Erin (teacher Erinn West) at 14 Aries. Also in this mix is asteroid Tantalus 2102 at 24 Libra, another point related to the commission of heinous, unforgivable acts, which may help to explain how West and Vergara became Rupnow’s particular targets.
The autumn 2024 American educational semester kicked off with a literal bang at the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, with four killed, and ends now with this latest atrocity in Madison, Wisconsin, with two murdered and a suicide. I suppose the decreasing loss of life is movement in the right direction.
