PLAYING WITH THE STARS

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Periodically, the high prizes up for grabs in various national and international lotteries create new billionaires, perhaps with the expense of just a few euros and the purchase of a SuperEnalotto ticket pre-made by the retailer, but enough to defy statistics, studies, and more "scientific" systems based on the law of probability. Not to mention those who, gripped by gambling fever, sit down at the green table or try their luck at the slot machine, eventually breaking the bank.

BUT WHAT SIGN ARE GAMBLING AND LUCK?

According to astrologer Hervé Cotard, the charts of gamblers show "a particular emphasis on the Fire signs, especially Sagittarius and Leo. Taurus, Cancer, Libra, and finally Pisces are generally very tempted by gambling; we see the influence of Jupiter and Venus in them." Robert Morin (French astrologer and founder of CEARES) also confirms these indications, adding that "the signs of Gemini (a taste for fun) and Sagittarius (an optimistic vocation) favor the tendency to gamble. The Sun or the rising sun in these signs is an indicator of a predisposition to this inclination."

Furthermore, if the relationships between the 2nd and 5th Houses are highly significant, the sign in which the 2nd House (acquisitions) falls and the planets present inform us about the interest and importance given to money problems, greed, or disinterest in gain.

Morin also noted that the 5th House—speculations—is highly valued among natives who have had significant wins in gambling, gambling, and lotteries. He also noted: a prevalence of the MC in the sign of Gemini—with a consequent Virgo ascendant that enhances Mercury; Saturn in the 5th or well-aspected 10th; Venus and Jupiter, the "small" and "big" fortunes, are very favorable in the 2nd, 5th, 10th, and 8th Houses (other people's money, gifts, and inheritances), especially if they are in aspect to each other.

But, if the winnings are considerable, in reality, according to J. M. Cuypers, one can also notice an important Uranus – for the surprise effect and a fundamental life change – which is accompanied by a strong Jupiter – often in aspect to the previous one – and a well-disposed Neptune, the three being strongly linked to the personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus).

THE "LUCKY CHARM" VILLAGE

It's called Taintignies, a small Belgian village with charming cobblestone streets lined here and there with low houses, gardens with white gates, rabbit hutches, and austere buildings with red brick facades.

In this quiet town, however, there's a little mystery. Regularly, several cars with foreign license plates arrive—Taintignies is located 300 meters from the French border—and park in large numbers on the Grand Place. What could possibly attract so many people? Certainly not the church with its pointed bell tower, much less its monuments dedicated to the fallen of the 1914-18 war, nor the Town Hall with its wrought-iron balcony.

The inhabitants, mostly workers or farmers, are kind but remain stubbornly silent about these strange comings and goings, as if keeping a secret. Because there really is a secret in Taintignies, an inexplicable and fabulous phenomenon: Taintignies is the village of lottery players (and perhaps it's no coincidence that the village's patron saint is none other than St. Rita, the saint of luck and gambling), the place where statistics don't count. This small town of 2,500 inhabitants has two millionaires on the same street, as well as other lottery winners, more modest in number and therefore more difficult to quantify, but whose numbers are impressive. "In a short time, more than €594,944 (1,151,973,109 old lire) have been won with tickets sold in my shop," explains Philippe Menez, a rotund and jovial 45-year-old.

In Taintignies, everyone is actually looking for him. He arrived one day in May 1983, opened a tobacco shop, and started selling lottery tickets. Everyone has been winning ever since. Why? Is it a coincidence, or is this man a lucky charm? "There's nothing special," he replies. "I just mind my own business..."

A former advertising designer, Mr. Menez opened his stationery shop at 4 Grand Place in Taintignies. According to Belgian custom, he is therefore the only one authorized to sell Lotto cards and Kwinto tickets (a Belgian lottery). Following his success, he opened a tobacconist's shop next door, the Caffè della Stampa. From morning till night, customers line up at his shop to have their Lotto combinations validated or to buy his famous scratch cards. This has been the case since 1989, the year an anonymous villager pocketed 35 million Belgian francs (€867,627) playing Lotto. Subsequently, other considerable wins followed. Such large wins had never before been seen in the village. Lottery fanatics have begun queuing at Menez's stationery shop, but the remarkable thing is that luck continues to favor this unique store.

Virgo rising, Aquarius, Philippe Menez's chart features planets forming a very distinctive shape in the sky, clearly demonstrating his predestination to bring financial fortune to others. The first element in his chart is the presence, in Cancer and the fifth house, of Uranus, the planet of unexpected events. A completely harmonious Uranus, it receives no negative influence. The master of surprises, in this case, plays a purely fortunate role. Placed in the fifth house, where one can see a person's chances of winning at gambling, it indicates exceptional luck. Philippe Menez, the man who makes others earn money. Furthermore, six planets are placed in the second and eighth houses, which provide information on money. Venus, Mercury (the Dragon's Tail), and Neptune are in the eighth house, the sector associated with inheritances and unexpected gains. These are four positive planets, including Venus and Neptune, important influences on luck.

On the other hand, in the Second House, the sector that provides information on money earnings, lies the Dragon's Head and the Black Moon, a factor of deprivation, lack, and frustration. This is the most disconcerting aspect of this astrological chart: Philippe Menez cannot capitalize on his financial fortune for his own gain. Thus, on the one hand, good fortune promises him significant gambling wins. On the other, the Black Moon prevents him from taking advantage of it. It validates winning combinations for everyone except himself.

LUCK ALSO LIVES IN PUGLIA

Luck definitely has a kind eye on Puglia, where mega-wins are regularly recorded.

Aside from many other smaller wins, the lucky streak began on October 31, 1998, with the "6" drawn in Peschici, which netted 100 winners 63 billion lire (€32,536,784.64).

But the most sensational win was the one, also in Puglia, on February 5, 1999, in Grottaglie, with a "6" played in a tobacconist's, which netted over 86 billion lire (€44,415,293.32). The person responsible for this record win remains unknown. It was even thought that he was an Air Force soldier serving at the city airport.

Recently, 49 billion 880 million 685,500 lire (25,761,224.16 euros) were won in Galatina, in the province of Lecce, with a pre-filled ticket containing 5 combinations.

MIRACLES OF... FAITH

Gamblers, as we know, remain strictly anonymous... except when they're already famous, as in the case of the now multifaceted and omnipresent Emilio Fede.

On December 31, 1997, at the Monte Carlo Casino, Fede won a whopping €1 billion at chemin de fer (which he later donated to charity), capturing the headlines and the envy of countless avid gamblers.

Confirming what was said previously, his birth chart features a Sagittarius ascendant and a Cancer Sun, underscoring a predisposition to gambling fueled by great optimism.

In the 8th house, also connected, as we've seen, to gambling, we find Mars and Neptune in conjunction (a certain ease with gambling, which can become a true vice) in a trine to the Ascendant.

Note that the 5th House, gambling, falls in Taurus, and its ruler, Venus, is positively aspected to the MC: the love of gambling, and is therefore prone to fortunate events.

As per the textbook, at the time of the big win, a powerful stellium occurred in the natal 2nd House, composed of the Moon, Mars, and especially Jupiter and Uranus. Jupiter itself also cast spectacular trines to the Moon in the 10th House (popularity), to the Midheaven itself (a clear aspect of fortune), and to Mercury (gambling).

We don't know where our man spent his birthday that year, but it certainly wasn't in Italy, given that he would have received an Asc. of RS either in I or XII, in any case both not very promising for colossal winnings… But it would have been enough to go to the Caribbean or Haiti to completely overturn the situation: a splendid RS Ascendant in X in the first case, or a wonderful Sun-Venus conjunction on the Midheaven to which is added a stellium in V (the game) in the second. In both cases, Jupiter would have been in the V House.

Playing with the Stars