Respect All Living Things

An Astrological Look at the Life of Jane Goodall

Sitting patiently among the tall evergreen trees, dense undergrowth, and lush ferns she waits. It was another day in Tanzania pursuing a passion that consumed her days. During the fifteen years she had spent here she had come to view the chimpanzees she was observing as an extended family. After spending countless hours with them she recognized the individual personalities, emotions, and social complexities of the chimpanzees, which fostered this sense of kinship.

Jane Goodall was driven to study primates by her deep love and fascination for animals from an early age, along with a powerful imagination and curiosity about their behavior. As a child, she was entranced by stories like “Tarzan of the Apes,” and dreamed of working with animals in Africa. Her journey began in earnest when renowned anthropologist Louis Leakey chose her to study chimpanzees because of her open-mindedness and patience rather than formal scientific training.

Leakey's observation about Jane's open-mindedness and patience is clearly reflected in her birth chart below. Jane was born with Mercury, the planet influencing cognitive processes, in Pisces in her third house. This is a significant placement because, in the natural zodiac, this house aligns with Gemini, which is linked to communication and ruled by Mercury. Gemini is known for its adaptability and open-mindedness. With Mercury in Pisces, Jane's thinking and communication are infused with compassion, empathy, and visionary qualities. Pisces embodies oneness, inspiration, and sensitivity, often seeking to give a voice to those who may not be heard. Here are some quotes from Jane Goodall that illustrate this tendency:

"The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves."

"Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love."

"Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, we shall be saved."

"Empathy is really important. Only when our clever brain and our human heart work together in harmony can we achieve our full potential."

A final note on Jane's Pisces Mercury is that its dispositor (the planet that rules the sign of Pisces) is found in her tenth house, the place we make our contributions to the world. Jupiter the traditional ruler of Pisces, sits prominently here in the sign of Libra. This speaks to two things, the adventurous and expansive manner in which Jane showed up in the world as well as the enthusiastic approach she pursued to bring harmony and peace into all relationships.

Born in Hampstead, England on April 3, 1934, Jane was the daughter of Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall (1907–2001), a businessman, and Margaret Myfanwe Joseph (1906–2000) a novelist from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, who wrote under the pen name Vanne Morris-Goodall. Here is Jane's natal chart:

Birth Chart for Jane Goodall

The first observation and most confirmatory surrounding the persona of Jane Goodell is that her natal Sun and Mars were conjunct in the sign of Aries. This is an archetypal energy renowned for its drive and pursuit of freedom and independence, as well as pioneering spirit. Given that Mars is also the ruler of Aries, this combination enhances these assertive tendencies. Additionally, with their placement in Jane's house of family, sense of belonging, and emotion foundation, it stands to reason that at the young age of fourteen she began to voice her desires of going to Africa and pursuing her passion for animals despite societal expectations and limited opportunities for women in science. Even though her family initially did not support her ambitions fully, she demonstrated determination and independence by educating herself through extensive reading, writing letters to people who could help her, and eventually making the bold decision to travel to Africa at age 23 to begin her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees. The pioneering Aries energies were burning brightly within her deepest psyche.

It was based on this fact that I promptly checked whether an asteroid named Africa exists. A quick search showed that there is indeed an asteroid called Africa, asteroid 1193. At the time of Jane's birth, it was positioned in the curious and restless sign of Gemini at 18 degrees and 51 minutes in her seventh house. Gemini is known for viewing things from various perspectives, being non-judgmental, and versatile. A closer look at Gemini also links it to birds and monkeys. This is noteworthy since Jane was an avid birdwatcher in her youth and later became an expert in studying chimpanzees. Thus, the asteroid Africa is in Jane's house of partnerships, close personal relationships, and agreements, in the sign associated with monkeys...it's a striking connection!

Asteroid Africa - 1193

Adding to this storyline, the asteroid Africa forms an almost exact trine to Jane's Libra Jupiter in her tenth house of career, goals, ambitions, and how she contributes to the world. Jupiter in Libra casts a wide net in the realm of relationships and filters interactions with others through a philosophical lens. There is a strong belief in justice, fairness, and harmony. With Jupiter in Jane's tenth house, this also signifies someone whose public image is destined to be expansive and broadly known. Finally, this is an opportunistic connection point (the trine) between Jane's strong pull to Africa and her relationship with primates and what she became known for, and the perspective and teachings she shared with the world at large. With a Libra Jupiter in the tenth house, Jane saw her life as an adventurous relationship, a place of never-ending beauty, and through her contributions, she discovered the deeper meaning of this journey.

Furthermore, the Pisces Mercury mentioned earlier, located in Jane's third house, is in a square aspect with the asteroid Africa. This indicates a challenging drive to express her spiritually based ideas about our unity with everything, facilitated by the favorable placement of the asteroid Africa in her house of others. Squares generate energies that push and motivate us to take action. Jane had all these natural tendencies confined to the third house, which represents one's local environment, influenced by a Libra Jupiter in her tenth house of broader society, urging her to take her dreams to a place where she could make a global impact. Naturally, this place was Africa. Robert Frost might as well have crafted this chart.

This is a brief look at the remarkable life of Jane Goodall. There is much more that could be examined in her birth chart. Jane's main philosophy and message to the world I believe was one of a holistic and compassionate approach to conservation, emphasizing the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment. She advocated for "compassionate conservation," which recognizes the intrinsic value of individual animals alongside the need to protect entire ecosystems. A message we need to heed and embrace.

Jane Goodall died peacefully in her sleep of natural causes on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91. She was staying at the home of a friend in Beverly Hills, California, while on a speaking tour in the United States at the time of her passing.