“During the German occupation of Poland, Sendler lived in Warsaw (prior to that, she had lived in Otwock and Tarczyn while working for urban Social Welfare departments). As early as 1939, when the Germans invaded Poland, she began aiding Jews. She and her helpers created more than 3,000 false documents to help Jewish families, prior to joining the organized Żegota resistance and the children’s division. Helping Jews in German-occupied Poland meant all household members risked death if they were found to be hiding Jews, a punishment far more severe than in other occupied European countries.”
“She was the inspiration and the prime mover for the whole network that saved those 2,500 Jewish children,” Debórah Dwork, the Rose professor of Holocaust history at Clark University in Massachusetts, said. Professor Dwork, the author of “Children With a Star” (Yale University Press, 1991), said about 400 children had been directly smuggled out by Mrs. Sendler. She and her co-workers buried lists of the hidden children in jars in order to keep track of their original and new identities. Żegota assured the children that, when the war was over, they would be returned to Jewish relatives.” In 1943, Sendler was arrested by the Gestapo and severely tortured: the Gestapo beat her brutally, fracturing her feet and legs in the process; despite this, Irena refused to betray any of her comrades or the children they rescued. Irena was sentenced to death by firing squad. The Żegota saved her by bribing German guards on the way to her execution. She was listed on public bulletin boards as among those executed.” By Wikipedia
The Humanitarian Aquarian
What an incredibly moving story and Irena’s bravery is absolutely amazing. The natal chart will explain more of the inherent nature and drive to save these young children. The Sun, Venus and Chiron are all in Aquarius and trining Pluto in Gemini and gives her a passionate yet dispassionate nature and captivating blend of social-intellectual concerns and a ardent nature. Moreover, it paints the picture of a proud, determined, and emotionally possessive woman. Also, this Aquarian-Pluto combination reveals a deep instinct for reforming and the ability to see the hidden potential in the discarded souls of life. There is an intense dedication to a cause and a loyalty to friends.
Aquarius possesses humanistic values; they are free spirits and are always ahead of their time. An egalitarian aspect of their nature means an encouragement to help out with causes and charitable institutions. The individual always needs to be a part of some form of positive action. The true freedom fighter that can go on to work in some form of humanitarian aid and they are great at forming groups. Any system that is an advantage to one person at the expense of many others is something difficult for the Aquarian to tolerate. They strongly believe that everybody should have the same rights and be treated like everybody else. They will oppose any system they deem unfair and they take action to benefit the people. Irena should take pride in being a beautiful Aquarian lady and she was awarded Poland’s highest honour for her humanitarian efforts
The Grand Cross
Irena also had a Grand Cardinal Square, which is an incredible driving force in this chart adding the extra force to the Aquarian nature. In astrology the cardinal square rules the people that get things moving, they are active and business-like with massive ambitions and endeavours. The individual likes to be surrounded by action and it rules world pressures along with this ever present inner need to achieve. There is a strange kind of karmic reading with this Grand Square that says if the person does not actively take control of their life, they can suffer at the hands of those that try and control them. Obviously, in Irena’s case, she was a powerful, ambitious woman that was not easily controlled, but also suffered at the hands of those in authority. It is not like a cardinal type to take the laid back approach. It is also said that these people are often pulled in all directions representing the initial spark of action and the need to follow it through to completion. It really does take a lot of guts to pull of something so grand like what Irena had done and it was ambitious and risky. Claire Martin called the cardinal signs the “unstoppable force.”
“The cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are initiating and goal oriented. Cardinal people start ventures; they have a vision of what has to be achieved; they are self-motivated. They challenge themselves, they want to lead and they have the natural urge to instigate action and to initiate” Astrodienst
“Sometimes known as the Cosmic Cross, the Grand Cross occurs when the planets across two oppositions all square each other. According to Recent Advances in Natal Astrology, only 5% of charts have this aspect pattern; certainly it is not common. As with the T-square, the first thing to consider is the mode in which the configuration falls…Many of the comments concerning T-squares also apply to the Grand Cross, only more so. The main difference is that the Grand Cross is more complex and offers more possibilities. While the T-square tends to provide more focus, with the Grand Cross the individual tends to feel pulled in four directions at once. This really is a make or break pattern and, while potentially productive of great talent and great things; it has a distinctly Saturnian edge to it. Obstacles that present themselves along an individual’s path ensure that, while the achievements and rewards may be great, they are usually hard- won. ”
“The Cardinal Cross – Ambitions and competitive, a state of overdrive and a high degree of pushiness can be a problem here. An uncooperative insistence on doing their own thing in their own way, coupled sometimes with extreme impatience.” The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook (Astrology Now)
God bless Irena for being so uncooperative. I really love this woman.