Juliane Koepcke
Miraculous Survival
Strapped to her seat, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke plummeted 3,000 m (10,000 ft) from a lightning-struck aircraft into the Amazon rainforest. She was the sole survivor. To this day, she wonders why she was the only person to have made it.
The Event
Let’s start with the inception chart. I’m taking the time of the departure, which falls somewhere between 11:42 AM and “just before noon,” which means that the Pisces rising chart is the most likely option. It makes sense. The Moon is about to conjoin Mars in the 1st house. Moreover, the Moon is in the process of translating the light between her ruler, Jupiter, and Mars, eerily connecting Jupiter’s lightning bolt to the God of accidents. At 28°, Mars conjoins the fixed star Scheat, associated with “the danger of death in catastrophes such as floods, shipwrecks, mining accidents, airplane accidents, or maybe by suicide,” according to Elsbeth Ebertin (Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, 1928, p.80)
Mercury, a key signifier in matters of travel and technology, stationed direct less than two days before takeoff. In Sagittarius, the sign of its detriment, Mercury is still struggling, barely moving forward.
Additionally, the Sun is just separating from an ominous square to Pluto, who is slowing down. Pluto’s retrograde station happens 11 days later, as if the harbinger of death retreats exactly on the day that Juliane is found and taken to the hospital.
The Ordeal
Ignoring her father’s warnings about LANSA’s notorious safety record, Juliane and her mother boarded the plane that was supposed to reunite their family on Christmas Eve. Everything seemed perfectly fine until twenty minutes into the flight when they approached a storm. The sky turned from gray to pitch black, and the plane was gripped by strong turbulence. At 12:36 PM, Juliane, in her window seat, caught sight of a flash of lightning striking the right wing, igniting the fuel tank.
Chaos erupted. Snack trays and drinks were flung into the air, and Christmas gifts tumbled from the overhead compartments. The plane took a steep nose-dive. “Now it’s all over,” her mother said. The following moment, her mother and the passenger next to her were ejected from their seats. And then, the plane seemed to disintegrate around Juliane.
From one moment to the next, people’s screams go silent. It’s as if the roar of the turbines has been erased. My mother is no longer at my side and I’m no longer in the airplane. I’m still strapped into my seat, but I’m alone. ― Juliane Koepcke, When I Fell From The Sky: The True Story of One Woman's Miraculous Survival
Suddenly alone, she could only hear the rushing wind in her ears. Firmly strapped to the seat row, she found herself spiraling headfirst towards the jungle below. The rotation of her seat acted like a helicopter blade, slowing her descent. The updrafts from the storm and the dense jungle canopy cushioned her fall, but she could barely breathe. Everything went black as she crashed into the jungle floor.
For the rest of the day and the following night, Juliane drifted in and out of consciousness, caught in a bizarre dream-like limbo. When she finally woke up, she found herself covered in mud. Juliane was wearing a short-sleeved mini-dress and one of her sandals was missing. She could hardly see as she had lost her glasses, and her left eye, associated with the Moon, was swollen shut. Her right collarbone was broken, and her arms and legs were covered with cuts and bruises.
After spending some time looking for other survivors and trying to catch the attention of rescue planes in vain, she heard the distant sound of water and stumbled towards it until she found a spring. Following the stream, she knew it was bound to lead her back to civilization.
A couple of days later, while the Moon was approaching Saturn, her watch stopped working, and she discovered several dead bodies. Her mother wasn’t among them.
Near the wreckage, she found a small bag of candy that served as a lifeline. Thankfully, she had fresh water, but she refrained from eating the plants, aware that many of them were poisonous.
The stream gradually widened into a river. Too weak to continue the slow and dangerous journey along the riverbed where stingrays nested, she decided to let the current carry her instead. No longer protected by the shadows of the trees, the sun left her with second-degree burns. Her strength waned quickly, and she started experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations.
Finally, on the 10th day, when the Moon transited Juliana’s 5th house of Good Fortune, she found a motorboat moored along the riverbank. Using the boat’s fuel, she cleaned a wound on her arm that was infested by botfly maggots. She remembered her father applying fuel to remove maggots from the family dog. That night, she slept in a nearby hut. The next day, three lumbermen found her and helped her to the nearest hospital.
Thanks to Juliane’s instructions, the researchers were able to locate the bodies of the remaining passengers. On January 12, her mother’s body was found. The crash of LANSA Flight 508 was the deadliest lightning strike disaster in aviation history. All but one of the 92 passengers died.
The Sole Survivor
In a 6th house profection year, at the time of the event, challenging themes like injuries and accidents were activated. Lord of the Year Mercury stationed direct less than two days before the crash in the sign of his detriment, Sagittarius, averse to his natal location.
How did Juliane make it through this ordeal? The heavenly writing in her chart clearly spells S-U-R-V-I-V-O-R. Aptly depicted by a powerfully exalted Mars in Capricorn on the Midheaven, her strong constitution is blessed with plenty of stamina. This resourceful Mars describes her capacity to remain focused under extreme pressure. There is an auspicious mutual reception between Mars and Saturn. In Scorpio, and accompanied by Mercury, Saturn will resist and overcome adversity, relying on clever strategies, a calm demeanor, and sharp instincts.
Notice that Juliane’s Moon is located at 29°55’ Pisces and activated by the ominous Moon-Mars conjunction at the time of the flight’s departure. In the 12th house, the Moon foreshadows the loss of her mother. About to change signs and slip into the strong 1st house of Aries, the Moon promises a dramatic shift in Juliane’s life—from tragedy to bravery.
Another important mutual reception is the one between the Moon and Jupiter, indicating a prosperous family foundation. Jupiter, exalted in Cancer in the 4th house, speaks to her adventurous German parents who both worked as scientists at a research station far away from home in the Peruvian rainforest.
Juliane’s home was the jungle, as attested by Jupiter’s rulership of the 9th house of foreign countries and the conjunction with Uranus, lover of all things wild and eccentric. This is where Juliane acquired the essential knowledge that proved indispensable for her survival.
My mother’s guidance was crucial. Even though she wasn’t physically there, everything she taught me was in my head and heart, helping me to survive. – Juliane Koepcke
Undoubtedly, it was a magical blend of good fortune, skill, and sheer miracle that saved her life.
Following in the footsteps of her parents, Juliane later became a mammalogist. Given the darker influence of the Mars-Saturn connection on her career, it’s clear why she was drawn to specialize in bats! Later, she succeeded her father as the director of the Peruvian research station.
I’m curious to hear what catches your eye in Juliane’s chart. Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Michelle Corbesier is an astrologer and artist residing in Belgium with her beloved husband and furry companions. Offering natal, horary, and synastry consultations, Michelle is passionate about guiding others on their journeys of self-discovery and empowerment. Sharing her love for the starry craft, she also provides private tutoring and mentoring to aspiring stargazers. Get in touch with Michelle at Michelle’s Midheaven, and follow her on Substack, or Instagram.
This was so tragic and so resilient at the same time. So interesting reading the delineations. What an incredible spirit this woman has.
Outstanding! I'm sharing to my astrology group. Thank you Michelle.