Broken Nails

Women are frequently lampooned for the "disaster" of a broken nail - the fantasy of some men in their efforts to diminish women. However, I was struck by the following news item from America in which the 'broken nail' situation was very real and, in all likelihood, a true disaster. Ms. Lee Redmond had not cut her fingernails since 1979 which, at the time of the report, had been measured at 33 inches (about 84 cms) long. The following link shows a photograph of Ms. Redmond displaying her fingernails when they were somewhat shorter, and I have to say that they looked in very good condition; it's usual for nails to begin to twist and curl at a much shorter length. Her claim to fame was that she had the longest fingernails in the world and was entered into the Guiness Book of Records.

However, the owner of the nails was involved in a car accident at around the time shown in the chart. Having been thrown from the car, she sustained a broken ankle and several broken fingernails; the report states that all were lost, perhaps the paramedics cut them so that she could be transported on a stretcher, or even fit into the ambulance itself. Perhaps she had her nails insured, they were quite obviously very important to her, and no-one would admit to relieving her of them. In any case, she is no longer the world record holder and her fame is merely about her having been one.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705284649,00.html




The time of the accident is approximate, but for my purposes it is enough. The Ascendant is late, but we can't rely upon that because Gemini is a sign of short ascension and so moves quickly. The first notable configuration is angularity and here the Moon and Saturn are in the 4th house of endings, the end of death and the beginning of new life - apt, don't you think? Saturn is the significator of breakages and it is retrograde, so it might be that the broken nails were collected and will be maintained for posterity (or the insurance claim)! The victim looks to be beyond retirement age and so perhaps doesn't have another 29 years in which to grow them back to their former glory, but I wonder if she might consider trying to glue them back on?

The Moon is in a mutually applying conjunction with Saturn and this could fit such a description. The next placement is a clear indication of the loss and that is the South Node conjunct the 3rd house cusp of hands and arms. This house is ruled by the Sun of glory and so the reason for her fame is diminished or lost. Jupiter, the ruler of the 10th of fame, opposes the 3rd house cusp which describes the reason for her current newsworthiness. The 6th house is ruled by Mars of violent accidents and is placed in Aquarius which corresponds with the ankles. We should not ignore the fact that her significator, Mercury, is in the 8th house and her condition was described as "serious". So, while we might find the loss of fingernails amusing, Ms. Redmond was seriously hurt in this accident. The Sun, ruler of the 3rd house, is disposited by Saturn which corresponds to dead cells of which fingernails are composed. Neither Mars, ruler of the 11th of assistance, nor Jupiter, ruler of the 7th of the physician, afflict the Sun, the fingernails, but both do afflict the 3rd house itself, so perhaps my suspicions are correct and fate wasn't the only destructive factor.

I'll leave you to consider the phsyical and psychological implications of such a claim to fame because I have too fertile an imagination!