Not being a sports fan I had no idea who Tim Tebow was, but as a student of human behavior this article in the New York Times intrigued me:
Tebow tends to have his worst 45 minutes of play when it matters least and his best 15 when it matters most. And while he makes many mistakes, their cost is seldom exorbitant. These aren’t so much skills as tendencies — inclinations — that prove to be every bit as consequential as the stuff of rankings and record books. He reminds us that strength comes in many forms and some people have what can be described only as a gift for winning, which isn’t synonymous with any spreadsheet inventory of what it supposedly takes to win.
This gift usually involves hope, confidence and a special composure, all of which keep a person in the game long enough, with enough energy and stability, so that a fickle entity known as luck might break his or her way. For Tebow that state of mind comes from his particular relationship with his chosen God and is a matter of religion. For someone else it might be understood and experienced as the power of positive thinking, and is a matter of psychology. Either way it boils down to stubborn optimism and bequeaths a spark. A swagger. An edge.
It’s easy to be pessimistic about optimism. When peddled generically by unctuous politicians, it can seem the ultimate opiate, a cop-out and fallback when there’s nothing more substantive to sustain you. But optimism can have an impact. It’s what radiates from Tebow and fires up the Broncos. And therein lies a lesson about leadership with a resonance beyond football.
Whether Tebow’s optimism comes from religious faith or within himself doesn’t matter for the purposes of astrological study – suffice it to say that it comes naturally to him and has infused his teammates with a confidence that has driven his team to turn around their losing streak and transform the playing field.
Tebow (born 8/14/1987, time unknown in the Phillipines) has the Sun in Leo which is a forceful and energetic sign. Leo types NEED to develop a personality that is somewhat larger than life and learn to embrace the ups and downs of life in order to ultimately achieve lasting joy despite the details. But that Leo Sun is only part of the equation. Tebow’s Sun is part of a stellium in Leo that includes Mercury, Venus and Mars. This guy has a ton of natural energy that helps to fuel his inner spirit, and he is also gifted with the natural competition that comes from a Sun/Mars conjunction.
As if that weren’t enough, these Leo planets are part of a Grand Trine in fire signs. His Aries Moon (emotional needs and inner security) conjoins Jupiter, the very planet of confidence and optimism which often bestows a sense of righteousness and conviction. This pair harmonizes with the natural competitiveness of the Leo stellium to add to the overall energy of the chart.
We don’t know Tebow’s ascendant (rising sign), but we do know that he has Saturn in Sagittarius. When the planet of limitation (Saturn) is in the sign of confidence (Sagittarius), and in his chart it is retrograde to boot, there is more than a hint of self-doubt that creeps into the personality. In this chart, with all of this fiery confidence and enthusiasm, that’s not a bad thing as it helps to temper and moderate what could be extremely reckless and impulsive behavior. Because Saturn is trine his Sun, Venus and Mercury, he has an added benefit of Saturn’s discipline and sense of responsibility and this influence is likely the motivator behind Tebow’s religious humility.
Completing the fire trine is Uranus in a trine to both the Sun/Mars and the Moon and Jupiter. Uranus inspires us to break free of restrictions and not to allow ourselves to become stuck in situations that no longer suit us, and in this chart it offers endless opportunities for change and new ideas and situations for Mr. Tebow.
This is an important year for Mr. Tebow as his progressed Sun is aligning in an exact square to progressed Saturn, suggesting something of great significance is to occur this year. The significance is likely to be extremely positive since a long string of Jupiter transits beginning in March are likely to open new doors and bring new opportunities his way.
Optimism and confidence come easy for some people, but they are qualities that can be learned. The certainty that good things will happen generally brings good things our way, and seeing only the negative will bring more bad luck. Opening our minds to new possibilities is a skill that can be learned, and through practice we can all have the kind of confidence and optimism that can turn our lives around.