The Astrology of Dennis Rodman

Birth data: May 13, 1961, 12:10 AM; Trenton, New Jersey

Before the days of tunnel fits and highly stylized athletes, there was Dennis Rodman. He had a unique personal style that was genderfluid – dressing in drag and dying his hair a variety of colors and patterns. He came to fame through his NBA career and was a force to be reckoned with, giving him the nicknames "Dennis the Menace" and "Demolition Man." He made bold moves on and off the court and did what he wanted to do, embodying the title of his book, "Bad As I Wanna Be." The dark parts of his life include a difficult childhood and mental health struggles. His father abandoned the family and his mother had to work multiple jobs to support the family. Rodman was a shy and awkward kid who was bullied, but hit a late growth spurt that helped him obtain his career in the NBA.

Dennis Rodman has a Capricorn ascendant, which is ruled by Saturn, making it an important planet in the birth chart. Saturn is comfortable in Capricorn, but it is retrograde, so it's not functioning as well as it could and can indicate a delay in growth. He is likely melancholic and down to earth. There is a tendency for him to want to be left alone, even as he deals with feelings of loneliness. The Sun is in a loose trine with his Saturn, so he can appear confident and generate his own light. However, there can still be challenges – the spotlight might feel like a burden, but he has fun with it and appears to shine.

His Venus in Aries also squares his ascendant, where Venus is uncomfortable. In a night chart, Venus is supposed to be the most beneficial planet in the birth chart. So this may be evidence of someone who uses beauty or fashion to hide. It could look like making daring fashion statements that are controversial, and his style creates attention, both good and bad. He may be considered attractive in a unique way or have unconventional beauty.

The Moon is exalted in Taurus and is emphasized, due to this being a night chart. Deep down, he probably is that soft, loving, and caring soul but his hardships have taken some of that away. The Moon opposes Neptune, so he may have some confusion about who he really is, or he could get lost in addictions. The Moon is also being squared by Mars, so the pain and hurt from his childhood have likely had a major impact on him.

The Moon is also associated with childhood, safety, and the mother, and Mars rules the 4th house of family in his chart. Venus is also in the 4th house and not in good condition. There could be friction between the masculine and feminine parts of himself, and he could find it difficult to balance those energies. This is another indicator of his difficult childhood, and he probably felt disconnected from his family. This might manifest as a separation, physical or emotional, between him and his children or family.

Additionally, the Moon in his chart rules his 7th house of relationships. The Moon also squares Jupiter, so this could look like having many relationships. This is evident in his dating history. The Mars square could indicate that he cuts them off before they can get too close, or anger affects his relationships. The Neptune opposition might look like confusion in his relationships. An example of this was his impulsive marriage to Carmen Electra that happened when he was of "unsound mind."

Let's talk a little bit about public image. His midheaven is in Scorpio, therefore ruled by Mars. His Mars squares Neptune, and Neptune is on the midheaven, so the person he is in the public eye may be an illusion. He might be seen as an enigma and people may be intrigued by him. He has likely tried to hide himself and who he really is.

As for career, Mars ruling the midheaven is an indication of an occupation that is active or involved with movement. The way he played basketball was aggressive, fiery, and full of energy. He also had a short wrestling career, which is another combative and Mars-y sport. His Moon squaring Mars is also a reflection of his film and TV endeavors.

Overall, he has a melancholic temperament, and a tension exists between his public and private selves. As you can imagine, having all of these challenging aspects can equate to instability. He has a bit working against him, but could maybe lean into being soft, nurturing, and vulnerable to increase the quality of his life and relationships. It might be beneficial for him to explore his psyche and trauma to work through some of the difficulties that have affected him.

Sources: Wikipedia, Astro-Databank, Bad As I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman Story by Dennis Rodman