Time magazine recently named Albert Einstein "Person of the Century." Chosen from hundreds of worthy candidates, women and men who contributed astounding gifts to society and culture, Einstein rose as a giant. He was unquestionably a genius, yet there were times he was self-effacing, funny and disheveled. At other times he was alternately absent-minded, droll, witty, outraged and charmingly wise. He was a unique mix of genius, mystic and meticulous mathematician.

But what specific factors or essential something is responsible for the exalted place Einstein holds in history? Ingenuity springs to mind, since what Einstein accomplished shattered the existing scientific structure and became the foundation of a new scientific paradigm. No small feat. Albert Einstein envisioned a concept beyond what was previously known. He was capable of translating this vision into reality, and he focused his genius on the physical world and its laws.

Inspired Dreaming

Albert Einstein was born with the Sun in Pisces, the most romantic, imaginative and dreamy sign of the zodiac. Legend has it that Einstein's Theory of Relativity was prompted by a dream. Scientists today are still puzzled at how he managed to arrive at the notion of Relativity. It was inspiration, the muses of sleep and dreams, the ability to shift and dissolve boundaries and to tap into the infinite and collective unifying knowledge. All of these are the special province of Pisces.

Focus

Still, dreaming is never enough. The grounding and discipline needed to deal effectively with the tangible world (materiality) are reflected astrologically, in part, in the earth signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Einstein had planetary placements in all three of these signs. Earth signs represent physical reality and are often interested in science and the workings of the material universe.

Mars  represents one's energy, and in the chart is the thrust of one's actions, or the manner in which one leads or initiates. Einstein's Mars in Capricorn understands discipline and loves constancy and habit. It concerns itself with basic principles and necessities, and it translates the Pisces dream into a tangible form.

Neptune, ruler (key planet) of Einstein's Pisces Sun, is placed in solid and earthy Taurus, adding structure to the typically elusive and watery  energy of Pisces.

Singular Mark of Genius

The planet Uranus in Virgo, separated and standing apart from the rest of the nine planets in Einstein's chart, may be the most reflective of his unique genius. A planet set apart in this way, called a singleton, typically exerts a proportionally greater influence in a person's life than the other planets in the chart.

The planet Uranus is noted, among other things, for science, technological aptitude, inventiveness, brilliance, the unexpected and eccentric, sudden insight, rebelliousness and defiance of convention. In short, it is Uranus that allows for concepts that are ahead of their time or breakthroughs in society and culture.

Uranus also represents the sky, the brain, computers and light. "Lightning flashes of insight" is a phrase often applied to Uranus. In the earth sign Virgo, Uranus adds precision, sharpened skill and, in part, Einstein's mathematical capability.

More Aquarian Influence

Einstein's chart also has Jupiter in Aquarius, further emphasizing his Uranus theme. Uranus rules, or is associated with, the sign Aquarius, and Jupiter enlarges, expands and develops. So, Jupiter in Aquarius enhances the genius, the quick flashes of intuition and the inventiveness already evident in the unique position Uranus occupies in relation to Einstein's other planets.

An unexpected result of Einstein’s work was the development of the atomic bomb. Peace-loving Pisces Einstein never intended for his work to lead to the creation of weapons of mass destruction. In fact, as late as 1934, he said that there were no possible practical applications of his theories. History, unfortunately, proved him wrong. Even a genius isn’t always right.

Still, Einstein’s profound scientific contribution and his words continue to echo through time, perhaps because he was equally a man of spirit and science. He gave tribute both to the divine and to astrology when he stated, "God does not play dice with the universe."