The Los Angeles Lakers, currently on a fifteen-game winning binge, slam-dunked on the rest of the league this week. By a serendipitous coincidence, their most recent schedule included matches against the NBA’s best, none of whom could top Shaq and company. Beating Indiana and Miami, the two best teams in the East, sent a strong message. More impressive still was their victory over arch-rival and powerhouse, Portland—in Portland—and all this after going unbeaten on their most recent six-game road trip. That’s right, unbeaten on the road! So how was your week?

Phil Jackson: Virgo Coach

We haven’t seen this kind of dominance in professional basketball since that team from Chicago—and there is a common denominator in Head Coach Phil Jackson. After winning six championships with the Bulls, he took a sabbatical during the 1999 season, which apparently he found quite refreshing. Since signing with the Lakers, he has quickly reestablished himself as the head coaching wizard of the NBA. Phil Jackson was born on September 17, 1945 at 5:40 pm MWT in Deer Lodge, Montana (Source: Przybylowski quotes BC). He has both the Sun and Mercury in Virgo, with the Moon rising on his Aquarius Ascendant.

Virgo Coaches are Teachers, Critics and Strategists

It’s surprising to note the number of Virgos filling the head coaching ranks, for while Virgos tend to be skillful and intelligent, they are not usually known for their leadership or executive ability. Often shy and retiring, they may prefer to focus on a more narrow specialty. The public perception of a head coach tends to be some red-faced individual screaming on the sidelines, or the quintessential smooth operator, pulling fractious players into line in his grand wake. Fire  signs, like Leo or Sagittarius, might seem a more natural fit, but if you break down the coaching job description, it suits the Virgo personality well.

A head coach is part teacher, part critic. Not only do they pass on the finer points of the game, but they must be able to assess and develop talent in their players. Virgos are natural teachers and their mercurial minds delight in breaking down complex concepts into simpler components. The Virgo talent for criticism, so often annoying in personal relationships, is perfect for isolating the weak points in any system and recommending the necessary improvements.

A good head coach is also a master strategist who can outsmart his opponents with his game plan. This appeals to the analytical Virgo nature, and this same love of tactics draws many of them into the military. Phil Jackson’s Mercury in Virgo gives him an extra intellectual advantage in these areas. As the natural ruler of the sign Virgo, Mercury is quite at home there and able to express its considerable mental abilities more freely.

As a tactician, Jackson is hard to beat. In the 1995-96 regular season with the Chicago Bulls, prior to winning the NBA championship, Jackson lost only 10 out of 82 games. He came close to duplicating this remarkable feat the following season, losing only 13 of 82 games on his way to another championship. With the Lakers currently at 49-11, he’s on course for a similar record in just his first season with this team.

A New Age Ascendant

The Ascendant, or rising sign, is often the first thing that people notice about a person. With his Moon right on his Ascendant in the progressive sign of Aquarius, Jackson enjoys a reputation as a sort of new age guru among coaches. In his successful seasons with the Bulls, he drew on some alternative sources for inspiration, including Zen Buddhism and Native American spirituality. Aquarians are the original “people people,” and natural managers, often possessing a knack for getting diverse groups of individuals to work together.

His Aquarian detachment and tolerance helped him to blend such naturally antagonistic personalities as Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman into a winning team, forging victory out of potential chaos. Jackson’s low-key Aquarian personality allows him to fit in and befriend his players while still maintaining his distinct authority.

The Lakers team is stacked with both young talent (Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant) and wily vets (Ron Harper and Glen Rice). We’ll be taking an in-depth astrological look at these players and the team as the season progresses. Can Phil Jackson win his seventh coaching championship ring? I sure wouldn’t want to bet against him!