Understanding the 18th Degree in Astrology — Through the Charts of Female Rappers
What can Monaleo, Cardi B, and Lil Kim teach us about the 18th Degree in astrology?
The 18th Degree is one of those things in astrology that can best be described as divisive. Where there is no fear around this Degree, there is anger and a direct rejection of what it could mean for one's life.
Why? you may ask, skeptical as ever. What’s the worst that could possibly be implied by a simple degree? A lot, in fact.
The 18th Degree is, as Nikola Stojanović (astrologer and writer of Degree Theory) says, “diabolical” — with many even going as far as calling this The Devil’s Degree due to that it is often found in the birth charts of the worst the world has to offer. Thus, where it is in your chart may indicate where (and how) you bring suffering to others — but, also, how you may experience suffering in your own life.
No, having the 18th Degree in your birth chart does not mean you are inherently more likely to bring harm and destruction to those around you. But it does mean that you may be more prone to mental illness, depression, pessimism, and low impulse control; that you be more prone to encountering evil, and that you may be more prone to a life filled with more pain than the average person.
However, and as with all things especially in astrology, it is highly contextual.
For example, an 18° Cancer Moon may suggest that people you let into the intimacy of your home will steal from you (steal your items, steal your innocence, steal your ideas, etc.), or that you are yourself somewhat of a kleptomaniac, while an 18° Sagittarius Mars may suggest that you chronically undermine your own mental and physical abilities to the extent that you "waste away" your potential.
See, context!
To further demonstrate the intricacies of this Degree, let’s take a look at the charts of the rappers Monaleo, Cardi B, and Lil Kim, all of whom have this Degree at least once in their birth chart!
Disclaimer! I do not have the time of birth of any of these celebrities!
We will begin with Monaleo's 18° Taurus Moon, which manifests as her making the beautiful out of the painful. She takes the depths of her darkness (18°) -- the darkness that life has thrust upon her in the form of growing up in poverty, and struggles with mental health, depression, and suicidality -- and puts it into her music. Fittingly enough of a Taurus Moon, as Taurus rules the throat and the vocal codes.
The Moon also shows us what we may inherit from our mothers. And so even if Monaleo had not spoken about her mother’s (and her grandmother’s) struggles with their mental health, we would already be able to presume that this is something that was passed on to her by her mother.
In the article linked above, we also see another iteration of the 18°, wherein Monaleo describes that because she moved around a lot during her childhood, she always felt like an outsider. She never really fit in and was made somewhat of a target, at one point, with a group of girls going so far as to jump her for no reason. That is, until they realised that she was, in her words, "was actually an OK person." Here we see 1) winning them over in the end with the Venusian influence of her Taurus Moon, and 2) making something beautiful out of what could have been a horrific experience, and what we can assume must have been a traumatising experience.
Lastly, if you would recall earlier on in this article where I explained that the 18° in the birth chart also shows us the harm that we cause others. There is, after all, a reason why this Degree is so hated and so feared, after all. In Monaleo's life, this would manifest as her going from always being the outsider and the target to being the bully by the time she reached high school.
Moving on to the next of our artists, let's take a look at Cardi B's 18° Libra Sun. Much like Monaleo's Taurus Moon, Libra is ruled by Venus. Thus, we see a focus on beauty and material wealth. And while the Libra native may typically experience nothing but blessings in this regard, with her Libra Sun at 18° the pursuit of beauty and wealth is a double-edged sword.
Nowhere do we see this more clearly than the concentrated focus on Cardi's appearance from the public. Primarily with people thinking of her as "unattractive" and "ugly", until she got cosmetic dental and facial surgery. She has in the past been honest about the cosmetic surgery procedures she has gotten, as well as on the detriment that these cosmetic surgery procedures have caused to her body. Again, that 18° at play -- there's only so much you can change about your body before your body starts to turn right back on you.
With this 18° Libra Sun, we also see not only her own obsession with wealth but the obsession that those around her have with her wealth. This obsession with wealth ("You know I hate cancelling shows because I love money," she has, at one point, said) has also, and may time and again in the future, lead to the detriment of her health. She has also been vocal about the current state of the economy, of her and her family's financial awareness and privilege, as well as her own opinion on having a 50/50 relationship and household. All of which, instead of garnering either 1) agreement and support, or 2) thoughtful conversation, riled people into arguments and instant criticism.
Lastly, we will look at Lil Kim’s birth chart! I’ve saved her for last because while the two other rappers listed here have only one 18° in their chart, she has three. Her Sun, Venus, and True Node are all in the 18th Degree!
Lil Kim’s 18° Cancer Sun was, honestly, the hardest placement to see and write about, because of how obviously it has manifested in her life. See, Cancer is our sign of home and family life. Cancers desire nothing more than being surrounded by friends and family; this is when they are happiest. Thus, such a planet at 18° would show us someone who experiences a troubled domestic life and who is subjected to domestic violence, all of which we, unfortunately, see in Lil Kim’s life. Kim has a history of being on the receiving end of domestic violence, in her relationships with fellow rapper Notorious B.I.G and a former boyfriend, who is also the father of her child, Royal Reign.
We see this energy emphasised in her 18° Gemini Venus, with the Venus placement being the planet that rules love, beauty, and relationships. As Lil Kim has also spoken on, in an interview with bell hooks (stylised in lowercase letters), how she feels that no matter where she looks, she just can’t find real love.
Finally, we have Kim’s 18° Sagittarius True Node! The True Node in this sign indicates someone with a spirit of wanderlust, someone who not only needs freedom but a lot of it. Thus, someone whose Sagittarius True Node is at 18° may find themselves imprisoned throughout their life -- imprisoned in a jail, imprisoned in toxic relationships and environments, imprisoned by societal expectations of who you should be and how you should carry yourself, all of which, Kim has experienced. This placement at this degree may also manifest in the conversely, where one is pushed to the limits with excessive travel, to the detriment of your own mental and physical health, though I could not find evidence of this in Lil Kim's life.
With that, thanks for reading! Do you have any placements at 18° in your birth chart? How has this Degree manifested for you, in your life?
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with love, Ayesha ♡