Brian May's Birth Chart: Cancer Sun
Musician; Queen
"A master craftsman and astrophysicist who forged rock anthems through technical discipline."
The life of Brian May
Who is Brian May?
Brian May built the guitar he plays (the Red Special, made with his father from a fireplace mantel) and used it on every Queen record. He wrote 'We Will Rock You' and 'Fat Bottomed Girls'. He abandoned a doctorate in astrophysics for the band in the 1970s and completed it in 2007, more than thirty years later. He has campaigned extensively on animal welfare.
Brian May's defining moments, and the transits behind them
Brian May and Anita Dobson marry
Saturn sextiled his Sun 110 days after the wedding during a power window, cementing lasting stability and mature commitment for their newly formalized union.
The Marriage in the timeline ↓The Show Must Go On is released
Eight days after the release, the North Node opposing Venus brought a karmic spotlight to the artistic legacy and emotional weight of Queen's final anthem.
The Career Milestone in the timeline ↓Brian May's birth chart
This is how a birth chart reads: the wheel plots Brian May's placements at the moment of birth, and the three below anchor everything else on this page. Try it on your own chart to run the same read on a chart of your own.
☾ Born Jul 19, 1947 · time unknown · Hampton · The rising sign is not shown because this birth time is not recorded to the minute.Birth data: XSee sources
1 placement that explains this chart
Brian May built his signature guitar from scrap wood and paused a doctorate in astrophysics to tour with Queen, uniting methodical precision with arena-scale creative force.
Sun in Cancer highlights May's protective loyalty and dedication to heritage, reflected in his lifelong band allegiance, homemade guitar, and animal welfare advocacy.
Elements, modalities and chart signature
Twelve systems read the same birth chart twelve different ways. Match your chart to see how yours lines up with Brian May's.
This is what a whole chart looks like at once, before it breaks into individual placements: where the element and modality weight sits, and how the four quadrants divide.
Elements and modalities
Chart Signature
10 of 10 bodies mappedWater-led, with no modality standing out.
Elements × modalities
| Cardinal | Fixed | Mutable | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| Total | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
Elements
Modalities
No dominant planet is named because two planets score equally.
Quadrant emphasis is not shown because house positions need a birth time recorded to the minute.
Some charts hold a recognizable shape across several placements at once. This is what a pattern reading looks like when one is present.
Chart patterns that stand out
Angle-based patterns are not shown because this birth time is not recorded to the minute.
Sun & Moon in mutual reception: each at home in the other's sign
See celebrities with this pattern →Uranus unaspected: running with no major aspect to anchor it
See celebrities with this pattern →Pluto out-of-bounds: operating outside its usual rules
See celebrities with this pattern →A missing element: no planets carrying that element at all
See celebrities with this pattern →Frequencies are measured against the profile corpus, not asserted.
Brian May in twelve systems: Human Design, Vedic, Gene Keys and more
the full reading
13 placements in the chart signature →The same birth data, read through each system in turn: this is what a full multi-system reading looks like on one chart.
Natal Chart
placidus houses
Natal Chart snapshot
Full natal readingCollapse
Exact planetary positions
● Sun, Moon or chart ruler · ℞ retrograde
| Body | Position | Motion | Theme | Sabian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North node | ♊︎ Gemini 1°07' | ℞ | — | Generosity |
| Mars | ♊︎ Gemini 12°38' | -Direct | — | Virtuosity |
| Uranus | ♊︎ Gemini 23°57' | -Direct | — | Play |
| Venus | ♋︎ Cancer 12°58' | -Direct | — | Character |
| Mercury | ♋︎ Cancer 18°50' | ℞ | — | Consecration |
| ● Sun | ♋︎ Cancer 25°39' | -Direct | — | Culture |
| ● Moon | ♌︎ Leo 9°47' | -Direct | — | Freshness |
| Saturn | ♌︎ Leo 10°12' | -Direct | — | Security |
| Pluto | ♌︎ Leo 12°26' | -Direct | — | Reminiscence |
| Neptune | ♎︎ Libra 8°15' | -Direct | — | Heritage |
| Chiron | ♏︎ Scorpio 2°35' | -Direct | — | Community |
| Jupiter | ♏︎ Scorpio 17°42' | -Direct | — | Mimicry |
| Lilith | ♑︎ Capricorn 18°49' | -Direct | — | Responsibility |
| South node | ♐︎ Sagittarius 1°07' | -Direct | — | — |
Full aspects · 26
- Mercury Opposition Lilith0.0°
- Mars Sextile Pluto0.2°
- Venus Semi sextile Mars0.3°
- Moon Conjunction Saturn0.4°
- Venus Semi sextile Pluto0.5°
- Moon Semi square Uranus0.8°
- Jupiter Sextile Lilith1.1°
- Mercury Trine Jupiter1.1°
- Saturn Semi square Uranus1.3°
- North node Quincunx Chiron1.5°
- Moon Sextile Neptune1.5°
- Sun Semi sextile Uranus1.7°
- Saturn Sextile Neptune1.9°
- Sun Semi square Mars2.0°
- Saturn Conjunction Pluto2.3°
- Mars Sextile Saturn2.4°
- Moon Conjunction Pluto2.6°
- Moon Sextile Mars2.8°
- Mars Trine Neptune4.4°
- Venus Square Neptune4.7°
- Venus Trine Jupiter4.7°
- Jupiter Square Pluto5.3°
- Venus Opposition Lilith5.8°
- Mercury Conjunction Venus5.9°
- Sun Conjunction Mercury6.8°
- Sun Opposition Lilith6.8°
Chart patterns
House system: placidus · Birth time: estimated · Angles not used
Transits
Lifetime cosmic weather & power windows
Birth time unknown: the transits below are Sun and planet-to-planet only, never Ascendant, Midheaven, house, or Moon placements.
Bohemian Rhapsody is released
Six minutes with no chorus, released as a single against the record company's judgement.Source (opens in new tab)
Personal year 3 · Pinnacle 4
Editorial note · Jupiter square Mercury
Eleven days before the release, Jupiter square Mercury marked a power window of audacious creative expansion for Queen's ambitious suite.
Brian May's chart on release day, 1975Collapse
Aug 17Oct 31Jan 14Aug 17, 1975 – Jan 14, 1976 · 150 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Neptune opposition Marsslow
- Chiron square Sunslow
- Pluto square Venusslow
- Jupiter square Mercuryfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
- 10 QUIET YEARS
Live Aid
Personal year 4 · Pinnacle 3
Editorial note · Chiron conjunction Mars
Nine days after Live Aid, Chiron conjunct Mars highlighted the raw physical drive and vulnerability channelled into the performance.
Brian May's chart on a career milestone, 1985Collapse
Jun 2Jul 13Aug 23Jun 2 – Aug 23, 1985 · 82 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Chiron conjunction Marsslow
- Uranus opposition Marsslow
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
Live Aid
Personal year 4 · Pinnacle 3
Editorial note · Chiron conjunction Mars
Peaking 9 days after the event, Chiron conjunction Mars highlighted the raw exertion and healing mission behind the historic performance.
Brian May's chart on a festival appearance, 1985Collapse
Jun 2Jul 13Aug 23Jun 2 – Aug 23, 1985 · 82 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Chiron conjunction Marsslow
- Uranus opposition Marsslow
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
Who Wants to Live Forever is released
Personal year 5 · Pinnacle 3
2 passages in force · Jupiter trine Mercury · North Node square Mercury
Brian May's chart on a career milestone, 1986Collapse
Jun 16Sep 15Dec 15Jun 16 – Dec 15, 1986 · 182 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Jupiter trine Mercuryfast
- North Node square Mercuryfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
I Want It All is released
Personal year 8 · Pinnacle 3
Editorial note · Jupiter conjunction Mars
Jupiter conjoining Mars thirteen days after the release mirrored a surge of bold, assertive momentum carrying the anthem forward.
Brian May's chart on a career milestone, 1989Collapse
Mar 29May 2Jun 5Mar 29 – Jun 5, 1989 · 68 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Pluto trine Venusslow
- Saturn opposition Venusslow
- Neptune opposition Venusslow
- Jupiter conjunction Marsfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
The Show Must Go On is released
Personal year 1 · Pinnacle 1
Editorial note · North Node opposition Venus
Eight days after the release, the North Node opposing Venus brought a karmic spotlight to the artistic legacy and emotional weight of Queen's final anthem.
Brian May's chart on a career milestone, 1991Collapse
Aug 8Oct 14Dec 20Aug 8 – Dec 20, 1991 · 134 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Uranus opposition Venusslow
- Neptune opposition Venusslow
- North Node opposition Venusfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
- 9 QUIET YEARS
Brian May and Anita Dobson marry
Personal year 1 · Pinnacle 1
Editorial note · Saturn sextile Sun
Saturn sextiled his Sun 110 days after the wedding during a power window, cementing lasting stability and mature commitment for their newly formalized union.
Brian May's chart on the wedding day, 2000Collapse
May 22Nov 18May 17May 22, 2000 – May 17, 2001 · 360 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Pluto opposition Marsslow
- Pluto opposition Marsslow
- Saturn sextile Sunslow
- North Node conjunction Mercuryfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Brian May, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
Human Design
Manifesting Generator with a 6/2 Profile
Defined sacral and throat centers anchor his dual mastery of stadium rock anthems and scientific research.
Human Design snapshot
The Left Angle Cross of Obscuration
Full Human Design readingCollapse
Centers · 4 defined / 5 open
| Centre | State | What it governs |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Open | — |
| Ajna | Defined | — |
| Throat | Defined | — |
| G identity | Open | — |
| Heart will | Open | — |
| Sacral | Defined | — |
| Solar plexus | Defined | — |
| Spleen | Open | — |
| Root | Open | — |
Chart properties
Signature
When the strategy is working
—
Not-self theme
When it isn't
—
Personality activations · 11
| Planet | Gate.Line |
|---|---|
| ☉︎ Sun | 62.6 |
| · Earth | 61.6 |
| ☽︎ Moon | 33.3 |
| ☊ North node | 20.2 |
| ☋ South node | 34.2 |
| ☿︎ Mercury | 53.4 |
| ♀︎ Venus | 39.4 |
| ♂︎ Mars | 35.2 |
| ♃︎ Jupiter | 1.5 |
| ♅︎ Uranus | 12.2 |
| ♆︎ Neptune | 18.5 |
Design activations · 13
| Planet | Gate.Line |
|---|---|
| ☉︎ Sun | 3.2 |
| · Earth | 50.2 |
| ☽︎ Moon | 36.4 |
| ☊ North node | 20.3 |
| ☋ South node | 34.3 |
| ☿︎ Mercury | 25.6 |
| ♀︎ Venus | 22.6 |
| ♂︎ Mars | 17.2 |
| ♃︎ Jupiter | 14.2 |
| ♄︎ Saturn | 31.1 |
| ♅︎ Uranus | 45.3 |
| ♆︎ Neptune | 18.6 |
| ♇︎ Pluto | 33.4 |
Defined channels · 4
Centres and channels derive from the combined design (88° solar arc pre-birth) and personality (natal) gate set; lines come from planetary longitude.
Gene Keys
Gene Key 62: The Gift of Precision
His Life's Work moves from intellectual analysis to the exact physical engineering of his signature instrument.
Gene Keys snapshot
Full Gene Keys readingCollapse
Hologenetic Profile
Activation Sequence
| Sphere | Key | Shadow → Gift → Siddhi |
|---|---|---|
| Life's Work | Gene Key 62 Conscious Sun | |
| Evolution | Gene Key 61 Conscious Earth | |
| Radiance | Gene Key 3 Unconscious Sun | |
| Purpose | Gene Key 50 Unconscious Earth |
Venus Sequence
| Sphere | Key | Shadow → Gift → Siddhi |
|---|---|---|
| Attraction | Gene Key 36 | |
| IQ | Gene Key 39 | |
| EQ | Gene Key 35 | |
| SQ | Gene Key 22 |
Pearl Sequence
| Sphere | Key | Shadow → Gift → Siddhi |
|---|---|---|
| Vocation | Gene Key 17 | |
| Culture | Gene Key 14 | |
| Pearl | Gene Key 1 |
Rings, codons & partners
Gene Keys derive from the same combined design (88 days pre-birth) and personality (natal) gate set as Human Design, read through the shadow → gift → siddhi spectrum rather than defined/undefined centres.
Vedic Nakshatras
Sidereal lunar mansions & dashas
Vedic Nakshatras snapshot
Full Vedic readingCollapse
Nakshatra placements · 14
● shown in snapshot · scrolls →
| Body | Nakshatra | Pada | Sidereal | Ruler | Deity | Animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North node | Krittika | 4 | Taurus 7° | Sun | Agni | Female Sheep |
| Mars | Rohini | 3 | Taurus 19° | Moon | Brahma | Male Serpent |
| Uranus | Mrigashira | 3 | Gemini 0° | Mars | Soma | Female Serpent |
| Venus | Ardra | 4 | Gemini 19° | Rahu | Rudra | Female Dog |
| Mercury | Punarvasu | 2 | Gemini 25° | Jupiter | Aditi | Female Cat |
| Ascendant | Punarvasu | 4 | Cancer 0° | Jupiter | Aditi | Female Cat |
| Sun | Punarvasu | 4 | Cancer 2° | Jupiter | Aditi | Female Cat |
| ● Moon | Ashlesha | 1 | Cancer 16° | Mercury | Nagas | Male Cat |
| Saturn | Ashlesha | 1 | Cancer 17° | Mercury | Nagas | Male Cat |
| Pluto | Ashlesha | 1 | Cancer 19° | Mercury | Nagas | Male Cat |
| Neptune | Hasta | 2 | Virgo 15° | Moon | Savitar | Female Buffalo |
| Chiron | Swati | 1 | Libra 9° | Rahu | Vayu | Male Buffalo |
| Jupiter | Vishakha | 2 | Libra 24° | Jupiter | Indra-Agni | Male Tiger |
| Lilith | Purva ashadha | 4 | Sagittarius 25° | Venus | Apas | Male Monkey |
Maha Dasha timeline · 9
| Ruler | Span | Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Jul 19, 1947 → Jul 18, 1964 | - |
| Ketu | Jul 18, 1964 → Jul 18, 1971 | - |
| Venus | Jul 18, 1971 → Jul 18, 1991 | - |
| Sun | Jul 18, 1991 → Jul 18, 1997 | - |
| Moon | Jul 18, 1997 → Jul 18, 2007 | - |
| Mars | Jul 18, 2007 → Jul 18, 2014 | - |
| Rahu | Jul 18, 2014 → Jul 18, 2032 | Now |
| Jupiter | Jul 18, 2032 → Jul 18, 2048 | - |
| Saturn | Jul 18, 2048 → Jul 18, 2067 | - |
Antardashas within Rahu
Sub-periods exist only for the running maha dasha; the other eight rows carry none by design, so they show none.
| Ruler | Span |
|---|---|
| Rahu | Jul 18, 2014 → Mar 30, 2017 |
| Jupiter | Mar 30, 2017 → Aug 23, 2019 |
| Saturn | Aug 23, 2019 → Jun 29, 2022 |
| Mercury | Jun 29, 2022 → Jan 16, 2025 |
| Ketu | Jan 16, 2025 → Feb 3, 2026 |
| Venus | Feb 3, 2026 → Feb 3, 2029 |
| Sun | Feb 3, 2029 → Dec 29, 2029 |
| Moon | Dec 29, 2029 → Jun 30, 2031 |
| Mars | Jun 30, 2031 → Jul 18, 2032 |
Ayanamsa: 23.1244 · Dasha system: Vimshottari · Ascendant nakshatra omitted: no trusted birth time
Mayan Tzolkin
Kin 206 · Blue Hand · Spectral
Mayan Tzolkin snapshot
Manik · Spectral tone
Full Mayan Tzolkin readingCollapse
●Seal & tone
Oracle relations
Kin from birth date against the 260-day count, Dreamspell correlation · Seal = kin mod 20, tone = kin mod 13
Numerology
Life Path 11 (Master Number)
Life Path 11 channels high-frequency creative energy into unifying public anthems like We Will Rock You.
Numerology snapshot
Full Numerology readingCollapse
Core numbers
Chinese Zodiac
Fire Pig
The Fire Pig combines warm communal loyalty with the sustained drive needed to tour across five decades.
Chinese Zodiac snapshot
The hour pillar and secret animal need a recorded birth time, so they aren't shown.
Full Chinese Zodiac readingCollapse
| Pillar | Stem | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 丁 | 亥 |
| Month | 丁 | 未 |
| Day | 己 | 未 |
Day master
己 anchors this Four Pillars reading: the Day pillar's Heavenly Stem, and the one value here that never depends on a recorded birth time.
Inner animals
Year, month and day pillars need only the birth date.
Tarot Birth Cards
Justice & The High Priestess
Tarot Birth Cards snapshot
Full Tarot readingCollapse
The reduction
| Card | Title | Keywords | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ● Personality | Justice | fairness, truth, cause and effect, balance | Outcomes that follow directly from action — accountability rendered in clear terms. |
| ● Soul | The High Priestess | intuition, mystery, the subconscious | Knowledge that comes from within rather than from the outside world — quiet, receptive wisdom. |
Year card for 2026 · turns over 1 Jan 2027
Birth-date reduction against the 22 Major Arcana; year card recomputed for the current calendar year at each rebuild
Arabic Parts
Lots, formulas & sensitive points
Arabic Parts snapshot
Full Arabic Parts readingCollapse
Lots on the wheel
Lots · 8
Houses aren't shown for this chart because the birth time is estimated.
The body and worldly fortune; where material and emotional well-being converge. Reveals how you attract abundance and physical vitality.
The mind and spiritual purpose; the inverse of Fortune. Reveals conscious intent, vocation, and the soul's directional momentum.
Triumph through sustained effort; favorable outcomes earned by aligning ambition with discipline and structure.
Binding obligation and fated constraint; the circumstances that must be endured or worked through rather than chosen.
Reckoning and karmic consequence; the area of life where past choices return to be faced directly.
Desire, passion, and erotic magnetism; where attraction and creative drive merge. Reveals the nature of what you most deeply crave.
Partnership destiny and the nature of committed bonds; reveals the quality and karma of your most significant unions.
Boldness, daring, and the warrior spirit; where you find the nerve to act and the audacity to lead.
Sabian Symbols
Cancer 27°: Guests reading in a library
This degree reflects his intellectual retreat from global music touring back to complete his astrophysics doctorate.
Sabian Symbols snapshot
Sun · Cancer 25°39'
Guests are reading in the library of a luxurious home
Full Sabian readingCollapse
Feng Shui
Kua 7
Feng Shui snapshot
Favorable: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, West
Full Feng Shui readingCollapse
Supportive directions
Directions to avoid
Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) method · Kua number from birth year and gender
The Sage
Ask the Sage about Brian May
The Sage reads every placement on this page in context. Ask what Brian May's chart means, or bring your own.
Begin your journeyQuestions about Brian May's birth chart
What is Brian May's zodiac sign?
Brian May's Sun sign is Cancer.
When was Brian May born?
Brian May was born on Jul 19, 1947.
How reliable is this birth data?
This chart carries a Rodden rating of X: the standard scale astrologers use to grade how well-documented a birth time is. No birth time on record, so houses and the rising sign are not shown.
Brian May compatibility: pairings with other charts
Famous people connected to Brian May
More famous Cancers
/famous-cancers →
Sources
Sources & further reading
Birth data
Biography & further reading
Photo: Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · CC-BY-SA