Reena Virk
Mar 10,1983-Nov 14,1997
Who Was Reena Virk?
Reena Virk was a young teenager struggling unhappily to fit in at middle school in the late 1990’s. She lived in View Royal on quiet Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada with her parents and younger siblings. Sadly her social frustration left her hurt and upset which caused her to begin to rebel against her family. Basically more than anything Reena just wanted to belong.
HER NARRATIVE WAS NOT THAT UNUSUAL. Adolescence is a difficult time for many kids. Being a minority or feeling different in any way can make it that much harder to adjust. At any rate middle school can be like the entrance to the jungle. The safety of elementary school starts to dissipate as the illusions of childhood fade. Favorite teachers and playground games are replaced by cliques and peer groups. Everyone seems to be lost somewhere in the maze of puberty with an ever elusive etiquette to popularity yet unyielding pressure to fit in. There are many places to become lost, to lose your confidence or to just lose your way. Middle school can be like the entrance to the jungle. WHAT WAS UNUSUAL ABOUT THIS NARRATIVE WAS THE TRAGIC RESULT.
Reena Virk's Savage Murder
Reena was fatally assaulted on November 14th 1997 when she was lured out to ‘party’ by her so-called-friends. The initial attack happened under the old Craigflower Bridge in View Royal. Teens had gathered near the area after the Shoreline School fields (the standard teen hangout on weekend nights) had been cleared due to vandalism. After the first ‘gang like’ attack on Reena, most of the teens disbanded. However, two juveniles followed the injured teen over the Craigflower Bridge. Across the bridge they confronted Reena once more. They resumed the savage assault on her and then ruthlessly drown Reena in the Gorge Waterway.
On April 17, 2024 Hulu released its new drama mini series ‘Under The Bridge’, based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk. The story unpacks the disturbing path that led to this barbaric attack on 14 year old Reena Virk by a group of her own peers.
Intent of this Article
This two part article series looks specifically at Reena’s natal chart and subsidiary charts for clues that would have warned of the threat of this nightmarish event in young Reena’s life. Key to comprehending this tragedy is understanding some of Reena’s extreme behaviours and choices around the time of the assault. For that reason Part 1 specifically focuses on Reena’s Natal chart for insights into some of the puzzling decisions she made prior to the assault. Part 2 focusses more specifically on how the timing of the tragedy is shown with addition of the subsidiary charts.
Reena's Natal Chart
Reena’s Natal Chart is drawn using the tropical zodiac and the whole sign house system. Her birth time comes from her father’s book,’ Reena, A Father’s Story,’ by Manjit Virk. Several of the standard key points in the natal chart are labelled: the Sun, the Moon, and the Ascendant (the ‘primal triad’ ) as well as the Part of Fortune .
Longing to Belong
Reena’s Sun was in pisces in the 11th house of friends in a diurnal chart. Pisces is a very gentle sign with an almost dream-like quality to it. ‘Universal love’ is visceral and seeing the ‘one-ness’ of all things second nature.
All zodiac signs, however, manifest in both positive and negative ways. So what could be detrimental about the Pisces energy? For Pisces the danger lies in escapism, illusion, delusion or even addiction. While the aim of the Pisces energy is to create ‘one-ness’ and therefore to dissolve boundaries: the danger is that while guards are down, Pisces is rendered vulnerable and weak to negative forces.
‘Virk was described as desperate for acceptance amongst her peers.’
From ‘Reena’ by Manjit Virk ( p.57)
‘Reena was definitely hurting: she became even more sensitive about her looks in junior high school and sought peer approval above all else.’
From ‘Reena’ by Manjit Virk ( p.60)
‘ She told us about these new friends she had made in the park. When we heard they smoked and stayed out till late at night, we cautioned her to stay clear of them.’…..’The next evening she went to see them again and afterwards we sent her to her room to do some thinking. I felt terrible that she was being stubborn to the point of defiance. We had never seen this kind of attitude before, but her need to connect with those kids was greater than any desire to please her parents.”
After Reena visits a friend that lives in the group home for the first time… from ‘Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk’ by Rebecca Godfrey (Part 1, Chapter 4 )
‘Reena seeing her possible self reflected in the bad-ass girls emerged and no longer wanted to die.’
Reena’s natal Pisces Sun was in the 11th house of friends /groups. This placement emphasizes the need to be valued as an integral part of the group.
Understanding a Shocking Decision
Reena makes a callous choice in the fall of 1996 with regards to her family in the hopes of being placed in foster care. She falsely reports her father for sexual abuse. From ‘Reena‘ by Manjit Virk (p.60)
‘One day Reena left a note and went to visit one of the older members of the park group, who lived some distance away. Reena later told Suman (her mother) that this person’s sister told her that if she wanted to get into foster care, all she had to do was say that her parents were abusive and she did not want to live with them- which is what Reena told the friend’s mother.‘
Reena does this because she is frustrated by the rules she has at home and wants more freedom to ‘hang out’ with her new found friends. Still it is a very unusual and drastic choice for a young teenager to make.
Planets are like a Psychological Network
Understanding our ‘astrological wiring’ can help us appreciate the thought processes that lead to our decisions. We can think of the planets as a generative network reflecting the psychology going on in our brain. The Sun represents our will, the Moon our emotions, Venus our relationships, Mars our initiative, Jupiter our broader perspective, Saturn our capacity for discipline, etc.
The zodiac signs the planets are located in represent the manner in which those planets will generate action. For example, a planet in the sign Aries will act courageous/impulsive, Taurus – grounded/stubborn, Gemini– curious/indecisive, etc. The houses represent roughly the areas of life in which the actions will take place. For example first house issues will have to do with the self (our appearance/character or personality) , second house issues deal with values (self-worth, self-esteem or money) third house issues deal with communication (education/ neighbors/ siblings & short journeys) etc. This is a very simplistic explanation of a profoundly complex subject but a place to start nonetheless.
Following the Circuitry of Reena's Sun
Following the ‘circuitry’ of Reena’s Sun can help us understand where her radical decision to report her father for sexual abuse stems from. Key to this narrative is that Reena wants to belong to her peer group more than anything. The Sun in Reena’s chart represents her will. As we have discussed above, her Sun is in the sign of Pisces. In Astrology for a planet to take action it must look to the ruler of the sign it is in. Pisces is ruled by Jupiter. So Reena’s Sun must look to Jupiter for resources to help her belong to the group.
Jupiter :Ruler of Reena's Sun
To infer the kind of guidance Jupiter would have provided the Sun in Reena’s chart, we need to look at Jupiter’s position in her chart. Jupiter is in Sagittarius in the 8th house. Jupiter rules Sagittarius so it does not need to look to another planet for assistance- it is strong in it’s own sign.
However there are other rules Jupiter must abide by when giving the Sun direction. Firstly because Jupiter resides in the 8th house it can only offer help from 8th house topics. Those 8th house topics include: death/sex/the occult/depth psychology/banking & emotional/soul security. We can see that the idea of sex, sexual misconduct and emotional distress from such does fall under the topics covered by the 8th astrological house. Furthermore Neptune, the planet of delusion (deception/lying) is also present in the 8th house with Jupiter.
Uranus Conjunct Jupiter: A Shocking Influence
Secondly we must look at the planets that are in close aspect to Jupiter to see how they will influence Jupiter’s council. Jupiter is conjunct the planet Uranus . Uranus moves so slowly through the zodiac (and thus through the chart) unless it is touching a personal planet it doesn’t usually have that much of an individual effect. However here, in Reena’s chart it is conjunct Jupiter (ruler of her sun) and consequently it’s influence becomes personal because it’s effect directly combines with that of Jupiter’s. Uranus among other things is the planet of sudden change and shock. We can see the effect of Uranus in Reena’s decision to report her father for sexual abuse as it is both shocking and also causes a sudden change in both hers and her parent’s lives.
Mars Trine Jupiter from the 12th: The Malefic Affect
Lastly there is a third planet to be considered: Mars is in a tight trine with Jupiter. The aspect is just under one degree and thus needs to be considered. Mars is what is called ‘the malefic out of sect’. This designation makes Mars potentially suspect for corruption so we need to be cautious interpreting it’s effect.
Normally a trine is thought of as a positive aspect because it is an easy flowing contact between planets. However in this case we have a strong influence (a trine) from a potentially negative source (the malefic out of sect) that is quite powerful (Mars in it’s own sign of Aries). This could be recipe for disaster. Furthermore this powerful influence is coming from the 12th house which is an unpredictable and somewhat unconscious house. (house of the uknown, uknown enemies.)
Analysis Exposes A More Transparent Thought Process
Now that we have considered the circuitry of the Sun we can see more clearly how a decision like this may have made it’s way through Reena’s thoughts. Reena wanted to be part of the group more than anything. Her Pisces Sun in the 11th house of friends /groups emphasized the need to be valued as an integral part of the group.
Reena’s Sun is ruled by Jupiter (conjunct Uranus) in Sagittarius in the 8th house. Therefore the guidance her Sun would have received would have been in the form of a big idea (Sagittarius) that was shocking (Uranus) and from 8th house topics (including all that is taboo).
Furthermore we could expect an influence from an outside hidden source: one that did not have Reena’s best interests in mind (Mars -the malefic out of sect- is in the 12th house in an exact trine to Jupiter). The idea to report her father for sexual abuse came from ‘someone’s sister’ – this person definitely did not care about Reena or her family’s well-being.
A Conflict Within
Our will, basic identity and conscious purpose are represented by the Sun. However emotional tranquility, a sense of belonging and the need to feel right about one’s self are the domain of the Moon. Reena’s Sun in
Pisces in the 11th house bespoke of a desire to ‘be an integral part of the group’, but her Moon in Aquarius in the 10th house craved autonomy. It would not have wanted to conform to any mold and would have happily assumed the reins of control. With each luminary striving for a very different agenda, Reena certainly would have felt the rivalry within.
A Precariously Placed Moon
Moreover when we look at the Moon‘s situation in the Natal Chart it reveals further celestial mechanics behind Reena’s terribly unfortunate story. Let’s consider the catalystic event when Reena was ‘snubbed’ by her new friends and sought retaliation by messing with Nicole Cook’s address book. At the time Reena’s feelings were hurt and she reacted with anger. Since her Moon is in Aquarius it would be fair to expect a negative Aquarian Moon reaction to the incident ie. one that was ‘unpredictable, tactless or detached’ . Furthermore because her Moon is ruled by Saturn (Saturn rules Aquarius) the influence of Saturn has to be factored in as well.
Saturn Square the Moon: A Brutal Ruler
To that end Reena’s Saturn is square to the Moon in the sign of Scorpio in the 7th house conjunct Pluto in Libra in the 6th house. With Saturn being the malefic from the opposite sect of the Moon and ruling the Moon by the difficult square it would be hard for the Moon to bring about any positive significations. Therefore to comprehend Saturn’s affect accurately a negative Saturn in Scorpio (ie.‘Exploitative‘) conjunct Pluto in Libra (ie.Compulsive) impact must be considered as well. Finally, Saturn (the Moon’s ruler) resides in the 7th house therefore by and large the issue focussed upon would come from the 7th house : Marriage, Business Partnership, Alliances or Conflicts with others, or Legal Matters.
Lighting a Fuse: Beginning of the Nightmare
Accordingly, if we look at the account of what actually happened it tracks quite closely with the celestial circuitry described. Reena was snubbed by one girl in particular in her peer group, Nicole Cook. To get back at Nicole, she compulsively swiped Nicole’s address book. Reena proceeded to exploit Nicole’s privacy by calling individuals in the address book and making up tactless lies about her. This was specifically about a conflict with another ( Nicole Cook). If Reena’s goal was trying to gain greater status (Moon in the 10th) and autonomy (Moon in Aquarius) by impressing the girls with how tough and mean she could be, her plan backfired. (“it would be hard for the Moon to bring about any positive significations“)
Let's Get Technical
The Difference a Degree Can Make
On closer inspection one can see that Saturn not only rules the Moon in Reena’s chart by a ‘square’ aspect, but that the square aspect is partile. This means that the difference between the angle it is at and an exact ninety degree angle is less than 1 degree. It is an extremely strong square and thus a very negative situation for the ‘Moon‘ to be in. Many ancient Hellenistic astrologers would have declared Reena’s Moon as being ‘maltreated‘ by Saturn. We must update the moon’s status from ‘precarious‘ to ‘critical high risk‘. Upon further scrutiny we can also note that the planet Pluto , ‘the archetype of death and resurrection‘, which is influencing Saturn through a conjunction from the 6th house of (health, illness, routine, accidents), is at the anaretic degree point(29th degree) of Libra (sign of balance and harmony). Any planet at the this point has reached a critical point -indicating the issue it represents must be dealt with. Therefore it’s own dire intensity and meaning will comingle with that of Saturn‘s already harsh ruling nature. The concise duplicity these words echo the harsh reality of what happened is hard to miss :
‘The archetype of death and resurrection‘ ( Pluto) at the critical degree (anaretic degree) in the sign of harmony and balance (Libra) with (conjunct) the most dangerous malefic (Saturn) in the house of Relationship (7th house) in harsh association (partile square) to Reena’s Emotions and Sense of Belonging (Moon) for all the public to see (10th house)…
Strong Patterns Repeat Themselves
One of the more comforting phenomenon in the study of Astrology is that predominant life themes are evident in repeated ways in the Natal Chart.”Strong themes repeat themselves at least three times,” I recall a shrewd instructor once saying. It would take too much time to extrapolate on every pattern here that warrants further analysis. However I will briefly mention two such patterns without going into detail for the sake of part two of this article where they will be explored further.
1. The Part of Fortune is at 3 degrees Aries in the 12th House along with Mars (the ruler of Aries). Mars also rules Saturn at 3 degrees Scorpio in the 7th House in a quincunx that is partile to 1 second of arc Part of Fortune . Saturn is conjunct Pluto. When Reena turns 14 the Sun will collide with the Natal Part of Fortune.
2. The Ascendant/Descendant axis is at 18 degrees. The Serbian Astrologer Nikola Stojanivic has developed a compelling individual degree theory. He labels the 18th degree as ‘the secret of evil‘ and provides many examples throughout history. I think this term is a little misleading but the theory is compelling and the essence certainly applies to this case. The Ascendant is also conjunct Chiron. Just after Reena turns 14 years old Solar Arc Saturn collides with the Natal Descendant.
Part two coming soon!
