What Sun Sign was Veneida Smith? The “Holy Terror Tomboy” was a 16-year-old escape artiste, horse thief, and talented violinist. She sounds like our kind of person. It was in 1922, and after this (literal) escapade, she seems to fade from the media’s view. What Sun Sign do you think she was?
Sagittarius, surely. Or, Leo for the music?
Update: She was Leo! Also, I found a longer, more detailed newspaper clipping about her – see below.
She is described thus: “pretty as a picture, wild as a deer, hardy as a mountain goat, as hard as nails, and able to care for herself anywhere.”
But this thread is still worth it for the comments. EG:
“Saggi for sure!!! Bet she played “ give me land, lots of land and the starry skies above” the moment she and her pony (I feel his name was Polkadot) reached the woods (just after midnight, under a moonlit spotlight with fireflies glowing all around) Also note that she is essentially a child star. I think it’s mandated by law that all child stars are Saggi. Yup, Saggi for the win!! Giddy up, Veneida Smith!
P.S. I love this story so much it hurts.”
I sincerely hope Veneida Smith wasn’t caught but went on to lead a magical life, horses, violins and all.
Only a virgo would have had the presence of mind to stash a blade in her shoe. Ok, maybe scorpio.
But then only a Leo would have had a “friend” on the papers write such a shining and sensational piece on her. That bit about the violin is tres leo.
Virgo or Capricorn!
I want to say Gemini, but she sounds a bit antisocial and that would be more Aquarius.
Libra or Virgo Sun – described as a tomboy, patient, strategy, obsessed with perfection
Gemini
I mean look at those range of skills! Plus she played the violin brilliantly without having a lesson. Gemini’s have an ear for music.
I was going to say Gemini too Barista! Maybe it takes one to know one? I’m thinking Gemini rising – having Mercury as a chart ruler can definitely give you skills in slipping out of prisons. If she went a little low with it, there’s the possibility she could have been in there for being a bit light fingered or deceptive in the first place. Also violin and shoes say Mercury to me. And while Mercury could mean Virgo, it just doesn’t vibe Virgo to me. Horse and her general attitude show a Saggi influence too but a Gemini vibe is leaping out to me.
you can’t cage a Gemini without them attempting escape. they need freedom like they need the air to breath
Arranged a prison escape from Belgium in Feb.1979. Smuggled photo out to Ulricka (from a radical underground group in Germany) for fake passport. On the day it was to happen the side back door wasn’t opened for the 10 minutes it usually was one day a week. Remember there was a severe fog on that day so perfect for cover. Alas no horse waiting but a BMW. It waited and waited.
In retrospect fate stepped in so didn’t have to spend years on the lam.
True story from a triple Sagg.
Might look up the astro for that month one day.
Guys she’s a Gemini. Yes there’s probably some Sagg in there re the “need for freedom” but it’s being overhyped due to the pony association. People rode horses then, get over it. And yeah probably some Scorpio and/or Aries for chutzpah.
But seriously.
Androgyny, evasion, precociousness, thievery, and inventiveness are all quintessentially Gemini. Where’s the mystery? Hell even being nimble is in the Mercury camp! The end.
Lol
Totes – see above
Exactly. Thank you.
Googled this and saw someone tweeting that Veneida was caught the next day after being pursued for hours by multiple Police officers in cars in the mountains while she was riding her horse.
I want to know how it ends!
Perhaps given that many of us aren’t that enamoured so much in the concept of linear time, Vineida’s story has yet to be played out?
I thought Sag Moon too. But someone with serious Scorpio influence would not get caught.
is it weird as a sagg that i think this sounds aries? im getting edie sedgwick vibes. gem rising?
aries sun / gem rising / scorp moon like edie is my wager 🙂
Sag sun for the need for freedom and Scorpio rising for the ability to escape as well as the Phoenix like change of fortune (being caught in the first place and then escaping)
Sagg with Aries moon?
Lol you rang? Veneida is my official historical girl crush.
Gemini with Mars in Aquarius is my best guess
I agree with Rachel Borek that Veneida would have a Gemini Sun. She’d need to some of Gemini’s communication skills just to put herself in a place, especially when everyone knew she’d escaped from prison before – where she could use the hidden blade in peace. I think some sort of heavy Scorpionic influence also – for stubbornness and true grit or maybe Aries- and Mars as the ruler of those signs would give her strength.
The tone of that almost makes it sound like she phoned in the report from wherever she ended up, although phones may not have been common then. So, Leo? Wants recognition for ingenuity and talent.
Or maybe the reporter was in love with her from afar. He had reported on the first breakout and I’m the process of writing the story came to learn about her. Her talents, her MO.. He knew he was falling for her but didn’t care. It’s not like he came to the wild west for a quiet time.
I fell for her too – enough to google. Like you i’m thinking devil-may-care attention-seeking Leo Ascendant at least – the style, theatrical exits, flamboyant chases, music. Apparently she was caught & escaped several times until the authorities just gave up.
Damn. I’m the only one here who thinks she’s a Gemini Sun. Well with everyone chiming Sag, it seems I’m wrong. But! If everything she does is hand-related…hmm. Well, I’ll just stand here alone then, holding this Team Gemini flag…LOVE this story! She’s my kinda gal! 🙂
I’m with you on the Gemini Sun thing.
Gemini Sun => Speedy, agile and dextrous. Quick mind & learner (self taught violin) Plus Gem ruler Mercury is Trickster & (as Hermes) patron saint of athletes.
Leo Ascendant => Flair, penchant for theatrical exits, artistic, loves animals.
Sagittarius Moon conjunct MC => The driving emotion: Freedom.
(plus Mercury => god of thieves)
My guess is Sagg Sun (tomboy, pony), with strong Pisces Moon (violin, innate musical talent, blade which facilitated escape hidden in sole of her shoe).
Could Pisces be the ultimate escape artist? 🙂 The Art of Evasion personified / ponified.
A Pisces wouldn’t have left evidence of the escape means that could have been reported in the papers.
How did they find out the metal piece was in her shoe?? Unless it was total illusion and projection. Like, she escaped another way, through dealings, and the escape method was rigged up for sensationalist reportage. Now that would be more like a proper Piscean, but not a Moon.
Sag sun, I think. Maybe Venus in Cancer, for those clever, artistic hands.
Saggi fer sure!!! Bet she played “ give me land, lots of land and the starry skies above” the moment she and her pony (I feel his name was Polkadot) reached the woods (just after midnight, under a moonlit spotlight with fireflies glowing all around) Also note that she is essentially a child star. I think it’s madated by law that all child stars are Saggi. Yup, Saggi for the win!! Giddy up, Veneida Smith!
P.S. I love this story so much it hurts
Cancer sun.
Home in the body/chosen places. Of which jail is simply not befitting one like this.
O yes! Saggy for sure! I bet she played (without a lesson!) “ give me land,lots of land and the starry skies above”
Capricorn-ready for anything at all times, daring enough to do it, resourceful, secretive, bold, multi-talened savant.
Yeah, i reckon there’s some Cap there too …heads for the mountain recesses, practical, self taught violinist…caps are known to have musical side…and so resourceful
Mysterious tomboy + violin virtuoso? Scorpio in there somewhere for sure, rising maybe. Mercury in Gemini for the concealed blade gadgetry, and yeah I can see the sagg sun and cancer moon as mentioned above. She would have gone on to build her own ranch out in the wilds, where she earned money by hand crafting leather goods (with discrete sections for concealed blades etc) and breaking in wild horses to sell at the market of the closest town when she had to reluctantly go in for supplies.
If she was born in 1906, and if she was Sagittarian Sun:
Sun, Mercury, Venus = Sagittarius (mouthy, freedom loving and quite endearing)
Neptune, Jupiter = Cancer (love that she went home for her pony first; also – hello! used a goddamned blanket for escape)
Moon, Pluto and Lilith = Gemini (wily, agile, witty and devastatingly capable – shiv put to good use not murder- especially if these trined her Sag stuff – thus she DIDN’T drop the violin!)
Saturn = Pisces (got locked up; square her Sun)
Mars = Libra (probably wasn’t stealing but rescuing a poorly treated horse, and baulked at the unfairness)
Chiron = Aqua (had to be alone, was misunderstood from a young age)
But if she had followed her NN in Leo, she might have capitalised on this episode, and become a pony-whisperin’, fiddle-spell-castin’, money-makin’ dream of a performer. Though it would have hurt her love of freedom and not hoodwinking the masses (with that opposed Chiron in Aqua)
I think this is so awesome!
Love this. But i think that gradually she would have heeded her NN in Leo. I’m convinced her Ascendant is Leo (as i wrote above). And why indeed not be a legit travelling fiddle-spell-castin pony-whisperer? – with no need of hoodwinking the masses nor forfeiting her freedom.
Can we put an ad in the local paper? I’d love to know more about how she got there and what happened afterwards. Is that Vermont? Ignorant oslander here.
No, it’s West Virginia.
Ah, Ok. Not so cold for Veneida at least!
She sounds so feisty, hoping that continued and she managed to defy the oppressive tenor of the times.
Neptune influences…music, strategy, secrecy. Confinement. So maybe 12th house transits or natal planets there…
And then had to live somewhat imprisoned by her drives for freedom…i mean, how do you hide your pony? Unless, she knew that her pony would find its way home after helping her. Would the pony have wanted to leave her?
I notice she escaped for the second time. Also i think mental clinics and institutions, or home confinement (illness?) are pure 12th institutions, while there’s also a strong flavour of Pluto, Mars and Saturn in prisons.
Sadge all the way – acrobatic escapes, ponys and we can be pretty musical too 🙂
Except she would have dropped the violin with a stringy clatter after the gracefully executed escape shinnying.
Then would have had to put on a show, mesmerising with her artful playing while backing away from the applause…
Yup, my first thought was Leo for the artfulness/adventure of it but a Leo wouldn’t just disappear…
Sagg sun my vote. Only a sagg could do something that clever and daring and never be heard from again (ie recreate their life and become someone else entirely)
Not a Taurus in 4th she would have nested the gaol with said blanket. Someone taught her well. Perhaps an Aquarius with venus in taurus.
Sagittarius sun – breaking out of the confines of jail and riding her pony to freedom to the hills and Taurus moon for remembering her violin to play beautiful music in the wilderness and the trees and maybe Leo ascendant for the cat woman escapade of climbing down the wooden pillar to the ground !