Astrological Chart Interpretation: Dan Koe
Teaching You How to Read a Chart with Real Life Examples
Dan Koe.
Many might know the name. The stoic “philosopher” on YouTube who is all about business from a spiritual perspective. People either love him or hate him.
Personally, I love his content. I’ve watched almost all of his videos and read his book. His message just resonates with me.
After watching several of his videos, I was dying to explore his birth chart. But finding his birthdate was literally impossible. I actually happened upon it in a podcast, and I still had to do math to get his birth year (because of this we will not be sharing his birthdate. I’m assuming he has worked really hard to keep it private, and I want to respect that).
We also didn’t have a place of birth. I assumed it was Arizona because he went to ASU, but I could be way off.
So Dan, if you’re reading this, we didn’t have a time, place, or a year…. this may not be super accurate. 😂
It should also be noted that this is really for entertainment purposes only and we are only speculating. We don’t know Dan in real life (sadly). This is mainly to show the beginning astrologer how a chart might be interpreted with all the various nuances astrology entails.
Ok with all that out of the way, let’s dive in:
Mercury in Libra
Sam’s Observations
Starting off with my favorite placement to look at in anyone’s chart, their Mercury.
An observation I've made is that a lot of people with Mercury in Libra are incredibly good at talking and presenting/collecting information in a non-judgmental, easily comprehensible way, and as far as I know, Dan Koe is no exception to this.
His Mercury is also in 22° Libra, giving it a Capricorn connotation, so instead of talking in a more flowy, easy-going way like Libra would, he's probably very determined to make his points and make sure people understand what he's talking about. This could also incline him to more serious topics, or ones that aren't talked about as frequently, since Capricorn is a bit of a darker sign than Libra.
Above all else though, he'd probably be inclined towards talking about drive, since that's essentially what Saturn is all about. Drive to become a better person, drive to succeed, etc.
Mel’s Take
Mercury in Libra is incredibly balanced. Libra being an air sign, this Mercury placement is not only insightful but intelligent. Since Libra is also the sign of the scales, this placement makes a huge effort to remain unbiased.
They need to see the big picture, the details don’t really matter. I would hazard to guess this placement has a utilitarian view of life. An “outcome justifies the means” type of person, but with limitations. In evidence to my big picture theory, a quote from Dan’s book The Art of Focus:
This book contains big ideas, not technical details, as those are of much less importance.
The Capricorn degree Sam spoke of actually has a huge influence since Dan’s Saturn is in Aries. I suspect if we had a birth time, we’d find this Saturn in Aries to be in an outer house and the ruler of his chart.
Saturn/Capricorn’s influence on Mercury gives Dan integrity, something vitally important to Saturn, and Libra. If you’ve ever watched Dan’s videos, you see a level of integrity most YouTubers don’t really have (although there are a few exceptions like Markiplier). What you see is what you get. Very Saturn.
Since Mercury is sextiling his Mars in Leo, along with the Capricorn/Saturn influence and Saturn being in Aries, this amplifies his drive. What happens when you blow on a fire? The fire gets bigger. “He gets fired up” is not a metaphor here. 😂
This Mercury in Libra placement also leads to Dan questioning the status quo (which is amplified by Uranus placements). Libra wants to find balance in all things, but with integrity. In his book, Dan states:
When I was forced to go to church and accept a belief system as law, that was strike one. Strike two was when my peers told me what not to do, but when I questioned their logic, they danced in circles, regurgitating the same statements their parents and teachers had filled their heads with. Religion was the catalyst to my questioning but went on to fuel my pursuit of truth in the immaterial, material and everything that lies between.
This quote also shows the Uranus in Aquarius, Saturn in Aries, and Neptune in Capricorn influences we’ll see coming up. It also shows a bit of his Moon in Pisces because of the way it is written. He’s not outwardly being sinister. In fact, he’s trying hard to be fair, but there’s still an air of loathing in his words, which can come from the darker side of Pisces.
Moon in Pisces
Sam’s Observations
His moon in Pisces and his Pluto in 1° Sagittarius probably makes him more spiritual, and the Neptune in Capricorn makes him potentially find efficient, productive ways to utilize spirituality and make the most of it.
Mel’s Take
The moon in Pisces could be the source of inspiration for Dan, and I suspect he’s a rather compassionate person in real life. Since Pisces is a rather empathic/psychic sign, I would bet Dan goes through periods of seclusion in an effort to get back to the balance his Mercury in Libra desperately needs.
He most likely feels very deeply, and with his drive toward self-development, understanding his emotions is part of the process. I suspect this is done in seclusion.
The sign Pisces is fascinating in its symbolism. The glyph represents the consciousness of man, and the consciousness of the universe, and Earth as the boundary between those two.
This can be interpreted many ways, but I see it as representing the soul coming to Earth for a human experience to further its spiritual journey. Dan Koe is a great example of this.
Spirituality permeates his content. In fact, one of his favorite things to say is “Uni-verse, or one song.” That one line says a lot about how he thinks about the universe, and I think it also embodies the moon in Pisces.
Sam’s Notes on Mel’s Take
Going off of that, I can say that from my personal experience of my moon being in Pisces, seclusion is a very, very similar necessity for me.
I'm starting to think that people with their moon in Pisces need to isolate themselves for certain periods of time in order to get back on track with themselves, otherwise they'll fall apart.
Given his heavy Capricorn placements too, I'd say he's definitely a time for himself kind of guy.
Mel’s Notes
I agree, that Capricorn influence, and the strong Saturn placement makes him a “hermit” kind of guy at times.
Pisces can also have a darker side, something most people attribute to Cancer, but I personally feel Pisces’ is worse. They can be extremely pessimistic. But this is what I find interesting in Dan’s chart.
The moon typically has quite a bit of power in a chart since it is one of the “luminaries".” In Dan’s case, I believe his Saturn in Aries keeps that Moon in check. Saturn forces Dan to define his emotions making it easier to see what is causing them and take action. His moon in Pisces has no chance against Saturn. 😂
But I also believe Saturn can be the most powerful placement in a chart (I’m a bit biased though).
Saturn in Aries
Sam’s Observations
Speaking of Saturn, his is in 2° Aries, retrograde, so going backwards into 1°, giving it a double Aries energy with a sprinkle of Taurus.
I imagine his willpower takes center stage in his life, his biggest priority is bettering himself and, since Aries is a cardinal sign, as many other people as he can. Though, Saturn being the only one in Aries probably gives him the discipline to understand that he can't help everyone.
Mel’s Take
This is a very self-development oriented placement. Aries is already a very independent sign. Put Saturn in this sign, and you have someone who needs their independence. They can’t live without it. Since Saturn rules Capricorn, one of the ways this independence manifests is financially.
Dan even writes about his need for independence in his book:
“I wanted autonomy above all.”
Remember Saturn defines (”I define who I become”). Saturn in Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, is all about defining who the person is and this would happen early in life, unless Saturn is afflicted. Dan’s is not.
In Dan’s case, he knew as a teenager that self development was imperative. The retrograde energy of Saturn gives Dan a strong sense of how important it is to focus on that in this life.
I bet if we had a birth time, we’d find this placement in the 8th or 9th house which would give this placement a more outward focus, meaning Dan would want to share his knowledge of self-development with the world. His ultimate goal being to make the world a better place.
This is something all the fire signs have in common. They want to make their mark on the world, and while Leo is more about doing that through the self, Aries and Sagittarius are more focused on others.
This is contrary to what most people think about Aries. But Aries is typically only self centered when the planets found in the sign are inner planets. Saturn is an outer planet.
With this placement, Dan’s self confidence comes from everything he has built in his life and how far he has come on his self development journey. This quote is very Saturnian in its wording with a sprinkle of Mars in Leo:
Through countless bouts of trial and error, a decade of compounding returns on focus, and eliminating the possibility of failure from my mind, I have built something I am proud of: a life of meaning, money, and mastery.
- The Art of Focus
Mars in Leo
Sam’s Observations
His Mars is also in Leo, the only other fixed sign in his chart besides Uranus in Aquarius. I think that Mars in fixed fire with Saturn in cardinal fire would just make that determination even more prominent.
Mel’s Take
Leo is most commonly thought of as an arrogant, lazy lion. They are the star of the show, and you better treat them as such. But this is not always the case, and I think Leo is misunderstood because of this.
Mars in this sign symbolizes creativity. More specifically, creativity that is a reflection of the creator. This person wants to put a piece of himself into the world.
Hence, Dan’s YouTube Channel, his courses, and his book, The Art of Focus. All of his work is a reflection of who he is, and what he has accomplished. Very Leo energy.
Mars in Leo is also very driven since Leo is a fixed fire sign. Mars is all go, go, go, and this shows in Dan’s multiple attempts to start businesses starting at the age of 12.
He refused to give up even after seven failures. This shows the resilience of Leo, and the determination of Mars. The sextile with his Mercury in Libra balances the Mars drive but also accelerates thought processes. Since Leo is fixed fire, this can be a source of burnout if limits aren’t put in place.
But with Saturn’s influence on Mercury in Dan’s case, these limits are firmly in place as evidenced by his “four hour workday” and his somewhat rigid routine.
I believe the Mars in Leo placement is also what gives Dan his need for physical exercise and activity. Leos like to look good, and Mars is pure fire and energy.
That excess energy needs to be burned off and what better way for a Leo to do it than in the gym? And again, fixed fire. This results in Dan’s regular walks (multiple times a day) and the strength training he does on a regular basis. It’s something he is compelled to do.
This is also mentioned in his book, as he wanted to be a bodybuilder at an early age. He wanted the “physique of a golden-era bodybuilder.” Very Leo… even the use of the word “golden” since Leo is ruled by the sun.
Uranus in Aquarius
Sam’s Observations
Uranus in 0° Aquarius is also interesting since it's coming out of Capricorn, which his Jupiter is in. To me, Uranus in the sign of it's rulership would not only give an inclination to technology, but also individualism and humanitarianism.
Since it's coming out of Capricorn, I would say, along with the Jupiter influence, elimination of the ego is very important in his work. Jupiter in Capricorn could make him naturally gifted at that or something to that effect. He's probably one of those people that's like “We're all just people living on a floating rock and trying to make the best of it.”
Mel’s Take
I agree. In fact here’s a screen shot to back that up, straight from Dan’s website:
Uranus in Aquarius would absolutely give Dan an inclination to use technology to his advantage in an effort to better humanity. This is evidenced by how he got where he is (starting with selling physical products online, moving to web design and focusing on building skills in tech that would help him reach his goal).
The fact that Uranus is in 0°, just coming out of Capricorn is amplified by the sextile Saturn has with Uranus. This aspect gives Dan the ability to “combine advanced ideas with system and discipline.” (Sakoian & Acker, p 346)
Again, Saturn defines. Saturn aspecting Uranus in any capacity defines how that Uranus energy is manifested.
In Dan’s case, this comes out in the courses, videos, and the book he created to teach others how he got where he is. This quite literally combines using technology to better humanity (Uranus) in a structured way (Saturn).
In his book he says:
I was gifted with the specific programming that led me to questioning how the world worked.
That’s 100% Uranus and Saturn influences. Questioning the status quo (Uranus) and how it works (Saturn). He goes on to say:
Questioning how I could game the system. Questioning how I could get miles ahead of everyone else with minimal, focused effort.
That is very Saturn - the planning influence of Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn. With his Jupiter in Capricorn the manifestation of Uranus’ energy led to his wealth, something Capricorn is very good at.
This is amplified by Uranus just coming out of Capricorn and going into Aquarius. Uranus’ proximity to Jupiter (despite it not being a conjunction) and Uranus being in the sign of its rulership also amplifies all of this.
It’s aspect to Saturn is the cherry on top… so to speak.
Sun, Mercury, & North Node
Sam’s Observations
Based off a theory I have cooking in my head right now, Sun, Mercury and North Node all in Libra tell me he's very focused on the concept of humanity.
Sun in 29° Libra also tells me he's mastered what being human is really all about, and is probably here to teach the rest of us what it is. This also backs up the necessary ego dissolution I mentioned a second ago.
Mel’s Take
That 29° Sun is 100% what gives Dan the mastery he talks about in his book, since 29° is a mastery degree. He quite literally mastered self development, yet still realizes its an ongoing process - the sign of a true master.
These three influences alone show that Dan’s ultimate goal is to make the world a better place, but he’s going to do it through helping others learn how to dissolve the ego.
Uranus, Neptune, & Pluto
Sam’s Observations
Uranus and Pluto both in very early degrees of their signs to me means that their themes are what he's supposed to be mastering and working on in this lifetime.
Spirituality, individualism, transformation and transfiguration would likely be some core themes for him.
On top of Uranus and Pluto’s early degrees, they also sextile each other, creating an easy-going connection of energy between the two planets.
To me, this would mean his focus on the dissolving of the ego would be directly tied to his life path, considering his Neptune in Capricorn.
In terms of aspects to Neptune, he has Sun square Neptune, which could lead to self-deception at some point in his life. If worked on though, it would give him a very fortified, intuitive knowledge of his goal and mission in life.
Squares have a Saturn connotation, and his Neptune in Capricorn, his Sun in Libra and his Saturn in Aries are all cardinal signs.
The triple cardinal sign energy would probably give him even more determination and resolve, especially since Saturn energy is involved twice.
Uranus in 0° of its rulership also gives a focus on rebellious individualism. Rebellious in the sense of the disestablishment of unnecessary, egoic concepts or structures that man has built for its own selfish, monetary gain.
The structures that were built to indulge the already excessive, the high and mighty that don’t care for those in need are the same structures Uranus in Aquarius (and Pluto in Sagittarius, because those structures also exist to inhibit the spiritual development of the individual that falls victim to it.) seeks to destroy.
Mel’s Take
The Uranus/Pluto influence can be summed up by another quote from the book:
I became aware that the education system wasn’t going to save me; that institutionalized education was a necessary evil that we should evolve away from.
Pluto is all about death, rebirth, and transformation. Uranus has a very rebellious side, but in favor of the betterment of humanity.
Put these two influences together, and you get someone who wants to get at the heart of the problems of humanity. Our educational system is really the bedrock of our society, and changing it would lead to a huge societal shift.
Neptune in Capricorn forces Dan to incorporate spirituality into his practical life. This is where his spirituality/business niche comes from, and why he equates making money with a spiritual purpose.
This is a generational placement, anyone born between 1984 and 2000, has Neptune in Capricorn, and it explains our current state of affairs. It also explains why Dan reminds us that we are living in the second renaissance.
The Sun square Neptune aspect is interesting. It can lead to self-deception, but I don’t think this is the case in Dan’s chart. Mainly, because his sun is also square Uranus which demands finding the truth. Since its the sun, it would be the truth of the self. Mercury also squares Neptune which would amplify the need to find the truth.
We’ve seen that Uranus has a lot of power in this chart because of the Saturn influence. I, personally, feel that Saturn and Uranus overpower this Sun/Neptune aspect. It may pop up at some point in his life, but I don’t think it’s currently active. It may take a Saturn transit to trigger it.
Additional Notes from Mel & Sam
Sam: Circling back around to the Mercury in 22° Libra, it being in a Capricorn degree could also make him very observant of his surroundings, and I think Uranus in it's rulership would back that up since it's the higher octave of Mercury.
Mel: Allow me to provide the evidence for this. Dan says this in his book:
I was hyperobservant of my environment and how it impacted those residing in it.
Sam: Mercury is also largely unaspected with the exception of a square to Neptune, which could either delude his thought process or make it incredibly spiritual and somehow rational at the same time given the Capricorn energy.
Mel: As we just saw with Neptune in Capricorn, the Mercury square to Neptune allows Dan to more easily see the spiritual as rational thanks to the Libra influence. Since squares are Saturnian in nature, it may also be a trigger for his questioning current societal norms and traditional spirituality. He wants to find the ultimate truth.
Sam: Uranus just coming out of Capricorn and going into Aquarius would back that up as well.
Uranus in the sign of it's rulership is incredibly comfortable when it comes to questioning societal norms, and having just come out of Capricorn, he could also be inclined to questioning business norms as well.
This, in my opinion, would also be a very substantial reason for his realization that the education system wasn't going to save him.
Something that’s a man-made institution of sorts (Capricorn, being an earth sign) vs the need to tear it all down and restart into something better and more individual (Uranus and Pluto).
Mel: It could also be a reason for his combination of spirituality and business, and that Pluto influence being a catalyst for his need to make education more decentralized and available to the masses (there’s that Libra again with some Uranus in Aquarius sprinkled in).
Sam: Overall I would say he's a very, very determined individual and is learning/mastering the act of balance between one's humanity, productivity and spirituality.
Mel: ^ THIS! I would only add that his goal in this learning and mastery is to move humanity into a more spiritual way of life, and therefore a better, more compassionate world. One where we are one with the universe.
Sam: Neptune in Capricorn makes perfect sense for that, since it's the planet of spirituality in an earth sign.
Quite literally bringing spiritual concepts down to earth and making them more accessible, to which Uranus in Aquarius and Pluto in Sagittarius give more power.
Neptune being in Saturn’s sign is also essentially defining spirituality and what being a spiritual person really means.
Brightest Blessings,
Mel & Sam
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References
Koe, D. (2023). Become A Digital Renaissance Man (And Join The New Rich). Retrieved from
Koe, D. (2023). How To Escape Wage Slavery (Entrepreneurship Is Modern Survival). Retrieved from
Koe, D. (2024). The Art of Focus. Koe Press.
Oken, A. (2006). Alan Oken's Complete Astrology: The Classic Guide to Modern Astrology. Newburyport: Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
Sakoian, F., & Acker, L. S. (1973). The Astrologer's Handbook. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Schulman, M. (1977). Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades & Reincarnation. York Beach: Samuel Weiser, Inc.