Like many who follow true crime, the real lure is the “why.” That’s the lure of life itself, right? Why are we here? What does it all mean?

Death makes the question even more elusive. And with murder, it seems so pointless, so wasteful.

The recent murders of Monique and Spencer Tepe in Columbus, Ohio on December 30, 2025 brings the question closer. Tonight’s drive home passes their house. So real, so wrong.

Monique Spencer’s ex-husband is currently arrested as primary suspect in the killings. He’ll be in Columbus soon.

There’s no chart for a . . .

The brilliant astrologer Liz Greene pointed out in one of her lecture series that when we see a horoscope, we don’t know if it’s a man or woman. Or human or chicken. Or maybe it’s the time of a marriage or signing of a contract.

A horoscope is energy, a theme of one’s birth that involves not just the personality but the events of one’s life. There’s a lot of psychology that explores this, the idea of projection and falling into relationship patterns. In studying astrology, I would go further and say that if we are working on, say, self-confidence, we will draw events and people who are also working through these issues. So, we may lack self-confidence and look out into the world and think, “People really don’t have a lot of self-confidence.”

That we meet the themes of our lives doesn’t mean others are not working on the same lessons. It’s that we may see them through the lens of that lesson.

12 Shades of Everything

When someone lied to me in 1988, I searched through my existing charts (many by hand dear readers) to identify what astrologically made someone a liar. What I learned was that they tend to communicate in water or fire where I prefer communication in earth or air (more “realistic”).

Did the folks with Mercury in water and fire lie? Sometimes, sure. But really what they were doing was offering more drama or what I’d call exaggeration. What I learned from that exercise is that storytelling involves these elements so while I may not appreciate a colorful story when asking for directions or wanting to know if someone took my watch, this communication style is can be very enjoyable. So I learned to enjoy it.

Likewise, in the blog 12 Shades of Lying, the idea is that we all lie, we just do it differently. (And, as an aside, earth signs don’t admit to lying much. They do it by providing a bunch of irrelevant truths).

While we may all lie, we don’t all murder. But if someone does murder, he/she will do it in the way of their horoscope.

There’s no way to really look at the horoscope and answer “why?” And if and when the why is provided, it will not satisfy anyway.

Tenacity and Impulse

Michael McKee, the accused, has sun in cardinal water Cancer and moon in cardinal fire Aries. Cancer like the other water signs (Scorpio and Pisces) can be emotionally obsessive. Tenacity is one of the keywords (or mine?) for this sign as it never (ever) lets go of something emotionally. Scorpio might let go after making sure you know why (and why it’s also forever and ever). Pisces may appear to let go then appear in the shadows or simply stay home and fantasize, leaving you alone.

Cancer traditionally rules personal emotions, mothering, and home. Its goal is to belong and is very sensitive to ostracization. Cancer is known for moodiness being ruled by the moon which moves quickly through the skies and signs. We know the moon rules tides and our bodies are mostly water. If water is emotion, then the self is mostly emotion.

In contrast, the moon which is about reaction is in fire sign Aries. As first sign of the zodiac, Aries is self-oriented, willful, impulsive, and competitive. Aries ruled by Mars is associated with warfare which whether good or bad is in the eyes of the beholder. Valiance and violence are both in the realm of Aries.

Cancer and Aries are in square aspect which creates tension as the energies are not compatible. Cancer hides in the shell due to sensitivity and Aries is always up for the next fight.

Fight or flight response in constant conflict?

There are also other cardinal, or conflicting, energies in the horoscope with Mars and Neptune in success-driven Capricorn. This is the aspect of the self-made man, calculating and shrewd.

Many charts have squares, or conflicting energy. In cardinal, it tends to center around relationships. (In fixed there is super drive on one’s goals; in mutable, there is avoidance).

What’s the trigger?

This astrologer knows of no aspect that sends someone from regular human foibles and dysfunction into the energy of crime.

Of the four elements – fire, earth, air, and water, one is lacking in McKee’s horoscope: air.

Air is the element of thinking function, socializing, stimulation, and education for enjoyment. Air is creative in so many ways, having natural erudition and ability to analyze, synthesize and perceive. Air observes so often is aloof or there but “not there.”

Air for McKee would allow some of life to be analyzed rather than felt in a personal way. In other words, it’s not always about me. Sometimes folks do mean things because they feel bad about themselves; it’s their problem.

Transiting Pluto in Aquarius (the fixed air sign) is square natal Pluto in Scorpio. Pluto is the god of the underworld and when you get involved in Pluto, or evolutionary, lessons, it’s a black hole type force that allows no retreat.

Did transiting Pluto in Aquarius cause some issues with a group energy? I’m sensing some sort of run in with authority in some other way. Scorpio desire for revenge appears to have been triggered although from what’s reported it seems that the marriage to Monique Tepe was short and much time has elapsed.

Was there misplaced revenge? Was this one woman, “every woman?” This one marriage “every marriage?”

Monique Tepe

Monique Tepe’s horoscope is gentle, caring, and creative/sartistic with sun in Libra and moon/Jupiter in Pisces. Both McKee and her husband Spencer have/had moon in fire signs (Spencer in Sagittarius). The fire may have been attractive to Tepe as she is more cautious and the fire moons would encourage exploration, spontaneity, and play.

Tepe also has natal Pluto in Scorpio with a square to Mars in Aquarius. Transiting Pluto in Aquarius triggers that aspect. In the normal course of events, it would represent group expression – seeking groups with shared idealism or goals rather than cult-like groups that have rigid ideas of loyalty.

In this course of events, the group expression is the great outpouring of love, support, and concern by community. That is the best of Aquarius.