The only professional female baseball player breaks the gender rules. What inspires a woman to take on not only aggressive hitters, but also a patriarchal sport?

My Gawd, That's a Woman!

The left-hander leans in and gets the sign from the catcher. She hurls the horsehide, face grimacing with determination. The batter swings and misses. Strike three. The pitcher receives the ball from the catcher, takes off the cap and rubs up the ball. Dang, Martha, that pitcher's a woman. And so she is. And who better than an Aquarian and a southpaw to be the first ever woman pitcher to ever start a professional baseball game—and the first to record a win. Ila Borders (born February 18, 1975, in La Mirada, California) accomplished this feat. So impressive was the task, that Sports Illustrated honored her as one of the top 100 female athletes in history. The uniform and glove that served her in the historic victory now adorn the prestigious Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

We've always known Aquarians to be a bit off center. They do the unorthodox as if it's normal. Trend-setters and awakeners, Aquarians point out the obvious incongruities in life. From her point of view on the mound, five foot ten inch Ila appears formidable enough and has a great view. Last year for the Madison Black Wolf Baseball Club she posted an earned run average of 1.67, outstanding in any league. And in true Aquarian style, Ila pointed a way in which it’s better for women to earn less (as in runs scored against in the earned run average) than men. Certainly her two planets in Aquarius can't be enough to make her that special.

Top of the Heap

Wait, there's more. Ila has Mars in Capricorn. One word describes this placement: driven. Motivated by challenge and climbing to the top (a pitcher's mound is higher than any other location on a baseball field—and they control the game), this position of Mars naturally receives notoriety. As a child, when most kids could not make the long throw from third base to first base, imagine which player developed a strong enough arm to do so. Yep, it was Ila. Since then she's worked her way into a professional baseball league.

Ila’s Mars stands strongly supported by her Moon in Taurus, which is in a favorable 60-degree sextile to it. The Taurus Moon has a dogged in determination, won't-give-it-up-for-anything emotional disposition, and this year Ila’s Moon will receive the blessing of the planetary coaches meeting as seven planets align in Taurus near Ila’s Moon. The benefits and considerations rack up. She'll advance. Just watch.

The Moon bears the tone of the nurturing female, typically Mom. Standing in the center of the diamond (see, diamonds are a girl's best friend), supporting her teammates and letting them support her feeds the true nature of the Moon. The Moon possesses two clearly distinct sides. Support intends to go both ways. You give, you receive. With her solid, dependable Taurus disposition she starts the lunar cycle for her team.

What Next?

Cynics claim she'll never make the pros. Big league batters would light her up and eat her for lunch. That remains to be seen. Even if she does make it to the show (Major Leagues), what are clubs going to do, build another locker room? Why not? They can afford it. Not to mention the crowds that would gather. Men and women would come in great numbers to watch—with different agendas of course.

With the astrological strikes (a strong chart and favorable transits) piling up for Ila (remember, strikes are a good thing for a pitcher), the widely popular Baseball Weekly recently touted her attributes. She's become an icon in baseball—a woman to watch and asking the unstated question: "Can a woman play professional baseball?"

The Feminine Mystique

Does Ila have a female agenda? Venus, the patron planet of the feminine, nuzzles up to Jupiter, the grand benefactor, both focused in Pisces. Pisces symbolizes the underdog. Ila represents the downtrodden. Does that mean women? Well, let's see, women don't play baseball. There were the World War II female leagues immortalized by Geena Davis and Tom Hanks. Then there was the Silver Bullet. This team of women sponsored by Coors Brewery (beer is associated with Neptune, which is also linked to Pisces, and underdogs who cry in their beer) took on a series of semi-professional men's teams. Heard of them? That's the invisibility of Pisces. Not only that, they didn't win a lot of games.

Ila's a baseball player. And she's a pitcher. That means she stands at the center of attention, regulating the game (kind of like a guy with a remote control for the only TV in the household during playoffs). She, as a pitcher, toils harder than anyone else on the field (my apologies to the weakened knees of catchers everywhere). Baseball's in her blood like it is with all players and fans. Baseball's a fever (obsessions, fevers and blood contamination are all associated with Neptune, the guy who goes with Pisces). Does she want to bring women into professional baseball? Nah, she just wants to play. Everything else is gravy.

Like it or not, Ila represents a chunk of the consciousness of our thinking that assumes gender inequality. Baseball is not a game in which one must be extra large or exceedingly strong (remember the diminutive Fred Patek?). There's every reason a woman could play. Of course, we guys know that girls can't throw. But Ila's bringing in a new jury on that one.

The point in Aquarius where Ila's Sun shines carries with it a curse of being five years ahead of its time. A Cassandra figure, Ila brings to our attention something we must all come to face. As she stands on the mound and hurls her best curve at you, keep in mind it's just about baseball. The metaphor of Ila Borders, like all metaphors, remains subject to subjectivity. Take your best guess, then your best rip and see how you come up.