Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes – Victims of the curse of the solar eclipse

Sometimes it is worth stepping back for a few days just to explore all of the possibilities before you write an article especially in Astrology as if you look hard enough all becomes clear. Last week Katie Holmes shocked the entertainment world, and I suspect her husband Tom Cruise too, by filing for divorce. However just look at their composite chart and all becomes very evident why she acted the way she did.

This is Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s composite chart. With Sun Venus Pluto and Uranus all together, this is a difficult chart where there would be not only friendship and love but also a battle for control as well as freedom on the cards as the relationship progressed. That Pluto in the 1st house is conjunct the composite Venus and Sun showing there is some love and goodwill here, but it is also very transformational. In such situations, this is not a difficult placing if both parties wish for some transformation to go ahead, BUT if both don’t agree, then the possibility of all out war could ensue prompting a battle for control. It seems as if Tom’s obsession with scientology and his wish to convert his wife Katie from Catholicism to Scientology and to bring up his daughter under this so called religion was a transformation that Katie could not deal with. Uranus’ presence is a wildcard in all this and you can see the potential for one breaking for cover and rebelling against the other partner. So it has proved to be.

This quadruple conjunction is at the focus point of a strong wedge formation including an opposition between Neptune and Saturn on one side and Jupiter and the Midheaven on the other. Here we have both the faith planets (Neptune & Jupiter) facing off against each other, augmented by authoritarian Saturn and across the 3rd/9th axis, the axis of communication and wisdom. Here we had the law being laid down by Tom over the adherence to his religion, and seeing as we now know that the divorce is based around Tom Cruise’s scientology beliefs, it would have been pretty obvious from the start of them meeting up that religion, faith and control would be a bone of contention in their relationship with the opposition starkly present in their chart.

Needless to say that this was not a happy marriage from the beginning. Mercury opposite Mars sitting in the 7th house of partnership promised a war of words from the offset, Mars in the 7th promises fights and battles just as much as an active love life. With all this, why on earth did they get together in the first place? Well maybe the Moon gives an answer. It sat at the midpoint of their joint Midheaven and that quadruple conjunction on the point of a mini grand trine in the 11th house of friendship. There was a lot of sympathy between them and shared friendship that would have existed before they got married, and sometimes these nastier aspects only rear their ugly heads one you are put in a position where you are with someone 24/7.

I think trouble had been brewing for some time, but the last two solar eclipses would not have helped matters at all & probably started the road to divorce. The 25th November 2011 eclipse struck at 3 degrees Sagittarius conjunct to the nadir and thus opposing their composite Midheaven and shaking their public status as a couple. This was a Northern eclipse, so not as potent as the next one which would be a Southern one. That following eclipse at 0 Gemini hit in their 9 house of beliefs opposed their joint Neptune (the planet of faith and spirituality) which rules their 7th house of marriage via Pisces and natal Saturn which rules the 5th house of children. The battle lines were beginning to be drawn. This eclipse would have caused a lot of discontent combined with transiting Pluto approaching a square to natal Uranus and transiting Uranus opposing the Sun and latterly it’s own position. However, as with all situations in life, it needed a spark to light the flame so that one of the two could break free of that iron grip and control exerted by the natal Pluto in their composite chart. This came as transiting Mars (the planet of action) last week made a conjunction with Pluto just before entering Libra, the sign of relationships. I guess that Katie sensed that now was the time to act and sort out her marriage, as she broke for emotional freedom, backed up by transiting Uranus trine the composite Moon.

I sense there is going to be an almighty battle for their daughter Suri but the decision will only go one way. Transiting Pluto, which is the planet of control is on the cusp of the 5th house of children, and later this year when Pluto starts moving direct again will enter the house properly. If you look on Katie Holmes’ natal chart, then transiting Pluto is already there midway through her 5th house. Tom has his South Node and Saturn at 9 & 10 degrees Capricorn in his own 5th house in the firing line of Pluto, so things look especially nasty for him in the coming months as Pluto conjuncts this spot. I very much suspect he will lose that battle for his daughter, and learn a fair few lessons into the bargain…

*** Update 9th July 2012 ***

Sounds like I was wrong and this is not going to be a long drawn out divorce battle. News out of Los Angeles today reports that a settlement has already been signed sealed and delivered. Maybe his hidden 12th house Moon came into play, not wanting to drag all all of these emotions out into the open of the public domain?

Katie Holmes – Born 18th December 1978 at 21.23 hrs in Toledo, Ohio, USA

Tom Cruise – Born 3rd July 1962 at 12.05 hrs in Syracuse, New York, USA