Mila Kunis – A look at the astrology of the Ukrainian born actress, as she agrees to go on a date via YouTube with a lucky US Marine.

You’ve got to admire the cheek of Sergeant Scott Moore of the US Marines. He sent out a speculative date via YouTube inviting Black Swan actress Mila Kunis to accompany him to his Military Ball in South Caroline. Not for one minute would he have imagined that she would agree to go, but during a TV interview with “Friends for Benefits” co-star Justin Timberlake, with a little encouragement from Justin, she accepted the offer.

So what type of girl will Sergeant Moore find when they meet? Mila was born on 14th August 1983 in Kiev, Ukraine. No birth time known for Mila however there is a big clue to it through the move from Kiev to Los Angeles by her family when she was 7 years old. Mila has indicated that this was a traumatic time for her and so it is safe to assume that the Saturn/Pluto conjunction in her chart was affecting her ascendant at that time. Saturn/Pluto in a chart shows that a difficult transition must happen in life to move onto the next chapter and by assuming a 15.00 birth time, Pluto would have been exactly conjunct to the ascendant when she was 7. This also puts Cancer on the cusp of the 9th house and with the Moon (Cancer’s ruler) conjunct to Saturn, this would confirm a interruption in her schooling (if the ruler of the 9th is difficultly aspected, we know that the education would have been affected).

She has a regal Leo Sun and a secretive Scorpio Moon and if I am right in my guess for her birth time a Scorpio ascendant too. A prominent Scorpio often gives one a dark, sultry appearance and Mila certainly has that. She has five planets in fire sign on this chart, so this is a girl who will be up for a good time, those with plenty of fire in their charts rarely hold back. The Sun is in an optimistic and creative trine to Neptune in adventurous Sagittarius. This is a lovely enthusiastic connection with lots of artistic talent to burn. Sagittarius is the sign of the traveller and wanderer so it is no surprise that Mila or (Milena as she was named) left her native homeland with her family, eventually to pursue an international acting career.

There is much artistic potential here in this chart. If my birth assumptions hold true, Venus in Virgo sits very close to the Midheaven. Venus here often conveys great beauty and good looks on the person (especially with women) and in the 10th house promoting beauty and the arts is a natural career path for Mila. She will want to be known for her artistic ability and there is the potential to get married to one’s work, which can affect the personal life. Venus is retrograde and will like to keep any relationship behind the scenes, out of the public eye as much as possible as the emotions with retrograde Venus tend to turn in on themselves a bit. That partner will have to realize that with her, the work will come first. When she does meet someone she likes, this Venus in Virgo will make her very picky in selecting a partner & very devoted if one is found which hold up to Virgo’s exacting standards. Mila will tend to feel unlovable and unappreciative of her own good looks, Venus in Virgo is horrendously self-critical.  Mila is a perfectionist not only for her looks, but also in her work. Mercury is also in the 10th house in Virgo and Mila will analyse her parts down to the very last detail, looking at every shade of feeling and nuance of the character to make sure it is right. Her acting career and professional reputation will be everything to her. Because of the influence of Scorpio and Sagittarius on this chart she will tend to be drawn to dark, emotional roles which will stretch her professionally and will widen her scope as an actress. She will need to know all the ins and outs of the script and how the production will be directed. The Scorpio effect of control and knowing everything going around her will be very strong within her. She will be determined and persistent and a hard taskmaster on herself (Saturn/Pluto square Mars) and she will get very frustrated when things aren’t going to plan. At times she will doubt her own ability but she has the all the attributes and hard work ethic (Saturn/Pluto) to rise right to the top of the acting tree.

Mila has a playful side to her character with a fun loving Jupiter/Uranus conjunction is Sagittarius in her first house trine to Mars. She will have an enterprising attitude to most challenges (including date proposals to Military Balls it seems) and a keen sense of timing, when to accept and when to decline. Square to Venus shows an easy open attitude to friends but when it comes to relationships, a lazy attitude seems to prevail – not wanting to commit because one is “not in a hurry”. Committing to a more permanent relationship (marriage) would after all get in the way of socializing. This is backed up with Taurus (ruled by Venus) on the cusp of the 7th house of relationships. She was in a relationship with Macaulay Culkin for 8 years but was never in a hurry to marry. Taurus never does rush…

Mila will crave love and attention being shown to her as Saturn sits in the 11th house, and will be much less of a person if she doesn’t receive this praise. She will be suspicious of groups and associations and with with the Moon in the 12th house she will need her quieter moments to get out of the spotlight. It is known she is a bit of a computer freak (Aquarius intercepted in the 3rd house) and she will have a very competitive streak enjoying sport and games (Aries on the cusp of the 5th).

All in all, I think Sergeant Moore is going to enjoy his night out. According to the astrology, Mila is someone who is emotionally committed to her work and will be determined to rise up in her profession, however she does seems like a fun loving girl who like a night out and i think she will thoroughly enjoy the social occasion she has been invited to, once that is she has got over her natural defensiveness of the situation. The Scorpio side will hold her character will hold her back until she is sure of what’s she’s got herself into, but once that’s all over, I’m sure that she’ll love the attention.

Video Links – The invitation to Mila from Sergeant Moore

                   Mila's acceptance to the invitation

Michael Fassbender – Deep, ambitious and a true perfectionist at heart.

Michael is one of the rising stars of the film world right now. Fresh from X-Men 2, he will be seen making a cameo role in a remake of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel, Jane Eyre in September and before the year is out he will star in 3 more films to be released this year and 3 more next year.

Born in Heidelberg, Germany on 2nd April 1977 (no birth time known as yet), Michael moved from Germany to Ireland with his German father and Irish mother at the age of two. A progressive Sun sign Aries, Michael has a critical Virgo Moon. Here is a fierce critic, not only of himself but of others. One would imagine he is very much a perfectionist. The overriding need of a Virgo Moon (the Moon shows need in a chart) is to be correct in all that one does. When someone does not come up to Michael’s exacting standards, he would not be shy to tell them so. Mercury is also in Aries so this criticism would be done in a forthright and combative style. I get the feeling that Michael would not be an easy person to work or live with.

There are three planets in Aries, the Sun, Mercury as just mentioned and also Venus and all of these are opposed by Pluto. The Sun opposite Pluto is deep and intense, this is a man who craves personal recognition and he will keep on going until he receives it. Mercury is quindecile Pluto, the quindecile is even more intense than the opposition and Michaels mind will always be probing under the surface, not trusting anyone fully – even being paranoid of other’s motives towards him. it shows a defensiveness in his character which will appear when he is challenged. This mind is perfect for getting under the skin of a character and getting to the root motivations of why someone acts as they do. For the film Hunger, Michael lost copious amounts of weight and literally went on hunger strike in “getting into character” to play Bobby Sands, just to feel what it was like before he played the role. Michael will seemingly go to any length to get the details of the part correct before he plays it.

The last opposition is Pluto opposite Venus which is retrograde. Venus in Aries is normally very straightforward and sociable especially in love and in relationships BUT Venus retrograde makes one insular. Yes, all the passion and deep emotion from the Pluto opposition is there, but it doesn’t come out on the surface in the normal way. Michael in a relationship will be very secretive, reticent even to talk about his affairs of the heart even to those he knows well. No “Hello” or “OK” magazine spreads for Michael for sure…

The Sun/Venus opposition are the driving planets in a creative kite formation, with Saturn and Neptune on the wings. Immediately you see the motivation of the man. A drive for recognition  (Sun/Pluto) and to make it to the top of his profession through hard work and ambition (Saturn in Leo) in the creation and film world (Neptune in expansive Sagittarius). Saturn is retrograde, so Michael would have missed the love of his father during his formative years. His father was a restaurant chef, so you can imagine that each evening after he had finished school, he would rarely have seen his father, as he would have been busy in the kitchen.

This is such a creative chart. The Moon squares Neptune so there is a dreamy imagination, although one that can be mislead emotionally. Mars in Pisces also squares Neptune – here is more evidence that Michael would never like to lead a drab boring existence. His imagination is colourful, sensitive, poetic and his energies would be directed into artistic pursuits of some sort. Mars trines Uranus so independent ventures will attract him as well as unusual pieces of work and those with difficult subject matters, as well as action roles like in X-Men. Michael will not be one of those actors ever to be type-cast, switching from one type of role to the next with versatility and ease.

Jupiter in steady Taurus shows that he will work to make sure that he will have a comfortable lifestyle and financially he has his head switched on, Jupiter in Taurus is not one to take risks. Jupiter is quindecile to Neptune (everything on this chart seems to feed into Neptune) so he may have intense faith and/or be vulnerable to excess drug and alcohol use. This is another indication that he will want his creative talents (Neptune) be seen on a world wide stage (Jupiter) – he has said unusually that he prefers film to theatre or live acting which is generally against the grain for most actors, but in this case reinforces the Jupiter angle and influence on his Neptune. 

Looking at the transits and progressions of the day for Michael, his Solar Arc North Node is opposing Michael’s natal Jupiter so he is favourably in the public eye and Solar Arc Mars has been conjunct to his Sun and opposing Pluto for the past year, so a period of intense work is now coming to an end. Solar Arc Neptune is trine his natal Moon so emotionally he is going to be very settled right now. There are changes coming for him though. On the transits chart, transiting Saturn will conjunct natal Pluto in around a month’s time. This will light up the natal kite and life will not be so easy, maybe with personal and work problems. Saturn will go on to oppose natal Venus in late September/early October so his relationships (work and personal) will come under deeper scrutiny and pressure. If his current ones are on rocky ground than this may be time for a split or break-up.    

Rachael Weisz and Daniel Craig – A newlywed couple swimming in the same direction

Over the weekend James Bond actor Daniel Craig was married to Oscar winning actress Rachael Weisz. To all accounts, they had been dating since Christmas, so this is quite a swift decision by the two of them to get married.

Both Daniel and Rachael are Sun sign Pisces, Daniel was born on 3rd March 1968 in Chester, England and Rachael on 7th March 1970 in London. For them to have tied the knot so quickly, there must have been an instant connection between them and looking at the astrology it bears out very well.

Rachael has a Sun Moon conjunction in Pisces which conjuncts also with Daniel’s Sun. A Sun/Moon conjunction is the archetypal marriage aspect, one partner’s personality merging with the other’s emotions, they complement each other very well. The other really powerful tie between the two is that Rachael’s Sun conjuncts exactly with Daniel’s North Node. There will be a very powerful tie between them, almost like that they have met before somewhere. Some believe that the Nodal axis shows our past lives and our future direction, and a Sun and North Node connection is the indication that indeed these two were together in a previous existence and are continuing to settle issues that were left over from their previous lives.

Elsewhere on the synastry chart, there is a dynamic connection between Rachael’s Venus being opposite to Daniel’s Uranus. There will be an electric attraction between the two. Both Daniel and Rachael’s Mars sit in go ahead Aries so there will be plenty of fiery passion, and Rachael’s Uranus sits opposite Daniel’s heavy Mars Saturn conjunction. She will challenge Daniel to break free from old routines and push him to do new exciting ventures. Will her influence pull him away from the Bond franchise where Daniel has become a household name? One thing for sure is that Rachael’s Mercury sits opposite Daniel’s Jupiter and her Mars trines it too so communication will be free and open and there will be a lovely optimistic feeling to this union. They will need a fair amount of freedom to make this marriage truly work which being actors they will surely get. 

On the composite chart which is a more long term view of the relationship. There is a wide yet nice Sun/Venus/Mercury conjunction which is loving and good for communication. Also we see a Pluto, Uranus & Jupiter conjunction opposite to the Moon. This opposition shows plenty of heavy emotion, possibly jealousy if problems arise and a need for freedom and space within the relationship however Jupiter adds a lightness of touch and a willingness to do things together which is very helpful. The opposition forms a wedge with Neptune at the point, very much a sign that this is a creative union (Neptune rules the film industry) and there is a dreamy, fantasy edge to it. Neptune squares both Venus and Mercury so they should try to avoid deceiving one another, less there may be great disappointment however there is plenty of love, kindness  and sympathy between the two. The only other possible down point is a conjunction between composite Mars and Saturn. This can be difficult to live with, when one says go, the other will stay stop, one will be hot while the other is cold. They may be constantly getting in the way of each other, which may need to cutting remarks or sarcasm. Work commitments should allow each other plenty of space and hopefully ease any tensions between them.

No union is perfect, but these two fish seem very happy in the same pond and I think there is plenty of good aspects to outweigh any difficult ones. Having both been through broken marriages before, I think they will try hard to make this one work and I believe that they have a decent chance of having a long happy life together.

Russell Brand – From drug addict to worldwide star

In the past week, you haven’t been able to avoid Russell Brand on British TV as he has been on a publicity blitz for his new film “Arthur”. Through his distinctive style and his outrageous antics, Russell has been able to forge an international career from humble beginnings and has recently married to singer Katy Perry.

Russell was born on 4th June 1975 in Grays, Essex in the United Kingdom. I do not have an official birth-time but through rectification by looking at events in his life including his recent marriage, I estimate he was born close to 14.40 hrs. If anyone reading this article does know an official time of birth for Russell, please contact me and I will update the article accordingly.

A Sun sign Gemini, communication is everything to Russell, especially as Mercury also sits in the same sign; both occupy the 9th house of belief and knowledge. Russell has a socially aware Libran ascendant (if the birth time is correct) and a go ahead Aries Moon in the 7th house of partnerships. The Sun/Mercury conjunction in Gemini means that Russell has a restless, inquisitive mind, a thirst for knowledge and philosophy, for reading and writing. He will be very jovial, quick witted and sharp in reply, will always want to know what is going on in the world, and will have a fascination with foreign people, culture and language.

The Sun is one corner of a very stressful mystic rectangle formation on Russell’s chart. on the other corners we find Pluto on the Ascendant, Neptune in the third house and Mars/Moon conjunct the descendant in the 7th house. Rectangles show great creative potential, and the energy will flow nicely around the edge of the rectangle however, the oppositions through the centre can cause all amount of trouble if the individual has not got everything in proportion. The oppositions in this particular rectangle are a Sun/Neptune opposition; a mutable Gemini/Sagittarius one and Pluto opposite Moon/Mars in cardinal Libra/Aries. Sun Neptune is extremely creative, dreamy and escapist. Sagittarius/Gemini is the Peter Pan of oppositions, child like extremely talkative, restless and wanting to know everything. A significant Neptune is almost always found in the charts of those in the arts, in film and in TV and Sun/Neptune is associated with alcohol and drugs. We all know the trouble that Russell has got into when he overstepped the boundaries of decency in his BBC radio show (he got fired) and hosting the MTV awards he insulted George Bush when he was President. He also went completely off the rails on drugs early in his media career becoming a heroin addict. The problem is that Sun/Neptune knows no boundaries and Russell doesn’t know when to stop.

The other opposition sees Pluto conjunct to the Ascendant opposite Moon/Mars in the 7th house. Pluto/Ascendant is very intense, Russell will provoke strong feelings in people about himself and he will often have to reinvent himself several times in his life. You can see the Scorpionic (Pluto rules Scorpio) influence with his strong features, wild hair and his preference for dressing almost always in black. Moon/Mars is the need to be first and he will wait for absolutely no-one. It indicates that his partnerships (7th house) will be stormy, even though the women in his life will be hugely important to him. Russell will be lost without being in some kind of permanent relationship. Russell has had “a lot” of relationships too, shown by Jupiter (the planet of excess) also in the 7th house conjunct to Moon/Mars. The opposition hints at control issues with regards within them, as well as magnetic ties between himself and the one he cares about. If those ties were to be broken, Russell would be hugely hurt and it may transform (once again) his whole persona.

Looking at the other planets I haven’t yet focused on, we find individualistic, rebellious Uranus in the first house square to Venus and trine to Mercury. Russell will do and say as he pleases and will not worry how anybody thinks, perfect for being a stand up comedian. Uranus/Venus indicates that he is easily attracted to unusual and talented women, but those attractions may end abruptly; he also will need plenty of freedom within those relationships. Venus and Saturn are found in the 10th house. Russell will take his profession very seriously and he will want to build a big work reputation, being very hard on himself if that reputation is ignored or not recognized. Venus here means that he will want to be admired for his artistic gifts and he will be married to his professional life, maybe even more so than with his partner.

Right now, Russell’s Saturn has just passed over his ascendant in the past year and Pluto is hanging around the cusp of the 4th house. He is starting a new 28 year cycle of growth which began with his marriage last year. Pluto correctly indicates his change of residence from London to Los Angeles as he pursues a Hollywood film career. Solar Arc Sun has progressed to conjunct with his natal Saturn and square Jupiter so professionally Russell is lucky and is moving on well with his career aims, and with the Solar Arc Midheaven trine his natal Moon he is favourably in the spotlight. More long term, it may well be that moving to the US he will be going through a slightly quieter period in his life as he establishes himself in America. Mind you, quiet in Russell Brand’s life is quite unlike 99% of most people in the world. Just because he is like he is and the fact that the mystic rectangle includes both his Sun, Ascendant, Mars and Pluto, his life will be shaken up again in a new way before too long.

Nicholas Cage - In hot water after a drunken row in New Orleans

Oh dear! Another star is in trouble after a drunken row. We have had a rash of them recently with both Charlie Sheen and John Galliano to name but two having problems. Today it was reported that actor Nicholas Cage was arrested by the local police for smashing cars in a drunken rage after an argument with his wife Alice Kim. He has been remanded in custody before a court appearance later today.

Nicholas was born as Nicholas Kim Coppola (before he changed his name to Cage) in Harbor City, California on 7th January 1964 at 05.30 hrs making him a seriously minded Capricorn. He has a socially active Moon in Libra in the 10th house and an adventurous Sagittarius ascendant. The Sun sit sits in the first house conjunct to Mercury and Mars. This is a “go get-em” combination, Nicholas is sharp of tongue, sharp of mind, sharp of temper and sharp of action. In all these planets in Capricorn, there is no lack of ambition here and he will tenaciously follow all his goals and ambitions through to completion in a disciplined and controlled manner. The Sun in the middle of this conjunction is part a mini grand trine being trine to controlling Pluto conjunct Uranus and the formation is completed with Neptune at the point with sextiles out to the Sun and Pluto. All Nick’s controlled energy from the Sun/Mercury/Mars and from Pluto is focused on Neptune, the ruler of films and creative pursuits.

Pluto never knows when to stop and it is noticeable that since he was a child Nick has been starring in films at a very regular rate. It is not surprising with Pluto, Mars the Sun and Neptune in deep Scorpio all combining together that Nick’s most successful roles to date have all been in action films, although he will also be attracted to more unusual independent ventures too with Uranus trine to Mercury, as well as the technology in making films. This is something I think that Nick will move to more and more, following his uncle Frances Ford Coppola. The fifth house of creativity is ruled by Venus through Taurus on the cusp. Taurus has always been associated with making things and as Venus is conjunct Saturn, Nick will have a desire to administrate and make successful films as he grows older. With a Sagittarian ascendant and a Libran Midheaven opposite Jupiter, Nick has ambitions to be socially popular (Libra), and internationally (Jupiter/Sagittarius) known through his life’s work (Midheaven).

The mini grand trine I wrote has had a couple of other effects on Nick’s life. The Sun is an indicator of the father in a chart and with a connection between Pluto and Uranus to the Sun, we can say that his dad was controlling, disruptive and very independent. More than likely, Nick’s father would have had a drink problem, with the sextiles to Neptune (something Nick has also taken on too) and we know that Nick’s life was transformed in 1976 when his parents divorced, exactly as transiting Pluto the planet of metamorphosis was conjunct his Midheaven (or parental axis).

Moving onto the Venus/Saturn conjunction in the second house. Venus/Saturn is always associated with disappointments in relationships. Nick is now onto his 3rd marriage and this changeability in his permanent ties is echoed by Gemini being on the cusp of the 7th house of partners and also the square between Saturn/Venus and Neptune. With Nick, there will always be the illusion (Neptune) that his next love (Venus) will finally be the right one but unfortunately for him, he will almost always be disappointed (Saturn) and so the cycle starts again. It will take him a long time to eventually be settled in married life, if he ever does get settled? Saturn/Venus in the 2nd also bring the constant fear (Saturn) of a lack of money and resources (Venus). This is another motivating factor in why Nicholas is such a prolific actor, doing good and bad films alike. He needs to earn money. Nick’s chart is the latest in a long line of charts I have looked at to have Venus in Aquarius; a placing which bestows a film star glitz and glamour to a persona – it is amazing to see how many people in the public eye have this position.

Finally looking at the two planets I have yet to properly focus on, we can see a quindecile between Jupiter bang on the IC and the Moon in the take control position in the 10th house. Nicholas came from a very religious Roman Catholic family and that faith can be seen with Jupiter the planet of faith on the parental 4th/10th axis, sitting just into the 4th house of home. Here Nicholas will want a large comfortable house and home-life with no expense spared. In fact he has a propensity for buying houses, he purchased several large homes around the globe which he has bought at great cost. This is ok if you can afford them, however, the US tax authorities have been investigating Cage’s finances in the past few years (we return to authoritarian Saturn/Venus in the 2nd house of personal finances) and the worrying square to Neptune which suggest not being honest with the management of his money. Nick’s over optimistic (Jupiter) spending (Venus) and his confused attitude (Neptune) to money will cause him problems with the authorities and he will have to learn lessons (Saturn).

He is a very optimistic person, he will believe that there will always be another opportunity just around the corner, something that I believe his mother have preached to him (with Jupiter on the cusp of the 4th house). Jupiter is also square the Sun and Mercury and this backs up his attitude to relationships that the grass will always be greener on the other side. Nick will harbour grand plans (Jupiter/Mercury) and he will have an obsession to carry them out himself; again here is another indication that with these big ideas (Jupiter) he will need (the Moon indicates need) to be more and more in control of his work (Moon in 10th house) in the future. This Moon is very temperamental being square to Mars, making Nick difficult to live with and if things don’t go his way, he is liable to throw fits of temper, just like the one which has got him in bother today.

Low and behold when we look at the transits for today versus Nick’s natal chart, transiting Mars is conjunct natal Jupiter exactly making a obsessional quindecile to the temperamental natal Moon. An intense flow of angry (Mars) energy aggravating an already stressed planet (the Moon) and so Nick went over the top (Jupiter) in his reaction. Transiting Mars is also exactly opposite his Midheaven, so his public reputation is taking a hit, backed up by Saturn which is conjunct it too. Mars and the Moon were square Mercury when the incident occurred, so the story (Mercury) of his violence (Mars) to the cars (Mercury) and his emotional reaction (Moon) was picked the media (Mercury). Transiting Saturn is opposite Jupiter so the authorities and the police (Saturn) could bring legal (Jupiter) action against him. Transiting Pluto is conjunct Mercury so his movements and communication (Mercury) are now being controlled and restricted (Pluto). I can go a bit deeper, with transiting Neptune making a disruptive little 45 degree semi-square to his natal Sun, making Nick right now a bit more susceptible to being affected by drink and drugs.

Catherine Zeta Jones – Seeking help following a tough year

One has to have some sympathy for the year that Catherine and her husband Michael Douglas have had to endure. Michael has ben battling throat cancer and now she has checked into a clinic to have bipolar disorder treated. As ever in astrology, it is possible to see the consequences of the stresses and strains of life as the planets circle the natal horoscope. Today I take a glimpse at Catherine’s chart, and I will explain astrologically why the planets are currently ganging up against her.

Catherine Zeta Jones was born on 25th September 1969 in Swansea, Wales at 14.40 hrs. She is a Sun Sign Libra with a gentle impressionable Moon in Pisces and a happy go lucky Sagittarius Ascendant. There are several main features on this chart, namely a grand trine, a multiple t-square and a stellium of 5 planets in the 9th house. With this stellium combined with the Sagittarius ascendant (which is associated with Jupiter and the 9th), there was always an indication that there would be a great emphasis in her life of an international nature, she would make her mark on the world. The chance of fame and fortune for her was increased as the Moon sits conjunct the Aries point, within 2 degrees of 0 degrees Aries). Whenever an important planet is conjunct 0 degrees of a cardinal sign (Aries,Cancer,Libra or Capricorn) it always a sign that somewhere along life’s path, there is the potential that one could well be in the spotlight, or there would be the chance for fame or notoriety.

The Sun is a very full 9th house, conjunct to Uranus, in wide conjunction to Pluto, Mercury and Jupiter. With it sitting in the middle of the powerful Uranus Pluto conjunction that shaped the 60’s generation, Catherine is a very intense (Pluto), independent (Uranus) lady who had a great desire to be someone special (Sun/Pluto). Mercury and Jupiter in the 9th house indicates a great thirst for knowledge, interested in the big picture rather than on details. You also might expect with Mercury conjunct Uranus that Catherine would have a clever, insightful mind. All this normally would point to her doing well at school however with Uranus in the 9th house it tends to indicate that the child’s education would be interrupted. Catherine’s school progress was always affected by her burgeoning acting career and  she left school before taking her final exams to pursue her dream of working in theatre and film, so she had to go to a private institution to catch up on her studies.

I have looked at several actors and actresses in previous articles and almost always, Neptune which rules the film and TV world is very much highlighted. With Catherine there is no exception and there are a couple of avenues where her energies are directed to creative arts. The 9th house conjunction is “anchored” in opposition and in Jupiter’s case by quindecile to the Moon in the communicative 3rd house in creative Pisces ruled by Neptune. The Moon here shows need in a chart, and the overriding need for Catherine with the Moon affecting all of the planets on the chart except Saturn was to be creative and to communicate these emotions and creative urges. The Moon in Pisces is tender hearted and fragile yet the emotions that Catherine would experience would be intense and over the top (Moon/Jupiter), transformational (Moon/Pluto), personal (Moon/Sun) and unpredictable (Moon/Uranus). It is also musical and unsurprisingly Catherine sang as a child onstage with the Church amateur theatre group, and did tap dancing and ballet.

The Moon, the store of all this emotion forms a t-square with Mars at the point, widely conjunct the ascendant and a wedge pattern trine with Neptune which makes a sextile back to Pluto. Looking at Mars first, Catherine will be a pro-active type of person and a lady always in a hurry, with the connection between the warrior planet and the ascendant. In Capricorn, Catherine knows that personal success is hard won, and she will work diligently to achieve all her goals. She will have a serious attitude to keeping herself in shape and Mars would push her to make the most of her creative talents and would intensify her desire to make an impact internationally. I can imagine with squares from Mars to the Moon, Mercury, Uranus, Sun and Pluto that Catherine could be a difficult person to be associated with. Don’t be fooled by that jovial, Sagittarius ascendant, Catherine would be difficult and irritable with a nasty unpredictable temper if the mood took her, and quite difficult to live with in general.

Mars is part of a grand trine formation with Venus in careful Virgo in the hidden 8th house and Saturn in the 4th house of home. Grand trines are insular in nature, there show show a store of self-sufficiency against the troubles faced in life, something you can turn inwards to when things are going wrong elsewhere. Mars trine to Venus is romantic and harmonious and with Venus in careful Virgo in the 8th house we can say that Catherine would be careful and selective with whom she would have a relationship with, but once she made up her mind, that relationship would be deep and meaningful. Catherine takes her permanent relationships very seriously.

Saturn part of the grand trine is retrograde. This is always an indicator that the love from the father was missing in some way; either her father was away for some time, or he was overly harsh and strict. Saturn sitting in the 4th house does suggest that Catherine’s home-life was probably strict and rather conservative in nature. The Moon/Uranus/Pluto/Sun/Jupiter) opposition also say that the parents may have been at cross purposes (Sun opposite Moon), she probably had an controlling (Pluto) unpredictable (Uranus) unpleasant mother although it would have been a well to do house (Moon quindecile Jupiter). I can imagine that the love required by a child from the parents was in very short supply to the young Catherine. There are two exits from the self contained grand trine through the hardworking Mars and through a square from Venus to dreamy Neptune. In essence when things were not quite right with either her relationships or at home, she would throw herself into things that she did love by furthering (Mars) her dreams of creativity  (Neptune) in an attempt  to try to escape from the pain.

The Moon/Pluto/Neptune wedge shows an insatiable drive to be creative however with the Pluto/Mars in the Virgo/Pisces health axis of the chart and Neptune ruling Pisces, the potential for emotional (Moon) breakdown (Pluto) has always existed in her chart. Any challenging transit to this axis would trigger these stored up emotional problems, transits that in the last year have hit home.

Catherine’s natal chart of late has been battered by some pretty nasty aspects. As I explained earlier, whenever the Moon/Pluto axis was activated by a big transit then her emotional health would suffer. Sure enough Uranus has been conjunct to her Moon and opposite her Sun and the rest of the 9th house stellium for the past year or so. Cancer which the Moon rules is intercepted in her 7th house of permanent partners and this indicates the the shock news (Uranus) of Michael her husband’s illness has hit her hard. Not only has this been affecting her but Jupiter which heightens her emotions so much through the natal quindecile has had depressing transiting Saturn in conjunction for the past few months. Jupiter through Sagittarius rules the chart as it is on the cusp of the ascendant, so her whole persona has been affected. Transiting Neptune is opposing Catherine’s natal Venus, putting a cloud over her relationships, bringing worry and confusion. The combined effect of these heavyweight aspects have dragged emotional Catherine into severe depression. One good thing for Catherine is that pro-active sensible Mars. Rather than dragging her down any further, Catherine has gone out to seek help to get her though the problems. She has had a distressing year and I hope both her and her husband who is continuing to recover from his cancer scare have a better time of things as the Saturn and Uranus conjunctions move away in the coming months.

Elizabeth Taylor – An astrological profile of Hollywood’s leading lady.

At the age of 79 and having suffered ill health for many years, Dame Elizabeth Taylor passed away today with her four children at her bedside. Elizabeth was one of the great actresses of any generation and was a star in the golden age of film-making in the 50’s and 60’s, notably in Cleopatra and Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf. She married 7 times, including twice to Richard Burton.

Elizabeth was born in London, England at 2.15am on 27th February 1932. She was a Sun sign Pisces with the Moon in deep hidden Scorpio and the Ascendant in expansive Sagittarius. Across the 2nd and 3rd houses we find a Sun, Mercury, Mars conjunction in Pisces. Elizabeth had a lot of energy (Mars) and creative desire (Pisces) but also had a sharp cutting temper (Mercury conjunct Mars). All that ambition from this conjunction found an outlet in filmic Neptune opposite in the international 9th house in critical yet perfectionist Virgo. This Neptune in the 9th house made sure that her acting talent was seen worldwide, she was one of the first real superstar international actresses. Elizabeth would cut down those who crossed her with withering, critical anger, she was the ultimate perfectionist in her acting roles Mars driving her forward to get things right, however there was a downside to this opposition. Neptune opposite the Sun weakens the personality in some way and this being a Pisces/Virgo opposition which is the health axis in a chart, it weakened her health too. After having an accident at the age of just 12 during the filming of National Velvet when she fell off a horse, Elizabeth was always subject to health problems, especially with her back. She also had her hips replaced, survived a benign brain tumour, had skin cancer, pneumonia and later in her life a progressive heart condition. Mars conjunct the Sun certainly gave her the strength to carry on though her ill health, she surely would not been able to carry on to become the legend she became with out it.

Elizabeth’s Moon was in secretive, hidden Scorpio in the humanitarian 11th house. With the Sun in Pisces opposed by Neptune combined with this emotional Moon placing, Elizabeth was extremely sensitive, yet distant and mysterious. Her need for a satisfying physical relationship would have been extremely strong and in her work all these emotions would have come to the surface, maybe the key to why she was such an admired actress. The Moon identifies with groups and humanitarian causes and being square to generous Jupiter in extravagant Leo, she would have had no qualms in being charitable; Elizabeth’s philanthropy was well known. Jupiter in Leo square Moon says everything about her, a larger than life character who just loved to be the spotlight, especially with regard to her emotional life.

Much has been made of Elizabeth’s seven marriages. Why did she get through so many husbands? Well the temper would be one reason. A second reason would have stemmed from the tight Venus/Uranus conjunction in the 4th house of the home in go ahead Aries. Her home life, her love and emotional life would have been unpredictable from an early age, always moving about from place to place. At age 7, her parents (who were American) moved back home to California from London to avoid the war. Soon after, the young Elizabeth was discovered by a Hollywood Universal film mogul and her transitory life continued. She would have been attracted to interesting, rebellious men, yet she herself would have needed space and independence within the union. This is never a helpful aspect for a stable emotional life, as she would have had the tendency to fall in love in an instant, and being in Aries, if things went wrong, Elizabeth would forge ahead to find someone new without thinking of the consequences.

Saturn always shows fear, and with Elizabeth that fear extended to the 2nd house of her personal finances. Here is the fear that you never had enough money, however with Mars also in the 2nd there was a reckless edge to her own spending, and her generosity to charity would have also drained her finances. It is said that Elizabeth married seven times due to the men in her life bleeding her money dry, however the astrology shows that Elizabeth was as much to blame in spending too much. Her paranoia about her personal wealth would have led her to believe this, no matter what the truth actually was. In fact both Saturn and Mars were quindecile Jupiter in the 8th house of other people’s finance. She would have been obsessed about other people’s finance as much as herself.

Finally I look at Pluto. Pluto is in Cancer and trine to that Scorpio Moon. Both these planets are square each other and also in mutual reception, in each other’s home sign so they are very much increased in intensity. This is where I believe Elizabeth got her dark smouldering looks from, Pluto and Scorpio always seem to bestow a strong, mysterious aura. Pluto in it’s home house the 8th says one thing, change. Elizabeth would have to get used to changes often in her life. Changes in her intense emotions, changes in her home-life and changes in her love-life. It was always meant to be that way.

Elizabeth Taylor was a remarkable lady and it is interesting that she passed away just before Neptune changed signs into Pisces, it switches next month. If you look back at Neptune on the cusp of the last degree of a sign, often a famous lady who made her mark on the world passed away.

Thanks to Astrologer Marjorie Orr who produced this incredible list to prove this point.

1901: Neptune leaving Gemini - Queen Victoria dies.
1915: Neptune leaving Cancer - Mary Baker Eddy and Emily Davidson (suffragette who suicided by horse at the Derby). Florence Nightingale also died with Neptune in late Cancer (1911)
1929: Neptune leaving Leo - Emmeline Pankhurst (the great suffragette), Ellen Terry, Isadora Duncan.
1943 - Neptune leaving Virgo - aviator Amy Johnson, writer Beatrix Potter.
1957 - Neptune leaving Libra - Laura Wilder (Little House on the Prairie), scientist Irene Curie
1968 - Neptune leaving Scorpio - Helen Keller, Enid Blyton, Dorothy Parker, Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Little Mo, Sonja Henie, Gypsy Rose Lee, Sharon Tate.
1983 - Neptune leaving Sagittarius - Nathalie Wood, Anita Loos (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), Anna Freud, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Gloria Swanson, Ethel Merman, Lillian Hellman, Indira Gandhi.
1998 - Neptune leaving Capricorn - Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Ella Fitzgerald, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Evelyn Laye, Dorothy Lamour, Claudette Colbert, Margueurite Duras, Patricia Highsmith, Mary Leakey.
2011 - Neptune leaving Aquarius - Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor.

Please visit Marjorie’s excellent site analysing the news stories of the day at the following link :- 

Marjorie Orr Website

Mel Gibson – Creative, intense but temperamental too

Mel Gibson has put himself back in the news after pleading guilty to battery against his former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva in a Los Angeles court this week. Mel who is 55 will now go on 3 years probation, will go through domestic violence counselling and will do 16 hours of community service.

Mel a Sun Sign Capricorn is no stranger to rage. Born on 3rd January 1956 in Peekskill, NY in the United States at 16.45, Mel has one of the more intense charts that I have seen in an actor. As well as the Capricorn Sun, Mel has a Cancer ascendant and a social Libran Moon. The Sun is peregrine (unconnected by any major aspect to any other planet) and is also opposite the ascendant. This Sun will tend to dominate the chart and because it is in Saturn we can safely say that Mel is very conservative. Not only is he conservative, he is very stubborn too with six planets in fixed signs. Once he makes his mind up, he won’t be budged.

The overall  look of the chart shows most of the planets below the horizon; Mel’s whole life was coloured by growing up. At age 14, his family emigrated to Australia just as transiting Pluto entered his 4th house of home and opposed his Midheaven, this move would transform his future career prospects and soon after the family settled, he took up acting classes. Neptune, the planet associated with film and movies is right on the cusp of the 4th and 5th houses. The young Mel would have found home life confusing, maybe he would have had his only little dream world in his mind into which he would escape (Neptune is square Mercury ruling the mind) and on the cusp of the 5th there would obviously be an attraction to film and all creative pursuits. Neptune is on the point of a Neptune Uranus Mercury t-square. Mel will be an individual, a bit of a rebel with Uranus in the first; a rebel with a very sharp and inventive mind too, with the Uranus Mercury opposition. All that creative mental energy is directed onto the filmic Neptune. In the fifth house we also find Mars and Saturn. This is a heavyweight combination showing huge determination, a stern, harsh, even violent temper which will come up like a volcano (trine Uranus)  and an attraction to action roles, Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart. Mel not only has a serious attitude to acting but also for controlling the whole process of making  films. This conjunction is square the midheaven; Mel was always destined to be a film director.

The Saturn/Mars conjunction I just mentioned is square another heavyweight conjunction, Pluto conjunct with Jupiter in the 3rd house. Mel is a powerful speaker, has an aptitude for making making money, and has a deep level of faith, especially sextile Neptune in Scorpio. His faith will be very, very, strictly adhered to with the Mars/Saturn square.  The Passion of the Christ which Mel directed with it’s dark, brooding, controversial nature and message, so accurately encompasses all of the elements that I just described.

Mel’s Venus, the only planet I have not yet looked at sits in cool, rebellious Aquarius. You find a lot of good looking people with Venus in Aquarius, they have an almost electric sparkle about them. He will have a cool almost unapproachable demeanour, more interested in being friends then having a serious relationship. Mel’s will have a large circle of friends who he will constantly lean on. With Venus in the 8th house, what relationships he does make will be stormy, he almost likes it and needs it that way.

Right now Mel has transiting Saturn square his ascendant from his 4th house – the violence to would have taken place in the home environment. Transiting Uranus is opposite Moon, trine both Saturn and it’s own natal position so an emotional bust up and transiting Neptune is square Saturn and opposite Pluto. Shows confusion, deceit, maybe alcohol was involved in some way?

Charlie Sheen – Sacked by CBS, time to move on

Just a quick update on my previous post. This morning Charlie Sheen was sacked by CBS after his now infamous radio rant against the show’s writer. Looking at the current astro weather, Sheen has transiting Mercury in the 10th house of work square his natal Jupiter in the second house, so bad work news hitting him financially in the pocket. Mars opposite his natal Sun so he is going to be full of energy and in the next few days Mars will conjunct natal Saturn and at the same time oppose Uranus and Pluto who sit together in his 4th house. Somebody better keep an eye on him, because that is a very explosive combination. The transiting Sun is for the next couple of days trine Neptune, so he will be confused and susceptible to escapist tendencies, backed up by transiting Neptune trine Jupiter. Finally transiting Jupiter is sextile his Midheaven, he is now free of his previous commitments… 

Please also see my previous post on Charlie Sheen - Charlie Sheen - Posted 27/02/11

Charlie Sheen – Constantly living on the edge

What is it with famous people saying things out of turn right now? This week we had John Galliano the fashion designer, now it is Charlie Sheen who, in a very controversial radio interview made himself very unpopular with the creator of “Two & a Half Men” in which Sheen stars. The show was promptly cut following the outburst.

Charlie is a critical Sun sign Virgo in the creative 5th house, with his Moon in free and easy Sagittarius but hidden away in the complex 8th. That Moon in such an outgoing sign as Sagittarius here gives an element of putting your nose into other people’s business, the need to control other people’s affairs. It also lends a need for reform, reconstruction and rehabilitation.

His natal chart is very outgoing!! Sun in the 5th with Uranus and Pluto is an explosive mix. Very creative and self-destructive, the need to be crazy, wacky and different. He will have a riotous sense of humour. Opposite this combination is Saturn in the 11th, a huge need to be loved and appreciated, although that appreciation may not have extended to his father. With Saturn retrograde and opposite his Sun, Charlie would have craved love from him, something I suspect he never truly received. This opposition by sextile and trine feeds into the film and TV ruling Neptune in the 6th house. Here Neptune is not so well placed. Although visionary and very imaginative in a wide conjunction to Mars, it lends a disorganisation into the everyday life, and with a quindecile to the Ascendant, the need to escape from the everyday routine for Charlie is very necessary. Neptune rules drugs and alcohol and it is widely known that Sheen has entered rehab in the past, echoing the need of the Moon in the 8th. Charlie will be at the same time very concerned with his health and wellbeing, but simply may not be able to help himself. Any type of drugs will have a far reaching effect on him. Venus in sociable Libra also sits in the 6th in a creative sextile to Mercury. Here is the need to make people around him happy.

Charlie has a very generous 2nd house – 8th House opposition, Jupiter to Moon. Here is his giving side, he will be charitable and helpful to friends as well as those less well off; he will support groups and associations which support such causes. Personally, his attitude to money will be extravagant, if I got it I’ll spend it & flaunt it. Finally looking at the last of the major planets, we look at Mercury. It is in showy bossy Leo, Charlie will be outspoken and controversial especially at work with a quindecile to his Midheaven. In his quieter moments, he will also a bit of a bookworm and interested in history and the past.

The last solar eclipse of 4th Jan hinted that Charlie was due a reorganisation in his life, hitting in his 8th house of change. The transiting planets of the moment are clustered are around Charlie’s midheaven, his career. Sun Mars and Mercury all conjunct and are opposite his natal Sun, Pluto and Uranus and trine natal Mars – unwise, aggressive, critical words in a public setting have caused upset and the reorganisation I hinted of earlier. Transiting Uranus is also square his natal Jupiter, unpredictable over-the top behaviour and transiting Saturn is conjunct natal Saturn in the 6th house – a work relationship is being affected. I suspect that the best course for Charlie will be to go away, lick his wounds and find new creative challenges to get his teeth into.

**Update 8th March 11**

Just been announced that Charlie Sheen has been fired from his hit TV show Two and a Half Men. Quite frankly I am not surprised. The astrology said it was on the cards and there was always only ever going to be one outcome. The planets don’t lie…

Please also see my new Charlie Sheen post - Charlie Sheen - Sacked by CBS, time to move on - 8th Mar 11

Jessica Alba – Underneath the gentle exterior lies a tough cookie.

Jessica is a steady Sun Sign Taurus with a cool detached Moon in Aquarius. This is a very stubborn combination, indeed this is a very stubborn & fixed chart in general, so she will go at her own pace, not anyone else’s, and she will be constantly battling between doing things for herself and having time for other people. As she is always in the public eye I can imagine that this constant “putting herself out for people or making time for them” can make her a bit irritable, especially as she has a Mercury/Mars conjunction which indicates a sharp tongue when pushed too far. It also indicates that she will want to be significant, glamorous or different in some way. Uranus sits at the top of her chart in the 10th house conjunct the midheaven, confirming that this need to be different & exciting extends to her career – she needs to be in the public spotlight. Uranus there also indicate that somewhere along the line, Jessica may have at least a couple of career changes as she gets older. The Aquarius moon sits gently in the 1st house which gives the misleading impression of her being quite vulnerable and impressionable, however within her there is a Martian (Mars/Aries rules the first house) driving independent spirit that pushes Jessica forward to achieve.

Even from 5 years of age, Jessica yearned to be an actress – a dream that quickly became reality as she won an acting competition at the age of 11 in Beverley Hills in 1992, just as transiting Pluto connected exactly with her midheaven, trusting her future career into the spotlight. There is an interesting twist to this. The Nodal axis or maternal axis (North Node/South Node) also lies on the ascendant/descendant axis – I look to the mother as an influence to her public face. You guessed it? It was her mother who took her to the acting competition and subsequently pushed her forward.  As a youngster she also suffered an unusual amount of health problems. Her Moon is in the first house and rules the 6th house of health, with Cancer on the cusp, so any aspects to it hits her personally in a physical way. The Natal moon is trine Pluto and almost square Uranus, so as those planets were activated by solar arc in the first 10-12 years of her life, her health suffered. She suffered collapsed lungs, pneumonia as well as a ruptured appendix, as well as acute asthma. Luckily she has a fortifying Sun/Mars conjunction which would have contributed strength when she needed it most – Jessica despite her gentle appearance is deceptive, she is a real fighter. One other thing that Jessica will always have to put up with is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Obsession on a natal chart can be shown by quintedeciles (165 degree aspects) between natal planets. Jessica has no less than 4, all of them emanating from her Sun, Mercury, Venus conjunction outwards to Uranus, her midheaven and her Pluto. The ideal career, the ideal image and the need for control of this will affect the way she lives her life. One of the quintedeciles connects Venus and Uranus. With Venus ruling the 4th house of the home and the 9th house of education, it indicates an almost transitory disruptive home life, a fact that Jessica has openly admitted to affecting her childhood, as well as a disrupted education.

She has a constant need to communicate with a full 3rd house, always on the phone, texting & emailing I would bet. She is also blessed with a graceful, idealistic Mercury/Venus conjunction combined with that active, athletic Sun/Mars conjunction I spoke of earlier. Having being lucky enough to have met Jessica a few months back, I can testify that she does have an incredible grace and gentleness to her persona.

Her 8th house is full with Pluto and a Jupiter/Saturn conjunction. She will constantly shift between optimism and pessimism, moving forward and then pulling back. Financially she will be serious about investment, will want to keep her finances under her own control, and may well benefit from an inheritance at some point in her life. She also will have an interest in deeper, darker subjects, the unusual and the unknown. Emotionally, she is far more intense than her appearance indicates with an intense Moon/Pluto trine. On a religious spiritual level, with Jupiter in sociable Libra and Neptune in Jupiter’s own sign of Sagittarius, I would expect her to be quite open in her attitude to spirituality of all types.

Right now Jessica is in the news, as it has been revealed that she is expecting her second child with film producer husband, Cash Warren. Looking at her progressed chart progressed Venus is trine her natal Moon which is very pleasant and coming from the 5th house indicates children. Her progressed Sun is also trine her Ascendant so this will be a happy year. This aspect is also shown on the Solar Arc chart. SA Saturn is opposite Mars, so it suggests whatever projects Jessica has been doing will now have to be put on hold. Also interestingly SA Pluto is just 2 degrees away from hitting the Midheaven. In 2013, one of those career changes I mentioned earlier may just happen. Maybe the joy of motherhood and looking after her children will eventually pull her away from the acting scene? Certainly 2013/14 will herald a multitude for changes for both her life and her future.

Natalie Portman – A Black Swan flying high

I decided today to have a look at Jerusalem born Natalie Portman (born originally Natalie Hershlag) who has won much praise for her dark and compelling lead role in the Darren Aronofsky film “Black Swan”. Natalie is a Sun sign Gemini hidden away in the 8th house. She has a need to communicate as all Geminis do, and she does this through the medium of film. Neptune the planet of illusion and among other things film-making is directly opposite her Sun in the 2nd house and ruled the fifth house of creativity with Pisces on the cusp. This is a particularly good placing for making money through artistic pursuits. This opposition is square her Moon in the 11th. There is a huge requirement for her to be loved and adored, and through film and acting she fulfils this need. I suspect that there was a fair amount of tension between her father and mother, squares between the Sun and Moon always show this, however it reported that Natalie is very close to them both. Why? Maybe because her North Node is exactly midpoint between her Sun and Moon – the closest midpoint on her chart (1 minute from being exact!!). Natalie is inextricably tied to them emotionally, and in return she is the glue that keeps them together.

That 11th house is very strong, with Jupiter and Saturn placed there too as well as the Moon so it shows a compassion towards friends, groups, associations and political parties. She has actively campaigned  (Mars trine Jupiter/Saturn) on behalf of the US Democratic party in the last two Presidential elections, and has travelled extensively in aid of charities and animal rights groups.

Natalie is independently minded (Uranus in the first) and will be attracted to more unusual roles, particularly in portraying deep emotions in her characters, with Pluto in the 12th house trine her Sun; she has a Scorpio ascendant which adds even more depth to her character and Venus and Mercury conjunct in the 8th house of the taboo and the unknown. Venus and Mercury conjunct adds idealism to her character, with grace and perfectionism to her work – so necessary in the accurate portrayal of ballet. That idealism extends to her family too (Venus/Mercury in Cancer) and she is very proud of her roots in Israel (very Cancerian).

Right now, that Venus/Mercury conjunction is by Solar Arc conjunct her North Node and sextile her natal Saturn – she is right in the public eye and her career is hitting a high. I quite expect her to pick the best Actress Oscar very soon to go with her Golden Globe & BAFTA awards. Her solar arc Moon is about to trine her Sun in summer this year - right on cue as she becomes a mother for the first time. For sure, 2011 will prove to be a milestone year for her professionally and personally. 

Update ** 5th March 11 ** So delighted that Natalie won best actress at the Oscars, her performance thoroughly deserved it.