Cosmic Update 25/02/2002

My COSMIC UPDATES are a way of looking at items and people in the news from an astrological perspective. And while I try to make the text as understandable as possible I realize that some of the astrological jargon baffles the general reader.

Skating certainly took Gold for being the most controversial sport in the 2002 Winter Olympics and in the process reflecting the angular sun-Uranus conjunction in the chart of the Games (see Cosmic Update February 18^th ). Yet another history-making verdict was cast on Thursday, 21^st when sixteen-year-old, American figure-skater, Sarah Hughes won gold, thrusting Russia’s, Irena Slutskaya, into second place and even more sensationally, relegating the hot favourite, fellow American, Michelle Kwan into Bronze. Uranus also had the final word by presiding over an extraordinary firework display at the closing ceremony – an incandescent spectacle of colour, sound and emotion. Hollywood comes to Mount Olympus.

With the nominees for this year’s Oscars announced earlier in the week a frenzy of speculation was launched. And I am going to add to that speculative chorus by putting the charts of three of the nominees on my Cosmic Update this week. Then you too can play the game of winners or losers. Sadly, I don’t have charts for all the actors named, but, if during the next few weeks, any of you would like to e-mail me the dates and times of birth for those I have not mentioned, please do so. (I have to thank several of you for sending me Giuliani’s birthday – no time, unfortunately, but at least a day – and I have included his solar chart at the end of this Cosmic Update.)

Hale Berry, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Sissy Spacek have all been given the honour of competing for this title but out of all of five actresses I have only Ms Spacek’s chart. Somewhat synchronistically and taking her performance in In The Bedroom into consideration Sissy is my favourite for the award, although in late March her horoscope is not exactly a-blaze with Oscar glory.

Sissy Spacek has been hitherto most well known for her role as Carrie in the film of the same name by Stephen King. And if you haven’t seen this cinema classic, the story revolves around a teen-age girl who develops supernatural powers including a talent for making fire, which provided the grizzly and terrifying end to the film. What more appropriate astrological signature could you have for a gifted pyromaniac than someone with Mars exactly on her Ascendant intersecting an angular sun-Uranus opposition.

First, let me draw your attention to the aforementioned ‘T’-square: all points of this natal configuration connect with the Ascendant/Descendant/sun alignment in the Oscar’s chart – a factor I believe makes the point that this is Sissy’s night. However, Saturn is squaring her moon, suggesting a disappointment. Then again, given the strength of her own natal Saturn (which I shall explain shortly) this aspect could signify a solid success.

A rising Mars is often to be found in the charts of red-heads (of which Sissy is one) or those with a ruddy and freckled complexion. Also, a rising Mars, especially one that is caught up in an explosive ‘T’-square like this one is indicative of a born fighter, an individual who never gives up and is fiercely competitive. To all intents and purposes the diminutive Ms Spacek appears self-deprecating and charming but maybe those who know her well would describe her as anything but – indeed, quite the wild child. Certainly, some of her other roles, Loretta Lynn in The Coal-miner’s Daughter, for instance show a truly gutsy, headstrong woman at work.

The reason I suggest that Saturn is strong in her natal chart is that it is Sissy’s sun ruler and at ten degrees above the Ascendant in a dominant sector of the horoscope. (Michel Gauquelin’s work revealed that planets that had just risen or culminated were super-charged, so to speak.) Saturn is also trine the ruler of her chart, Mercury, which is also the ruler of her Geminian Mid-heaven. Individuals who have a strong Saturn sometimes respond very well to Saturn transits, even the hard angles – British ex-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher is a case in point. Thus we shall wait with keen interest until Oscar night to see if this is indeed the case.

1.	Transiting Jupiter	trining the moon

2.	Transiting Jupiter	conjunct the Midheaven
		opposing the sun
		conjuncting Uranus
		squaring Mars


3.	The Sun and Ascendant in the Oscar’s chart is closely tied to her own sun - Uranus - Mars - Ascendant/Descendant - MC/IC axis.

4.	Transiting Saturn is trine the mid-point of her Venus-Jupiter

5	TranTrasiting Venus is in the region of her Nodal axis in fact her North Node is at the mid-point of transiting sun-Venus

6.	The moon at the Oscars is opposing her Venus, trining the North Node and conjuncting Pluto

Clearly the pluses outweigh the minuses and if success was a matter of the amount of significant transits to a natal chart, it’s difficult to see how she could lose!

There was a time when Sean Penn was Mr. Madonna but not any more. His Leo sun and his rising Jupiter in Sagittarius have thrust him into his own spotlight. And what a talent he has proved to be – a superb writer, director and actor, someone who is not afraid to take on roles that have little glamour attached to them. Of which the mentally retarded father in I Am Sam, the part for which he has won this nomination, is one.

Mr Penn’s versatility is present in his strongly Mutable chart – especially his Mars in Gemini and his Sagittarian Ascendant. The sun-Uranus conjunction is also indicative of someone who dares to be different and cares not one jot for the acclamation of Hollywood, merely the knowledge of a job well done, a craft fulfilled.

As far as Oscar night goes and his chances of winning Best Actor, the transit of Uranus to his Sun-Uranus opposition gives a hint of a surprise victory while transiting Jupiter conjunct his moon produces a resounding note of success. Transiting Pluto is also conjunct his Ascendant, which adds a transformational theme to the astrology – already a Name in the industry, does this transit of Pluto shunt him into the high firmament, I wonder. And, rather like Sissy Spacek, the Ascendant/sun set-up of the Oscar’s chart hooks up to main features of his natal horoscope, notably his Mid-heaven and moon.

On the minus side, transiting Saturn is conjunct Mars and squaring Venus, the ruler of his Mid-heaven, which suggests an inhibition of his energies and desires and, perhaps, a blow to his male ego.

Maybe by the time the Oscars are given we shall have established Mr Crowe’s birth time so there will be a correct natal chart to work with. However, even the solar chart gives some indication of an actor at a successful point of his career.

His Mars in Aries is conjuncted by the sun on Oscar night while transiting Venus has just passed his sun on its way to meet up with his Jupiter – thus, transiting Venus is at the mid-point of natal sun-Jupiter. Also, transiting Jupiter is conjunct his North Node. These transits could simply thrust him centre stage for the night and supply a major boost for his ego, not to mention make him very susceptible to female attentions, but they could also signify a win.

And by the way while we’re on the subject of female attentions, Russell’s powerful ‘T’-square involving Venus in Gemini squaring Saturn (Pisces) and Uranus-Pluto (Virgo) speaks volumes about his legendary appetite for women. Perhaps when Uranus enters Pisces in 2003/4 and tees off this configuration he will meet his Waterloo, so to speak. Another reason to watch this space.

Less wonderful is the square of transiting Saturn to his natal Uranus-Pluto conjunction. Maybe he is currently experiencing difficulties with management or the powers that be. We cannot know for sure but life isn’t all plain-sailing for Mr Crowe at the moment, with or without an Oscar to pop on his mantlepiece.

During the course of the next few weeks I will add to this collection if and when I get a correct chart. But here, at least, is an appetizer for the feast that is to follow.

1.	Transiting Saturn	squaring natal moon

2.	Transiting Pluto	squaring natal Saturn

3.	Transiting Mars	quincunx natal Pluto

	The Astrologer's Handbook Frances Sakoian, Louis S. Acker
	Planets in Transit Robert Hand
	The Final Prophecies of Nostradamus Erika Cheetham