The Optimism of Tim Tebow’s astrological chart

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

Not being a sports fan I had no idea who Tim Tebow was, but as a student of human behavior this article in the New York Times intrigued me:

Tebow tends to have his worst 45 minutes of play when it matters least and his best 15 when it matters most. And while he makes many mistakes, their cost is seldom exorbitant. These aren’t so much skills as tendencies — inclinations — that prove to be every bit as consequential as the stuff of rankings and record books. He reminds us that strength comes in many forms and some people have what can be described only as a gift for winning, which isn’t synonymous with any spreadsheet inventory of what it supposedly takes to win.

This gift usually involves hope, confidence and a special composure, all of which keep a person in the game long enough, with enough energy and stability, so that a fickle entity known as luck might break his or her way. For Tebow that state of mind comes from his particular relationship with his chosen God and is a matter of religion. For someone else it might be understood and experienced as the power of positive thinking, and is a matter of psychology. Either way it boils down to stubborn optimism and bequeaths a spark. A swagger. An edge.

It’s easy to be pessimistic about optimism. When peddled generically by unctuous politicians, it can seem the ultimate opiate, a cop-out and fallback when there’s nothing more substantive to sustain you. But optimism can have an impact. It’s what radiates from Tebow and fires up the Broncos. And therein lies a lesson about leadership with a resonance beyond football.

Whether Tebow’s optimism comes from religious faith or within himself doesn’t matter for the purposes of astrological study – suffice it to say that it comes naturally to him and has infused his teammates with a confidence that has driven his team to turn around their losing streak and transform the playing field.

Tebow (born 8/14/1987, time unknown in the Phillipines) has the Sun in Leo which is a forceful and energetic sign. Leo types NEED to develop a personality that is somewhat larger than life and learn to embrace the ups and downs of life in order to ultimately achieve lasting joy despite the details. But that Leo Sun is only part of the equation. Tebow’s Sun is part of a stellium in Leo that includes Mercury, Venus and Mars. This guy has a ton of natural energy that helps to fuel his inner spirit, and he is also gifted with the natural competition that comes from a Sun/Mars conjunction.

As if that weren’t enough, these Leo planets are part of a Grand Trine in fire signs. His Aries Moon (emotional needs and inner security) conjoins Jupiter, the very planet of confidence and optimism which often bestows a sense of righteousness and conviction. This pair harmonizes with the natural competitiveness of the Leo stellium to add to the overall energy of the chart.

We don’t know Tebow’s ascendant (rising sign), but we do know that he has Saturn in Sagittarius. When the planet of limitation (Saturn) is in the sign of confidence (Sagittarius), and in his chart it is retrograde to boot, there is more than a hint of self-doubt that creeps into the personality. In this chart, with all of this fiery confidence and enthusiasm, that’s not a bad thing as it helps to temper and moderate what could be extremely reckless and impulsive behavior. Because Saturn is trine his Sun, Venus and Mercury, he has an added benefit of Saturn’s discipline and sense of responsibility and this influence is likely the motivator behind Tebow’s religious humility.

Completing the fire trine is Uranus in a trine to both the Sun/Mars and the Moon and Jupiter. Uranus inspires us to break free of restrictions and not to allow ourselves to become stuck in situations that no longer suit us, and in this chart it offers endless opportunities for change and new ideas and situations for Mr. Tebow.

This is an important year for Mr. Tebow as his progressed Sun is aligning in an exact square to progressed Saturn, suggesting something of great significance is to occur this year. The significance is likely to be extremely positive since a long string of Jupiter transits beginning in March are likely to open new doors and bring new opportunities his way.

Optimism and confidence come easy for some people, but they are qualities that can be learned. The certainty that good things will happen generally brings good things our way, and seeing only the negative will bring more bad luck. Opening our minds to new possibilities is a skill that can be learned, and through practice we can all have the kind of confidence and optimism that can turn our lives around.

The astrology of Ashton Kutcher

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

Much has been said lately about Ashton Kutcher’s alleged adultery, and the possible demise of the May/December relationship is being blamed on their age difference. But I suspect it has more to do with the fact that Ashton’s chart reveals a psychological conflict between a serious and sensible nature and a yearning to be free.

Ashton’s chart (source: Astrotheme) shows that he is a New Moon personality, with the Sun and Moon conjoined in Aquarius. New Moon people are somewhat impulsive and can have a tendency towards rash behavior – they are on the path of a new beginning and carry a great deal of excitement with them. The fact that the New Moon is in Aquarius adds an even greater touch of eccentricity and a desire to be authentic and true to one’s own self. The New Moon configuration (and Mercury, the planet of the mind) fall in the Ninth House of travel and adventure, revealing Ashton’s need for experiences that continue to broaden his horizons and deepen his understanding.

That New Moon also conjoins Venus (attraction and relationships) at the Midheaven of the chart, the point of highest aspiration, with both Venus and the Midheaven also in Aquarius and all three planets are in a harmonious trine to Jupiter, the planet of good fortune. This is a very positive aspect for career success, but it also alludes to the importance of relationships in advancing his career. This is a powerful Aquarian influence that can be brilliant and innovative, but also detached and isolated. Aquarius has two rulers: Saturn (the detached and isolated influence) and Uranus (the brilliant innovator). Yet both of these planets have something in common – neither of them is very comfortable with the emotional realm (especially with the Moon, representing the emotions, in Aquarius). The fact that Uranus is locked in a challenging square to the New Moon/Venus configuration provides extra fuel for that particular fire and strengthens the Uranian yearning for liberation.

Gemini is rising in his chart, and Jupiter, the planet of expansion, is also in Gemini in the First House of personal identity bestowing confidence and a desire for a world that continually expands. The Gemini ascendant signifies a need for a constantly changing world in which a multitude of experiences combine to inform the path of the individual’s evolution.

These are not planetary configurations that suggest a tremendously disciplined personality, or one that seeks commitment and family ties. However, we also see Saturn in the chart opposing the that New Moon/Venus, and Saturn is retrograde which intensitifes the Saturnian influence that seeks structure and a disciplined approach to life. In addition, his Mars is in Cancer so he has a strong drive (Mars) towards nurturing and caring for others (Cancer), although Mars makes no major aspects to any other planet in his chart and therefore has a difficult time finding a way to find expression.

Saturn opposite the Moon can signify depression and loneliness and Ashton has admitted to contemplating suicide at the age of thirteen. At the time transiting Saturn was passing over his Aquarian planets and over the next few years under the Saturnian influence his home life worsened and his parents divorced.

Ashton and Demi met at a party in March 2003. Ashton’s progressed Moon had been in Capricorn for the previous 18 months and he was likely feeling the need (Moon) for a more structured and committed life (Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and shares its connection to success, achievement and responsibility). When they met, his progressed Moon was nearing a conjunction to Juno (asteroid of marriage) and they began dating right away.

Ashton and Demi married on September 24, 2005. At the time Ashton’s progressed Moon was transiting the New Moon/Venus configuration in his chart and passing over the Midheaven. He likely felt that this was the culmination of his life’s experiences – more than just a relationship, he was moving into a public persona of marriage and family life, Saturnian structures of responsibility and commitment. Yet the conflict between Saturn’s pressure for structure and the need for autonomy of Uranus is an ongoing battle in Ashton’s psyche.

The Saturn Return is a significant planetary cycle that affects people in different ways. Some people find this the most productive time of their life as Saturn inspires them to work hard and achieve long-lasting goals. But some people are kicked to the curb if Saturn’s School of Hard Knocks teaches their lessons the hard way. To some extent we have some influence over how planetary cycles will affect us if we are aware and understand what is required, but that is not universally true. Because Saturn is in a planetary system in Ashton’s chart that includes the New Moon and Venus and his Midheaven, his Saturn Return in 2007 was particularly potent and his career floundered during that period. The 70′s Show, which had made him a star, had ended its run and Ashton struggled to find himself.

Rumors of Ashton cheating on Demi began in September of 2010. During that year, Ashton’s Venus had progressed to the early degrees of Aries where it has been beat up by the Cardinal Drama, a major planetary configuration which created a great deal of tension both in the world and in the personal lives of individuals over the past three years. The rumors soon died down until this summer when rumors began circulating that Ashton and Demi were living apart, a story that coincides with his great television success as the new cast member of “Two and a Half Men.” When photos of Ashton cavorting in a hot tub with a blonde on the day of his wedding anniversary splashed across tabloid covers last week, the rumors became news.

It appears inevitable that Ashton and Demi will end their marriage if it’s not already over, but it won’t be because of the age difference. It will be because Ashton has not yet grown up enough to balance the urges within his chart and his personality which are in conflict with each other. This is not an uncommon problem and it takes a certain amount of self-knowledge and understanding to find that balance.

The astrology of Ellen DeGeneres’ health scare

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

Disclaimer: I am not a medical profession and I have no medical training. I do, however, have a special interest in the astrological analysis of health effects.

Ellen DeGeneres was treated on Monday for chest pains that began on Sunday. Although she laughed off the pains on her talk show Monday, she was evidently sufficiently alarmed by them to call 911 during a meeting at the Warner Brothers Lot at 11:53 am on Monday.

Ellen’s astrology chart shows that not only does she have the Sun in Aquarius, but also Venus and Chiron, all connected in a triple conjunction which means all three planets operate as one system. The Sun combines with Venus to (usually) create a friendly and sociable personality that tends to be well liked by others. However, the presence of Chiron, often called the “Wounded Healer,” in that system reflects the fact that her relationships have been her greatest wounders as well as healing forces in her life.

This system is opposed by Uranus, which is the planet of radical change and innovation. Uranus is the revolutionary, and it is also associated with androgyny (hence the term “Uranian” to describe a “third sex” with neutral gender as described in this earlier article). Uranus also rules electricity and electromagnetic energy.

Uranus is the ruler of the sign Aquarius, so the fact that Ellen’s Aquarius planets are opposed by Uranus (a “double whammy” in technical astrological terms” connects the Sun, Venus and Chiron to Uranian energy even more intensely than it would otherwise.

The Sun rules the physical heart in medical astrology, and the heart requires electricity to continue to pump blood and oxygen through the body, and when Uranus is tied to the Sun in the astrological chart it is often easy for the electromagnetic balance to get out of balance. This electromagnetic balance is also essential for good neurological health, and Sun/Uranus people often have a certain degree of nervousness or anxiety.

At the time that Ellen’s chest pains began there was a lineup of planets affecting this sensitive neurological area. In her progressed chart (the evolving chart that helps us to see how our lives are unfolding) her Ascendant has progressed into a conjunction to her Sun, and her progressed Mars is following close behind. Over the next year as her progressed Ascendant approaches an exact conjunction to her Sun we will see her grow even more into the fullness of who she wants to be – this is a wonderful time of self-acceptance and personal growth.

Mars is the planet of fire and energy, and at the time her chest pains began transiting Mars had just opposed her progressed Mars and was coming up to an opposition to her natal Sun, a double planetary cycle which can stir up some agitation and emotional disruption. Because Uranus is a part of that system natally (in the birthchart), and because of the strong Aquarian influence, Mars would have stimulated the electrical system in the body which would have required some effort to maintain balance.

Transiting Mars will set off this system again in a year or so when Mars enters Scorpio and forms a square to the Aquarius planets. Fortunately Ellen is a healthy eater (she became vegan a few years ago) and lives a relatively normal life by Hollywood standards. That will help her to find equilibrium of body, mind and spirit that will help her to maintain the energetic balance her kind of nervous system requires.

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Updated!! The astrology of Chaz Bono and the Aquarian Age

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

At the age of 42 Chaz Bono has joined the cast of the television program “Dancing with the Stars” – an event which has caused widespread controversy and brought his recent gender reassignment surgery into the forefront of the news.

Update: Astrotheme has a 12:55 am birth time for Chaz Bono which has been identified as part of the Steinbrecher collection which is highly reliable. I’ve edited the article to add some information based on this time of birth.

When you start to pay attention you will be amazed at how many newsmakers are in key astrological cycles. 28-29: the Saturn return. 41-42: the Uranus opposition. So without even looking at Bono’s chart we can see that he is in the middle of a dramatic life cycle, the Uranus opposition, that inspires a radical departure from anything in his life where he is not feeling true to himself.

Chaz Bono was born as a woman named Chastity Sun Bono March 4, 1969 (time unknown) in Los Angeles, California. His Sun is in Pisces, the sign of the shapeshifter – the one who yearns for peace, tranquility, and beauty. Pisces is the most mutable of the water signs and like water, it tends to adapt to fit the container in which it finds itself. This sometimes makes it more difficult for Pisces Sun people to know with certainty who they really are.

Bono, a former lesbian, says she realized she was gay at puberty and came out to her parents at the age of 18. I have written about the effect of Uranus in the chart in gender issues, and here we see a tight conjunction of Jupiter (representing our search for meaning) conjunct Uranus (liberation and freedom from judgment) closely aligned to his Libra South Node, suggesting that these gender issues are something that he struggled with in the past, perhaps in past lives. The combination of Jupiter and Uranus are often found in the charts of social activists, and Bono has become a highly vocal spokesperson for the GLBT community.

The South Node system falls in the tenth house of public life in the chart, so it’s not surprising that his struggle to find his identity has played out in the public eye. As one of my readers pointed out, Black Moon Lilith (which I am just beginning to study) is located in the seventh house of partnership and in a nearly exact square to the lunar nodes. From what I can tell so far from what I’ve read, the Black Moon deals with primal issues of rage and abandonment, and with such a powerful story expanding the meaning of the nodal journey we would expect a vivid past life history of rage and abuse that is determined to be resolved this time around.

Interestingly, that Jupiter/Uranus/ South Node combination culminated by progression in 1987-1992 which corresponds to the period during which he came out to his parents (1987) and then was outed by a tabloid (1990). This fits right into the notion that there is a karmic connection at play with Bono’s gender identity evolution.

Opposing that system at the South Node is a conjunction of Chiron (the planet of wounding, healing and teaching) to the Aries North Node, the point at which we find our future destiny. The polarity from Libra to Aries is all about moving from accommodating others (Libra) to becoming more self-oriented (Aries). It’s no wonder Bono has made it his mission to educate the public about gender issues and with Chiron present, this helps him to heal his own wounds as well.

Those wounds are probably substantial, since his Virgo Moon (emotional needs) is widely conjunct Pluto, the planet of death, destruction and regeneration. Although the conjunction is wide, Pluto sits right on the Midheaven of the chart where it becomes more powerful and a huge part of Bono’s outer experience. The need to have a powerful effect in the world is crucial with a Pluto/Midheaven alignment such as this.

Moon/Pluto people feel everything intensely and somewhat obsessively, and with that Moon in Virgo the Virgoan need for order and routine is often threatened by outside forces. One can imagine that Bono’s early life as a child of successful Hollywood entertainers in the early 1970s would have been anything but routine. Just after Bono’s birth his parents started filming the movie “Charity,” which failed and resulted in their return to Las Vegas clubs. One can imagine that this kind of life would not have provided the kind of order and stability that the Virgo Moon requires.

Venus is the planet that describes the way we relate to others, and Bono’s Venus is in Aries, the sign of self-orientation. Where Pisces is a more feminine (yin/receptive) sign, Aries is a masculine (yang/assertive) sign, and this sets up a dissonance between the masculine and feminine side of the personality. Not that this combination would always suggest a transgendered person, but there is generally always a need to balance the masculine and feminine. Bono’s Venus is conjoined by Saturn, planet of restriction and self-doubt which reveals insecurities around relationships and one’s own attractiveness, both areas ruled by Venus.

Another factor at work in 1990 when Bono’s sexuality became tabloid fodder was a challenging transit of both Saturn (testing) and Chiron (healing of wounds) to that natal Venus/Saturn combination. This must have been an extremely difficult time navigating through the minefields of sexual identity, something that is very difficult for any young adult much less a transgendered person in the public eye.

Bono has struggled with weight issues throughout his life. Leaving aside the obvious impact of Cher’s own body image issues, we can see in his chart the lack of emotional outlet (the chart lacks water, the element of feeling, other than the Pisces Sun) for the huge complex of emotions that the Moon/Pluto conjunction creates. In addition, the sensitivity of the Pisces Sun can create a need to build a buffer against the impact of the world in someone with these kinds of issues.

In the spring of 2006 Uranus transited his Sun. Uranus, remember, urges us to change our lives wherever we are not true to ourselves, and a Uranus transit to the Sun demands that we become as authentic as possible. This could have been the precursor to the decision to seek gender reassignment surgery which then began in mid-2008 when Uranus opposed his Moon.

Bono’s South Node planetary system (Jupiter, Uranus and the South Node) is at 1-3 degrees Libra, so it has been hit hard since early 2008 by the big Cardinal Drama that has been at work between 2008 and 2011. Beginning with Pluto, then Saturn, then Jupiter and then Uranus, there has been a great deal of planetary pressure on Bono to find his way towards his destiny as represented by the Nodes of the Moon.

The Uranus Opposition began in the spring of 2011 with the release of the film Becoming Chaz about the gender reassignment surgery. The second phase of the opposition occurs in mid to late September just as “Dancing with the Stars” begins the new season. The publicity around his selection as a contestant has stirred up intense controversy and fear among parents who would rather these gender identification issues remain in the closet.

As I wrote in the article cited above, “the more radical societal changes become the stronger the backlash of conservatives who fear this kind of extreme alteration to their world view. This is part of what we will be seeing over the next four years as Uranus squares Pluto and takes us deeper into the Aquarian Age.”

And as Chaz Bono says about the criticism, “”You know, it just kind of shows why for me it’s important to be on the show, because so little still is known about what it means to be transgender. And there’s so many just completely inaccurate stereotypes and thoughts that people have.”

And as the entire GLBT community says, “We’re here, we’re queer: Get over it.”

Amy Winehouse, dead at 27

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

Amy Winehouse dead The number of musicians who have died at age 27 (putting her in the sadly named “27 Club”) has just increased by one. Amy Winehouse died Saturday July 23 of a drug overdose at her home in London.

I profiled Amy Winehouse back in 2007:

Amy Winehouse is a Virgo (see chart), the sign known for its reticent and modest behavior which just shows how little validity Sun Sign astrology has. There is another brand of Virgo which some call the “Radical Virgo” in which the famous Virgo powers of analysis and perfectionism are combined with other elements in the chart to create a more reactionary personality. Amy’s chart shows six planets in fire signs which keep her locked forever in a battle between the conservative side of her Virgo nature and the urge that the fire element evokes for a freer life.

Her Sun is squared by Neptune, the planet that dissolves the boundaries of ordinary reality. While this combination stimulates tremendous creativity, there can also be difficulty establishing boundaries and confusion over one’s own identity as defined by the Sun. Neptune conjoins her Moon which is another significator for creative brilliance as well as musical ability, but again there is a struggle to keep one’s feet on the ground. This strong Neptunian signature often suggests an individual who is either a saint or a drunk as the desire to transcend reality can go in either direction. …

This conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus is opposed by Chiron, a small planet in the Kuyper belt that signifies the Wounded Healer. When in a difficult aspect to other planets, Chiron indicates a deep psycho-emotional wound that doesn’t heal, but which ultimately serves as the guide to the individual’s ability to heal themselves. In Amy’s chart, Chiron is in Gemini which shows that this deep wound for her is in her ability to express herself to others. We see another indicator of that in the fact that Mercury is retrograde in her chart (meaning it appeared to move backwards at the time she was born). Chiron is also retrograde, suggesting that this wound runs deep. The opposition of Chiron to Uranus, which is not uncommon in individuals born between 1955 and 1985, has a well-documented tendency to evoke addictive behaviors because of its intense effect on the nervous system.

This is a dramatic combination of diverse planetary influences that can be difficult to reconcile, and Amy’s strong Neptunian influence facilitates her amazing creative expression but also creates delusion and illusion in her life. read the whole article here.

The 27 Club

Other musicians who died at the age of 27 include Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain. See this article for more information about the astrology of the 27 Club.

Astrologically this age is defined by the progressed lunar return – the time when the progressed Moon returns to the same degree as the natal chart. (There is a second Return at around age 56-57 before the second Saturn Return, and if we’re lucky a third one as well.) During the progressed lunar return there is an emotional opening that prepares us for the work of the Saturn Return. During this time we are opened up in a way that can be painful for some since it necessitates a frank and honest awareness of who we are at the emotional level.

All of this would have been more difficult than usual for Amy Winehouse since transiting Chiron was (wounding and healing) making a challenging square to her natal Chiron and likely bringing up many past wounds in order to open her heart. Because alcohol and drug addiction was her coping mechanism, it probably took more of those substances than usual to numb the pain.

Sadly, I suspect that this was an accidental overdose rather than intentional.

Jack Kevorkian has died

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

I seem to be surrounded with death this week – one good friend is dying, another good friend’s dog has died, and now the Doctor of Death himself has died at the age of 83.

Jack Kevorkian, a physician, began writing articles about euthanasia in the early 1980s and began a career of “death counseling” in 1987. His first public assisted suicide was in 1990, and although he lost his medical license in 1991 he continued to assist terminally ill people in ending their own lives.

The idea that individuals should have the right to make the decision about when and how to terminate their earthly existence is one that is hotly debated among religious scholars. Jack Kevorkian’s birthchart (he was born May 29, 1928, at a time unknown in Pontiac Michigan) shows that he has the Sun in Gemini in a wide (far apart) opposition to Saturn. Before we had Pluto to destroy and rebuild, Saturn was the Lord of Death so it is appropriate that Dr. Kevorkian would have a strong Saturnian component to his chart.

The Gemini Sun is non-judgmental – it entertains all kinds of viewpoints without adhering to one, but the aspect of Dr. K’s chart that illustrates his passionate defense of personal liberation and the freedom to make choices about one’s death is the conjunction of Mars to Uranus in his chart, both in Aries. Mars represents the personal Will, and Uranus represents the force of rebellion against the structure of authority, so when these two planets combine forces it can be quite combustible indeed. The fact that these two planets combine in fiery Aries, the sign of individual expression and courageous forays into the unknown, accentuates this fever of passion for individual liberty.

Pluto, the modern planet of death, is in a strong square to the Mars/Uranus combination and even though it is a bit wide and therefore not as intense an aspect, there is still a predisposition to fighting against (Mars/Uranus) the power structures (Pluto) in order to accomplish one’s goal. Kevorkian never married and spent his life seeking the change of our laws around suicide.

We would expect that Uranus cycles would be important during Kevorkian’s life because a transit of Uranus would activate the conjunction of Mars and Uranus in his chart, stimulating a rebellion of some kind and this is exactly what occurred. His first arrest in 1991 occured as transiting Uranus was in the closing square of the cycle, and his death occurred at the Uranus Return, the final phase of one Uranus cycle (and potentially the beginning of a new life).

On the day Kevorkian died transiting Pluto was in an exact square to Uranus in his chart, and he was very near to his Uranus return, the return of Uranus to its place in the birthchart that occurs at age 84, promising the ultimate liberation. And as if that wasn’t enough to free him from his bondage, his Jupiter return occurred three days before his death. Jupiter and Uranus both deal with freedom but in different ways. Jupiter seeks the expansion of our lives, and Uranus is more about experiences that shock and awe us into change.

With all of these influences bearing down on him at once it’s clear that his death provided for him the liberation that he sought throughout his life.

Sunday inspiration from Oprah

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

Artwork by Jerrod Maruyama.

I’m not embarrassed to say that over the last 20 years I have derived some of my greatest inspiration from Oprah, and have learned a great deal from the guests on her show. It would be impossible to overstate the effect that this one woman has had on millions of people around the world in their efforts to achieve personal transformation.

In honor of her final network television show, here are some of my favorite quotes from Oprah Winfrey:

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
“When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are”
“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.”
“Your calling isn’t something that somebody can tell you about. It’s what you feel. It is the thing that gives you juice. The thing that you are supposed to do. And nobody can tell you what that is. You know it inside yourself.”
“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different, it’s excepting the past for what it was, and using this moment and this time to help yourself move forward”

find more great quotes from Oprah here… and my astrological profile of Oprah here.

Maria Shriver finds her way

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

As the world now knows, Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a long-time domestic worker in the Shriver-Schwarzenegger household. In my post the other day on the breakup between Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger I wrote:

Shriver’s progressed Midheaven is preparing to move into Aries – the beginning of a new 30-year cycle that will inspire a powerful motivation to find her own way in the world and develop a career in which she can play a leading role. Last year’s Chiron/Neptune conjunction transited her ascendant between May of 2009 and November of 2010 – a cycle which likely caused her to re-examine who she is and how she wanted to express her life.

The planet Uranus is at work here as well, forming a trine to Uranus in her chart. Because Uranus is the planet of personal innovation and authenticity, under this influence we strive to bring new experiences into our lives that will help us to feel truly free.

I suspect that after years of dealing with suspected infidelities and then discovering the huge secret that had been brewing under her nose for at least 11 years and possibly 15 (the age that the “love child” is said to be) there is a huge relief in coming out of that prison of lies. And luckily for Maria Shriver, Oprah was there to help her to emerge unscathed on the stage of Oprah’s final star-studded show:

Half a day after her husband stunningly confessed to fathering an illegitimate child over a decade a ago with a female staffmember, Shriver took the stage at Chicago’s United Center alongside Gayle King(Winfrey’s other best girlfriend) around 10 p.m.

Radiant in a sexy teal gown, Shriver paid tribute to her close friend. “For more than 30 years you have bestowed upon me the most amazing friendship,” said Shriver, who has four kids with Schwarzenegger, 63.

She even made a slight dig at her cheating spouse, noting to Winfrey: “You have shown love, support, wisdom, and most of all,” she said, with a big, meaningful pause, “the truth.”

Winfrey tightly squeezed her hand as the crowd erupted in applause.

Schwarzenegger may now be investigated for fraud in the coverup that took place while he was Governator of California. I’ll be posting more about his planetary influences in the next few days.

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The astrology of the Shriver/Schwarzenegger split

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

I suspect that more people were surprised when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver married than when they announced their split this week after 25 years of marriage.

When clients come for an astrological reading about their relationship, they generally want to hear that their relationship is compatible. But astrologers know that compatibility does not always spell success in relationships. Couples who are compatible with each other: who think the same way, who feel the same things, who want the same lifestyle – these couples rarely marry or stay together. We are more likely to gravitate towards partners who have qualities that we lack; partners who stretch us and help us to develop qualities that may be more difficult for us.

It will surprise no one to learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger was born with the Sun in Leo, but that Leo Sun which is larger than life is locked in a challenging square with Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing. When the ego (Sun) has been wounded (Chiron), that Leo desire for attention and acclaim becomes bigger and more urgent. It doesn’t help that a tight Saturn/Pluto conjunction in his chart (also in Leo) suggests a deeply entrenched fear and anxiety, and the proximity of this conjunction to his Sun shows that his confidence is likely rather superficial. The anxiety of Saturn and Pluto falls in Schwarzenegger’s second house of money and personal resources, and I suspect that he has never forgotten the insecurity of his impoverished childhood.

Such a challenge to the Sun requires hard work and discipline (Saturn) to overcome one’s fears and self-doubts, and Pluto’s presence there shows a nascent connection to one’s inner development of personal power that will be the key to transformation. It’s no surprise that Schwarzenegger sought public office in order to achieve this power in an external manner, but it’s the inner power that is required here.

A distressed Leo often requires constant stroking of the ego (we saw this same dynamic with Bill Clinton), and it’s not unusual for this need to lead to infidelities. Maria Shriver’s friends report that she complained for many years about Schwarzenegger’s “roving eye” and had been planning to leave him before both her parents died over the past few years. But with the family-oriented sign of Cancer rising, and with his Venus in Cancer, Schwarzenegger likely feels a deep connection to his family and a desire to keep his family intact; however, like many marriages, that need and the need for fame and power cannot always be resolved.

Maria Shriver’s chart shows a Scorpio Sun in the sixth house of service and work; in fact, she has five planets in the sixth house revealing her deep commitment to helping others. With Taurus rising she avoids change wherever possible and prefers stability and financial security to a more transitory life. When Schwarzenegger was governor she rarely spent time in Sacramento with him but instead stayed in their home in Los Angeles.

Shriver’s Moon is in Leo, so there is a part of her that also needs the attention that Schwarzenegger seeks so easily. Her Moon conjoins his Pluto which generally shows an intense and powerful connection, although the Pluto person (in this case Schwarzenegger) often overpowers the Moon person who can feel left behind. His Saturn also conjoins her Moon which can feel confining but also protective. This is an important significator for marriage and commitment. The linkages between their charts is less powerful for him than for her which has likely made it easier for him to minimize the marriage if in fact that is what occurred.

Shriver’s progressed Midheaven is preparing to move into Aries – the beginning of a new 30-year cycle that will inspire a powerful motivation to find her own way in the world and develop a career in which she can play a leading role. Last year’s Chiron/Neptune conjunction transited her ascendant between May of 2009 and November of 2010 – a cycle which likely caused her to re-examine who she is and how she wanted to express her life.

The planet Uranus is at work here as well, forming a trine to Uranus in her chart. Because Uranus is the planet of personal innovation and authenticity, under this influence we strive to bring new experiences into our lives that will help us to feel truly free.

The breakup is signified in Schwarzenegger’s chart by a challenging square of Uranus to his Moon. The Moon represents emotional security, but also the women in our lives and this cycle reflects the abrupt change in his living situation. It’s not uncommon for a man to be surprised when a woman leaves, even though she may have been dropping warning signals for years and the timing of this Uranus cycle suggests that this may have been the case.

In any event I know we wish them all the best as they strive, like all of us, to find peace and happiness in a changing world.

Happy May Day, and a few more Royal Wedding thoughts

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Lynn Hayes

Today is the first of May, widely celebrated by neo-pagans as Beltane, the fire festival which honors Bel, the god of fire. Because Beltane is a “cross-quarter” festival, meaning it occurs at the halfway point between the equinox and solstice, it will not actually occur until May 5th when the Sun reaches 15 degrees Taurus. In any event, with so many planets still in Aries, including Mars and Jupiter which reach their peak conjunction today, a fire festival is an excellent way to channel some of the fiery energy that abounds right now.

I’d like to return briefly to the Royal Wedding discussion. Many astrologers have pointed out the fact that the wedding chart shows the Moon void of course at 26 degrees Pisces, meaning that the Moon is unaspected and will not make aspects to any other planets until it reaches the next sign (Aries) which it did on Friday just after the wedding. Electional charts (charts that are used to “elect” a particular date typically would never have a Moon void of course which suggests that an astrologer was probably not used in planning this wedding. (Whether or not the void Moon has an impact in our daily lives is a matter of great debate and most astrologers agree that focusing on such minutiae is not always helpful in our daily lives.)

In any case, since the Moon in a wedding chart represents the heart of the marriage, that void Moon reinforces my sense that the emotional heart of this marriage will not take hold.

One of my readers commented that Dharmaruci has the best posts on the Royal Wedding and while normally I would be offended by a comment suggesting that another writer has posts better than mine in this case I am glad to agree. DR is a great friend and a better astrologer, and he has two posts that will be of great interest to royal watchers. In addition, the fact that he (like Kathryn) is British gives him extra credibility of course.

In yesterday’s post, DR points out that Prince William was born during an eclipse with the Sun and Moon conjoined in Cancer within 10 degrees of the North Node. This eclipse and triple conjunction falls in the seventh house of marriage. The North Node, representing our future direction, suggests that marriage moves him towards his destiny, but perhaps that his emotional needs (Moon) and solar identity (Sun) will be eclipsed by his fate.

Dharmaruci notes:

Uranus will be squaring William’s Moon (wife) at 5 Cancer through to the end of 2012. Uranus is the awakener. I think Kate will change now she has got what she has wanted for so many years, and I think William is going to be wondering who he has married. The next 2 years are going to be difficult and unsettled for him in his marriage. You do not want to get married with a hard Uranus-Moon transit coming up (or Uranus-Venus for that matter.)

It is interesting that Diana died in 1997 as Pluto was finishing a hard transit to William’s Venus-Uranus opposition, and now he gets married as Neptune is finishing a hard transit to his Venus-Uranus. It connects the two events. And his Venus is also closely conjunct Chiron, so there is a wound here. His Mum’s death and the trauma of it have affected his choice of partner. He is seeking healing. It is unconscious, and Kate looks like she fits the bill. Put another way, if one of your parents is absent or dysfunctional or just completely unlike you, you may not learn how to relate to members of that sex, who to trust and who not to trust, and you may have to learn the hard way. Also, with Moon in Aquarius in a t-square with Venus and Uranus, Diana was deeply unconventional and unsettled and wanting to break free. It’s like William has instinctively chosen the opposite of Diana, because it was that desire to be free that resulted in her death. And, in the strange way that fate seems to work, William’s marriage may well end up with him feeling trapped like his Mum did. But how else do we learn?

The question of fate and free will is an important one for astrologers. How much of our lives is fated, and where do we have real choice? There is also the suggestion that our subconscious drives us to play out our fate even when we should, or in any case could, have real choice. Children of alcoholics marry partners who don’t touch a drop but later begin drinking. Rape victims marry partners who seem gentle at the time and later become abusers. The subconscious force to play out the dynamics of the birthchart is extremely strong and requires an elevation of the consciousness and an application of the higher mind before we can really have true choice.

So eclipse or not, like all of us Prince Williams is playing the cards that he has been dealt and it will be interesting to see what transpires as a result.

Astrological Musings

Category Archives: Celebrities