The Oscars 2018: 90th Academy Awards

Tonight sees the 90th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.  The Sun conjuncts Neptune today, an ideal day to focus on glamour and film.  Mercury conjuncts Venus and Chiron, which is ideal for writing about it, too.  Here is an astrological guide to the Best Actresses up for nomination.  I did set out to cover the Best Actors as well, but literally ran out of time.  If I stayed at my desk to do the lot, I would overlap with the start of the Oscars!

Saoirse Ronan in “Lady Bird”

Saoirse Ronan, the daughter of Irish American parents, is a fresh faced Aries Sun, with 0 planets in Air signs making her very instinctual.  In this film she expertly portrays a youth in Sacramento, and Aries represents a time of youth.  She has in her chart a square between the Sun and Uranus/Neptune, and so she would be a non-conformist, capable of creating an illusion, and would not shy away from a challenge.  She has Mercury conjunct Mars – quick mental reactions (which displayed in a recent chat show as a party piece in a speedy recital of mnemonic poem to describe how to pronounce her name). Mars also trine exactly Pluto gives her a powerhouse of energy, and Mars also trines her North Node so warriorship is part of her karmic mission. Uranus also sextiles exactly her North Node so the Rebel Archetype is also a strong element in her karmic mission.

The comedy drama film “Lady Bird” is one of two films in this category of nomination with the theme of difficult mother-daughter relationships, and one of two films exploring coming-of-age (the other is “Call Me by Your Name” starring Timothee Chalamet, which I haven’t had time to cover).  In the film, Lady Bird has aspirations of going to an East Coast University, but the family cannot afford it.  Eventually (spoiler) she obtains a place at New York University, and manages to get there with some assistance from her father, the main drama being the conflict with her mother.  A.O. Scott of the New York Times is quoted as saying of Saoirse’s performance: “Ronan navigates each swerve in Lady Bird’s story with an uncanny combination of self-confidence and discovery. She is as spontaneous and unpredictable as an actual 17-year-old … which suggests an altogether stupefying level of craft.”

She won the Golden Globe in January in Scorpio, when Jupiter was exactly trine her natal Neptune (inspiration and euphoria).  By the time of the BAFTAs in February, this trine had widened.  For the Oscars, the Jupiter-Neptune trine is again close, but the transit of Uranus square to her natal Uranus has tightened which may preclude another win.

Meryl Streep in “The Post”

One of the most versatile actors of her age, Meryl Streep will never be accused of being typecast.  I wrote about her when she appeared in the film “Suffragette”:

“Ordinarily, you can often see important roles mirrored in an actor’s chart, but Meryl Streep, who plays Emmeline in the film, is no ordinary actor or actress.  She has had so many award nominations, and has 2 Academy Awards, and has played some extraordinary and varied women, including Margaret Thatcher.  But what she does have in her chart, which is very telling, is the Sun in Cancer at 0 degrees of that sign: the essence of womanhood.  Her female planets (Moon and Venus) are in harmony with each other, in a sextile.  Her Sun is exactly conjunct Uranus, so she is a good role model for female emancipation too.”

Three out of the five female nominees this year are Cancerian, Meryl’s birth sign.  With Jupiter in Scorpio this year, it trines the sign of Cancer, bringing successes.  Meryl’s Ascendant is the performing sign of Leo.  Like Saoirse, she has the quick mental reactions of Mars conjunct Mercury (she can mimic accents well and memorizes her lines very quickly).  Her Moon is exactly square Pluto, which brings an emotional range and depth to her work.  This was displayed from very early on in her career. I remember noticing her in the TV film Holocaust in 1978, around the time when she was nursing fellow actor John Cazale when he was dying. She had a three year relationship with Cazale, and about the pain of his dying, said: “I didn’t get over it. I don’t want to get over it. No matter what you do, the pain is always there in some recess of your mind, and it affects everything that happens afterwards. I think you can assimilate the pain and go on without making an obsession of it.”  That is very descriptive of her exact Moon-Pluto square. With her Midheaven conjunct North Node in Aries in 9th House her  conventional career is consonant with her karmic mission.

She has of course already earned and won many nominations and awards for her excellence. The film “The Post” is a slice of American journalistic history, in which Meryl plays the first female publisher of The Washington Post, Katharine Graham, appearing opposite Tom Hanks as the Editor.  It concerns the attempt to publish the Pentagon Papers, classified documents about the Vietnam War.  The story tells of the deception of the public by the government, and ends with the impending demise of the Nixon administration.

Meryl’s transits at the time of the Oscars show Neptune sextile her natal Moon in Taurus in 10th House, showing an appreciation of the occasion, but the Nodal Axis will be square her natal Moon, so the transits overall are probably not strong enough for a win.

Frances McDormand in “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Frances McDormand, winner of the Best Actress BAFTA award, is another Cancerian.  She has few personal aspects, and sometimes that results in a wider service, something which the profound nature of the film provides.  She has a dynamic conjunction of Uranus and Mars in Leo, and her Nodal Axis squares exactly Chiron giving her a complex healing karmic mission.

The film “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” stormed the BAFTAs, and may well do the same at the Oscars.  Frances controversially decided not to wear black completely (an expression of the Time’s Up movement) on the occasion, saying she has “a little trouble with compliance” – that may be down to her Uranus/Mars eccentric will.  The film “Three Billboards” (for short) is a black comedy drama.  Frances portrays a single mother who uses three billboards to draw attention to the fact that the murder investigation on her daughter is going nowhere.  Woody Harrelson plays the Sheriff in the investigation, who is dying of cancer.  There is a gruesome clip of the film where Frances (playing Mildred) injures her dentist with his own drill, which is shocking.  But the story apparently is about moral ambiguity, and the heroine certainly a strong female character.

In her transits, Pluto was exactly opposite her natal Venus at the BAFTA’s – not what you would usually associate with a win.  Jupiter was sextile her Jupiter (more indicative of a win), and that sextile is still operative now at the Oscars.

Sally Hawkins in “The Shape of Water”

Sally Hawkins has the Sun in Taurus exactly conjunct with Jupiter, which is a very sensory combination.  She brings this quality to her performance in the unusual fantasy film “The Shape of Water”.  She does have a particular sensory connection with water, in her trine between the Moon and Neptune.  She also has the North Node in Scorpio, which is resonant of the theme of the film.

“The Shape of Water” is set in Baltimore in 1962, and Sally plays a mute who works in a government laboratory.  As “Elisa” she falls in love with an amphibian creature under surveillance in the laboratory, which has been captured from a South American river. She forms a telepathic bond with the creature, and plans to release it.  As the plot thickens, the creature is revealed to have healing powers, a Chiron-Centaur theme incidentally, and Sally has Venus conjunct Chiron in her chart, reflecting this telepathic healing bond in her role.

Hawkins’ transits for the Oscars reveal a steady showing (Saturn trine her Sun/Jupiter and Chiron sextile her Mercury) but with Neptune square her Neptune she may also feel a little at sea in her personal life or mood.

Margot Robbie in “I, Tonya”

Originally from Australia, Margot is the third Cancerian actress in the category, and deserves triple praise for acting in the film, producing the film, and actually skating in the film which concerns the drama of ice skater Tonya Harding’s real life.  Margot has an enterprising 7 out of her 10 planets in Cardinal signs.  She has the Moon (depicting important women in her life) in Scorpio, of which Tonya is one (certainly one she has decided to champion on her creative path).  Margot also has a useful Mars-Jupiter square, providing huge energy and enthusiasm (though also tempered by a square between Mars and Saturn).  Jupiter powerfully trines Pluto in her chart, too.

The film is the second of the five to deal with difficult mother-daughter relationships and depicts the life of ice skater Tonya Harding, her difficult relationship with her mother LaVona (a role for which Allison Janney picked up a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress), and relates the scandal of the attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan.  The story relates the poor background Tonya came from, and the sacrifices her mother made in pushing her daughter on her successful career path, successfully albeit through cruel behaviour (both physical and psychological abuse). Tonya is in an unsavoury relationship with Jeff Gillooly who becomes involved in a plot to damage her rival.  Tonya was not directly implicated, but suffered by association.  She had to give up her skating career, and took up boxing in later life.

The film is unusual in that it depicts the life story of someone who is still alive.  Tonya herself is a Full Mooner, with the Full Moon in Taurus exactly conjunct Saturn, opposite Jupiter, Venus and the Sun, stressing the important role of the mother in her life, and showing the difficulty of her life circumstances.  Tonya has Sun trine Midheaven in Pisces (often associated with ice skating) in 9th House.  Tonya was first American woman to successfully land a triple axel in competition.  At the time of the attack which ended her career, Neptune was sextile her natal Sun (scandal and mystery).  Pluto is trine her natal Sun at the moment, so the film experience may be cathartic for her.  In addition, Tonya’s Ascendant is exactly conjunct Margot’s Chiron, so the effort on the part of Margot may actually be healing for Tonya.  Margot Robbie’s transits for the Oscars show Mars trine her Mars, Saturn conjunct her Uranus, which are not promising, but it is clear that the whole production is a huge achievement for this actress and promises great potential.

And the Winner Is…

Probably Frances McDormand!

Aspects

It’s a busy day for aspects, starting with the Sun conjunct Neptune (13 degrees Pisces) at lunchtime, while I was writing my blog about the Oscars.  It is a very glitzy and glamorous conjunction, especially placed in Pisces, but there are other more serious associations.  Water is very much emphasized, and certainly the snow here in the U.K. is now turning to slush, and threatening floods.  Environmental issue in connection with water are also highlighted, such as the amount of plastic in our seas,  In Antarctica a supercolony of Adelie penguins has been discovered, which is heartwarming.  It is a day when progress can be made on subtle and spiritual issues, with memorable ephemeral experiences.

In late afternoon, early evening, Mercury conjuncts Venus at 26 degrees Pisces, which is a communicative and literary aspect, helpful for diplomacy and generally constructive human interaction.  You can safely take up writing tasks which you may have shelved earlier.

Mercury then conjuncts Chiron at 27 degrees Pisces, which can produce minor healing crises, but can also pave the way for problem-solving.  The solution to a crisis may be close at hand.

Later still, Venus conjuncts Chiron at the same degree, highlighting the need for healing in relationships, and hopefully also providing the means to that healing.  Where there is a will on both sides, healing can be achieved.  Or forgiveness on one side can also move mountains.

Mercury enters Aries on Tuesday (6th).  This provides a more matter-of-fact mindset than its placing in Pisces, and the days of wine, roses, glitz and glamour.  It is a good time for looking at accountancy issues, and for plain speaking.  Mercury stays in Aries until May, because it turns retrograde later this month.

Nearer midnight on Tuesday Venus follows Mercury into Aries, and the harmony loving planet is out of her comfort zone, but forced to be bolder.  It is a warm placing for feeling and affection, though also self-centred.  Venus stays in Aries most of the month, entering Taurus right at the end of this month.

Jupiter is stationary, prior to turning retrograde on Friday (9th).  Some progress or momentum in a project or passion you have made recently is stalled, and will be needing revision.  You may observe someone, e.g. Theresa May, doing a U-turn…

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – busy on a psychological and spiritual level
  • Tuesday – a change of tone, from dreamy to matter-of-fact
  • Friday – need to re-examine progress, with U-turns possible

 

Date: Mar 4th, 2018 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities · Film