Aspects for the week beginning 14 August 2022

Olivia Newton-John (1948 – 2022)

“People don’t want to hear that you’re nice, but that’s what  I am.  In fact, I’m pretty boring”

~ Olivia Newton-John

Singer and Actress Olivia Newton-John died this week at the age of 73.  She made her mark on this world in several ways, not least in promoting health research, but the role which she is most remembered for was that of Sandra Olsson in the film Grease.  The film made a big impact on our household!  As a young mum, I remember singing “Summer Nights” to my first daughter as a baby, then later when my children were older, they put the video of the film on replay.  I asked one of them how many times they played that film, to be told “millions”!

Birth Chart

They say the beautiful people are born under Libra, and this was true of Olivia.  She also had the “nice” persona of Libra, and singing is one of the professions of that sign.  She did not however have a smooth-sailing life, and that is to some extent due to her Sun’s square to Uranus (disruption).  Her Moon trine Mercury gave her the ability to combine imagination with rationality, which would have been useful in acting.  Her Moon was in the sign of Cancer, giving her a strong femininity, and was conjunct with Uranus, firing her imagination. With Mercury also sextile Saturn and closely trine Uranus, she had a keen mind. Her Ascendant was in Virgo, providing an interest in health and wellbeing, the “wholesome and pure” element of her persona.  With Chiron trine her Ascendant, she was particularly interested in alternative medicine.  Venus trine Jupiter made her very sociable, a lover of humanity.  Another challenging feature of her birth chart was Venus conjunct Pluto, signifying upheavals, and often turbulence, in relationships.  Venus sextile her Midheaven pointed towards a Singing career.

Life and Career

Olivia was born in Cambridge in the U.K., into a comfortable middle-class background (Jupiter exactly conjunct I.C., though she was unaware growing up that her father had worked for MI5 on the Enigma project at Bletchley Park.  Her grandfather Max Born was an eminent scientist, and she would have liked to have been a vet but was not confident of passing the necessary veterinary exams. Her family moved to Australia when she was six, and she began singing at the age of 14.  Her first single, in 1966, failed to chart.  Back in the U.K., she became engaged to Bruce Welch of the Shadows, and appeared on Cliff Richard’s TV show, often duetting with him.  This led to her releasing the song “If Not For You”, a beautiful song written by Bob Dylan, in 1971, her first hit.  She had a lovely voice, but did need some beautiful songs!  Her astrological links with Cliff and Bruce show advantageous boosts to her career, for example Bruce’s Jupiter on Olivia’s Midheaven (Careerpoint), and Cliff’s Sun sextile her Jupiter and trine her Midheaven.  Her reputation established, she came fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with “Long Live Love”.

Grease

She played the role of Sandy in Grease in 1978, having been invited to do so by the film producer Alan Carr. It was a romantic musical film, with a happy ending, and the romantic interest was provided by John Travolta, playing Danny.  Olivia fought for equal billing. His Sun trine her Uranus, an exciting match, provided the spark!  Travolta’s Jupiter sextiled her Pluto, so they were empowering for each other.

At the time the film was released, Neptune was trine Olivia’s natal Pluto in Leo in her 11th House: a huge event in her life.  For Travolta, Saturn was sextile his natal Neptune exact to the day, cementing his charisma.  Pluto was on his I.C., also a life changing time for him.

The title song “Grease” was written by the prolific songwriter Barry Gibb.  The soundtrack Album from the film featured such classics as “Summer Nights”, “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and the sparky song performed after Sandy’s transformation from nice girl to femme fatale, “You’re the One That I Want”, a duet between Sandy and Danny.

Sandy’s transformation in the film helped Olivia make a change of image, and her subsequent song “Physical” released in 1980 was a huge hit.  In the same year, she starred in the film “Xanadu”, which produced another musical hit of the same name.  In the film, she played a reincarnated Greek muse.

Relationships

Olivia’s first marriage was to actor and dancer Matt Lattanzi in 1984, whom she met on the set of the film “Xanadu”.  They had a daughter, Chloe Rose, in 1986, and divorced in 1995, citing spiritual differences.

In 1996, she met cameraman and lighting designer Patrick McDermott, and had an on-off relationship with him for nine years.  In 2005, Olivia was at her Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia, and Patrick was on a fishing break off the coast of California. He disappeared, and he was never traced, though there were reports that he may have faked his death and gone to live in Mexico.  At the time, Mars from  Aries  in her 7th House was opposite her natal Neptune in Libra in 1st House (a mystery involving her male partner) and Pluto was square her natal Ascendant from 4th House cusp, a dramatic change.  In their synastry, his Neptune (disappearance and mystery) was opposite her Mercury.

She then married John Easterling, in Peru in 2008, in a spiritual ceremony.  Their marriage endured, and they collaborated on research into plant medicine.  This was a profound match, with his Neptune trine her Midheaven and his Pluto on her Venus, the outer planets encouraging their wider causes.

Health

Olivia, in her own words “lived with” three bouts of breast cancer in her life, the first in 1992, the second in 2013, and again in 2017.  She set up the Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Research Centre in Melbourne, which looked into plant-based treatments for cancer (including the promotion of medical marijuana).  She was also an activist for environmental causes.  She was made a Dame in 2020 for her services to charity.

I re-watched the film Grease on Channel 4 yesterday afternoon, and was very amused, watching it several decades later, especially at Danny Zuko’s posturing, strutting, and combing of hair!  But there did seem to be a lot of Olivia in the sweetness and light of her alter ego Sandy – a role made for her, perhaps.  And a story which shows our desire to balance light and darkness.

“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better.  Your impact was incredible. I love you so much.  We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.  Yours from the moment I saw you and forever!  Your Danny, your John!” 

~ John Travolta

Aspects

It’s a good week for Trines!  There will be three this week, lightening up your week, and I hope that is not just about the heat.  We are promised some rain, so the lightness should come in other forms.  You might not be feeling the relief quite yet, for in the daytime today we have Saturn opposing the Sun.  This may bring be a touch of sadness to work through, a coming down to earth, a dose of reality (which could turn out to be a good thing or have a silver lining).

The first of the three trines comes this evening, possibly the most powerful of the three, that is Mars trine Pluto.  This aspect speaks of self-empowerment, but you have to remember that everyone also has this force!  This is a great aspect for tasks which need great energy.  There may be some upheaval involved, as when you are decluttering in earnest, but you should have the energy to start afresh once you have cleared some old ground

On Tuesday (16th) we have the second trine, that of Mercury trine Uranus.  This can inspire high functioning minds, intuition and good ideas.   Uranus will add extra spice to your plans, and documentation.  Computers and technology should be on sparkling form and assist your expression.

The third trine hugging the week arrives on Thursday (18th), and it’s one of the best aspects of the year: Venus trine Jupiter.  It may help in creating good memories.  It could be party time, too, but beware of disposable barbecues, even if we have a little rain.  Close relationships are favoured, and romance (e.g. engagements) is in the air.  Olivia Newton-John had Venus trine Jupiter in her natal chart, so she may be smiling down at us.  A good day to find the one that you want!

Mars goes roaring into Gemini on Saturday (20th), at breakfast-time.  We go from the more sluggish energy of Mars in Taurus (it has been difficult to do anything in this present heat) to a brighter, more expressive energy.  It’s a high action placing, with a spike in mental and physical energy, and the urge to get things done.  Certain sports, such as running and cycling, are highlighted.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – sadness; self-empowerment
• Tuesday – high functioning minds
• Thursday – partying and romance
• Saturday – busy minds and bodies