Glenda Jackson (1936 – 2023)

“Any prize was a benign irrelevance for her.  People often say they don’t care about awards: Jackson really did not.  Neither gushing nor contemptuous…”

~ Susannah Clapp, Theatre critic for the Observer

Actor and Politician in equally effective measure, Glenda Jackson died this week, after a short illness, at the age of 87.  Here is a re-posting of a blog from December 2019, followed by some final thoughts:

“Glenda Jackson (blog: 15th December 2019)

Glenda Jackson made a significant appearance on our television screens last Sunday, at the tender age of 83, in a drama production called “Elizabeth is Missing” about an elderly woman gradually suffering from increasing dementia.  This comes towards the end of a lifetime of achievement, starting with a dazzling film career in her youth (think back to “Women in Love” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday”), then as a Labour MP with integrity in her middle years.

Birth Chart

Glenda has half her planets in Earth signs, and that fits with her earthy image, reinforced by a gritty close sextile from Saturn to her Sun.  But the Sun also trines Neptune, ensuring that there is a higher focus to her nature as well.  She has an extreme emotional range: Moon conjunct Jupiter, so emotionally is able to focus positively, and Moon closely square Saturn, so she is able to portray the more negative states of emotion such as depression.  Moon also square Neptune is ideal for being able to portray the emotionally confused state of descending dementia.  And there is an added emotional sensitivity to trauma, from the Moon opposite Chiron.  She will have had a lifetime’s effort to alleviate the wounds of human emotion and suffering in society.  I believe she was an exceptionally sincere politician.  Mercury/Chiron squaring Neptune would show that she can see the nuances of arguments and points of view, sometimes to her own detriment.  Her Venus (ruling planet) conjuncts Uranus so she has a sparkling social side (despite being fundamentally introverted through Sun in Taurus/Ascendant in Cancer), which takes delight in provocation or shocking the established order.  This Venus/Uranus conjunction is sextile her natal Ascendant and trine her North Node, which gives her the charisma and sense of destiny of film star status.  Her Mars sextiles closely Pluto, which provides power and strength, and more grittiness.

Career

Glenda played the character Gudrun in the film Women in Love (adapted from the novel by D.H. Lawrence), released in September 1969.  She was noted by Brian McFarlane for “Her blazing intelligence, sexual challenge and abrasiveness”.  The transits show a sextile of Pluto to her natal Pluto (self-empowerment) as a broad shift in her career, but looking at the detail of her transits we also see Uranus square her Ascendant (the ability to shock), Neptune opposite her Mars and square her natal Midheaven (sensationalism).  Twenty years later she played Gudrun’s mother in the adaptation of a sequel novel by D.H. Lawrence, the film of the Rainbow, also a Ken Russell film.  Other notable films were “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “The Music Lovers”, both films of 1971.

In 1992, she completely changed course in her life, opting to become Labour M.P. for Hampstead and Highgate.  Jupiter was trine her natal Venus/Uranus conjunction in Taurus in 11th House, an auspicious start to a political career which lasted 23 years.  Jupiter was also trine her natal North Node, meaning that she was in true alignment with her karmic path.  Thus a Grand Trine was formed, and it often is when there are such good Jupiter transits that a person embarks on something new.  Another indication of a new path was the Uranus/Neptune conjunction of 1992 in Capricorn trine her natal Sun: that conjunction brought the winds of change through many peoples’ lives.  She felt that Thatcherism had destroyed society and she wanted to do all she could to alleviate that.

She served under Tony Blair for two years, but then became a critic of his, most notably over the issue of the Iraq war.  In June 2011 she announced that she would retire at the 2015 election.  She had a decisive transit of Mars sextile her natal Pluto at that point.  Saturn was trine her Mercury, which is more of a calculated type of decision making.  Uranus was square her Ascendant  and Pluto trine her natal Uranus (time for another complete change).  Pluto was transiting her natal North Node in Capricorn in the 7th House (she sensed the necessity of change).  She actually retired around the time of the 2015 election, with a Mars Return (a renewal of her energy), Mars squaring her Midheaven (in charge of her career path), Jupiter sextile her Chiron (new healing space for her), Uranus trine her natal Moon in Sagittarius in her 6th House of Working Conditions,  and Neptune square her natal Mercury (a relaxation of mental work, a new creative and spiritual mental space).

She returned to acting, and as an actress, in the third act of her extraordinary life, she has lost no power.  She took on the extraordinary and demanding role of King Lear, for example.  In her new role in the television drama, the transits show Saturn trine her natal Sun (a serious portrayal of the problems of being elderly).  The Guardian gave the drama five stars for its first episode.  It has been conjectured that in her portrayal of an elderly woman with dementia, she has drawn on her experiences as an MP in her community as well as researching the illness.  Social problems and deprivations were of great concern to her in her time as a politician (and she has criticized the  failings of  recent Tory governments to tackle problems such as poverty and homelessness).  She says dealing with dementia is still down the political ladder of priorities.”

Final Thoughts

Glenda had a strong work ethic, and worked up until the end of her life.  She had just finished working on a film with Michael Caine, “The Great Escaper”, directed by Oliver Parker.  Parker has written of their work together: “They’re both kind of working-class heroes, symbols of a kind of spirit of modernity.  They had a mutual respect and were very supportive of each other.  You felt these were titans carrying a wealth of experience on set with real ease.”

I admired her as both actor and politician.  There was a selflessness about her, a lack of ego, which is described by her natal South Node rising on a Cancerian Ascendant.

“She leaves a space in our cultural and political life that can never be filled.  She played many roles with great distinction, passion and commitment…from award winning ator to campaigner and activist to Labour MP and government minister, Glenda Jackson was always fighting for human rights and social justice.”

~ Keir Starmer

Aspects

Early this morning we had a New Moon in Gemini, which may have kept you mentally active.  This represented a new beginning with a fresh mental focus.  You may have needed to review recent events, to let them go for the new month: mental decluttering. There’s a fresh outlook, new learning and progress in communications.  New initiatives in the travel industry may also be helpful.

Tomorrow (Monday 19th), Neptune squares the Sun, also in the early hours.  That could bring bizarre dreams:

“Bad dreams in the night
They told me I was going to lose the fight
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights”

~ Kate Bush

Let’s just alter that slightly to “Weird dreams in the night”.  There are new considerations and issues arising, more sensitivity to consider.  You may be feeling a little confused, lost, or even  dizzy.  If you are on a journey tomorrow, take a moment to stop and reflect, over coffee at a service station on the motorway for instance.  It’s a good moment to surrender to the divine, and ask what you are supposed to be learning from the experience, seeking out where the illusion lies.

In the political arena, MPs will be voting for whether they endorse the report of the Privileges Committee who concluded that Boris Johnson misled parliament over breaches of lockdown rules in Downing Street.  Politicians lying is very much a Sun square Neptune province, and so is seeing through that.  As it is his birthday tomorrow, Neptune will also be square to his Sun, symbolic of his being called to account over lying.

Clarity is however possible on the same day, for the afternoon brings an important sextile, between Jupiter and Saturn.  This can bring balanced judgement, and points to a just settlement of the “politician lying” issue.  In your own life, you may be wanting to bring balance and resolution, and this sextile is supportive of this.  Notably it may come after a period of confusion and reflection (Neptune square to the Sun).  There is a chance to balance our actions and wisdom, between caution and adventurousness, realism and optimism.  This aspect may be a godsend to Librans trying to make up their minds, as they have permission to sit on the fence and see both sides of the story with confidence.  As it is such an important aspect, you may feel its influence all through the week.

Early afternoon onWednesday (21st) is the Summer Solstice, the day that the Sun enters the sign of Cancer.  Wring every ounce of enjoyment out of your daylight hours!  The weather forecast is for Sun, so a holiday mood is possible.  You may also be taking stock of your life.  The season just gone was about sowing seeds, and the coming season for watching projects grow and blossom, and keeping them “watered”.  There is an unusually high pollen count this summer, so factor that in.

Mid-afternoon on the same day, the tempo quickens with a sextile between Mercury and Mars.  Physical and mental energies can co-ordinate.  If you are cycling a great deal to keep fit, you may find the wind behind your sails.  You may be able to cycle just that bit faster or longer, and your fitbit may register record stats.  You may also find shortcuts to your usual way of doing things.

That is the last aspect of the week but we have a Fixed Star alignment on Saturday (24th), with Tejat, from the constellation of Gemini.  Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld write in “Starlight Elixirs”:

“This star can gently and easily increase the ability to bring spiritual ideas into clear and expressible form as mental concepts and direct ideas, to be shared with others.  There will also be a stimulation of the seventh and eighth chakras, so these ideas may come when least expected.  There may be greater patience with abilities that do not seem to form patterns in the usual sense.”

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – new beginning
  • Tomorrow – confusion; then balance
  • Wednesday – make hay while the Sun shines; keep busy and productive
  • Saturday – higher ideas
Date: Jun 18th, 2023 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities · News · Obituary