Matthew Perry (1969 – 2023)

“So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job’s a joke, you’re broke
Your love life’s DOA
It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear
When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year, but

I’ll be there for you…” 

~ The Rembrandts

Tragically, the Friends star passed away yesterday, on the Eclipse, at the tender age of 54.  Oh, the hours we spent watching the ten series of Friends.  And though we liked all six friends, Chandler Bing was a favourite character, with a sarcastic wit.

Birth Chart

Matthew Perry was a born actor, with the Sun Rising in Leo (the acting planet in the acting sign) closely trine his natal Midheaven (Careerpoint).  The poignancy of addiction being a central theme of his life is astrologically due to Neptune (addiction, especially to drink and drugs) being exactly square his natal Sun.  Added to this, he had Saturn opposite his Moon, often predisposing him to depression.  He had a depth of emotion, with Moon and Neptune in Scorpio, and Pluto on his South Node.  Mercury was exactly sextile Venus in his chart, giving him a facility with words (at least, his character did have, and he did identify with Chandler).  Jupiter conjunct Uranus gave him the Entrepreneur Archetype.

Life and Career 

Matthew was born in Massachusetts, but raised in Ottawa, Canada.  His parents separated when he was one year old, and he stayed with his mother.  He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 15, to be with his father.  It was there that he took up acting.  He took various TV roles, and was apparently chasing fame, when he read for the pilot of Friends, a role which was to change his life.

His transits at the time of the first airing of Friends on 22nd September 1994 were weighty:

Mars was sextile his natal Pluto in  Virgo in the 2nd House of finance, which did wonders for his bank balance; Mars trined his natal North Node in Pisces in his 8th House, kick starting his karmic mission; Saturn was trine his natal Moon in 3rd House, pinning him down to a long running sitcom and making him a household name; Uranus sextiled his natal North Node exact to the day, an overnight success and big breakthrough; Pluto squared his natal Sun in Leo in 1st House, plunging him into extremes of emotion, and untold pressures; and Pluto transited his natal Neptune in Scorpio in his 4th House, activating the depths of his natal Neptune-square-Sun addictions.

He claims that he “lost” three years of memory filming the series due to his addiction to various substances, most notably Vicodin.  It must have taken a lot of strength and patience for him to have persevered at the height of success of the sitcom, as well as strength and patience from his co-stars and producers.  The incentive to continue would have been great, as his was a central role in the group.  He attended rehabilitation clinics over the years in an effort to overcome addiction.

The sitcom came to an end on 6th May 2004, and his transits for that time showed a finality, though part of him may have been relieved from the pressure of constant performance.  He had at that point, Jupiter trine his natal Saturn in Taurus in 9th House, exact to the day (freedom); Saturn from Cancer in his 11th House of Friends and friendships sextiled his Saturn (end of Friends, and a sense of greater control); and Pluto square his Nodal Axis (a finality, involving  his karmic mission).

Health

The addiction to painkiller Vicodin began after a jet-ski accident in 1997, around the age of his Saturn Return.  In 2018 he was severely ill and hospitalized due to opioid abuse which affected his colon, around the time of his Chiron Return.

He was found unresponsive last night in his hot tub.  A huge shock, and a sad end to a difficult life: It was a lunar eclipse opposing his Moon.  And although Pluto was square his Midheaven (a life transition), Uranus was sextile his North Node and Neptune was trine his Neptune, so he may have been at peace with himself on some spiritual level.

“All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me.  And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty. Sweet dreams.”

~ Selma Blair

Aspects

There are four oppositions this week, so you may find you have balancing acts to manage.  The first came in the early hours of this morning, while we were trying in the U.K. to make the most of an extra hour of sleep, Mercury was opposite Jupiter.  This aspect is mentally stimulating but can lead to mental resources being overstretched.  Travel news may also be quite testing, e.g. people being in long queues.  Jupiter opposite Mercury is a learning curve, and can bring out some humour, but need some caution in the playing.

This afternoon, Mercury conjoins with Mars, which may assist you in getting things done.  It brings brisk action, mental and physical stimulation, and again can help movement in your projects.  Again, there is a small element of risk of being incident-prone, as in minor cuts and bruises.  So mindfulness is a key to successful outcomes.  It is mentally acute and favours critical thinking, if you are composing an analysis, a review or critique.

Best aspect of the week comes on Halloween, Tuesday (31st), with Venus trine Uranus occurring  at lunchtime.  This is a fresh and sparkling energy. The aspect may set you up with exciting meetings, or bring encounters of the illuminating kind.  In the field of the Arts, it can bring originality and surprise, e.g. to a performance of music.  Ideas for assisting the problems in our society may also crop up, such as community-based solutions.

Into November next, and on Friday (3rd) Jupiter opposes the Sun, in the second opposition of the week.  We may be trying to cover too much ground, and overstretching ourselves, erring on the side of arrogance, although likely to be in good humour.  You may want to be travelling.  If armchair travelling, philosophical reflections on the quality of freedom in your life can bring relevant insights for this Jupiterian aspect and timing.  Or if you can extend to a desk, writing a comedy script would also be a suitable occupation for the day

A second opposition on the same day (late at night), involving Venus and Neptune, demands that you  sort out your feelings, the real from the illusion, and especially in relationships.  In politics, there may be bluffs and double bluffs.  In relationships, more compassion is needed, and in finance more honesty.  Fine words may butter no parsnips.

Saturn is Stationary, prior to turning Direct, on Saturday (4th) at breakfast time.  This may be experienced as a relief to some, especially for Capricornians, and may release some of their chains or burdens.  Climbing up that mountain may seem slightly easier. Depending on where this turnaround falls in your chart (0 degrees Pisces), your efforts, struggles and hard work in that area may start to bear fruit, progress, and just get easier.

The afternoon brings the last opposition of the week, that between Mercury and Uranus.  This could be tricky for communications, such as I.T.  Social media could be a bit fraught!  A spanner could enter into the works.  But if you are tuned into a higher mental wavelength, e.g. that of telepathy, you may achieve progress and flow.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – mindstretching; brisk action
  • Tuesday – illuminating encounters
  • Friday – overstretching; sort out your feelings
  • Saturday – steady progress; but plug in loopholes
Date: Oct 29th, 2023 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities · Humour