#star analyses

“The dearest, sweetest little girl in the world was in love with me, and I'm old enough to be her father.” - William Desmond Taylor

One hundred years ago, Hollywood was stunned by the murder of Irish-born film director William Desmond Taylor. Arguably the most famous director in Hollywood in the early 20th century, Taylor was a Hollywood success story with a questionable past; his extraordinary journey brought him from a ranch in Kansas, to an antique shop in New York (abandoning his wife and daughter there in the process), to the gold mines of the Yukon, before finally arriving in Los Angeles at the emergence of the nascent movie industry. His wife and daughter had no idea where he was until one day, they went to the movies and he appeared onscreen while they sat flabbergasted in their seats. Taylor was known as a prolific womanizer, but it was his reported dalliances with men that people were most concerned about. Many who knew him characterized him as a prolific bisexual lothario. Gossip about gay orgies in opium dens still persists. However, that all came to an end one cold February night in 1922 when he was shot in the back and killed in his home. The murder of Taylor, 50 years old, became a nationwide scandal and proof to the nation’s moralists of Hollywood’s depravity. Two of the actresses linked to Taylor got caught up in the scandal and saw their film careers flounder following the murder. A century later, the killing of Taylor remains a mystery.

William Desmond Taylor, according to astrotheme, was a Taurus sun and Sagittarius moon (the moon is speculative). Born William Cunningham Deane Tanner in Carlow, Ireland, he was the son of a British Army officer and grew up in well to do surroundings of an Anglo-Irish life. In 1885 he attended Marlborough College in England but his adventurous spirit saw him take off the America in 1891. He would later change his name to William Desmond Taylor when he ventured to the US. When his sister died back in Ireland, Taylor received a small inheritance and with this he set himself up in New York. There he met actress Ethel May Hamilton and they married in 1901 and had one daughter. Taylor and his wife led a charmed life in the Big Apple. Taylor and his family were well known in New York society and were members of several clubs. He was also a heavy drinker, possibly suffered from depression, and was known to carry on affairs with women. In 1908 Taylor suddenly left his family and for a number of years traveled around the States and Canada with many people, including his wife, not knowing his whereabouts. Taylor made amends by making his abandoned daughter, Ethel Daisy, his heir.

In 1912, Taylor was finally tracked down in San Francisco and his wife was able to obtain a divorce from him.  From San Francisco, Taylor made his way down the Californian coast to a little burgeoning place in Los Angeles called Hollywood. Taylor acted in a number of silent movies before going behind the camera from 1914 onwards. He would quickly become a much sought-after filmmaker in Hollywood and went on to make up to 60 films. His directorial debut was "The Judges Wife" and he followed that with a very popular 30 episode serial called "The Diamond from the Sky." Other notable films of Taylor's include "Davy Crockett," "Huckleberry Finn" and "Anne of Green Gables." In 1918, Taylor put his film making career on hold when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was stationed in Dunkirk during the dying days of WWI. By 1919 he had reached the rank of Major and had served at Bergues, France. After the war Taylor returned to Hollywood and picked up where he left off making more hit films which starred the big names of the day such as Wallace Reid and Mary Pickford. Taylor would enjoy another few years of screen success before he entered his own final act.

the murder of William Desmond Taylor It was February 1, 1922 and an unusually cold night for Los Angeles. Through their work together, Mabel Normand became one of William Desmond Taylor’s closest friends and confidants. Despite the fact that this was during prohibition, director William Desmond Taylor and silent film comedienne Mabel Normand enjoyed Orange Blossom Gin cocktails, discussed Nietzsche, Freud and movies. Mabel played comic riffs on the piano. At about 7:45 p.m. he walked her to her car leaving the door open or unlocked to his exclusive Alvarado Street bungalow. As her chauffeur drove off, they blew kisses at one another. With the exception of the murderer, Mabel Normand was the last person to see William Desmond Taylor alive. The next morning, Henry Peavey, the dead man’s valet, found Taylor's body. It’s likely he also placed the first call to the studio instead of the police. Someone shot Taylor in the back, between neck and shoulder, leaving him dead on the floor of his duplex at the Alvarado Court Apartments. There appeared to be no sign of a break-in or burglary, and cash was found in the house and on the body. Soon word spread of Taylor's murder, which quickly drew a lot of people to the house, including a strange person who claimed to be a doctor examined the body and announced that Taylor’s death was because of a "stomach hemorrhage". A number of suspcts were investigated, inlcuding Normand, his valet Peavey, and a starlet named Mary Miles Minter. Minter was a popular child star who was groomed by Taylor. It was said that she was just three years older than Taylor’s biological daughter. During the investigation, they found love letters written by Minter to Taylor in his apartment. This brought to the conclusion that they had an ongoing sexual affair before his death. Based on her statement, it was revealed that her love for Taylor was one-sided as he explained himself to be old enough to be her father. There wasn’t enough evidence to prove that Minter was the killer.

On October 21, 1964, while still living in Hollywood, silent-film actress Margaret Gibson suffered a heart attack at her home. Sensing that she was dying, a highly distraught Gibson—a recently converted Roman Catholic—asked for a priest and then confessed to neighbors the February 1, 1922, murder of Hollywood film director William Desmond Taylor. However, all of the police files and physical evidence relating to Taylor's murder had disappeared by 1940, and aside from circumstantial evidence, no independent confirmation of Gibson's involvement in it has emerged.

Next, I’ll talk about the very beautiful and very pious actress he (allegedly) knocked up: Capricorn Mary Miles Minter.

Stats

birthdate: April 26, 1872*

*note*: due to the absence of a birth time, this analysis will be even more speculative

major planets:

Sun: Taurus

Moon: Sagittarius

Rising: unknown

Mercury: Taurus

Venus: Aries

Mars: Taurus

Midheaven: unknown

Jupiter: Cancer

Saturn: Capricorn

Uranus: Cancer

Neptune: Aries

Pluto: Taurus

Overall personality snapshot: He was torn between an instinct to roam free and a determination to find security and make a solid, lasting contribution to the world. As he repeatedly changed horses in search of both ultimate certainties and high-spirited adventure at the same time, he found himself deeply divided and uncertain. He sought to earth the fire from heaven and put it to work, but he found all too often that it would not let him rest. In his search for stability and security, he became a farmer and was immediately confronted with the changing seasons. He embraced the solid certainties of geology and was hit by an earthquake. He sought certitude and permanence, yet his endless inquiries constantly confounded yesterday’s certainties. When he got his own uncertainties together (by accepting he wanted the best of both the changing and the unchanging worlds), he was a brilliant teacher, conversationalist, counselor, entertainer, wit, creative artist and entrepreneur – in fact he could have anything he wanted. Once focused, he could be a human dynamo, and wonderfully humorous, witty and entertaining with it. As he discovered, his quest for solid material certainties did not make a happy bedfellow for his yearning for excitement and larger religious and spiritual understanding. In one way or another, be it through philosophy and the spiritual quest or through writing, music or art, he needed to put together and formulate a total vision of the universe which was based on unassailable facts yet satisfying to his idealism.

Constantly seeking, he was a natural agnostic, applying the criteria of science to counter woolly speculations, yet at the same time highly skeptical of the limited and statistical pronouncements of unthinking science. The danger, since he did not marry these elements within him, was that he swung from one to the other and undermined the virtues of both. A restless changing of jobs, careers, partners, visions or aspirations left him drunk with his own spinning. When you deliberately try to remain sober and commonsensical, it seemed to make matters worse for there was something of the gambler in him. This all-or-nothing streak temporarily overcame his natural caution and enabled him to burn his bridges (though he would usually ensure there is something tucked away for a rainy day). He felt an impulsive need to do things on a grand scale, to live with commitment, to feast on the world, and to understand what it was to be alive in all possible ways. He seemed called both to explore the reaches of the imagination and to build secure foundations. He brought far-reaching visions into manifestation, and these visions injected his conservative desire for stability and security with flair and colour. His vision of tomorrow and the larger world gave spice to any project he undertook. He saw endless possibilities and wanted to make them real. In this he could be the natural entrepreneur who saw economic opportunities at every turn, an inspiring counselor and teacher, and a stimulating companion whatever he did.

He was practical, steady and patient, but he could be inflexible in his views. One thing he did have was plenty of common sense and good powers of concentration, although he tended to think that purely abstract thought was a waste of time. His thought processes weren’t as quick as others, but his decisions were made with a lot of thought behind them. He needed love and emotion, and his sense of compassion led him to help others, as he was very protective. However he could sink down into the depths of self-pity at times, although normally he was of good humour. He didn’t react well to a hostile and competitive environment, in fact he preferred to stick to private endeavours where he could protect himself. He was quick to go on the defensive, rather than the offensive, when dealing with adversaries and adverse situations. He had a strong sense of purpose and was very sincere. Worldly success was well within his reach, because he possessed all the necessary talents to gain power, influence and status. He was practical, determined and patient. When there were hitches in his plans, he simply worked around them. He knew where he was heading to, and had already figured out the best way to use his talents to reach his goals.

He belonged to a generation that experienced a revolution in family and domestic life. As a member of Uranian Cancer generation, he could be unpredictable and changeable, but also original and imaginative. He was part of the ‘me’ generation which felt confined and limited by conventional roles and sought a more fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle, even at the expense of a stable family life, as was evidenced with Taylor leaving home relatively early in order to pursue his dreams and ideals, whilst still wishing to remain on friendly terms with his parents. He questioned long-held beliefs and ideals. He saw himself as a hero and would fight for his causes no matter the risks. He helped to bring avant-garde tastes to art and created radical changes. As a member of the Taurean Pluto generation, he valued material security, and was prepared to work solidly and steadily towards improving his material life. He was prepared to manipulate his environment, and he was seemingly never satisfied, always needing more and more.

Love/sex life: He was a competitive lover. He was always looking for a challenge in his love life even it was just trying to top his last encounter. Even though he had this luscious capacity for physical pleasure, he was never altogether satisfied with his sexuality. No matter what kind of sex he was getting, he found himself wanting more, or better, or maybe just different. This restlessness often disrupted him basically conservative approach to sex and led him into bad relationships and embarrassing situations. On the positive side, he was the Taurus Martian lover least likely to settle into a predictable, sensual rut in his love life. He was always ready for a new experience and wasn't afraid to take chances. He understood that the plodding search for sensation got boring after a while unless it was accompanied by an element of passion. This intense, even combative approach to desire made him an exciting, provocative lover who was often hard to satisfy but always worth the trouble.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Gemini

Lilith: Cancer

His North Node in Gemini dictated that he needed to prevent his idealism from influencing his thoughts to such a high degree. He needed to consciously develop a more clear-minded and analytical approach involving his thought processes. His Lilith in Cancer dictated that he was dangerously attracted to women who were too sensitive and resorted to nasty emotional manipulation, games, and pulled all sorts of shit to reclaim the power they felt they lost, as is evidenced in his association with Mary Miles Minter and her mother.

elemental dominance:

fire

earth

He was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. He generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. He was exciting to be around, because he was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, he could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, he chose the former. Confident and opinionated, he was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because he was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—he was bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at his best, his confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves. He was a practical, reliable man and could provide structure and protection. He was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at his best, he provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.

modality dominance:

cardinal

He was happiest when he was doing anything new (in his case, it was beginning new partnerships), and he loved to begin new ventures. He enjoyed the challenge of claiming territory. He tended to be an initiator—and a bit territorial as well. Also, he had a tendency to start more things than he could possibly finish.

house dominants:

9th

10th

11th

Traveling, whether physically across the globe, on a mental plane or expanding through study was a major theme in his life. He was not only concerned with learning facts, but also wanted to understand the connections formed between them and the philosophies and concepts they stand for. His conscience, as well as foreign travel, people and places was also of paramount importance in his life, as is evidenced in his appeal and greater opportunities for more meaningful work outside of America. His ambition in relation to the outside world, the identity he wished to achieve in regard to the community at large, and his career aspirations were all themes that were emphasized throughout his life. All matters outside the home, his public image and reputation were very important to him. His attitude to people in authority, and how he viewed the outside world, as well as the influence of his mother and his own attitude to her was highlighted. Globally aware, he put emphasis on his friends and acquaintances, as well as the influence of groups and societies on his life. His general hopes and aspirations revealed themselves, as well as how well he functioned as part of a system. This extended to how he manifested his creativity against the background of the community.

planet dominants:

Mercury

Saturn

Jupiter

He was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. He dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that he was left-brained. He was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains. He believed in the fact that lessons in life were sometimes harsh, that structure and foundation was a great issue in his life, and he had to be taught through through experience what he needed in order to grow. He paid attention to limitations he had and had to learn the rules of the game in this physical reality. He tended to have a practical, prudent outlook. He also likely held rigid beliefs. He had luck, and believed in expansion, integration, and growth. He could also be excessive and lazy. He reached out beyond himself and expanded his consciousness. He loved travel, was fairly religious, and liked to integrate himself into the larger social order—church or religion, community, and corporation. He had intellectual and spiritual interests in the most.

sign dominants:

Taurus

Capricorn

Sagittarius

His stubbornness and determination kept his around for the long haul on any project or endeavour. He was incredibly patient, singular in his pursuit of goals, and determined to attain what he wanted. Although he lacked versatility, he compensated for it by enduring whatever he had to in order to get what he wanted. He enjoyed being surrounded by nice things. He liked fine art and music, and may have had considerable musical ability. He also had a talent for working with his hands—gardening, woodworking, and sculpting. He was a physically oriented individual who took pride in his body. He was a serious-minded person who often seemed aloof and tightly in control of his emotions and his personal domain. Even as a youngster, there was a mature air about him, as if he was born with a profound core that few outsiders ever see. He was easily impressed by outward signs of success, but was interested less in money than in the power that money represents. He was a true worker—industrious, efficient, and disciplined. His innate common sense gave his the ability to plan ahead and to work out practical ways of approaching goals. More often than not, he succeeded at whatever he set out to do. He possessed a quiet dignity that was unmistakable. He sought the truth, expressed it as he saw it—and didn’t care if anyone else agreed with him. He saw the large picture of any issue and couldn’t be bothered with the mundane details. His Sagittarian dominance dictated that he abandon his family to explore uncharted territories and new adventures. He was always outspoken and likely couldn’t understand why other people weren’t as candid. After all, what was there to hide?

Read more about him under the cut.

“I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.” - David Bowie

Spoken like a person with such power-hungry and ambitious signs such as a Capricorn sun and Leo moon. He was the self-described “tasteful thief” who appropriated from and influenced glam rock, soul, disco, new wave, punk rock and haute couture, and whose edgy alter egos invited fans to explore their own dark places. He was a person of relentless movement. He was an innovative, visionary, restless artist. His theatrical flare, creativity, sexual ambiguity, and incredible music kept the public endlessly interested. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest artists in history. As of 2022, he was the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century. With his sylphlike body, chalk-white skin, jagged teeth and eyes that appeared to be two different colors, Mr. Bowie combined sexual energy with fluid dance moves and a theatrical charisma that mesmerized male and female admirers alike. He was complex, an explorer of human impulses that could not be quantified. He was the infinitely changeable, fiercely forward-looking songwriter who taught generations of musicians about the power of reinvention. Throughout his career, he reinvented not just his sound but his persona over and over again; his best known persona was the flamboyant, androgynous, orange-haired glam rock alien alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

Beginning life as a dissident folk-rock spaceman, his ascent was measured rather than rapid, but once his album Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars got their claws into the British rock scene, he soared like a supernova, going on to sell over 150 million albums, receive countless accolades, and become a beacon of light for those embracing their sexuality (not least of all those in the LGBT community). He went on to embrace other personas after the demise of the band: a well-dressed, blue-eyed soul singer, a Nazi and fascist-influenced European (the Thin White Duke), a drug-loving art rocker (the Berlin trilogy), a new-wave hit-maker, a hard rocker, a techno enthusiast and a jazz impressionist. His ever-changing, outrageous personae served to mask the painful shyness and insecurity of his younger years. His flair for theatricality won him a legion of fans. His fickleness cost him relationships, friendships and professional partnerships, could be jarring. Members of the Spiders From Mars, his band during his glitter-rock Ziggy Stardust years, learned that they were being fired when he announced it onstage at the end of a 1973 tour. Through it all, David Bowie has definitely always been his own special creation. And it all began for him so long ago when he was just a kid in South London, where he began the journey that, by dint of his genius, his persistence, and his sheer hard work, would transform him into a global icon whose name, image, music, and artistry would endure forever.

David Bowie, according to astrotheme, was a Capricorn sun and Leo moon. He was born David Robert Jones in South London, Brixton, England. His father, Haywood Stenton Jones, belonged to a well-off family who were partners in the Public Benefit Boot Company; his mother, Margaret Mary "Peggy" Jones worked as a waitress at a cinema. The mother of three illegitimate children (including David) at a time when a girl could have been ostracized by society for having even one, Peggy was never afraid to dance to a different drummer. The only child his parents had together, David was born left-handed, which in 1950s England was considered a disgrace, an aberration that had to be corrected at all costs. His schoolmates yelled that he was “the devil,” simply because he wrote with his left hand. Worse still, “the teacher used to smack my hand to try and make me right-handed,” he said. He showed an interest in music from an early age and began playing the saxophone at age 13. He was greatly influenced by his half-brother Terry, who was nine years older and exposed the young Jones to the worlds of rock music and beat literature. Terry was diagnosed with schizophrenia and institutionalized when David was a young man. David suffered another blow, this one quite literal, in a teenage brawl over a girl that caused his left pupil to be permanently dilated.

He attended a high school that would prepare him for a career as a commercial artist. After a few lessons on a plastic saxophone purchased on a payment plan, he began playing in local bands, finding that he liked singing and the female adulation that came with it. To avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees, he renamed himself after 19th-century American frontiersman Jim Bowie and the hunting knife associated with him. Fascinated by musical theater, David joined a mime troupe led by the dancer (and, briefly, his lover) Lindsay Kemp. By 20, he had spent time at a Buddhist monastery in Scotland and dabbled in theatrical troupes. Bowie met Angela Barnett in April 1969. They married within a year. Her impact on him was immediate, and her involvement in his career far-reaching. With 1969’s Space Oddity, whose dramatic title track told the story of ill-fated astronaut Major Tom, he had a hit. On the following year’s The Man Who Sold the World, he experimented with psychedelia, and in 1971, he fused pop-rock with art pretense and experimentalism with Hunky Dory, his first significant album. Angela and David had a son born during the recording of Hunky Dory, Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones.

After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie's single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted towards a sound he characterized as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK fans but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. Extensive cocaine use made him jittery and paranoid, even as it enabled him to be creatively prolific. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. Seeking calm and anonymity, Bowie spent much of the late 1970s in West Berlin, where he again changed direction with the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. These experimentations with ambient sound presaged the synthesizer-heavy music of the 1980s.

After nine years of marriage, Angie and David Bowie separated, and they divorced on February 8, 1980 in Switzerland. In the divorce settlement, she received £500,000, paid in installments, and a 10-year gagging clause. Not wanting to fight over custody, she left their son with David. Returning to live in New York City, Bowie began expanding his range as an actor. He played the lead in a stage production of "The Elephant Man", for which he received critical praise. Bowie regularly released albums through the 1980s and 1990s, although none approached the success of his previous output. He fell in love with Somalian supermodel Iman Abdulmajid, whom he married in 1992 and with whom he had a daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones, in 2000. After suffering a heart attack backstage during a tour in 2004, he stopped producing albums or touring for nearly a decade, devoting himself to family life. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death from liver cancer at his home in New York City. He died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

This is a special birthday analysis for David Bowie. Happy birthday, you Capricorn god.

Stats

birthdate: January 8, 1947

major planets:

Sun: Capricorn

Moon: Leo

Rising: Aquarius

Mercury: Capricorn

Venus: Sagittarius

Mars: Capricorn

Midheaven: Sagittarius

Jupiter: Scorpio

Saturn: Leo

Uranus: Gemini

Neptune: Libra

Pluto: Leo

Overall personality snapshot: Deeply serious yet poetically playful, he may have been torn between the self-imposed responsibilities of his career and social ambitions, and his desire to make a splash and have fun. Both proud and humble, at times he couldn’t decide whether he was the greatest or the most inadequate person he knew. When he got his industrious and playful elements working together, however, the world had better watch out, for in his own steady yet compelling way he could be the embodiment of purposeful ambition. No matter what his job was, he was a born professional. With expertly designed flair, he wanted to shine for himself and to achieve for the world. His reputation mattered a lot to him, and when he knows he has earned his praise he savours it like nobody else. He didn’t really mean to be a snob, but he had a way of nonchalantly lording it over people. This is because his belief in herself and in what he felt he must do was so intense. As a man born with this combination he found his way to the top of his chosen mountain. His was a pairing of sunny high-summer and serious mid-winter, an adventurous, gutsy mix of tough-willed, dedicated service carried out with zest and pizzazz.

He had the charisma of a star yet he worked dutifully behind the scenes, laying the foundations and preparing the party. Then on the day, he made the perfect host or hostess, carrying out his duties with total self-possession and real style. An air of authority and immense professionalism surrounded all his endeavours. He would do whatever was necessary, no matter how hard, to produce a polished performance and a superb result. With a strong social conscience, a real sense of noblesse oblige and a desire to make the world a better place, he was drawn to politics or fund-raising; good works and charities flourished on his enthusiasm and dedication. Whatever he did, he was likely to end up being put in charge, which was just as well, for subordinate positions were not really his scene. At times when the sun was shining he may have protested at having work piled upon him, yet let anyone deprive him of his load and he would feel not only hurt but somehow lost and guilty. Not all his work was totally altruistic. There could be something of the gold-digger in him, constantly alert for opportunities, yet he didn’t expect any free lunches, even if he did enjoy getting the best for the least. He was someone who, to quote her fellow Capricorn/Leo, Jack London, ‘will settle for good pay, good grub and hard work rather than poor pay, poor grub and easy work’. He had pride and confidence in his own achievements and, yes, he thought he could try harder, but in the end, he didn't do so badly, really, did he?

He was tall and slim with good bone structure and clear, open and refined features. His eyes were extraordinary, helping to give him an electric or magnetic aura. His distinguishing feature was his hair, which was always chicly styled, whether long or short. His thought processes were methodical and on the conservative side. He was ambitious and shrewd, serious, practical and prudent, although he could also be narrow-minded, lacking in humour and too concerned with material status. His mind was rational, cool and calculating, and his memory and logic were very good. The Sagittarian qualities that he brought to his career were those of vision, energy, enthusiasm and an ability to organize others. He needed recognition, room to maneuver and a fair degree of authority. He sought meaning and fulfillment in his life through career status and recognition. When dealing with colleagues, he could place strong demands on them. He had boundless enthusiasm and big ideas coupled with high expectations of succeeding. He was also self-sufficient and broad-minded. His genuine pioneering spirit, positive outlook and large-scale personal ambitions led him right to the top. When dealing with colleagues, he could place strong demands on them. He could be an intensely emotional person with extremely strong physical desires. He tended to see himself as a desirable person to the opposite sex. He needed to be loved, but he could also be extremely suspicious of other people and their motives. He acted very cautiously until he was sure of situations and how other people felt. His perseverance was strong, but he needed to learn moderation and not to over-rate his abilities or capacity for doing things. He was interested in foreign names and places, and by anything mysterious.He was a reliable and loyal person. His will and sense of honour were strong and he was a great organizer. On the downside, his self-assuredness could become dogmatism and imperiousness. Conservatism may have affected his creativity, artistic values and love affairs. This expressed itself as self-imposed restrictions or as selfishness. He often felt inadequate, which created an insidious form of oppression over all his forms of expression. He could also take herself so seriously, that people think that he was older than his years.

He was part of a generation that was strongly interested in humanitarian ideals, new avenues of communication and progress in mechanical skills. As a member of this generation, he was able to bring original ideas to both his career and spare-time interests. Crises in thought and ideology arose because he looked beyond tradition and old attitudes towards new original and inventive ways of looking at things, such as music and sexuality. His active mind tended to need constant stimulation and his tastes could be quite fickle and difficult to satisfy. He belonged to a time of peace-loving idealism when the family unit and the way relationships were managed underwent great changes. He could be too idealistic and a little unrealistic when it came to matters of love, sex and romance. As a member of this generation, he needed to be motivated to make the most of his potential, because the line of least resistance appeared very attractive, especially when it involved pleasure-seeking. He embodied the Libra Neptune generation in the sense that he was a huge part of a time when beauty reappeared in fashion. He was part of a generation which was highlighted by the clash between authoritarianism and individualism. As a member of the Leo Plutonian generation, he wanted freedom in his relationships and demanded the loyalty of his friends as a right. As a member of this generation, he wanted power over his own life and was prepared to challenge established structures. He didn’t feel comfortable being dictated to, unless he in some way agreed to it beforehand. He was a part of excesses of the sixties and seventies. He was part of a generation that brought about a revolution in forms of entertainment, recreational activities and leisure time, as well as attitudes towards children. David’s sexual adventures—some partly cocaine-fueled, all ignited by his unbridled appetites and his propensity to cast a wide net, coupled with his unlimited opportunities—typified his generation’s newfound ability to live out their wildness.

Love/sex life: He was the most impulsive lover of this type and the one most likely to forget practicality and follow his instincts. This spontaneity, when combined with his strong physical drives, made him a tremendously exciting, adventurous and unpredictable sex partner. It also got him into more than his share of trouble. But acting in haste and repenting in leisure was not a problem for him. Like all Mars in Capricorn lovers, he rather liked repenting. What was lacking in his sexual nature was subtlety. He pursued his desire with such directness and determination that he could appear inconsiderate and crude and he didn’t control his relationships as much as he bullied people into seeing things his way. The good new is that he was so affectionate and generous a lover that he was easily forgiven his sins. The bad news is that this quick forgiveness only made him more likely to commit the same offense again and again (more on this in my David Bowie sexuality post on my members-only website).

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Gemini

Lilith: Capricorn

Vertex: Virgo

Fortune: Leo

East Point: Aquarius

His North Node in Gemini dictated that he needed to prevent his idealism from influencing his thoughts to such a high degree. He needed to consciously develop a more clear-minded and analytical approach involving his thought processes. His Lilith in Capricorn ensured that he was dangerously attracted to women who had a scrappy plucky attitude hot-wired into their psyche. He liked a woman who needed to be in control and to be mistress of her own destiny, because her life was in the control of not-so-well-meaning others as a child. Her Vertex in Virgo, 7th house dictated that he wanted a union which would take one to ultimate salvation or spiritual initiation, based on a shared ideal of dedication and service. There was a fantasy of joining with someone who had unique psychic and/or healing powers and the focus is on the practical work which will make everything all right. He was always in a partnership of one kind or another (if only in his head), desperately seeking one, or decided that it wasn’t worth the risk since his expectations would never be met. There was a sense that he wasn’t really complete unless he was intimately involved with someone. On some levels there was an irrational fear of ending up alone. The dark side was that he could get highly self-righteous about acceptable modes of behaviour in interacting with others and thereby alienate the very people he longed for. His parental role model was less than secure in his subconscious perceptions, though it may have seemed fine on an external level.

His Part of Fortune in Leo and Part of Spirit in Aquarius dictated that his destiny led him to a prominent position in life as a leader of some sort. Fame and prestige brought him success and material rewards. Success came to him when he stepped forward into the spotlight. His soul’s purpose asked him to embrace unique and unconventional life experiences. He felt spiritual connections and the spark of the divine when there was a humanitarian benefit to his efforts. East Point in Aquarius dictated that he was more likely to identify with his uniqueness, his individuality and his feelings for justice and fair play. He may have enjoyed shocking others occasionally with unconventional behaviour, designed to prove that all rules can be broken. He may have been very unique and inventive or simply eccentric and strange. He may have been rebellious in a number of areas. He was likely to identify with his mind; he may have been a great rationalizer—able to intellectualize everything.

elemental dominance:

fire

earth

He was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. He generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. He was exciting to be around, because he was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, he could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Confident and opinionated, he was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because he was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—he was bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at his best, his confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves. He was a practical, reliable man and could provide structure and protection. He was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms of doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at his best, he provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.

modality dominance:

fixed

He liked the challenge of managing existing routines with ever more efficiency, rather than starting new enterprises or finding new ways of doing things. He likely had trouble delegating duties and had a very hard time seeing other points of view; he tried to implement the human need to create stability and order in the wake of change.          

house dominants:

7th

12th

10th

His attitude towards partnerships with other people was emphasized in hid life, whether on a personal or on a business level. It also revealed his marriage partner. It indicated how he dealt with other people and how his relationships with others affected him. Also had the propensity to attract enemies, and the effect that they had on his life was an issue. He had great interest in the unconscious, and indulged in a lot of hidden and secret affairs. His life was defined by seclusion and escapism. He had a certain mysticism and hidden sensitivity, as well as an intense need for privacy. His ambition in relation to the outside world, the identity he wished to achieve in regard to the community at large, and his career aspirations were all themes that were emphasized throughout his life. All matters outside the home, his public image and reputation were very important to his. His attitude to people in authority, and how he viewed the outside world, as well as the influence of his mother and his own attitude to her was highlighted.

planet dominants:

Venus

Moon

Sun

He was romantic, attractive and valued beauty, had an artistic instinct, and was sociable. He had an easy ability to create close personal relationships, for better or worse, and to form business partnerships. He was defined by his inner world; by his emotional reactions to situations, how emotions flowed through him, motivating and compelling him—or limiting him and holding him back. He held great capacity to become a part of the whole rather than attempting to master the parts. He wanted to become whatever it is that he sought. He had vitality and creativity, as well as a strong ego and was authoritarian and powerful. He likely had strong leadership qualities, he definitely knew who he was, and he had tremendous will. He met challenges and believed in expanding his life.

sign dominants:

Leo

Capricorn

Sagittarius

He loved being the center of attention and often surrounded herself with admirers. He had an innate dramatic sense, and life was definitely his stage. His flamboyance and personal magnetism extended to every facet of her life. He wanted to succeed and make an impact in every situation. As a Leo dominant, he was, at his best, optimistic, honorable, loyal, and ambitious. He was a serious-minded person who often seemed aloof and tightly in control of his emotions and his personal domain. Even as a youngster, there was a mature air about him, as if he was born with a profound core that few outsiders ever see. He was easily impressed by outward signs of success, but was interested less in money than in the power that money represents. He was a true worker—industrious, efficient, and disciplined. His innate common sense gave his the ability to plan ahead and to work out practical ways of approaching goals. More often than not, he succeeded at whatever he set out to do. He possessed a quiet dignity that was unmistakable. He sought the truth, expressed it as he saw it—and didn’t care if anyone else agreed with him. He saw the large picture of any issue and couldn’t be bothered with the mundane details. He was always outspoken and likely couldn’t understand why other people weren’t as candid. After all, what was there to hide?

Read more about him under the cut.

“I don’t care what they say about me after I’m dead, so long as they say something! Say anything about me, darling, as long as it isn’t boring.” - Tallulah Bankhead

She was the biggest Hollywood star that never really was. Ever since I saw her brilliant portrayal of the cold and ruthless, yet fiery Regina Giddens in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, I had to know more about Tallulah Bankhead. Bankhead combined the morally inverting wit of Oscar Wilde, the drawling decadence of Tennessee Williams and the tragic shadow of Blanche DuBois, a character she claimed Williams wrote just for her. Hollywood’s original wild child, Bankhead was an atypical southerner, championing civil rights way before it was popular, and was a devout Democrat, anti-Communist and liberal. Born into an old Southern family, Bankhead grew up overshadowed by her prettier older sister. She compensated by being outspoken and outrageous, a habit which would make her a star of the London stage and a subject of gossip columns. Her name was linked during her lifetime with many people (the notches on Bankhead’s bedpost were rumored to add up to at least 500, maybe even 5,000) and she carefully nurtured her wild reputation. She was also known for using cocaine and often mentioned that she did. She carried on affairs with both sexes, smoked, drank, and drugged to excess, and claimed to have only come to Hollywood “to fuck that divine Gary Cooper”.

The first actress to screen test for the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, Bankhead herself was an "accessible" icon. She reveled in her fans' idolatry and always acknowledged them, on-stage or off. A true diva, she clashed with most of the actors in the plays and movies she was cast in and many of them would not show up for performances until the very last minute to avoid her tantrums. Despite Bankhead’s demanding and extreme temperament, she enjoyed great professional success during the 1940s. Her typical Aquarian uniqueness, frivolity and irreverence, however, was a veneer for the tragedies and ghosts that haunted her life: Bankhead’s mother dying shortly after giving birth to her and the lifelong resentment of her congressman father, the sexual assault that occurred when she was a teenager, the case of the clap that left her sterile before she was 30 and the string of loveless affairs concealing a tender, coked-up heart. In the end, her last discernible words were "codeine, bourbon". While most of her contemporaries have long since been forgotten, the untamed and outspoken Tallulah has proven hard to shake.

Tallulah Bankhead, according to astrotheme, was an Aquarius sun and Scorpio moon. Bankhead’s mother, Adelaide (or "Ada" as she was called) was already engaged to another man when she met William Bankhead on a trip to Huntsville, Alabama to shop for her wedding dress. Will and Ada fell in love at first sight and, following a whirlwind romance, were married on January 31, 1900 in Memphis, Tennessee. Two years to the day, she was born in Huntsville, Alabama; her older sister Eugenia was born a year before. She was named after her paternal grandmother, who, in turn, was named after the town of Tallulah Falls in Georgia. The Bankheads were a prominent Alabama political family. Tallulah's grandfather, John Hollis Bankhead, was a Confederate veteran and a U.S. senator. Tallulah's uncle John was also a Senator and her father would serve as a U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House. Her mother died of complications from childbirth several weeks later, and she was raised in part by her aunts and grandparents. Bankhead was an admittedly bad-tempered baby turned defiant child. Made to feel inadequate by her older, thinner, prettier sister, Tallulah did everything she could think of for attention. Her boisterous behaviour rankled everyone's nerves, especially her grandmother. Today, Tallulah would be probably be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. She soon discovered at an early age that theatrics were a viable outlet for gaining the attention she craved. A series of throat and chest infections—whooping cough, measles, pneumonia, the mumps—left her with the famous voice that would become her trademark. In later years, Bankhead once made the statement, in conversation, that she had been raped when she was eleven. She said she could still remember and feel the gravel driveway where it happened, although there was no supporting witness, and no friend in whom she confided at the time.

Though her family wasn’t even Catholic, the uncontrollable Bankhead was sent away to convents, where she was twice expelled: once for throwing ink at the Mother Superior and again, at age 12, for making romantic advances towards a nun. At 15, perhaps due to her “manic narcissism,” Bankhead submitted her photo to Picture Play magazine and won a small part in a movie, as well as a trip to New York. With her lax Aunt Louise as chaperone, Bankhead took a room at the then unremarkable Algonquin Hotel. Her father used his influence and connections to help secure Tallulah's first stage role. In the meantime, she was a hit on the social scene. Though her acting was praised, the plays she was cast in were commercially and critically unsuccessful. Bankhead had been in New York for five years, but had yet to score a significant hit. Restless, Bankhead moved to London, making her debut on stage in 1923. Her fame as an actress was ensured in 1924 when she played Amy in Sidney Howard's They Knew What They Wanted. Bankhead returned to the United States in 1931, renting a home in Hollywood. She befriended famed director George Cukor and began hosting parties that were said to "have no boundaries". She found film-making to be very boring and did not have the patience for it. Promiscuity came naturally to Tallulah and she went to bed with anyone who was interested. She professed to having a ravenous appetite for sex, but not for a particular type:

"I've tried several varieties of sex. The conventional position makes me claustrophobic. And the others give me either stiff neck or lockjaw."

In Hollywood, Tallulah rented William Haines' former house, hired three black servants, and prepared for her fourth Paramount film, Thunder Below. It fared worse than any of her previous films. Tallulah may have been miserable in her professional life, but she didn't let that affect her private life. She indeed met Gary Cooper and even made a film with him, Devil and the Deep, Returning to Broadway, Bankhead worked steadily in a series of middling plays which were, ironically, later turned into highly successful Hollywood films starring other actresses. But Bankhead persevered, even through ill health. In 1933, while performing in Jezebel, Bankhead nearly died following a five-hour emergency hysterectomy due to gonorrhea, which she claimed she had contracted from either Gary Cooper or tough-guy actor George Raft. However, she had so many sexual partners at the time that it is impossible to know the truth. Hollywood was becoming increasingly conservative partly as a result from past scandals with their stars and because Will Hays had formed the infamous Production Code. The Code dictated not only what the studios could show in their films, but how their actors must conduct themselves off the screen. Bankhead was cited in the Hays Committee's "Doom Book", a list of 150 actors and actresses considered "unsuitable for the public" which was presented to the studios. Bankhead was at the top of the list with the heading: "Verbal Moral Turpitude". In return, she publicly called Hays "a little prick".

Tallulah finally achieved triumph with The Little Foxes in 1939. The Lillian Hellman classic told the story of the Hubbard family, whose lives are controlled by hatred and greed. Tallulah played Regina Giddens, a cold and self-centered social climber who stops at nothing to gain a foothold in Chicago society, even if it means destroying her family. Tallulah received tremendous praise for her performance and she won the Variety Award for Best Actress of the Season. The play enjoyed a long run (408 performances), followed by a year- long road tour. Tallulah also made a small fortune from the play as she demanded her usual ten percent of the grosses. Tallulah's next antic shocked everyone - to placate her father, she announced that she was getting married. She had been mesmerized by actor John Emery when she saw him on stage in Busman's Holiday in Westport, Connecticut. Tallulah met him after the play and invited him to spend the weekend with her. He moved in with her shortly afterward. In reality, Tallulah was never interested in "settling down" with any man and, after a rocky four years together (and her father’s death in the fall of 1940), the couple divorced in 1941.

By 1950, Tallulah was a household name who was frequently mentioned in the press, whether it was to report on her latest political involvement or simply to relate another humorous anecdote. Though Bankhead's career slowed in the mid-1950s, she never faded from the public eye. Her highly public and often scandalous personal life began to undermine her reputation as a terrific actress, leading to criticism she had become a caricature of herself. In early 1967, television producer Bill Dozier asked Tallulah to appear on his program, Batman. She would be paid $20,000 to appear in a two-part episode portraying the villainous "Black Widow". In 1968, Bankhead returned to her New York apartment and, in December, she contracted the Asian flu. She didn't respond to antibiotics and was placed in the hospital. After developing pneumonia and falling into a coma, she was placed in intensive care where she died on December 12, 1968, at age 66. After her death, it was revealed that she was not as poor as she often claimed; she left an estate valued at almost 2 million dollars. Half of the estate went to her long-time friend, Eugenia Rawls and her husband, Donald Seawell. Tallulah also also left generous portions to other good friends Jesse Levy, Estelle Winwood and Edie Smith. Tallulah's long-suffering sister, Eugenia, with whom she always had a strained relationship, had long fallen out of favour and was left $5,000 and a monthly allowance of $250.

Next, I focus on another scandalous figure of the early 20th century and the center of Hollywood's greatest real-life murder mystery: Taurus William Desmond Taylor.

STATS

birthdate: January 31, 1902

major planets:

Sun: Aquarius

Moon: Scorpio

Rising: Virgo

Mercury: Aquarius

Venus: Pisces

Mars: Aquarius

Midheaven: Gemini

Jupiter: Capricorn

Saturn: Capricorn

Uranus: Sagittarius

Neptune: Gemini

Pluto: Gemini

Overall personality snapshot: She had a powerful, magnetic personality which had a hypnotic effect on many people. Her character possessed a compelling blend of broad social-intellectual concerns and passionate self-interest; detached idealism and dark cynicism, the latter based on an intimate understanding of her own appetites and emotional needs. In general a ‘people’ person and an avid student of human nature, she was popular because the intensity of her personality rarely let up. Her obsessive individualism commanded recognition – she convinced people of her importance and capability, inspiring some to follow her to the ends of the Earth. Indeed, she may have had the magnetism of a demi-god and the confidence of a guru, but when she conquered an unbalanced desire for power and developed a more impartial approach her achievements will have had longer-lasting success. Freedom from obsessive self-interest should have been her aim. A sort of commanding haughtiness and inner conviction that she was ‘It’ usually drew people into her spell. But she was equally capable of detached withdrawal and even contempt, especially if her ego has been injured or unfairly treated. She may have tried to rise above petty feelings, but she could carry resentment around inside for a long time if injustice has been done.

It was important that her conscious, rational Aquarian side, which ‘knew’ itself to be fully self-determined and uniquely in charge of her life, come to understand and respect her proud, emotionally possessive, instinctively voracious Scorpio side, whose primitive needs, if unmet, led to manipulative behaviour that undermined her chances for emotional fulfillment. In order for her to maintain peace between these two sides of herself, she needed to dig down deep to see what buried assumptions and denied needs were at the root of a possible mind/feeling split. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, her intellectual and creative potential was enormous as long as both sides were working harmoniously together instead of living unconnected and mutually antagonistic lives – and this could only come for her through profound self-knowledge. Her Aquarian sun was the rational scientist; her Scorpio moon the hungry sensualist. Being deeply rooted in both realms gave her powerful insight into the vast spectrum of human nature. She was a good investigator of the human psyche and/or body, and she had the instincts of the reformer who saw the hidden potential in the discarded souls of life and could facilitate in their transformation.

Her body was neat and wiry, and she used neat and economical movements. Her well-groomed appearance was mirrored in her cool and classic way of dressing, good posture, fine bone structure and animated expression. Physically, she possessed good stamina. She tended to look younger than she really was, all the way through into her later years. She was an intelligent, bold thinker who was attracted to new and avant-garde ideas. Her mental application might have been slightly erratic, but it was often brilliant. She detested being pigeonholed or categorized. She hated being told what to think, as intellectual independence was vitally important to her. She loved to talk and to travel, so with her able to combine these two in her job as an actress, she was happy. She needed to have a fair degree of variety and change within her job, and the aspect of travel may have satisfied this. In whatever job she would have done, she would always have been the perpetual student, as long as the subject was interesting enough. Her sense of duty and responsibility were well-developed. Her powers of concentration were strong, and she was an honest person. She could be extremely efficient in the way that she tried to get maximum result out of minimum effort. She didn’t like extravagance and waste. She was a thoughtful and resourceful person, who was well-informed on many subjects. Success came gradually and as a result of hard work. Success and growth, for her, were expressed by material and financial achievements, bringing status and prestige. Worldly success was well within her reach, because she possessed all the necessary talents to gain power, influence and status. She was practical, determined and patient. When there were hitches in her plans, she simply worked around them. She knew where she was heading to, and had already figured out the best way to use her talents to reach her goals.

Although she could be fairly pessimistic about life in general, it didn’t put her off aiming for the top. She could be very single-minded about reaching her goals, and was prepared to put her career interests above her personal happiness. She was extremely aware of his own worth. She was prepared to work beyond the call of duty. Her strong sense of ambition gave her a certain rigidity, arrogance and selfishness in the eyes of others. She belonged to a generation with fiery enthusiasm for new and innovative ideas and concepts. Rejecting the past and its mistakes, she sought new ideals and people to believe in. As a member of this generation, she felt restless and adventurous, and was attracted towards foreign people, places and cultures. As a member of the Gemini Neptune generation, her restless mind pushed her to explore new intellectual fields. She loved communication and the occult and was likely also fascinated by metaphysical phenomena and astrology. As a Gemini Plutonian, she was mentally restless and willing to examine and change old doctrines, ideas and ways of thinking. As a member of this generation, she showed an amount of mental vitality, originality and perception. Traditional customs and taboos were examined and rejected for newer and more original ways of doing things. As opportunities with education expanded, she questioned more and learned more. As a member of this generation, having more than one occupation at a time would not have been unusual to her.

Love/sex life: She was the least intellectual of the Aquarius Martian lovers. She gets emotionally involved with her ideals and she fell in love with abstractions. This ability to link ideas with feelings allowed her to surround the person she loved with an amazing edifice of beauty and refinement in accordance with her idealized and highly romantic preconception about love. It can be a beautiful thing but it rarely lasts. People had a bad habit of stepping out of the sugar-coated world she’s created in her mind and behaving like human beings, leaving her confused and disappointed. She was also one of the most emotionally vulnerable of the Mars in Aquarius lovers and, for this reason, she was often more cautious and conservative in her romantic choices than was typical with this type. She had to protect her tender feelings. If she decided to defy convention it would have been because of overwhelming emotional necessity and not just because she wanted to see how other people reacted. But, given the combination of her sensuous and extremely affectionate nature and her uncompromising commitment to her romantic ideals, if and when she did choose to get radical about sex her actions invariably drew a lot of attention.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Scorpio

Lilith: Scorpio

Vertex: Pisces

Fortune: Sagittarius

East Point: Virgo

Her North Node in Scorpio dictated that she needed to be careful not to let the more emotional side of her personality overwhelm her. Instead, she should have set out to consciously develop her more practical abilities. Her Lilith in Scorpio meant that she liked life intense and was judged for her sexuality and general vibe and learned early on how to deflect moral judgments. She may have been tried in the court of public opinion but no way was she going to show up for the sentencing. She seduced and conquered on a daily basis. She was fearless as an actress and otherwise. Her Part of Fortune in Sagittarius and Part of Spirit in Gemini dictated that her destiny lay in seeking truth, justice and fairness in any given situation. Fortune came through higher education, travel and philosophy. She found her greatest fortune in places far from her home. Happiness and success came from looking outside herself. Her soul’s purpose asked her to communicate fully and explore all forms of learning and knowledge. She felt spiritual connections and the spark of the divine through words and writing. East Point in Virgo dictated that she was most likely to personally identify with the need to work and to be pragmatic. She needed early responsibilities (which were within her capabilities). She tended to feel guilty when not working, as if she should be contributing in some way. She was generally identified with her work (“I am what I do.”) and with a performance orientation. If carried too far, this led to excessive self-criticism. When done in moderation, she was simply very practical and realistic, usually worked hard and saw life and herself clearly.

Vertex in Pisces, 6th house reveals that she had an internal yearning to personally interact with humankind. Her unspoken concept of intimacy blended in an almost mystical way with a need to alleviate suffering, accompanied by an indescribable capacity for compassion. She empathized with the tribulations of others. Her sexuality was often intense only because it is a natural part of human interaction and sometimes the only way to alleviate another's pain, however, briefly. There was a limit to how much she put up with, after all she was only human too. She had an attitude of duty, obligation and sacrifice when it came to heartfelt interactions. Here we often find associations unconsciously based on a medical or religious model of service and sometimes even sainthood. The negative side was the tendency to become hypochondriacal or martyristic to get the love she so desperately wanted. There was a need for others to appreciate the sincerity of her intentions, to the daily tasks she executed in a conscientious and caring way and for others to know that her actions, no matter how routine they may seem, awere based on devoted love.

elemental dominance:

air

earth

She was communicative, quick and mentally agile, and she liked to stir things up. She was likely a havoc-seeker on some level. She was oriented more toward thinking than feeling. She carried information and the seeds of ideas. Out of balance, she lived in her head and could be insensitive to the feelings of others. But at her best, she helped others form connections in all spheres of their daily lives. She was a practical, reliable woman and could provide structure and protection. She was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms of doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at her best, she provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.

modality dominance:

mutable

She wasn’t particularly interested in spearheading new ventures or dealing with the day-to-day challenges of organization and management. She excelled at performing tasks and producing outcomes. She was flexible and liked to finish things. Was also likely undependable, lacking in initiative, and disorganized. Had an itchy restlessness and an unwillingness to buckle down to the task at hand. Probably had a chronic inability to commit—to a job, a relationship, or even to a set of values.

house dominants:

5th

10th

4th

Her life had an emphasis on creativity and self-expression. This included new beginnings; in fact, it included any way in which her creativity manifested itself. It showed how she was special and stood out. Also indicated an emphasis on leisure activities and holidays, gambling and speculation, romance and courtship, entertainment, sport, and sex. Her ambition in relation to the outside world, the identity she wished to achieve in regard to the community at large, and her career aspirations were all themes that were emphasized throughout her life. All matters outside the home, her public image and reputation were very important to her. Her attitude to people in authority, and how she viewed the outside world, as well as the influence of her mother and her own attitude to her was highlighted. The domestic arena and the home were emphasized in her life. By extension, the influence of the family she was born into, and the parents that raised her, in particular her father, as well as her personal and private life was of paramount importance to her.

planet dominants:

Neptune

Mercury

Uranus

She was of a contemplative nature, particularly receptive to ambiances, places, and people. She gladly cultivated the art of letting go, and allowed the natural unfolding of events to construct her world. She followed her inspirations, for better or for worse. She was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. She dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that she was left-brained. She was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains. She was unique and protected her individuality. She had disruptions appear in her life that brought unpleasant and unexpected surprises and she immersed herself in areas of her life in which these disruptions occur. Change galvanized her. She was inventive, creative, and original.    

sign dominants:

Aquarius

Gemini

Virgo

She was an original thinker, often eccentric, who prized individuality and freedom above all else. Her compassion, while genuine, rose from the intellect rather than the heart. She was hard to figure out because she was so often a paradox. She was patient but impatient; a nonconformist who conformed when it suited her; rebellious but peace-loving; stubborn and yet compliant when she wanted to be. She chafed at the restrictions placed upon her by society and sought to follow her own path. She ventured out to see what else was there and seized upon new ideas that expanded her community. Her innate curiosity kept her on the move. She used her rational, intellectual mind to explore and understand her personal world. She needed to answer the single burning question in her mind: why? This applied to most facets of her life, from the personal to  the impersonal. This need to know sent her off to foreign countries, where her need to explore other cultures and traditions ranked high. She was changeable and often moody. This meant that she was often at odds with herself—the mind demanding one thing, the heart demanding the opposite. To someone else, this internal conflict often manifested as two very different people. She was a discriminating, attractive, thorough, scientific, hygienic, humane, scientific woman and had the highest standards. Her attention to detail was second to none and she had a deeply penetrative and investigative mind.

Read more about her under the cut.

“I want to be remembered not only as an entertainer but as a person who cared a lot, and I gave the best that I could.” - Selena

Before the mega-popular Disney pop star Selena Gomez was even born, the one she was named after—the original Selena, Selena Quintanilla—was the one who captured everyone’s attention and held it. She was the total package. A beacon of hope and inspiration to legions of young Latinas, Selena was one in a million. Her beauty, charisma, powerful and expressive voice, and her old-school work ethic ensured her success. Hers was a true Cinderella story, and with the help of her father, she built her career from the ground up, gracefully twirling her way to the top. She was such a star that her reach extended far beyond that of the Spanish-speaking world that comprised her base; she appealed to other minority groups as well as whites. Known as “The Queen of Tejano Music”, she proved time and time again that anything was possible with heartfelt passion and lots of hard work. And all that hard work paid off. By the time she was 21, she was an established star in the Spanish-speaking world, especially in the Mexican-American community, of which she was a proud part. A true Aries, she broke barriers for Latin artists and she also pioneered the concept (and reality) of the multifaceted artist. Singers having various business ventures seem like the norm now, but prior to Selena, singers were just that—singers. Perhaps they branched out into acting, but singers didn’t act, dance, and become fashion designers. The true fire sign go-getter that she was, Selena believed she could do it all. And she did. The award-winning artist seemed to have everything going for her. She was stunningly beautiful, wildly talented, had a supportive family, a loving husband, a Grammy, and even a fashion boutique.

Selena was poised to continue her already successful career and crossover to Anglo audiences; like another fallen star, Aaliyah, Selena was on the precipice of superstardom. However, her life was cut tragically short in 1995 when she was murdered by her friend and founder of Selena's fan club that fucking thieving bitch, Yolanda Saldívar. Selena's murder had a widespread impact. Reactions to her death were compared to those following the deaths of musicians John Lennon and Elvis Presley and that of President John F. Kennedy. Her death was front-page news in The New York Times for two days. The world stopped. Not just the Spanish-speaking world. The whole world. Unfortunately, the popularity of Tejano music waned after her death and has not recovered. When Selena died the Tejano market died with her. Selena was just 23 years old when she was killed, but her amazing legacy lives on. After her death, the name Selena was one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls. There was a spark of interest in Latin music by people who were unaware of its existence. It was also believed her death heralded the “Latin explosion” of musicians to hit the crossover scene such as Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez (who wound up herself becoming a star thanks to her excellent portrayal of Selena in the classic biopic released just 2 years after her assassination). Now, we can only speculate what could have been when it comes to the trajectory her life and career could have taken. Where Jennifer Lopez is, Selena more than likely would have been. But one thing is certain: she was true to her roots and more importantly true to herself, making music that truly speaks to and inspires people to this day. And no one will ever fill her shoes.

Selena, according to astrotheme, was an Aries sun and Sagittarius moon. Born in Lake Jackson, Texas 1963, to Mexican-American parents, Abraham and Marcella Quintanilla. The ob-gyn at her birth was future House of Representatives member, Ron Paul. Selena was the youngest of three, and had an older brother and sister. Her father had been in a band before quitting to support his family with a job at Dow Chemical. When he heard his daughter sing for the first time as a little girl, he recognized her talent and became determined to nurture her skill. He loved to play music, and persuaded Selena to play music. Although she initially complained she didn't want to, she later found that she actually loved to play. The patriarch decided to start a family band, declaring that Quintanilla's brother, A.B., would learn bass, and her sister, Suzette, would learn drums. Selena herself joined the family band at the age of ten, and they turned professional two years later. Their band was called Selena y Los Dinos after Abraham's old band, Los Dinos. Abraham soundproofed the garage to give the band a place to record and rehearse. The band's early gigs were at the family's restaurant and weddings. Soon, their restaurant was forced to close after a recession, causing the family to declare bankruptcy and get evicted from their home. They settled in Corpus Christi, Texas; Abraham became manager of the  band and began promoting it. In 1981, the band went pro, and they began playing in dance halls, street corners, quinceañeras, and nightclubs the next year.

Since she started performing while still a child, she missed a lot of school. As her popularity as a singer grew, the demands of Selena's performance and travel schedule began to interfere with her education; her conflicting schedules culminated in her father taking her out of school when she was in the eighth grade. One of Selena’s teachers, Marilyn Greer, disapproved of Selena's musical career, and threatened to report her father. to the Texas Board of Education, believing the conditions to which Selena was exposed were inappropriate for a girl her age. Abraham told Greer to "mind her business". Although there were tough times at the beginning with little money, the Quintanilla family was determined and continued in their endeavours to be a successful band. Their patience would eventually pay off; by the late 1980's Selena y Los Dinos gained popularly in the western states. In 1986, the band got their first taste of success when Selena received awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Performer of the Year at the Tejano music awards. From that point on, Selena y Los Dinos were  among the top winners year after year and gained fame and recognition. They appeared on many Spanish language television shows such as El Show De Johnny Canales, Siempre En Domingo, and Sábado Gigante. At seventeen, Selena earned a high school diploma from the American School of Correspondence in Chicago.

In the early 90s, the band added a new guitarist named Chris Perez. Chris and Selena were attracted to each other instantly and soon they were dating. Selena's father Abraham was absolutely opposed to the relationship and threatened to remove Chris from the band. Abraham Sr.’s threats were completely ignored by Selena and Chris and they were married on April 2, 1992. In 1993, a person named Yolanda Saldívar, who happened to be the aunt of one of Selena's childhood friends, contacted Selena after a concert. After that, Saldívar got involved in Selena's fan club organization by leaving several messages. This intrigued Abraham Sr., and he hired Saldívar as president of Selena's fan club. Saldívar gained access to Selena's personal life and ended up being close friends with her. Her devotion to Selena bordered on obsession. Selena had ambitions beyond singing; she wanted to become a fashion designer, and in 1994, Selena opened up her first boutique in Corpus Christi, Texas. Later, Selena opened up two more boutiques in San Antonio, Texas and in Monterrey, Mexico. Saldívar somehow gained access to Selena’s professional life, as well, and she was hired as manager of Selena's boutiques. Not long after being hired, Saldívar started causing trouble and firing staff she didn’t like. The staff tried to warn Selena about Saldívar’s erratic behaviour, but Selena chose to ignore their warnings and have faith in Saldívar. The staff later made their complaints to Selena’s father. He took the claims seriously and told Selena to "be careful" and said Saldívar might not be a good influence. Selena dismissed her father's inquiries because he had often distrusted people in the past. Selena’s father Abraham began receiving telephone calls from fans who said they had paid for membership in the Selena fan club and had received nothing in return for it, and he began an investigation and discovered that Saldívar had embezzled more than $30,000 via forged checks from both the fan club and the boutiques.

In early 1995, Selena's father confronted Saldívar about missing funds from Selena's fan club. Selena and her father met with Saldívar to question her about the missing money. In Abraham's research, he also found out that Saldívar had run into similar situations with money in another job. Saldívar denied stealing the money, but had no concrete answers about what happened to it. Selena felt that Saldívar might have been guilty of the allegations and felt betrayed. On March 31, 1995, Saldívar asked to meet in private with Selena to give her proof that she was not stealing funds. Selena agreed to meet with Saldívar and they met at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. Once there, Saldívar presented Selena with incomplete documents and they started to argue. Selena, not wanting any more trouble, told Saldívar that she would no longer be president of the fan club and walked away. At this moment Saldívar pulled out a gun from her purse and shot Selena in the right lower shoulder; critically wounded and losing a lot of blood, Selena ran towards the lobby, with Saldívar chasing after her and calling her a “bitch”. Before collapsing, she named Saldívar as her assailant and gave the number of the room where she had been shot. Saldívar attempted to leave in her pickup truck but she was spotted by a responding police cruiser. She surrendered after a nearly nine-and-a-half-hour standoff with police and the FBI. Selena Quintanilla was pronounced dead on arrival at Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital. She was 23. The crossover album Selena had been working on at the time of her death, Dreaming of You, was posthumously released in July 1995. It sold 175,000 copies on the day of its release in the U.S. — a then-record for a female vocalist — and sold 331,000 copies its first week. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first album by a Hispanic artist to do so.

This was a special star analysis for Selena on what would have been her 51st birthday. May she rest in peace.

Stats

birthdate: April 16, 1971

major planets:

Sun: Aries

Moon: Sagittarius

Rising: Aquarius

Mercury: Taurus

Venus: Pisces

Mars: Capricorn

Midheaven: Scorpio

Jupiter: Sagittarius

Saturn: Taurus

Uranus: Libra

Neptune: Sagittarius

Pluto: Virgo

Overall personality snapshot: Her ability to radiate warmth, enjoyment of living and an effortless resilience to the ups and downs of existence made her one of life’s irrepressible winners. Her intense vitality and independence was hard to keep up with, and loved ones will have to fasten their seat belts, expect the unexpected and enjoy an adventure in order to appreciate the whole of her BIG personality. She was dynamic, highly enthusiastic, fabulously gregarious, and her visionary qualities plus the sheer energy she generated made it easy for her to rally support around any number of exciting projects and pet causes. She was restless and required lots of movement and space – to her, life was one big journey, one large adventure that held many exciting possibilities. Delightfully refreshing to meet, she could not help but exude a joie de vivre and inner commitment to life which could inspire and motivate others to action. And this was never so true as when she was engaged in intellectual exchanges and arousing public interest in moral and social causes. Outspoken, intensely honourable and deeply intuitive, she was essentially more interested in the future and in making sure it will be exciting than in finding security in the humdrum routine of daily living.

Her focus on large ideas could have taken her into law, religion or academia. It also took her often into the realm of speculation and risk-taking; she ‘sensed’ that a particular solution was right and would magically unlock the door to a brighter future, even though it appeared flagrantly inappropriate to other, more practical souls. In other words, she often by-passed the logical, step-by-step thinking process of the left-brain because of her capacity to perceive instantly the essence of any given situation. Her hunches were more real to her than a set of mundane facts. To her, life must be a game well-played (even if not always won), a challenge to the imagination and a test of her deep, creative, innovative spirit. This intuitive approach to life could, however, create some instability for her  and her household. Being true to her visions – doing what she wanted to do – took priority over completing mundane tasks, and the result in her day-to-day life could sometimes be chaos. But even in failure, her honour was likely to stay intact for ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ is what she said; ‘it is the idea that counts’, and things will ‘all come right’ in the end. She was an incurable optimist, very noble and a touch arrogant as well. One of the most important things in her life was being able to express herself freely and without inhibition, for honesty and fair dealing are virtues that were nearly gods to her inner life.

She was slim with good bone structure and clear, open and refined features. Her eyes were extraordinary, helping to give her an electric or magnetic aura. Her distinguishing feature was her lovely dark hair. She may have looked towards groups to provide her with an identity and a sense of importance, but instead she found herself becoming overly concerned with belonging to the right group and doing the right thing. She was practical, steady and patient, but she could be inflexible in her views. One thing she did have was plenty of common sense and good powers of concentration, although she tended to think that purely abstract thought was a waste of time. Her thought processes weren’t as quick as others, but her decisions were made with a lot of thought behind them. To a degree, she felt that she needed to be in control, or else the dangerous outside world will destroy her. To gain control over her environment, in particular over her working environment, she either sought to gain power and control over those around her, or withdraw entirely. Either way, a powerful self-protection mechanism was evident. She approached her work with an intensity that really came to the fore when any kind of research or investigative type of work was called for. She had trouble trusting those who had authority over her. She tended to be fairly materialistically oriented, working hard for eventual success. She loved her freedom and would defy anyone to try and stop her. In whatever she did, she liked to know what was going on from the broadest outline down to the smallest detail, because she liked to be informed. This applied to all her interests. She had a very optimistic and philosophical outlook on life that supported her large-scale ambitions and visions. She simply didn’t believe that she wouldn’t succeed, so consequently she rarely failed. Sometimes she could be a little reckless and boastful, with a casual attitude to her resources.

Her sense of duty and responsibility were well-developed. Her powers of concentration were strong, and she was an honest person. She could be extremely efficient in the way that she tried to get maximum result out of minimum effort. She didn’t like extravagance and waste. She was a thoughtful and resourceful person, who was well-informed on many subjects. Success came gradually and as a result of hard work. Success and growth, for her, were expressed by material and financial achievements, bringing status and prestige. She belonged to a generation that brought unconventional attitudes to marriage and close emotional relationships. Personal relationships tended to be made and unmade fairly quickly, as was evidenced by her elopement with her husband and her dismissal of Saldívar. As a member of this generation, he had some unusual artistic talents. Unfortunately, it was within relationships that she experienced turmoil and disruptions. Her relationships with people she held authority over brought many disruptions, as was tragically the case with her association with Saldívar. She was part of an optimistic and expansive generation with a naturally philosophical outlook and an interesting sense of humour, and although many of its members lack a certain amount of definition. She was good at inspiring others, and her radical and idealistic attitudes towards society, politics and spiritual values began to replace the chaos found in her past. Her aim was a balance between earthly and spiritual values, materialism and spiritualism. She also loved adventure and experimentation. She had an expansive personality and promoted a new order. As a member of the Virgoan Pluto generation, she was inquisitive, assertive and zealous. The little details mattered to her; she belonged to a generation that wanted to save the world, but often got bogged down in the details and lost sight of the big picture. However, constant self-analysis, second-guessing and nitpicking often held her back from creating permanent changes.

Love/sex life: There was a sensitive, dreamy quality about her approach to love that somewhat belies her strong and very physical erotic appetites. She was the Mars in Capricorn lover most in touch with her feelings. She required a sense of emotional commitment and security from her relationships and she had a weakness for glamour and fantasy in her sex life. Some people might have even jumped to the conclusion that she was a romantic but, beneath all this sweetness and frivolity, she still had a very practical and hard-nosed attitude toward sex. Since she often appeared shy and vulnerable, it was sometimes assumed that she was essentially a passive lover. Nothing could be farther from the truth. She generally controlled her relationships in very subtle ways, using emotional leverage and feelings of obligation and duty to get her way, but she could be much more direct when such measures were required. People who entered her fantasy world of love with expectations of a simple good time were often disappointed. There was a lot of work to be done within that sexy dream world of hers and she expected it to be done well.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Aquarius

Lilith: Libra

Vertex: Virgo

Fortune: Gemini

East Point: Aquarius

Her North Node in Aquarius dictated that she needed to try not to let herself fall in the trap of overemphasizing her own importance. She needed to be able to share with others more readily and to be prepared to see issues from their perspective. Her Lilith in Libra ensured that she had a glam sort of gumption. She used her good looks and/or charm as a weapon and wasn’t content with petty bourgeois judgements and limited horizons. Even as a young girl, she had beauty, which developed into a coquettish style that entranced men throughout her entire life, thereby enabling her to get whatever she wanted from them. Her Vertex in Virgo, 7th house dictated that she had a fantasy of joining with someone who had unique psychic and/or healing powers and the focus was on the practical work which will make everything all right. Her mate had to be sure of his innate talents and have a good plan as to how he could make good use of them to serve her and mankind at the same time. She was always in a partnership of one kind or another (if only in her head), desperately seeking one, or have decided that it isn’t worth the risk since our expectations will never be met. There was a sense that she was not really complete unless we are intimately involved with someone. On some levels there was an irrational fear of ending up alone. The dark side was that she could get highly self-righteous about acceptable modes of behaviour in interacting with others and thereby alienate the very people she longed for. Her father was less than secure in her subconscious perceptions, though it may have seemed fine on an external level.

Her Part of Fortune in Gemini and Part of Spirit in Sagittarius dictated that her destiny lay in travel, education and communication. She was able to overcome enemies by her words and by her writing. Happiness and fulfillment came from being able to express herself fully. Her soul’s purpose lay in seeking truth, justice and fairness. She felt spiritual connections and saw the spark of the divine when she studied, broadened her mind through new philosophies, or looked for inspiration outside the home. East Point in Aquarius dictated that she was more likely to identify with her uniqueness, her individuality and her feelings for justice and fair play. She may have enjoyed shocking others occasionally with unconventional behaviour, designed to prove that all rules can be broken. She may have been very unique and inventive or simply eccentric and strange. She may have been rebellious in a number of areas. She was likely to identify with her mind; she may have been a great rationalizer—able to intellectualize everything.  

elemental dominance:

fire

earth

She was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. She generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. She was exciting to be around, because she was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, she could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, she chose the latter. Confident and opinionated, she was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because she was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—she was be bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at her best, her confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves. She was a practical, reliable woman and could provide structure and protection. She was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms of doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at her best, she provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.

modality dominance:

mutable

She wasn’t particularly interested in spearheading new ventures or dealing with the day-to-day challenges of organization and management. She excelled at performing tasks and producing outcomes. She was flexible and liked to finish things. Was also likely undependable, lacking in initiative, and disorganized. Had an itchy restlessness and an unwillingness to buckle down to the task at hand. Probably had a chronic inability to commit—to a job, a relationship, or even to a set of values.    

house dominants:

10th

3rd

8th

Her ambition in relation to the outside world, the identity she wished to achieve in regard to the community at large, and her career aspirations were all themes that were emphasized throughout her life. All matters outside the home, her public image and reputation were very important to her. Her attitude to people in authority, and how she viewed the outside world, as well as the influence of her mother and her own attitude to her was highlighted. Short journeys, traveling within her own country were themes throughout her life; her immediate environment, and relationships with her siblings, neighbours and friends were of importance. The way her mental processes operated, as well as the manner and style in which she communicated was emphasized in her life. As such, much was revealed about her schooling and childhood and adolescence. She loved the totality of the human experience and embraced the whole cycle of human life, including birth, sex and death. Her darker side, and the complexes and emotions that she preferred to keep hidden, even from herself, was a theme throughout her life. Her ability to undergo deep personal transformations and spiritual regeneration was also highlighted.

planet dominants:

Jupiter

Neptune

Saturn

She had luck, and believed in expansion, integration, and growth. She could also be excessive and lazy. She reached out beyond herself and expanded her consciousness. She loved travel, was fairly religious, and liked to integrate herself into the larger social order—church or religion, community, and corporation. She had intellectual and spiritual interests in the most. She was of a contemplative nature, particularly receptive to ambiances, places, and people. She gladly cultivated the art of letting go, and allowed the natural unfolding of events to construct her world. She followed her inspirations, for better or for worse. She believed in the fact that lessons in life are sometimes harsh, that structure and foundation was a great issue in her life, and she had to be taught through through experience what she needed in order to grow. She paid attention to limitations she had and had to learn the rules of the game in this physical reality. She tended to have a practical, prudent outlook. She also likely held rigid beliefs.

sign dominants:

Sagittarius

Taurus

Aquarius

She loved her freedom and chafed at any restrictions. She sought the truth, expressed it as she saw it—and didn’t care if anyone else agreed with her. She saw the large picture of any issue and couldn’t be bothered with the mundane details. She was always outspoken and likely couldn’t understand why other people weren’t as candid. After all, what was there to hide? Her stubbornness and determination kept her around for the long haul on any project or endeavour. She was incredibly patient, singular in her pursuit of goals, and determined to attain what she wanted. Although she lacked versatility, she compensated for it by enduring whatever she had to in order to get what she wanted. She enjoyed being surrounded by nice things. She liked fine art and music, and may have had considerable musical ability. She also had a talent for working with her hands—gardening, woodworking, and sculpting. She was an original thinker, often eccentric, who prized individuality and freedom above all else. Her compassion, while genuine, rose from the intellect rather than the heart. She was hard to figure out because she was so often a paradox. She was patient but impatient; a nonconformist who conformed when it suited her; rebellious but peace-loving; stubborn and yet compliant when she wanted to be. She chafed at the restrictions placed upon her by society and sought to follow her own path.

Read more about her under the cut.

“I was never the girl next door.” - Bettie Page

The life of those with Cancer energy is often a strange and quietly revolutionary one. She had the most perfect body ever photographed. At least one historian has ranked her popularity as a pin-up just behind Marilyn Monroe and, arguably, Jayne Mansfield, but her career followed a very different path. From an impoverished Tennessee girl to an iconic 1950s model, Bettie Page was a legendary pinup girl whose photographs in the nude, in bondage and in naughty-but-nice poses appeared in many (privately stashed) men's magazines. Page’s introduction to the limelight was unusual. She went from a Homecoming Queen to an aspiring Hollywood starlet, but her one and only screen-test was an utter bust as she boldly rejected the producer’s advances to meet her after hours. She turned to pinup modeling, and her fate was sealed. Her way of posing was instictive (Tarurus sun) and intutitive (Cancer moon); I got the sense that there was a passion play unfolding in her mind. What some see as a bad-girl image was in fact a certain sensual freedom and play-acting - it was part of the fun of being a woman. Most people that saw her photos were enchanted. A cult figure, Page was famous for the estimated 20,000 black-and-white glossy photographs taken by amateur shutterbugs from 1949 to 1957.

Some, however were not as enchanted with Miss Page; these pictures wound up drawing the attention of an ambitious United States senator who launched an investigation on pornography’s impact on youth. The investigation uncovered a scandal that marred Page’s career and she shortly thereafter vanished from the New York City scene for good. Decades later, those images inspired biographies, comic books, fan clubs, websites, commercial products -- Bettie Page playing cards, dress-up magnet sets, action figures, Zippo lighters, shot glasses -- and, in 2005, a film about her life and times, The Notorious Bettie Page. Though Bettie was the most famous postwar pinup girl in American history, her later life proved to be far less glamorous. By the end of ’50s, the most photographed model of the 20th century had become a total recluse. As with Monroe and Mansfield, the sadness of her life was found in the space between. Nonetheless, Bettie left behind a formidable legacy: she helped usher in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, inspired legions of artists, and remains an icon of feminine power and sexual expression.

Bettie Mae Page, according to astrotheme, was a Taurus sun and Cancer moon. She was born in Nashville, the oldest girl among Roy and Edna Page’s six children. Her father, an auto mechanic, molested her and her other two sisters. Her parents divorced in 1933, but life didn’t get any easier for Bettie. Shortly after the divorce, when Page was 10, she and her two sisters were sent to an orphanage for a year. Her mother neglected her, not wanting to have any girls. She thought they were trouble. Despite her troubles at home, Bettie excelled at in high school; she became Homecoming Queen and garnered a scholarship to George Peabody College. Graduating in 1943, she married her high school sweetheart Billy Neal and moved to San Francisco. After high school, Page earned a teaching credential. But her career in the classroom was short-lived, since she couldn’t control her students. She tried secretarial work and modeled on the side. But by 1948 she had divorced a violent husband and fled to New York City, where she enrolled in acting classes. She was noticed on the beach at Coney Island by New York police officer and amateur photographer Jerry Tibbs, who introduced her to nude camera clubs. She soon made it into the pages of magazines like Wink and Flirt. Her most professional photographs were taken in 1955 by fashion photographer Bunny Yeager, but her 1955 Playboy centerfold brought her career to the next level. Page quickly became a sought-after model, attracting the attention of Irving Klaw and his sister, Paula, who operated a mail-order business specializing in cheesecake and bondage poses. For Senator Estes Kefauver, Page and photographers like Klaw were “a bad influence and degrading.” Kefauver formed a sub-committee on juvenile delinquency to investigate just how bad of an influence they were and found the case of a Florida man named Clarence Grimm who said his son’s suicide was influenced by Page. Grimm testified that his dead son Kenneth was found hanging by his knees and neck. The committee’s special counsel Vincent Gaughan led him to confirm that this position was wholly inspired by Klaw’s BDSM photos of Page, with the photographer left in ruins as a result — and Page leaving town. 

At 35, Page walked away from it all. She quit modeling and moved to Florida, where an experience at a multiracial Baptist church on New Year’s Eve 1957 saw her born again. It was also where she married a much younger man whose passions, she later learned, were watching television and eating hamburgers. Page immersed herself in Bible studies and served as a counselor for the Billy Graham Crusade. In 1967, she married for a third time to Harry Lear. After that marriage ended in divorce 11 years later, Page plunged into a depression marked by violent mood swings. With uncontrollable bursts of anger, Page ran through a Boca Raton ministry retreat with a .22-caliber pistol in January 1972. In April, she forced her husband and his children at knife-point to pray to Jesus. She argued with her landlady and attacked her with a knife, but after twice assaulting elderly women with whom she was boarding, she was charged with attempted murder. A judge found her innocent by reason of insanity but sentenced her to 10 years in a California mental institution. She was released in 1992 from Patton State to find that she had unwittingly become a pop-culture icon. In Bettie’s absence, the public grew increasingly curious about her. So much so, in fact, that Penthouse magazine offered anyone who could prove she was dead or alive $1,000. With the help of admirers, including Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, Page finally began receiving a respectable income for her work. She spent most of her final years in a one-bedroom apartment, reading the Bible, listening to Christian and country tunes, watching westerns on television, catching up on diet and exercise regimens or sometimes perusing secondhand clothing stores. After years of living on Social Security benefits and royalties, Page ultimately died of a heart attack at the age of 85 on Dec. 11, 2008, after being hospitalized with pneumonia days earlier.

Next, I will focus on another Taurus, a dashing and swashbuckling leading man whose untimely death made him an early legend: Tyrone Power.  

STATS

birthdate: April 22, 1923

major planets:

Sun: Taurus

Moon: Cancer

Rising: Scorpio

Mercury: Taurus

Venus: Pisces

Mars: Gemini

Midheaven: Leo

Jupiter: Scorpio

Saturn: Libra

Uranus: Pisces

Neptune: Leo

Pluto: Cancer

Overall personality snapshot: Whatever she did – be it in business, catering, the caring professions or indeed at home – she was undoubtedly one of the great ‘mothers’ of the world. She had a strongly protective, sensitive and nurturing approach to all that she did. She had the potential to become the ideal parent, teacher and friend. Immensely sympathetic, understanding and supportive, she was able to encourage and bring out the best in those people and organizations she cared for and with whom she came into contact. Her strong sense of the value of things gave her an excellent business and economic sense, enabling her to spot a bargain and to conserve and build up her financial resources. This was assisted by her capacity for getting others to feel protective towards her. Whilst she tended to lack the more dynamic get-up-and-go self-confidence of the classic entrepreneur, she had nonetheless a quiet determination which got her wherever she wanted to go. Her home, and no doubt her evergreen garden, would have been especially important to her and she made her ‘nest’ both secure and comfortable. She was a naturally good neighbour, and although she tended to be a rather quiet, private and indeed even secretive person, she did feel a sense of responsibility for those around her. This meant that she was the child who ended up looking after her parents when her brothers and sisters are off doing their own thing.

She was strongly sensual and tended to be rather allergic to ideas and theories. She thought best in pictures and symbols and by simply doing and experiencing things, and getting the feel of how they work. She was naturally creative and artistic with a strongly lyrical, musical and poetic bent. She could get swept away on a soaring melody, or by a particular nuance of colour, scent or texture. She used her body as a barometer, for it tended to reflect faithfully her inner moods and emotions. Childhood was, and probably still is, enormously important to her. In an often threatening world, she may well have sought to retreat into the secure and familiar. This may have led her to seek out a steady, routine occupation which offered long-term security rather than something that could feed her rich imagination. When these two sides of her were working in creative tandem, this was an immensely caring combination. It is an ideal mix for anyone in the caring, counselling or nursing professions or indeed in any kind of work where the care and nourishment of others is the central preoccupation, such as infant-school teaching, catering and hotel work.

She had dark, brooding looks with thick, abundant hair and strongly marked eyebrows that framed the most important feature of her face, her eyes. Her eyes had a piercing, penetrating quality. Overall, she gave the impression of quietly contained power. Her movements were controlled, and her clothes were chosen for their dramatic value. With her commanding personality, she was able to instill fear and apprehension if she wished. She held a lot of hidden rage and passion within her, which had to be released. She was practical, steady and patient, but she could be inflexible in her views. One thing she did have was plenty of common sense and good powers of concentration, although she tended to think that purely abstract thought was a waste of time. Her thought processes weren’t as quick as others, but her decisions were made with a lot of thought behind them. She was ambitious without being ruthless. She became deeply involved in her work, wanting to work at the highest level. Work and leisure may have been (and was) indivisible, especially with her work being artistic or creative. She was well suited to her career as a pinup model, since it promised and delivered publicity as well as a scope for showing off. She could be an intensely emotional person with extremely strong physical desires. She tended to see herself as a desirable person to the opposite sex. She needed to be loved, but she could also be extremely suspicious of other people and their motives. Her perseverance was strong, but she also needed to learn moderation and not to over-rate her abilities or capacity for doing things. She believed that fair play, justice, tact and diplomacy were all extremely important. Her reasonable outlook and kind and pleasant character endeared her to others. She liked to encourage social contacts that enhanced her image. She was meant to learn a lot from relationships in her life through the way she handled them, and through issues of compromise. As long as she felt secure within herself, a partnership brought her much  happiness, stability and contentment.

She belonged to a generation gifted with original and unusual artistic talents, highly imaginative, secretive and visionary. She personified the Piscean Uranus generation in the sense that she felt uncomfortable facing reality, finding the world a difficult place to survive in. She relied on negative escapism as a preferred way of escaping the harsh reality of the world around her. The unknown and the taboo appealed to her, because she wanted to have the freedom to explore and think for herself. She was part of a very artistically talented and creative generation that wanted to escape from the demands of the world around them into a world of excitement and glamour. Members of this generation love the theater and the cinema, in fact, any sort of creative self-expression. They also believed in the rights of any individual to express themselves. This generation was both idealistic and romantic, selfish and individualistic. Page embodied all of these Leo Neptunian ideals. Also, as a member of the Leo Neptune generation, she experienced and fully embraced changes in sexual mores and attitudes, changing the way people approach the whole issue of romantic relationships. Changes were also experienced in the relationships between parents and children, with the ties becoming looser. Page was part of a generation known for its devastating social upheavals concerning home and family. The whole general pattern of family life experienced enormous changes and upheavals; as a Cancer Plutonian, this aspect is highlighted with Page’s father molesting her and her mother wanting boys instead of her and her sisters, as well as her stint in an orphanage.

Love/sex life: She was an extremely alluring and sensual Gemini Martian lover whose sexuality was an uneven blend of craftiness and innocence. She was very rational about sex and approached it with great clarity of purpose but even at her most calculating moment, deep emotional needs and feelings of vulnerability clouded her judgments. This made her one of the most unpredictable and irrational lovers of this type—a partner who could be cool and clinging, distant and irresistible all at the same time. At her worst, she was a compulsive charmer who won everyone’s love and no one’s confidence. At her best, she was the sexiest and most empathetic lover of this type. She was supremely sensitive to the needs of her partner and well-informed enough to answer all of them. There was an element of shyness and passivity about her sexuality. She needed to feel safe and protected in order to explore the full range of her sexual curiosity but, once she was sure of her ground, there was no holding her back. Page overcame her shyness and became the iconic sexy pin-up girl of the 1950s, posing sometimes as the sexy girl-next-door and sometimes as a leopard-skin clad dominatrix. After she was threatened by federal investigators incensed by the “pornographic” images of her body, Page abruptly quit modeling, turned to Jesus, and ended up in an insane asylum.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Virgo

Lilith: Taurus

Vertex: Virgo

Fortune: Capricorn

East Point: Pisces

Her North Node in Virgo that her tendency to dream and be disorganized needed to be tempered by developing more practical and down-to-earth attitudes. Her Lilith in Taurus ensured that she was an unabashed sensualist. She was earthy, smutty, and totally without apology for her perfectly natural needs. Her gut instincts were impeccable, her libido formidable. Her sexual life-forces operated above and beyond petty morality. Her Vertex in Virgo, 7th house dictated that she wanted a union which would take one to ultimate salvation or spiritual initiation, based on a shared ideal of dedication and service. There was a fantasy of joining with someone who had unique psychic and/or healing powers and the focus is on the practical work which will make everything all right. She was always in a partnership of one kind or another (if only in her head), desperately seeking one, or have decided that it wasn’t worth the risk since his expectations would never be met. There was a sense that she wasn’t really complete unless she was intimately involved with someone. On some levels there was an irrational fear of ending up alone. The dark side was that she could get highly self-righteous about acceptable modes of behaviour in interacting with others and thereby alienate the very people she longed for. Her parental role model was less than secure in her subconscious perceptions, though it may have seemed fine on an external level.

Her Part of Fortune in Capricorn and Part of Spirit in Cancer dictated that her destiny lay in creating practical and long-lasting achievements. Success came through hard work, determination, responsibility and perseverance. Fulfillment came from observing her progress through life and seeing it take a form and structure that will outlive her. Her soul’s purpose guided her towards building security in her life, both emotional and material. She felt spiritual connections and the spark of the divine within her home and family. East Point in Pisces more of her identity was tied to idealism and the search for mystic oneness. This generally led to high standards for herself. (“I should be perfect.” Or, “I already am perfect and the world should recognize it.”) The three major roles through which individuals express the idealism of Pisces are: artist, saviour and victim. As such, the choice was hers whether she sought the connection to the Infinite through creating more beauty in the world, through making a more perfect world, or by running away to her own imagined world.

elemental dominance:

water

fire

She had high sensitivity and elevation through feelings. Her heart and her emotions were her driving forces, and she couldn’t do anything on earth if she didn’t feel a strong effective charge. She needed to love in order to understand, and to feel in order to take action, which caused a certain vulnerability which she should (and often did) fight against. She was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. She generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. She was exciting to be around, because she was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, she could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, she chose the latter. Confident and opinionated, she was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because she was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—she was be bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at her best, her confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves.

modality dominance:

mutable

She wasn’t particularly interested in spearheading new ventures or dealing with the day-to-day challenges of organization and management. She excelled at performing tasks and producing outcomes. She was flexible and liked to finish things. Was also likely undependable, lacking in initiative, and disorganized. Had an itchy restlessness and an unwillingness to buckle down to the task at hand. Probably had a chronic inability to commit—to a job, a relationship, or even to a set of values.

house dominants:

1st

4th

2nd

Her personality, disposition and temperament was highlighted in her life. The manner in which she expressed herself and the way she approached other people is also highlighted. The way she approached new situations and circumstances contributed to show how she set about her life’s goals. Early childhood experiences also factored in her life as well. The domestic arena and the home were emphasized in her life. By extension, the influence of the family she was born into, and the parents that raised her, in particular her father, as well as her personal and private life was of paramount importance to her. The material side of life, including money and finances, income and expenditure, and worldly goods, was emphasized in her life. Also, the areas of innate resources, such as her self-worth, feelings and emotions, were paramount in her life. What she considered her personal security and what she desired was also paramount.

planet dominants:

Uranus

Neptune

Jupiter

She was unique and protected her individuality. She had disruptions appear in her life that brought unpleasant and unexpected surprises and she immersed herself in areas of her life in which these disruptions occur. Change galvanized her. She was inventive, creative, and original. She was of a contemplative nature, particularly receptive to ambiances, places, and people. She gladly cultivated the art of letting go, and allowed the natural unfolding of events to construct her world. She followed her inspirations, for better or for worse. She had luck, and believed in expansion, integration, and growth. She could also be excessive and lazy. She reached out beyond herself and expanded her consciousness. She loved travel, was fairly religious, and liked to integrate herself into the larger social order—church or religion, community, and corporation. She had intellectual and spiritual interests in the most.

sign dominants:

Pisces

Cancer

Taurus

She needed to explore her world through her emotions. She felt things so deeply that quite often she became a kind of psychic sponge, absorbing the emotions of people around her. As such, she gravitated toward the arts, in general, to theater and film specifically. She could be ambivalent and indecisive simply because she was so impressionable. She also tended to be moody because she felt the very height of joy and the utter depths of despair. Love and romance were essential for her. These fulfilled her emotionally, and she generally flourished within stable relationships. At first meeting, she seemed enigmatic, elusive. She needed roots, a place or even a state of  mind that she could call her own. She needed a safe harbor, a refuge in which to retreat for solitude. She was generally gentle and kind, unless he was hurt. Then she could become vindictive and sharp-spoken. She was affectionate, passionate, and even possessive at times. She was intuitive and was perhaps even psychic. Experience flowed through her emotionally. She was often moody and always changeable; her interests and social circles shifted constantly. She was emotion distilled into its purest form. Her stubbornness and determination kept her around for the long haul on any project or endeavour. She was incredibly patient, singular in her pursuit of goals, and determined to attain what she wanted. Although she lacked versatility, she compensated for it by enduring whatever she had to in order to get what she wanted. She enjoyed being surrounded by nice things. She liked fine art and music, and may have had considerable musical ability. She also had a talent for working with her hands.

Read more about her under the cut.

“I had a mom and a pop who kept telling me that I was wonderful at a very early age. So when someone said to me, "Oh, you're stuck up. Who do you think you are?" I'd say, "I know who I am, and I don't mind being stuck up".” -  Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll was a trailblazer for African-American women in Hollywood. A true Cancer, she was a captivating force of nature who had a combative spirit--a bruised but feisty character who was brave, authentic, took risks, and created her own lane for others to follow. Also, she had the Cancerian trait of warming to confrontation far more than compliments, and, true Cancer that she was, her life was full of it. Wildly beautiful, and assisted by her amazing talent, grace, class, and glamour, as well as her breathy, deep voice, the established recording artist debuted on the big screen in 1954’s Oscar-nominated all-black adaptation of Carmen Jones. She made history by being the first black woman to win a Tony Award. The first black queen of the small screen, she would also make television history with her role as a nurse on Julia, the enormously successful NBC sitcom that featured her as a war-widowed nurse raising a son. The pioneering role was a radical departure from her predecessors who typically played domestic workers and was credited with shattering stereotypes. In Dynasty, she was, in her words, “first black bitch on prime-time television.” A dynamic entertainer, she sang in nightclubs and on the Broadway stage, headlined in Las Vegas with her fourth husband, Vic Damone, and notched Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe nominations. Carroll was nominated for a lead actress Oscar for her turn as a welfare mom in the 1974 comedy Claudine. She personified the new black woman. But her success was an entertainment industry rarity.

Diahann Carroll, according to astrotheme, was a Cancer sun and Aquarius moon. She was born Carol Diann Johnson in the Bronx on July 17, 1935, and raised in Harlem by her subway conductor father and homemaker mom. Doted on by her hard-working parents, she attended New York City's famed High School for the Performing Arts. At just 15 years old, began to model for magazines like Ebony, Tan and Jet. Carroll continued to participate in modeling and singing competitions throughout high school. She enrolled at New York University for college at 18, where she eventually won an opportunity on ABC’s Chance of a Lifetime show to appear as a regular performer at the popular Latin Quarter Nightclub in Manhattan. Carroll eventually dropped out of college to pursue her entertainment career and landed her film debut as a friend to the sultry lead character played by Dorothy Dandridge in Otto Preminger's Carmen Jones (1954). She went on to find success on Broadway, eventually transitioning to movies. In 1962 she won a best actress Tony award for the role created for her by revered composer Richard Rodgers in the musical No Strings. While in No Strings, Carroll had received anonymous death threats. In 1968, Julia aired the first episode of its three-year run on NBC. She said that many people were upset because they didn’t feel like it accurately portrayed what life was like for most African Americans during that time. In 1969, Carroll became the first black actress to win a Golden Globe award for Julia. She was also the first black actress to win a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series for the show.

In 1974, Carroll landed her biggest success in the hit film Claudine, which told the story of a single welfare mother of six in Harlem who falls in love with the garbage man, played by James Earl Jones. Her next big break came as the stylish and catty Dominique Devereaux on the 1980s soap opera Dynasty. The role made Carroll the first African American to play a lead role on a primetime soap opera. She and her lawyers negotiated salary and percentage rights to her show at a time when that was practically unheard of for performers, especially African Americans and women. She had a storied love life, which included liaisons with Harry Belafonte, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., as well as a well-documented affair with the married Sidney Poitier (his side of the story) (her side of the story). She was married four times. Her father boycotted the ceremony for her first wedding, in 1956, to nightclub owner Monte Kay, which resulted in Carroll’s only child, Suzanne. She was engaged to British television host and producer David Frost, but the engagement was canceled. Her second marriage was to Las Vegas boutique owner Freddie Glusman, who was abusive; she then married academic Robert DeLeon, who spent too much of her money, before dying in a car crash; last came a union with singer Vic Damone, who loved golf more than life with her, and who she divorced in the 1990s.

Next, I’ll talk about another multi-hyphenated icon; this man was an absolute legend who broke down many barriers. One-third of the famous Rat Pack and one of the greatest showmen and entertainers of all time: Sagittarius Sammy Davis, Jr.

Stats

birthdate: July 17, 1935

major planets:

Sun: Cancer

Moon: Aquarius

Rising: Aquarius

Mercury: Cancer

Venus: Virgo

Mars: Libra

Midheaven: Sagittarius

Jupiter: Scorpio

Saturn: Pisces

Uranus: Taurus

Neptune: Virgo

Pluto: Cancer

Overall personality snapshot: For a Cancer, she could be an understanding and forgiving friend of the world, a progressive traditionalist. She had a flair for reading signs and symbols, be it in interpreting dreams or reading the flight of birds. Combined with her gift for translating her feelings into words, this found its most fulfilling expression through poetry and song. The clannish instinct of Cancer can be widened and universalized in this pairing so that her immediate concerns were broad social issues. She was interested in people and had great insight into the workings of the human mind and heart. Although she was a strong family person with interest in her ancestors and heritage, she tended to treat her friends and colleagues as an equally important, extended family, and there is nothing she would not do for most of them.

When she worked at it, she combined personal warmth and abstract thought in an admirable, effective way. Feeling deeply about other’s pain, joy and aspirations, she did not go overboard with the sloppy stuff but, like a true friend, she entered into the spirit of the idea and helped others to understand things more clearly. Her personality was ideally suited to working with people, either in the caring and healing professions, or in politics or teaching. Her personal integrity and ability to communicate her vision with unselfish feeling could often work a kind of magic on her audience, making popularity almost a birthright. Although she could be a shrewd businesswoman and was proud enough in a noble sort of way, essentially she was a humanitarian and she matched her sentiment with actions which left no one in doubt about her values and trustworthiness. Challenge was necessary, and she found further study very useful to her job. Worldly success was well within her reach, because she possessed all the necessary talents to gain power, influence and status. She was practical, determined and patient. When there are hitches in her plans, she simply worked around them. She knew where she was heading to, and had already figured out the best way to use her talents to reach her goals.

She was tall and slim with good bone structure and clear, open and refined features. Her eyes were extraordinary, helping to give her an electric or magnetic aura. Her distinguishing feature was her hair which was always chicly styled, whether long or in a pixie cut. She had a very good memory and found it easy to learn subjects that interested her. She was very kind and thoughtful towards others. Her imagination was very keen, but if it got carried away, she may have experienced irrational fears. Even though she may have tried to maintain a scientific and objective outlook, her mind was actually dominated by her emotions. She was very perceptive, intuitive and compassionate. If she felt threatened or challenged, she tended to withdraw and say little. However, if she was further provoked, she had plenty to say. She could be an intensely emotional person with extremely strong physical desires. She tended to see herself as a desirable person to the opposite sex. She needed to be loved, but she could also be extremely suspicious of other people and their motives. Her perseverance was strong, but she also needed to learn moderation and not to over-rate her abilities or capacity for doing things. A rather complex person, she was artistic, creative, intuitive and compassionate. At times, she was her own worst enemy, because she tended to relive past errors over and over again, which gave her a negative outlook on life. She could be hypersensitive and moody, needing quiet and solitude. Although she had a basic fear of subjects she didn’t understand, they fascinated her nevertheless. She looked for a life partner who had similar ideals to her.

She belonged to a determined, practical and stubborn generation that was interested in finding out new and different ways to organize things. In general, new or unusual possessions may have strongly attracted her. As a member of this generation, she found it difficult to accept change and disruptions in her life, unless she fully understood and agreed with the reasons why. When she did take the plunge, she tended to do so in an all or nothing way. She belonged to a generation with a practical and materialistic frame of mind, and which was critical of standards of religion and government. As a member of this generation, she tried to restore order where chaos and injustice ruled, although sometimes her aims and objectives were misunderstood. Changes were also experienced in the relationships between parents and children, with the ties becoming looser. Was part of a generation known for its devastating social upheavals concerning home and family. The whole general pattern of family life experiences enormous changes and upheavals; as a Cancer Plutonian, this aspect is highlighted by Carroll’s parents leaving her as a toddler with her aunt in North Carolina without notice for a year while they established a better life in New York. Carroll said it took a long time to forgive her parents, though she eventually did, and was there for them in their later years.

Love/sex life: She wanted sex to be real, tangible, and easily accessible. For this reason she was prone to divide her sexual contacts between those that served her physical needs and those that involved her search for the perfect relationship. Her approach to the former was practical and matter-of-fact while she looked to the latter with dreamy fascination. This dual approach certainly didn’t make sense to everyone. Many people, including some potential partners, were apt to call her insensitive, along with a few other, less printable names. Her attitude toward sex was essentially passive. Whether she was looking for love or just a good time she was easily led, emotionally lazy, and sometimes opportunistic. This lack of initiative made it difficult for her to find the perfect love that was always her utmost goal. Relationships of this sort required great energy and determination and there was a part of her that would always balk at such extraordinary effort. But if she was lucky enough to find a partner who was willing to do most or even all the work for her, she was a lover well worth keeping.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Capricorn

Lilith: Leo

Vertex: Virgo

Fortune: Cancer

East Point: Pisces

Her North Node in Capricorn dictated that she needed to develop the more caring and compassionate side to her personality and try to place less emphasis on the materialistic aspects of her life. Her Lilith in Leo dictated that she was a diva who had a psychic need to perform and whose creativity and shameless audacity worked like a magic spell. Her Vertex in Virgo, 7th house dictated that she had a fantasy of joining with someone who had unique psychic and/or healing powers and the focus was on the practical work which will make everything all right. Her mate had to be sure of his innate talents and have a good plan as to how he could make good use of them to serve her and mankind at the same time. She was always in a partnership of one kind or another (if only in her head), desperately seeking one, or have decided that it isn’t worth the risk since our expectations will never be met. There was a sense that she was not really complete unless we are intimately involved with someone. On some levels there was an irrational fear of ending up alone. The dark side was that she could get highly self-righteous about acceptable modes of behaviour in interacting with others and thereby alienate the very people she longed for. Her father was less than secure in her subconscious perceptions, though it may have seemed fine on an external level.

Her Part of Fortune in Cancer and Part of Spirit in Capricorn dictated that her destiny brought money into her life. Happiness and good fortune lay within her home and family, which provided emotional and financial security. Her soul’s purpose was to create practical and long-lasting achievements. She felt spiritual connections and saw the spark of the divine when she observed her progress through life and saw it take a form and structure that would outlive her. Her childhood had instilled in Carroll resourcefulness and razor-sharp survival instincts, which were the keys to her success — but didn’t necessarily make her likeable. East Point in Pisces dictated that more of her identity was tied to idealism and the search for mystic oneness. This generally led to high standards for herself. In choosing whether she would seek the connection to the Infinite through creating more beauty in the world, through making a more perfect world, or by running away to her own imagined world, she chose to create more beauty in the world.    

elemental dominance:

air

water

She was communicative, quick and mentally agile, and she liked to stir things up. She was likely a havoc-seeker on some level. She was oriented more toward thinking than feeling. She carried information and the seeds of ideas. Out of balance, she lived in her head and could be insensitive to the feelings of others. But at her best, she helped others form connections in all spheres of their daily lives. She had high sensitivity and elevation through feelings. Her heart and her emotions were her driving forces, and she couldn’t do anything on  earth if she didn’t feel a strong effective charge. She needed to love in   order to understand, and to feel in order to take action, which caused  a certain vulnerability which she should (and often did) fight against.

modality dominance:

fixed

She liked the challenge of managing existing routines with ever more efficiency, rather than starting new enterprises or finding new ways of doing things. She likely had trouble delegating duties and had a very hard time seeing other points of view; she tried to implement the human need to create stability and order in the wake of change.                  

house dominants:

1st

6th

7th

The manner in which she expressed herself and the way she approached other people is also highlighted. The way she approached new situations and circumstances contributed to show how she set about her life’s goals. The general state of her health is also shown, as well as her early childhood experiences defining the rest of her life. The general state of her health is also shown, as well as her early childhood experiences was a defining force for the rest of her life. Her workplace in respect to her colleagues, and the type of work she did as well as her attitude to it was emphasized in her life. Her everyday life and routine and the way she handled it was highlighted. How she went about being of service to others in a practical way, and the way he adjusted to necessities of mundane existence was a them in her life. Also, how she aspired to refine and better herself was of importance as well. Her attitude towards partnerships with other people was emphasized in her life, whether on a personal or on a business level. It also revealed her marriage partner. It indicated how she dealt with other people and how her relationships with others affected her. Also had the propensity to attract enemies, and the effect that they had on her life was an issue.    

planet dominants:

Moon

Uranus

Jupiter

She was defined by her inner world; by her emotional reactions to situations, how emotions flowed through her, motivating and compelling her—or limiting her and holding her back. She held great capacity to become a part of the whole rather than attempting to master the parts. She wanted to become whatever it is that she sought. She was unique and protected her individuality. She had disruptions appear in her life that brought unpleasant and unexpected surprises and she immersed herself in areas of her life in which these disruptions occurred. Change galvanized her. She was inventive, creative, and original. She had luck, and believed in expansion, integration, and growth. She could also be excessive and lazy. She reached out beyond herself and expanded her consciousness. She loved travel, was fairly religious, and liked to integrate herself into the larger social order—church or religion, community, and corporation. She had intellectual and spiritual interests in the most.

sign dominants:

Aquarius

Cancer

Virgo

She was an original thinker, often eccentric, who prized individuality and freedom above all else. Her compassion, while genuine, rose from the intellect rather than the heart. She was hard to figure out because she was so often a paradox. She was patient but impatient; a nonconformist who conformed when it suited her; rebellious but peace-loving; stubborn and yet compliant when she wanted to be. She chafed at the restrictions placed upon her by society and sought to follow her own path. At first meeting, she seemed enigmatic, elusive. She needed roots, a place or even a state of mind that she could call  her own. She needed a safe harbor, a refuge in which to retreat for solitude. She was generally gentle and kind, unless she was hurt. Then she could become vindictive and sharp-spoken. She was affectionate, passionate, and even possessive at times. She was intuitive and was  perhaps even psychic. Experience flowed through her emotionally. She was often moody and always changeable; her interests and social circles shifted constantly. She was emotion distilled into its purest form. She was a discriminating, attractive, thorough, scientific, hygienic, humane, scientific woman and had the highest standards. Her attention to detail was second to none and she had a deeply penetrative and investigative mind.      

Read more about her under the cut.

“You can fool people. You can fool anybody any time of the day, but you can't fool yourself. At night, when you go home, you've got to be straight up with you.” -  Whitney Houston

This was a requested subject. Seeing as today is the anniversary of her death, I figured I’d get this out of the way.

Whitney Houston is the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time as well as one of the biggest pop stars of all time. Famous for her powerful, soulful vocals and vocal improvisation skills, Houston went from choir soloist to global superstar and has often been dubbed "The Voice" by the media. Her accomplishments as a hitmaker are extraordinary; she was named as one of the 100 greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone. Houston was also ranked by VH1 among the "Top 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and the "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons of All Time". Her entrance into the music industry is considered one of the "25 musical milestones of the last 25 years", according to the USA Today in 2007. Houston was certified as the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. She also sold more physical singles than any other female solo artist in history and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. However, all that glittered wasn’t gold. Isolation was a major part of Houston's life. The efforts of her Svengali record producer Clive Davis and his record label, Arista, to make her into a palatable pop persona, an all-American sweetheart, took a heavy toll on the singer. She was buffeted by claims of having "sold out" to the White mainstream because her early music was supposedly too pop, and she was stalked by gossip about her close relationship with her best friend, Robyn Crawford. She was also noted for her drug problems and her long, dysfunctional relationship with R&B singer Bobby Brown. Hers was a poignant brew of loneliness and liberation, and it reflected in her music, and her demons ultimately killed her. Perhaps if she was allowed to be who she truly was, she (and her equally doomed daughter Bobbi Kristina) might still be here. The tragedy in all of this is, despite all Houston’s accomplishments, what could have been.

Whitney Elizabeth Houston, according to astrotheme, was a Leo sun and Aries moon. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963, to Cissy and John Houston, Whitney was the youngest of three, and had two older brothers. Her mother was a gospel singer and in-demand background singer, while her father was an ex-Army serviceman and Newark city administrator. Her family had connections from the start: through her mother, Houston was a first cousin of singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick. Her godmother was soul singer Darlene Love, and her honorary “aunt”  was none other than Aretha Franklin, whom she met as a little girl when her mother took her to a recording studio. At age eleven, Houston began performing as a soloist in the junior gospel choir at the church her family went to. During her teens, Houston met Robyn Crawford, who she described as the "sister she never had". In the early 1980s, Houston began working as a fashion model after a photographer saw her at Carnegie Hall singing with her mother. She became the first woman of colour to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine. In 1983, Gerry Griffith, an A&R representative from Arista Records, saw Houston performing with her mother in a New York nightclub. He convinced Arista's head Clive Davis to make time to see her perform. Davis was impressed and immediately offered a worldwide record deal, which she later signed. Houston's self-titled debut album was released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1985. A year after its initial release, Whitney Houston topped the Billboard 200 albums chart and stayed there for 14 non-consecutive weeks, bolstered by several singles, not least of all her signature song “Greatest Love of All”, which stayed number one for three weeks.

She won her first Grammy Award in 1986 for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for "Saving All My Love for You". Her second album, Whitney, released in 1987, was equally successful. Forbes magazine said she was one of the 10 highest-earning American entertainers, worth $44 million. By 1988 she had surpassed the Beatles’ record with seven consecutive No. 1 hits. Her father, John Houston, handled the business end. His daughter’s enterprise was called Nippy, Inc., after Whitney’s nickname, which came from a comic-strip character who was always getting into trouble. Robyn Crawford, an all-state basketball star two years older than Whitney, had been her best friend since Whitney was 16, when they both had summer jobs at a community center in East Orange. They were almost like sisters. Robyn was very much a protector, Whitney’s guardian, and she also became her assistant. Whitney had gone on a promotional tour without Robyn in 1985. When she arrived at a scheduled convention, that was the big weekend when rumours about Whitney’s sexuality started. Whitney’s parents also resented Robyn’s powerful influence over their girl’s professional and personal life, which left them stranded in secondary positions. To circumvent this, Whitney was all of a sudden linked to celebrity men such as Eddie Murphy and Jermaine Jackson (who was married), and slowly and deliberately, Crawford was pushed out of Houston’s life. Although Houston and Crawford would vehemently deny that they were anything more than friends and business associates, it has long been reported that Whitney’s management and family feared that the relationship could tarnish her all-American-princess image. It was only until recently that Crawford herself set the record straight about her and Whitney’s relationship after decades of silence. At the Soul Train Music Awards in April 1989, she accidentally bumped up against 20-year-old R&B star Bobby Brown. The night they met, Whitney, whose image had become a little too sticky-sweet for some, was booed and called an “Oreo” when she was announced as a nominee. The moment she saw him that night, she said, “That is going to be my husband.”

She married Brown in July 1992, and later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Having conquered music, Whitney wanted a movie career. She was pregnant when she made The Bodyguard with actor Kevin Costner, who was riding the success of his Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves, and she had a miscarriage on the set. Bolstered by the iconic cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”, The Bodyguard turned out not only to be a box-office hit but also to have the best-selling soundtrack of all time. For the next six years, Whitney would concentrate on acting as she starred in Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife (1996). Though Houston was seen as a "good girl" with a perfect image in the 1980s and early 1990s, her behaviour had changed by 1999 and 2000. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, she canceled concerts and talk-show appearances and there were reports of erratic behaviour. Her voice began to betray her, and she would have to lower the keys in live performances. The reason wasn’t just cigarettes and her age. Whitney’s drug use escalated after the 1993 birth of her only child, daughter Bobbi Kristina. She started lacing her joints with cocaine and getting high with her husband. Brown started to commit domestic violence against Houston.

At the celebration of Michael Jackson’s 30th anniversary as a solo artist, in September 2001, Houston arrived stick-thin, with the bones in her clavicle showing, a walking advertisement for the evils of drug abuse. Her publicist attributed the weight loss to stress over family matters. In September 2002, a $100 million lawsuit was filed on behalf of her father by a man named Kevin Skinner, president of John Houston Entertainment. They claimed Whitney had failed to pay John Houston Entertainment for representing her from the fall of 2000 on and for engineering her $100 million, six-album deal with Arista Records in 2001, at that time one of the biggest deals in the history of the music business. Although the company was started by her father to manage her career, it was actually run by Skinner. The suit was instigated by Skinner from the start: John, largely disabled by his illnesses, deferred to Kevin. Houston's father later died in February 2003; five months later, Skinner, a convicted Newark drug dealer who had been John’s driver, pressed on with the lawsuit, which was later dismissed in 2004. During this period, while Bobby was serving one of several jail sentences for violating his probation—he had been convicted in 1996 of drunk driving—friends urged Whitney to go to rehab. She later went, and in September 2006 she had Bobby served with divorce papers. For the next five years, she’d attempt one last comeback, but it was not to be.

Houston reportedly appeared "disheveled" and “erratic” in the days immediately prior to her death. R&B singers Brandy, Monica, and Kelly Price were the last ones to see her alive. The last song she sang was “Jesus Loves Me” with Price. On the afternoon of February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead face-down in the bathtub in Suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, from a drug overdose. She was 48. Three years later, her only child would suffer the same fate, dying also from effects of being submerged in a bathtub due to a drug overdose at age 22.

This was a special request done on the 10th anniversary of her death. May she rest in peace.

Stats

birthdate: August 9, 1963

major planets:

Sun: Leo

Moon: Aries

Rising: Pisces

Mercury: Virgo

Venus: Leo

Mars: Libra

Midheaven: Sagittarius

Jupiter: Aries

Saturn: Aquarius

Uranus: Virgo

Neptune: Scorpio

Pluto: Virgo

Overall personality snapshot: She had a large, warm-hearted, extroverted personality that was always eager to embrace life, love and success – in big doses. There was something about her that assumed the divine right to live life to the full, and her intensity and impatience, along with her personal ambitions, pulled her ever onwards into new projects, fresh relationships and greater challenges. She was something of a gambler and had a daring and dramatic spirit which propelled her forward to make her mark, a sense of personal destiny which can only be exciting and noble. And she was prepared to fight for that glorious destiny if she had to, although she would rather simply steal the show and convince everyone with her intelligence, originality, courage and fabulous style. One of her most beguiling qualities is that she was totally lacking in guile and pretense. Although her own personal destiny was what interested her, paradoxically she at first looked for people she could admire and make into personal heroes. Strongly influenced by a favourite teacher, friend, poet, sports champion or movie star, she could then emulate them and learn through experience how to be great.

She loved the process of creating, as well as the applause that came at the end. Indeed, she relied on those adoring strokes and affirmative responses more than she liked to admit. Life without people would be colourless and boring for her. Social interaction was her life-blood – she could be the life of the party, a real ham and an eccentric, ready to take up the most outrageous dare. But when her extrovert escapades dry up, so did she. She may have, in fact, driven herself to exhaustion and then collapse like a child, home from an all-night rave-up. Yet despite her headlong rush into the experience of life, she was not necessarily irresponsible. Daring and highly idealistic dreams worked away inside her and made her want to improve things, to show people the way, and she may have simply taken charge – for a while. Intensely self-motivated, she did not respond well to orders from others, even though she could be quite bossy herself. There is a touch of the preacher inside her, and she approached her work with great enthusiasm and commitment. She needed space to do her own thing, to learn from her own mistakes, and to learn how to impose her own brand of self-discipline. Her innate self-dramatizing tendencies made her a natural for the theater, business, lecturing, the media – areas that involved group interaction and provided scope for her original and iconoclastic ideas.

Her complexion had a translucent quality, and was lushly dark-skinned. The clothes that she chose didn’t call attention to her, and they were soft and comfortable rather than fashionably gimmicky. Her looks could mould into different shapes, and overall she had an ability to merge in with her surroundings. Often she sacrificed her personal will and even went so far as to set up situations where she couldn’t fail to be taken advantage of. She was the artist who was able to channel her perceptions through some sort of medium (in her case, singing), and the healer/saviour type who devoted herself to others. Her skeptical mind was capable of precision and detail, so she was well suited to science and critical writing. She found learning easy. When she didn’t know the answer, her honesty made her admit it and she usually followed up by finding out the answer either on the spot or at a later date. She had no time for frivolous ideas. Practical matters interested her, as did diet, health and hygiene issues. The Sagittarian qualities that she brought to her career were those of vision, energy, enthusiasm and an ability to organize others. She needed recognition, room to maneuver and a fair degree of authority. She sought meaning and fulfillment in her life through career status and recognition. When dealing with colleagues, she could place strong demands on them.She had boundless enthusiasm and big ideas coupled with high expectations of succeeding. She was also self-sufficient and broad-minded. Her genuine pioneering spirit, positive outlook and large-scale personal ambitions led her right to the top.

She was anxious to prove herself both to others and to herself. If anyone said that she couldn’t do something, she defied them to try and stop her. As long as she felt that she was the one in control, she had a high degree of optimism and was fun-loving, loving to play at life. She was slightly selfish and emotionally intense. She was reasonably practical, as well as socially aspiring and humanitarian. Her main focus in life was to gain the security that allowed her the freedom to do as she liked. Because she was able to establish priorities and she had great determination, she usually realized her goals fairly early in life. She was willing to accept responsibility and didn’t want to depend on others for anything. She found it hard to let go of the past, but she should have so that she could have grown. She belonged to a generation that began to question existing accepted conventions ranging from deep religious beliefs to health and dietary matters. She was part of a generation which was very critical of itself and others, and which was always looking for new ways to get things done. Traditional ways were questioned if her conscience disagreed with them, and technological advances were happening in her workplace, with the advent of music videos. She was part of a generation with enormous expectations and good business talents. She was part of a generation that never seemed to be able to find complete satisfaction. As a part of this generation, she had a strong imaginative energy source, coupled with a very strong personal morality. She expressed an emotional intensity in her beliefs. As a member of the Virgoan Pluto generation, she was inquisitive, assertive and zealous. The little details mattered to her. She belonged to a generation that wanted to save the world, but often got bogged down in the details and lost sight of the big picture. However, constant self-analysis, second-guessing and nitpicking often held her back from creating permanent changes.

Love/sex life: She was the showiest of the Libran Mars lovers and the one most enamored with the concept of perfect love. She exulted in courtship and took to the delicate arts of romance as naturally as a great actor takes to the stage. The warmth and optimism of her erotic nature attracted many admirers as did her sparkling charm. Of course, she was only looking for the one partner who would fulfill all her idealistic dreams. In the meantime, she managed to keep everyone else, including herself, well entertained. Finding her perfect partner was her ultimate goal, but it was also her downfall. She was so skilled in the stagecraft needed to attract a mate that her partners were often disappointed when they learned that behind all her charm and playful energy there was a very limited capacity for intimacy. As a lover she was capable of great loyalty and noble acts of kindness but her passions did not run deep and her tolerance for maudlin emotionalism or sexual obsessions was low. She needed a partner who saw love the way she did; as a means of extending the thrill of courtship until it filled a lifetime.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Cancer

Lilith: Libra

Vertex: Virgo

Fortune: Cancer

East Point: Pisces

Her North Node in Cancer dictated that she needed to develop a more caring and compassionate side to her personality and try to place less emphasis on the material side of her life. Her Lilith in Libra ensured that she had a glam sort of gumption. She used her good looks and/or charm as a weapon and wasn’t content with petty bourgeois judgements and limited horizons. Even as a young girl, she had beauty, which developed into a coquettish style that entranced men throughout her entire life, thereby enabling her to get whatever she wanted from them. Her Vertex in Virgo, 7th house dictated that she had a fantasy of joining with someone who had unique psychic and/or healing powers and the focus was on the practical work which will make everything all right. Her mate had to be sure of his innate talents and have a good plan as to how he could make good use of them to serve her and mankind at the same time. She was always in a partnership of one kind or another (if only in her head), desperately seeking one, or have decided that it isn’t worth the risk since our expectations will never be met. There was a sense that she was not really complete unless we are intimately involved with someone. On some levels there was an irrational fear of ending up alone. The dark side was that she could get highly self-righteous about acceptable modes of behaviour in interacting with others and thereby alienate the very people she longed for. Her father was less than secure in her subconscious perceptions, though it may have seemed fine on an external level.

Her Part of Fortune in Cancer and Part of Spirit in Capricorn dictated that her destiny brought money into her life. Happiness and good fortune lay within her home and family, which provided emotional and financial security. Her soul’s purpose was to create practical and long-lasting achievements. She felt spiritual connections and saw the spark of the divine when she observed her progress through life and saw it take a form and structure that would outlive her. East Point in Pisces dictated that more of her identity was tied to idealism and the search for mystic oneness. This generally led to high standards for herself. In choosing whether she would seek the connection to the Infinite through creating more beauty in the world, through making a more perfect world, or by running away to her own imagined world, she chose to create more beauty in the world.  

elemental dominance:

fire

earth

She was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. She generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. She was exciting to be around, because she was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, she could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, she chose the latter. Confident and opinionated, she was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because she was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—she was be bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at her best, her confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves. She was a practical, reliable woman and could provide structure and protection. She was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms of doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at her best, she provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.

modality dominance:

mutable

She wasn’t particularly interested in spearheading new ventures or dealing with the day-to-day challenges of organization and management. She excelled at performing tasks and producing outcomes. She was flexible and liked to finish things. Was also likely undependable, lacking in initiative, and disorganized. Had an itchy restlessness and an unwillingness to buckle down to the task at hand. Probably had a chronic inability to commit—to a job, a relationship, or even to a set of values.              

house dominants:

6th

7th

1st

Her workplace in respect to her colleagues, and the type of work she did as well as her attitude to it is emphasized in her life. Her everyday life and routine and the way she handled it was highlighted. How she went about being of service to others in a practical way, and the way she adjusted to necessities of mundane existence is a theme in her life. Also, how she aspired to refine and better herself was of importance as well. Her attitude towards partnerships with other people was emphasized in her life, whether on a personal or on a business level. It also revealed her marriage partner. It indicated how she dealt with other people and how her relationships with others affected her. Also had the propensity to attract enemies, and the effect that they had on her life was an issue. Her personality, disposition and temperament was highlighted in her life. The manner in which she expressed herself and the way she approached other people is also highlighted. The way she approached new situations and circumstances contributed to show how she set about her life’s goals. The general state of her health is also shown, as well as her early childhood experiences defining the rest of her life.  

planet dominants:

Mercury

Pluto

Sun

She was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. She dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that she was left-brained. She was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains. She brought about complete and profound transformations in her life, good or bad (and it was often bad). She felt the need to let go of what was familiar to her and accept new and different ways of being and doing things. There were areas in her life where she had to accept regeneration, which involved the destruction of the old and the creation of the new. She had vitality and creativity, as well as a strong ego and was authoritarian and powerful. She likely had strong leadership qualities, she definitely knew who she was, and she had tremendous will. She met challenges and believed in expanding her life. She believed and practiced dynamic expression.

sign dominants:

Virgo

Leo

Aries

She was a discriminating, attractive, thorough, scientific, hygienic, humane, scientific woman and had the highest standards. Her attention to detail was second to none and she had a deeply penetrative and investigative mind. She loved being the center of attention and often surrounded herself with admirers. She had an innate dramatic sense, and life was definitely her stage. Her flamboyance and personal magnetism extended to every facet of her life. She wanted to succeed and make an impact in every situation. As a Leo dominant, she was, at her best, optimistic, honorable, loyal, and ambitious. She was a physically oriented individual who took pride in her body. She was bold, courageous, and resourceful. She always seemed to know what she believed, what she wanted from life, and where she was going. She could be dynamic and aggressive (sometimes, to a fault) in pursuing her goals—whatever they might be. Could be argumentative, lacked tact, and had a bad temper. On the other hand, her anger rarely lasted long, and she could be warm and loving with those she cared about.

Read more about her under the cut.

the actors

ira aldridge

eddie “rochester” anderson

fatty arbuckle

humphrey bogart

marlon brando

charlie chaplin

montgomery clift

gary cooper  

sammy davis, jr.

james dean

errol flynn  

clark gable

cary grant

william haines 

juano hernández

rock hudson

rex ingram

canada lee

harold lloyd

robert mitchum  

tom neal

ramón novarro

laurence olivier

gregory peck

lincoln perry

sidney poitier

anthony quinn 

paul robeson

frank sinatra 

rudolph valentino

john wayne

orson welles

the actresses

lauren bacall

josephine baker

theda bara

brigitte bardot

ingrid bergman  

clara bow

louise brooks

diahann carroll

joan crawford

dorothy dandridge

bette davis

doris day

dolores del río

marlene dietrich

peg entwistle

maría félix

greta garbo

ava gardner

lillian gish 

gloria grahame

jean harlow

susan hayward  

rita hayworth

audrey hepburn 

lena horne

grace kelly

eartha kitt

veronica lake

hedy lamarr

carole landis

vivien leigh

carole lombard

jayne mansfield

hattie mcdaniel

marilyn monroe

mabel normand

merle oberon

barbara payton  

gail russell

norma shearer

barbara stanwyck

olive thomas  

gene tierney

lupe vélez

fredi washington

natalie wood 

loretta young     

the couples

annabella + tyrone power

bogie + bacall

frank + ava

frida kahlo + diego rivera  

gable + lombard 

john + yoko

oj + nicole brown simpson

viv + larry

the rivalries

bette davis vs. joan crawford

inspirations + muses

joyce bryant

gia carangi

coco chanel  

beloved public figures

jacqueline kennedy onassis

john f. kennedy  

princess diana

the notable + infamous

david bacon

susan cabot

shauna grant

dorothy hale

hugh hefner

athalia pondsell lindsley

donyale luna

anjette lyles

marquis de sade

niccolo machiavelli

evelyn mchale

evelyn nesbit

adam clayton powell, jr.

philippa schuyler   

literary figures

jack kerouac

musicians + artists

louis armstrong

syd barrett

maria callas

katherine dunham

duke ellington

ella fitzgerald

marvin gaye

jimi hendrix

billie holiday

whitney houston

frida kahlo

john lennon

keith moon

edith piaf  

hazel scott

selena

tupac shakur

tammi terrell 

yoko ono 

special analyses