An Astro-Tribute to the Legendary Rudolph Valentino

Re: Rodolfo Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla

by Jude Cowell

Rudolph Valentino; Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

After watching Biography's Rudolph Valentino: The Great Lover I had to wonder why the pioneering silent film star, the "Latin Lover" who stole the hearts of American women across the land (to the chagrin of American men) had yet to appear on Neptune's Silver Screen. This oversight must be addressed! A kind and charming man, Valentino was talented with smoldering good looks that can still mesmerize from the silver screen.

Indispensible for our astro-portrait is a glance at Valentino's natal chart (RR: AA: accurate!) where we find that his Nodal Return chart of November 30, 1913 occurred very near the day Valentino arrived in New York Harbor on the oceanliner Cleveland (December 23, 1913), ready for new contacts and alliances which a Nodal Return with its joining qualities often inspires. Obvious is his restless nature leaving family and friends behind in Italy in order to seek his fortune in the US - and, I believe, to pursue romance, new adventures, and big dreams. In his early days, he is known to have felt that Italy was too small for him!

And so it was.

Of course, dance was his intro into a new life and career in the US, and silent films would follow so peruse Valentino's Filmography if you wish!

Now as I was saying, a Nodal Return occurs approximately every 18.6 years and times a period when old business and relationships may come to an end, and a new phase of life begins. Finding a love match often occurs during this period! So I'd say that emigrating to America, entering romantic relationships, and finding a career in the blossoming entertainment industry of the era qualifies as a new phase of life, wouldn't you? And a rather spectacular one, as it turned out, however brief it sadly was. Check out Valentino's profile page on Wikipedia for more biographical information including the tragic details of his illness and death at age 31. As it happened the day he collapsed in his Manhattan hotel room and was rushed to the hospital, he received the wrong diagnosis ('Jupiter-Neptune') of appendicitis (nope), plus, stomach ulcers (yes); perforated ulcers had mimicked appendicitis; then peritonitis of the abdominal lining had developed after surgery, pleuritis weakened his left lung, and later on it was found that he had developed a sepsis infection due to his weakened condition.

So below is a horoscope of the morning he collapsed, speculatively timed for 8:00 am edt Manhattan, NY with his natal planets and points highlighted around the chart in magenta (which may look pink or red on your screen). Rising at 8:00 am is Valentino's natal South Node of separation @20Vir33, then his Ascendant @00Lib53 (physical body), Anti-Vertex, Chiron, the wounded healer centaur, and then his natal Moon @14Lib21. As you know, natal Moon also represents an individual's physical body and is a health indicator.

Also marked in magenta is his Secondary Progressed ('SP') IC of Endings conjunct his SP Saturn Rx, planet of endings, separation, and loss. Saturn to IC in this case seems to have acted as a timer - by the Lord of Time himself: Saturn, aka, the Great Chronocrator. Was an inherited weakness from his paternal side underlying his medical issues at age 31? If so, taking good care of oneself would be an imperative, while indulging in negative escapist habits such as alcohol would only complicate matters.

Another factor to consider is that Valentino's Saturn Return (3Sco01), which had occurred on October 10, 1924, showed two health aspects to natal Saturn: a sesqui-square (135 degrees) from Uranus (0A25) and a semi-square (45 degrees) from Jupiter (2A05), both signals to act responsibly in matters of health. Plus, one midpoint picture appears in his Saturn Return Horoscope (not shown in this post): Mars-Uranus conjunct MC: an operation (R. Ebertin). Had he needed surgical intervention back in late 1924 but failed to heed Saturn's warning - or was he unaware of his condition?

Well, perhaps we might agree that there are astrological indications implying that Valentino had not been taking as good a care of himself as he should have (despair over a broken heart: Venus-Uranus square = divorced people; plus, possible employment problems? he'd been feuding with a journalist who had questioned his masculinity, a sore spot for the Latin Lover).

Meanwhile, as noted in the above horoscope there are multiple health indicators for those who care to look so please enlarge or print the image for easier reading, if you wish. This is a speculatively timed chart of his collapse on August 15, 1926 with my study notes penned on. Plus, you may wish to view the Last living footage of Rudolph Valentino (1926) which includes, of all things, a boxing match.

Events of August 15, 1926 Manhattan, New York

So as noted, Valentino collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, surgery was done immediately, and he seemed to be recuperating on August 18 (transit Mars sextile natal Mars: doctors were optimistic), but on August 21st pleuritis hit his left lung, plus, peritonitis had developed in his abdominal tissues (a rumor circulated: arsenic poisoning!). After surgery, his condition worsened and he passed away in a coma (Uranus-Neptune) on Monday August 23, 1926. As you see, Uranus Rx @28Pis32 is in his natal 6th house of Health conjunct Descendant (Angular, in Pisces, sign of infections and illness, ruled by 'Jupiter-Neptune', as noted, above: ultimately, sepsis overwhelmed his immune system: Moon-NN) following his collapse which shows in the horoscope via Moon-MC = Neptune at 8:00 am. Add to this, veiling Neptune in Leo conjuncts the Sun (vitality) and hides asteroid Hygeia, so apparently substandard hygiene may have been a factor in the undermining of his health - bacteria-wise, of course, as his multiple infections suggest.

Then among the chart's other midpoint pictures are four that conjunct the 8:00 am 'collapse' Midheaven, and thus are prominent - along with his natal Pluto @10Gemini - with midpoint picture potentials messily penned on and highlighted in blue, top of the chart: 'catastrophe, lowered status, notoriety, enforced separation' - a pile up of afflictions.

Also penned on the chart is a major transit: Saturn conjunct natal Uranus Rx @18Sco01 in Scorpio, sign of surgery and regeneration (unless negative factors interfere, which tragically they did).

A Saturn to Uranus transit denotes a time of limitation, delay, and frustration including in group activities such as film making, and of course, restrictive Saturn is a karmic planet signifying stoppage, blockage, and loss, while Uranus represents freedom, independence, and the future. This transit doesn't always end with death but as noted, Valentino's health condition was weakened physically, and, I believe, emotionally and mentally due to the heart break and loneliness of divorce which must have been very difficult for him because on the personality level, Valentino's Sun Taurus-Moon Libra blend (double Venus, planet of love and beauty) reveals a man with a deep need to be loved within a perfect relationship, a sociable, devoted fellow and an idealistic artist. Harmony was his 'jam', and discord was deeply upsetting to him.

Valentino, signed; James Abbe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

And because of Valentino's untimely death just prior to Hollywood's introduction of the talkies, the question remains: would Rudolph Valentino have made a successful transition from silent films to sound? Well, here's a brief video revealing how Valentino sounded thanks to the fact that he was recorded singing: Rudy's Voice. What do You think? My suspicion is that after minor adjustments, the exotic Latin heartthrob would have acquitted himself just fine!

Related Horoscopes include: actress Pola Negri, a double Capricorn born during a Saturn-Uranus Conjunction, and here's my previous astro-tribute to another of Valentino's famous contemporaries, the great Gloria Swanson. And if you hanker for a view of Valentino dancing in The Four Horsemen (the tango, no less!) check out, Swanson and Valentino which also includes home movies and more.

Son of the Sheik; United Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

So in closing, this post ends as do all such astro-tributes to long-ago stars of the Silver Screen: may the much-loved Rudolph Valentino R. I. P.