Astrology of Hollywood Legend Bette Davis: her life and death

Bette Davis 1938; Photoplay; George Hurrell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An Astro-Tribute to the Great Bette Davis by Jude Cowell

The Wikipedia page of Bette Davis is quite extensive and includes several photos primarily from her many films. Having just watched Another Man's Poison (1951; Eros Films), a freebie movie on YouTube Premium, I became curious about the Astrology of her roles, her life, and death. And having grown up in the 1950s as a fan of films, it seemed through the years that 'Miss Davis' was always around - often playing extremely unlikeable characters. In fact, in Another Man's Poison, she plays a narcissistic mystery writer who runs roughshod over everyone, quite a meanie. She does love her horse, however.

So if we check online for an accurate horoscope of her birth, we find a natal chart for Ruth Elizabeth Davis (Rated: A), born April 5, 1908 9:00 pm EST in Lowell, Massachusetts with Sun 15Ari54 (in 5th house of Creativity), Moon 16Gem46 straddling the 8th house cusp along with Pluto 22Gem55 (sparkling, witty Gemini!), and her Ascendant @18Sco25, ruled and co-ruled by Mars and powerful Pluto.

As you see in her natal chart, below, her natal Midheaven, the Goal and Career Point @00Vir34, has royal Regulus shining there and providing her with visibility on the world stage and global success. And her magical planet of glamor and film, Neptune @12Can07, not only was linked to her North Node of public contact, but was also conjunct starry Sirius (the mundane becomes sacred)!

Now you may agree that Davis' Mars-ruled Scorpio and Aries placements suggest a lot of intensity and much passion which is well supported by her romance-oriented 7th house Venus-Mars conjunction (29Tau16/00Gem13). Married four times, Miss Davis' final marriage (from 1950 to 1960) was to actor Gary Merrill who starred with her in Another Man's Poison.

Perusing the Harveys's book Sun Sign-Moon Sign for notes on her personality blend of conscious (Sun) and unconsicous (Moon) energies, we find a quote from the lady herself, "When a man gives his opinion he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion she's a bitch." Sounds like some of the characters she played in her films - and in her life, one imagines. And come to think of it, in my life I've run across similar circumstances!

Now the Fire-Air Sun Aries-Moon Gemini blend is a "live wire" combo, a high-velocity mixture with multiple irons in the fire, a creative entrepreneur who can be brash and impatient. Drive and ambition are evident (active 1929--1989, the year of her death) as was her joie de vivre and zest for life. More strong determination is added by her natal Uranus @16Cap48 in the 2nd house of Money, Earning Ability, and Values for the disruptive planet of genius and originality leads a Locomotive pattern and as such, can be on the ruthless side.

This enthusiastic live-wire Aries-Gemini personality blend she shared with actors Doris Day, Omar Sharif, and Spencer Tracy!

And what about her famous "Bette Davis Eyes" those limpid Piscean pools of dreaminess that you see in the photo above? Her natal Mercury (eyes; sight) is just that - in the Water sign of Pisces!

So below is a bi-wheel with the natal horoscope of Bette Davis in center, and her timed Death Horoscope, outer, so that you can see the planetary contacts (circled, but you can find more no doubt especially if you set up the charts for yourself). Not shown are her final Solar Return chart for April 5, 1989 (with Saturn and Neptune square her natal Sun and Uranus square SR Moon--listed at the bottom of the chart), her final Mars Return chart (March 9, 1989), and her Secondary Progressions for October 6, 1989 11:20 pm CET Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the date, hour, and location of her passing after surgery for breast cancer. Why stop in France?

Sadly, because an ill and weakened Bette Davis was simply too exhausted to travel the rest of the way home:

Now here's a curious LA Times article published January 3, 1989 that may be of interest: Bette Davis Smoking Over 'Stepmother'. The "dental surgery" mentioned may actually have been her cancer surgery. She left the film set and never returned. What do you think?

Hollywood Horoscope of a Legend: Doris Day 1922-2019

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doris_Day_-_1957.JPG

Monday May 13, 2019: sad news today for early this morning legendary Hollywood actress Doris Day passed away, age 97, at her home in Carmel Valley, California. Follow the link to read her obituary and tribute to this great lady, an animal activist before it was popular to be so.

Born Doris Mary Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922 t 4:30 pm CST in Cincinnati, Ohio, 'Miss Day' enjoyed an active film career of two decades beginning in 1948 with her first feature film Romance on the High Seas. Aptly enough, both 'romance' and 'high seas' are within the realms of astrological Neptune!

If you wish, have a peek at her natal chart rated AA (BC/BR in hand) set for 4:30 pm CST with 25Vir34 (Virgo 'The Virgin'!) rising, Midheaven ('MC') in sparkling Gemini, Sun @13Ari22, and Moon @27Gem04 (Moon conjunct MC = publicity and popularity with the pubic!). The following is a brief consideration of her Fire-Air Sun Aries-Moon Gemini personality blend, plus, here's a word about today's planets affecting her natal chart:

May 13, 2019 transits: with Neptune floating through her 6th house of Health, the undermining of her physical condition at age 97 may have been ongoing. But what stands out to me are two things: first, she had a Venus Return only yesterday (May 12, 2019) and natal Venus sits very near her 8th cusp, the house of death; also the current Mars-Jupiter Rx opposition by transit has been ruffling her Moon (27Gem04) conjunct MC (24Gem57)--Mars to natal Moon (physical body) suggests negative potentials for fever, insomnia, excessive bleeding, colitis, ulcers and/or digestive upsets. Insect bites are possible, too, but surely they were of no consequence. Meanwhile expansive Jupiter during his retrograde phase (until August 11, 2019) has been crossing her natal Mars (19Sag05 3rd house) and natal IC (24Sag57, the Point of Endings). And of course, Jupiter rules her natal 4th house, is in her natal 1st house of Self and Physical Body, and links to conditions of the gall bladder, liver, and to any condition caused by or made worse by overindulgence. For when Jupiter acts negatively the phrase, "too much of a good thing" always comes to mind.

Now as you know, a Fire-Air personality is the "live wire" of the Zodiac, full of enthusiastic ideas, joie de vivre, and a talent for persuasion. Clever and charismatic, Miss Day was a delight to watch on Neptune's Silver Screen with her Virgo Ascendant making her 'virginal roles' believable. A Fire-Air blend tends toward social activism as we've seen with her animal rights interests yet on a personal level this combo may sometimes be out of touch with their true emotions. Naturally, a career in acting may have aided her to get in touch with her emotions and we see the blend's "eternal youthfulness" displayed through her on-screen characterizations. Light and fluffy, yes, but restlessness and superficiality can be hindrances within one's personal relationships--perhaps having four husbands are part of this picture, perhaps not.

Born under the influences of Sun in Mars-ruled Aries, Moon in Mercury-ruled Gemini indicates Day's humor, wit, and creativity especially in the realms of music. In fact, imho no one has ever sung Que Sera Sera better than Doris Day!

And yes, Sun Aries-Moon Gemini is a very romantic combination of energies inspired by knights in shining armor and princesses waiting to be rescued--and perhaps describes one who is a bit on the naive side. Yet a streak of impatience and an unwillingness to learn from experience may have also been noticed in the lady by those who knew her best.

"When a man gives his opinion he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion she's a *itch." - Bette Davis.

This blend is shared natally by actors Bette Davis, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, and Spencer Tracey, by sportscaster Howard Cossell, and by comedian Spike Milligan. It is also the personality blend of multiple composers including the venerable Joseph Haydn. Actually, one of the 'Images for Integration' for Sun Aries-Moon Gemini is Haydn's Farewell Symphony.

And on that note, Neptune's Silver Screen must say Farewell to a sparkling, glamorous Hollywood superstar, Doris Day. May she R.I.P.

For more personality blend details see Sun Sign-Moon Sign, by Charles and Suzi Harvey.