Sophia Loren: Goddess of Love and Beauty!

Sophia Loren 1959; Paul A. Hesse Studios, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

An Astro-Tribute to Film Icon of the Silver Screen Sophia Loren!

by Jude Cowell

When we look at the natal horoscope of Italy's legendary star of the silver screen, Sophia Loren, what do we see? (RR: AA for accuracy).

First, Miss Loren's personality blend of Sun Virgo-Moon Aquarius informs us along with input from Venus and Neptune in Virgo, sign of the virgin and the goddess. Add a Venus-Neptune conjunction's lovely, dreamy energies in Virgo, and it's no surprise that her beauty and talent would be idolized by the public as Italy's greatest actress, and idolized worldwide as well. Why, her North Node of destiny and public contact conjuncts sexy asteroid-archetype Sappho so being recognized by the public for her alluring appearance was "on her life path."

Then as we see, above (with a few of my notes penned on), having Saturn-ruled Capricorn rising reveals her childhood subsistence in war-torn Italy in poverty and adversity along with a Mars-South-Node conjunction that times a period of war and violence via Allied bombing to fight againstHerr Adolf's machinations that disrupted her domestic scene (see IC conjunct Uranus, planet of shocking attacks). Rising Capricorn, sign of the earthly father, is significant on a personal level since Loren's father abandoned the family early on, leaving her mother with no source of income. Yet as she matured her Moon-Saturn conjunction provided endurance, common sense, and self-restraint - but also a measure of selfishness.

However, beneficial trines from her Mercury and Jupiter lift the more negative potentials from her Moon-Saturn conjunction, especially as the actress became successful and found genuine love with film producer Carlo Ponti. And actually, her Moon leads a Locomotive shape of planets indicating a very strong determination toward career success and financial achievement (in 2nd house of Earning Ability and Posessions).

A Childhood of Hardship Is a Fierce Motivating Factor

Then another signal of difficulty in her life is the Solar Eclipse Saros Series into which she was born, the 8 South ("PE") with its theme of loss and separation. And as the Cosmos would have it, an 8 South eclipse repeats on October 2, 2024 @10Libra, sign of balance, relationships, love and beauty. My very best wishes for Sophia Loren as 2024 becomes 2025.

As for the legendary icon's Earth-Air Sun Virgo-Moon Aquarius personality blend, it identifies a tendency to focus on the facts along with a detached attitude. Also noticeable may be a quiet dignity, idealistic social concerns, and a strong sense of individuality and independence. Domestically supportive of her loved ones, Miss Loren values the order that organizes society into a well-functioning entity. And as a child of war, this would be a prominent feature of her personality.

A kind-hearted philosopher, Miss Loren is devoted to family and friends, and shares her natal Sun Virgo-Moon Aquarius blend with planned parenthood pioneer Margaret Sanger who informs us that,

"No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body."

And I suspect that Sophia Loren would agree with such a sentiment, as most women do.

Now in closing, if you can spare 20 minutes, check out Sophia Loren Has A Perfect Face, And a Tragic Story for biographical details and some lovely photographs!

For more personality blend details, Sun Sign-Moon Sign by Charles and Suzi Harvey is recommended #ad.

Now Starring! International Beauty Catherine Deneuve

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catherine_Deneuve_1969.jpg; Catherine Deneuve in The April Fools (1969)

If you wish, why not nab yourself a view of the natal horoscope of French actress and international beauty Catherine Deneuve whose birth data is rated AA for accuracy. Born in Paris, France on October 22, 1943 at 1:35 pm CET as Catherine Fabienne Doleac, her Sun in late Libra--ruled by lovely Venus--shines upon her beauty, while her natal Moon @13Leo57 reveals a youthful, emotional need to perform on stage and screen for the applause and recognition that Leo craves. Coming from an acting family, Deneuve (her mother's maiden name) came by the dramatic urge naturally, made her first film appearance age 12, and in 1992, Miss Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for her dramatic role in the film Indochine (link to a 2-minute trailer).

So upon hearing this evening that Catherine Deneuve had suffered a mild stroke in November 2019--thankfully resulting in no motor function damage--I became curious to check out astrological placements of her feminine goddess asteroids, if any. With such beauty and decades of popularity, surely there must be a few, mais oui? Well, imagine my surprise at first glance of her natal chart to discover that the transiting Sun this evening conjoins her natal Ascendant (11Cap08) as I type and so I'm casting a small spotlight her way, it seems!

Now a brief study of Catherine Deneuve's natal chart reveals an emphasis on planetary placements indicating fame and idol worship (rather than on asteroid placements) although it should be noted that Venus-ruled Libra is appropriately represented in the asteroid category by the pleasant feminine duo of Diana (the huntress suggesting her work with animal rights and her animal print fashions), and sexy, poetic Sappho. Natal Mercury and silver-screen planet Neptune are also in artful, creative Libra.

Lady Venus, goddess of love and beauty, is placed in virginal Virgo (sign of the goddess) near Miss Deneuve's natal Chiron with the pair suggesting early pain in love which results in deep wisdom in later years concerning relationships.

Now the dramatic, romantic sign of Leo takes center stage with her Jupiter, planet of acting, placed there along with Moon (the public) conjunct North Node (public contacts: Moon-NN = popularity and success), plus, powerful, passionate Pluto. Perhaps you'll agree that this is quite a Leonine stage full of glamorous thespians!

And since she's sometimes been called the "Ice Queen" for her cool beauty--in similar fashion to another cool beauty, actress Kim Novak, it's interesting to note that Deneuve's asteroid Isis is in the intense, sexy, passionate sign of Scorpio!

As for the feminine archetype that so often makes a cameo of goddess-like proportions here on Neptune's Silver Screen, her asteroid Lilith, the alluring seductress, is placed in the sparkling sign of Gemini which is a charming and Mercurial note on which to close this astro-tribute to the legendary Catherine Deneuve!

Rise Above: The Natal Horoscope of Miss Liza Minnelli

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liza_Minnelli_1973_Special.JPG

Above we see Liza Minnelli posing in character as Cabaret's Sally Bowles. And in the natal horoscope of Liza Minnelli (born March 12, 1946 7:58 am PST Los Angeles, California; Pisces Sun, Cancer Moon, ASC 1Tau18, MC 19Cap20; RR: AA for accuracy--see her chart, below) we find both the pain and triumph of an energetic performer whose life events, conditions, and abilities taught her to rise above personal troubles. And if any performer epitomizes in human form the old adage that The Show Must Go On, it's Liza Minnelli! As did her Mother but this astro-tribute of a post belongs to Liza with a Z!

Note: a very interesting video by Cliporama is available on YouTube from their Diva on Diva series: see Judy Garland on Liza Minnelli. Plus, you may wish to check out Liza's Facebook page!

Now everyone knows that Miss Minnelli's career was boosted greatly in 1972 by the release of her starring vehicle Cabaret which won a total of 8 Oscars--including one for Liza. Her talented co-star Joel Grey (nee Joel David Katz: Aries Sun, Gemini Moon, Scorpio rising) played Master of Ceremonies in the film and won a Tony for his performance while one of the Oscars went to the film's director Bob Fosse (Cancer Sun, Aries Moon, ASC 27AQ; RR: AA). The film premiered on February 13, 1972 soon after a Lunar Eclipse conjoined her natal Pluto in Leo and in a year that featured a Solar Eclipse @19Cancer conjunct Liza's natal Moon and IC conjunct starry Castor! As you know, an eclipse can cast a major spotlight into one's life by activating planets or points which may trigger changes of direction so that things may never be the same.

Now the film's primary love interest for Sally Bowles, Liza's character, was played by Michael York (nee Michael Hugh Johnson: Aries Sun, Leo Moon, ASC 7AQ27: RR: B from data in his 1991 autobiography, The Traveling Player).

A second romantic interest for Sally was well played by German actor Helmut Griem (Aries Sun and Moon--and curiously, Griem's natal Pluto @19Can57 powerfully conjoined Liza's natal Moon and IC--a very creative combination). Born in 1932, Helmut Griem passed away in 2004, age 72.

Yes, Cabaret was a very popular film and has continued to be--true confession: I finally got around to watching it recently on Hulu! With Cabaret set in Germany's Weimar Republic of 1931, and the majority of musical numbers taking place onstage in Berlin's (imaginary) 'Kit Kat Club', the atmosphere of the society was ably shown to be one of decadence and over-indulgence--also note asteroid Bacchus (as in, bacchanalia, or, wine-drenched, ecstatic parties and orgies) precisely conjunct Liza's MC, the Career Point. Well, Cabaret certainly depicted such delirium.

And yes, a strong thread of promiscuity in relationships ran through the film as well and may have made similar appearances in Liza's personal life (Uranus-MC = Venus @1Ari00 = promiscuity in the behind-the-scenes 12th house of secrets and hidden activities with Venus conjunct the publicity-producing Aries Point of Fame, Recognition, and Fortune). This Venusian midpoint picture also suggests potentials for creativity, procreation, exposed feelings, an eagerness to please, and the ability to arouse physical desire in others (Tyl).

Also note that natal asteroid-archetype Persephone, associated with transformation, sex, and/or rape by Pluto, ruler of the Underworld, conjoins Liza's natal Venus @AP. For Liza this may not be significant on a personal level but plutonian romantic themes may be found within many of the plots of her various creative ventures. Perhaps the influence of her North Node ('NN' = future direction; destiny; public contacts) @26Gem01 conjunct sexy asteroid Sappho has something to do with recurring themes of sex and romance in her career choices for which she received public notice (NN). Actually, the photo of Liza as Sally Bowles, above, attests to a sapphic influence in the film.

Hollywood Horoscope: Liza Minnelli March 12, 1946 7:58 am pst Los Angeles, CA:

Basic chart details include: born during a Solar Hour, final dispositor Moon in its own sign of Cancer (everything leads back to her publicity-seeking, attention-grabbing Moon with its reigning need to be nurtured), and chart-ruler Venus applies only once to an opposition with Neptune which denotes romantic illusions and fantasies (listed lower left) which can best be utilized through creative endeavors. Plus, Liza's Moon conjoins starry Castor, one of the Gemini Twins, which provides great creative talents--inherited (conjunct her 4th house cusp); Neptune conjoins starry Diadem which suggests a mother's quiet sacrifice and a well-deserved crown. Note that both Liza and Judy are considered Hollywood royalty, and in the 5th house of Creativity, Liza's Part of Fortune in romantic, creative, entertaining Leo conjoins royal star Regulus which contains a caution: success if revenge is avoided. Has revenge been avoided? I don't know. What do you think?

Difficult relational issues are shown by Liza's Moon-Mars-Saturn trio in emotional, subjective Cancer, sign of Mom and the family, conjoining her IC (4th house cusp = Domestic Scene; Roots; Endings) suggesting quarrels and separations--from the mother (Moon is out-of-bounds yet their relationship was close--but perhaps on the smothering side). Separation from her father and/or from a male figure is also suggested (Mars is also out-of-bounds--'OOBs'--distant as is Pluto; Saturn the father is retrograde hinting that he wasn't always available when she needed him or was weak in some way so Liza had to become her own authority).

And so she would have carried these emotional wounds of her childhood into adulthood (as we all do!) and perhaps their themes have repeated in various forms throughout her life with different characters participating. Yet this planetary trio which includes the duos of harsh Mars-Saturn and emotionally deprived Saturn-Moon also indicates great ambition and strong motivation, plus, her Pisces Sun acts as the engine leading a Locomotive shape of planets suggesting a high-powered executive with a determined, even ruthless, drive toward success--creative success with Sun in the creative sign of Pisces which is co-ruled by imaginative, glamorous Neptune Rx in Venus-ruled Libra in the 6th house of Work (idealism in relationships). Also in 6th house is her Jupiter-Chiron conjunction of great enthusiasm and optimism. This conjunction inspires its owner toward the buoyant certainty that "the best is yet to come!" (Pottenger), and if memory serves, I believe Mother and Daughter sang that very song in a duet on TV's The Judy Garland Show the evening of July 16, 1963--Liza at age 17. Actually, I remember watching the show with my mother each week and their collaboration that evening was a stand-out.

Now for more Liza info you may wish to check out Marie Claire's feature 6 Best Liza Minnelli Quotes of All Time for it perfectly reveals in her own words the inspirational, optimistic, can-do nature of the lady, daughter of the fabled Judy Garland and her first husband director Vincente Minnelli. Obviously, the turbulent divorce of her parents when Liza was 5 years old created an emotional scar (Mars-Saturn-Moon, as noted) which she had to rise above along with other slings and arrows throughout her life yet we think of Liza as supremely gifted and highly successful. Perhaps the veils and masks of Neptune disguised the difficulties for the most part--even from herself--while allowing Liza's talent and creativity to brightly shine through from our TV and Silver Screens!

Now Appearing on Neptune's Silver Screen: Lillie Langtry

By The National Archives UK (Mrs Langtry) [No restrictions or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If you wish, check out the natal chart of Lillie Langtry, famous British stage actress and socialite at the turn of the 20th century and companion of the famed and powerful. Langtrey was one of King Edward VII's mistresses which may be read about in the book Lillie Langtry: Manners, Masks, and Morals.

Known as "Jersey Lillie" in her day, the Jersey-born actress joined the earthly flux on October 13, 1853 and most natal charts for her are listed for 6:00 am LMT (RR: DD). This gives Langtry an Air-Water Sun Libra-Moon Pisces personality blend which is shared by a lady I just astro-profiled this morning on my Political Astrology site because she's in the news today--Hope Hicks, longest serving aide to Donald Trump and current White House Director of Communications. Follow the link for details on the people-pleasing Sun Libra-Moon Pisces personality blend.

And although Miss Langtry was a stage actress, Neptunian qualities such as being glamourous, beautiful, and photogenic still complimented her career in front of audiences and her status as a 'sex symbol' of her day so because these things concern us, let's consider her planets and asteroids of the glamorous, goddess-like kind for some clues to her thespian talent and romantic nature.

Obviously, Sun in Venus-ruled Libra provides beauty while her elusive Pisces Moon suggests the necessary creative imagination an acting career requires. Natal Venus, planet of the attraction principle, is posited in sexy Scorpio while Mars is in romantic Leo, a placement that suggests unbridled passion. And in the 6:00 am chart, Libra is rising which adds to her physical gifts and Moon-ruled Cancer is on her Midheaven which adds the goal or aspiration for publicity to her career sector.

Meanwhile, glamorous, romantic, dreamy Neptune Rx is strong in its own sign of Pisces @11Pis21 so she actually had a three-fer Neptune Return from April 2016 to February 2017. Electrifying Uranus is in Taurus and will be so again starting on May 15, 2018, so a Uranus Return will be upcoming as well. I mention this because Langtry was born under Uranus sextile Meptune which tends toward mysticism and occult studies, and of course the sign Pisces is in favor of the metaphysical. The sextile (60 degrees = opportunity) may also have given her a more intriguing persona and chances to shine with a bright and inspring creative expression. And if her Moon and Neptune are close enough, free expression was her expectation if not her demand in life and this would have aided her onstage performances and in the more libertine lifestyle of romance that she chose with social norms and boundaries broken for nebulous Neptune likes to merge and the natal Moon rules emotions. And in similar fashion, Jupiter in its own sign of Sagittarius suggests a boundary-breaking spirit and sense of adventure with Jupiter a planet of thespians.

As for Miss Langtry's love and beauty asteroids, Eros and Lilith are in Venus-ruled Libra, sign of relationships, intimate Amor is Rx in Venus-ruled Taurus, sign of the lusty Bull, and sexy Sappho is in just-as-sexy Scorpio. Goddess asteroid Isis is posited in the bright and chatty sign of Gemini which often tends to provide its owner with a certain sparkle and an entertaining wit. After all, monarchs must be kept entertained!

Then there's a wide conjunction (orb 9 degrees) between novelty-loving Uranus with the intense planet of sex, Pluto (also in earthy Taurus) which probably gave Miss Langtry a claim to being a force within her environment. However, the planet of thinking processes and communications, Mercury, is posited in Libra so a certain grace would have been evident in her professional and personal relationships and suggests a potential for diplomatic skills as can any planet placed in Libra.

Now let's consider the Pre-Natal Solar Eclipse Series into which Lillie Langtry was born, the intriguing 8 North. This series contains exciting themes of flashes of genius and inventiveness (great for thespians and other creative types), and vivid dreams and visions (Brady's Predictive Astrology). In our day, 8 North last manifested in 2006 @8Aries and will do so again in 2024 @19Aries, the Sun's degree of exaltation.

Debuting onstage in 1881, Lillie Langtry would have been approximately 28 years old which points toward a Saturn Return (1Gem03 Rx)--planet of reality and well-earned benefits--when her vivid dream of stage acting, fame, and fortune was brought into reality and any hard work would have been fairly rewarded!

~:~

Now where are your natal Venus and Mars? For more details on this romantic pair in each of the 12 signs, try this and this!