Harold Dean Carsey (1886-1947), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
My Astro-Tribute to the First "It" Girl Clara Bow
by Jude Cowell
When we check out the A-rated natal horoscope of legendary silent film actress Clara Bow we find Hollywood's "IT" girl of the Jazz Age to possess a steamy, passionate fire-waterSun Leo-Moon Cancer personality blend. With her mega-popularity and appealing beauty, Clara Bow successfullly transitioned to talkies. Born into abject poverty in a Brooklyn, NY (Kings County) tenement with restrictive Saturn rising in Pisces, Bow broke into acting at around the age of 16, and at age 22 the film "It" paved her a glowing path to major stardom.
As a sparkling, elegant flapper extraordinaire, Clara Bow epitomized the let-loose spirit of the Roaring Twenties era (horoscope shown) with her insouciant style and verve - always dancing, always romancing. She was a mere 18-yo when the Roaring Twenties Eclipse manifested in 1923 while many American women bobbed their hair and copied Clara Bow with her bright red lipstick and heavily made-up eyes. Significantly, her sexy Venus-Pluto Conjunction in sparkling Gemini added much excitement to her allure.
Bow's Sun Leo-Moon Cancer personality blend suggests a woman of passion, a creative woman with a rich imagination; a true romantic - a "loveable radiant star". Self-dramatizing and sociable yet self-absorbed, Clara Bow was always a self-assured lady who could be moody upon occasion, and who was possibly on the sentimental side (Cancer Moon). Even today, her vulnerable quality comes across readily on the screen, and she could "turn it on" whenever a script called for it. Those big eyes!
So if you wish, check out Clara in the 1927 film It:
Here's a link to the film in case the video is removed at some point.
As for Clara Bow's worldwide stardom, we might glance at the electrical, exciting planet of novelty and technology, Uranus, for on the day of her birth, the rebellious planet of disruption conjoined one of the Cardnial World Points of Fame and Recognition, 00Capricorn! She was something of a disruption to the film industry, I'd say, and she wrote her own scripts, an unusual circumstance in those days.
Of Course, The Roaring Twenties Were Pre-Great-Depression Era
As for societal conditions during her time, Bow was born during an opposition phase of Uranus and Neptune (across the early Capricorn-Cancer axis), revealing that society was acting under the influence of mystical, confusing, mass delusional vibrations. The Wikipedia page of Clara Bow supplies us with quite a few biographical details concerning her film career, her multiple scandals, and her difficult final years of health issues and other troubles.
Then on September 26, 1965, Clara Bow passed away from a heart attack in Glendale, California, her life cut short, age 60. So with this astro-tribute to a legendary film star of the Silver Screen, I take this opportunity to say, May Clara Bow R.I.P.
For more personality blend info, see Sun Sign-Moon Sign, by Charles and Suzi Harvey #ad.
Charlie Chaplin; 1920; Strauss-Peyton Studio [Public domain]
These days, with power-grasping, creepy Pluto plodding through the sign of governmental Capricorn (on one level this placement denotes The Dictator), it seems appropriate to consider the two possible natal horoscopes of the very famous film pioneer and masterful actor, writer, and producer, Charlie Chaplin. Two because Chaplin's birth date is in question (RR: XX) although both natal charts have 8:00 pm GMT as Charlie's birth time. So it's either April 15 or April 16, 1889 in London with Moon in Libra or Moon in Scorpio and since his mother was a defining element in his life, perhaps we're tempted to assume a Scorpio Moon as more problematic than a Venus-ruled Libra Moon. She did perform in vaudeville after all (Venus and Libra = the arts) as did his father but early on, Charlie had to take over the money making duties age 5, due to mother Hannah's illness. And of course, illness can very well point toward brooding Scorpio for a Mum and yet Libra is a mental Air sign that perhaps is not particularly suited to the harsher side of life. Back in Charlie's day, Victorian hard times were really hard times.
Of course a person's Moon sign is only one factor when attempting to judge a natal horoscope that's unreliable because of inaccurate birth data. But in a sense, Charlie's Moon sign is a primary clue that distinguishes between the two charts and dates especially if we want this to remain a mere post and not a book!
Besides, other features of both horoscopes are pretty much the same except for the Moon sign since both charts are set for the same hour and location and are dated only 24 hours apart. So let's consider a few astro-notes on the two potential personality blends a la Charles and Suzi Harvey's book Sun Sign-Moon Sign while keeping in mind Chaplin's lusty, passionate Venus-Mars conjunction in the comfort-loving, possessive, often materialistic sign of Taurus (the Bull):
Right away the 'live-wire' Fire-Air Sun Aries-Moon Libra blend of April 15, 1889 puts an emphasis on relationships. This combo of energies tends to 'wear its heart on its sleeve' (like a certain silent film star we both know!) and often displays a 'hoping for the best' vibe (yep!). As a Full Moon blend, head and heart can work against each other and may indicate one who tends to be overly accommodating in relationships due to a deep desire for harmony. Flirtatious, romantic, and devoted, we see such traits within the love-struck characters Chaplin played so well in his films while expressing grand heroic gestures toward his lady loves, and yet there's an awkwardness, too.
This is a charming and sociable blend that invests much in gaining the approval and adoration of others and success is made possible by a great amount of artistic imagination and creative talent. Idealism is present yet there may be a tendency to allow the need for appreciation to feed vanity rather than creativity, plus, vacillation or indecision can be an issue within creative projects.
Now here's a quote from someone born under the Sun Aries-Moon Libra blend: "The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves." - William Hazlitt. Reminds me of Charlie's stirring speech of selflessness in The Great Dictator (below)!
Meanwhile...
If born on April 16, 1889 (the birth date most folks use for Charlie), a steamy Fire-Water Sun Aries-Moon Scorpio blend held sway. This personality blend denotes an intense, witty, passionate and highly motivated fellow with charisma and an inherent love of self-dramatization. To this mixture of bright laughter and cynicism is added driving ambition and great energy. Committed to a chosen path, some consider those born under this blend as pushy and brash while others see a private and quietly purposeful individual whose emotions can turn brooding and bitter if his plans are blocked or if accolades are not forthcoming.
For Sun Aries-Moon Scorpio, life is a drama and a theater the perfect place to shine. A natural leader (with partners, Chaplin founded United Artists Studio), a sharp and penetrating approach to life is notable and a single-mindedness helped garner the success he craved. This blend needs physical exercise and the acrobatic stunts and dancing onscreen show an amazing amount of agility and dedication as his film character The Little Tramp saved 'maidens in distress' and easily avoided punches from opponents and jealous boyfriends!
For a quote from one born under Sun Aries-Moon Scorpio, let's hear from Henry James: "Live all you can...it doesn't so much matter what you do in particular, so long as you have your life. If you haven't had that what have you had?
I can imagine the great Charlie Chaplin saying and asking much the same thing, can't you? As for which Moon sign and birth date are accurate for Charles Spenser Chaplin, is it possible that he played a love-struck Libra Moon in his films while actually hiding a brooding Scorpio Moon underneath? It might be possible - especially if he studied the Astrology of it!
Now, born only four days apart from Herr Hitler, here is the famous scene from Chaplin's film The Great Dictator: his uplifting and inspiring 'Message for Humanity' - what many folks have called The Best Speech Ever:
And below you see Charlie Chaplin at the 1972 Academy Awards accepting a well-deserved, long-time-coming Honorary Oscar--the only time he returned to America; I remember watching this award show back in the day and how it felt that one of my all-time favorites was finally being recognized by his peers after all that the "Red Scare" fiasco had put him through and how America had cruelly exiled him from the country-- at least in part for his preference for 16-year-olds. Apparently, America's Puritan streak just can't stop judging other people and you know how that sets us up for hypocrisy:
