ZaSu Pitts: From Kansas to Hollywood!

ZaSu Pitts; Bredell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Tribute to Hollywood Actress ZaSu Pitts

by Jude Cowell

In our day, it's quite possible that ZaSu Pitts is one of Hollywood's least remembered movie stars who managed to successfully transition from radio and silent films to 'talkies'. Follow the link to view a 17-minute video about her entitled, ZaSu Pitts The Keeper of Hollywood's Deepest Secrets? which sounds intriguing, doesn't it? Agreed, but for the purposes of her cameo appearance on Neptune's Silver Screen, let's briefly consider ZaSu's natal chart.

R.I.P. ZaSu Pitts January 3, 1894--June 7, 1963 (Parsons, KS--Hollywood, CA)

Born during the waning phase of the Great Neptune-Pluto Conjunction/s of 1891/92 in early Gemini, baby ZaSu Pitts entered the earthly flux with Sun in Capricorn and serious Saturn ruling her essence and personality (Sun). Plus, planet Saturn is exalted in Venus-ruled Libra, sign of the creative arts and the Scales of Justice. Some trouble may have come with her Mars in early Sagittarius opposing the heavyweight Neptune-Pluto duo, although with careful, mature use of the energies, this planeatary trio can be highly creative, motivated, and may have given her an interest in the occult (but that's beyond the scope of this brief post).

An accomplished comedienne, Pitts appeared in one of my favorite TV shows, The Gale Storm Show so although tiny, I was a movie and TV fan and quite aware of ZaSu's performances wherever I could catch them. And in retrospect, I believe that her unusual first name helped her stand out from the crowd! Check out the Wikipedia page of ZaSu Pitts for more details about her family, career, and films.

Then besides appearing with dozens of comedy legends in It's a Mad Mad Mad World (a film lampooning greed), ZaSu was also in the cast of the dramatic All Quiet On The Western Front, a film based on the World War One novel by Erich M. Remarque which remains a best seller on Amazon.

So! This is my brief tribute to a long-ago Hollywood star not everyone knows. If you like, please share and leave your on-topic insights with this post. Thanks a bunch, Jude

Hollywood Headline: Tallulah Bankhead Loved Men!

Photo by Vandamm, New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Have you ever checked out the natal horoscope of the actress who hated Hollywood, preferring stage acting to film roles, Miss Tallulah Bankhead? Born with a Sun Aquarius-Moon Scorpio personality blend on January 31, 1902 9:00 pm Huntsville, Alabama to a wealthy, political family of US senators, she's been famously quoted as saying that she went to Hollywood to hmm hmm hmm with the attractive Gary Cooper who apparently was Tallulah's idea of a dreamboat. Did they eventually hook up? Yep, they did.

However, it should be said that Gary Cooper hooked up with a plethora of ladies through the years, and the leading ladies in his many films were fair game. Born in Montana, his acting roles portraying "the strong silent type" who "delivers justice" must have made him irresistible to his paramours. Try How Gary Cooper Got into Trouble with Seducing Multiple Women for details.

As for Tallulah, her most successful film (perhaps her only celluloid success) was Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 Lifeboat (tap or click to view a clip).

There's also an informative yet brief biographical video, Tallulah Bankhead's Life Filled With Affairs and Drugs that I can recommend for the daring. Or how about a video of Tallulah guesting as the show's Mystery Celebrity on What's My Line? on February 12, 1961? She was appearing on Broadway at the time, but the photo you see, above, is from The Little Foxes, circa 1940.

Tallulah Bankhead: Her Sun Aquarius-Moon Scorpio Personality

This is an Air-Water combination of conscious-unconscious energies revealing her as charismatic, egotistical, strong-willed, intense, keenly perceptive, and ambitious woman. Acting was a good choice, for Tallulah's magnetic qualities had a hypnotic effect on other people. Her "obsessive individualism" commanded recognition along with her self-confidence, a certain haughtiness, and unbending standards. This blend believes in living life to the fullest but emotionally can tend to 'blow hot and cold' and may sometimes resort to ruthless manipulation.

Be that as it may, Tallulah was born with glamorous Neptune in sparkling Gemini conjunct Midheaven, the most visible point in a chart and a marker for The World Stage!

Now yes, she was an "all or nothing" person, but I do think that Tallulah's "Images for Integration" (conscious + unconscious: blend for best and most creative results) describe the gifted, intense actress quite well:

"A scientist dissects a scorpion with great tenderness and absolute precision...A researcher presents his findings to colleagues at a 'Science for Humanity' Conference...Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles and Suzi Harvey #ad.)

And naturally, that last image reminds me of Tallulah's starring role in Alfred Hitchcock's very watery film, Lifeboat!

An Astro-Tribute to the Legendary Jimmy Stewart

Stewart and Novak; Vertigo; Paramount Pictures, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Hollywood Mega-Star: The Down-To-Earth James Stewart

by Jude Cowell

One of the brightest of legendary Hollywood screen stars, James Maitland Stewart, was born May 20, 1908 at 7:15 am EST in Indiana, Pennsylvania. A view of the AA-rated natal horoscope of the popular actor known as Jimmy Stewart is available with his double-Earth Sun Taurus-Moon Capricorn personality blend suggesting a down-to-earth, practical, and creative persona. Additionally, his Sun (conscious) and Moon (unconscious) energies formed a beneficial trine (120 degrees) with one another and this accounts, at least in part, for his pleasant, onscreen aura of smoothness and reliability with seemingly few if any rough edges.

In fact, a Sun-Moon trine, if unmitigated by harsher planetary factors causing turbulence within the psyche, indicates just that - a smooth demeanor with easy adjustments to life's peaks and valleys. Perhaps this aided him during his military service as a World War II pilot, one imagines.

If you wish, check out his Wikipedia bio page for more details including a list of his many films, awards (ex: the Oscar for Best Actor in 1940 for The Philadelphia Story), and medals which even include the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded him in 1989.

Now one of Stewart's more popular films through the years has been Vertigo with cool beauty Kim Novak, pictured above with Stewart, and some serious eyebrow action going on! And as you know, the suspenseful Vertigo was directed by the inestimable Alfred Hitchcock, who was quite an intriguing character in his own right! And how curious that in the film Stewart portrays a man bothered by heights - and he having served as a WWII bomber pilot! Well, I believe it's called, acting.

So now in closing, and curated just for you, is a list of three film trailers starring Jimmy (James) Stewart, any of which you may find enjoyable!

The Philadelphia Story with heart throb Cary Grant and the very independent Katherine Hepburn; Vertigo, as noted above; and Christmas favorite It's a Wonderful Life with his supportive wife played by the lovely Donna Reed.

James Maitland Stewart May 20, 1908 - July 2, 1997; may he R.I.P.

Super Star Errol Flynn: Australian-American Sun Gemini!

User Roisterer on en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An Astro-Tribute to Errol Flynn

by Jude Cowell

In the A-rated natal horoscope of Errol Flynn we find an ethereal Air-Water Sun Gemini-Moon Cancer blend with Mars-ruled Aries rising. Born June 20, 1909 at 2:25 am AEST in Hobart, Tasmania as Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn, the swashbuckling actor remains today one of Hollywood's legendary thespians of the Silver Screen, a charismatic heart throb in his time whose considerable magnetism can still be seen dripping from celluloid, his filmography linked, below.

For a comprehensive biographical video you may wish to try Errol Flynn, 50, (1909-1959) Australian actor which goes into his unfortunate early life, flight at age 18 in search of gold, and several unsavory events. However, once Flynn made it to Hollywood at age 25, his dark past was hidden and he was groomed for success as a handsome leading man. His natural charm, charisma, way with the ladies (especially young ladies), and his physical prowess (Aries rising!) greatly aided his successful onscreen career. Fated for Hollywood, his lifelong Neptunian ability for bragging, pretending, and scamming others aided him as well for his public image was never as genuine as he'd have folks believe. In fact, relationship and legal troubles marred his life through the years as his risk-taking character overtook common sense. And yet later in his career, his good looks hid multiple health problems so that eventually, a story about a 'heart murmur' was floated if not credited by the press.

Love and Romance: Venus attraction trine Mars Desire

Flynn's natal Venus in Moon-ruled Cancer trined his Mars in Pisces and the two planets denote a romantic who felt love deeply, appreciated home and family, and loved art and music, although a life of immoderate eating and drinking would have been difficult to restrain or turn from, and would have negatively affected his digestive tract. Meanwhile, Mars in Pisces indicates his drive toward recognition, lack of reliability in love relationships, a craving for substances such as alcohol, enthusiasm for social activities, and possibly an interest in occult subjects. He may even have joined a secret society or two with Pisces a secretive sign and Mars the planet of action and motivation.

Of course, one major controversy still of note was Flynn's sojourn in Spain during the country's Civil War of 1936 with a pal who turned out to have been a "card-carrying Nazi." Even so, Flynn has never been determined to have had such leanings himself. A frustrated writer who wanted to be taken seriously, he attempted publishing as a war correspondent (his Sun in Gemini, sign of the writer); after Flynn's death, some people would use his friendship with a Nazi agent to slur his reputation.

Errol Flynn Filmography 1933 to 1959.

Now, how about a few details concerning the Sun Gemini-Moon Cancer personality blend of Errol Flynn, who, as we all do, deserves to R.I.P.:

This Air-Water combination of conscious-unconscious energies suggests a chatty fellow and quick learner who isn't always certain which is in control of his decisions: head or heart. A poetic and artistic romantic who fell in love easily, Flynn possessed a nervous charm and was adept at communicating emotions. In fact, this adaptable blend tends to reflect back to the world whatever it receives, a useful quality for an actor. Even though a playboy, he was a devoted father to 4 children (with 3 wives), and through the years his adult children have spoken highly of him as their Dad (Gemini, sign of the child, loves to play).

Unable to sign up to serve in WWII due to his underlying tuberculosis, 'macho-man' Flynn wanted his weakening health condition kept secret from the public for it would undercut, even topple, his swashbuckling image and this would have affected his and film studios' bottom lines.

How tragic that cases of TB and malaria, a lack of moderation, little if any self-control or restraint, alcohol and other drug dependencies, and an urge toward self-destruction would eventually lead to what such qualities tend to lead to: an early demise, age 50, of a heart attack, his heart enlarged from years of abuse, and his body discovered by his 17-year-old girlfriend. You see, Errol Flynn didn't have to chase young girls - they chased him.

Now in closing, here's another video (58-minutes) which may be of interest as well: Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn.

Sarah Bernhardt: Sun Scorpio-Moon Aries sparked by Uranus

Image: Sarah Bernhardt appr 20 yo; Nadar, public domain 1864

In the natal horoscope of legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt a distinguishing feature that would have certainly sparked the public's interest in her work and given her public appeal is an exciting Moon-Uranus conjunction in early Mars-ruled Aries, sign of the pioneer and path finder. Add to this the fact that natal Jupiter, planet of thespians rises with the alpha star of Aries, Hamal (keywords: to follow one's own path). Combined with her natural acting talent, Bernhardt's career as the premiere actress of her time is understandable on an astrological level and is well supported by her life's story.

Then with her Jupiter Rx in late Pisces, the thespian planet's own sign, the lady expressed onstage a gamut of human emotions with incomparable pathos. Perhaps the phrase "not a dry eye in the house" became 'a thing' during Sarah's career!

Nee Henriette Rosine Bernard October 23, 1844 8:00 pm LMT Paris France (RR: B)

Yet Bernardt's Moon-Uranus conjunction also suggests that she was an ambitious, restless, and possibly nervous woman (electrical Uranus!) with a yen for reformist activities, a lady who was willing to make sacrifices in order to achieve her special aims. As we know, sudden success was her reward along with fame and recognition. However, she may have over-strained her nerves and seemed quite the fanatic at times with a tendency to crave sensation. That such qualities would have spilled from stage into her private life seems a given and may have been part of her well known relationship difficulties.

Of course, natal Sun in very early Scorpio tells of an intense personality, brilliant but a brooder perhaps. And emotionally, her Aries Moon identifies her as an impulsive and willful woman with a lust for power and a strong personality, tending to act without thinking. In fact, both her Sun and Moon are ruled by me-first planet Mars but with a Pluto undertone--Pluto, the planet of power, manipulation, and wealth. (See her Sun-Moon personality blend details, below - and amazingly, here's a film clip of Sarah Bernhardt onstage in 1905!

Venus: Attraction Principle and Mars: Desire Nature

Venus in Virgo, sign of The Virgin, relates directly to Mary and to other archetypal goddesses, and suggests a lady indecisive in romantic matters. Practical considerations of this placement may have offset some of her impulsive tendencies, and a Venus-Chiron conjunction suggests a measure of childlike innocence in her personal relationships.

As for her Mars in early Libra, a friendly manner would have aided her in gaining success and suggests a desire to engage in teamwork, a necessity in the theater. However, a certain moodiness may have interfered in Sarah's relationships, as well as an overly frank attitude which may have caused disagreements - especially since natal Mars directly opposes her Moon-Uranus conjunction! The midpoint picture formed is one of a male or males challenging her excitable Moon-Uranus tendencies of restlessness and nervous anxieties, yet her ambitions would have been stimulated while a potential for violence or injury may have been engendered.

The steamy, volatile Water-Fire blend of Sun Scorpio-Moon Aries provided Sarah with a large appetite for life, a proud and persuasive personality, and a streak of missionary zeal. Sarah was a pugnacious fighter and strategist according to her combination of Sun-Moon conscious-unconscious energies; highly intelligent, she was aware of the need for self-control, a Scorpio quality. With a gracious amount of self-esteem intact, she was determined to 'make her mark upon the world' and through her large measure of creative talent and sense of fearlessness she did just that. Her Scorpio Sun gave her the ability to express smoldering intensity with passionate zeal at her command, both onstage and off.

Add to all this Sarah Bernhardt's sharp wit, raucous sense of humor, and tendency to drive herself toward self-imposed goals and it's no wonder that Miss Bernhardt reached the pinnacle of success in the theaters of Paris and has remained to this day one of the legendary actresses for young thespians to immulate, even idolize as the charismatic Neptunian goddess that she was, and a glowing, magnetic inspiration to others in her time and in ours.

And so as always with my astro-tributes to Thespians of the Silver Screen and Stage, I'm sending out a R.I.P. for the incomparable Sarah Bernhardt whose star of worldwide fame twinkles brightly here on Neptune's Silver Screen!

(For more personality blend information, I recommend Sun Sign-Moon Sign by Charles and Suzi Harvey #ad.)

A curious tidbit of thespianism: Miss Bernhardt was born in 1844 then 48 years later in 1892, another famous thespian was born who also acted under the determined influences of a volatile Sun Scorpio-Moon Aries combination: Dame Sybil Thorndike who began her career as a concert pianist. So for the sake of comparison, why not check out the natal planets of Dame Sybil!

Hollywood Legend Ida Lupino: Sun AQ-Moon Scorpio

Ida Lupino Trailer screenshot [Public domain]; The Hard Way

For the curious, why not check out a full view of the natal horoscope of classic film star Ida Lupino born February 4, 1918 11:00 GMT London, England with Sun @15AQ21, Moon @22Sco32, and Ascendant in Venus-ruled Libra (20:30), sign of relationships, the arts, and beauty. With her Midheaven ('MC' = The Goal Point) in Moon-ruled Cancer (22:04), Ms. Lupino's ambitions included publicity and fame bwo the lunar influence. This is understandable as a member of an acting dynasty that stretched as far back as the Renaissance!

Biography aired an excellent 44-minute feature on the life and decades-long career--over 60 films--of Ida Lupino if you'd care to have a look!

An Astrological Tribute to Gregory Peck: The Philosopher

Gregory Peck 1948; Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

March 20, 2022

by Jude Cowell

Perhaps you've noticed that there are several interesting YouTube videos available for fans of legendary film star Gregory Peck. One that I recommend gives details on his life and stellar career, all in less than 30 minutes: Gregory Peck: His Own Man. For you see, the wise Mr. Peck never allowed himself to come under the control of any one Hollywood film studio and always acted in films that he himself had selected. This was quite unusual back in the day, as you may agree. So let's see how such individualism is expressed in his natal horoscope with perhaps a bit of Neptunian romance as well!

Below: Horoscope of Gregory Peck born April 5, 1916 8:00 am pst La Jolla, California; RR: AA for accuracy; ASC 2Gem30 with Venus rising, chart-ruler Mercury @6Aries00 in 11th house of Groups (film-making is a group endeavor); Midheaven ('MC': The Goal) @13AQQ52 offers his 8 North Prenatal Solar Eclipse ('PE') @13AQ30 on the World Stage with 8 North themes of 'flashes of genius; visions; vivid dreams; insights; intuition; a need for temporary freedom causes strain in private relationships' (paraphrasing B. Brady). An obvious expression of such solar-lunar energies could have been his acting career requiring that he work away from home and family during filming.

Now if you wish, consider my study notes penned and color-coded on the chart for not all of them are mentioned in this text:

Individualism

Immediately we find Uranus, planet of freedom, individualism, disruption, and excitement, in Peck's 10th house of Career and Public Status - and strong in its own sign of progressive Aquarius! Here Uranus leads the tilt of a BOWL shape of his natal planets with Mars, planet of desire, energy, and motivation, in opposition, and conjunct the IC (Foundation) of his chart - Mars in romantic, dramatic Leo. The BOWL shape has a mission or advocates for a cause and is discernible, as you see, with all planets on the self-selecting side of the chart (choosing his own movie scripts and stage roles), and with a majority of his planets in the Public sector. As a pair, Mars-Uranus can be revolutionary and when in opposition as here, Peck's ability to stand out from the crowd is a positive expression of an individualist mindset, plus, an interest in Politics is also suggested. A lifelong Democrat, details may be found via Peck's Wikipedia page.

Then there's powerful Pluto @1Can19, within orb of the Aries Point of Fame, Fortune, and Recognition in his 2nd house of Earning Ability; Mr. Peck had for a talent for fund-raising. Yet restrictive Saturn is in 2nd house as well which suggests a conservative approach to finances, although some Saturnian boundaries may have been more difficult to establish or maintain than others (Saturn in watery Cancer also indicates family problems - tragically, the Pecks lost a son due to probable suicide). Had a father's financial overindulgence been a part of the problem? Certainly, a Mercury-Saturn square of 'the worrier' (A. Oken) denotes sobering issues in his life along with his natal Mercury conjunct sad Orpheus.

Yet from his acting debut in 1944 onward, Gregory Peck enjoyed critical success, then handsome leading-man status, but I believe it was his role as Atticus Finch in 1962's To Kill a Mocking Bird that has earned him his most popular acclaim and lasting fame through the years. Based on the novel by Harper Lee, the book and film dealt with an oft-neglected topic in our country: America's original wound - her fatal flaw - racism. Peck's career success, plus, a talent for philosophical topics (Mercury conjunct Jupiter = 'The Philosopher' who can see the larger issues) may be viewed through his expansive, enthusiastic Sun-Jupiter conjunction of Salesmanship in 11th house of Groups. And his 9th house of Foreign Lands, Higher Education, and Philosophy contains the North Node of public contact @5AQ12 (opposing the dreamy, romantic Mars-Neptune duo conjunct his natal South Node of inherited talent!).

That his Nodal Axis opposes by sign that of America (July 4, 1776) - South Node to North Node, and vice versa, implies that Peck and the American public could bring out either the worst, or the best, in one another. My suggestion is that this cosmic condition relates to his role as Atticus Finch, a script he obviously chose for himself, and which for many Americans brought out our best reactions, or at least, a still-active reconsideration of the difficult issue of racism, and of the inequality that existed, and still exists, within our two-tiered legal system.

Meanwhile, let's credit the Mutual Reception (on friendly terms!) between his natal Sun and Mars, which are beneficially trine one another in creative Fire signs, for his ability to reach to the heart of matters, plus, Jupiter in Aries suggests a man of nobility of character and integrity. And Jupiter in Mars-ruled Aries provides support for his Mars-Jupiter trine, a cosmic picture of endowment.

As for the personality blend of Gregory Peck, that is in part revealed by his intense Fire-Earth combo of conscious-unconscious energies - the Sun Aries-Moon Taurus combo, a Mars-Venus pairing. This blend describes a man with a tough vs tender demeanor and an intuitive yet pragmatic approach. Self-confident and ambitious, Gregory Peck possessed staying power and a charismatic magnetism which can still be viewed on-screen. In fact, taking center stage was a natural activity for him and he did it with grace and style as his long Hollywood career attests!

April 5, 1916 - June 12, 2003, age 87

Well, many more chart factors are there for your consideration if you so desire but let's close this astrological tribute with a link to the extensive Filmography of the legendary Hollywood star, Mr. Gregory Peck, long a favorite around here.

May he R.I.P.

For more personality information, you may wish to consult Sun Sign-Moon Sign, by Charles and Suzi Harvey #ad.