Paul Verhoeven and Mars

A reader emailed me the following this morning (with my comments in brackets):

Paul Verhoeven: his newest movie is coming out soon, and this made me realise how many great films he made; Basic Instinct, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Robocop... [additionally, Showgirls and Hollow Man]

Now a question of mine is if he and/or his movies have a strong link with Mars, concidering the brutal undertone of many of his movies, the tendency to depict military societies, and not to mention one of his movies actually taking place on Mars.

Paul Verhoeven was born July 18, 1938 in Amsterdam, time unknown. His Mars is actually quite accentuated, with a tight conjunction to both the Sun (his identity and creative self-expression) and Pluto. Pluto symbolizes our darkest impulses, the cultural taboos that we repress because society considers them unaceptable or dangerous. Pluto intensifies Verhoeven's Martial impulses, and his Mars acts out Pluto's themes of sex and death. This combination can be extremely violent, compulsively sexual, or strongly ambitious. Interestingly, these three planets are in Cancer -- protective/defensive in the name of home, country and family.

Mars is considered in its "fall" in Cancer -- not an ideal placement. Mars is assertive and aggressive, while Cancer is emotional, sensitive, defensive. As much as Showgirls was apparently meant to be a satire, Verhoeven's films do not appear to be very woman-positive (unless you consider Sharon Stone's character in Basic Instinct to fit the bill). In fact, I recall Hollow Man included implied rape and definitely some other non-consensual acts perpetrated by Kevin Bacon's character. So I wonder if all this Pluto-Mars rage gets directed towards women (Cancer), manifesting in his films as either violence against women or violent/manipulative women.

Thoughts?

Tags: Paul Verhoeven - astrology - movies - mars - pluto - cancer

A new blogger writes about Saturn-Neptune films and more!

Doreen discusses Field of Dreams in the context of its release during the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in 1989. She also writes about Saturn in Leo in Nobody Knows and Mercury retrograde in Cancer in After Life, both films by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda. I look forward to more "astrology at the movies" content from her!

'The Illusionist' and the Saturn-Neptune opposition

The Illusionist is about a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna who uses deception and illusion (ruled by Neptune) to create phenomena that look real (observable reality is ruled by Saturn). I can't reveal too much of the plot without giving away the ending, but suffice it to say that the whole movie is about the difficulty distinguishing between reality (Saturn) and illusion (Neptune).

Additionally, one key part of the plot involves a corrupt prince (Saturn in Leo, as Leo rules monarchy) who wants to overthrow his father. Can the Illusionist dissolve or weaken (Neptune) the structures of government (Saturn)?

If you want to get a good feel for the archetypal conflict between Saturn and Neptune, this is a good film to watch.

I also found it interesting that this film took place shortly after the Pluto-Neptune conjunction in Gemini, which relates to the rise of spiritualism. One of the magician's illusions was resurrecting (Pluto) spirits (Neptune).

Tags: The Illusionist - astrology - movies - saturn - neptune - pluto

Mad Max

Susan Custer notes that Mel Gibson's progressed Moon is currently conjunct his Uranus, and that the "last time the progressed Moon was conjunct Uranus was in 1979, the era of his Mad Max fame." I looked up his secondary progressed chart for April 12, 1979, which was the Australian release date of Mad Max.

His progressed Moon was at 0 degrees 6 minutes Leo, nearly partile conjuct his progressed Uranus at 0 degrees 0 minutes Leo and square his progressed Neptune at 0 degrees 24 minutes Scorpio. Natally, he has Uranus at 1 degree 0 minutes Leo, and Neptune at 0 degrees 11 minutes Scorpio. (He also has his natal Moon at 0 Libra.) Given that at the world premiere of Mad Max his progressed Moon was within 6 minutes of his progressed Uranus, it makes sense that he conveyed such a revolutionary character in the film.

His progressed moon on the night of his arrest -- July 28, 2006 -- was at 28 degrees 14 minutes Cancer, conjunct within 41 minutes to his progresed Uranus at 28 degrees 55 minutes Cancer. I tend to think that there's more to come, that when his progressed Moon comes within 12 minutes to either his progressed or natal Uranus (within the next three months) something truly revolutionary or unexpected will happen. I still believe that the arrest was mostly associated with transiting Pluto square his Midheaven. Pluto reveals secrets and the hidden parts of oneself -- his racist remarks seem much more Plutonic than Uranian.

astrology - Mel Gibson - Mad Max

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More on Mel -- His Progressed Moon

Susan Custer points out that his progressed Moon was activating his Uranus-Neptune-Mercury T-Square. It's a little too far away for my tastes -- a full degree before Mercury, and more than that for the outer planets. (Anybody want to comment below on orbs?) She also writes about advice she would have given Mel, and comments on the opposition of transiting Saturn to natal Venus in his 2nd/8th house axis of money.

Tags: astrology - Mel Gibson

I just found my blog comments!

I moderate my blog comments to prevent spam, and I just found today that blogger has not been forwarding me my unmoderated comments. I just published them all, and wanted to apologize to those readers who left comments in the last few months.

Two excellent Mel Gibson analyses

Two of my favorite bloggers -- Lynn Hayes and KittyTaurus (the CelebAstroblogger) -- have written quality entries on Mel Gibson's recent DUI and racist remarks. Of course, you should also read my own entry down below. And if you're a glutton for Mel Gibson, check out my list of links of many Mel Gibson astrology profiles.

Addendum dated 8/4/2006:

See also Neil Paris's thoughts on Mel's chart and transits.

Mel Gibson's Anti-Semitism and Alcoholism

An official police report on Mel Gibson's arrest on drunken driving charges substantiates claims that he made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened a deputy, a law enforcement official said Monday.

Mel was born with a Pisces Midheaven. His public image is that of Christ and the alcoholic, both archetypal expressions of Pisces. Pisces has two rulers -- Neptune is the modern ruler, and Jupiter is the traditional ruler. His Jupiter is in Virgo, conjunct Pluto and square Saturn. Jupiter is the planet of religion and faith -- his beliefs (Jupiter) are somewhat critical (Virgo), and he is also extremist (Pluto) and judgmental and rigid (Saturn) with regards to issues of faith.

His Neptune is in a T-Square with Mercury and Uranus. Mercury-Neptune aspects relate to poetic and imaginative communication, as well as delusional thinking. Uranus adds an element of eccentricity and unpredictability to his messenger planet. Mercury-Uranus likes to shock, to disturb the status quo.

Transiting retrograde Pluto on Friday 7/28 was at 24 degrees, 27 minutes Sagittarius. According to the birth time of 4:45 pm on January 3, 1956 in Peekskill, NY (chart), Mel's Midheaven is at 24 degrees, 22 minutes Pisces -- an exact square (give 5 minutes, which is a twelfth of a degree). Hence, the planet of destruction and rebirth is tearing down Mel's public image, as well as exposing his Piscean complexes.

Tags: mel gibson pisces alcoholism anti-semitism astrology jupiter saturn pluto mercury uranus midheaven

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