Bright*Star*Lights

The Katy & Russell Implosion

Katy Perry. October 25, 1984. Santa Barbara, CA 6:59 AM

Russell Brand. June 4, 1975. Essex, UK (time unknown)

Perhaps this winter’s most colorful celebrity breakup has been between Scorpio pop star Katy Perry and her Gemini comedian husband, Russell Brand. With her charming and playful Libra ascendant presented to the world (the ascendant shows our exterior personality and how people perceive us) very few people could guess that a deeply determined, passionate and willful Scorpio rests below the surface. Katy Perry is WAY more than bubble gum and bleached hair. It took every ounce of the famous Scorpio willpower, which she fortunately has as both her sun and moon sign, to overcome the years of rejection and disappointment she faced in Hollywood before becoming a bonafide superstar. She has always gone after what she desires with the full force of her being and undoubtedly she was also fully invested in her marriage. But a strong Scorpio personality desires deep connection, merging even, with their partners and this proved to be difficult given the nature of her husband.

Russell is a flexible, multifaceted Gemini. With many interests and hobbies, Geminis are considerably more distracted than Scorpios who are very focused. Geminis are also a tad moody and are often not very good at communicating their feelings. Again this could have presented a troubling obstacle for the couple, especially during long stretches of time apart. Compounding the incompatibility- Russell’s moon sign is either in the nostalgic and addiction prone Pisces (romantic yet unreliable), or in adrenaline-loving Aries (aggressive and even more unreliable). All this combines to a very changeable nature, prone to mood swings and rash behavior, opposing Katy’s very fixed and determined personality.

Thus, it appears she was unwilling to compromise for him, and his whimsical and uneven demands, and he pulled the ultimate erratic move and promptly filed for divorce when the two were separated over the holidays. Scorpio would have stuck it out longer and tried to make it work, they hate failure. But Scorpios are also symbolized by the divine Phoenix, a majestic bird rising from the ashes of it’s own demise, and so Katy’s performance at this week’s Grammys surrounded by screens of flaming fire as she sang her new break up anthem “Part of Me” is apt. Scorpios are nothing if not masters of transformation and survival so we have little doubt she will feed on the fuel of this implosion and come out on top.

Astrology & the Holidays

As we are all fully immersed in the holiday spirit these days I thought it might be a time to reflect on how the energies and patterns of the signs are very apparent in the traditions that are used to celebrate holidays which fall within their month.

While the actual historical reasons for celebrating holidays on these dates are complex, the astrological energy seems to fit eerily well.. which always begs the age old questions- which came first??

HALLOWEEN reflects the spirit of Scorpio and infuses the holiday with its morbid fascinations. Scorpio is all about para-psychology, sex, death, re-birth, masks, and deliberate manipulation. So thus this is a perfect month for all of us to pretend to be somebody we are not and scare the hell out of each other.

THANKSGIVING falls under the realm of Sagittarius. Ruled by the king of the Gods, the very self-indulgent planet Jupiter, Thanksgiving is therefore not surprisingly most associated with self-indulgence. All anyone seems to think or talk about at Thanksgiving these days is the food and how much of it they want to eat! There is that whole matter of giving thanks too, I suppose. And truth be told, Sagittarius is a very spiritual sign.. they believe in higher powers in one form or another, so this makes sense. They also are deeply un-materialistic and would give the coat of this back if anyone asked so generosity and compassion fall well within their style.

Next up is CHRISTMAS, overseen by Capricorn. Now this one is a bit counter-intuitive. Most people think about Christmas trees, caroling, the Nutcracker and opening presents by the fire. As we all know this is a Hollywood version of Xmas, as many, many families cannot afford heaps of gifts and extravagant celebrations. This is where Capricorn and his enforcer, stern Saturn, come in. In fact what Christmas really represents underneath its glossy veneer is Santa Claus/Saturn with his “Naughty or Nice list” doling out a strict lesson in rewards and reprimands, separating the “haves” from the “have nots” in only a way that such a materialistic sign as Capricorn could. Ouch.

VALENTINE’S DAY follows. While it is still up for debate whether or not Hallmark created this ‘holiday’, it none the less thrives in our culture. Valentine’s Day, on February 14, is an Aquarian celebration. This is a rather fascinating one, as it would be much more apt after February 18, during the romantic month of Pisces. Instead, however, its aura is matched with the very stubborn, innovative and future-oriented sign of Aquarius. Perhaps this is why couples always feel the need to figure out their “future” (are we serious? are we not serious? are we getting married?) around Valentine’s Day, and also why the most innovative and unexpected Valentine’s surprises are the most rewarded and well-received.

EASTER is celebrated each year on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the March 21st vernal equinox. This is by far the most deliberately astrologically determined holiday. Easter almost always falls during the month when the sun is in Aries (March 21- April 20). Aries represent the beginning of the cycle and fresh starts and it fits perfectly with the definition of resurrection which is “a rising again”. Jesus’ resurrection was the beginning of the modern era in Christianity and each year Easter begins our spring awakening.

In America, 4TH OF JULY is more of a celebration than a “holy-day”, but let’s take a look anyway. July 4, 1776 is of course the birth day of the USA and many fascinating astrologers analyze the US birthchart and its implication in our current world affairs (mundane astrology). For our purposes we are just looking at how Cancer, as the USA sun sign, informs the way we celebrate each year. Home and family are the key words for Cancer and many of us have sentimental, nostalgic memories for how we spend July 4th with those we love. It is also very nurturing and loyal, this is when we show our national pride and pride in our neighborhood; our larger families.

Happy Holidays everyone!