Posts from the ‘Madonna’ Category

Aug 29

Virgo Fashion Idol: Stella McCartney

September 13, 1971 London, England noon* (time unknown)

September is the month for fashion, as the Spring runway shows are presented from New York to Milan to Paris, and the fashion industry is plunged from its lazy summer days in St. Tropez and the Hamptons back into full throttle ‘next-greatest-thing’ mode. It is perfect timing, as September is the month of Virgo, a sign which has a discriminating eye, impeccable taste, great attention to detail and a preference for well tailored simple styles. One of the Virgo fashion designers who best exemplifies the Virgo fashion sensibility is rock progeny and first class designer Stella McCartney. First as head designer for the label Chloe and then as the powerhouse behind her own eponomous brand, Stella has not only helped bring the Virgo look to the hipsters and actors who favor it, but also embodied the Virgo energy in many areas of her life.

Virgos are sensible and sensitive, aware of everything around them and fussy about what foods, products, fabrics and people they allow to penetrate their well constructed world. Stella is the daughter of Beatles legend Gemini Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Libra Linda McCartney, a photographer and vegetarian activist. Gemini and Libra, both air signs, are trine to each other, which means her parents had a happy marriage, with a strong bond and good communication. Being raised in a happy household likely made her more confident to go after her dreams. However, Virgos tend to suffer from self-doubt and feel a tremendous amount of pressure, self-inforced or otherwise, to be successful. Having such famous parents could have brought this on in her life.

Stella was born with the sun in Virgo conjunct Venus. This signifies a strong artistic disponsition and talent. Venus also represents her mother who was Libra, and Stella was indeed very close with her mom. Her bond with her mom is also shown by her moon in Cancer, the emotional sign of feminity and motherhood. Strong-willed Pluto at 29′ Virgo also joins her sun and Venus, lending her the air of severity and intensity which penetrates her aura, always balanced though, by feminine Venus. Virgos often have strong moral convictions, which go along with their fussiness about what enters their lives, and in Stellas case, her mothers firm beliefs about animal rights and vegetarianism, have led Stella to continue this crusade. She does not use silk, fur, lambs wool, or leather in any of her designs and her skincare line is 100% organic. Almost all Virgos feel strongly about treating their bodies kindly, thus along with her vegetarian diet, she exercizes regularly and has a partnership with adidas to design fashionable work-out wear.

Her designs for the Stella McCartney line have been simple, feminine and stylish while also strongly utilizing a menswear influence, which is a Virgo signature. The colors that appear most often are cream, antique rose, blue and gray. Gray and cream are colors favored by Virgos, while the pink shade shows her Venus side, and blue and cream show her watery Cancer moon. She likes women to look polished, comfortable and feminine, without the need for too many bells and whistles. Reflecting a bit of her Virgo self-consciousness, she has stated that “I can honestly say this industry hasn’t made me neurotic about my looks, except maybe my weight. I hope my clothes kind of reflect that. They’re meant to make you feel good, not give you more hang-ups.”

On August 30, 2003, while the sun was in Virgo, she married published Alisdhair Willis. It is often a great choice to marry when the sun is in your native sun sign, as this indicates an energy that is positive and happy to you. They have four children. It seems Stella is taking a relaxed approach to parenting, encouraging her children to be creative and follow their own dreams without too much structure. Stella, like most Virgos, has always chosen to keep her personal life private, rarely talking about her famous family, and managing to remain above the fray during her much-publicized fued with her one-time step-mother Capricorn Heather Mills, never speaking publicly on the subject. Among her closest friends are Aries Kate Hudson, Libra Gwyneth Paltrow, Capricorn Kate Moss and Cancer Liv Tyler.

Dec 2

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BRITNEY SPEARS

BIRTHDAY GIRL

December 2, 1981 Mahon, MS 1:30 A.M.

The phenomenon known as Britney Spears turns 27 today. While some pop icons fade in and our of the collective consciousness, nobody since Leo Madonna, has captured the fascination of the world quite like Sagittarius Britney Spears has since she burst onto the scene ten years ago. As she opens up to the public candidly this week for the first time in ages, we can look also past her words and into her birth chart for some more revelations about her life and personality.

Britney is a prototypical Sagittarius: adventurous, active, open, trusting, extroverted, humorous, restless, optimistic, spiritual, athletic, grandoise, exaggerated. Her sun in Sagittarius is also joined by two other planets; Mercury, the planet of communication, and Uranus, the planet of freedom and rebellion. This is very indicative of her personality. She has the need to communicate with her audience and she is a talented songwriter (Mercury) and desperately wants to be understood. But she also has a tremendous need for freedom and independence (Uranus). This is exacerbated even more by her moon in Aquarius, the sign associated with Uranus. The moon sign shows ones emotional nature and what they need in relationships. Moon in Aquarius people are alternately dedicated and dispassionate. Her first true love, Justin Timberlake, is an Aquarius and he would have known how to take care of her emotionally.

In astrology the rising sign shows ones exterior personality and Britney’s rising sign is the sociable, people-pleasing sign of Libra. She is friendly and enjoys being around people, she is charming but also can get lost trying to make up her mind or trying to please everybody else. The first house in astrology shows what other people can “see” about you and with Saturn, planet of hardship, and Pluto, planet of transformation, in this house, it shows that her struggles are very much on display for all to see. But also that she has the power to constantly transform peoples image of her. Madonna also has Pluto near the ascendant.

Britney has Jupiter, the planet of good luck, in Scorpio in her 2nd house of personal finance. Hello $$$$. But her four planets in Sagittarius, including her sun, all fall into her 3rd house of communication, again reiterating the need that she has to be heard and understood, something that she seems frustrated by in her life at this point. Writing could be a wonderful form of therapy for her as well as staying fit and active like all Sagittarians need.

Venus, planet of love and beauty, in her 4th house of home and motherhood is an indication of her strong need for a comfortable, private place to spend time. It also points towards her close bond with her own mother (for most of her life at least) and her massive desire to become a young mother herself. The 4th house is ruled by the moon, however, so has a tendency to be very moody and changeable. She clearly has a difficult time being consistent with these matters.

Her moon in Aquarius is in her 5th house of personal creativity and true love, the house ruled by Leo. This is the part of her that loves to perform and create. It is also the part of her that throws herself head first into all of her new relationships, after all, the Sagittarius energy loves attention, the Libra energy is hopelessly romantic and the 5th house makes you want life to be one big party. With Timberlake’s Aquarius sun falling within her 5th house of true love, and ex-husband Kevin Federline’s Aries sun falling exactly onto her descendant, the angle that symbolizes partnership and marriage, both of these relationships seem very fated astrologically. There is no doubt she had a strong connection with both but perhaps wasn’t ready.

One of the most fascinating, and telling, things about Britney’s birthchart is her Mars in Virgo in her 12th house. Mars is the planet of action, showing how you go about doing things. Mars in Virgo has a perfectionistic, detail-oriented quality. Britney is apparently quite a perfectionist when it comes to her art but this is a part of her the public rarely sees, not surprising considering the 12th house is the house that is associated with all that is hidden. People have trouble understanding the MOTIVATIONS of planets that lie in their 12th house, as though they are being obscured. Thus Britney may truly have a difficult time understanding the motivations of her own actions (Mars). She is more of a reactor than an actor.

Another fascinating, and counter-intuitive, thing about Britney’s chart is that virtually all of her planets, save Mars in the 12th house, lie below the horizon. A person who has most of their planets below the horizon is motivated by their own personal wants, needs, desires and creativity, rather than being motivated by external forces or a desire to find their place in a larger scheme. So while Britney’s Sagittarius/Aquarius/Libra personality is very extroverted and sociable, she is actually much more concerned with her personal life than with her public life.

For the past year Uranus, planet of unpredictability, in Pisces has been in a tough opposition with her natal Mars in Virgo, making her behavior very erratic, even by her own standards. Saturn in Virgo passing through her 12th house beginning last February, right around the time she shaved her head and was hospitalized, ushered in a time of consequences (Saturn) for her previous behavior, as the 12th house is the final chapter in a cycle.

COMING UP: A lot is on the horizon for Britney in the coming years. This February, lucky Jupiter will pass over Britney’s moon in Aquarius restoring some of her emotional confidence and playfulness. She could even very well meet a lucky someone special. Transiting Pluto will also be also be going over the cusp of her house of home and family this coming year, so expect constant evolution and change (Pluto) in her home life and in her role as daughter and mother (4th house).

Her upcoming year will be very focused, however, on her career and it looks like her comeback tour will be a huge success and she will really be enjoying working. However, her sun in the private 8th house of psychology and personal transformation shows that ultimately she is also working on reconciling with herself. This can be a difficult and lonely process, but with Jupiter on her house of partnerships she does have a lot of genuine support from the people in her life.

But Saturn in Virgo transiting through her 12th house of consequences is still a major factor. It will not be until December 2009 that Saturn moves over the cusp of her ascendant in Libra, out of the 12th house, and truly ushers in a new chapter of her life. We can expect her to be dealing with her past failures, as well as reaping the rewards of her renewed effort in her career, until then. Her fathers conservatorship over her affairs will also likely remain in place until then.

In 2010, her ascendant will be the homey, mothering sign of Cancer and her sun will be in her 5th house of creativity, true love and children. This year will be much more focused on her private life than on her career. She will be spending more time with her children and even having fun! The 5th house is associated with good old-fashion fun, so this should be quite a relief for her after all that she has been through.

2012/2013 will be the next major turning point in Britney’s life where she returns to shock the world once again. This time, though, she will be in full control over her life and career and will be loving it. While Leo will be strong in her career and she will be in the public eye, her progressed ascendant will be moving into private Scorpio giving her more control over her image and her privacy. Major aspects in her love life as well as her career are strong during this time and she could easily remarry during this period.

Aug 16

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MADONNA

BIRTHDAY GIRL

August 16, 1958 Bay City, MI 7:05 AM

The powerhouse that is Madonna, the world’s most famous Leo, turns 50 today. Actually she marked the occasion at 7:05 am and if we know anything about Madonna it is that she likes to be precise. Powerhouse
and precise are in fact two words that perfectly describe her astrological signature; Leo and Virgo, respectively. Madonna is a Leo and has been the perfect spokesperson for this potent, creative, willful, confident, dramatic, industrious, proud, energetic, and capable sign.

Madonna’s ascendant, however, is 8′ degrees Virgo and her moon at 11′ degrees Virgo sits squarely at it’s prominent position in the 1st house. The rising sign and 1st house in astrology represent the exterior personality and one’s presence in the world. As such Virgo, the most precise sign in the zodiac, colors her willful Leo ways a very perfectionistic, detail-oriented, health conscious, and meticulous shade. The moon in astrology rules not only the breasts and female sexuality, but also natural rhythms and cycles. The fact that Madonna is seen to be (ascendant) a sex symbol (the moon) comes across clearly here as does the characteristic changeability (Mercury also conjunct the ascendant at 5′Virgo) and adaptation (the moon) of her style and appearance (ascendant).

The radical and powerful nature of her personality comes from her Leo sun being conjunct both rebellious Uranus and potent, destructive and dark Pluto. Her drive and ambition is very much internally rooted. She is very creative and feels the deep need to express herself (the sun). And Venus at a dramatic angle, 0′ degree Leo, shows she loves attention and praise. The ability to execute her plans comes from Mars, planet of action, in stubborn, consistent, reliable Taurus. She has no lack of determination, however, the square of this planet to her sun shows how sometimes she feels frustrated that she is bound by physical limitations when she has practically unlimited creative drive.

The creative essence of her personality is shown by her conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune which straddles the Libra and Scorpio cusp. Neptune is the planet of mysticism, fantasy, illusion and inspiration. With four planets (including the sun) in the 12th house, the natural home of Neptune, Madonna is strongly bonded to this energy. Her deep faith in the Kabbalah is well documented. She utilizes Neptune aptly in her professional life as well; to spin stories and ‘incarnations’ of herself for her fans. Particularly stories and images with a Jupiterian spin. Jupiter of course being the great good time planet of the zodiac, with rulership over luck, prosperity, and extravagance. She quite simply follows her inspiration (Neptune) to the next big look or trend, and then invites the world to join her in having and good time and celebrating it (Jupiter). And we just can’t get enough.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the performer’s husband, Guy Richie, is a Virgo. The past few years have not exactly been easy for Guy or Madonna. Humorless Saturn has been visiting all of the planets in her massive Leo/Virgo stellium. It has just passed over her ascendant and is about to join her moon in the next few months and by the winter her husband’s sun. They are both feeling a lot of pressure now and have been keeping a lot of inner turmoil private. They both understand that this is indeed a “make-it-or-break-it” point in their marriage.

Her difficulties have been exacerbated by the fact that disruptive Uranus has been throwing surprises at her from the 7th house of relationships, making her feel as though she has very little control in that area of her life, something the Leo does not enjoy one bit. In the next year or two it is possible she will decide on a fresh start. Saturn’s transit from the 12th to the 1st house recently indicates that she is coming out of the fog a little bit about where to go next. And wherever it is we are sure to follow.

Mar 6

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Astrology & the Magazines

Aside from the one page horoscope column at the back of the magazine, fashion rags to not cover astrology nearly as much as, of course, I think they should. Or do they?

I have been noticing increasingly that magazines have been doing interviews, ‘It girl’ fashion profiles, photo spreads, and of course the coveted cover shoots with girls who happen to be the sign of that months magazine! Monthly mags usually come out about a week before the 1st of the month… right around the same time that the sun moves from one sign to the next. So just as the March 2008 magazines were hitting the stands in mid/late Feb, the sun was moving into Pisces. And gracing the covers of three of the most important monthly mags were none other than Pisces Drew Barrymore on Vogue, Pisces Eva Longoria on In Style, and Pisces Rachel Weiss on Town & Country. Rather a coincidence huh?

So what is going on? Are fashion editors secretly using their astrological prowess to make sure that the ‘vibe’ of the star they choose for their cover a certain month matches the mood of the nation as the sun moves through that sign? Or are the editors completely oblivious to the fact that as they begin (months in advance) to plan their issue that the unseen astrological forces above are guiding them towards stars whose image somehow ‘feels right’ for the story of that month? I love to entertain the idea of a third explanation whereby a fascinating astrologer has been enlisted by publishing moguls to compare the success rate of issues that have astrologically appropriate celebrities on the cover and those that do not!! (Of course, if this has not yet been done, I am available for the job.)

To go off on a tangent for a moment, I read recently that psychologists studied a group of strippers for a certain amount of time and found that strippers who were on the pill made significantly less tips (throughout their menstrual cycle) than strippers who were not on the pill. This of course has to do with pheromones and not astrology, but I also would not be surprised if strippers were tipped significantly better during the days before and after a full moon. The point is, ‘unseen’ forces DO have a significant impact on the economic bottom line, and that magazines probably get above-average returns for the months that they put a star on the cover who is the same sign as the solar energy that month.

Pisces women are romantic, imaginative, creative, sensitive, perceptive and ethereal. They tend to favor feminine styles, things they connect to on an emotional level and that make them feel sexy and happy. A Pisces woman is a complex creature and she wears many hats at the same time. Fashion, for her is a way of using her imagination and connecting to different parts of herself. There is something both very modern and very old fashioned about the Pisces woman, she is unconventional but she likes things that have a bit of a retro feel, perhaps of a certain decade or era that she feels inspired by, and Pisces rules the feet so naturally naturally the Pisces woman *loves* shoes. There is also something unexpectedly tough about the Pisces, they are the under-dogs, the fighters who just won’t give up on something they desire or believe in. They are a walking contradiction, a bag of dreams and fantasies, one of those mysterious creatures where nothing seems right but everything is perfect. That is the Pisces woman.

We all have a bit of Pisces in us, especially in March. Out of the deepest darkness of winter, but before the whirlwind of enthusiasm and fresh starts of spring, there is March, where we can look backwards and forwards and find ourselves a little bit in the spaces between. For each person the Pisces period each years feels different, but at the same time there is a bit of a pause at this time of year to get comfortable in your own skin, to quietly celebrate the person you have become and look forward to all the seeds you have sown for the future. The astrological cycle of life is ending and a new chapter begins with renewed energy after the Spring equinox on March 20th when the sun moves into Aries.

Some highlights from the lovely Pisces ladies talking about their Pisces lives and Pisces fashion sense in the March 2008 issues:

RACHEL WEISS on personal style: “It’s fun to dress up. To do hair and makeup, it’s like a creation; it’s a drama… I like fashion; it’s interesting. The red-carpet thing is like a fantasy part of my job. It’s an extension of when I get dressed up to play a character. It’s not real life, and it’s not who you are, but it’s fun… I love well-cut clothing that has clean lines and is romantic. I have a lot of vintage pieces.”

EVA LONGORIA on her favorite things: “This gorgeous 1950s-style cocktail dress by Gustavo Cadile is my absolute favorite. It’s fun, but classic too… My aunt’s clutch. She was the glue of our family. It’s so beautiful and so impractical- nothing fits in it… These Christian Louboutin espadrille wedges. They’re so high! I’ve sprained by ankle walking on the cobblestones in Paris wearing them. They’re a beautiful pain.”

DREW BARRYMORE on growing up and her “film families”: “When I first found one that I thought was safe and nurturing, I could express myself, and that was a good thing. But it was also temporary, and the heartbreak was devastating when I have to leave every single time. So I’d fight to find the next job and tribe… But as a result I can really roll, and I like to go on any adventure, and there’s a part of me that’s glad about it because I never got stuck… I have no sense of traditionalism but I am learning on my own, slowly but surely.”

Now let us suggest some astrologically appropriate sirens for future cover stories to ensure the big bucks.

AUGUST 2008: Traditionally among the weakest, if not THE weakest selling issue of the year (everyone is sooo self-involved during the Leo month, working on their tans and their love lives, NOT obsessing over the magazines). This issue could be spiced up with the help of some Leo ladies. It would be perfect for either new mothers Halle Berry or Jennifer Lopez to show their slimmed down figure. Also to be considered: Hayden Panettiere, Kate Beckinsdale, Charlize Theron, Amy Adams, Madonna.

SEPTEMBER 2008: Traditionally the biggest selling issue of the year, everyone is back from the beach and ready for some new clothes. The fall advertising campaigns are launched in the September issue and its cover is a big coup for a celebrity. Refined Virgo fashionistas are perfect for this cover. I would suggest Salma Hayek, Michelle Williams, Cameron Diaz, Rachel Bilson, Claudia Schiffer.

OCTOBER 2008: The fall social season is in full swing and people are friendly and flirtatious, just like beautiful Libra women. Perfect for the October covers would be Gwyneth Paltrow, Dita Von Teese, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Naomi Watts, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard.

Dec 28

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Big in 07 and Predictions for 08

There were a few stars who seemed to dominate the headlines this year and they were mostly of the Leo, Virgo and Sagittarius variety. Saturn was transiting Leo, and then Virgo, and Jupiter has been in Sagittarius. These two planets exert such a strong influence that big changes are always inevitable in the lives of those who have one of these two planets in their home sign. Another sign that has been powerfully activated is Pisces, where the true node has been transiting.

Leos who have been big news in 2007: Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, Tom Brady, J.K. Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, Barack Obama, Madonna, Roger Federer, Tori Amos, Helen Mirren, Hayden Panettiere, Sean Penn, Giada de Laurentiis, Hulk Hogan, Casey Affleck, Rumer Willis, Bee Shafer, Tinsley Mortimer, Steve Carrell, Bindi Irwin, Isaiah Washington, Brody Jenner, Mika, Amy Adams

Virgos who have been big news in 2007: Amy Winehouse, Salma Hayek, Nicole Richie, Pink, Bridget Moynahan, Cameron Diaz, Lance Armstrong, Charlie Sheen, Ryan Philippe, Stella McCartney, Lou Doillon, Rachel Ray, Blake Lively, Sean Preston & Jayden James Federline, Danielynn Hope Marshall, Jennifer Hudson, Heidi Montag, Scott Baio, Ricki Lake, Marc Anthony, Prince Harry

Sagittarians who have been big news in 2007: Britney Spears, Katherine Heigl, Judd Apatow, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Christina Aguilera, Anna Nicole Smith, Howard K. Stern, Katie Holmes, Milla Jovovich, Jennifer Connelly, Tyra Banks, Tara Conner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Teri Hatcher, Kiefer Southerland, Jenna Bush, Vanessa Hudgens, Pax Jolie-Pitt, Violet Affleck, Christina Applegate, Criss Angel, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sanjaya, Jay Z, Miley Cyrus

Pisces who have been big news in 2007: Eva Longoria, Carrie Underwood, Chace Crawford, Ali Larter, Javier Bardem, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Biel, Rhianna, Pete Doherty, Timbaland, Natalia Vodianova, Josh Groban, Emile Hirsch, Joel Madden, Vanessa Williams, Eva Mendes, Harvey Weinstein, David Geffen, Rupert Murdoch, Jenna Fischer

Now on to 2008. The big story in 2008 is going to be Capricorn. There are big changes ahead for those born between December 22 and January 19. Good or bad, things are going to be different. I guess it depends on who has been naughty and who has been nice. Also keeps your eyes on the Virgos (their time of transformation is not quite up yet), the Aquarians and the Cancers.

Capricorns who are sure to be big news in 2008: Orlando Bloom, Jude Law, Diane von Furstenburg, Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Jim Carrey, Nicholas Cage, Denzel Washington, Kate Middleton, Eddie Vedder, Tiger Woods, Dolly Parton, Diane Sawyer, Helena Christensen, Christy Turlington, Mel C., Kate Bosworth, Heather Mills, Carla Bruni, Patrick Dempsey, Howard Stern, Ryan Seacrest, Katie Couric, Holly Madison, Kristen Cavallari, Vanessa Paradis, Mel Gibson, Gabriel Aubry, Amanda Peet

Aquarians who are sure to be big news in 2008: Christian Bale, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Hilton, Nicolas Sarkozy, Justin Timberlake, Oprah Winfrey, Mischa Barton, Alicia Keyes, Ellen Degeneres, Ashton Kutcher, Denise Richards, Mariska Hargitay, Axl Rose, Shakira, Jemima Khan, Isla Fisher, Athina Onassis, Dick Cheney, Kelly Slater, Agnes Deyn, Lauren Conrad

Cancers who are sure to be big news in 2008: Jessica Simpson, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Courtney Love, Giorgio Armani, Pamela Anderson, The Dalai Lama, George W. Bush, Tobey Maguire, Prince William, Harrison Ford, Gisele Bundchen, Nelson Mandela, Liv Tyler, Lindsay Lohan, Meryl Streep, 50 Cent, David Hasselhoff, Robin Williams, Sophia Bush, Richard Branson, Josh Hartnett, Diane Kruger, Petra Nemcova, Claire Forlani, Jack White, Kristen Bell, Selma Blair, Milo Ventimiglia, Missy Elliot, Dan Brown

The economic forecast is not looking up in 2008 but rest assured, there are going to be lots of award nominees, wedding bells, baby bumps, and assorted celebrations and scandals from among this group… so enjoy! Happy New Year!

Astrology, Style & Pop Culture