Saturday, February 25, 2006

Celeb Birthdays: February 25-26

  • February 25 is a banner day for B-list birthdays. Okay, maybe C-list.

    Second-generation celeb Sean Astin is 35.

    I wonder: At 39, has Carrot Top even grown weary of himself?

    Now that Tea Leoni is 40, it's about time David Duchovny traded her in for someone younger and less of a tightass, such as myself.

    I still can't get past Alexis Denisof, also 40, being married to Alyson Hannigan. Willow is gay! Does not compute...

  • Pisces tend to be musical, like a few of the folks born on February 26.

    The beautiful and talented Erykah Badu is 35.

    No-talent ass clown Michael Bolton is 52.

    Fats Domino is evidently still alive at 81. Who knew? Good for him.

    Birth dates from IMDB.com. Please email me any corrections, additions or -- especially appreciated! -- exact birth times.

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  • Denise Richards and John Stamos: Opposites Attract?

    I don't know why reading on ohnotheydidn't that Denise Richards and John Stamos have hooked up [original source] was so instinctively pleasing. Something about the idea of them together just clicked. I recently mentioned on Denise's birthday (Feb. 17) that had she been born a few days later with a Pisces Sun instead of Aquarius, it would have made sense for her to be with a Virgo like Charlie Sheen -- but as it is, Aquarius-Virgo is one of the most challenging matches out there. While opposite signs (e.g., Aquarius-Leo or Pisces-Virgo) are really good together, the signs that are one off from opposite -- like Aquarius-Virgo -- are not so much. It's like they're on a different page.

    Needless to say, I ran charts for John and Denise to find out whether they're just trying to make their respective exes jealous or might actually have something genuine. And I kinda like these odds! His Leo Sun and Venus (and possibly Moon, depending on his birth time, which I don't have) are closely opposite her Aquarius Sun-Mercury. These oppositions make for immediate sparks between them. After all the divorce stress they've been through (John just got out of a Leo-Scorpio marriage, which is no walk through the park, let me tell you), I would love to see Denise and John get together and be happy.

    Denise's chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)

    John's chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)

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    Friday, February 24, 2006

    Holy Shizuka!

    Well, this is why my motto is "Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the reason is that you're a dumbass." I just KNEW I should've looked up that pesky meddling Japanese skater Shizuka Arakawa's chart, but dammit, who had any idea that there were countries besides the U.S. and Russia competing in the Olympics? Seriously, did anyone else get that memo?

    Anyway, even if I had included Shizuka in my ladies' figure skating predictions, I honestly don't know that I would have singled her out to beat Sasha and Irina to the gold. Shizuka was born December 29, 1981 in Tokyo, Japan [Source: NBC Olympics], giving her a Capricorn Sun-Mercury and probably (though not definitely, as no birth time is given) an Aquarius Moon. At the time of her medalicious free skate, Jupiter was sextiling her Mercury and Saturn (ruler of her Capricorn Sun-Mercury) was sextiling her Mars, both creating windows of opportunity for her to pursue success with a stepped-up level of drive and confidence. But frankly, these aren't such big-deal aspects. Perhaps when it comes to an Olympic event in which an off-kilter second can undermine years of training, it makes sense to look at more fleeting, transient aspects. At the time when the ladies' free skate was held on Feb. 23, the Moon in Capricorn was passing over Shizuka's Sun-Mercury. Just as Sasha Cohen won the short program while the Moon was on her Sagittarius Sun, this same aspect provided Shizuka her moment to shine. Now, let us never speak of this crushing disappointment again.

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    Wednesday, February 22, 2006

    Drew Barrymore: A Look Back

    Today is Miss Drew Barrymore's 31st birthday. (BTW, nobody else good was born today, so there will be no regular celeb birthday post. And yes, I'm well aware of Kyle MacLachchchlan.) In her honor, I dug out a reading of Drew's astrological chart (pictured at left) that I wrote waaay back in 1998. (Reduce, reuse, recycle, I always say). Here's an excerpt:

    "Few people are born with such an obvious karmic mixed bag as Drew Barrymore. Though she's only 23 [again, this was 1998; she's now 31], her checkered history is now something of a modern fairy tale: Inheriting the acting gifts of her Barrymore predecessors as well as their capacity for self-destructiveness, Drew starred in E.T., one of the most successful films of all time, at age 6 ... and found herself in drug rehab at 13. Bouncing back from a precocious addiction to alcohol and cocaine, Drew slowly found her way back into the spotlight, graduating from skanky B-movie fare like Poison Ivy and TV's The Amy Fisher Story to meatier film roles. Now a lauded leading lady and, by all appearances, a content and grounded young woman who fairly bubbes over with enthusiasm for life, Drew has gone from rehab to Cinderella, and from Playboy model to role model. What prevented Drew from yielding to the dark side of her Barrymore heritage and ending up on the trash heap of burned-out, washed-up child stars? A look at her astrological chart provides an interesting perspective on the unpredictable bundle of gifts, weaknesses, and unique quirks that make up Drew Barrymore...." [More]

    Link to the full piece here. I know, I know, the web design is so last century, but readability be damned, I just couldn't bear to get rid of the butterfly belly-button background. Happy birthday, Drew!

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    Tuesday, February 21, 2006

    Celeb Birthdays: February 21

    Like sheet cake, today's list of celebrity birthdays is short and sweet.

    Jennifer Love Hewitt turns 27 today. With an unaspected Chiron on her 7th house cusp, will she ever find happiness in love? Check out her astrological chart (Astrotheme).

    Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk: both still punk rock at 44.

    Sideshow Bob voicer Kelsey Grammer is 51. Check out his astrological chart (Astrotheme).

    Birth dates from IMDB.com. Please email me any corrections, additions or -- especially appreciated! -- exact birth times.

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    Olympic Ladies' Figure Skating: Astrological Predictions

    As promised, here are my astrological predictions for Olympic Ladies' Figure Skating. While the short program is in fact being taped as I type this, I swear to God, Ganesha and Steven Seagal that I will be avoiding all news coverage until I can watch the event this evening. Okay, let's try to keep this brief, because I actually have actual work to do....

    First, let me state for the record that I do not have recorded birth times for any of these skating contenders, so it's tough to make exact predictions. Secondly, while time and space do not presently permit me to do a complete analysis of the horoscopes of each of these ladies, let me just say that OMG, these girls are driven. There's a razor-sharp focus in their charts that suggests an intense singularity of purpose. Kimmie Meissner has a wicked T-square of Sun-Mars in Libra, Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn-Neptune in Uranus. Sasha Cohen has ALL of her planets in one quadrant of her chart, between Scorpio and Capricorn. Thirdly, I freely cop to bias in having analyzed only the charts of the three American contenders and Russian veteran Irina Slutskaya. There aren't enough hours in the day here, okay, people? Did I not mention that I have actual, (relatively) gainful employment?

    Anyway, on with it. With a Saturn-Chiron opposition in the sky for both ladies' skating events, there is some potential for humiliation or even injury with skaters whose charts are strongly affected by Saturn-Chiron. As much as I am not a fan of Emily Hughes, I confess to being a little concerned about Chiron's near-exact conjunction to her Sun (which conjuncts Mercury), and the Sun's opposition by Saturn. Hughes could psych herself out and just choke, or she could have an ankle injury that completely undermines her performance.

    Kimmie Meissner, as mentioned, has a T-square in cardinal signs that makes her extremely driven; she really pushes herself to the limit. Still, I'm not feeling like this is her moment. If she was going to snag the gold, I'd expect to see a lot of electrifying contacts between the transiting planets and her birth chart. It's like there's no chemistry between her and this time period, if that makes any sense. Uranus is inconjuncting her Sun, and Mercury is squaring Pluto, but these are not the kind of aspects that really spur success. More likely this is a time when she will be thinking about how she can reposition herself to rocket to the next level in future events.

    Irina Slutskaya has the birth chart of a real powerhouse. Like Emily, she has a Sun-Mercury conjunction in Aquarius, but at late enough degrees that they are not affected by Saturn-Chiron. In her birth chart, Irina's Sun-Mercury aspects all three outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto). As the moment of truth draws near, Jupiter in Scorpio is squaring her Sun-Mercury, which definitely speaks to her passionate desire to win and optimistic attitude about her chances. Saturn is on her Jupiter, which really could go either way, either bringing her recognition or putting a lid on her aspirations. But with Chiron opposing natal Jupiter, plus Saturn and Chiron also squaring Irina's natal Chiron, Irina could be in for a blow to her pride.

    Rising star Sasha Cohen has one of the most lopsided charts I've ever seen, with all her planets lined up in a row. (Without a birth time, it's not clear whether her Moon is in Scorpio or Sag, but either way it's in the middle of her planetary lineup.) Powerful Pluto, conjunct to and ruler of her Scorpio Sun, and is the final dispositor of her chart (which is when one planet is like the uber-ruler of all the others). This woman has a drive to succeed that makes Madonna look like a slacker. With transiting Jupiter conjuncting her Saturn (interestingly, the converse of Irina's Saturn-conjunct-Jupiter aspect), Sasha could be ready to reap some rewards and recognition from her hard work. The fact that the Pisces Sun will be trining her natal Sun/Pluto during the short program, while the Moon in Sagittarius pings her Sag planets like a xylophone, also helps Sasha. The Sun and Moon are fast-moving and their aspects are only in effect for a short time, but when you're talking about the Olympics those luminaries can mean the difference between an on and an off day. However, Sasha is certainly not immune to that Saturn-Chiron wrench in the works; the opposition forms a scary T-square with her Sun/Pluto, which could put an unceremonious stop to her Scorpio power grab.

    My guess is that Sasha will soar at the short program tonight (or rather, is doing so now, to be televised later). But honestly, without birth times, it's hard to say whether either Sasha or Irina has an astrological lock on the gold. (I swear I'm not just saying that to cover my ass if I'm wrong -- the Moon and houses really do matter.) Irina may harness the determination that comes with Saturn conjuncting her Jupiter to pull off a show-stopping free skate. Ultimately, though, if pressed to choose, I would say this is Sasha's hour. Jupiter has been passing over her Scorpio planets like a bride at a receiving line and will continue to do so throughout this year. My guess is that Sasha will pull out the performance of her life to win the gold, while Slutskaya snags the silver. One thing I can say with utter certainty, however: It won't be the same without my Michelle!!!

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    Monday, February 20, 2006

    Celeb Birthdays: February 20

    Pisces know a thing or two about the spirit world, so it seems fitting that Six Feet Under stars Lauren Ambrose (28) and Lili Taylor (39) were both born today.

    No word on whether Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell (31) or Melrose Place doofus Andrew Shue (39) have experienced communion with the spirit world.

    Kurt Cobain would have been 39 today. Read the complete analysis of his astrological chart.

    With her Venus in Capricorn, Cindy Crawford was very canny about planning financially for her post-modeling days, so she's still living large at 40. Check out her astrological chart (Astrotheme).

    Charles Barkley, 43, also has Venus in Capricorn. Check out his astrological chart (Astrotheme).

    Sidney Poitier, 79, has a stellium of five planets in inspired Pisces and a suave, sophisticated Libra Moon on the Ascendant. Check out his astrological chart (Astrotheme).

    Birth dates from IMDB.com. Please email me any corrections, additions or -- especially appreciated! -- exact birth times.

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    Kurt Cobain: Tragedy on the 6/12 Axis

    Kurt Cobain would have been 39 today. His astrological chart is depicted at left. In honor of his considerable talent and his all-too-brief life, here's the intro to an article I wrote some years ago on the astrological placements describing his suicide (link to the full piece below):

    There's been a lot of speculation about Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain since he shot himself in the head on April 5, 1994. While millions of fans mourned for his untimely self-inflicted loss, many people sneered at his death as a "copout" just as they'd sneered at his career as a "sellout." Still others persist in the absurd theory that his death was some kind of conspiracy orchestrated by his wife Courtney Love (as IF her public behavior suggests that of a fiendishly calculating criminal mastermind...) None of this does Kurt's situation justice, as a look at his birth chart, and his progressions and transits at the time of his death, reveals all too clearly....[More]

    Read on for the complete analysis of his chart.

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    Sunday, February 19, 2006

    Celeb Birthdays: February 19

    Pisces

    We're over the cusp -- happy first day of Pisces! Some famous celeb siblings (no, that wasn't redundant) have birthdays today.

    Haylie Duff, a.k.a. The Dog Faced Girl and Hilary Duff's Kevin Dillon (we would also accept Hilary Duff's Chad Lowe, except that might get confusing because it might seem like you were making an analogy about Hilary Swank, not Rob Lowe) -- um, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, she's 21. Wait, 21?! This hag is barely legal? She looks about 40! Seriously, is this some type of Arnold Schwarzenegger-Danny DeVito genetic engineering project, where one of them got all the fugly chromosomes? Or did Mama Duff just make a deal with some evil gnomes to ensure success and beauty for one sister, while the other was doomed to sit around looking horse-faced and be the person less famous than Joey Lawrence in gum commercials? Okay, stop... back away from keyboard... deep breaths... resume...

    With Sun in Pisces trine Mars in Scorpio, no wonder Benicio Del Toro is all broody and mysterious, and exudes plenty of sexy allure at 39. Check out his birth chart (sans birth time, sorry) on Astrotheme.

    Justine Bateman cannot be said to be Jason Bateman's Kevin Dillon (nor he hers), for she still looks fabulous at 40 and was hilarious on the Arrested Development finale in a fittingly Freudian-nightmare cameo. If that show does not get picked up on cable, it will be a cosmic injustice as cruel as Haylie Duff's looks. Okay, okay, I'll stop.

    So help me God, I cannot explain why the marriage of 43-year-old Seal and Gemini Heidi Klum strikes such genuine joy and well-wishing in my cold, shriveled heart. They just seem so damn happy with each other and their kids. Mazel tov!

    Britain's Prince Andrew is 46. I suppose he could be said to be Prince Charles' Kevin Dillon.

    Another Brit, Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding, is 48. As a Pisces with Mercury in Aquarius, she's empathic, emotionally perceptive and capable of articulating insightful observations about people and society.

    It is very sad that Falco did not live to turn 49 today.

    Jeff Daniels has been in a bajillion movies in his 51 years, but you probably just thought of Dumb and Dumber, didn't you?

    Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi continues to rock at 58.

    Birth dates from IMDB.com. Please email me any corrections, additions or -- especially appreciated! -- exact birth times.

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