Juno (the Asteroid) and Ellen Page's Oscar Odds

The Oscars are of course fast approaching, and while a full predictive report on all the categories would be way too time-consuming (believe me, I tried it), I thought it would be fun to take a look at nominated ingenue Ellen Page's horoscope, because (a) today is her birthday; (b) her titular character in Juno is named after an astrologically significant asteroid; and (c) she is freakin' adorable.

Interestingly, the asteroid Juno is all about intimate relationships and figuring out what one needs from them -- which is very much the theme of the film of the same name, in which characters navigate what they need, want, and don't from their significant others.

In Ellen's natal horoscope, Juno, perhaps unsurprisingly, forms a couple of aspects: It is semisextile her Sun (ego, personality) and square her Mars (drive), both within a degree. See Ellen Page's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)

Currently, transiting Venus in Aquarius (which rules one's public perception, and the mass media) has just passed over Ellen's natal Juno, while transiting Juno in free-spirit Sagittarius has just passed over her natal Saturn. Could this perhaps augur reward and recognition for her role?

Certainly having her birthday so close to the Oscars ceremony can't hurt her chances, since she is being energized by her Solar Return. Moreover, fortunate Jupiter is approaching a conjunction with her natal Venus, a favorable aspect indeed. Transiting Saturn opposite her natal Sun could limit her potential for achievement now, but it is just possible that she could score a surprise win. If nothing else, Ellen has gotten a lot of attention that should bring her plenty of career opportunities (Jupiter in Capricorn transiting her Venus). She's already landed a role starring in a film directed by fellow Pisces Drew Barrymore, whose birthday is tomorrow. (Not only are their Pisces Suns conjunct, but Drew's Jupiter in Pisces conjuncts Ellen's Venus-Jupiter conjunction, describing the fortunate opportunity that Drew is bestowing on the younger actress.)

So, Ellen's future looks pretty bright, even if she doesn't snag the Oscar. And of course, on Sunday night, she is bound to look freakin' adorable.

Find more web pages about: Ellen Page ~ Oscar Predictions ~ Astrology ~ Celebs ~ Celebrity ~ Celebrities

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CelebAstroBlogy 2006 Emmy Forecast: Best Actor - Drama

We count down to the Emmy ceremony with the fourth and final forecast for the major acting categories. Gentle readers, I'm not gonna lie: I'm kinda burnt from running 20 comparison charts in two days, and we're pretty down to the wire, so let's keep this short and (maybe not so) sweet.

And the nominees for Outstanding Actor in a Drama are...

• Peter Krause, Six Feet Under ~ See Peter Krause's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Denis Leary, Rescue Me ~ See Denis Leary's birth chart (Astrotheme)
• Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ~ See Christopher Meloni's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Martin Sheen, The West Wing ~ See Martin Sheen's birth chart (Astrotheme)
• Kiefer Sutherland, 24 ~ See Kiefer Sutherland's birth chart (Astrotheme)

Peter Krause: Uranus on his Saturn/Chiron? Not gonna happen. (I said short and sweet.)

Denis Leary: Ooh, liking this a lot (and not just 'cause I'm biased 'cause he was born in Wistah, Mass., like my mom). Jupiter, which is on the Midheaven of the Emmy's chart, is conjunct his Mars/Midheaven. The Ascendant of the Emmys chart conjuncts Denis's from the 12th... could this be a stealth come-from-behind win? Furthermore, the transiting Venus-Saturn conjunction falls on Denis' Mercury-Jupiter conjunction in Leo, suggesting that he could receive an honorific and show off with one hell of a speech.

Christopher Meloni: Much as I love SVU, I don't see this happening for him with Chiron retrograding toward his Jupiter and Saturn-Venus approaching his Uranus, and not much in the way of positive aspects.

Martin Sheen: I'm sorry, I loved the man in Apocalypse Now, and I forgive him for bringing Charlie into the world and evidently somehow inculcating him with a deeply distorted idea of masculinity, but just thinking about The West Wing bores me to tears. The Venus-Saturn conjunction on Martin's Sun-Moon-Mars stellium in Leo could be a much more positive sign if it were in the 10th house of career (currently it straddles the Descendant) and/or did not square Martin's natal Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, hinting at professional frustration or the quashing of hopes.

Like Denis Leary, Kiefer Sutherland, whom I've thought was a hottie since The Lost Boys, or no, wait, Stand by Me, has the Jupiter-Midheaven of the Emmys chart conjuncting his own Midheaven from the 9th house. While this bodes well, it mars the picture slightly that Jupiter is also on Kiefer's South Node, kind of a karmic pothole in the chart. Furthermore, Kiefer has Mars on his Uranus/Pluto, while Pluto creeps toward his Sun, which makes me concerned that, even more than Lisa Kudrow, he is liable to go on a bender following a loss, and indeed fly into a straight-up drunken rage.

Forecast: Oh, so you thought the graphic was a reflection of my predition of the winner? Think again: It merely depicts whoever I think is the cutest to look at in any given category. (I'm not saying I like Debra Messing as a person, I just like her look. Whatever. Don't judge me.) In this case, while my teenage vampire boyfriend Kiefer has that Jupiter on the Midheaven going for him, my fellow Masshole Denis sees his Jupiter-Midheaven and raises him a Mars. Winner: Denis Leary

Read all of CelebAstroBlogy's 2006 Emmy Forecast:
• Best Actor–Comedy
• Best Actress–Drama
• Best Actress–Comedy
• Best Actor–Drama

Find more web pages about: Emmy Predictions ~ Emmy Awards ~ Emmys ~ TV ~ Television ~ Peter Krause ~ Denis Leary ~ Chris Meloni ~ Martin Sheen ~ Kiefer Sutherland ~ Astrology ~ Celebs ~ Celebrity ~ Celebrities

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CelebAstroBlogy 2006 Emmy Forecast: Best Actress - Comedy

Well, the big day is here! Let the predictions begin... er, continue....

And the nominees for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy are...

• Stockard Channing, Out of Practice ~ See Stockard Channing's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle ~ See Jane Kaczmarek's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback ~ See Lisa Kudrow's birth chart (Astrotheme)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine ~See Julia Louis-Dreyfus' birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Debra Messing, Will & Grace ~ See Debra Messing's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)

First of all, I have never even heard of this show that Stockard Channing is on. I think the Emmy committee was so freaked by the prospect of West Wing and Friends going off the air that they just nominated all the same people for whatever shows they were on. But, surprisingly enough, with the Venus-Saturn conjunction in Leo passing over Stockard's natal Jupiter, I do like her odds of getting recognition for her work—for which, if my total lack of recognition of her work is any indication, she is long overdue.

Seriously, are any of these shows actually on the air anymore? I never really got into Malcolm in the Middle, even though for some reason I always felt like it was something I should have liked. Jane Kaczmarek seemed like the best part of the show, and with a couple of nice Jupiter conjunctions—the transiting Sun on her natal Jupiter and transiting Jupiter on her natal Mars—this might just be the Malcolm matriarch's moment.

Speaking of force-of-habit nominations, was it inverse hubris of Lisa Kudrow to try to make a comeback in a show about a pathetic actress trying to make a comeback? I never caught any of the short-lived series, but I do secretly watch Friends once in a while and hate myself for it almost as much as I hate Phoebe. (Damn, why did I just admit that? If only there were some sort of mechanism by which to delete things off the Internet....) Anyhoo, Lisa is the only nominated actress in this category for whom I have a birth time, and so we have the benefit of looking at house placements as well as transiting aspects to her natal chart. But with most transiting planets under the horizon of Lisa's horoscope, plus the Ascendant of the Emmys chart conjunct her South Node, the picture is looking rather grim. With the Sun conjunct her natal Uranus, transiting Uranus on her Chiron and transiting Neptune on her Saturn, I would strongly advise Lisa not to drink too much or otherwise self-medicate to deal with her loss, as she could be accident-prone now.

Unless I am misinformed, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' second attempt at a post-Seinfeld comeback is actually still on the air and doing well, so perhaps that will inspire Lisa in her future endeavors. Elaine, I mean Julia, has a very interesting reciprocal transit happening right now: transiting Venus on her natal Uranus and transiting Uranus on her natal Venus. This augurs a time of excitement and creative stimulation, and could certainly bring some unexpected luck into her life, for better or for worse. Relationship upheaval is also possible now; if Elaine, I mean Julia, doesn't win, she could end up leaving her husband and running off with a seat filler at the ceremony.

Debra Messing's odds are tough to call without knowing her exact time of birth. A default sunrise chart puts her Moon in the middle of Taurus, forming a grand cross with the transiting Venus/Saturn-Jupiter-Neptune T-square. But were she born late at night without the benefit of that aspect, she would not really have a lot going for her.

Forecast: This one is a really close race. Lisa Kudrow is the only one I'm inclined to rule out right off the bat. The aspects for Jane, Julia and Stockard all look promising, though Stockard's Saturn-Jupiter and Julia's Uranus-Venus could really go either way. Ultimately, though, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Grace has that grand cross going for her. While the G.C. is not traditionally the most benefic of configurations, the combo of Venus (worth) and Saturn (status) in Leo opposing Neptune in Aquarius (onscreen fantasies, the public), and squaring lucky Jupiter and Debra's Venus-ruled Taurus Moon seems to me to hit all the right notes for a win. Winner: Debra Messing

Read all of CelebAstroBlogy's 2006 Emmy Forecast:
• Best Actor–Comedy
• Best Actress–Drama
• Best Actress–Comedy
• Best Actor–Drama

Find more web pages about: Emmy Predictions ~ Emmy Awards ~ Emmys ~ TV ~ Television ~ Stockard Channing ~ Jane Kaczmarek ~ Lisa Kudrow ~ Julia Louis-Dreyfus ~ Debra Messing ~ Astrology ~ Celebs ~ Celebrity ~ Celebrities

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CelebAstroBlogy 2006 Emmy Forecast: Best Actress - Drama

In this category, I have the pleasure of having birth times for three of the five nominated actresses... though I suppose that could work to my disadvantage as I have no data-related excuse if my prediction turns out to be wrong.

And the nominees for Outstanding Actress in a Drama are...

• Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under ~ See Frances Conroy's birth chart (astrozoom.com, no birth time)
• Geena Davis, Commander in Chief ~ See Geena Davis's birth chart (Astrotheme)
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ~ See Mariska Hargitay's birth chart (Astrotheme)
• Allison Janney, The West Wing ~ See Allison Janney's birth chart (Astrotheme)
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer ~ See Kyra Sedgwick's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)

Frances Conroy is one of the actresses I don't have a birth time for. While she was excellent on Six Feet Under (although didn't that show go off the air, like, five years ago?), there are no notable aspects in her chart to indicate success. I mean, with her birth time unknown, she could have Jupiter on the Ascendant or something, but I'm not really feeling it.

Geena Davis has a couple of nice but not very significant aspects, including the transiting Sun opposing her Venus, trining her Moon and making a loose out-of-sign conjunction to her Jupiter. Dunno if I really see this pulling her into the lead, though.

Regular readers know that I loves me some Mariska Hargitay and was over the moon when she had her son early this summer. I like Jupiter loosely trining her Venus (though it's even more closely trining her Chiron, which is a bit of a double-edged sword), and I also like the fact that the Midheaven of the Emmy ceremony's chart (5:00 PM PDT in Los Angeles) is conjunct Mariska's Midheaven, with Jupiter close by. The Ascendant of the Emmys chart also is in Mariska's 1st house conjunct the Ascendant. With Uranus conjunct Mariska's Venus-Chiron, there is definitely a chance that she could be in for disappointment, but this aspect could also suggest an upset or unexpected fortune in a positive way.

Jupiter is approaching a loose conjunction to Allison Janney's Mars, but the 8th house placement in Scorpio does not suggest a focus on career achievement. I'm thinking these are great times for her relationship-wise, due to the 7th/8th house emphasis in her chart, but I don't see major indicators of an honorific headed her way.

If Venus were a little closer to Kyra Sedgwick's Sun, I would call her the winner, but that 8° orb is not totally convincing. Mars is squaring her Jupiter, so that's something.

This is a tough call, and once again bias may be rearing its ugly head, but I'm going to give Mariska the edge over Kyra because I like how the angles of her natal chart align with the Emmy ceremony's chart. Winner: Mariska Hargitay

Read all of CelebAstroBlogy's 2006 Emmy Forecast:
• Best Actor–Comedy
• Best Actress–Drama
• Best Actress–Comedy
• Best Actor–Drama

Related: Mariska Hargitay Has a Baby Boy (6/29/06)

Find more web pages about: Emmy Predictions ~ Emmy Awards ~ Emmys ~ TV ~ Television ~ Frances Conroy ~ Geena Davis ~ Mariska Hargitay ~ Alison Janney ~ Kyra Sedgwick ~ Astrology ~ Celebs ~ Celebrity ~ Celebrities

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CelebAstroBlogy 2006 Emmy Forecast: Best Actor - Comedy

Gentle readers, it is awards time again. Apparently this year's Emmys were scheduled for the slowest TV month of the year in what seems to me a rather backasswards attempt to garner attention. What the network brass apparently did not consider is that the reason August is a slump month is that most people would rather be outside doing things than watching TV (except when Project Runway is on, of course) or, for that matter, gathering copious amounts of birth data to make predictions about awards shows. Luckily (?) for me, the weather is crappy today, and other than the ridiculous volume of work I am procrastinating to avoid, there is nothing to keep me from the task of predicting this year's Emmy winners.

Now, when I went through this earlier this year with the Oscars, I vowed to myself that I would make the process simpler and easier next time around. I simply will never get back the minutes of my life I spent doing David Strathairn's birth chart, and while my system of picking the Best Picture winner based on the film's release date worked out well, it would be an absolute vale of tears to attempt such a feat with the various comedies, dramas, miniseries and TV movies nominated now. So, this post will be the first of four covering the four major acting categories; as for the shows, you're on your own.

Without preambling further, let's get to it.

And the nominees for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy are...

• Steve Carell, The Office ~ See Steve Carell's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm ~ See Larry David's birth chart (Exclusive to CelebAstroBlogy; no birth time)
• Kevin James, The King of Queens ~ See Kevin James's birth chart (astrozoom.com, no birth time)
• Tony Shalhoub, Monk ~ See Tony Shalhoub's birth chart (Astrotheme, no birth time)
• Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men ~ See Charlie Sheen's birth chart (Astrotheme)

Now, regular readers will know that I could not be more biased on this category because I am a huge fan of The Office and of Steve Carell. Had Jason Lee been nominated for My Name Is Earl, I might have been kinda torn, but the fact is that I desperately want my boy Steve to win. So, how's it looking? I like very much that on Emmy night, transiting Venus is closing in on an exact return to its natal position in Leo, not far from Steve's Sun, strongly suggesting an ego-gratifying reward. The transiting Sun will be right on Steve's Uranus, which could indicate a sudden surprise or reversal—that could go either way, as I'm not sure he's favored to win. Transiting Uranus on Steve's Chiron does not bode well for the surprise being a positive one, but perhaps Uranus' trine to transiting Jupiter, which is on Steve's Neptune, softens things a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I think Larry David is hilarious, too, and he even warranted a CelebAstroBlogy exclusive birth chart when I discovered his was not online. Since his birth time is not on file, this is a default sunrise chart that places his Moon in late Sagittarius, but given that pessimism is the keynote of his persona, my money would be on the Moon in Capricorn, perhaps opposing his Sun to create that constantly-thwarted element of his personality. As for the prospect of Emmy night thwartage, I'm afraid it looms large. On Emmy night, there is an aggravating square from transiting Mars to Larry's Venus-Uranus conjunction. Moreover, Larry went through his Saturn return not long ago, in June, and I just have a sense that his moment of reckoning has come and gone.

With Uranus retrograding over Kevin James' Saturn and opposing its natal position, I don't see him taking home the trophy. The Sun is trining his Sun-Venus conjunction in Taurus, but...eh. (The Sun is also on his Mars-Uranus, so I could see him getting kinda pissed about not winning.) Tony Shalhoub is getting no love from the planets on Emmy night, though the Moon will be passing over his stellium of Libra planets.

As for infamous Charlie Sheen, wow, his chart is a study unto itself... but bearing in mind that I have 15 more to look at before Sunday at 8pm, I must confine myself to his Emmy prospects. Like Kevin James, who was born less than six months earlier, Charlie has Uranus on his Saturn and opposing its natal position. A Jupiter-Sun sextile is nice, but, again, eh.

Forecast: If you're putting money on this, keep in mind that I am extremely biased by my overwhelming adoration of S.C. and The Office. But I'm really liking that Venus return/Venus-Sun conjunction in Leo for an acting award, and even with the Sun on his Uranus, I feel like that could signify the positive kind of upheaval that comes with winning a major award. Winner: Steve Carell

Read all of CelebAstroBlogy's 2006 Emmy Forecast:
• Best Actor–Comedy
• Best Actress–Drama
• Best Actress–Comedy
• Best Actor–Drama

Find more web pages about: Emmy Predictions ~ Emmy Awards ~ Emmys ~ TV ~ Television ~ Steve Carell ~ Larry David ~ Kevin James ~ Tony Shalhoub ~ Charlie Sheen ~ Astrology ~ Celebs ~ Celebrity ~ Celebrities

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Oscar Predictions IV: Best Picture

After much deliberation, I have decided to cast astrological charts for the Best Picture nominees based on their first major USA release date (all dates are from IMDB), as opposed to, say, their first-ever release dates, which are usually at various film festivals in other countries, and hence make the charts all clump together around the same couple of days. But more importantly, the Oscars, though chosen by a select few people, are supposed to be all about the public zeitgeist of which movies were best, and the festival release dates don't really reflect the entry of the film into the public consciousness. If you feel differently, please post a comment or email me, I'd be glad to hear arguments in favor of the festivals. All that said, on with the show! And the nominees are...

Brokeback Mountain L.A. premiere date: 11/30/05 On Oscar night, Saturn-Chiron forms a grand cross with the Mars-Jupiter opposition in Brokeback Mountain's chart. This is a difficult aspect that could augur the dashing of hopes.

Capote U.S. limited release date: 9/30/05 Jupiter on Oscar night is within 3° of Capote's Venus. This is a nice, lucky aspect.

Crash U.S. wide release date: 5/6/05 In Crash's chart, the Sun (and, loosely, Venus) is forming a T-square with the transiting Jupiter-Neptune square. This is certainly a good sign, with Jupiter conferring luck and Neptune, glamour. Uranus is inconjuncting Crash's Jupiter, which could bring some strange luck out of the woodwork. And it may be worth noting that Crash's Sun falls in the 9th house of the Oscar chart, a powerful placement, while Mars and Uranus are straddling the Oscars' 7th house cusp.

Good Night, and Good Luck U.S. limited release date: 10/7/05 Jupiter is in a wide opposition to this movie's Mars. Other than that... I got nothing.

Munich U.S. limited release date: 12/23/05 Movies released late in the Oscar cycle tend to do well, perhaps because their charts align more closely with the planets on awards night. But Munich does not have very exciting aspects, in spite of several planets close to where they are in the movie release chart.

Conclusion: Wow, this is a tough one. I have to say I don't like the looks of the aspects for Brokeback. That grand cross is pretty nasty. Crash, with Jupiter opposing its Sun, just might get its moment in the spotlight.

More Oscar predictions: Best Actress | Best Actor | The Oscar Night Astrological Chart

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Oscar Predictions III: The Oscar Night Astrological Chart

Since we are discussing the Oscar nominees in reference to the chart cast for the Academy Awards (March 5, 2006, 5:00 PM PST, Los Angeles, CA), I thought I'd take a moment to look at that chart in its own right (left), and what it says about the night.

The Sun is conjuncting Uranus in the Oscars' chart, which seems fitting since Uranus is also associated with transgressive choices about gender and sexuality (no pun intended -- I don't make this stuff up, folks), and it's been much remarked upon that this Academy Awards has been all about gayness, with Brokeback Mountain, Capote and Transamerica all nominated for big honors. The Sun's proximity to unpredictable Uranus suggests that there may be some major upsets in store for the evening. With mutable signs on all four angles of the Oscar chart, and the Moon conjuncting Mars in Gemini on the Midheaven, expect the unexpected. The people who are honored tonight may not be who you think they are.

Uranus also rules accidents, which got me to thinking about Crash and whether it could be the ultimate winner of the night. The Sun-Uranus conjunction in Pisces is in some ways descriptive of the mood of that film. The movie is about how we exist in a web of connections with each other but are separated from true emotional understanding by vast chasms between us -- a very Uranian/Aquarian idea -- and that we crave emotional connection so much that we are actually, subconsciously compelled to "crash" into each other. The idea of people being all subconsciously connected, and of people's boundaries dissolving into each other to merge into one, is very Piscean.

Then again, with the sexuality associations of Uranus, and with the Sun trining Jupiter in sexy Scorpio, perhaps all this subconsciously-connecting-with-each-other business could just as well describe on-the-D.L. cowboys. Stay tuned for the Best Picture post which will explore all five nominees in more detail.

More Oscar predictions: Best Actress | Best Actor | Best Picture

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Oscar Predictions II: Best Actor

Time for Best Actor. To recap, I'm comparing the birth chart for each nominee with the chart cast for Oscar night (5:00 PM PST in L.A.).

Philip Seymour Hoffman
Born: 7/23/67, Fairport, NY; no birth time
Data source: IMDB
I think part of the reason PST's chart isn't even on Astrotheme is that he was born on a cusp day, and without a birth time, it's not even possible to tell what sign he is. How extremely irksome! Still, to paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, we go to make Oscar predictions with the charts we have, not the charts we wish we had. So, I can safely say that Venus at 0° Aquarius is opposing Philip's Sun regardless of what sign it's in, while Saturn is retrograding back toward it. Chiron in Aquarius opposes his natal Jupiter in Leo, while transiting Jupiter stopped just short of a conjunction with his natal Neptune to turn retrograde. Uranus opposes his Venus, which could go either way. That Saturn retrograding toward his Sun suggests to me that the Academy may feel recognition is overdue for PST.

Terrence Howard
Born: 3/11/69, Chicago, IL; no birth time
See Terrence Howard's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
This was definitely an amazing year for Terrence Howard, but his chart for Oscar night does not show the kind of eye-poppingly wonderful aspects that would augur him pulling off an upset. Pluto could be on his Moon if he was born early in the A.M., before sunrise. But I'm not liking his odds.

Heath Ledger
Born: 4/3/1979, Perth Australia; no birth time
See Heath Ledger's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
It's funny that Heath Ledger's Venus is almost exactly opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman's, which pretty well describes the way they have been pitted against each other in a presumed two-man race for the trophy. Heath has a couple of major transits taking place that could really go either way. If you are wicked good at information retention, you'll recall that Philip Seymour's Venus is being opposed by Uranus, so you'll doubtless by now have concluded that Uranus is conjuncting Heath's Venus. (Yes, this will be on the test.) This could mean either unexpected good luck or a reversal of fortune for Heath. Furthermore, Saturn conjuncting his Jupiter (which, interestingly, is conjunct Philip Seymour's Sun) could put a damper on his hopes, or it could represent the recognition of the Academy. It's hard to say, but given the way things have been going in Heath's life, it would hardly be surprising for the luck to break in his favor. Something about the fact that he's having his exact Mercury return on Oscar night (when Mercury returns to its exact position at your birth), and both transiting and natal Mercury are retrograde in Pisces, makes me envision him giving an adorably nonsensical speech.

Joaquin Phoenix
Born: 10/31/74, San Juan, Puerto Rico; no birth time
See Joaquin Phoenix's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
As faithful readers know, I consider The Awful Truth's Ted Casablanca to be my gossip guru; the validity of his utterances about celebrities are on a par with what the planets tell me. So I can't help but think of Ted's portrayal of Joaquin as sullen and ungrateful about his fame when I see that Saturn in Leo/Chiron in Aquarius opposition forming a T-square (a T-shaped aspect between three planets) with his Scorpio Sun/Venus/Mars. My thought is that the Academy does not want to reward J.P.; they would like to teach him a lesson about the consequences of not playing the fame game. (Although, in fairness, with all those Scorpio planets, one can hardly blame him for being Broody McSullenton.) But Uranus is right on Joaquin's Jupiter, which could mean an unexpected change of luck either way, so he can't be totally counted out.

David Strathairn
Born: 1/26/1949, San Francisco, CA; no birth time
Data source: IMDB
David who, now? This guy is not even Hey! It's That Guy-level as an actor. I almost wouldn't even bother to do his chart, if not for what I prefer not to remember as the Shizuka Arakawa Incident. But in the name of due diligence, I have plugged in his data. It's actually not a bad set of aspects. The transiting Moon/Mars on Oscar night is trining his Sun, and Neptune is right on his natal Mars/Mercury in Aquarius. However, with transiting Chiron sitting right on his Sun, opposed by Saturn, he's also in the middle of learning some painful lessons about fame and recognition. All these aspects need to be seen in light of his current status; even more so than with Keira Knightley (see the Best Actress predictions), an Oscar nomination itself represents a huge raising of his profile and status.

Conclusion: So not fair that Philip Seymour Hoffman is an enigma wrapped in a riddle right on a cusp. His aspects do look good, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Heath Ledger's Venus being conjuncted by Uranus is more likely to yield good luck than is PST's Venus being opposed by Uranus. No matter which one bags the Oscar, with their Venuses opposite each other, plus Heath's Jupiter on Philip's Sun and Philip's Venus on Heath's Saturn, these two actors would have great chemistry together. I hereby predict that next year's Oscars will be completely swept by a movie in which Heath and Philip play gay lovers.

More Oscar predictions: Best Actress | The Oscar Night Astrological Chart | Best Picture

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Oscar Predictions I: Best Actress

And so it begins!

The astrological Academy Awards predictions start NOW. Here's how it works: I check out the birth horoscopes of the nominees and predict the winners. If you win your Oscar pool, you are welcome to send me a gift. If you lose, you are welcome to e-mail me scorn and derision. And now, on with the idle speculation!

First category up: Best Actress. Every single one of these women is a fire sign! This is gonna be a grand girlfight, peeps....

Judi Dench
Born: 12/9/34, York, UK; no birth time
See Judi Dench's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
Judi Dench was not even in a movie this year, but due to the Academy's bylaws she must receive an annual nomination regardless. I actually kind of like the looks of Venus in Aquarius and Saturn in Leo right on her nodes. Venus (value, worth) in Aquarius (sign of public perception) on the karmic North Node, opposed by Saturn (official recognition) in Leo (creativity, self-expression), could bring Judi the Academy's stamp of approval. And she's having her Jupiter return, which is always a good-luck sign, though it's six degrees off from exact at the time of the Oscars. I dunno, I'm not bowled over. Let's move on to...

Felicity Huffman
Born: 12/9/62, Bedford, NY; no birth time
See Felicity Huffman's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
Isn't it interesting that Judi Dench and Felicity Huffman share a birthday, a few decades apart? And she also has Venus-Saturn on her Nodes, though in reverse: Venus is on Felicity's South Node. At first glance I felt like that didn't bode well; nor does Chiron in Aquarius on Felicity's Saturn and, most importantly, transiting Saturn opposing her natal Saturn. This is definitely a momentous time for Felicity, but it seems to pose some challenges for her as well. Then I looked at her chart again and I was like, what was I, blind? [See note] Jupiter is freakin' conjuncting her Venus-Neptune, hello! Such a lucky aspect, especially for someone who so completely disguised her femininity (Venus) for a role; Neptune rules illusion, as well as the glamour of Hollywood. Uranus is on her Jupiter, which could bring sudden and unexpected luck (though it's also on her Chiron, so you never know -- apparently good fortune for Felicity almost always has a downside). Uranus is also associated with unconventional, transgressive behavior, including "alternative" sexuality and gender identity. So its contact with her Jupiter (luck) could describe the great opportunities that Transamerica has brought her. I may be biased because I adore Felicity and her hubby, William H. Macy, since they seem like real people and are definitely real actors. But after re-reviewing her chart, I actually think she will take this one. And I think all that Saturn stuff signifies that she is at a turning point in her life and professional career, having worked so hard to get where she is. Or it just means that once she gets back to the Desperate Housewives set with an Emmy AND an Oscar, those jealous bitches are going to make her life a living hell.

Keira Knightley
Born: 3/22/1983, Teddington, UK; no birth time
See Keira Knightley's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
Keira Knightley? Really? Are you kidding me? You're kidding me, right? Okay, well, um, this is weird and scary and doesn't make much sense, but based on her aspects alone, you can't totally count her out. Uranus is squaring her Jupiter, which could describe a surprise upset win. Venus in Aquarius is squaring her natal Venus-Saturn opposition, which could bring validation, and Pluto is conjucting her Neptune, which could represent a massive change in her image as an actress -- say, increased cred and clout. However, for a relatively ingenuey actress like Keira, these aspects could simply describe the nomination itself elevating her status in Hollywood, to the point where she has more options in terms of roles and brings home a bigger paycheck. Lucky Jupiter in Scorpio is inconjunct her Mars in Aries, ruler of her Sun, which means she may need to adjust her M.O. and be less direct, more manipulative, in order to take advantage of her good fortune.

Charlize Theron
Born: 8/7/1975, Benoni, South Africa; no birth time
See Charlize Theron's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
Nope. I got nothin' for ya. Sorry, hon. Your fake-baked butt can slink right back down that red carpet. You already have one hit-with-the-ugly-stick-in-the-name-of-art award, so that's something anyway.

Reese Witherspoon
Born: 3/22/1976, New Orleans, LA; no birth time
See Reese Witherspoon's horoscope (Source: Astrotheme)
La Reese is a true Aries, as evidenced by the fact that she called her production company Type A Productions. (This also makes me think she was born later in the day, with a hardworking, driven Capricorn Moon rather than a lackadaisical, off-in-all-directions Sag Moon.) The North Node is transiting Reese's Sun, which could be a sign that she is ready to fulfill some part of her karmic potential. Pluto could be on her Moon, were she born early in the A.M., but again I'm thinking that's unlikely. Uranus is on her Venus, which could bring a major change of fortune either way...either an unexpected windfall or a surprise loss. Given that she is the front-runner, I'm inclined to think any surprises Uranus brings won't be happy ones.

Conclusion: Wonder of wonders, Ms. Witherspoon might just go home empty-handed. I do like Keira Knightley's aspects, but astrological predictions have to be made in context of the rational scope of possibility. For someone at the point in her career that Keira is, those status-changing aspects could simply represent that it's an "honor just to be nominated" -- the Oscar nod itself has sent her Hollywood stock skyrocketing. Now, I like Jupiter on Felicity's Venus-Neptune and Uranus on her Jupiter, especially the way it describes both the upset win and the gender-bending nature of her role. I'm picturing F.Huff at that podium -- and with Pluto conjuncting her Mercury, she might make a fiery political statement in her speech.

UPDATE: This post has been edited from the original post, because I was blind when I originally posted it. No, seriously, I was in the throes of a pre-migraine and was literally blinded. It was actually really freaky. That's what happens when you stare at a monitor for 15 hours a day, I guess. Go figure.

More Oscar predictions: Best Actor | The Oscar Night Astrological Chart | Best Picture

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