What Do The Stars Say About the 2011 Oscars?

by Milky Way Maid

The Academy Awards are scheduled to be handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. Who will be the big winners, and are there any surprises in store?
To answer the last question first, there are always some surprises on Oscar night. A performer who had been thought to be a shoo-in, goes home empty-handed.
What does the chart look like? The awards show generally begins about 5 pm Pacific Time, still daylight, in fact, when the stars walk down the red carpet and wave to the adoring crowd.

So I will use that time for the chart. This renders an ascendant of zero degrees Virgo. Virgo is actually a strong sign in the natal chart of Los Angeles. A forgotten writer of an old article on Tinseltown pointed out that Virgo is very apt, and is reflected in the many technical trades that are behind every film ever completed.

At any rate, the Ascendant is inconjunct Uranus in the eighth house, with Jupiter only a few degrees away. The inconjunct sometimes denotes an upset of some kind. Events that transpire are not quite what the audience expected to see. The ascendant is also sesquiquadrate the Moon (public) in Capricorn. Moon in Capricorn is good for formal fashions, but is rather dour for a gala event like this. Yet the sesqui aspect denotes that the public will have a difficult time accepting these fashions. The Ascendant opposes Mars in Pisces in the seventh house (with the Sun and Mercury nearby), and also opposes Neptune in the sixth house of work and health. Neptune is films in general, and Mars nearby is health issues. Perhaps the mental health and speech therapy themes of the films Black Swan and The King's Speech will be highlighted that night. (Neptune also rules afflictions, and illnesses with unknown or mysterious causes.)

The Ascendant is sextile the South Node in Gemini at the cusp of the eleventh house – the eleventh house probably denotes the guild that conducts this awards ceremony. Does the South Node denote a repeat winner?

The Midheaven is 26 degrees Taurus, which happens to be conjunct the evil star Algol. Wonder if anyone is supposed to get their head chopped off in the special effects category?

The Midheaven is trine Venus in Capricorn in the fifth house of entertainment. It is sextile Uranus in the eighth house, and square Neptune in the sixth. Neptune, as we said, is film in general. Perhaps the fact that Neptune is in the sixth house will put more focus on the technical trades and skills that give form to the writers' and director's vision.

Transiting Saturn (honors, or the experts' pick) squares the Moon (the public). It seems that the public may not like who the honorees are this year. This is not the People's Choice awards, after all. This is who the members of the industry think that the public should see. This may apply to the most talked-about film of the year, The King's Speech. The public is accustomed to seeing stuttering played for laughs, like in A Fish Named Wanda. Here it is treated seriously and with sensitivity as the Queen helps her husband overcome stuttering so that he can fulfill his duty to deliver speeches.

OK, on to the performing categories. We will treat the categories, Best Actor, Best Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress, and Best Director.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: (favorite: Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech; some buzz for Melissa Leo for The Fighter)

Jacki Weaver of Animal Kingdom has weak aspects; Saturn is inconjunct Mars, and Pluto is inconjunct Mercury. Maybe this is the beginning of a period of career growth. Melissa Leo of The Fighter has weak aspects plus a very negative aspect in Venus square the Moon. (Whew, the public will NOT like her dress that night.)
The Italian-born Amy Adams of The Fighter has interesting contacts. Saturn is opposite the Moon, so I do not think she will get the award, but her Mercury is conjunct the show's ascendant. Will she make a presentation, or accept for another performer? Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for True Grit, has favorable Mercury sextile the Sun, Saturn inconjunct the ascendant, and most powerfully, Neptune trine the show ascendant. If anyone has a chance to spring an upset, it is young Hailee.
The favorite, Helena Bonham Carter, has very strong multiple contacts to the Oscar night chart. Her Sun-Mercury is square Mars, powerful Jupiter is trine Mars, Saturn sextile Venus, Pluto trine the Moon, and her North Node is near the show Midheaven. Strong aspects involving the North Node (personal growth and recognition) and Jupiter (ruler of actors) are awfully hard to beat. It's like she has four aces in poker.

SUPPORTING ACTOR: (favorite: Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech, tho there is a lot of buzz for Christian Bale for The Fighter)

The supporting actor category is very difficult because several nominees have strong contacts to the Oscar night chart. Christian Bale (The Fighter) has Saturn trine Neptune and Neptune square the Sun; Neptune rules film in general, so strong aspects involving Neptune are a positive. John Hawkes of Winter's Bone has Jupiter opposite the show's midheaven, Saturn trine the ascendant, and the North Node inconjunct Mars. The opposition to the MC is not the best place for Jupiter, but the Saturn trine is excellent.

Jeremy Renner (The Town) has a frustrating Sun square Saturn so he will probably not win. Mark Ruffalo (TKAAR) has Sun square Neptune, Mercury trine Mercury, and a powerful Jupiter opposite Mars; I like this set of aspects the best. Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech) has Venus square Neptune, Mars opposite Mars, Saturn (honors) conjunct Venus (recognition, compliments, gifts), Pluto trine Pluto and the North Node trine the North Node. This is a powerful set of aspects, especially the one with the North Node. I think it is between Misters Ruffalo and Rush, with the edge going to Mr. Ruffalo.

BEST ACTRESS: (favorite: Jennifer Portman for Black Swan, altho Annette Bening is getting some buzz, too)
Annette Bening (TKAAR) has Venus square Venus (possibly an anti-glamor look for the night), Pluto trine North Node, North Node sextile North Node, and Sun sextile Jupiter. I think these contacts to the North Nodes portend another phase to her career, possibly transitioning from a romantic lead to character parts. Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole) has only the Sun trine Neptune (a very glamorous look for the night), and North Node sextile Mars. This Mars aspect may mean that she starts taking more action roles, or initiates more film projects. I have no birth data on the favorite, Jennifer Portman, natch.
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) has only Jupiter inconjunct the North Node (favoring a change in her career path), and Pluto sextile the Moon (giving her greater appeal among the mass audience). Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) has Mercury opposite Uranus, Mercury square the North Node, and Mars inconjunct Jupiter. All of those are strong contacts for giving a speech, and a funny one at that, plus expressing her unique style in the acting trade. But I think that Annette really has a strong hand here, with the double contacts to North Nodes, and a Sun-Jupiter aspect. Without knowing what Ms. Portman's birth data is, I would pick Annette to win.

BEST ACTOR: (favorite: slam dunk for Colin Firth, The King's Speech)
The first actor to be-nominated for Best Actor in a Spanish-speaking role is Javier Bardem for Biutiful. This actor has his Sun conjunct Mercury, and Neptune square Neptune. This is very intriguing, for not only might he have an opportunity to speak (Mercury), he he is undergoing a Neptune square, a lesser-known transit but one that may be key for an actor. Perhaps a door is opening to him now to crossover to Hollywood-financed films.
Jeff Bridges, last year's winner and nominated this year for True Grit, has Sun square Mercury, Moon square Mars, Jupiter inconjunct Oscar show Ascendant, and Neptune conjunct Saturn. The latter is the most powerful, I think; it can be interpreted as filmwork receives honors.

James Franco (127 Hours) has several minor aspects but most regretfully his Mercury is opposite Saturn; his desire to speak is frustrated.

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) has several interesting transits. His Sun is inconjunct Mercury, Venus is trine the North Node AND opposite Neptune, Mars opposes Mars, Jupiter trines lucky Jupiter, Saturn trines Mars, Neptune is inconjunct the midheaven, and Pluto is trine Neptune. Just being nominated was a huge stroke of luck for him, and it is just about inconceivable that he could beat shoo-in Colin Firth for the Oscar. But if any set of transits could do it, it is the Jupiter trine and the Venus-North Node-Neptune contact.

Last but not least, Colin Firth is nominated for The King's Speech. Co-stars Bonham (who played his Queen), and Geoffrey Rush are nominated in Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor categories. Firth has his Mercury trine the midheaven and Venus, creating a grand trine in earth signs. This is powerful stuff. Also Venus is inconjunct the Sun, Saturn (honors) is sextile Mercury (speech), Neptune is sextile Pluto and inconjunct Jupiter, and his North Node (personal and career growth) is trine the Moon (the public). Firth is the heavy favorite, so I am not risking anything here, but with that grand trine he is sure to take home the award. Slam dunk city.

BEST DIRECTOR: (favorite: David Fincher, The Social Network, altho this category is more open than most of the others)
The Best Director category is very difficult. Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) has his Moon square Uranus, possibly denoting being upset at not winning. Yet Jupiter is applying to his natal Venus, Jupiter squares Pluto, Neptune squares Neptune, and Jupiter has already passed his North Node. Joel and Ethan Coen are nominated for True Grit. Joel's Mars and Pluto are square the midheaven, Uranus opposes Venus, and Jupiter squares the North Node. While Ethan's Mercury opposes Mercury, Venus trines the Sun, Mars trines Venus, and a frustrating Saturn squares the Sun. Saturn is honors, but in this case squares usually deny them.

David Fincher (Social Network) has Mars trine Mars (would be better for an athletic event), Jupiter conjunct the Sun (very lucky), Neptune trine Mercury, Pluto opposite the Sun, and North Node trine Jupiter. Unfortunately I have no birth data on Tom Hooper (The King's Speech). I know, this is terrible; that makes two faves who I am flying in the dark about.

David O Russell (The Fighter) has Moon trine Mercury, Mars inconjunct Saturn, and a lucky Jupiter square Venus.

I think I have to pick the favorite, David Fincher, even though it is not a slam dunk. He is described as being a perfectionist, and with the ascendant of the Oscar show start time in Virgo, it would seem apropos.

What Do the Stars Say About Super Bowl 2011?

by Milky Way Maid

At last we come to the Super Bowl 2011, the premier game day in all of pro football and an unofficial mid-winter holiday. It is a peak day for TV viewing, eating, drinking, betting on the outcome, watching TV commercials, and all the other hoopla that accompanies this event.

But let's concentrate on the game, and on what the stars might say about the outcome.

First, let's look at the ascendant which represents the home team or the favorite. There is no home team in the Super Bowl, so we will try to scope out which team is the fave later in this article. Right now,let's just examine the aspects.

The date: Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011. Kickoff will be approximately 5:25 pm CT in Dallas Stadium, which is in Arlington, TX (halfway between Dallas and Ft. Worth).

That makes the ascendant 10 degrees Leo, with no aspects. This is quite startling for a major game like this.

The midheaven is 3 degrees Taurus, square Mercury in the sixth house. It is also trine Venus exactly in the fifth house (the game plan) with Pluto nearby. It is also sextile the South Node in the eleventh house of hopes/wishes. I think the quarterback will be the main story of the day, a youngish and attractive one. That seems to point to up-and-comer Aaron Rodgers rather than older veteran Ben Roethlisberger.

The ascendant ruler is the Sun in Aquarius; it is placed in the seventh house with Mars conjunct. That gives it high energy and vitality, although prone to accidents and temper tantrums. However, the Sun is trine retrograde Saturn in Libra, giving it the discipline to harness all that energy. Also the Sun is semisquare Venus in the fifth house, and semisquare Jupiter in the ninth house -- that puts the Sun at the midpoint of Venus/Jupiter in other words. I am not experienced in using midpoints so I will leave the interpretation of that to others, although it does look auspicious.

The descendant ruler is Uranus (Aquarius) which is conjunct both the Moon and Jupiter in an out-of-sign conjunction. Moon and Jupiter are in Aries, while Uranus is in Pisces. All of that energy is square Venus in the fifth house, and square the nodes.

But let's look at the co-ruler before making any judgment. Co-ruler is Saturn, and Saturn as we said, is retrograde in the third house, and trine Sun-Mars in the seventh house.

How to interpret the fact that Saturn is retrograde? Often a retrograde planet means you go back over the same ground again, doing things differently we hope. Experience (Saturn) helps us to know what traps to avoid and who to go to for advice or who to put on your team.

The Moon (public) is conjunct Jupiter-Uranus in the eighth house, square the nodes in houses 5 and 11, square Venus in the fifth house. The public is not frustrated by the outcome, the public is rather delighted and pleased in a big way (Jove-Uranus), and somehow the subtext of the day is the changing of the guard (the nodes, representing past and future). Square Venus is hard to peg; maybe there won't be much much value in betting this Bowl because the favorite wins?

The Packers quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, whose main aspect this day is his Sun-Uranus conjunction is exactly trine the game ascendant, an ascendant that has no transiting aspects. This gives him a strong tie to the game chart. His Moon in Scorpio is possibly square the game Mars in Aquarius; that might make him a bit too rash in the early going. His Mars is also square game Pluto plus 2 degrees; that could frustrate him but he will dig deep for his best efforts.

(cont'd) His Jupiter is sextile game Sun-Mars in Aquarius, and Saturn in Libra. This is another midpoint, and I can only speculate that his athletic efforts will be disciplined and he will show leadership. His Saturn is square the Ascendant, his Mercury-Neptune conjunction is sextile game Neptune, his Pluto is inconjunct the Moon, his Pluto is also sextile the North Node, and his North Node is trine both Sun-Mars and Saturn for a very powerful grand trine in air. I have to say that his passing game is likely to be the key element in his performance of the day, and could well carry the day for the Packers.

Now let's look at Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has ample experience in playing and winning Super Bowls, so we have to have a high regard for his ability and for the managing and coaching staff behind him. They know what it takes to win at this level.

Ben's Moon is semisextile the Ascendant, giving him a tie to the unaspected game Moon. Mercury is near the transiting Sun in Aquarius. His Venus is sextile the Moon (public); the fans like him and think well of his abilities. The game Saturn is applying to his natal Mars, though, and that is a troubling aspect; he is sure to be frustrated in his athletic attempts. Jupiter squares the Ascendant, providing an opportunity to do well. Saturn is widely applying to his natal Saturn (in other words his Saturn return is approaching). He may well retire after this year is over and done with. Uranus is sextile Mercury, favoring his passing game, his play-calling, and his general quickness. Neptune is square game Uranus, though (orb 2 degrees). Pluto is inconjunct game Uranus, and trine game Neptune.

I don't think that it looks good for Ben in this game. The aspect between his Neptune and Pluto to the game Uranus and Neptune look to me like he will make some fatal errors. Transiting Saturn is applying to his natal Mars, and more widely to his natal Saturn, so I do not see him having a stellar day. He does have a nice sextile from his Uranus to the game Mercury, so possibly his passing game will be alright.

RE the Packers, I was concerned that the ascendant at ten degrees Leo has no aspects whatever, but Aaron Rodgers Sun trines that degree exactly. He will have his work cut out for him. But his North Node is trine the Sun-Mars conjunction in Aquarius, and trine Saturn in Libra; his air game should be spectacular. And yet, will it be enough to overcome the fact that the ascendant ruler is in the seventh house, the house of the opponent? We have seen the Bears lose under that aspect in the final playoff, and manage to win under the previous playoff. So now I do not know what to think.

Generally the game goes to the team with the strongest quarterback chart. That is how I called the upset in last year's Super Bowl. I believe Mr. Rodgers will have a stellar day on Super Bowl Sunday; I only hope that it will be enough to lead the team to a win.

BTW, in clearing out some stuff from my car last week, I discovered an old sweatshirt. It was from Super Bowl XXXI, when the Packers defeated the Patriots in New Orleans on January 26, 1997. Gee, could this be an omen? I don't know, but the odds are good that I will be wearing it on Feb. 6. Good luck, Packers!! Give 'em heck in Dallas!!