Roles of Destiny

Manda Selva

While I was researching and writing on different astrological aspects, I found some interesting coincidences with actors that played out the essence of an astrological aspect in a movie.  Those that had the same aspect in the natal chart were able to really portray the energy in an effective manner, which makes sense because they understand the flavor of the dynamics and probably have experienced and played out the role in some form or the other.

The first person that came to mind in relation to the deep analytical nature of Mercury Pluto aspects was Agatha Christie, the crime novelist.  Her stories were very skillfully designed, as she uses a combination of circumstances, personality and motive to build the profile of the criminal.  But the real success of her stories in the big screen goes to actor David Suchet, who portrays the detective Hercule Poirot.  So it was very interesting to find out that both Agatha Christie and David Suchet had Mercury Trine Pluto and were able to reflect this energy through their writing and acting respectively.  In 1991 David Suchet received the British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for his role as Hercule Poirot.

Glenn Close, in the movie “Fatal Attraction,” plays the role of Alex Forrest, a neurotic and complex single woman who has an affair with Michael Douglas and eventually tries to kill him. This role reflects the negative manifestation of a Venus Pluto aspect with the jealousy, manipulation, and intense obsessions.  Glenn Close played this role to a hilt and was nominated for best leading actress in 1987 for this movie.  Not surprisingly, she has a Venus Pluto square in her natal chart and hence was able to accurately feel and express the emotions behind this character.  This is not an easy role to play.  From the chilling smile to the menacing looks, she really understood this character, as there was a part of it within her.

Saturn Neptune aspects are sometimes about being there but without a sense of belonging, having but not owning, an ego that needs to be surrendered and a reality that eventually disappears.  This energy was wonderfully captured in the Oscar winning movie “Last Emperor” which is the story of “Puyi,” the last emperor of China.  Although he becomes emperor at the age of 2, he has no real power and is protected by the staff from being exposed to the real world outside the walls of his palace.  He has no real knowledge or strength in defending himself or his country and ends up becoming a puppet emperor for the Japanese. When the Japanese lost to Russia, Puyi was imprisoned and forced into a communist reform program for many years.  When he was eventually released, he took up a job as a gardener in a botanical garden.  What an amazing journey in one lifetime! This character was wonderfully played by John Lone who won the Golden Globe award for best actor for this movie and has a Saturn Neptune conjunction with the Sun at the midpoint of the aspect.  Throughout the movie he expresses the subtle discomfort involved in realizing that he has no real power. With Saturn Neptune aspects, real power is found by being of service, and Puyi only finds that when he finally becomes a gardener.  The Emperor Puyi himself had a Saturn Neptune trine and hence was able to flow though this aspect without much resistance.

These instances show that aspects in our natal chart in many ways define the energy we express and what people see in us.  It therefore makes sense that actors are often chosen for roles that are symbolic of a particular aspect in their birth chart, especially in situations where there is a good fit.  Also, when we watch movies, we may be more appreciative of actors that exude energy that is reflective of aspects in our own birth charts.  I admire Agatha Christie and the lead actor, David Suchet, as I share the Mercury Pluto trine with them.  These studies repeatedly confirm that energies seen in our birth chart are archetypal and hence can recognize and connect with similar archetypes all around them.

About Manda Selva

Manda Selva is a professional NCGR certified astrologer who lives and practices in San Francisco Bay Area.  She also has a website and blog, http://www.Astromanda.com where she can be contacted for chart readings.  In her practice, Manda uses the principles of Psychological Astrology in combination with the Uranian technique of midpoints.

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