The Cinematic Zodiac
You probably know the feeling — the one rising up from the pit of your stomach in distaste as you stumble across some magazine or newspaper column saying that you're totally incompatible with Leo if you're a Taurus and you should probably not go skiing on Wednesday if you're a Pisces (your crush might ask you out by Friday though, so you're good). And even though statements like these are admittedly not completely divorced from astrological theory, it's still enough to make just about anyone cringe. But what if I were to tell you that astrology is so much more than that? Beyond all the generalized, superficial drivel, there's a world of timeless imagery and a wonderfully rich exploration of the human experience — the main premise of which being that there are certain basic tendencies and patterns of behaviour (in other words, archetypes) that can be found in each of us, the evolution of our lives, and the world around us.
"(...) forget everything you think you know about astrology for a moment and come take a walk with me (...)"
Where astrology especially tends to lose people, though, is that these are supposedly "controlled" by planetary movements across certain constellations and sectors of the sky, and if that's what you're thinking right about now, then I get it. However, defending some of the wider implications here is not what this particular article is about. What I'd like to encourage you to do today is to forget everything you think you know about astrology for a moment and come take a walk with me — one where the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac will be introduced not as one-size-fits-all identities irrevocably sealing our fate, but as eternal principles resonating within each of us and across all aspects of life. In this case: FILM!
But first, some astrology basics.
Practically everyone knows their sun sign, but did you know that an astrological chart contains signs for all the planets and other heavenly bodies too? (Kind of broadens the possibilities, now doesn't it?) In the case of a birth chart, it's simply a record of which signs and "houses" the planets were in when you were born. Each planet* represents a different kind of function (e.g. emotional/intellectual processing), and the signs they happen to be in are the set of characteristics they take on to perform this function. The houses, twelve divisions of the sky based on time and location, represent the areas of life (e.g. education, work, relationships) where the planetary functions most prominently play out.
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| Chart A Anti-clockwise (from AC): I. Aries/Mars (AC), II. Taurus/Venus, III. Gemini/Mercury, IV. Cancer/Moon (IC), V. Leo/Sun, VI. Virgo/Mercury, VII. Libra/Venus (DC), VIII. Scorpio/Pluto, IX. Sagittarius/Jupiter, IX. Capricorn/Saturn (MC), XI. Aquarius/Uranus, XII. Pisces/Neptune |
Now, one of the first things you'll need to understand is the law of rulership: each house is associated with (i.e. "ruled by") a sign, and each sign is ruled by a planet (see Chart A). Secondly, four important points along a chart's axis are the house angles: the ascendant or AC (1st = self), IC (4th = private life), DC (7th = partnerships), and midheaven or MC (10th = public life). Thirdly, the most integral planets are the sun (our identity concept or ego) and the moon (our emotional world) — together with the AC, they form the foundation and are known as the "big three".
When it comes to the signs, there are two fundamental components involved in shaping them: (1) element (fire, water, air, and earth) and (2) modality (cardinal, fixed, and mutable). Both categories represent a grouping of essential characteristics which, when combined, give shape to each of the twelve zodiac signs:
 Cardinal |  Fixed |  Mutable | |
 | Aries | Leo | Sagittarius |
 | Cancer | Scorpio | Pisces |
 | Libra | Aquarius | Gemini |
 | Capricorn | Taurus | Virgo |
 |
| Chart B sample aspect: square (90°) |
*In astrology, "planet" is often used as a generalized term for ALL heavenly bodies, including our sun, moon, asteroids, dwarf planets, fixed stars, etc.
Get it? Got it? Good!
So, let's get started!
If you know even a little bit about astrology, you're bound to have at least some preconceived ideas about the zodiac signs. Let them go. As you go through each section, try to consider: How do I relate to this archetype? What is it that I like about it (or not)? Which ones do (or don't) I relate to the most? Try to honestly feel into what it is about them (or astrology itself) that resonates with or triggers you and allow yourself to really experience them. Remember: whether the greater concept of astrology is "true" or not doesn't really matter — the only thing that does, is the truth it brings out within yourself.
🎬 The films and music for each sign were selected according to my own understanding and opinion of which ones would describe them best. Virtually all astrological placements in the trivia section (italics) were researched afterwards. (You can follow the music either section by section via YouTube links or as a playlist on Spotify — who knows, maybe you'll even pop in an old DVD or two! ;D)
1. ARIES (The Ram) | "The Legend Spreads" by James Horner
Element: Fire
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling Planet: Mars
House Rulership: 1st/AC
Archetypes: The Warrior, The Pioneer, The Daredevil
Aries is full of life, passion, and daring. As a cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars, the keyword here is "go"
— do first, ask questions later. There is no challenge too great or just cause unworthy of defending; the energy it embodies is meant to be fueled into solely one thing: this moment. It's the adrenaline that pumps through our veins when we feel threatened or excited, angry or lustful, and it is this spirit so necessarily channeled by William Wallace to rally his Scottish brethren against the English. He knows that it takes much more than simple brute force to win: it takes courage, foresight, and, most importantly, conviction. Wallace and his men are willing to die for their belief that freedom and justice belong to all; without it, they would have no reason — nor the strength — to fight in the first place.
Director and lead actor Mel Gibson has all three major placements (sun, moon, and rising) in cardinal signs. Although there are no Aries placements specifically, his Mars is prominently conjunct his Saturn (ruler of his sun sign, Capricorn) and trine his MC/Uranus in 1st. Many of his fellow cast members have either direct Aries placements (Brendon Gleeson: sun, Catherine McCormack: sun, James Cosmo: moon) or Mars conjuct AC/in multiple aspects (e.g. Patrick Mcgoohan, Sophie Marceau). Composer James Horner has five 1st house placements (including sun, Mars, and south node), as well as MC in Aries.
2. TAURUS (The Bull) | "Concerning Hobbits" by Howard Shore
Element: Earth
Modality: Fixed
Ruling Planet: Venus (also rules → Libra)
House Rulership: 2nd
Archetypes: Mother Earth, The Epicurean, The Musician/Artist
Taurus is the unshakable rock upon which all things are built. It is a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus, and as such, predominantly associated with two qualities in particular: stability and harmony. Much like our dear Hobbits of the Shire, Taurus desires the simple, sensual life, and will often do whatever it takes to avoid any major conflict or disturbance. Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the Halflings would have loved nothing more than to stay at home and smoke their pipes together over a fine meal instead of trekking across a treacherous Middle-earth, but it's precisely because their tranquil existence is being threatened that they each commit to seeing their mission through to the bitter end. Taurus is therefore very aware that acquiring physical security and material comfort often demands perseverance, dedication, and — ironically — effort.
Author J.R.R. Tolkien has both his sun and ascendant in earth signs (Capricorn and Virgo, respectively), two planets in the 2nd house, his north node in Taurus, and Venus trine his MC. Many of the actors have strong earth placements in general, but the strongest Taurus/Venus representatives include: Andy Serkis (sun, Mercury, Jupiter), Cate Blanchett (sun, Saturn), Ian McKellen (Mercury, Venus, Uranus; sun on the cusp in Gemini), Liv Tyler (Venus sextile MC, Mars), and Elijah Wood (4th house, Venus conjunct AC in Capricorn). Director Peter Jackson's birth time is officially unknown, but some sources claim a Taurus ascendant.
3. GEMINI (The Twins) | "Prologue" by John Williams
Element: Air
Modality: Mutable
Ruling Planet: Mercury (also rules → Virgo)
House Rulership: 3rd
Archetypes: The Student/Teacher, The Magician, The Trickster
Gemini can be likened to a butterfly, always flitting about from one point of interest to the next. As a mutable air sign ruled by Mercury, it's marked by adaptability, dexterity, and intellectual curiosity — much like the young wizard Harry Potter. He quickly becomes known as a child prodigy, in more ways than one, and he and his friends often end up getting themselves into more than just a little bit of mischief due to their insatiable desire to know. Their combined talents and creativity for coming up with solutions usually save them, however, aptly exemplifying the quick-wittedness and ability to think on one's feet that Gemini represents. It's our potential to create something on the spot and out of nothing ... So, I guess — in a way — there's a kind of magic within us Muggles yet.
Author J.K. Rowling has her 4th house, Jupiter, and north node in Gemini, as well as a large stellium in Virgo. Lead actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint also have prominent placements, such as sun conjunct Mercury (Radcliffe), MC in Gemini/AC in Virgo (Watson), and Mercury trine moon (Radcliffe, Grint — a Virgo sun). In fact, sun conjunct Mercury applies to at least seven other cast members (including Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltraine, and Helena Bonham Carter — a Gemini sun). However, among the entire cast, moon placements are by far the most prevalent: either in aspect to Mercury (at least twelve) or in Virgo (at least seven, including Rowling).
4. CANCER (The Crab) | "Nemo Egg (Main Title)" by Thomas Newman
Element: Water
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling Planet: Moon
House Rulership: 4th/IC
Archetypes: The Mother, The Caretaker, The Protector
Cancer is the safety of a mother's arms. It's the love that holds your hurt and makes whatever is troubling you all better again (or prevents it from happening in the first place). It is a cardinal water sign ruled by the moon, protector of our deepest sensitivities and manager of emotions. Similarly, Nemo's father, Marlin (who tragically lost his wife when Nemo was just an egg), does everything within his power to keep his already somewhat disabled son from harm. Nemo himself, however, experiences this as overprotective, smothering, and ultimately disempowering. He eventually runs (well, swims) away, and over the course of his adventures to find him, Marlin comes to finally face his fear of loss and realize that, in order to truly hold on to someone you love, you ironically need to let go a little first.
Albert Brooks, who plays Marlin, has his sun, AC, Venus, and Mercury in Cancer, as well as his moon in 4th. Other Cancer suns include Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, and Erik Per Sullivan. Moon in Cancer (or 4th) is another prevalent placement (Allison Janney, Bob Peterson, Stephen Root, Brad Garrett), and several of the other cast and crew have their moon either in aspect to their sun, AC, or MC (including director/screenwriter Andrew Stanton and composer Thomas Newman) or in fellow water signs Scorpio/Pisces.
5. LEO (The Lion) | "This Land" by Hans Zimmer
Element: Fire
Modality: Fixed
Ruling Planet: Sun
House Rulership: 5th
Archetypes: The Sovereign (King/Queen), The Performer, The Child
Leo is our sense of honour and self-respect. As a fixed fire sign ruled by the sun, Leo faithfully shines its radiance into the world to strengthen our hearts and raise our spirits. The young Simba starts out as an audaciously confident cub, focused more on the perks that being king will bring him than his future duty towards others. It takes the death of his father by the hand of his jealous uncle Scar and, consequently, years of painful exile until he finally realizes that being a leader is not just a title, but a huge responsibility. Hakuna matata may have solved things for a while, but it's not until he chooses to put his shame of the past and doubt in his own abilities behind him that he is able to reclaim his rightful place — and along with it, his personal power and identity.
Directors Roger Allers and Robert Minkoff both have significant Leo influence: Allers as a Leo moon and Minkoff as a Leo sun. It also features prominently for Jeremy Irons (AC, Venus, Saturn, Pluto), James Earl Jones (sun in 1st square MC), Ernie Sabella (moon, Mars, Pluto), Cheech Marin (MC, Mercury, Pluto), Nathan Lane (Jupiter, Pluto, moon in 5th square sun), and Robert Guillaume (moon in 5th). Additionally, Minkoff — as well as Simba voice actors Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Taylor Thomas — all have their north nodes in Leo.
6. VIRGO (The Maiden) | "Dawn" by Dario Marianelli
Element: Earth
Modality: Mutable
Ruling Planet: Mercury (also rules → Gemini)
House Rulership: 6th
Archetypes: The Helper, The Healer, The Judge
Virgo can quite aptly be summed up in just one word: critic. This mutable earth sign under Mercury's rulership is primed to recognize inadequacies and eliminate imperfections wherever it turns, assessing any given situation for the optimal and most efficient course of action in pursuit of the ideal. In other words, it can be described as our capacity to judge, categorize, and refine — which, in the case of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, famously turns to feelings of pride and prejudice. Indeed, their whole world is marked by the separation of class and improving one's circumstance by the pursuit of that which is considered most proper and ultimately expected, as well as a lack of tolerance and disdain for that which is not. Once they discover the truth about themselves, however, what follows is a deep sense of humility and respect — sentiments that would never have emerged if there were no defining principles to begin with.
Director Joe Wright is a Virgo sun and Mars, a placement he shares with screenwriter Deborah Moggach. Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and composer Dario Marianelli also have Virgo placements (sun and stellium, respectively). Among the actors, the most prominent representatives are Tom Hollander (stellium — sun conjunct Mercury, Venus, Pluto and Uranus), Donald Sutherland (AC, Venus, Neptune), Carey Mulligan (moon) and Talulah Riley (Mars, Venus). Other notable earth moons mimicking Virgo belong to Judy Dench (Capricorn/6th), Rosamund Pike (conjunct Mercury in Capricorn), and Keira Knightley (Taurus/Gemini cusp). As for author Jane Austen, sources claim a Virgo ascendant.
7. LIBRA (The Scales) | "A Life So Changed" by James Horner
Element: Air
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling Planet: Venus (also rules → Taurus)
House Rulership: 7th/DC
Archetypes: The Mediator, The Lover, The Artist/Thespian
Libra is the spirit which seeks peace, justice, and equality. A cardinal air sign ruled by Venus, its primary concern is the harmony achieved by the pursuit of balance. It's an intellectual need, on the one hand, and a relational one on the other — our desire for fairness, for example, and, especially, togetherness. The relationship between Jack and Rose exemplifies both: each from dramatically opposite social standings, yet unwaveringly dedicated to each other in spite of it. It's a narrative that has been romanticized throughout the ages, the allure lying within the tension between imbalance and its dissolution. Rose's insistence on coming back for him may have actually been what cost poor Jack his life in the end, yet the tragic beauty here in the eyes of Libra is the endurance of a union so strong that not even death could break it.
Lead actors Kate Winslet (a Libra sun) and Leonardo DiCaprio have an almost identical Libra cluster of five placements, including moon, ascendant, and Pluto. Director James Cameron's Libra placements are Venus (its happy ruler) and Neptune, while composer James Horner has five (most notably a Libra moon/4th house and north node in 7th). Interestingly, the original voyage of 1912 occurred while the south node was in Libra and the north node was in Aries, indicating an imbalance of combined complacency (no routine security or evacuation drills had been conducted) and hotheadedness (the ship had been pushed to full capacity, despite incoming warnings and fire damage).
8. SCORPIO (The Scorpion) | "Molossus" by Hans Zimmer & James Newton-Howard
Element: Water
Modality: Fixed
Ruling Planet: Pluto (traditionally → Mars)
House Rulership: 8th
Archetypes: The Alchemist, The Detective, The Underworld
Scorpio is the calm and collected exterior which masks a raging sea. It deals with all that is hidden, the aspects of ourselves we compartmentalize out of fear, judgment, or a lack of understanding. The world of Batman and his foes is very much the same. In order to save the city of Gotham from the morally corrupt and insane, Bruce Wayne learns that he must first face his own darkness. This can be a deceptive process, as there are often layers upon layers of psychological defense mechanisms in place before we arrive at the truth. The villains manage to go a few layers deeper than most of us in that they embrace their pathologies — the problem, however, is that they choose to fully identify with them. The ultimate lesson here is that the power of self-mastery only comes from digging down to the very core and not just owning what we find, but allowing it to integrate and transform.
Artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, creators of the original comic book character, both have Scorpionic influences: Kane as a Scorpio sun (trine Pluto) and Venus (the planet associated with art and creativity), Finger as a Pluto conjunct Mars in Cancer (a fellow water sign) trine Mercury (the planet associated with writing and communication). As for director Christopher Nolan, lead actor Christian Bale, and composers Zimmer and Howard, Pluto significantly aspects either their sun, moon or personal planets.
9. SAGITTARIUS (The Archer) | "He's a Pirate" by Klaus Badelt
Element: Fire
Modality: Mutable
Ruling Planet: Jupiter
House Rulership: 9th
Archetypes: The Explorer, The Sage, The Jester
Sagittarius represents the kind of spirit that can never really be tied down. As a mutable fire sign ruled by Jupiter, its energy is as expansive as the universe, wanting to go everywhere and explore everything, all at once and without hesitation. Much like the Pirates Code of Jack Sparrow and his crew, there is a strong interest in guiding principles, but certainly not strict rules — the tendency towards open-mindedness and the desire for mobility here are ones to which being boxed in simply doesn't suit. To Jack especially, everything is relative and life itself a game; no matter the bind he tends to end up in, he usually remains eternally optimistic and unaffected. However, beyond this veil of good humour and indifference lies a rather unexpected breadth of wisdom and insight which leaves those around him occasionally dumbfounded.
Lead actor Johnny Depp's chart is highly nuanced, but Jupiter definitely still leaves its mark: at home in the 9th house of its rulership, the jovial planet aspects all three major points sun, moon, and AC. His sun in Gemini shares an innate similarity to Sagittarius as its opposite sign, further accentuated by his equally fiery and buoyant ascendant in Leo. The rest of the main cast and crew all have significant Jupiter or Sagittarius placements as well, including composer Klaus Badelt and Walt Disney himself — a Sagittarius sun — whose love of fantasy and adventure stories remains the hallmark of the company even today.
10. CAPRICORN (The Sea-Goat) | "The Bourne Identity Main Title" by John Powell
Element: Earth
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling Planet: Saturn
House Rulership: 10th/MC
Archetypes: The Father, The Authority, The Good Soldier
Capricorn is the ultimate boss. It's an energy that is organized, disciplined, and insatiably ambitious. The goal? Excellence. Accomplishment. Security. It's what keeps corporations in business and any major system operational. Respect for authority and the function it serves is a key component here, both as the one who leads and the one who follows. Jason Bourne is a highly trained CIA operative of exceptional caliber, basically a poster child for the "good soldier" in all ways but one: in order to remember who he is, he eventually defies his superiors and goes rogue. It's this process of individuation which suddenly puts entire organizations (and then some) at risk. Practically speaking, this is a disaster for Capricorn; at its heart, however, lies integrity, the principle of aligning belief with action — and that is a conviction which cardinal earth, much like Bourne as he uncovers the trail of government corruption, is ultimately unwilling to compromise.
Author Robert Ludlum and director Paul Greengrass ("The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum") both have Saturn in aspect to their sun and other personal planets. The most prevalent placement among the actors is moon in Capricorn (Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn) or similar — i.e. moon in 10th (Brian Cox), in aspect to Saturn (Edward Norton, Damon, Stiles, Strathairn), or in fellow earth sign Virgo (Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen). Jeremy Renner (lead actor of "The Bourne Legacy") takes the cake though as a Capricorn sun in 10th trine Saturn.
11. AQUARIUS (The Water-Bearer) | "Star Wars Main Title" by John Williams
Element: Air
Modality: Fixed
Ruling Planet: Uranus (traditionally → Saturn)
House Rulership: 11th
Archetypes: The Rebel, The Futurist, The Eccentric
Aquarius is like a mad scientist — innovative, progressive, and, most importantly: original. Its aversion to following the crowd and yearning for advancement is the stuff that inspires change and ignites revolutions. The arrival of "Star Wars" in 1977 may not have been a coup d'état, but it did completely transform the way we produce and experience motion pictures from that point onward. Set in a universe light-years beyond our technological reality, it chronicles a band of unlikely heroes and their rebellion against the Galactic Empire. It's the belief in a better world and the ingenuity to know how to make it possible that inspires characters like Luke Skywalker to join Princess Leia's Rebel Alliance. Even moody Han Solo, who usually desires to remain unattached and pretends not to care, eventually returns to aid in the fight for justice because he admits that, sometimes, it's the cause of the collective and loyalty to our friends which simply are more important than the desires of the individual.
Creator and director George Lucas has a 10th house Aquarius moon trine Uranus in 1st, with a MC right on the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp. Composer John Williams is an Aquarius sun (sextile Uranus), along with personal planets Mars and Mercury. Lead actors Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher have Uranus in aspect to four or more planets/points, including their sun and AC. Harrison Ford's Uranus trines his AC, and Mars and north node are both in his 11th house. Other notable placements go to Billy Dee Williams (moon in Aquarius), Warwick Davis (sun in Aquarius), Peter Mayhew (sun conjunct Uranus), and Anthony Daniels (sun on Pisces/Aquarius cusp).
12. PISCES (The Fish) | "Old Souls" by Hans Zimmer
Element: Water
Modality: Mutable
Ruling Planet: Neptune (traditionally → Jupiter)
House Rulership: 12th
Archetypes: The Dreamer, The Mystic, The Savior/Victim
Pisces is perhaps the most mysterious archetype of all: that of material, emotional, and intellectual transcendence. It's the dissolution of all things into oneness — or, rather, the dissolution of the illusion that anything is truly separate to begin with. Could it be both? Is it neither? Is there even a difference? It's hard to tell. As a mutable water sign ruled by Neptune, it's a concept enveloped in fog and potentially as vast as our inner "architect" can dream up. Much like Dom's troubled wife, Mal, it can be maddening not knowing whether you're simply dreaming or awake, and even his attempts at saving her eventually drive Dom to the brink of his own sanity. It's only through grounding himself by means of his personal "totem" that he manages to not completely lose himself. Ultimately, the message here is one of faith and the power of the subconscious — the notion that, whatever reality truly is or isn't, it becomes whatever we believe it to be.
The Piscean theme stands out among almost the entire cast, as well as director Christopher Nolan and composer Hans Zimmer, all of whom interestingly have Neptune either in major aspect to their sun and/or Venus. Actors Ellen Page and Michael Caine are Pisces suns by direct placement, and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt's sun in 12th and AC are both on the Pisces cusp. Honourable mention goes to Mars, north node, Mercury, and Jupiter, who in several cases (e.g. Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine), are also either directly in Pisces or aspect to Neptune.
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If you're interested in looking up your own chart, you'll need your birth date, time, and location (the more exact the better, but estimates work too). There are countless free birth chart calculators online, my favourites of which can be found at Astro.com, Astrotheme, Cafe Astrology, and Astro-Charts (they also double as great learning platforms). Happy charting! ;)
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