A new regal blockbuster and probably bonkbuster series will hit the screens late October with Helen Mirren starring as Catherine The Great, Empress of Russia in a period drama full of “politics, passion and power”. The Sky blurb says the four-part drama “delves into the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history. Catherine wielded supreme power throughout Russia for nearly half of the 18th century – strong-minded, independent, brilliantly intelligent and sexually liberated, she was the definition of the modern woman.”
She came to power following a coup d’état that she organised—resulting in her husband, Peter III, being overthrown and then assassinated. Under her reign, Russia was revitalised, modernised along Western European lines and was recognised as one of the great powers of Europe. As a patron of the arts she presided over the age of the Russian Enlightenment, and promoted the education of women, as well as the highly modern notion of vaccinations for smallpox. She is often regarded as an enlightened despot. Lurid tales of her rampant sex life may or may not be embellished though she was undoubtedly fairly active in that department.
She was born 2 May 1729 (NS) 2.30am Stettin, Germany and was an earthy, indulgent, ruthless and ultra-determined Sun Mars in Taurus. Mars in Taurus can be implacable as well as highly sensual and acquisitive. And her Mars Sun were heavily emphasised being on the focal point of a mini-Grand Trine of Jupiter trine Saturn in Pisces; and most significantly on one leg of a Yod, sextile Saturn inconjunct Pluto. She also had a restless and social-butterfly Moon Venus in Gemini inconjunct Uranus – a lady marked out for a highly individual life of great influence.
A Yod apex Pluto tends to be an extremist, a loner who operates without being distracted by others. Tierney remarks: “This yod can propel one into a high-level authority position, sometimes giving him organizational control over super-structures in society” – adept at “ushering in a new order of things to come.” Sun, Mars, Pluto, Saturn is also fairly brutal.
Tr Saturn Uranus in Aries were opposing her natal Pluto when her mother-in-law died in 1762 with tr Pluto about to move into Capricorn to square it – and her Solar Arc Saturn was also in opposition to her Pluto – at which point she seized her destiny, despatched her husband, and took over the reins herself. Yods usually wait until they are activated by influences producing fated events, after which the individual pursues their unique destiny.
She’s been played by Helen Mirren 26 July 1945 2am London, an entertaining, controlled and influential Sun Pluto in Leo. The only slight similarity between their charts is they share the light-hearted sociable Venus in Gemini. Though they wouldn’t have got on remotely well in reality since Mirren’s Sun Pluto squares Catherine Mars Sun in Taurus. However Catherine’s Moon Venus falls on Mirren’s Ascendant which would help to create a bond and their relationship chart does have a friendly, affectionate Sun Venus. So she’d understand enough about what made her tick to give a sympathetic portrayal.
PS: I’m not sure where all of Pluto in Capricorn’s enlightened and culturally advanced energy has gone this time round.
Tough unenlightened times indeed, but there are fantastic signs of enlightenment too – the stalwart, courageous protesters in HK, and Greta Thornberg, to name two.
Have always loved Von Sternberg’s lavish 1934 film, “Scarlet Empress” with Dietrich as Catherine. Of course historical accuracy falls by the wayside, but it’s gloriously camp, surreal and over-the-top.
Thank you. Interesting about her being described as the definition of a modern women, her chart looks a bit like she was born in the 70’s/80’s with it’s Uranus in Scorpio and Pluto in Libra. Helen Mirren putting her Leo planets and Mercury/Regulus to good use again playing another queen.
Years ago I saw Catherine’s dresses displayed on mannequins in the Kremlin museum and was shocked by how tiny she was; about the size of a modern 10 year old with a teeny tiny waist.
“PS: I’m not sure where all of Pluto in Capricorn’s enlightened and culturally advanced energy has gone this time round.”
There have been giant leaps made in how environmental and gender issues are seen this time around, in my opinion. Just look at where we were 10 years ago in terms general public accepting certain issues, and where we are now.
One must remember enlightment didn’t come unopposed, Catholic Church in particular was against it. Also, of those “enlightened” things Catherina did, her contribution to female education was practically one school for high born Russian young women. 100 years later, Russian middle class girls were denied entry to “professional” schools that were starting to become widespread, and often studied abroad (I became interested in female education in 1860’s and 1870’s Russia studying Dostoyevsky’s second wife Anna Snitkina’s life).
Solaia, I agree with Marjorie. There has been a highly noticeable regression in enlightenment and culture from the turn of the century (basically Pluto in Capricorn).
Worldwide, out of 167 countries, 147 have governments that are flawed democracies, hybrid regimes that have serious problems, or complete authoritarian regimes (wikipedia). These governments control 95.5 percent of the world’s total population. The US was downgraded to a flawed democracy in 2016.
If these statistics don’t show you a worldwide decrease in enlightenment and culture, I don’t know what criteria could prove it to you. A person can be as cultured and enlightened as they want in their own home, but in public, in schools, a person can only express themselves as much as their government allows. Governments can impose significant penalties on people, including loss of life. Look at Hong Kong right now, in real time.
To make this clear about the categories of government, flawed democracies have significant faults in democracy, the judicial system, the media, and actual governance. Hybrid regimes have widespread corruption, fraud, harassment and a weak judicial system and media. Authoritarian regimes are often absolute monarchies or dictatorships, ignore civil liberties, control the media and judiciary system, rig elections and have omnipresent censorship.
Under governments like these, great discoveries and inventions can be made, but can also be suppressed to the point where they have to be “reinvented” many decades, if not centuries later, under better forms of government. Downgraded racial groups or religions, or women, or non-heterosexuals will lose, or never gain, full human rights.
I’ll give you an example.
Jerome Cardano lived in 16th century Milan, under a corrupt authoritarian government system (mirrored nearly everywhere worldwide). In 1520, he discovered the mathematical foundation of quantum physics—probability theory and the square roots of negative numbers (called imaginary numbers and used in the quantum phase). Without this, there would be no quantum physics, no quantum computers. His discovery was “reinvented” by Leibniz in 1676, and “reinvented” by Laplace in 1774, in what is known as “The Age of Enlightenment”. Without this universally acknowledged time of Enlightenment, and better governance, we would not have quantum physics or quantum computers. Cardano’s initial discovery was completely squashed by the times he lived in, and progress in this field was delayed by 146 to 254 years. [The Quantum Astrologer’s Handbook by Michael Brooks]
Odds are someone living under the authoritarian regime in China has discovered life-changing things we will never know about—until someone reinvents them in a better time and place. Odds are in the US someone has discovered marvelous technology that will be bought and destroyed by a greedy corporation (given free reign by our government)—and it will have to be discovered all over again.
Solaia, please don’t take this personally as an attack on your opinion. I respect you 100%, but you know that my mind just blasts off when there is an interesting subject!
Perhaps Pluto did not like being demoted to a dwarf planet and taken out of the list of planets in our solar system. According to the new definition in 2006, there are three rules to qualify a planet in our solar system. The controversial 3rd rule, clearing the orbital neighborhood of objects, disqualifies Earth because we have 12,000 near-earth asteroids, along with disqualifying Jupiter, Mars, Neptune and Pluto. No wonder Pluto is showing us no favor, being unfairly singled out and kicked out of the planetary line-up!