Writer Jilly Cooper, ‘Queen of the bonkbuster’ who brought sex and sharp-eyed social observation to Middle England’s bookshelves with rollicking tales of raunch and rivalry amongst the Cotswolds polo-playing classes, has died after a fall.
Queen Camilla, whose first husband Andrew Parker-Bowles was said to have been the inspiration for the invented lothario Rupert Cambell-Black, hailed the author as a ‘wonderfully witty and compassionate friend’ and added “may her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs.”
She was born 21 February 1937 12pm (from memory), Brentwood, England, the daughter of a brigadier, started as a local paper reporter, was reportedly fired from 22 PR jobs and eventually became a newspaper columnist for the Sunday Times writing about marriage, sex and housework. Her first novel came out the 1970s, but it wasn’t until Riders when she was 48 that she had her breakthrough. She was married to publisher Leo whom she had known since she was 9 for over fifty years and had two adopted children.
Her agent said ‘You wouldn’t expect books categorised as bonkbusters to have stood the test of time but Jilly wrote with acuity and insight about all things – class, sex, marriage, rivalry, grief and fertility.’
She a survivor of the 1999 Ladbroke Grove rail crash, in which 31 people died and more than 400 were injured when two trains collided in London and had to crawl through a window to escape.
For all the warm and ‘joyous’ descriptions of her from friends and her reputation for frivolity, she had a not-altogether light hearted chart. Her career-oriented Pisces Sun on her Midheaven was sparsely aspected with only a sextile to Uranus giving her an independent streak. A well-organised, hard-working Saturn in Pisces in her 10th was in a creative Water Grand Trine to Pluto in her financial 2nd trine an intensely emotional/sexual Mars in Scorpio in her romantic 5th, with Saturn opposition Neptune. Certainly creative, but she would have a toughness and a degree of inner torment from Mars Saturn Pluto.
Oddly enough P.D.James, the crime writer, born in 1920, had a similar chart with a Water Grand Trine of Mars in Scorpio trine Pluto trine Uranus with Uranus opposition Saturn – and she had a markedly darker life than Jilly Cooper’s appeared on the surface with a mentally ill mother and a husband institutionalised after WW11.
What would help attract positive responses in and towards her was Jilly Cooper’s 7th house Jupiter in Capricorn opposition Pluto and her 1st house Cancer Moon which would channel an uplifting spirit, boosting her desire to write ‘happy’ books. Her Venus in upfront Aries was on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Mars sextile Neptune which initially would put her out of step with her social environment and probably honed her observational skills.
Her husband Leo Cooper, 25 March 1934, was a Sun Mars in Aries; with a cool Venus Saturn in Aquarius square her Mars in Scorpio which would a few aggravations; but was balanced by his Jupiter opposing her Venus and square her Jupiter and Pluto. Their relationship chart had an affectionate and intense composite Sun Venus trine Pluto (Moon) opposition a forgiving Neptune; though with a scratchy Mars square Uranus.
He had a six year affair which emerged in 1990 causing them to split temporarily – when the triple conjunction in Capricorn, especially Saturn would be opposing her Cancer Moon and in hard aspect to her Pluto and Venus.
In October 1999 the Ladbroke rail crash, which she survived, was one of the worst in 20th-century British history with 31 people killed and 417 injured. On her chart then her Solar Arc Saturn opposition Solar Arc Neptune was hovering in hard aspect to her Mars in Scorpio for a panic-making event. But five other damaging Solar Arcs did not become exact for another two years which was when her husband started to show signs of Parkinsons.
She undoubtedly had a profound effect with her novels and before that her popular Sunday Times columns, which kind of success would demand a strength of character (and chart) but there is still a lurking sense of angst-ridden turbulence beneath her happy-go-lucky persona.
Seeing the many photographs of Jilly Cooper in the newspapers over the past few days I cannot help thinking she must have been Leo rising, not Cancer. Her mane of golden hair was so distinctive, it’s typical of a Leo ascendant.
It seems apt that it was the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, on 4th October, on the weekend Jilly Cooper died. Numerous pets and other animals are blessed at services all over the country on that day, leading to some very amusing photos. Jupiter and the Moon aspects might have something to do with a love of animals, especially domestic ones and pets?
I think you’re right there Jane. According to Charles Carter a particular love of animals is often indicated by “the lights in aspect to Jupiter”, and a good aspect between Jupiter and Neptune. Jilly Cooper had both, her Moon in Cancer opposition Jupiter in Capricorn + Jupiter trine Neptune in Virgo.
Sarah K asks,,,,what if there is no final dispositor. Answer….look for other methods like…
1. The Sign and the Planet ruling the MH.
2. A planet conj the MH
4.
0A planet that aspects the MH.
5. Ruler of MH in a Mutual Reception with another planet.
6. A Stelllium emphasizing a certain House.
7. An Oriental planet, the one ahead of the natal Sun.
8. Peregrination….a planet with no aspects.
0. The Sun-Moon midpoint. 10. A planet at the Aries Point.
11. Interpretive orientation of the planets.
Any combinatiion of the above will help you locate your career indicator.
Thanks Marjorie. A great ‘character’ I think, verging on that English eccentric archetype. Interesting to see her watery Saturn/Mars trine – I remembered the sudden exit of Gemini Paul O’Grady, his passion for animals, and his Mars in Cancer trine Saturn in Scorpio. O’Grady also had an Aries Moon trine Jupiter in Leo for big, ebullient emotions. Jilly Cooper had the Moon opposing Jupiter. And there was much struggle, hard work, and difficulty in O’Grady’s life story hidden behind a caustic, witty drag queen persona for years. Both individuals were friends of Queen Camilla’s. Her Cancer stellium and Jupiter in Scorpio would, I imagine, resonate with those watery planet placements.
The Midheaven, 10th House dispositor chain often identifies one’s suitable career.
Jilly’s dispositor chain starts at MH in Aquarius, disposited by Uranus in Taurus,
disposited by Venus in Aries, disposited by Mars in Scorpio, disposited by Pluto in Cancer,
diisposited by Moon in Cancer, as the FINAL DISPOSITOR. angular in the 1st House.
Gauquelin has found that the Moon angular leads to a career in WRITING.
As a project, try to follow your career dispositor chain….does it identify yoiur career path?
How do you find the final dispositor if you don’t have a planet in its own sign eg, Moon in Cancer, Mercury in Gemini?
I enjoyed her novella Imogen which had a very sixties vibe…
Thanks Marjorie, it is an interesting chart and life. I heard recently that Cancer Moons often have a natural ability to know what will appeal to the masses, which seems to apply here.