Who’d have thought that Wi-Fi, cordless phones and Bluetooth might never have been developed had it not been for the inventive partnership between a Hollywood star and an avant-garde composer? It’s a wondrous tale about Hedy Lamarr, darling of the silver screen in the 1940s. Born 9 November 1914 7.35pm Vienna, Austria, she had an inquiring mind fostered by her wealthy banker father. When she married a fascist arms dealer at 18, she listened to all his conversations about jamming torpedoes and after baling on the marriage and heading to the USA, she tried to give her ideas to the US navy, who weren’t interested. Yet her Secret Communication System, involving the technology behind synchronised music, would go on to define modern life.
Her ideas were picked up after the patent expired in the 1960s and radio communication based on Lamarr’s theory was deployed during the Cuba Missile Crisis. She did receive some scientific credit in her 80s and there’s now a documentary ‘Bombshell’ about her extraordinary contribution.
She had a Sun, Mercury and Mars in Scorpio in her 5th house of entertainment, so was undoubtedly a larger-than-life personality and a touch vengeful. Her Uranus Jupiter in scientific Aquarius in the ‘eureka’ 8th house squared onto her Mercury, which would give her a sharp mind (and tongue) and inspired insights. Her Uranus opposed Neptune which is also an ‘inventive’ aspect as well as her Leo Moon. She did not have a restful emotional life, careering through six husbands and multiple lawsuits along the way. Saturn Pluto in Cancer in her 12th would make her depressive, though Pluto in the 12th also has depth of understanding. Her Pluto Saturn were in a creative Water Grand Trine to her Pisces Midheaven trine her Mercury, which would make her emotionally self-protective. After her sixth marriage failed she remained single for her remaining 35 years.