Josephine Chaplin, the daughter of Charlie Chaplin and his fourth wife, Oona O’Neill, who starred in many French films has died. She was the sixth of 11 children fathered by the comic screen legend and the third of eight with O’Neill, daughter of the Nobel prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill.
It is a mind-boggling prospect being part of such a vast Chaplin tribe, the child of a world renowned screen star on one side and the grandchild of a Nobel winning playwright on the other.
[Detail on Chaplin and Oona O’Neill, who married when she was 18 and he 53, in previous post February 18 2022.]
Josephine, 28 March 1949 12.10am Santa Monica, CA, was a Sun Aries on the cusp of her 4th house opposition Neptune on her Midheaven with Pluto in her 8th – anchored in the family, a creative legacy but trapped.
What is a recurring pattern through several of the family charts is a last decan Aries or Libra marker – of either Chiron, Sun or North Node. In her case her North Node was at 25 degrees Aries conjunct her mother’s Chiron Mercury in Aries. Her father Charles Chaplin had a 27 degree Aries Sun.
The half siblings from an earlier marriage born around the time of Oona O’Neill – Charles (1925) had Chiron Mercury at 25/22 Aries; Sydney (1926) had Chiron at 26 Aries; and Maurice (1927) had his Sun at 22 Aries conjunct Chiron at 1 Taurus.
Her full brother Michael (1946) had Jupiter Chiron in last decan Libra. Eugene O’Neill had his Sun at 23 Libra.
Tied together by fame (Nodes), plagued by issues of identity (Aries) and struggling with the wounds and vagaries of fate (Chiron).
Chiron close to Mercury is interesting for Oona O’Neill since it would give her a sense of being wounded in her intelligence and way with words, not surprising with such a notable father.
Josephine’s North Node conjunct her mother’s Chiron suggests that Josephine’s development lay through connecting with her mother’s pain.
What is also significant is the Aries energy especially in a North Node which suggests a need to stand alone and/or take the lead. Tricky in a family with such powerful connections in the zeitgeist that they could never completely escape.
All quite a fated tangle as is probably true in a great many families.
I believe I read somewhere CC had a “thing” for young unsullied girls/teens. That’s sick.
I don’t think I know any of Josephine Chaplin’s films, but 74 is early to pass away, and I can’t find out if she died of illness or natural causes.
I’ve always been interested in the Chaplin/O’Neil ‘dynasty’. I grew up fascinated with Charlie Chaplin & loved his silent films as a kid (no pun intended). I thought he was a comic genius. As a teen I found a copy of his autobiography in the library & when I had enough money, bought a copy of it & re-read it.
The scandals, that were exposed a few years ago around him, have deeply disappointed me & I’ve had to wrestle with my conscience, since I’ve admired him for so long.
Apparently (according to the documentary that was/is on Sky Documentaries), Charlie Chaplin was fairly distant to his children & would be very different when there were no cameras on him (coming alive & performing when they were on). Also, if I remember correctly, Oona wrote extensive diaries, but destroyed them before she died. I’m thinking she may she may have been a very private person.
Her Aries Chiron/Mercury conjunction is also conjunct his Sun & Mercury. Does this indicate further wounds?
Her Scorpio Saturn is conjunct his ascendant and Scorpio Moon (which squares his Leo Saturn). I don’t fully know what this all means, apart from his Moon/Saturn square indicating the awful childhood he had & his mother being placed in an asylum. And/or, that his mother may have been perceived as a scary, restrictive figure (?). Also, that Oona may have been a stabilising figure in his life – maybe the older she got she was able to keep under control the older version of Chaplin.
I wonder how their granddaughter, Oona Chaplin, born 4th June 1986 (who was in Game of Thrones), fits in with the Aries/Libra Chiron/node theme connection ?
Thanks Marjorie, very enlightening.
Oona jnr 1986 – late Aries North Node and Gemini Sun conjunct Chiron
Thanks Marjorie. It seems that the recurring family theme of identity & wounds of fate is still be carried on… None of the descendants of the family have yet to reach the same fame/stardom as Eugene O’Neil and Charlie Chaplin, even though a fair few of gone into the showbiz world.