Ian Holm – a surprisingly high-octane Virgo

Actor Ian Holm, best known to younger fans as Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings, has died aged 88 of a Parkinsons-related illness. In fact he had an illustrious career on stage and screen over decades with multiple awards for Chariots of Fire, Alien, King Lear on stage and others. Described by Peter Bradshaw as “ a virtuoso actor of steel, sinew – and charm. He was a character actor with star quality.”

He was born 12 September 1931 2am Ilford, England with a psychiatrist father, who pioneered electric shock therapy; and he started initially, aged 18, studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and after National Service joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was married four times, divorced three, with five children from various mothers.

He had a communicative and restless third house New Moon in Virgo in a charming conjunction with Venus. His Mercury Neptune were also in Virgo. Dominating his chart was an extremely restless Cardinal Grand Square giving him initiative aplenty and the ability to pick up and start again, well-designed for a career of constantly changing projects. The signature tough-minded Saturn in Capricorn opposition Pluto of the Depression in his case squared onto a heated 4th house Mars in Libra opposition a 10th house Uranus in Aries. An unpredictable lifestyle would suit him and he’d rebel against restrictions or compromise, both domestic and career.

He suffered from stage fright after 1976 when tr Saturn was moving through his 1st house pushing him into a lower-profile phase; with a panicky tr Neptune conjunct his Solar Arc Mars; tr Uranus conjunct his Solar Arc Sun, Moon, Venus – and I suspect more significantly his Solar Arc Moon Neptune square his 12th house Pluto. He returned with Lear in the late 1980s to a resounding success.

His chart wasn’t quite what I’d expected since he always looked restrained and slightly demure.  His personal life clearly didn’t run too smoothly which would be partly down to an argumentative Mars in the 4th, plus Uranus plus Pluto giving him a degree of obstinacy and anger. And the male-of-the- species Virgo can be a player, more so than the female.

6 thoughts on “Ian Holm – a surprisingly high-octane Virgo

    • Thanks Marjorie. The charisma of Virgo is much overlooked I think. I remembered reading about H. G. Wells, 21 September 1866, with Sun and Mercury in Virgo. He was, apparently, a magnet for women, much to the bewilderment of his contemporaries.

      • funny how Bilbo Baggins (younger version) was also played by a Virgo, Martin Freeman.

        I never realized how wonderful male Virgos could be (yet I am a female of the species), at least on screen – I shouldn’t be surprised I love just about all the names on your list ! They exude a certain refinement, understated strength.

        • I think Bilbo Baggins is a character who displays some fairly typical Virgo characteristics. Appropriate he should be played on screen by two Virgo actors. Here he is in J R R Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’:

          “All the same, I should like it all plain and clear,” said he obstinately, putting on his business manner (usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him), and doing his best to appear wise and prudent and professional and live up to Gandalf’s recommendation. “Also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth”–by which he meant: “What am I going to get out of it ? and am I going to come back alive?”

          I’ve also long thought that Mary Poppins must have had a good helping of Virgo planets in her natal chart!

  1. “And the male-of-the- species Virgo can be a player, more so than the female.” Yes, indeed they can! As the old saying goes – it’s always the quiet ones…… With his Mercury-Neptune and that Sun Moon Venus he would have been able to charm the birds from the trees in many senses. A wonderful actor and so unassuming. So many actors have strong Virgo themes or are Virgos. Attention to detail perhaps?

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