Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs co-creator and actress, has died aged 90. The hugely successful 1970s TV drama series she dreamt up with co-thespian Eileen Atkins, became a cultural landmark and inspired later period dramas like Downtown Abbey.
She was born 1 July 1934 12.15 pm Stoke Newington with a 10th house Cancer Sun and Mars in Gemini conjunct her Midheaven from her 9th – and an influential Pluto in her 10th as well. Her Pisces Moon opposed Neptune in Virgo and squared Venus in Gemini. Ambitious and kind natured.
It’s a Water Air chart, not aways easy to handle with a sometimes precarious balance between head and heart, detachment and emotional overload.
When Upstairs Downstairs launched on 10 October 1971 tr Uranus was exactly conjunct her 1st house Jupiter with tr Pluto just across her Ascendant.
Eileen Atkins, 15 June 1934 11.55pm London, born within two weeks of Jean Marsh, has a Gemini Sun and Mars trine an 8th house Jupiter. Her chart with three Earth, 4 Air, 2 Water and a Fire Leo Moon has a better balance across the elements. Tr Jupiter was heading for her Midheaven over the launch of Upstairs Downstairs, with tr Uranus conjunct her Jupiter and tr Saturn moving her career up a notch as it headed across her IC.
Upstairs Downstairs launched 10 October 1971 with a Sun Uranus Mercury in Libra trine Mars North Node in Aquarius – so had the potential to be ground breaking. With Saturn opposition Neptune Jupiter – which can indicate an interest in the under-privileged.
Downton Abbey, 26 September 2010, also had a Libra Sun opposition Uranus Jupiter in Pisces and conjunct Saturn and the Sun Saturn square Pluto – similar but with a tilt towards Saturnine themes (and war).
Thanks Marj – what an interesting chart she has with the lack of fire and even her one earth planet being Uranus (airy) in Taurus.
I wonder if with her Pisces Moon in 6th / Neptune in Virgo 12th – it influenced her to create something about servants. Also the nodes across Aqua / Leo maybe giving thoughts on the upper and lower classes.
All power to her – lovely actress in the things I’ve seen her do
The Pisces/Virgo theme is interesting, with a Pisces Moon maybe representing her mother who had worked as a barmaid, amongst other things. Also, Eileen Atkins has a 6th house Moon too – Virgo’s house, and house of work and everyday routines? Both Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh are East London women – EA born in Clapton, JM in Stoke Newington, just a short distance away. Eileen Atkins struggled to lose her Cockney accent, and was earning money dancing at 12! I suspect their working class backgrounds inspired them to create Upstairs Downstairs – perhaps no better observers of the upper classes than those who work for them!