Friends’ star Matthew Perry has died apparently of drowning after a heart attack in a jacuzzi. He has had a long history of drug addiction though had been clean recently. He was a Sun Leo and more significantly a Scorpio Moon opposition Saturn in Taurus which both caught yesterday’s Lunar Eclipse. As did his Progressed Moon as it headed for a Return.
Details in previous post from October 22 2022.
Behind every comedy there’s often a tragedy. Matthew Perry, the wisecracking Chandler of Friends, the most popular TV show of all time, has revealed all about his relentless addiction problems over decades. It saw him in and out of 15 rehabs and almost killed him in 2018 when his colon burst due to the overuse of opioid drugs, putting him in a coma for two weeks with a 2% survival chance and required a colostomy bag for nine months. During one low point during Friends he was taking 55 tablets of Vicodin each day and his weight dropped to 58kg (9 stone).
He was born 19 August 1969 4.47am North Adams, Massachusetts, with an actor father and a journalist mother who split before his first birthday. He has an entertaining Leo Sun in his upfront 1st house square a filmic and escapist Neptune in the 4th; with an intensely emotional Scorpio Moon also in his 4th opposition a hard-working 10th house Saturn in Taurus. And Venus in sensitive, self-protective Cancer in his 12th.
His childhood does not look to have been emotionally supportive with a Saturn-afflicted Moon, a hidden Venus and missing a strong male role model for a father. His Sun and Neptune are both in hard aspect to the destructive Mars/Saturn midpoint which would create setbacks for him. His Sun/Moon midpoint is conjunct Uranus so finding a stable one-to-one relationship would never be easy for him.
When Friends launched on 22 September 1994, he said he had been praying fervently to be famous, only later to discover it did not solve any of his problems. At that point tr Pluto was conjunct his 4th house Neptune which would have a devastating effect before moving to square his Sun the following year as his life changed out of all recognition. Tr Neptune Uranus were also hovering over the opposition to his Venus.
When he hit rock bottom in June 2018 tr Uranus just into Taurus was conjunct his Midheaven for a sudden change of direction; and tr Pluto in his 6th house of health was opposing his 12th house Venus. His Solar Arc Neptune was also hovering on the cusp of his 6th. His Progressed Moon was conjunct his Sun a month or so after he was hospitalised for an internal rebirth. And his Solar Arc Jupiter was wending its way towards a conjunction with his Neptune in the aftermath as he struggled towards a new life.
Saturn has made a full cycle since Friends launched in 1994 as his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is coming out. It won’t be easy for him but tr Jupiter going through his 10th at the moment bringing attention and praise will help and tr Saturn moving upwards in his chart for the next decade will give him resilience.
Clearly not enough. Drug addiction takes a terrible toll on health.
I nearly drowned in a jacuzzi a week or so after an operation and that was with two nurses in the room. I couldn’t believe I that I was unable to help myself. I just kept sliding down. Dangerous things Jacuzzis.
Wow, he has a pretty difficult chart. As others have mentioned, he has close aspects with Leo Sun square Neptune and Scorpio Moon opposite Saturn. Also as I’ve learned from Steven Forrest’s work, having the south node conjunct Pluto is a very difficult placement. His struggles with addiction certainly could have been the result of some pretty intense inner turmoil. I hope he finds freedom and peace on the other side.
I think you’re right about his Virgo mercury-pluto-SN. It looks like he got trapped there getting his self-worth from trying to helping others overcome their addictions. There’s lots of stories about how he turned his home into a rehab place and how he helped Hank Azaria get sober etc, etc. But he got stuck in the Virgo practicalities of attending rehab and AA and talking about it where his Pisces North Node in the 8th needed to resolve the issues by just accepting he wasn’t in control and feeling the emotional issues. With Scorpio moon opposite Taurus saturn that difficulty is replicated.
I’ve always been confused by the 12-step programmes needing to admit being powerless to control one’s addiction and that there is a higher power which can help. To me, those seem like an excuse to give up taking responsibility for oneself – yet that is one part of what you have to do. But I realised recently, from watching an Aqua Sun / Virgo Moon-Pluto person that he has a belief that he can solve his problems with his own brilliant ideas. Reality says he’s been trying it for 10 years and it’s not worked. So I now see how these early steps are about being willing to listen to and submit to outside ideas. Think with poor Matthew Perry, it would have been his Virgo mercury-Pluto and fixed planets couldn’t handle the change in thinking / belief required. Yet the Leo Sun-neptune square would also have given him the “it’s beyond my control” victim stance and while he sought change, couldn’t take the step he needed. I have that square and it is a fine line between accepting the world for what it is and being a victim. Noting that Perry probably began all his rehab as transiting Pluto in scorpio hit his Sun-Neptune square around 1994. As Marjorie noted, it fulfilled his dream of fame and then he had to face reality that it didn’t make him happier.
I think he overdosed and passed out , only to drown right after that. I don’t think he had a heart attack. What a pity! I really wanted him to find a partner. He seemed very lonely at times.
@Charlotte, I think this is very insensitive to people who’ve had their loved ones literally “drop death” fairly young. Coming from a family that’s practising lot of sports, I have stories of people dying in the middle of a sport event due to heart attack, stroke, etc. There is also one person my father knows who actually went the way Matthew Perry was seem to have gone: Had a massive heart attack at hot tub after endurance sport event. The person was 58, with “clean” lifestyle, never had smoked. Actually made me think I will never bath or, God forbid, take sauna, without someone on site. Warmth does affect blood wessels, and people should be careful with these things.
I’m not sure Charlotte meant to be insensitive, and I wasn’t going to say this at first but I lost a cousin exactly the same way. He was also 54 so it’s really rung bells for me and I’ve been busy comparing their charts. My cousin loved hot baths and was found at the bottom of the tub apparently drowned. But the autopsy found no water in his lungs and concluded he likely experienced sudden cardiac death and was gone before he hit the water. No traces of alcohol and drugs were found in his system and I read that police found no evidence of substance abuse at the scene of Perry’s death either. So yes, people do suddenly drop dead from a cardiac event due to overheating whether it is in a hot tub or bath, or while participating in sports, and I understand that in Japan where saunas and hot springs are popular, such events are well known. I am expecting that is what they will find if there is an autopsy of Perry’s body. It fits in with his Leo ASC and 1st house Leo Sun with Leo ruling the heart as I think others have mentioned.
Given his medical history it is a miracle he survived as long as he did. In his book, he wrote about a near death experience in 2019 as a result of his colon bursting from opioid overuse. After a seven hour emergency surgery he was given a 2 percent chance of surviving the night. He wrote about another near death experience in a rehab facility in Switzerland. His “heart stopped for five minutes” but he “didn’t flatline.”
Some old rockers who punished their bodies with drugs appear to kind of survive the damage but not all do.
Don’t you think the red flag was that he was too unconscious and that caused many problems to him? More than the drugs? The rolling stones are a good example of abuse and getting to old age as if nothing had happened.
I don’t know if we should keep blaming drugs any longer. Don’t you think?
Drug abuse can cause Irregular heartbeats, heart attacks and strokes. Increases in heart rates & blood pressure.
Some drugs also can reduce the rate of blood to the heart that possibly could stop the functioning of the muscles & body.
Drug abuse can affect the human heart and cause pulmonary oedema which is triggered when too much fluid backs up in the lung leading to failure & shortening of breath.
Endocarditis – This is known as a life-long condition caused by the misuse of drugs through injections.
Irregular heartbeats & in some cases blackouts.
Drug abuse can lead to someone having heart disease & danger to other vital organs in the body.
Most illegal drugs can have adverse cardiovascular effects, ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injecting illegal drugs also can lead to cardiovascular problems, such as collapsed veins and bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves.
Many drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and various forms of amphetamine, affect the central nervous system and can alter a user’s consciousness. In addition to addiction, the side effects and risks associated with use of these drugs include: heart attacks, seizures, and respiratory arrest
I want much if a friends fan but I like matthew perry (only one worth watching) on show. I hope he finds peace. 17 times in rehabilitation!!!!
His secondary progressed Sun was at 19°02′ Libra catching the October 14th eclipse as well. Progressed Saturn at 6°45′ Taurus Rx even closer to yesterday’s eclipse and progressed Moon at 3°26′ Scorpio approaching its natal position opposite the lunar eclipse. Progressed ASC at 22°24′ Virgo and progressed Venus at 23°46′ Virgo closely conjunct his natal Pluto at 23°52 Virgo. Progressed Uranus at 5°20′ Libra closely conjunct his natal Jupiter which in traditional astrology rules his 8th house of death. SA Neptune at 18°49′ Capricorn exactly opposite his Venus and SA Uranus at 24°53′ Scorpio conjunct his natal Neptune. SA ASC at 3°33′ Libra applying to his natal Jupiter. I’ll stop there but, I always find the secondary progressions and SA directions as illuminating as the transits. Sad he died so young.
Jupiter is hovering around his SA North Node. With so much going on with his chart (progressed, solar arc and the eclipse), it makes one wonder if he could have navigated his way around the challenges, or was it almost inevitable that he would pass away, from an astro perspective? How much influence can we exert on our destiny? It seems like some people seem to live quite fated lives.
This is a very sad news. I grew up watching Friends. On a personal note, I always looked up to Matthew Perry and Edward Norton as my astrology twins, born a few days after me, and loved both. I can say that late 2018 was a terrible year in my life. Everything came falling apart, and it took me a few years to get back to normal. It is interesting to see how Perry struggled at the same time with multiple health problems.
Same for me, Uranus in the midheaven! Tough times for Leos.
With the help of Friends I barely got out of high school. It was miserable. Without that show, God knows what would’ve happened to me. I know I’m not alone in that kind of testimony.
I have the Moon opp Saturn too – it’s not great. It’s a prolonged placement. With the south node Virgo (which I also have) in 2nd, he would have had very strong negative voices in the head encouraging perfection and generating deep guilt when he couldn’t achieve that. I imagine those feelings would’ve directly affected his self worth and /or ability to make, keep, handle money/possessions. He likely drank to drown that reality out, which would’ve just compounded the problem.
He knew the power of inner work, self-awareness and healing at Pisces North node though! Maybe that’s how he lived long enough to write that memoir.
He was able to tap into his greater potential and share it with the world, and for that I’m glad.
I looked up his astrology after learning of his tragic death and there was that Moon/Saturn opposition hit by yesterday’s eclipse. So very sad. Fwiw, you see Moon/Saturn crop up regularly in actor’s charts. Matthew Perry’s Sun at 26 of Leo had been under tremendous pressure as the focal point of a Yod with transit Neptune as well as Pluto in quincunx, plus the Mars/Uranus square of this summer with the added pressure of transit Mars on his Sun. That his death was heart related as pdw points out comes as no surprise, given the astrology.
R.I.P.
Very sad news. I loved Friends, along with pretty much everyone else. This clever, witty man really struggled with demons didn’t he? I hope he is at peace now.
Re the transiting Pluto/Neptune forming a quincunx with 26 Leo, tell me about it! They have been on my Mercury for what seems like a century. Mercury rules my IC, and all the difficulties have manifested with my home, in the shape of a very mentally unwell, aggressive and intimidating neighbour. Progressed Saturn has been conjunct my Moon as well. I am looking forward to all this resolving itself, since I’ve taken all practical steps possible at this point. I had never really considered a transiting quincunx formation before, and not sure I ever experienced one of any length or impact. Not fun.
Sorry to hear that, Jane and I hope that it resolves itself soon. I too have the Neptune/Pluto sextile on my NN and bml at 26 Leo in the 12th. The Sun is in my 2nd so it involves 2nd house matters which are dragging on and on. I’ve experienced it as an exceptionally challenging configuration and like you have never noticed the impact of such a yoddy transit impact before. It’s curious that throughout this year Philip Schofield has had it on Uranus at 26 Leo.
I am tempted to check at some point, for Pluto and Neptune’s sextile is an ongoing thing wherever they find themselves and so other signs could be involved. Funnily enough, I have always got on well with Capricorns and Pisces Suns. I hope your Second House matters also clear up. Yes, very challenging – and the feeling of not being able to sort something out in a rational way is so slippery. Normally I just wade in and keep going until things change. That’s not appropriate for this situation! It has been very dark at times.
I’m very sorry, Jane. Given your past experiences, it must be horribly triggering for you. <3
Why did he battle the addiction? What caused all of it?
At 54, so relatively young…he was undergoing a quincunx from transiting Neptune to his heart-related Sun suggesting potential for physical vulnerability, stress, or dis-ease that needs to be addressed. I hope he had not been ignoring symptoms or routine medical checkups.
I note that the fixed star, Alphard resides at 27 Leo: “Gives wisdom, musical and artistic appreciation, knowledge of human nature, strong passions, lack of self control, immorality. Sudden death by poison or drowning. Problems with law, love affairs, drugs.”
Great find, Virgoflake! Thanks for sharing!
Sad news. Friends was such a landmark show for so many people and a place in their personal histories.
You can see the difficulty in Perry’s chart, conflicting energies pulling him apart. He never married (not that you have to) but I wonder whether with that 8th house Pisces north node – it was the part of the puzzle which was missing for him. Venus Cancer, Scorpio Neptune/moon all deeply want to be with others.
Great summary, Marjorie.
I too share an afflicted moon (saturn opposition) and the troubled mind is difficult to shake.
His step dad said of him a few years back:
“He’s an intense, talented, focused character. He’s very bright. That was always the case as he was growing up,’ … ‘we love having him around”.
A sad loss.