Fame is a fickle creature even when rooted in talent as actor Noel Clarke has discovered for the second time. In 2021 he won the outstanding BAFTA as actor, writer, producer, director for his contribution to British cinema. The Guardian then ran several articles and a podcast featuring more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct. BAFTA suspended him and his career ground to a halt.
His choice at that point with no criminal charges involved would have been to keep his head down and hope over time the heat might die down enough to allow him to seek penance through good works and indications of contrition. Instead of which he has doubled down and then some, issuing a libel writ against the Guardian alleging there had been a conspiracy amongst the 26 women who gave evidence. The judge has finally ruled the newspaper had succeeded in both its defences – of truth and public interest.
What intrigues me is why in these circumstance he was unable to ‘read the room’ and continued to bulldoze ahead, no doubt at considerable cost financially into a no-win court case with multiple witnesses lined up against him. What in Greek plays used to be known as ‘hamartia’ otherwise known as the hero’s tragic flaw – a personality trait or mistaken judgment that leads to downfall, causing their destruction or profound suffering. This weakness can be an excessive virtue taken too far, such as pride (hubris), or a negative trait like uncontrolled rage or jealousy, ultimately leading to the character’s ruin.
He was born 6 December 1975 4.40pm (from memory) London, and has a creative though unrealistic Sun Neptune, Mercury conjunction in Sagittarius. With a rules-don’t-apply-to-me Jupiter in pro-active Aries opposition Pluto. A hard-working Capricorn Moon opposition Saturn in wannabe-important Leo square Venus and Uranus will make him charming, creative, emotionally unpredictable, at times cool and defensive. His assertive Mars in Gemini on his Ascendant is trine Venus giving him an added spark of passionate enthusiasm, romantic and otherwise.
It is not a hard chart but the confidence and drive which made it possible for him to succeed may also have gone along with a streak of hubris and lack of self-awareness – an over-developed sense of self-importance which became his Achilles Heel.
He also has a Scorpio North Node which can carry a message that the road to transformation is only obtained by losing everything – overcoming the acquisitiveness and power-hungriness of the Taurus South Node. Hamartia also hints that redemption comes through facing one’s flaws and learning lessons from the downfall.
The 10th harmonic, exceptionally strong in his case, carries much the same message. In his 10H there is a Mars Saturn Jupiter conjunction on the apex of a yod inconjunct Venus sextile an intransigent Uranus Neptune – over-forceful and over-confident, tied into romantic impulses, with Uranus Neptune unable to face up the evidence of being in the wrong. And a Pluto Venus Sun T square doubling up on the pushiness. Mars Saturn carries a double message of can-be-unkind and resentful about being treated unfairly.
The 10th harmonic is the harmonic of the wheel of fortune, which can run over us as well as turn in our favour, contains the seed of both the rise and fall, good and bad.
Additional thoughts on it – TEN lacks in its character the idea of service to others. The emphasis is on self-interest, achievement, business.
Skipping around a few other notables who feel from high position, not all in the frame of sexual misbehaviour, but several keen to sue to ‘clear’ their names which backfired.
Rolf Harris 10H – Jupiter Pluto, MC, Sun T square, with Jupiter Pluto sextile Mercury inconjunct Venus. Saturn opposition Uranus square Venus. Proud, autocratic, pushy.
Kevin Spacey 10H Pluto opposition Moon square MC, Jupiter opposition Neptune.
Harvey Weinstein 10H Mars Saturn opposition Moon; Sun inconjunct Jupiter Neptune.
Jeffrey Archer 10H – Mars Saturn conjunct. Venus sextile Neptune inconjunct Uranus.
Mel Gibson 10H Sun Midheaven opposition Uranus square Pluto.
Lance Armstrong 10H Uranus opposition Sun Saturn square Moon; Venus trine Uranus sextile Mars Neptune. Uranus opposition Sun Saturn.
Jonathan Aitken 10H Sun trine Mars trine Saturn.
Noel Clarke has tr Pluto opposition his Saturn till the end of this year which is discouraging plus a devastating Solar Arc Neptune opposition his Saturn this year as well. Tr Saturn will square his Mars bringing setbacks through this coming winter, followed by an insecure Solar Arc Uranus opposition his Mars in 2026. His birth time is ‘memory’ so could be questionable.
Not of monumental importance but interesting.
It’s always a bit frustrating not to have the birth time so no insight via the houses.
I have my doubts about the 4.40 pm for Noel Clarke here. In a Whole sign chart that would put his Venus conjunct Uranus on the cusp of his 6th house (health and work), when it would make much more sense for it to be in the 5th house (theatre and entertainment).
Either way, his Sun conjunct Mercury is ‘combust’ which can be a problem, causing a kind of electrical short or blind spot. Factor in the conjunction with Neptune and it’s highly likely there’s going to be some self-delusion.
Another hard lesson from the transiting Pluto/Neptune sextile it seems.
From the Guardian, which I have read, ‘ Justice Sreyn also found that Clarke “covertly filmed the naked auditions of two women and showed the footage to a colleague”. Mr Clarke did so knowing that the actors had been firmly assured that their naked auditions would not be recorded.’
“There has been no conspiracy to lie. In the absence of a conspiracy Mr Clarke’s case that more than 20 witnesses- none of whom are parties or have a stake in this case, as he does- have come to court to lie is inherently implausible”
The report of his character in the articles is akin to Marjorie’s interpretation of his chart.
It is well known that only a tiny minority of successful prosecutions are made for sexual harrassment/ rape. Victim blaming, often from people who have no in depth knowledge of the case, is rife. In my opinion it is unlikely that, without the backing of the Guardian, these women would have been unable to take their case to court
Trish Thank you for this. He said/she said rarely works – and if 30 she-saids versus one he-said is written off as a conspiracy, heaven help us. It is an industry well known for bad behaviour and very difficult for whistle blowers to make much impact unless through weight of numbers.
Yes, the title of The Guardian’s piece fitted his Sun-Neptune in Sag – it’s all a conspiracy theory.
I’d assume with his Gemini Mars opposition Sag Mercury he is used to ‘winning’ arguments. Or rather, at least going on and on and coming up with spurious new angles until the other person realises it’s not worth arguing and stops. Add in that Cap moon which once it has an idea of something it believes will make it happy, is unnegotiable – and his is opposite Saturn. Then third opposition with Jupiter-Pluto backing up the tendency to outlasting thinking that is winning.
No wonder he lacks self-awareness with 3 oppositions and a Sag-Neptune.
As no charges were forthcoming, the police clearly did not have enough evidence to build a case. And that is among over 20 women. I have read that the CPS will not even attempt a court case, unless they have a 70% chance of winning it. So unless, there are witnesses and physical and medical evidence of assault and r@pe, then there is little chance of it being resolved, as far as the women are concerned.
I am actually surprised that The Guardian won the court case, because they too need proof of the same sort. I am not saying that these things didn’t happen, but if there is just not enough to prove he did anything, why on earth did they publish? Or broadcast the podcast?
As for Noel, himself, it pains me to say this, but I do think he has the right to defend himself. Because everybody does have that right. And the only way it can be done is to go after the people who are besmirching your reputation. Although in his case that hasn’t worked out so well.
And that leads to the pod cast, which I cannot comment on as I never watched it. I rarely read The Guardian, except in the past when you could read their recipe page without subscribing to it. Now you have to pay to read.
Anyway, I have no way of knowing whether any of these women knew each other previously. Or if they did know each other through work or say they were at university together or they showed up at the same parties or night clubs, then if they had no previous contact then there is no opportunity of a conspiracy pact taking place. But, as people tend to flock together, regularly there is the possibility that, a conspiracy of sorts might have taken place. And if that is the case, hasn’t The Guardian conspired with them? And does a podcast have less legal ramifications, then being printed in a newspaper or just published online? It is very difficult to see why one can get away with things that the other can’t. Anyway Marjorie, as a former journalist, you know more about these things than I do. But the whole thing seems a mare’s nest to me and no real resolution to the case, as far as I can see!
Something similar happened to SATC actor Chris Noth, also known as Mr. Big. He was accused of sexual misconduct and lost his job on the SATC spin-off. No criminal charges were ever brought. He said he wanted to fight the accusations in court, but didn’t want to drag out the issue with his family, as well as face the potential financial ramifications.
I heard Clarke wanted to have the issue officially countered and challenged on the record because it was affecting the work he was getting—and his family. I agree he should have kept his head down for a while. Noth, who did, has started getting work again.
However, the UK is a smaller market. It’s potentially more cliquey. Gossip and a bad reputation may cost UK-based talent more. *Some* folk may not have considered hiring Clarke until he was more officially cleared, which in this case didn’t happen.