The radiantly handsome Paul Newman with the flawless marriage, an object of envy to most, is an exquisite example of how astrology gives the lie to a well-polished image, revealing the dark secrets that lie behind.
When celebrities are alive it is often not possible to be blunt about what the chart says; and even astrologers get bamboozled by an ethereal aura and tone down their suspicions.
Only after his death has it emerged what a tortured life Paul Newman had with a mother he described as a ‘monster’, who alternately cooed over his looks and then for no reason beat him. His parents were in constant conflict and his weak, alcoholic father an emotional dead space. Not surprisingly Newman himself developed a serious drinking problem which ruined his first marriage. His inadequacies as a parent to his first three children haunted him with guilt in later life.
Newman, 26 January 1925 6.30am Cleveland Heights, Ohio, had a hard-working, conscientious Saturn in Scorpio in his career 10th in a creative Water Grand Trine to Pluto Descendant trine Uranus, with Pluto opposition Venus, Mercury, Jupiter in Capricorn on his Ascendant. Venus Jupiter on the Ascendant would exude enthusiasm and give him an upbeat and clearly false persona. But Saturn Pluto is bleak. Add in Uranus for instability and it would send his Water Grand Trines into an alternative bubble of reality since the one on offer was too desolate. His Sun was square Saturn for the unsupportive father.
His unaspected Pisces Moon suggests dysfunctional nurturing, making him vulnerable and traumatized. It was conjunct his enthusiastic Mars/Jupiter midpoint and square his Mars/Pluto and Uranus/Node which encapsulates the confusing, double-messaging mother – one moment all over him, the next savagely cruel and unstable. Saturn in Scorpio in the 10th also represents the cold, ungiving, spine-straightening mother – which can occur with also with Moon Saturn.
Theresa Garth Feltzer, 25 July 1894, was a Sun Leo with a hard-edged and can-be-cruel, short-tempered Mars in Aries opposition Saturn in Libra square his Pluto and his Venus. So all of her pent-up resentment at the injustices of her own life would be acted out on him.
It is a miracle he stayed upright and as good looking as he did for so long. When he threw his mother out of his life at one point during his marriage to Joanne Woodward he said he felt a weight had been lifted from him. After she died in 1982 he started to record his memoir tapes and his daughter Clea said he he evolved immensely in the last quarter of his life, freed by his mother’s death. In 1982 tr Uranus just into Sagittarius was square his Moon which is classic transit for emotional changes concerning mother figures and a freeing up of old emotions trapped in the past.
In later life after he gave up drinking he took to racing cars which fitted with his 3rd house Mars in Aries but also suggests a need to flirt with death, and for the adrenaline kick that would waken dead emotions.
Another example of the gap between public adulation and the private reality is Jan Morris, the journalist and travel writer, lauded for her writing talent and courage as an early trans woman. She has been described after her death as “selfish, self-serving and unkind”. With a Sun Libra square Pluto; and Mars in Taurus opposition Saturn in Scorpio square Neptune (Moon) opposition Jupiter – there’s every reason to believe the description holds water.
Always reassuring to have the mysteries of charts illuminated after death.
See previous posts: Saturn mothers – 3 September 2022
Marriage to Joanne Woodward 27 July 2022.
Jan Morris 21 November 2020
Another illuminating post, Marjorie – thanks. Without question, an exquisitely handsome man.
Sad to read he felt liberated by his mothers passing. I have saturn opposite moon/mars and south node in Cancer, so can sadly relate.
Ah but do they ever grow up? And do they ever achieve true happiness? Horrendous childhoods have a lot to answer for.
The silent screen actor from the 1920s William Desmond once said in an interview “ People who be came actors have had a miserable childhood.” William was implying that overcoming their childhoods they entered the land of make believe.
@ PR, from observations that is generally true of entertainers of all stripes especially comedians.
I think many creatives are quite wounded people but I find that comedians are some of the most wounded of all.
That Saturn rulership from the AC can be good for feeling more comfortable in later life. I don’t know if this is borne out in the mythology but I see Saturn having an influence of either lying or presenting something as more favourable than it is. Seems an odd observation, unless it is a keeping up appearances type of influence. Re Jupiter close the ac, I heard a talk once where someone said it is like protection from another realm, divine intervention when needed. I look at his Mars c.Chiron with interest too. Painful. So long sceptical about Chiron, I have experienced it’s transits and natal placement in a very striking way and am starting to get a grip on it.
Maybe you’re upset at having been “bamboozled”! You are quick to think negatively about Newman. “It is a miracle he stayed upright and as good looking as he did for so long.” Hmmm?
Jupiter on the Asc with Venus can be happy-go-lucky (not always “falsely positive”) and Jupiter across Pluto can naturally keep trying to stay positive in difficult situations. Saturn Pluto is generational and much greatness has come from it.
This review assessment reads like you’re happy to find some maybe negative aspects of Newman, instead of considering him with a greater generosite or curiosity. Not so sweet!
What an odd misreading of the post.
Heavy drinking of the variety he evidently indulged in – dead drunk frequently – usually wrecks looks. In his case it didn’t. Worth a passing comment with no judgement intended.
All actors have false personas – its why they do what they do. The Ascendant is how you appear to others and does often hide a very different interior.
I have nothing but respect for those who survive ghastly childhoods and go on to prosper however much anguish they hide behind the scenes.
My ‘bamboozlement’ was more a reflection of the general, mine included, tendency to believe the publicity machine – and take the spun fantasy for reality.
@Marjorie, I’ve found personal element, Sun, Moon, or Axis in Capricorn are often indicative of “rough living” having little effect to looks. Another famous examples include Capricorn Suns David Bowie – I finally went to see “Moonage Daydreaming” over the weekend, and while he definitely was helped by plastic surgery in the later days, the amount of coke he did in the 1970’s could have led to much more serious consequences looks wise – and Mel Gibson. So, I think both his Capricorn Ascendant and 12th house “protective” Jupiter helped Newman.
How true – plus a strong Saturn. Often women who have had hair-raising childhoods stay ever-youthful till late on in life.
I can confirm on this one too. I have Capricorn on my ASC 1 degree. I’m 44 and people think I’m in my late 20s, early 30s! I seem to be aging backwards. I’ve worked as a professional model but I’ve had an exceptionally traumatic upbringing and my life has never reflected my outer appearance. The public seems to think I belong in the upper social classes and I often confuse people because I literally sweep parking lots for a living and pick up litter but I’ve made thousands of dollars at times, professionally modeling. I’ve heard before, “You look like you belong on a yacht-why are you cleaning parking lots?!”
What an illuminating thing to read. Could you explain how that works? I’m Aquarius, born 1953, had a lonely childhood due to grieving parents. It was only when I reached my late 40’s that I realised how much it impacted my later life and only because it was mentioned to me. I myself shut it all off (successfully I thought!). But I am very young looking. Not bragging, merely stating a fact, despite drinking (not heavily but consistently) all of my life. Very interesting comment Marjorie.
Alexis, My gut feeling is that something gets ‘frozen’ in bad childhoods at a young age – certainly emotional glitches get embedded and the stuck-at-an-early age scenario may be why the face/looks follow suit. But that’s on the basis of no evidence.
Very interesting insights as always, Marjorie. I learn so much from your posts. I can confirm tr Uranus to the moon is powerful in altering perceptions in relationship to the mother. I had a very painful, confusing and difficult experience with my birth mother. Uranus has been transiting my 4th house since 2018, currently trining my moon. I’m being powerfully and shockingly liberated from 40 years (or more) of trauma & all the wounding that has come with it. I could have never anticipated this level of liberation would take place around my relationship with my mother & my own fears of becoming a mother myself.
Uranus hitting the Moon can be unsettling but it can also be marvellously liberating as well. Good luck
Thank you. Agreed!