Rita Moreno, best known as the zesty girlfriend in the 1961 film version of West Side Story, flouncing her lilac skirt while singing I Love America for which she won an Oscar, has been wheeled out aged 90 for the Spielberg remake. She stars in documentary salute – Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It – reflecting on her life, career and traumas, and has a part in the rerun as well. Both are due out this month.
She was born 11 December 1931 in Puerto Rico (no time sadly) and brought to the US by her mother when she was five making her professional debut at a bar in Greenwich Village at the age of six. She was dubbing Spanish films by the age of 11, and made her first appearance on Broadway at 13. At 16 she was the family’s sole breadwinner and talent-spotted by Louis B Mayer.
Frequently the focus of racist slurs, she was also raped by her agent, aged 17 and was so low in self-esteem she reckoned she deserved it and stayed with him. She had a tempestuous seven-year relationship with Marlon Brando that led to a botched, illegal abortion and a suicide attempt once they split up. Finally she ended up in a controlling 45 year marriage to a doctor and she sighed with relief when he finally died.
She was one of only six women ever to win the “grand slam” of performance awards – picking up Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony statuettes for performances. She also fought for leftwing political causes, especially women’s rights and sat a few feet from Martin Luther King as he delivered his “I have a dream” speech.
She is a Sun Sagittarius in a Fire Grand Trine to Uranus in Aries trine Jupiter in Leo, making her inspirational, spontaneous, impulsive, having unshakeable faith that her guardian angel would bring her luck when she needed it. She also had the tough Saturn in Capricorn (Moon) opposition Pluto of the time in an innovative square to Uranus. Her Uranus would make her a mould-breaker and rebellious, despite being severely restricted by the mores of the time. Ultimately it helped her become a light bearer and agent for progress.
Her chemistry with Brando was mixed to put it mildly – his Jupiter in Sagittarius trine Neptune trine New Moon in Aries sat well with her Sagittarius Sun and other Fire planets. But with his beyond-difficult Mars in Capricorn opposition an 8th house Pluto square his Aries New Moon he would be a bully and massively self-centred. His Mars, Pluto, New Moon T Square collided full force with her Moon Saturn, Pluto, Uranus T square so calamities, fights and aggravations were bound to follow.
Her emotionally deprived background also played a part in her choice of husband, with Leonard Gordon, 26 March 1920, who was another dominating Sun Aries square Pluto with his Pluto in a less-than-kind Water Grand Trine to Mars in Scorpio trine Uranus with his Uranus opposition Saturn. Difficult man. Lovely woman.
Using 11 of her life events, and 7 methods of rectification (transit to natal, day-for-year, Solar Arc to natal,
degree-for-a-year, plus the converse of these) I rectified her birth time to 2:40 pm, with Asc 29Aries30.
She has Neptune, acting, in her 5th House. Neptune in 5th also accounts for her early in life dancing lessons.
Terpsichore, as asteroid for dancing, exactly conjuncts her MH. Jupiter at 22Le conjuncts her 5th cusp.
In numerology 22 gives “superstar.” Asterooid “Actor” is in her 6th House of work.
Her 29Aries30 Asc supports her “fueled by fire” approach to life.
So. Much. Capricorn. Wow. In addition to her other cardinal placements, all being triggered by Pluto since 2008. She is one tough cookie in my book!