Russell Brand, the controversialist and comedian, morphed into political activist, has been mouthing off about lack of transparency in government about coronavirus. After a chequered career on radio, stage and TV marked by scandals over promiscuity, drugs and his bad behaviour, he has taken up arms in recent years about wealth inequality, addiction, corporate capitalism, climate change, and media bias.
He was born on 4th June 1975 at midnight according to his biography though it isn’t clear whether start or finish of the 4th. Either time leaves the chart axis and planetary positions much the same and both with an Aries Moon. It gives a Gemini Sun on the cusp of the performing 5th house opposition a creative 10th house Neptune and trine an 8th house Pluto.
He was born the same day as Angelina Jolie so has her ferociously difficult and angry Pluto opposition Mars Moon Jupiter widely square Saturn in Cancer. Like Jolie he had a messy childhood with his parents splitting when he was a baby and his mother was ill for a period when he was young. He was abused at school – diagnosed ADHD and bi-polar, had drug problems and self-harmed. Which is similar to Jolie’s experience and reactions.
However difficult the astrology was, there are quite a cluster of go-getters born around then – Marissa Mayer (Yahoo etc) May 30; Mel Brown May 29; Jamie Oliver May 27; Shilpa Shetty June 8. What probably makes a difference apart from the obsessive, make-or-break determination of the Mars opposition Pluto, is the Sun opposition Neptune trine Pluto. Neptune and Pluto carry associations of megalomania or at a mundane level soaring ambition and that plus a pro-active Jupiter in Aries would make a difference.
In Brand’s case his 8th house Pluto would make him feel held back by circumstances beyond his control but it also, if handled well, gives him an ability to influence the masses. The two central oppositions in his chart of Sun Neptune and Pluto Mars form a (misnamed) Mystic Rectangle which is difficult to balance. A hard Mars Pluto aspect, he shares with David Icke and others who are driven to tilt against the establishment as a way of expressing their deep-seated anger, stemming from father and authority issues. Uranus in the 9th will give him a leaning towards alternative ideas or rebel movements. Money will be an issue for him with strong 2nd and 8th house emphasis.
The Eclipses last year and this will be prompting him to re-evaluate his direction and with tr Pluto aiming to square his Uranus from early 2022 to late 2023, he’ll be heading into another major life’s transition which may involve a significant emotional event. His Solar Arc Sun will conjunct his Venus next year which coincides with tr Pluto opposition his Venus so his relationships could get steamy. If his birth time is accurate tr Saturn is also disappearing into his lower profile First Quadrant for several years so whether by choice or not he will be less visible if not instantly then over time.
I think Russell’s powerful Mystic Rectangle is just beginning to manifest the spiritual development possible there. It’s heartening to hear how he champions average people and reveals how billionaires, the media, tech companies, and political elites are in cahoots at the expense of regular people.
@Jo : just to clarify my opinion, I loved his performances as a comic actor – not as a comedian, in films where he was required to act according to a script. I agree that his stand up material was often tasteless. But his performances as an actor I greatly enjoyed. But that was then, so much has changed in attitudes over the last 20 or so years that perhaps I would view those films differently now.
Yes, I don’t mind him too much as an actor but his stand-up comedy was really gruesome. I quite enjoyed the film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall though in which he starred and found it quite funny. I think he was kind of playing himself though, lol.
Hes a member of the Fabian society sheep in wolves clothing
Just checked what that is: The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow.
What’s wrong with that? The most successful societies out there (which includes equality and personal happiness, etc.) are democratically socialist (Scandinavian countries being the better examples).
The only people I know who are terrified of socialism are Americans who think of it in terms of Russia and North Korea. Which is kind of ironic considering they sailed very close to it with Trump in charge who ADORES those guys. Cold war socialism is just basically a dictatorship ruled country. Democratic socialism is NOTHING like that. But the word socialist terrifies many conservative Americans as if it were Satan himself.
My paternal ancestors were Fabians, Jo. I think one of the criticisms aimed at Fabians historically was that they were in the main, middle or upper middle-class with a conscience and were therefore perceived as ‘armchair Socialists’ or what the Mail or the Sun would call ‘champagne Socialists’ today.
Thanks, VF. Does it imply at some level that they are all mouth (and opinions) but not into action or doing the hard ground work or something? The wiki description doesn’t seem like anything to fear.
I noticed with Russell when I watched a few of his videos that he almost does not interact with his following that much. Many fans are bowled over by his long words and thought processes (and let’s be honest, he IS extremely intelligent and philosophically lucid). But there is an air of sanctimony and manipulation about him. As soon as a celebrity wants to interact with him and work with him though he’s all over it like custard on sponge! So that gives me narcissism vibes. I don’t dislike him because he does say some deeply insightful things at times. At other times I’d just wish he’d stick a sock in it because he comes across like he loves the sound of his own voice. I’ve seen him interact with those less intelligent than him and you can certainly pick up on his arrogant impatience which kind of goes against the grain of what he espouses about raising others up.
I couldn’t stand him as a comedian. I found him deeply misogynistic and sex-obsessed. He cracked an extremely crude joke about Liam Gallaghers girlfriend at the time (Natalie from All Saints) which infuriated me. I often find when it comes to humour women poke fun at themselves but men generally humiliate others for a giggle. Actually, I think this was even verified in a study when they looked at stand up comedy between men and women. However, dare to turn the tables on them and they don’t like it one bit. I can imagine Russell getting all pissy if his own humour and word salads were thrown back at him!
When he did ‘Big Brother’s Little Brother’, I remember another comedian describing his act as consisting of a ‘man coming up with an endless list of diminutive names for his own genitalia, while dressed as a pirate’.
I’ve always thought he could be articulate when speaking about addiction, but am not drawn to his philosophical ramblings which strike me as indulgent wool gathering. Remember the Johnathan Ross incident which I thought was really gross. Apart from being a consummate Gemini, he’s got Mars in Aries, Venus in Cancer which I think is very traditional when it comes to the sexes.
Btw, back in the day, the Fabian Society became involved with eugenics and the idea of the perfect human being. I think it’s probably one of the most closeted skeletons in the history of the British Left.
I thought he was a brilliant comic actor. But he doesn’t seem to get cast anymore (perhaps because of the bad behaviour). His more recent incarnation as an internet guru I found rather repulsive and now as a woke activist, smacks of desperation. He really should get his act together and go back to doing what he does best: making us laugh.
I know it would be lovely if other people would do what we feel they do best. But I think we are all here on earth to figure out our own path. Maybe Russell Brand is exploring things that are meaningful to him?
Regarding his birthtime, I got it from him years ago when he was on the radio. He was actually born 7 minutes after midnight, but set it back to exactly midnight in the biography to make it more dramatic. 🙂 Still makes me smile when I think of it.