The story
picks up key themes in Oldman’s chart. Sun, Moon and Mercury Conjunct in the
martial, warrior sign of Aries in his 10th House, reflects his character’s
decision to fight, not negotiate, reflected in Churchill’s famous, we shall fight on the beaches speech. We
also see Oldman’s Sun in Aries in the 10th House in the movie’s tagline A man with the heart of a nation. And
all those Aries planets are disposited by Mars in Aquarius, a placement of
stubbornly acting upon one’s own convictions, acting independently but for the
good of the whole.
Darkest Hour also uses the taglines Never give up. Never give in. and Never, never, never surrender.
These
also reflect Oldman’s Aries warrior
spirit, but also his Fixed T Square, that most unyielding of aspect patterns.
The T Square is comprised of Uranus in Leo in the 2nd House Opposite
Mars in Aquarius in the 8th House with an apex of Neptune and North
Node in Scorpio in the 5th House.
Jupiter, also in the 5th, joins this stubborn
Fixed T Square and at the very last degree of Libra, 29 degrees and 56 minutes
no less, is an apt reflection of Churchill’s refusal to negotiate with the
Nazis. Jupiter,
Neptune and North Node in the 5th House at the apex, speak of his career choice
as an actor, with Neptune representing the glamorous illusion of the movies.
The North Node brings perhaps a sense of destiny around his choice. Jupiter
offers faith and opportunity and in the critical 29th degree adds a ‘do or die’
quality. Uranus in the 2nd in Leo is about valuing being at the centre of
things, but on one’s own terms, in one’s own way. It is also more generally
about earning money unconventionally or erratically and opposite Mars in
Aquarius in the 8th suggests tension around the sharing of money and resources
within partnerships. It stands to reason that his four divorces would bring
financial stress, even, or especially, in the big money world of Hollywood.
Venus and
Mars are both in Aquarius in the 8th, but too wide to be in a Conjunction.
Venus is Conjunct Chiron. Is there some clue here, as to why Oldman has been
married five times? Oldman is known to be intensely protective of his private
life, as you might expect with a personal planet in the 8th House, eschewing
celebrity and the circus that comes with it. However in the buzz
around awards season, his personal life was laid open by his third wife
who claimed in a newspaper article that he ‘ruined’ her life and ‘stole’ her
children. Neptune in the 5th, Square Mars and Uranus is also evoked here.
The Jupiter,
Neptune, North Node Conjunction has also manifested in alcoholism with a spell
in rehab and a drink driving charge in 1991, when transiting Neptune Squared
his Moon and Mercury.
His Sun is in
an out of sign Square with Saturn in Sagittarius and both Sun and Saturn are
connected to Pluto by Quincunx and Trine respectively. Furthermore, his Mercury
in Aries is in a Sesquiquadrate aspect with Pluto. Pluto is also in a Sextile to Jupiter, linking
it to his T-Square. This can be dark stuff and reflects many of the characters
he has played and/or the themes of many of the films he has starred in. This
configuration also symbolises how he is said to reinvent himself for every role.
Here are a few examples:
Sid and Nancy, 1986, in which he portrayed real
life punk rocker Sid Vicious’s relationship with Nancy
The lead role
in Prick Up Your Ears, 1987, which
tells the true story of the extraordinary life and violent death of gay British
playwright Joe Orton.
His roles in Sid and Nancy and Prick up your Ears depicted damaged young men whose lives were cut
short, reflected by Solar Arc (SA) Mars Opposite natal Pluto during that time.
They also won him great acclaim and opened the door to Hollywood. SA North Node
and Neptune were also Trine his Sun and during this period he also had
transiting Pluto opposite Moon.
In 1991, he
played Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone’s
JFK, a conspiracy theory movie which posited that there was more to the
official story of Oswald’s assassination of John F. Kennedy. Pluto was transiting Oldman’s Venus-Chiron
Conjunction by Square, with transiting Uranus applying to Square his Moon and
transiting Neptune midway through Squaring his Moon-Mercury.
It’s
interesting to note here that in all of the above he played real historical
figures which is perhaps shown by the Trine from the Sun and Moon to Uranus, a
configuration which suggests the need for authenticity.
In 1994, he
played corrupt DEA officer Norman Stansfield in Léon, the Professional. His character is often named as one of the
best villains in cinema. This release had SA Saturn just past a Square with
Oldman’s Jupiter.
In more
recent years he played Sirius Black in the Harry Potter Movies (from 2004) and
in 2005 played police commissioner James Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, reprising the character
in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. While neither of
these characters were villains, they inhabited worlds full of evils, with
Sirius Black in hiding, the victim of a wrongful conviction and James Gordon
helping Batman overcome dark forces in Gotham City, In 2011, Oldman earned his
first Oscar nomination for playing British spy George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, with
transiting Saturn Conjunct and transiting Neptune Trine his 5th House Jupiter
and SA Uranus separating from a Opposition to his Sun.
As for his
current transits, he has Solar Arc Pluto Conjunct Jupiter in the 5th House denoting
a major milestone in his acting career. Solar Arc Mars has just passed over his
Sun in Aries the 10th House, suggesting recognition, respect and attention for
playing a strong male character.
And the Secondary
Progressed Moon - that great timer - is currently Sextile his 10th House
Mercury and has just Trined Venus and in September last year Sextiled his 10th
House Moon, another indication of a peak in his career and reputation.
© Mandi
Lockley BA, Dip.LSA
This article is adapted from the current edition of Infinity Astrology Magazine, which is choc-full of new articles from some of the world's top astrologers and rising stars.
References
