Famous couple: Juan Carlos and Sofia of Spain

The King and Queen of Spain will be married 50 years in May 2012. There are few catholic royals who won't stay together for life, even in hard times. (Exception: Prince Hugo Carlos and Princess Irene, see that post). Time is hard for the Spanish royal couple. Their charts show it, the wedding chart shows it and their natal charts also tell us about the symbol of 'decorum' and distance: Saturn.

WEDDING
Above is Queen Sofia's chart, with transits and progressions for the wedding day. In the early years of the marriage of Queen Sofia of Spain and King Juan Carlos her progressed Sun was conjunct Venus and sextile Mars. Venus and Mars are the planets of passion. Venus makes you happy. When she married, Progressed Venus was opposition Ceres (love and dynasty/motherhood) with transit Jupiter trine her Sun (social success).

This is the chart of Juan Carlos on the day of the wedding. His chart shows discipline and tension: P Mars conjunct Saturn and trine Pluto, for example and P Sun square Uranus). Right now the Sun is conjunct Saturn and trine Pluto. Pluto is his ruler 7 (marriage).

Do their charts match? A tiny bit, I’d say. Of course charts aren’t telling us all, but they mirror certain tendencies that I like to show you.

MATCH AND SYNASTRY

Sun signs
Their sun signs seem to be compatible (she is a Scorpio and he is a Capricorn). But… their birthdays are a challenge: their suns are semisesquisquare (67.5d) apart. (See if your birthdays match here).  That doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t live together, but it will be more difficult to join the ways of life. 
Moon signs
To compensate, their moons are in Aquarius. Their backgrounds, needs and habits are in line. There is at least friendship and attraction. 
Venus signs and aspects
Venus in Sagittarius is no match for Venus in Capricorn, so that their preferences will differ. It makes it harder to enjoy things together. Her Sun/Moon is conjunct his Venus (ruler 1). There is a great sense of ‘ to belong’ together. 
Mars signs
The challenging aspect between their Mars:  157.5 d (sesquisquare + half semi square) is for competition and anger after ‘fire’ from the start.

Synastry and Sun Saturn

There is a difficult synastry aspect and that is: her Saturn square his Sun. Such an aspect refers to barriers between them. This Sun-Saturn conflict becomes an issue now that he has Progressed Sun conjunct Saturn and now that transit Saturn is on the cusp of her 7^th house (of marriage).

Saturn now

Saturn is hitting hard in the charts of los Reinos: the King and Queen of Spain, today, just before the 50th anniversary of their marriage. He broke a leg and he had to say sorry in public. She spent 15 minutes with him after three days. That is Saturn. Saturn is the symbol of criticism and separation in a relationship. Mistakes and faults are being highlighted when it is time for Saturn. Often that is just too much for the marriage (see examples*), and divorce follows, but divorce is rare in a royal catholic family. What is left is perhaps cool distance for a while. Or business as usual?

Even the chart positions of the wedding (on May 14, 1962) has difficulties: progressed Sun trine Neptune might make it a 'fairy tale' but there is an

1. inconjunction of progressed Sun with Saturn and ... 
2. transit Saturn inconjunct the Sun of May 14 doesn't help much, either. 

Well, they managed to stay together for almost 50 years, so I guess that this marriage survives in spite of these inconjunctions of Saturn and that they and their family will celebrate the 5 decades anyway. In spite of the mistress (Corrina zu Sayn-Wittgenstein Frankfurt-am-Main, supposedly born January 29, 1965 with her Venus semi square the king's Sun/Moon, her Neptune opposition his Ascendant - romance! - and Sun square the Sun of Sofia with Saturn on Sofia's Moon).


On Astropost there is a post with more about the present transits and progressions with Saturn in the charts of the king and queen of Spain for April 2012. I will send the link later.

LINKS

*)Think of my post 'Saturn and saying goodbye'. I mentioned:

• Maria Shriver (divorcing Arnold Schwarzenegger: transit Saturn sesquisquare progressed AC/MC and square progressed Sun.

• Sandra Bullock, ex of Jesse James, had Progressed AC/MC square Saturn and transit Pholus in hard aspect with natal midpoint AC/MC when they separated. 

• Mrs Strauss-Kahn (15 July 1948, 16:30 New York) had Progressed MC square Saturn andTransit Neptune square Ascendant during the revelations and trial of her husband.

Moon-Venus: in the mood for love

Moon-Venus is the female touch of the chart and also the combination of sense of style. Venus has phases just like the Moon...

Moon-Venus brings you in the mood for love...but it depends on more if you will be happy with it. The third party might just be Saturn, like in the charts of Maria Shriver and Annie Sinclair. Saturn, unfortunately, is often the cold shower. See Astropost: Moon/Venus midpoint and aspect combinations

Also visit: Astromarkt.net about love and astrology

A little married and more...Saturn and Pluto in Libra

This post is about the (different stades of) transformation in marriage, Saturn and Pluto in Libra and a book that shows the different reflection of the 1982 transits in different parts of the world.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/06/15/a.little.bit.married.relationships/index.html?hpt=C2
See the link to CNN. It is about Hannah Seligson’s book ‘ A little bit married’ and an interview with her about couples staying together for years without ever getting married. Well, so what?

In some parts of Europe people use NOT to get married these days, even if there are children. They don’t get married because they feel they don’t need an official license (and they don’t, as there are other ways to make financial commitments). Maybe it is also because of the fact that the church has less and less influence. In Denmark 60% of the children are born out of wetlock. Parenthood and marriage has split. Fathers and mothers call each other their ‘ friends’. Two generations ago they called each other ‘ mother’ and ‘father’, sometimes even when the children weren’t around! The roles of the individuals in a relationship changed. They are no longer parents, they are partners.

SATURN AND PLUTO IN LIBRA
The author was born in 1982, when Saturn (symbol of a little bit) was in the sign of marriage (Libra), just like Pluto (symbol of problems and investigations). You could also read these placements like this:

- must (Pluto) get married (Libra)? Or transformations in relationships?
- obligation (Saturn) to stay together (Libra)? Or the disadvantages of marriage being an issue?
- The ‘die hard’ relationship or ‘abstination’ of marriage?

The author of ‘ A little bit married’ was born in a Saturn and Pluto in Libra generation. Still, in the USA people marry quickly and rather young. A look at the interview reminded me of the fact that in the USA – or at least where Hannah lives- conventional marriage is more common than living together like one (without official papers and without romantic white gowns). Wouldn’t that make a difference for reading charts?

The issues of Saturn and Pluto in Libra are personal issues if the planets have a prominent position (angular, rising before the sun or without major aspects) or if they are placed in the 7th house of marriage. All other individuals born with Saturn and Pluto in Libra experience the effect indirectly (through others, from the media), perhaps.

TIMES CHANGING?
Of course, there is a big difference in transformations in marriage between the Western world and small villages in conservative and strictly religious worlds. Maybe it is significant that Pluto (the symbol of transformation) is not being regarded as a ‘ ruler’ in Indian and classical astrology? But let me stick to the Western world.

The revolutionary change of Pluto in Libra seems to have had more effect in Europe than it had in the USA. But divorce figures have risen in Europe and in the USA, except in those countries where less people got married☺. See, you always have to consider the status quo, the moral and local traditions and habits when you read individual charts or interprete the effect of Saturn and Pluto in Libra. It is different, depending on the culture.

Meanwhile, the next generation is more willing to get married. And they have parties and are dressed in white when they do. Some young men even ask the father for the hand of the daughter, like in the old days! Times are changing again, maybe because some things never change. BTW I will be celebrating the wedding of friends next month. They lived together for more than 10 years and have a 7 year old child. Now they decided that it was time for a party and time to get more than just a little bit married☺

Famous couple: Sandra Bullock- Jesse James

This post comes a bit too late. As it seems, Sandra has left Jesse James after an interview in Touch with Michelle McGee, the ex-lover of Jesse (while he was married with Sandra). There is a rather good match between their charts, apart from the not matching Moon signs,which doesn't make it easy to live in the same house and get used to each other's habits or family. More about the match when you scroll down...

There is one important shared aspect that is reflecting distance and seperation as an issue in their lives and a shared issue in the relationship: Sun afflicting Saturn.

Sandra Bulluck has a 'calling' Sun, a Sun without major aspects. It means that you draw attention as a leader or as a star, anyhow, somehow. And her Sun is inconjunct Saturn on Midheaven(time of birth by Astrotheme). I have written about
Sun inconjunct Saturn before on Astropost (click the label inconjunct saturn'that you see on astropost.blogspot.com). It is one of the most difficult aspects to have to deal with, even if you are a 'lucky star'. And she married a man with Saturn rising before the Sun and conjunct Sun (apex of a Yod), so that they share an important Sun-Saturn affliction. They were probably very serious when they started their life together. And they kept 'minding their own business'. It kept Sandra away from home for weeks. In that period Michelle and Jesse had an affair.

Jesse James (descendant of the outlaw Jesse James) was born April 19, 1969. You see Sandra Bullockś chart here.The transits are for the positions for Jesse James at noon.

Note: When you share difficult Sun-Saturn aspect there are two possible scenarios: staying together because of the law, mortgage, business, parenthood...or separation and divorce. Saturn often points at a certain distance (by age, by restrictions such a one partner being married, etc.). In an individual's chart the Sun-Saturn progression or transit frequently indicates the end of a period in life. Sun-Saturn's like to keep things under control and that might be a reason to take the first step and say goodbye, earlier than other persons do, unless they are certain of their partner.

MATCH
Their Suns are in friendly signs, but their Moons don't match. So perhaps it won't have been easy to get used to living together and sharing habits, food and family. That is largely compensated by Venus quintile Venus: a creative way to combine tastes and share sympathies and liking each other, too. Mars is opposition Mars, in a very wide aspect, to reflect sexual attraction followed by the (distant) possibility of fighting or competing with each other. As his Jupiter is in aspect with her Mars, there is also compensation for that. It is not such a bad match, it is a matter of Sun-Saturn. Or?

Would it just be as the Huffington post comments (the curse of the Oscar and that men are always as loyal as their chances are?)

RELATED
- How long will your relationship last?

- Multiple marriages, double bodied signs and Jupiter in 7

*) (There is also a Venus-Jupiter-Pluto interaction between their charts: her Pluto is inconjunct his Venus and his Pluto is square her Venus. Her Jupiter is square his Pluto, his is 15 degrees from her Pluto and trine her Venus. There is a novile between her Jupiter and his Venus. That is a combination for a lot of money and/or a lot of love.)

Famous couple: Bill Clinton and Hillary (and Monica)

On Astrology and Love I wrote about Bill and Hillary Clinton before. In the post they were famous examples of not matching sun signs. Their not matching Suns are in Leo and Scorpio.

Often when Suns are in conflict there is an issue of ‘ who is the boss’ (ego in conflict!). Their Suns are semi sesquisquare apart (67.5 degrees) and that might keep the relationship going like a perpetuum mobile, always finding ways to make it a solar match. Both have a strong will and as their Suns are in fixed signs, they are likely to be willing to continue the relationship instead of breaking up, even if it is just for the public eye. They don't match at all. It takes something else than living together and luv to keep them together. That is:
a. They inspire each other (Mars septile Mars!).
b. They compete (Sun-Sun and Mars-Mars) and stimulate each other that way.
c. T hey both are ambitious political strategists with a dream.

That strategy and ambition, fixed sun signs and Saturn keeps them together in a long lasting relationship in spite of the publicity about Bill Clinton's affairs.

VENUS-SATURN
Hillary has Venus square Saturn. Bill’s Saturn is square the Sun of Hillary. Often that is a reflection of the importance of status, guilt or age in the relationship. Saturn doesn't always separate (in public). Saturn often brings consistency (a lawful wedding). The interesting thing is, that Bill's Saturn is also afflicting the Sun of Monica Lewinsky! The same idea of status and consistency that keeps Bill and Hillary together (officially) kept Monica and Bill apart: the Saturn effect! Scroll down to see more about the match between Bill and Monica.

INDICATIONS FOR DIVORCE
Hillary’s chart doesn’t have the usual indications for divorce in a woman’s chart, but Bill has Venus conjunct Neptune and Mars quindecile Uranus. It must be hard for him to be faithful, says the chart, and we all know how hard it was. When one person does have indications for more than one relationship and the other has not, we can expect affairs, especially when a man is rich (attracting all kinds of girls).

HILLARY
Hillary Clinton is a Sun Scorpio and Neptune rises before the Sun so that she needs dreams, ideals and romance first of all. She has a ‘ calling’ Sun, for leadership and drawing attention and Mercury in Scorpio is tightly square Saturn (for communication strategy, political restricted information). She might have an early Aries Moon trine Jupiter and that completes the picture of the top politician. In the study of American Presidents on Astromarkt you see that they all had Mercury-Saturn-Pluto combinations and that most of them had a Moon-Jupiter aspect (because they need to be popular in order to be elected). The hour of birth of Hillary Clinton is unknown.

BILL CLINTON
Bill Clinton is first of all a man who uses a political communication strategy. It is easy to see: Mercury, Saturn and Pluto rise before his Sun, together. He doesn’t have the Moon-Jupiter combination that other Presidents have. Maybe Sun/Moon sextile Jupiter is a compensation for that. His angular Neptune is reflecting the dreamer and idealist.

MARS-PLUTO
Just an observation: Hillary Clinton has a tight conjunction of Mars and Pluto. Bill Clinton's Mars is angular and Pluto rises right before his Sun. That shows the importance of their political (Pluto) activities (Mars) for both of them.

JOINING FORCES
Bill and Hillary don’t match, at least: their signs don’t match. Their long lasting relationship is exceptional, also in astrological terms. It is a relationship between two very ambitious political strategists and idealists who joined forces. You can see that: there is a minor aspects between their Mars, a septile. Septiles have to do with inspirations.What Bill does inspires Hillary and vice versa. Even their competition is inspiring to them.

I don't think that what Bill did with Monica was an inspiration to Hillary, however. Bill and Monica matched a little more than Hillary and Bill do:

- They are both Leo’s (and like to draw attention and show off)
- They both have the Moon in Taurus (and want comfort, luxury and luv)
- Their Venus signs match (they have the same taste and sympathies; they liked each other)

Mars in Aries is opposition Mars in Libra. Opposites attrack, yes, but in the end Mars-Mars tends to fight each other and indicates sexual attraction or working on the same project (and stimulating each other, There are many examples of Mars-Mars in synastry on this blog. Just click the label ' Mars'.

So, they matched enough to get started. His Saturn on her Sun shows us that there were restrictions, however. How about being married (and age?:) That is what kept them apart. And that is what keeps the Clinton's together: Saturn!

See more about Saturn in a relationship on this blog: http://astrology-love-romance.blogspot.com/2009/05/saturn-in-relationship-synastry.html

RELATED: about long lasting relationships and the effect of fixed signs...

Saturn in a relationship (synastry)

With Saturn in a relationship you know what you (don’t) have. Saturn aspects in synastry usually are considered to be bad. Perhaps these aspects don't make it easier, but one thing is sure: they often reflect long lasting relationship. This does not mean that it is a nice and shiny romantic relationship. It can be any kind of relationship. Saturn is the symbol of business, too.

There may be good reasons for the official marriage to continue or for keeping in touch and sharing responsibilities (obligations - real or imagined -, material security, children, laws or a facade). One of the ways to reflect the Saturnal influence in a relationship is ‘keeping up appearances’. Sometimes this is because of a public function and sometimes just for the world outside. Saturn is the (sometimes two component) glue that keeps a relationship going,even if you would like it to end.

A broken heart on a chain suites this story about Saturn and realtions. It is harder to keep the heart on the right place and it might cost a lot of glue to hold things together. But this is only in the end, of course, when the relationship failed...and if the Saturn influence in relationships was already visible in the natal chart. I have a few examples of couples in politics, royal couples, actors and of not famous (but interesting) couples.

ENTERTAINMENT
A divorced couple in my country (she a song writer, he a singer) has a son who needs to be taken care of because of several handicaps. They fight each other at court, because she is not willing to leave his house. She cannot find a house that is just as large as this and she wants a stable for her horses. What keeps them 'related' even after divorce, astrologically speaking? Saturn! Her Saturn is semi square his natal Sun.

Elisabeth Taylor married again and again and sometimes she married the same person, Richard Burton. She has Venus conjunct Uranus in Aries and that explains her impulsive decisions. This conjunction is inconjunct the Sun and Saturn of Richard Burton. That reflect the disproportionate (inconjunction) relationship.
Her Saturn is trine his Descendant. Burton has Sun conjunct an oriental Saturn and Venus in Capricorn. Liz has Sun semi quintile a 'calling' Saturn.

PRESIDENTS
President Sarkozy married singer Carla Bruni. His Saturn is conjunct her Venus and trine her Ascendant. Should I read it like this: they are together because of her good looks and his position? See the post about this famous couple. Bruni has Sun square Saturn (ruler 7th house of marriage).

Saturn of Bill Clinton is exactly square Hillary's Sun. They did not divorce in spite of their difficulties. Maybe they separated their lives, but officially they are still married. Their relationship stands like a rock. Hillary has Venus square Saturn.

Barack Obama's Saturn is inconjunct Michelle's Sun. Her Jupiter is trine his Sun, however, and that is tighter aspect (see the reading of the famous couple's charts). The composite chart has Sun square Saturn.
What does this couple share with the Clintons?

Both are or have been Presidents of the United States and I presume that their function and status (symbolised by Saturn) has two effects on the lives of their partners. One: they are restricted and limited in a way, by obligations and protocol. It would not be easy to divorce the most important person in the world and the world is watching every step and move to see if something is wrong. The other side is status and a position in society that is strongly related to the husband. His fall is yours, when you are a first lady.

The Kennedy's have a Saturn-connection. Her Saturn is biquintile his Mars. His Saturn is square her Moon. In the composite chart Sun and Moon are square Saturn. John F. Kennedy had several mistresses and affairs in the short period of his presidency. What effect would this have had on their marriage?

ROYAL EXAMPLES
Queen Juliana of the Netherlands was married to Prince Bernhard and they remained married even after serious problems and even though she knew that he had daughters with two of his mistresses. His Saturn is square her Midheaven, her Saturn is conjunct his Mars. The government of those days told her that she had to step back if she divorced. So she could not leave him and she left their bedroom instead. Bernhard had Venus square Saturn.

Queen Sophie and King Juan Carlos are married, but rumours say that it is just a marriage in name and often the media praise her for having tolerated his affairs (...). Her Saturn is tightly square his Midheaven (just like Bernhard’s' Saturn with Juliana's Midheaven). And his Saturn is square her Sun (a wider square). Saturn is the oriental planet in their composite chart: duty and parenthood come first. Sophie has Venus trine Saturn and Juan Carlos has Venus in Capricorn.

Saturn of Prince Charles was inconjunct Jupiter ruler 1 of Princess Diana and they divorced, but as she was the mother of the next king to be, there was an important unbreakable tie between them. In their composite chart the Sun is sextile Saturn.

ORDINARY PEOPLE
I could go on and on with these kind of examples. But what if you are not 'famous', royal, not the first lady or the President? 80% of the women in the world depend on the social position of their husband. They don't all have Saturn aspects in synastry. Saturn may create a situation of obligations and mutual responsibilities (as a parent for example).

Example: a couple living apart ‘apart’ but officially married. His Saturn is exactly square her Pluto and Pluto is her ruler 1. When he stepped out of the house, she had progressed Sun opposition Pluto and he had a progressed inconjunction of Venus and Saturn with progressed Ascendant square Saturn. Venus is inconjunct Saturn in his natal chart, too, so this aspect activated the existing 'to say goodbye to your lover, but...'. Her Venus is conjunct Saturn. So they share the aspect of the official marriage (and the disadvantages of it).

Most people divorce when the marriage is over. I know a couple that shared Venus square Saturn (they both had that aspect in their chart) and they divorced. But there remain problems between them because of the child that they have. The relationship did not end with the marriage, because of responsibilities and parenthood. They divorced because their Saturns didn’t aspect a personal planet of the partner.

EVERLASTING...eh...LOVE?
Charts belong to individuals and their specific situations. Individuals discover unique ways to express the astrological symbols. Saturn is the symbol of what is long lasting. But sometimes with Saturn problems, trouble and difficulties together just don't seem to come to an end. Does this mean that you should avoid Saturn-kind of relationships? Even if Saturn is important in relationships, according to your natal chart? Perhaps if that is, you are drawn to serious, secure, long lasting relationships and you might avoid the one night stand pleasures. There is a good side and a bad side about Saturn. The good side is that you know what you have (or not...:)