Beauty and the Beast – the upside of Algol

   

 

Disney’s live-action, musical movie, Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, has grossed almost $1.25 billion since its launch earlier this year. Since it cost $300 million, it was quite a gamble but it has paid off handsomely.

The movie to the US has certainly also paid off for Dan Stevens, who rocked the Downton Abbey boat by baling early and causing his role as Matthew Crawley to be summarily killed off. Born 10 October 1982, he has Sun, Venus, Mercury and Saturn Pluto spread out through Libra so charming as well as tough-minded; with Jupiter in money-attracting Scorpio and a Cancer Moon. He’s got a Fire Air chart so inspirational and confident, though not always practical with a tendency to over-stretch himself since he won’t recognise his physical limits.

When he got his big break in Downton Abbey his Progressed Sun was conjunct his Jupiter; and as this monster success was shooting, his Progressed Sun was conjunct his Progressed Jupiter. He’s at present in the Noah Hawley’s TV series Legion; with no shortage of stage and screen offers ahead.

Emma Watson, 15 April 1990 6pm Paris, France, best known initially for Harry Potter, is a fountain of energy. In between finishing her education at Browns University, she’s been making movies, and acting as a highly visible spokesperson for women’s rights globally.

She has an intense and pro-active 8th house Aries Sun in an energetic sextile to Mars in Aquarius and a hard-working square to Saturn in Capricorn; with a talented and successful Jupiter in Cancer in her 10th opposition Uranus Neptune in Capricorn in her 4th; with a Sagittarius Moon on her IC. She’s a curious mix of opposites – confident and lacking self-esteem; designed to be constantly on the move domestically yet yearning for a settle home life. She has a Water Earth chart, so will be serious and self-protective, with great inner strength and determination.

She’s on her Progressed Moon return exactly now, so a new chapter in her life beginning at an emotional or inner level; with her progressed Jupiter having moved very slowly to now oppose her Uranus exactly. Her life will never be as easy as it looks especially this year and for the next few with tr Uranus conjunct her Sun and square her Saturn; with tr Pluto following along from 2021 to 2023. But she’s going to be around for many years ahead career-wise, getting more respected the older she gets.

Fittingly for a movie about a hideous monster, (secretly a handsome prince who had been cursed), it started principal photography on the day the Sun was conjunct Algol, the Fixed star. Algol is associated with Medusa, who was so ugly she turned all who looked directly at her to stone. Astrology King remarks: “a strong Algol placement in the natal chart corresponds to very distinctive facial features and hair. The teeth, nose or ears may also be striking in some way, either extremely beautiful, large or deformed.” And quotes Diana Rosenberg: “Algol, like other stars, confers tasks upon us which, if comprehended and accepted, offer great rewards of power and creativity.”

There you are – coincidence or what? 

Thanks to Loretta for the further thought that this myth is often associated with Taurus. The original tale was published by Le Prince Beaumont, who had Neptune and Sun in Taurus with Venus in late Taurus widely conjunct Algol. The most famous previous Beauty and the Beast film was made in 1946 by Jean Cocteau, who had his Ascendant and Venus in late Taurus, also around the Algol mark. Cocteau was certainly drawn to the dark side in his novel Les Enfants Terrible and his Orpheus trilogy of films, and although multi-talented, was a lifelong opium addict.

3 thoughts on “Beauty and the Beast – the upside of Algol

  1. Thanks, Marjorie! oddly my own fascination with the myth (since childhood when I sobbed my eyes out over the poor beast) isn’t with any Taurus influence but Mars in second house opp Pluto in eighth. Perhaps there is an Algol influence too, I never checked the Algol position for 1943, so thank you for that insight. The minotaur myth also seems relevant, sort of monster in the basement devouring ones consciousness! What do you feel?

  2. Dont believe in coincidences. Even books, films and tv programmes have a birth time and thus a personality. I wrote dozens of published articles on charts of TV series and books and it was always amazing to see how the charts reflected the dramas. Beauty and the beast is my favourite myth and Taurus is often prominent in charts with this mythical influence or else a strong second/eighth house influence. i think Taurus showed up in the chart of Mme Le Prince Beaumont who wrote the fairytale version version we know though the real original is the greek myth of Psyche and Eros. (will have to check!)

    • Loretta, Thanks for that thought. Have added a para. Plenty of late Taurus to go round where this myth is concerned.

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