And the Oscar Goes To...

In recent years there's been a rivalry, totally unintentional no doubt, between two actresses and I've always wanted to see if there were any astrological reasons for it. Hillary Swank has won an Oscar twice and both times the other favorite chosen to run against her was Annette Bening. Both times Annette lost. That seems unfair. Why do unfair things happen?

Hillary Swank b. July 30, 1974 Lincoln, NE
Annette Bening b. May 29, 1958 Topeka, KS

Hillary is a Leo with Moon at 30 Sagittarius in her noontime chart so her Moon might be in Capricorn if she were born later in the day. I'd guess that she's got Moon in Sagittarius because she was a successful swimmer and gymnast while very young and actually competed in the Junior Olympics. Sagittarius often rules Athletic ability.

Annette is a Gemini with Moon either in Libra or Scorpio. Noontime chart shows Libra conjunct Neptune and Jupiter which is auspicious for an actress. Neptune rules Film and Jupiter rules Luck. This Libra Stellium in opposite Venus and is part of a Kite Figure with a Grand Fire Trine between Venus, Saturn and Pluto. A Grand Fire Trine is also very lucky, but even so, the planets involved give an oppressive reserve to Bening's Venus expression. If Swank's Moon is close to its noontime position she also has a Grand Trine between Moon, Chiron and Mars in Virgo. If Swank's Moon really is in the last degrees of Sagittarius they both have Grand Fire Trines that superimpose on each other's. Bening's planets (Venus, Pluto, Saturn) show a strong drive and ambition that may be fueled by insecurities and Swank's planets show insecurities and woundings revolving around feelings. Both actresses have harnessed the energies of their grand trines well in the roles they play.

So, these are lucky ladies, but why does one keep losing to the other? I've found three reasons even without use of birth time which gives ASC (One's physical presence) and MC (How one is seen through the eyes of others). Normally the Ascendant and Midheaven would be the first places I would look for answers to this question.

First reason is that Bening's Sun, the Planet of projection and vitality, the Star of our Solar System, is weaker than Swank's. It doesn't mean that she's less of an actress it just means that she projects a different kind of vitality; she doesn't play Underdogs or Action Heroes, than Swank. Her Sun is in Gemini with only aspect being a sextile to Pluto. It is disposed by Mercury which has only one aspect: a square to Chiron. Indeed the characters she takes on are more complicated and less stand-outish than Swanks', they often get want they want through more indirect means. Hillary is a Leo, her Sun is placed in its own Sign which is the natural sign of the Actress. It is trine to her Neptune. Acting probably comes very naturally for her. The characters she takes on are underdogs which the audience can sympathize with. She won in 2000 for "Boys Don't Cry" for playing a transgender girl opposite Bening's neurotic, unhappy housewife in "American Beauty." Then she won in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby" playing a girl boxer who beats the odds. This was opposite the Bening's aging stage actress in "Being Julia."

The Second reason I can find for Swank's wins over Bening are of course the transits and progressions that both were experiencing. In 2000, Swank had great aspects. Her progressed Sun was conjunct her natal Mars (which is maybe part of the Grand Trine). How great is that for an Actress playing a transgender role? Neptune (Film) was opposite her Sun so the entire film industry was setting its sights on her. Pluto which rules Fame was conjunct her natal Neptune(film)-North Node(one's purpose in life) and squaring her natal Jupiter(Luck) in Pisces(Film). During both years Saturn was aspecting Bening's chart. This can bring career achievement and accolades which she did receive for her outstanding performances but Saturn's not quite Jupiter, Pluto or Neptune for hysterical good fortune. Saturn was conjunct her Mercury. This could indicate a setback which can make one more insecure but also more determined to keep trying. Her progressed Mars was conjunct her Venus which shows that her life was more centered around her love life and her children anyway. Her progressed Sun has been in Cancer which also reflects this as Cancer rules the home and motherhood. Her prog. Sun has also been going through many years of conjuncting the Cancer stellium in Swank's chart, possibly why her vitality was in a way given over to Swank.

Interesting, that in 2005 Saturn was conjunct Swank's Mercury. This may have been a more insecure win for her than the first one or she may have been distracted by whatever issues are indicated by the house placement of the conjunction. Her North Node was conjunct her natal Chiron which is trining her Mars and possibly her Moon. Her progressed Sun was still within wide orb of this trine. Neptune and Jupiter were trining by transit and this would have been beneficial for Swank as she has both planets in mutual reception in her natal chart. In Bening's Chart for 2005 Pluto was conjunct Saturn and trining her natal Pluto and Venus. One can receive much professional acclaim during one's Pluto trine especially when taken with the Jupiter Return she was going through, but the Saturn may have been holding something back from her. Pluto and Saturn are unbelievably hard-working but they can be way too controlled to fully express joy. The role she played was actually of an actress who beats out her younger competition in the end, thus giving hope to the entire aging baby boomer generation and a great manifestion of the powers of her Grand Trine. In addition, transiting Saturn was conjunct her progressed Sun which, as has been said before, is conjunct the stellium of Venus, Saturn and Mercury in Swank's chart. Saturn can represent Good Timing but it can also bring Loss, paying off of Karmic Debt.

So, this is the third reason for the weird professional contact these women have. Saturn and Bening's progressed Sun have been connecting the two women by transit/progression.And also, Swank's Mars in Virgo is conjunct Bening's Pluto in Leo, so is hooking into Bening's Grand Trine. Mars and Pluto compete, that's all there is to it. If you tossed Jupiter in there they'd be pulling each other's satin gowns right off after the awards show. Bening perhaps should have won the Second time around because she was going through her Jupiter and Pluto trine but her role was simply not as exciting as Swank's, she projects a complicated, controlled image while Swank projects firey characters who rise from the ashes, something that both Hollywood and the Public can strongly react to and sympathize with. Perhaps the Ascendant and Midheaven would finish the picture here.