8 1/2

8 1/2 is the name of a brilliant movie by the Italian Filmmaker Federico Fellini. It is a semi-autobiographical story about a filmmaker who can't seem to finish his movie. It's told in a surrealistic, stream of consciousness, dreamlike style. It's the ultimate mid-life crisis movie. I was wondering if by any chance it was made by the maestro when he was going through either his Uranus Opposition or Neptune Square? I found out that the movie's original title was "The Beautiful Confusion..." Ah ha.... When the movie came out in 1963, Fellini was going through both his Uranus Opposition and Neptune square. The Title refers to how many movies Fellini had made while he was filming it. The next movie he made he did indeed not finish. Capricorns are total wrecks when they let their fears take over (in this case, a good thing).

Federico Fellini
b. Jan. 20, 1920, 9 pm, Rimini, Italy

Sun 30 Capricorn; Moon 26 Capricorn; ASC 16 Virgo; MC 13 Gemini; NN 23 Scorpio

8 1/2
released Feb. 14, 1963

Natal Uranus 30 Aquarius opposed by Transiting Uranus 4 Virgo & Prog. Moon 1 Virgo in the 12th House of Dreams and Confusion (and filmmaking).

Natal Neptune 11 Leo conjunct natal Jupiter 15 Leo squared by transiting Neptune 16 Scorpio (H3).

I pulled up Fellini's other movies and it's really amazing how the "Keywords" from the IMBD database of amazing movie information matches up with the transits that Fellini was going through when he made his movies.

As a Double Capricorn so maybe this gives him an extra sense of timing to the planets. I don't know, it's just a really interesting coincidence. I tried this with a couple of other filmmakers and it just didn't work as well. Fellini's Capricorn Sun and Moon dispose to Saturn which is in his 12th house of filmmaking and conjunct his Ascendant so the Saturn energy is super potent. It's also unaspected (by Ptolomaic aspect).

When Fellini was filming 8 1/2 he was going through another major transit which actually explains the Director's Block. Transiting Pluto was conjunct natal Saturn. Being a determined Capricorn, he simply wrote truthfully about what he was going through. It made absolutely no sense but the movie speaks to everyone who sees it.

Here's a list of some other films and aspects. Watching Fellini movies is definitely the best way to learn about astrology! I should also study his relationship with his wife, the actress Giulietta Massina who starred in many of his films as part of my True Love series but just am a little low on energy right now.

1950. Luci del Varieta (Variety Lights). About 2d rate Theatrical performers. Fantasy is often considered a Neptunian theme, but Grotesques and Carnival types are ruled by Capricorn. These figure strongly in all the Fellini Movies that I've seen. Major transits:

• 1st Saturn Return
• Prog. New Moon at 1 Pisces c. t. Jupiter and n.Uranus 30 Aquarius. Trines n. Pluto c. t. Uranus
• Prog. Venus 28 Capricorn c. natal Moon-Sun.
• T. Uranus c. n. Pluto in Cancer
  
• t. Pluto c. n. Jupiter-Neptune in Leo

1954. La Strada "The Road". Carnival.

• t. Jupiter-Uranus in Cancer opposite natal Mercury-Moon-Sun in Capricorn
• t. Neptune c. natal Mars

1957 Le notti di Cabiria "Nights of Cabiria" Prostitution, Depravity, Despair, Hope, Survival, Crooks, Cruelty

• Prog.Moon c. Gemini MC
• t. Saturn c. IC squaring n. Saturn
• Nodal Return in Scorpio
• Movie starred Giullietta and Fellini's progressed Sun was conjunct her natal Sun.

1960 La Dolce Vita "The Sweet Life" 7 days and 7 nights in the life of a reporter. Life imitates Art / Art imitates Life.

• T.Jupiter c. natal Venus in Sagittarius (H4)
• Prog. Venus in Aquarius H5 opposite Neptune in Leo

1963 8 1/2. Director's Block. Artistic and Marital Difficulties.

• Uranus opposition
  
• Neptune square
• T.Pluto c. natal Saturn/ASC opposite prog. Sun c. t.Chiron & Jupiter

1965 Giuletta degli Spiriti Surreal story about Housewife Mistress, Androgeny, Divorce, Private Detective, Hallucinations, Sex, Spirituality, Infidelity, Vision.

• Prog. Sun-t.Chiron c. DESC opposite n.Saturn c. t. Uranus and t.Pluto squaring natal Venus in Sagittarius in the 4th house.
• t.Neptune c. n. NN in Scorpio in H3
  
• t. Jupiter c. n. SN in Taurus (rules H4)
  
• t. Saturn c. n. Uranus in 6th House

1969 Satyricon. Historical reference to Roman Novel by Petronius. Pirates, Sacrifice, Avante Garde, Emperor, Decadence, Gluttony

• Chiron Return in Aries conjunct t. NN and prog. Mercury in 7th House.
• Pluto-Uranus conjunct n. Jupiter in Libra in 1st House

1972 Roma. Semi-autobiographical about Italy in 1940s and 1970s. Plotless.

• Prog. Moon and t.Jupiter in 4th House
• Prog. Mercury goes Rx conjunct n. Chiron

1973 Amarcord. Semi-autobiographical. 1930 Fascist pre-WWII Italy.

• Progressed Lunar Return c. natal Sun
• T.Uranus conjunct natal Mars squaring natal Moon-Sun
• t.Saturn and SN conjunct n. Pluto, Houses 4 & 10.
• T.Neptune approaching House 4 cusp.