Fashion to die for-the astrology of the house of Gucci

Last Sunday we moved into Sagittarius season, whew- it has been a heavy couple of months with lots more Scorpio energies than usual…now we are ready for some fun. But wait, are all Sagittarians fun loving? Perhaps they are, until it looks like the fun is about to run out, then they can get nasty. Remember, Sagittarius is the sign of the archer, she has a bow and arrow and is not afraid to use it. Watch out if you try to cramp her style, she just might shoot you.

Patrizia Reggiani was born into a modest family in Modena, Northern Italy. Her father disappeared and she never knew him. When she was 12 her mother married a wealthy man and he adopted her. She met Maurizio Gucci at a party in 1970 and despite his father’s opposition, they married two years later and moved to New York. Gucci’s father described her as a gold digger and social climber.

In New York Patrizi became part of the fashionable set and was said to have been friends with Jaqueline Onassis at one point.

So what does her chart say? Certainly, there is a good deal of Sagittarius. Patrizia has Chiron, Mercury, Ascendant, Sun and Moon in the sign, she’s a triple Sagittarius. She was, as you would expect very glamorous. Gucci first met her at a party in November 1970, when she was just 21. Patrizia was wearing an eye-catching red dress, showing off her fiery assets. Gucci asked to be introduced to her, saying she looked like Elizabeth Taylor. Gucci, who was later to inherit 50% of the Gucci empire was smitten.

It has been said Patrizia was pushed by her mother to marry him, and certainly, if the mother is shown by Mercury (4’ Sagittarius), ruling the 10^th, she is right on Patrizia’s Ascendant (8’), but fatefully, conjunct her Chiron at 0’28. Her other parent, her stepfather is shown by Jupiter ruling the 4^th house at 3’46 Capricorn. This Jupiter is weak in Capricorn (fall) but conjunct an exalted Mars at 4’4. Jupiter is the almuten of her chart. A poor Jupiter will overstep limits, push boundaries unwisely and overreach themselves with a self confidence which is misplaced. Such a Jupiter will display the negative aspects of the sign, in this case Capricorn, especially a greed for status, money and power. It may be, that as the step daughter Patrizia experienced wealth at one removed and may have felt shame (Capricorn) about her humble origins. The Jupiter Mars makes a Grand Trine in Earth with Saturn in Virgo in the 9^th and the North Node in Taurus in the 5^th, which will prove pivotal in her life.

When they met in November 1970 (we don’t have the exact date) there was a Saturn, Jupiter opposition (Saturn 17-20 Taurus, Jupiter 14-21 Scorpio) which picked up Patrizia’s Part of Fortune at 19’ Scorpio 48. 19’ Scorpio is the baleful degree Serpentis. Serpentis has been described as the ‘the accursed degree of the accursed sign’ (Derek Appleby), and is of the nature of Mars, Saturn. Mainly used in horary astrology, Serpentis can offer high rewards and also great disgrace. In November 1970 Jupiter was conjunct Patrizia’s Fortuna, showing her luck, but opposed by Saturn, the Lord of Karma, which suggests this was a fated encounter. Pluto was at 29’Virgo 24 within 2 minutes of arc of her MC at 29’Virgo 22 suggesting an end to her mother’s influence (MC) and the beginning of a new public life for her. In the same month, Neptune was conjunct her Chiron at 0’ Sagittarius 28, (Neptune moved between 29’ Scorpio and 0’ Sagittarius in November) which also shows a fateful (Chiron) meeting involving romance (Neptune) and a massive life change (Pluto on the MC). Patrizia’s Chiron figures strongly in the events which transpired.

Maurizio defied his father’s opposition and the pair were married two years later. They had two children and returned to live in Milan in 1982. Gucci resented Patrizia’s attempts to interfere in the business he inherited when his father died and eventually, one day in 1985, saying he was going to a business meeting he walked out of the marriage. He sent a friend to tell Patrizia the marriage was over and he wasn’t coming back. At the same time, Gucci began pushing his uncle and cousins out of the business and massively overspending. Their divorce was rancorous and not settled until 1994 when Patrizia was awarded alimony of $1.47 million. Patrizia, who continued to use the family name, was alarmed by Gucci’s spending and then furious when he started a new relationship. She later claimed she was trying to protect her daughters’ inheritance.

Whatever her motives, the paranoia grew. Patrizia installed a ‘spy’ working as a cook in the new girlfriend’s house to monitor Gucci’s activities. She consulted psychics and began casting spells to draw Gucci back to her. Witchcraft is found in the 12^th house of the horoscope, where her Chiron is located, that Chiron which was later to prove fatal. On the cusp of the 12^th is Fortuna in trine to a mighty 8^th house Pluto in Leo, co-ruler of the 12^th house, suggesting grandiose (Leo) ideas about someone else’s money (8th house).The other ruler of the 12^th is the controlling, calculating, arrogant Mars, Jupiter in Capricorn. There is a sense that Patrizia, unwisely, believed she was untouchable (Leo, Jupiter) and could get what she desired through witchcraft (Mars, Pluto).

Patrizia became obsessed with what Gucci was doing, that Mars, Jupiter again, her pride was wounded and she could not, would not let go. Fire signs cannot bear to be marginalised,  and need respect. Her Sun (10’) and Ascendant (8’) are conjunct the fixed star Antares (9’53) which is of the nature of Jupiter Mars (echoing her natal configuration). Antares can make the native malevolent, headstrong and violent. Conjunct the Sun or Ascendant suggests people who are authors of their own downfall through pride and arrogance. Patrizia continued to use the Gucci name after her divorce, although she was instructed not to. When Gucci sold the company in 1993 because of his financial mis-management, Patrizia took it as a personal affront.

What of Gucci? His chart is more light-hearted. Sun in Libra (2’46) widely conjunct an indulgent Neptune (12’21), showing a love of luxury and extravagance, someone who enjoyed the good things in life but was averse to working for them. A charming dilettante, his Moon in Gemini would make him restless, superficial, and fun-loving, but conjunct Uranus shows a restless, fickle and perhaps cruel heart which would abruptly split and rupture relationships. Maurizio had only one planet in earth, Saturn at 00’ Virgo 32, which was conjunct Patrizia’s Saturn at 6’. Maurizio’s Saturn rules his 7^th house of marriage, so he would look to a partner to provide stability and boundaries and deal with the mundane aspects of his life. His lack of earth would explain his mismanagement of Gucci, business practicalities would not be his forte.

Interestingly, like Patrizia, he had a powerful Mars exalted at 15’ Scorpio 4, but it was wounded like hers, this time by Chiron at 22’Scorpio15 perhaps suggesting that his desire (Mars) was his undoing (Chiron). More tragically, he had a glamorous, glitzy, fun-loving Venus at 18’ Leo conjunct his Pluto at 15’ and Patrizia’s Pluto at 16’ Leo. Their romance could not end well. This aspect suggests a compulsive (Pluto) love (Venus) involving massive egos (Leo) which would explode violently (Pluto). Her Uranus at 29’ Gemini 18 was conjunct his Moon, emphasizing the cruelty, violence and ruptures in their relationship.

What was happening in Maurizio’s chart when they fatefully met? The same Saturn, Jupiter opposition. Jupiter was conjunct that passionate and wounded Mars Chiron and Saturn was opposing them. Jupiter conjunct Mars in Scorpio speaks of a massive, compulsive, fated, sexual attraction, while Saturn suggests a heavy price to pay for this obsession. Gucci had a Cancer ascendant, his softness and psychic openness would have met that glamorous, powerful, determined, Sun, Moon, Ascendant in Sagittarius and been dazzled and swept off his feet.

Mutable fire knows no boundaries and Patrizia lamented far and wide about Gucci’s abandonment. She began a campaign to discredit and destroy him and made jokes about killing him and then she did, or did she? Patrizia claimed the murder was set up by her Sicilian psychic who later tried to blackmail her. The psychic claims it was Patriza’s idea. In any case the psychic hired the hitman and the getaway driver and Maruizio was gunned down at 8.30 on 27^th March 1995 as he walked into his office.

What does the chart say? Poignantly, at that time there was a Mercury Saturn conjunction in Pisces. Mercury is the psychopomp who brings messages from the underworld and Saturn is the grim reaper. I feel this shows there was no mercy (Saturn, Pisces) but the gods came for him and took him away to Hades (Mercury). Did Patrizia order the assassination? Mars on that day was at 13’ Leo conjunct Maurizo’s and Patrizia’s Pluto both at 16’ Leo. Mars the god of war and violence extinguishing both of them, one immediately, one eventually. Patrizia’s Pluto was in the 8^th, which is the house of murder, and Maurizio’s Pluto conjunct his Venus in the 2^nd, suggesting he was killed for his money. Patrizia was afraid that if he remarried her alimony would be reduced. But perhaps it was also her status (Leo) which she was afraid of losing if there was another Mrs Gucci on the scene.

Their fates were bound together, this is emphasized by the South node on the day, at 6’ Scorpio and conjunct both Maurizio and Patrizia’s South Nodes at 5’21 and 4’30 Scorpio respectively. It feels like a tremendous karmic debt was paid by both of them (South Node). But what of Patrizia? Remember her Chiron at 0’ Sagittarius 28 conjunct Mercury (that psychopomp again), on the day of Maurizio’s death Pluto was at 0’ Sagittarius 27 one minute of arc away. Her Chiron, the wound that cannot be healed, obliterated the source of her pain. Tragedy.