People who have never had money often believe that being rich solves all life’s problems. This week we will look at how money brings out the very worst in people, especially in the parent child relationship.
Drew Barrymore was a wild child. Born to Hollywood ‘royalty’ her father was a violent alcoholic and her mother saw and treated Drew as a friend and gave her few boundaries. Drew became famous for her role in ET when she was five and continued to work in film constantly for the next 20 years. After her sudden stardom she was a troubled child and became addicted to alcohol. At 13 she was sent to rehab and spent 18 months in a mental institution. She attempted suicide at 14 and became emancipated from her parents at age 15 and left home.
What does her horoscope tell us? There is a lot of water in her chart, Sun, Venus, Jupiter in Pisces and Moon in Cancer. Sun and Saturn show her parents, (10th and 4th houses). I feel the Sun, ruler of the 3rd house of siblings, shows her mother who treated her like a sister/friend, while the Saturn conjunct Moon shows a heavy handed (cruel?) parent. I have seen Moon Saturn show as massive lack of self confidence and a cold, distant parent, which may describe her experience of her father. I wonder if her incredible work record was her trying to gain the approval of this judgemental parental figure? The Moon Saturn is in the 2nd house of money, was Drew a cash-cow for her parents? The fact she emancipated herself suggests she may have wanted financial autonomy. Drew has a beautiful Venus Jupiter conjunction in Pisces in the 10th, showing her creativity (Pisces) and life in film (Neptune).
The Moon/Saturn makes a T Square, opposite a powerful, calculating, ambitious Mars in Capricorn in the eighth and both square a rebellious Chiron in Aries in the 11th. Chiron in Aries can show a person who needs to work on their own identity and autonomy. It can also indicate rebellion for rebellion’s sake in an attempt to find freedom (Aries). Rebellion rarely brings the desired results as real freedom is developed internally not through external actions. So Chiron in Aries can show a childish rebellion. Although the Saturn is cold and distant, it does give inner resources of strength and persistence. Drew survived, and thrived eventually, which is not always the case in such troubled childhoods. Drew later remarked that the experience of being in mental institutions, although difficult, did ‘straighten her out’, a very Saturnine judgement. The Moon shows up in Drew’s suicide attempt and her emancipation.
That year, 1989, there was a Saturn Neptune conjunction in Capricorn opposite first her Saturn and then her Moon. Saturn brings limitation and restriction but also has a maturing effect, while Neptune is the escapist planet sometimes experienced through misuse of drink and drugs. Chiron was conjunct her Moon, which exposed her mother-wound (the Moon being the universal significator of Mother) and also her strong, but perhaps overwhelming emotional nature (Moon in Cancer). Mars also passed over her Moon at that time, increasing her wounding and also her willfulness. Drew would incite the inmates to rebellion from time to time. While Jupiter going over her Ascendant showed her liberation from her parents.
At the opposite side of the country and with a completely different childhood was Paris Hilton. Born into a religious, patrician family, Paris is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton of hotel fame. She moved a lot in her childhood at one point living in the Waldorf Astoria. A tomboy, she grew up in a very conservative and sheltered environment, her parents forbade her to wear make up, dressed her modestly, she couldn’t date or go the school dances. A completely different, but equally controlling childhood in other words. Naturally she rebelled. At 16 she was sent to several boarding schools for ‘troubled’ teenagers, including Provo Canyon School where Paris claims she was physically and mentally abused by the staff. She made a film with other ex-students describing the beatings, solitary confinement, and forced medication they experienced.
Paris’ chart is more fire and air but also has a prominent Saturn, exalted in Libra and conjunct Jupiter and the MC.
This is an airy chart, 6 planets in Air signs plus her MC. Her parents are shown by Venus in Aquarius in the 2nd (10th house ruler) and Mars in Pisces in the 3rd (4th house ruler). Neither planet is particularly strong, but one parent is also shown by the Saturn Jupiter conjunct the MC. Paris also has a fixed T square. Her cool Venus in Aquarius in the second (money) is opposite a feisty and dramatic Moon North Node in Leo in the 8th house (of inherited wealth) and both are square Chiron in Taurus in the 5th. Money, then, (2nd, 8th,Taurus) is a big issue here. One parent, (Venus) opposing her flamboyant nature (Leo) and both are constrained by money wounds (Chiron in Taurus). Her freedom to shine (Moon in Leo) is squashed by a sober and controlling Venus in Aquarius and the pain wealth has brought her – her mother brought her up to be a socialite, while Paris wanted to be a vet and was a tomboy is expressed through Chiron in Taurus in the 5th, (material wealth, nature). The Chiron wound in Taurus is around the physical body, and material things, which never ultimately bring happiness. I have seen Chiron in Taurus show up in eating disorders, shopaholics and misers. I think in Paris’ case it was being a shiny socialite when in fact she is very bright and wanted to study science (Saturn in Libra).
When Paris was sent away (March 98 to Provo Canyon School) Uranus was conjunct this Venus making her restless, rebellious and causing a split (Uranus) from her parent (Venus). At the same time, Saturn was conjunct her IC, showing her home life (IC) was oppressive (Saturn). Jupiter was conjunct her MC, leaving home/ a parent was liberating on some level.
Like Drew, Paris survived her traumas and went on to build a media and fashion empire. She is often derided for ‘being famous for being famous’ (very airy), but that exalted Saturn on her MC gives great intelligence and strategic thinking about her career which she has clearly demonstrated.
Our last example, did not grow up rich, but had massive wealth thrust upon her. Britney is another dismissed woman, but she has the same exalted Saturn in Libra as Paris so for sure she is no dummy, even though she may pretend to be one. Libra rising gives great beauty and also the ability to be everything to everyone, Britney was the ‘girl next door’ who made it big. She has that same hard working Chiron in Taurus, in the 8th this time. Her parents are shown by a chilly, controlling Moon in Aquarius in the 5th and that exalted Saturn in the 1st. Her story is well known, her father perhaps that controlling, intelligent Saturn micromanaged her career following Britney’s ‘breakdown’ when he was given absolute control over her life. She too, was incarcerated, forced to take medication and spied upon by his henchmen, while he milked the cash cow for all it was worth. Britney was freed from this prison when Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto transited her chart ruler Venus last year.
Both Paris and Drew gave her support, but it was her fans with their ‘free Britney’ campaign, who doggedly fought to over turn the conservatorship. Friends are shown by the 7th, ruled by Mars in Virgo, which would have be trine all last year’s Capricorn planets. Mars in Virgo works doggedly, humbly in the background, and usually gets the job done for that reason. Like Drew and Paris, Britney has a T Square, this time in Cardinal signs; Pluto square Venus and the North Node. Pluto rules the 2nd house, so again money was a big issue. I suspect the reason her guardianship lasted so long was that her father threatened to stop her seeing her children, and she waited until they were old enough to make decisions for themselves before the court (North Node in the 10th of parenting) and Saturn (her father) also ruling the 5th of her children.
Depressingly, her whole family seemed to have been on the gravy train. Her sister, shown by Jupiter in Scorpio ruler of the 3rd in the 2nd house of her money, her mother, shown as the Moon in Aquarius (without dignity) in the 5th house, disposited by the strong Saturn and the Uranus in the 3rd. Her partner, father of her boys is also shown by the Mars in Virgo, and he benefited financially from his custody of her sons.
Of the three, Britney has the strongest Sun (in Sagittarius), Paris’ is in detriment in Aquarius and Drew’s without dignity in the 10th. Both Paris and Drew had Chiron in their T Square while Britney had that toxic, destroying Pluto Saturn. Drew and Paris had the 2nd, 8th and 5th houses in their T Squares, perhaps because their money issues came from inheritance (8th house). For Paris it was family money and for Drew family fame. Britney has Chiron in Taurus in the 8th making an earth Trine with that Mars in Virgo and Venus in Capricorn. This shows an ease in the material world (earth trine) but it falls in unfortunate houses. The 12th (Mars) is the house of self undoing and also karma, and arguably there may have been some self-sabotage going on, while the 8th is other people controlling and abusing you through psychological manipulation and by money. However, Earth bides its time and for that reason usually gets what it wants in the end.
What do we see of the parents? Saturn as you might expect is a strong feature, cold, controlling, judgemental and restrictive, plus planets in debility showing weakness, which is often expressed by heavy handedness or passing responsibility over to others. But their strong Saturn (conjunct the Moon in Drew’s chart) exalted in Paris’ and Britney’s also meant they survived, endured and ultimately overcame their tormentors. Girl power indeed.
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Elisabeth Brooke 
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