Rogers and Hammerstein teamed up at the time of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s Golden Age of Musicals and garnered 34 Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammy Awards. Among their collaborations are many world-renowned songs including Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, People Will Say We’re in Love, and Oklahoma!, ¹ the featured song in the team’s first project of the same name; If I Loved You and You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel; Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific; Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance from The King and I; and Climb Ev’ry Mountain, The Sound of Music, Do-Re-Mi, and Edelweiss² from the film, The Sound of Music.

Richard Rodgers created melodies for the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein. The lyrics were imbued with contemporary messages that crossed racial and religious divides during a time when America was struggling with its identity. South Pacific and The King and I were written about cross-cultural and ethnic differences pointing to the conclusion that there are ultimately no barriers too vast that can’t be overcome with love. Carousel grappled with the forces of good and evil and showed the way to the redemption of the soul if only one faced the error of their ways head-on. The Sound of Music was based on the real-life drama and trauma of a performing, musical family’s escape through the Austrian Alps when caught in the clutches of WWII.

Although meeting and briefly working together years earlier, the two talented men began their steady collaboration in 1943 when they produced their first Broadway hit that later became the Pulitzer Prize-winning Hollywood film, Oklahoma! The musical was inspired by the emotional depth and psychological complexity of the book and play, Green Grow the Lilacs, by Lynn Riggs. Frank Sinatra was the first choice for the leading role, but he left the film because of the necessity to shoot each scene twice in order to accommodate the addition of the new widescreen Todd-AO mm process. Shirley Jones then called in her friend and fellow actor Gordan MacRae to fill the role. This led to their teaming up again a year later for the filming of Carousel.

A Brief Comparison of Charts

Synastry, also known as chart comparison, begins its analysis with the identification of any planet/s in one chart located at the same degree of the zodiac or exactly opposite any of those in the complementary chart. The orb allowance should be kept as close to one-degree of separation as possible. To validate an active Crosstie over one-degree, it is helpful to note whether reality reflects evidence of meaningful interaction between the two individuals. Hammerstein’s Neptune is opposite Rogers’ Uranus with over a degree in separation, but the two were drawn into a collaboration that brought them success beyond what each had experienced earlier on their own.

Rodgers’ Sun is in the expansive and emotional sign of Cancer and is directly connected by cross-conjunction to Hammerstein’s Mercury. The Sabian degree of this connection is rounded to 6 Cancer with the image of Game birds feathering their nests. The keyword of the symbol is METICULOUSNESS, revealing the method by which they reached perfection in their craft.

Midpoint Connection

Between the two charts there is a unique planetary aspect that is described in Uranian astrology as a midpoint. The green line connecting the inner and outer wheels shows Rodgers’ Mars is positioned at the midpoint between Hammerstein’s Pluto-Neptune conjunction. This reveals Rogers’ excitement (Mars) and desire to perform his skills using the significant talent provided by the words of Oscar Hammerstein.

The reason for including this midpoint structure is the auspicious nature of the planets and their Sabian symbol images that point to the powerful potentials between these two gifted men. The images quite literally express the indication of a destiny with music and the exceptional depth to which the lyricist pondered to develop his concepts.

Rodgers’ Mars, from the outer wheel, is rounded to 15 degrees Gemini. The Sabian symbol is Two Dutch children talking. The symbol suggests the common language spoken between two creatives who merged their differing skills into song. Theirs was an embrace of words and music that in its “foreign” characteristics remained cryptic to anyone other than themselves.

Additional Sabian Symbols

The most extraordinary and literal Sabian symbols are seen in Hammerstein’s Pluto and Neptune’s imagery. Although Hammerstein was the man responsible for the concepts of the songs that tell the storylines, he has Pluto on the degree which better describes Rodgers who was literally the manifestation of the symbol, A great musician at his piano. The writer’s Neptune was on the degree of The head of health dissolved into the head of mentality, which is very fitting for a man who delighted in bringing out the advantages of intellect as opposed to a reliance on melody to convey meaning. Rodgers’ Mars directly stimulates Hammerstein’s outer and significant planets, and the two go down in musical history for their profound contribution to American culture and meaningful entertainment.

GEMINI 13 A great musician at his piano This is a symbol of individual artistry as the property of all, with its expression both its strength and the means whereby others are encouraged to like accomplishment. Here is experience at a climax on the side of self-refinement in skills and talent, and at a peak in its gratification and its promise of continuing effort and sharing of rewards. A continually expanded dimension of being becomes the constant revelation of man’s true estate. The keyword is ACHIEVEMENT. When positive, the degree is the creative assurance which contributes enduring overtones to human understanding, and when negative, self-defeat through a delight in momentary attention or superficial adulation.

GEMINI 17 The head of health dissolved into the head of mentality This is a symbol of man’s achievement on the level of spiritual or eternal fellowship with his kind, here emphasized subjectively as a focus of selfhood in conscious self-awareness and as a capacity to live the lives of all men in imagination and appreciation. Implicit in the symbolism is the foundation of any human well-being in everyday or immediate and practical fact, with well-rounded individuality made the condition of all real progress. The keyword is DEVELOPMENT. When positive, the degree is the effective orientation of selfhood in an overall vision, and when negative, a defeat of accomplishment by a senseless clinging to the illusions of youth.

Two interesting Sabian symbols can be seen with Hammerstein’s Sun and Venus degrees. His Sun degree is rounded to 20 Cancer, Gondoliers in serenade. This is fitting for a lifetime of songwriting. His Venus symbol rounded to 6 Virgo is A merry-go-round. Here is a literal manifestation of one of the songwriting team’s iconic films, Carousel. It is always fascinating to see Sabian imagery reflect a detail of the life of which the native himself was undoubtedly unaware.

Comparison of Elements

The elements of the signs of the zodiac refer to their properties of water, earth, fire and air. Water and earth signs are compatible with each other as are fire and air. Analyzing the rapport between individuals starts with comparing their Suns, Moons, and Ascendants in the category of Vitality. It is ideal when two of the three in this grouping share compatible elements with one that remains incompatible and so becomes the point of challenge or stimulation that enhances the dramatic development between the two parties.

Uniquely, both Rogers and Hammerstein have their Suns in Cancer and their Moons in Pisces. Not only are their Suns and Moons in water signs but they are also in the same signs. This promotes an extraordinarily compatible situation regarding their wills represented by the Sun and feelings represented by the Moon. The Ascendant is a point in the horoscope and here is where the two men differ. It is regarding the perspectives and skills one brings to a partnership where the two men differ greatly. Hammerstein’s Ascendant is in the water sign of Cancer while Rogers has his Ascendant in the air sign Gemini. Water and air are not compatible; however, it was the combination of their written word and composed melodies that made them into the extraordinary team they and their audiences enjoyed and continue to enjoy to this day. The merging of their differing abilities, as identified by the Ascendant, as opposed to their similarities of will and feeling, was one of the major keys to their success.

Another unique feature of the natives’ Moons in Pisces is that both Moons are Focal Determinators. Hammerstein’s Moon is the handle of a Bucket bringing it into High Focus, while Roger’s Moon is the Point Focus of a T Cross. The Moons, by virtue of Focal Determination, become the most prominent planet in each chart. This greatly amplifies the Piscean sympathetic and sentimental qualities of their art.

Mars, Venus, and Mercury represent the second category of compatibility status. These are the planets of Efficiency representing initiative, acquisitiveness, and mentality as they become active for the fulfillment of the details of daily experience. Mars and Venus in the charts of Rogers and Hammerstein are compatible. Hammerstein’s Mars is in fire and Rogers’ is in air, with both having Venus in earth signs. This results in a smooth synchronization of the beginnings and conclusions of their projects. It was the mental activity between the start and finish, identified by Mercury, that the team’s challenges emerged. Despite the stresses in mentality both had retrograde Mercuries. This astrological feature is the indicator of the similarities in their intellectual orientation that brought their differing talents into alignment. In this way, they were truly able to understand each other without much struggle and misunderstanding. It was a mutual, mental cloistering and inner inspiration indicative of a retrograde Mercury that led to an open celebration of what these giants of their field created from deep within.

 

1. Oklahoma! became the state’s theme song.
2. A song mistakenly thought of as the Austrian national anthem.

 

 

The most famous dance couple in the history of American film, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, teamed up in 1933 when making their dance debut in the Hollywood production, Flying Down to Rio. They had supporting roles in the film and took second billing, but it was just enough to start them on their meteoric rise together that consisted of incomparable technique and style.¹

Astaire and Rogers first met in a brief encounter when Astaire was brought in to assist with choreography for a Broadway show in which Rogers had a part. They even dated briefly as stated in Rogers’ autobiography, Ginger – My Story. Following their first contact was a chance to dance together when Rogers replaced a troubled Judy Garland who was originally cast with Astaire for the film’s primary dance scene, The Carioca. The movie was Flying Down to Rio and was virtually an ad for Pan-American because its producer was the airline’s major stockholder. However, the movie became the vehicle for the beginning of an enchanting ten-year dance and acting partnership for the unsuspecting performers. Their first film was the entertainment and distraction needed to captivate audiences while the horror of World War II was in its developing stages.

Where in the synastry of planetary pairings can sheer talent and divine elegance be seen? The chart shows Rogers in the center wheel with Astaire’s planets on the outside because in their first film, Rogers took billing over Astaire, which can be seen in the film’s promotional poster credits.

The astrological ties between the dancers are mainly conjunctions with no planetary oppositions between their charts. Partners need to be together for the conjunction potentials to manifest and sustain the relationship. Oppositions of planets between charts will often draw two parties together through a mysterious magnetic attraction even when often apart. It is apparent with three conjunctions that the tie was cemented primarily through the efforts and pressures of the film company’s principals and producers. The dance team would flourish as long as they were bound to contracts that held them together. At the same time, both dancers displayed an underlying inclination to advance their careers independently,² and the lack of opposition aspects between the charts eventually brought their hopes to fruition.

The teams’ Jupiters in conjunction aspect gave the onscreen couple mutual joy in their work and helped to expand each other’s skills and talents. They lent each other personality traits in the way that Katherine Hepburn so aptly stated, “Astaire gives her class, while Rogers gives him sex appeal.” The complexities in their dance routines are shown by Jupiter in the sign of Scorpio in both charts. The keyword for the sign of Scorpio is Creativity³ The placement of their

Jupiters in the 6th house in Rogers’ natal wheel gives testimony to the unrelenting rehearsals and ever-demanding work ethic to which the pair were fiercely dedicated. However, it was Rogers’ Saturn that brought a sobering quality to Astaire’s Sun with its keyword Purpose. Sticking together for ten years is the nature of a responsible Saturn, yet in time it will encourage a native to withdraw if not fully satisfied because the planet’s nature is disjunctive. Rogers was in search of more dramatic roles, and her eventual Saturnian departure rewarded her with an Oscar for Best Actress in the avant-garde portrayal of Kitty Foyle. 

When together, Astaire’s Pluto conjunct Rogers’ ascendant brought out an illusion of intense passion between the two, especially when engaged in dance and song. His preoccupation with her beauty and grace was an underlying theme throughout their films, and again her Saturn had her play the parts of either a damsel in distress or hard to get.

In the chart with Astaire in the center wheel with his progressions in the outer for the release date of Flying Down to Rio, we can see that his progressed Sun and Mercury are contacting the all-important Neptune of imagination and glamour. The conjunction takes place in the 7th house of partnership and announces the glamorous tie between he and his leading lady while her Jupiter was nicely aspected by his progressed Moon.

Progressions for December 22, 1933, were remarkable for Fred Astaire, as it was then that he embarked on the path that would eventually take him to the pinnacle of his success. This is evident in the progressed Moon’s placement in the 9th house of fame and marks his turning point spurred on by the progressed squares that stimulate his very tight natal Moon-Uranus opposition. An opposition involving Uranus usually means that there is some experimentation considered and when it is opposite the natal Moon, the dancer most likely was daring and carefree in all his public performances. To add to his good fortune is the easy-going, supportive sextile from progressed Moon to his natal Jupiter which conveniently harmonizes with Roger’s Jupiter by sextile aspect as well.

Rogers also had several lunar progressions on December 22, 1933. There were exact sextiles from her progressed Moon to her natal Moon as well as making a trine to her natal Saturn. Rogers’ progressed Neptune had finally entered into the degree of her natal Sun. The slow-moving progressing Neptune took 22 years conjunct her natal Sun, bringing with it her emergence into the imagination of all who love song and dance.

Interestingly, although not aspected in 1933, at the start of her career with Astaire, is Rogers’ Venus degree at 7 Virgo 51, rounded to 8 degrees Virgo, is the Sabian Symbol degree, First dancing instruction.

VIRGO 8 First dancing instruction This is a symbol of the self-perfecting required for the many different forms of man’s participation in the experience of his fellows, illustrated here in a potential excellence of special skill. The dance of life includes infinite versions of its rhythm and provides illimitable variations on the theme of its melody, but there must be some specific encouragement of individual ability as a stimulus to effective endeavor. Necessary always is that initial trial of self which in time leads to a continuity of effort. The keyword is ASSISTANCE. When positive, the degree is achievement through a personal competence and a high gift for cooperation, and when negative, cheerful acceptance of ineptitude.

The dance team’s natal charts and progressions contain a profound collection of indicators that mirror the illustrious dancers who in late 1933 embarked upon an imaginary yet very fine romance.⁴

 

 

(1) Roger’s revealing obituary – the UK’s Independent:

While Ginger went on to other pot-boilers, and Fred to England to do The Gay Divorce on the West End stage, RKO started to plan more films for the team. The Gay Divorcee (title changed to placate Hollywood’s production code) confirmed the team’s magical chemistry and included the first of their classic romantic duets, “Night and Day.” In a deserted ballroom, as Ginger crosses Fred’s path to leave, he blocks her. Tentatively resisting, she bends her body with his and they start to glide across the floor. The harmony and sensual tension of this sequence is due in no small part to Ginger and demonstrates why she was the greatest of all Astaire’s partners. Not only do they dance as one (“She could follow Fred as if one brain was thinking” said Ben Lyon), but Ginger acts the dance perfectly, never appearing to be reveling in the display of technique or conscious of anything other than the emotions of attraction and seduction implicit in the choreography. Katharine Hepburn’s famed remark “She gave him sex, he gave her class” is true, but conveys only part of their magical chemistry.

(2) Telegraph website:

The idea of turning them into a regular act had come from the RKO producer Pandro S. Berman. He told me: “Most of my efforts were devoted to getting Fred to work with Ginger in the film The Gay Divorcee, and then to getting him to work with her again in Roberta, and in all the others. That never stopped – he never got over the feeling that he was being forced into being a member of a team, which was the last thing in the world that he wanted.

(3)  Astrology, How and Why it Works by Marc Edmund Jones, Sabian Publishing Society 1955, Pg 255

(4) The words fine romance allude to the song composed in 1936 by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields for the film hit Swing Time.

 

It is always advantageous to know the exact time of birth when comparing horoscopes between two individuals. It is vital, however, to erect a chart with an undisputed year of birth, as is the case with Sandra Dee,¹ the actress known for her leading role in the Gidget series created in the late 1950s.

It is thought that her mother encouraged her to falsify the year of birth to acquire work for her underaged daughter. According to her son Dodd, she was born in 1944, but if he commissioned her gravestone which cites the year 1942, it only adds to the confusion.

In this analysis of the planetary interactions between Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, we will explore their union using both years. One could hope they will be able to determine which of the two years, 1942 or 1944, is most fitting for a comparison of this famous couple.

The chart for 1942 is used first in a comparison and shows some interesting connections. However, there are strong ties between the planets of their charts using the 1944 birth year as well. In it we see a revealing promise of a loving tie between the couple that is not seen in the chart for 1942. Both charts are shown to simply peek into the possibilities of their shared potentials, leaving the reader to ultimately decide which year of birth for Dee makes the most sense.

The couple’s natal charts are shown with transits and progressions for when they married in September 1960. The natal charts are shown in the center wheel, progressions in the middle ring, and transits in the outer.

Dee’s chart in the center left wheel is calculated for 1942. She has no significant progressions that make aspects to her natal chart in 1960. Her progressed Moon, however, does make a sextile to Darin’s natal Mercury (shown with the green line) and her progressed Saturn conjuncts his natal Mars (circled in red). This indicates that she indeed excited him through an activation of his Mars, but as the story goes, she was shy and reserved for some time before acquiescing. This is due to Saturn’s need to go forward with caution, and perhaps her mother was an influence as well.

Darin’s chart, in the center wheel on the right, shows his progressed Moon making a trine to his natal Neptune in the 5th house in September 1960. This shows the start of a movie career which Neptune well exemplifies by its placement in the 5th house of entertainment. At the same time, Darin’s progressed Moon makes a friendly sextile to Dee’s natal Venus, revealing a pleasant entrance into an emotional relationship.

The 1944 birth chart for Dee, in contrast with that of the 1942 birth year, has the awesome promise of a conjunction of her natal Moon in the 1st house with Darin’s natal Venus (short purple line). That has a powerful potential for attraction with the promise of a blissful union. On a more somber note, natal Jupiter in Darin’s chart applies in opposition to Dee‘s Saturn. Saturn is again activated and reveals her hesitancy at the relationship’s beginnings. It also tells of the long-standing dedication she sustained for him during their marriage and after his early passing. Dee never remarried, and that is testimony to the deep and abiding love that remained in her heart although they divorced in 1967. It was when Darin’s progressed Mars opposed his natal Jupiter in the 8th house of shared resources that their marriage fell apart. For Dee, Darin’s progressed Mars simultaneously stimulated her natal Saturn once again and finally brought a disappointing end to their life together.

Sandra Dee was known for having a dependence on alcohol, retiring at early hours, and having a distaste for being seen out in public. With her opposition aspect in the 1942 chart just out of orb, and no oppositions in the 1944 chart, she was prone to withdrawal and brooding. The 1944 chart also has a Mercury retrograde signifying introversion as well. Dee’s Neptune is off by itself in the 6th house of possible health concerns and difficulties with adjusting in society. These factors make the 1944 chart seem valid, but in the end, you must decide . . .

 

1. From Wikipedia on Sandra Dee:

There has been some dispute as to Dee’s actual birth year, with evidence pointing to both 1942 and 1944. Legal records, including her California divorce record from Bobby Darin, as well as the Social Security Death Index and her own gravestone all give her year of birth as 1942. In a 1967 interview with the Oxnard Press-Courier, she acknowledged being 18 in 1960 when she first met Bobby Darin, and the couple wed three months later. According to her son’s book, Dee was born in 1944, but having begun modeling and acting at a very young age, she and her mother falsely inflated her age by two years so she could find more work. According to this version, this explains why 1942 was listed as her birth year in official studio press releases. It does not however explain why her gravestone, which had to have been commissioned by her son, her only child and sole immediate survivor, gives 1942 as her year of birth.