Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Material Girl Lourdes 'Lola' Leon

Lourdes 'Lola' Leon, is launching a clothing line in August appropriate called Material Girl, with the help of her mother, Madonna. Madonna insists it's Lola vision and design, with her mom just helping in the promotion while Lola's school schedule is so busy.

Madonna says Lola became intrigued by fashion around 8 years old when Stella McCartney started showing her the ropes of fashion and asking her input.

Lourdes has a great deal of Libra energy in her chart, which  is often associated with artists of any kind because of its natural ability to have a feeling for what is beautiful and feels balanced. Venus, which rules Libra, often points to our sense of style and what we feel is beautiful. Venus is in Virgo in Lola's chart, which can give her aesthetic a sense of refinement. We'll also probably see some elements of a hard yet fantastical edge with Pluto squaring her Pisces ascendant.

Lola has Saturn conjunct her South Node in Aries in the first house, which reveals a likely ability to step right into a leadership role, so Madonna's hands off approach is probably a good one. Lola will probably be pushing herself every step of the way with the Aries hunger to pursue what she wants. However, with her north node and Sun in Libra, she'll really benefit from feeling like she's not alone in her endeavor, and a guiding hand that feels supportive or even a partner can help keep her grounded.


Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Friday, March 26, 2010

New Kid Joey McIntyre is Optimistic About his 'New Kid's' Hearing Trouble

New Kids on the Block member Joey McIntyre and his wife Barrett got their own new kid for Christmas. Rhys Edward was born in December of 2009 and was diagnosed just two days before Christmas with hearing condition that required Rhys to be fitted for hearing aids just a month after he was born. The hearing aids have made a difference, but Rhys is undergoing speech therapy to learn how to process sounds.

Rhys has a Leo Ascendant and Mars right on it, which indicates a growing desire to leap right out into life and a strong resilience. Both his Ascendant and Mars make a trine to his optimistic and adventurous Sagittarius Sun in the 5th house. This kid is going to like to have fun and is not going to be happy letting anything get in his way or convince him he can't do or have something if he wants it! 

Mercury rules our communication style, voice, and even hearing since that is a primary tool we use to enable communication and learning. In Capricorn, Rhys will benefit from the discipline he be learning naturally through the effort required in speech therapy, for example. With his Sun and Venus close together in Sagittarius and many planets in his 5th house, he is not likely to suffer too much from any social stigma that may go along with wearing hearing aids or having hearing trouble. He has such a desire to connect in friendship to others (Venus and the Sun) and loves to have fun and play (5th house), so he's likely to always be surrounded by those who are inspired by his attitude and love to have fun with him.

Not to mention Jupiter, the planet of 'luck' (among other things) is in his 7th house of relationships, in Aquarius, where it sometimes pays to be different if one has the courage to own their uniqueness rather than feel embarrassed or out of place by it. Rhys will need to work with this a little bit throughout his life, since we see a square (a tense relationship) between his Sun, the planet of identity, and Uranus, the planet of individuality.

Ultimately nothing's gonna stop this kid! As he grows, he'll come out of his shell more and more. His south node is in Cancer in the 12th house, which reveals a sort of predisposition toward protectiveness, tenderness, and caution - hanging back a bit and just chilling (as his parents have already observed) but his chart shows he's got a soul desire to spread his wings and soon he'll be a little daredevil. We may even ultimately see him contributing to the healing of others in a real way, as he fulfills his north node's (Capricorn, 6th house) desire to serve others in a meaningful way, and uses his natural empathy for others (south node in Cancer, 12th house as well as the asteroid Chiron in Aquarius in his 7th house of 'others') to maybe even help to provide others in need with the rights they deserve, like others with disabilities such as his own.




Photo credit: Alison Dyer/People
Full story here

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Happy Birthday to Aries Satyana Maria Denisof and mom Alyson!

How I Met Your Mother, indeed! Satyana Maria Denisof met her mom on her mom's  (and her's) birthday last year. Aries mom, meet Aries daughter!

The majority of the planets in Satyana's chart are placed in the signs of Aries (Sun, Venus) and Pisces (Moon, Mars, Mercury, and Uranus). She's here learning to develop her sensitivity, compassion, and imagination with that Pisces moon, something mom probably sees every day in her sweet spirit.

But this kiddo's got spunk! Subtle and not-so-subtle indicators in her chart show how important it is for Satyana to develop a strong will and a personality to match. With Mars conjunct the Moon, she will be learning how to stand up for herself and her needs, but to stay true to her gentle heart she'll need examples that show her that one can be kind and sensitive to others without being a doormat or sacrificing her own needs to an extreme. 

Her Sun and Venus conjunct in Aries reflect a similar lesson. Venus is how we relate and connect to others, to feel like we're not alone. She'll be drawn to people who have a lot of strength, spunk, and a sense of adventure, and she'll be learning from them how to keep up, building her own strength of will as she goes.

Mom Alyson can be a great example to Satyana, with both her Sun and Moon in Aries. Alyson's Mercury also lands close to the same spot as Satyana's Mars, so Alyson can be a big help in encouraging Satyana to find the words (Mercury) to express herself when she feels angry or hurt (Mars) and needs to learn how to tell someone so she can become better equipped to resolve conflict. With Mars and Moon in Pisces, Satyana has such a gentle spirit that she may be afraid of hurting another's feelings just by telling someone that her feelings are hurt. She'll need some examples of how strength doesn't have to mean pushing someone around, and that gentleness doesn't have to mean being pushed around herself. She may instinctually defend herself as a baby, but as she learns about manners, and politeness when interacting with society, she'll need to also learn that her needs are just as important as the needs of others.
Mlle. Kiddie doesn't know Satyana's time of birth, so a noon chart has been erected. Want to find out more about YOUR little star? Create a Kiddiegram report for your little one and view it instantly and securely online. Visit Kiddiegram now!

Follow mom Alyson on Twitter and hopefully catch some tweets about Satyana's first birthday celebrations.
Top photo: INFDaily

Friday, March 19, 2010

Dr. "Grandpa" Phil: Welcome Avery!

'Dr. Phil' McGraw and his wife Robin welcomed granddaughter Avery Elizabeth late Thursday night in Los Angeles. He tweeted that he was 'way excited' and blogged 'The Granddaughter Cometh,' inviting fans to give advice and suggestions for what his granddaughter should call him and his wife.

So will Avery walk in her Grandpa Doc's footsteps?

Whether or not she does, they are likely to have a strong bond and he a strong presence in her life. His Sun falls on her Midheaven, which can give her a feeling of him being her mentor. It will be important for Grandpa Phil to carry that role lightly and with compassion, however. Avery carries in her a great sensitivity, with her Pisces Sun only one of many indicators. With many planets, including her Sun, in the 4th house, her early environment will have a tremendous impact on her subjective view of the world. With Phil's Saturn, Sun, and South Node in Virgo, he may have a tendency to come across to Avery as too critical, even when he is only trying to help her find her way, if he doesn't remember to temper his counsel with almost an overdose of love, compassion, and patience. Avery will need to hear loud and clear that she is loved and protected so that his counsel and advice can encourage her rather than have her feeling cut down.

Avery and Phil also share a moon sign, Taurus, and their moon positions are almost right on top of each other. This can indicate a strong emotional bond, and since the moon has a great deal to do with who we trust and feel safe with, this is another indicator that if Phil is very active in Avery's life, their bond and influence on each other will be quite strong. Other factors in their chart connections reveal that Avery may be very good at teaching Dr. Phil how to play, have fun, and relax. 

Congrats to the McGraw family!

Did you know you can create your very own Kiddiegram for your son, daughter, or grandchild right now? Visit Kiddiegram right now to get started!

Photo: Bauer Griffin

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Molly & Mathilda heat up the kitchen

Molly Ringwald recently shared with PeopleTV that her mother was a chef but while raising Molly, she was a stay-at-home mom who loved to involve her family in the process, something that Molly is doing with her 6 year old daughter, Mathilda and her husband. Her 'secret recipe' for a good start in life is not only cooking together, but eating together and having everyone share their day with each other over the meal. Sounds like a good recipe for any family!

Mathilda's Sun and Mercury are in Libra, a sign whose association with partnership often overshadows an equally important component of Libra: the artist. They don't call it the culinary 'arts' without reason! Cooking will probably be a great way to stimulate Mathilda's creative instinct and get her thinking (Mercury) creatively as well, a skill that can carry over into many areas of her life. 

With her Virgo moon, skill is also an operative word. The moon shows how we love to be nurtured, and also nurture others. In Virgo, Mathilda will enjoy nurturing others best by polishing her skills, any skills, in a way that makes them truly useful to others. She will also enjoy the time Molly takes to teach her a craft and help her not only learn a skill, but apply it directly in the food she helps prepare for the whole family.

Molly and her family welcomed twins Adele and Roman in 2009!


Top Photo David Livingston/Getty
Right Photo Jeff Vespa/WireImage/Getty

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Astrological Milestones: Saturn and Growing Up

copyright Bill Watterson

In astrology, Saturn is the planet that represents our progression toward maturity, responsibility, and self-sufficiency. Yes, Calvin, it is the planet of building character. It's place in our chart describes where we will need to work hard in order to reap the benefits, and where no one can really help us or do it for us because we must be willing to go it alone and persist in our efforts in order to come out on the other side with a sense of accomplishment and pride in the hard work we've done. Someone with Saturn in their 6th house of work might find that they will not have promotions fall easily into their lap, but will benefit from persistent effort in climbing their way up the ladder under their own power. Someone with Saturn in their 9th house of higher education may have had to work harder to achieve their degree, for various reasons, but will have the pride in making it through on their own. This is Saturn's promise.

At the moment we are born, every planet in the current sky is frozen in place, seemingly imprinted on us in the form of our natal chart. As the planets continue to move in the sky, they form connections to their original location at the time of our birth. It's easiest to see this in the example of a planetary return, which simply means any time a planet returns to the place it was at the time of your birth. The Mars Return was discussed in an earlier entry, which happens every 2 or so years.

When Saturn returns at age 29-1/2, we tend to experience a great lesson in growing up, and a prompt for reflection about what it means to be entering our 30s and the beginning of the mid-life period. But a return is not the only meaningful connection a planet can make to our own chart. At approximately ages 5, 7, 10, 15 and on up, Saturn is making a connection to our charts. Each of these connections at these different ages represents a time in our life where we are faced with an opportunity to do a little growing up. These small milestones can sometimes be pivotal turning points in our view of ourselves and our own capability.

Sometimes we are given the opportunity to grow and take on additional responsibility, which any parent knows can give a child a sense of pride and a welcome feeling of having an important duty to fulfill. A great example might be the birth of a new sibling, which can prompt the necessity of fulfilling the Big Brother or Big Sister role and being a helper and caretaker rather than the one being taken care of. Another example might be the first day of school, where the child enters a phase of their life in which they manage things more on their own than they do at home; a need to take on the responsibilities of managing their schoolwork and following instructions.

There are times when the Saturn prompt to mature teaches us self-sufficiency due to circumstances that force us to stop relying on something we have been because we now need to learn to stand on our own. While these circumstances aren't fun and may even be frightening or painful, they allow us to have a real sense of our strength, of what we're capable of, even when the chips or down, or perhaps especially when the chips are down, as we rise to a challenge.

Let's take a look at not-so-little-anymore Ava Phillippe, daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. In October of 2006, when she was 7 years old, her parents announced their separation and filed for divorce, an event that came in Ava's life only a month after she experienced what's known as her Saturn square, a time when sometimes difficult circumstances prompt our growth. Ava's Saturn is in Taurus, a sign which represents a desire for stability and a fixed routine. In this case, the divorce of Ava's parents would have awakened her to the reality that she will not be able to remain in the same sheltered parental/family structure that she had up until now. The challenge for her was to recognize that not only can a new structure can be built, but that she is resilient enough to withstand that change and create a sense of stability and resilience in herself even as her world changes. 

Being the eldest child, perhaps she might have even taken it upon herself to offer shelter and support to her younger brother Deacon, especially since her Sun and Moon are in Virgo, a sign oriented toward service. What might have been a great way to support Ava during this transition would be to help her realize that her structure isn't lost, just changing, and to recognize the role she can play in creating the new one, thereby encouraging her to see where she can take control of this part of her life in how she moves forward as the family changes.

It can be very useful for a parent to understand some of the milestones that don't always have a marker in everyday life, but which astrology tracks quite reliably. In the case of Saturn, a parent can use this knowledge to see how they can assist their child going through a time when they need to learn to stand on their own, so they can feel supported and encouraged to find their own footing as opposed to feeling alone or helpless.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Happy 6th Birthday, Sam Sheen!

Little Sami is 6! The daughter of Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen celebrated her 6th birthday a couple of days early with a spa party. Here she is all dolled up as a princess in a pic that her mom took of her and posted to Twitter

Mlle. Kiddie expects this to be a year of blooming for Sam. Jupiter is passing over her Sun, Mercury, and her own Jupiter, which will prompt Sam to try new things, to stretch herself and her imagination further than she ever has. Saturn will also be forming a square to Sam's own Saturn, which always brings situations in which we find ourselves growing up a little, often due to situations developing in our lives that require us to take some responsibility on ourselves and step up to a challenge to handle something on our own. This can be stressful, but it can also be a proud moment, a time when we realize we are more capable than we knew. The princess grows a little more toward becoming the queen she will be!

Sounds like she had a great birthday at the spa and then watching the Academy Awards that night. Plus, any birthday that involves a tiara is already looking pretty good in Mlle. Kiddie's book! Mom Denise tweeted: "sitting in my bed with my girls watching the Oscars..we're all pooped from the party. great day.....thx for all your bday wishes for Sami!"

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Easton Quinn Monroe Elfman: Welcome to Hollywood!

Jenna Elfman and husband Bodhi welcomed their second son, Easton, on Tuesday, March 2nd. The couple already have a 2-1/2 year old son, Story Elias.

One of the most striking things about little Easton's chart is his full 12th house. He's got 5 planets in the sign of Pisces and most of them in the 12th house, which amplifies the influence of Pisces. From Easton's Kiddiegram:

Sun in Pisces
"Easton is a dreamer who may bring back from his fantasy world the inspiration for artistic, poetic, or musical creations, and you will find that he can happily spend many hours immersed in his own private world. (He may often seem distracted or vague, as if he is not fully present: he is listening to the muse!)  Provided with the artistic materials and exposure to positive cultural events (concerts, plays, and so forth), he may well blossom into a fine artist himself. Theatre and music especially appeal to him, even if he is not inclined to perform."

With his Libra Moon, an artistic sign itself with a love of beauty and a natural sense of balance, Easton will no doubt enjoy some form of art and excel at it, whatever the medium. His Mars in Leo also confirms a desire to express something from deep within and to give it form, and Jupiter so close to his Sun indicates he will always identify (Sun) with the feeling of potential and endless possibilities (Jupiter). His drive for this kind of exploration will often take him inward rather than outward, into his imagination. What he finds there will be the fertile soil for what he expresses outward.
The challenge for Easton will be coming out of his shell. So much of his life will be lived behind his eyes and mind, focused more on his internal journey than what the outside world holds for him. With his north node in Capricorn in his 10th house, he's definitely here to contribute a great work to the world, but it will take him a great deal of time and support for him to blossom at his own pace, leaving the comfort of the inner haven to step out into the world and share his gift. 

With Aries Rising, it will be helpful for Jenna and Bodhi to encourage him to stretch himself into the world in a way that doesn't feel like pushing, but posing it as a challenge that he can answer himself, to best himself and see what he can do when he dares.

Congratulations to the Elfman family!

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Parenting with Astrology: Dealing With Aggression

Amy Herring has been a professional astrologer for 15 years and a proud mother for 4 of those years. She has joyfully accepted Mlle. Kiddie’s gracious offer to share her thoughts once a month here at Kiddie Star Signs. To find out more about Amy and her personal readings for parents and children, visit her website at http://heavenlytruth.com.

Money and fame don’t solve every problem. Celebrity moms have their hopes and worries for their children too. However, I’d like to offer ‘everyday’ moms a chance to see astrology put into action to answer their parenting questions. After all, famous or not, you’re the world to your kids! If you’ve got a question about your child that you’d like Amy to answer, send your questions to amy@heavenlytruth.com.

Grace asks:
 My daughter, Alison, is only 15 months old and already seems like she's the terror of her daycare. She is a very happy child and doesn't seem to be angry in her attitude, but she pushes other children and things of this nature quite a bit lately. She and her older sister (4 years old) can be quite rough with each other and they both take it in stride, but at school this can be a problem. I'm wondering where this is coming from and how to help her manage it at school?

After looking over Alison's chart, I would agree with mom's assessment that this behavior isn't coming from a place of anger, but more from experimentation, especially with a sense of her own power. While several factors in combination can speak to the source of this behavior, the most relevant component in Alison's chart is her Capricorn Ascendant and the striking placement of Pluto right on top of it.

The ascendant, or the beginning of the first house, is like our 'front door'. When we open it and stand on our porch, we get a certain perspective on the world, and we interact with the world from the point of this perspective. The sign and any planets on the ascendant can reveal the filter through which we take in experiences in the world and how we make sense of them. Among other things, Pluto's placement in our chart has a lot to do with our process of learning a right sense of power. While we are learning this lesson, we deal both with things that let us feel powerful as well as encountering things that lead us to feel powerless and often trying to protect ourselves from that. Encounters with feeling powerless can leave us feeling wounded, and as we grow up, we find more healthy ways of protecting ourselves from feeling powerless, by learning where our true source of power lies: in ourselves, not in power over others.

Alison is working intensely with this lesson in this lifetime. As she grows, she will be bringing on experiences that help her learn the sense of her true power, and how to use it responsibly for herself. As an adult, this sounds like pretty heady information, but we can think a lot lighter than this sounds. Alison is only 15 months old, and is living the grand experiment of life. She is not a bully, nor is she cruel. However, because of Alison's age, she is greatly inexperienced with her astrological 'toolbox' (her chart, and in this example, Pluto).

Imagine carrying a big, heavy rubber hammer in front of you all the time and being barely strong enough to hold it, let alone wield it with any kind of accuracy. Without care, you could easily smash into others with that hammer, and hurt them or yourself without even realizing it. Now let's consider a child, who doesn't even know what a hammer is or what it can do, carrying that around. Alison's behavior is more about experimenting, as well as not understanding just the kind of power she wields; in fact, that's what she's experimenting with: her own power. What she's capable of and what she can do. We all are, children especially, but some children carry a bucket, or a screwdriver, or a paintbrush, to continue the tool analogy. Alison's tool just happens to pack more intensity and more of a punch.

While Pluto is in Sagittarius, the sign of Capricorn is actually Alison's ascendant, which is often concerned with results rather than feelings. It is not heartless, but is not naturally empathetic: it wants to get the job done, and it likes to see the bigger picture, the goal, the end result of one's endeavor. It sees its path stretching out in front of it, much like it's symbol, the mountain goat, and it heads almost single-mindedly toward it's goal. Alison's intensity will probably continue in life, because she's always going to feel like she's on a mission, and at her age, her mission is mainly focused on how to steer this thing called life!

With several planets in Libra, she will learn how to relate to others and consider their needs - Libra can't help but recognize other perspectives rather than it's own, so there is no need to worry here. But let's get practical: how do you manage this aggressive behavior in the classroom? I suggest two things. One, recognize that there is nothing wrong, angry, or mean in her heart driving this behavior, it's mainly a lack of understanding (yet) about empathy and others' experiences as a result of her own actions - she doesn't understand that there's an action (hers) and a result. That's what she's testing now. Two, help her to see and understand the connection between her actions and the result, both through trying to explain to her and show her a classmate's reaction to what she did, and two, if she is ever feeling hurt by another, gently taking that opportunity, after consoling and loving, of course, to again, connect the dots for her while she's on the receiving end. Approach this, obviously, in very simple language and getting right to the point, given her age and attention span.

Teaching her to use the Libran tools in her tool box: cooperation, teamwork, partnership without diminishing or scolding her for her own power will be the best way to begin.

Good luck and thanks for your question!

Would you like some input on how to understand and nurture your child in the most effective way for their unique needs? Amy offers readings for parents and children; find out more at her website.