Harry Potter's Emma Watson: From Child to Young Adult

Emma Watson has played the character of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series for about half of her life, beginning in 2000 when she was just 10 years old. Now that the filming is over (the last movie wrapped in June of 2010), Emma is well on her way toward her future as just Emma, already having completed her first year at Brown University. The December issue of Marie Claire magazine features Emma, 20, on the cover and a feature article that lets us in on Emma's strong drive, her understated but elegant style, and just how much she's like Hermione.

While Emma wasn't born in the business, as they say, Emma's rise in the public eye in some form was almost inevitable with her south node in the sign of Leo (creativity and performance) and in the 11th house (the public arena). With her north node in Aquarius in the 5th house, she's working on being able to separate the drama and image of her public persona and her true source of individuality and creativity, which is not necessarily about how she can be popular, well-liked, or cater to her fans, but her own process of finding herself. Her Aries Sun in the 8th house will be a perfect vehicle for that, as she dives deep into herself in this life to find her own strength, courage, and independence--not to mention a relentless energy to pursue her desires.

Mlle. Kiddie just loves that this youngster was born in Paris, and that she's such an elegant example of her Virgo Ascendant. While Virgo often gets categorized as frumpy, fussy, and utilitarian, Miss Watson displays the elegance and simplicity of the Virgoan refinement. Our Ascendant/Rising Sign shows how we present ourselves to the world, which not only includes our attitude and approach to the world, but often our sense of style as well, since we want to dress ourselves in a way that makes our natural approach to the world like a second skin to us. That Virgo style brings an understated sophistication and Virgo, being a more contained sign, knows that sexiness doesn't have to mean being revealing or over-eager, as Emma herself reveals in the Marie Claire interview:

"I think it's so much sexier to be understated. It's more intriguing to be sexy in a less obvious way."

Fashion and our sense of style is not just our Ascendant, but is also contributed to by Venus' placement in our chart. In Emma's chart, it's in the dreamy sign of Pisces, which adds a sort of romantic flair to that elegant Virgo, and for Emma, with her Uranus (the planet of the pursuit of individuality) in close harmony with her Venus, she is likely to find her expression through fashion a great way to show her true self, and says something to that effect in the article. She also reveals the Piscean part of her sense of fashion when she quotes Jean Cocteau:

"I think fashion is a great way to express yourself. I read a great quote by Jean Cocteau: 'Style is a simple way of saying complicated [Virgo] things.' It's fun. It's escapist [Pisces]. It can change the way you think or feel. As an actress, just wearing something helps me get into character." (bracket statements added)

Mlle. Kiddie wonders if you can you get more perfect symbolism than that last line! In the 6th house of work (an actress), she finds that her style of clothing (Venus) helps her get into character (Pisces).

Emma's goals are now firmly rooted in her education, something Mlle. Kiddie would applaud anyway, but is especially significant for Emma since her Mercury (the mind) is exactly square her nodes and represents something that should be developed -- which no doubt could be easily skipped since she does not seem to need higher education to make a living if developing her mind weren't such an important part of her soul's development. Her Sagittarius Moon will also love to be educated and the fact that she's experiencing her education in a land far from her birth is also a love of Sagittarius. Her Mercury in Taurus in the 8th house brings a mental tenacity as well, which shows in her success in her studies. Mercury is also the ruler of her chart because it's the planet that rules (has an affinity with) her Ascendant, Virgo. This makes it doubly important.

That mental tenacity served her well when she auditioned for the role of Hermione. At 9 years old, she practiced relentlessly to get the audition just right:

"I started working on the audition at 9 in the morning and didn't stop until 5 in the evening. The tape was just me doing the same thing hundreds of times over, until I got it exactly right [Virgo]. I was just amazed at my stamina [Taurus]. I've always been like that; I give 100 percent. I can't do it any other way."

Post Harry Potter, in addition to her studies at Brown, she's collaborating in creating the Spring/Summer clothing line for People Tree, a sustainable and Fair Trade brand of clothing. "80% of the collection uses 100% organic and Fair-trade certified cotton and it is also made entirely by Fair Trade groups, using hand weaving, hand knitting, and hand embroidery, to create livelihoods for some of the most disadvantaged people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal." Sounds like she's growing into her Jupiter in Cancer in the 10th house, taking a public role (10th house) in nurturing (Cancer) others by providing them opportunities (Jupiter). This is a young lady to watch and admire!

Marie Claire Photo Credit: Tesh

Benjamin Travolta is born!

Welcome to Florida, Ben!

John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston met their new little boy, Benjamin, on Tuesday night. The birth time is approximate, so Mademoiselle Kiddie has guessed 9 pm, which would give little Ben a Cancer Moon (reports say Ben was born in the evening). However, if he was born earlier than this (around 8 pm or before), he will have a Gemini Moon.

Ben has three planets in Sagittarius: his Sun, and a conjunction of Mercury and Mars in this sign, revealing that he'll soon develop a strong desire for learning and discovering new things in the world. The work of Sagittarius is to experience things for oneself and then come to one's own personal conclusions about what they think of the world, what meaning they make of everything and their own views of what life's about. To do that, he'll use his passion (Mars) for asking questions (Mercury).

This Sagittarius energy is in a strange contrast with his Cancer south node (and possible Moon in Cancer), which indicates an orientation less focused on the wildness and independence of adventure and more toward home, shelter, comfort, and loyalty to family and tradition. Cancer and Sagittarius are inconjunct each other, which means they don't relate easily to each other because they are so different. Part of him longs for expansion and freedom, but another part of him longs for containment and home. He'll be learning to balance both of these needs throughout his life.

With Venus in Libra caught in the interplay between south and north node, the relationships (Venus) he draws to himself will be pivotal in what he learns about the world and other viewpoints (Libra), and whether his relationships with others validate his inherited world view or in aid in questioning and developing his own. Encounters with people that have differing beliefs and experiences can open his world view and excite his mind with the possibilities.

A Moon in Gemini vs. Cancer would certainly tip the scales in different but interesting directions either way. With a Gemini moon, his quest for information and seeking truth wherever he finds it will be amplified and will support and press his already strong desire to seek answers with Mercury, Mars, and his Sun in Sagittarius. With a Cancer moon, his emotional needs will clash more easily with these aspects of his personality as he tries to stretch beyond himself but not lose himself and his heart in the process. With a Capricorn north node, he's working on his own sense of independence and wanting to be a grown up, so all his Sagittarius energy can be very useful for him. Sagittarius also has a light-hearted, energetic, and fun side that will definitely bring a bright light into the Travolta household.

Congratulations, Travoltas!

Photo: JustJared.buzznet.com

Happy Birthday Sagittarius Kids

The Sun is in Sagittarius this year from November 22nd to December 21. Happy birthday to all those Sagittarius kiddos (and mommies and daddies)!

Kids with prominent Sagittarius planets in their charts, especially the Sun and/or the Moon, are learning about what it means to explore their world fearlessly. Not all Sagittarians like to channel their sense of adventure into eXtreme sports or high risks, but they all tend to have some desire to stretch their boundaries in some way, whether it's exploring beyond their back yard or exploring beyond what their teacher tells them. They also have a strong desire for experience; they prefer to see something first hand rather than read about it or learn about it sitting at a desk.

Sagittarius is a mutable sign, just like Gemini, Virgo, and Pisces. All mutable signs have some restlessness about them since they are built for change and adaptation, and don't find it easy to sit still or keep to routine (although Virgo can more easily, as long as she's constantly growing--that's her motion).

Sagittarius also tends to get the label of being outspoken, or is even called tactless, but its intent is never to be cruel or overbearing. Sagittarius is a fire sign, so it bubbles with enthusiasm and sometimes can't contain itself easily, so whatever Sagittarius is thinking comes out of their mouth sometimes more abruptly than with other signs.

Hazel & Phinneaus Moder (mom Julia Roberts) turn 7 on November 28th. More about Sagittarius from Hazel's Kiddiegram:

At heart, Hazel is an expansive, freedom-loving, and optimistic soul, with a great love for adventure and exploring the world. As a young child, her overflowing abundance of restless energy may preclude taking long trips during which she must be confined to a small area (like her carseat or her place on the bus), but before long you will have an eager traveling companion.

Seeing different places, learning something new, and discovering more about the world are strong (and lifelong) interests of hers. The foreign or unknown is very appealing to her. Reading stories from different cultures, visiting museums, or taking field trips to interesting, out-of-the-way places will be heartily appreciated by her.

Expect a lot of questions and discussion along the way as well, as she is deeply curious and she often wonders about the underlying causes of things. You may well have a young philosopher on your hands, too, for she is likely to come up with her own rather amazing theories and beliefs as to "why" things are as they are.

Do you have a Sagittarius kiddo in your life?
Treat their parents to a tailor-made Kiddiegram!

Sagittarius Sun Kids
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo (Heidi Klum & Seal)
Usher Raymond V (Usher & Tameka Foster)
Hazel & Phinneaus (Julia Roberts & Daniel Moder)
Pax Thien (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie)
Violet Anne (Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner)
Dashiell John (Cate Blanchett & Andrew Upton)
Milo (Liv Tyler & Royston Langdon)
Lyla Rose (Lisa Loeb & Roey Hershkovitz)
Rhys Edward (Joey & Barrett McIntyre)
Benjamin (John Travolta & Kelly Preston)
Benjamin (Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady)
Theodore Hayes (Ali Larter & Hayes MacArthur)
Ethel Mary (Lily Allen & Sam Cooper)
Alastair (Rod Stewart & Penny Lancaster)
Romy (Sofia Coppola & Thomas Mars)
Samuel (Liev Schreiber & Naomi Watts)
Nell (Tim Burton & Helena Bonham Carter)

Sagittarius Moon Kids
Violet Anne (Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner)
Jack (Bridget Moynahan & Tom Brady)
Cecilia Cassini (young fashion designer)
Levi James (Sheryl Crow)
Suri (Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes)
Dylan (Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones)
Lewi (LeeLee Sobieski & Adam Kimmel)
Zahara (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie)
Margaret Grace (Mark & Rhea Wahlberg)
Michael (Mark & Rhea Wahlberg)
Keara Kiyomi (Kristi Yamaguchi & Bret Hedican)

Beckham's Boy Brooklyn: Budding Philanthropist

In a recent issue of Hello! Magazine, Victoria Beckham spoke about teaching their kids gratitude:

"The kids don't feel entitled at all. As a family, we do charity projects, 99% of which we're really quiet about. Brooklyn is starting to learn more about charities and is taking his responsibilities seriously as someone who is in the public eye. He really loves it and the boys all want to do what they can to help. We do it as a family and really enjoy it."

Brooklyn's Sun is in the sign of Pisces, a sign known for it's tendency toward empathy and compassion, and it's channeled through a Libra Ascendant, which is a sign that has a heightened awareness of other people, so Brooklyn, although highly individualistic, can channel that sensitivity easily into helping others.

Mom Victoria has some sincere tendencies toward gratitude and sharing with others as well. Venus (relating to others, personal values) is conjunct Jupiter (expansion, generosity) in the compassionate sign of Pisces, and these two planets rest on son Brooklyn's Pisces Sun, so mom tends to bring out the soft spots in him where giving is concerned. Not only that, but Brooklyn's Sun is in the 6th house, a house of work and service and it's connected to Mars by a trine (a comfortable connection) so he's more willing to put his empathy (Pisces) to work (6th house) and act on (Mars) his desires to give.

When it comes to matters of being 'in the public eye', we look to the Midheaven, the beginning of the 10th house, which has no planets in it but is in the sign of Cancer. Cancer is a sign that is built to nurture, shelter, and protect, among other things, so this echoes the already building case for a budding philanthropist. As he develops his Leo North Node in the 11th house, he'll be learning how to let his own joy and creativity be part of his gift to the world, and a voice within it.

Gosselin Kids' Growing Pains

People Magazine reported earlier today that two of the Gosselin sextuplets, Collin and Alexis, have been expelled from their private school and are being home taught for the time being, due to "greatly exaggerated reports of bullying and abuse" on their parts. While that can conjure up images of extreme violence in some fantastical minds, Mademoiselle Kiddie wishes not to jump to conclusions and supposes this expulsion could be due to something as simple as violating school rules repeatedly, for example. (especially in a private school that may be more strict). Either way, it has been said that the kids are 'acting out' as a result of difficulty coping with the divorce of their parents.

Mademoiselle Kiddie suspects Venus is behind this story.

When most astrologers, and even most people, think of Venus, they are drawn to the Greek myth of Aphrodite, who was known as the goddess of love and beauty. Astrologers think of Venus as the urge to create relationships based on harmony and similarity. So why would Venus be behind stirring up so much trouble?

Well, if you've ever read the old myths, you'll know that the gods and goddesses don't always behave and even like to stir up trouble with the humans! One such time of trouble can be when the planet that represents that god or goddess goes retrograde (appears to travel backward in the sky for a time), such trouble can often manifest. The planet Venus has been traveling backward through the sign of Scorpio (now briefly back into Libra).

Any time a planet is in retrograde, it is a time to REview and REpair issues that the planet represents. WithDuring the period that Venus is retrograde, we often see challenges in relationships of all kinds, whether it is old friends returning, or letting current relationships go, or dealing with what isn't working in a relationship in order to try and get it fixed. While Venus has been retrograding (since early October) people that have been feeling under-valued and under-appreciated by those around them have been more inclined to speak up about it and in Scorpio, that means in no-uncertain terms! They're not going to take it anymore. And that may be just the kind of issue surfacing with Collin and Alexis.


As Venus has been moving over Scorpio, it has been forming a square (a tense relationship) with their moon in Aquarius, which can push them to rebel (Aquarius) if they feel like their feelings (moon) are not being heard, understood, or valued (Venus). As it formed the square, it also forms a trine (a comfortable relationship) to Uranus and Mars, so Uranus and Mars behaviors are easier to express than the moon behaviors. Therefore, rebellion and disobedience (Uranus), as well as displays of aggression and assertion of one's own will and dominance (Mars in the 1st house) are most likely defense mechanisms for feeling like they don't have an outlet for their feelings. Addressing what's hurting, and especially what makes them feel like their freedoms and individuality are not being respected (which is one thing moon in Aquarius really wants), is a positive way to diffuse and re-direct the impulsive aggression.

Even though there is no report on the other four children being expelled, Mademoiselle Kiddie would not be surprised to find that similar behavior has been showing up in these children, even if it comes out in different situations, since they all share a chart and are all being triggered by Venus simultaneously.

Venus will begin moving forward again on November 19th, at which point she will, even though moving forward, trigger these sensitive spots again before leaving them for a significant length of time. Mademoiselle Kiddie guesses most of December may have these kids 'acting out' as they try to get their needs met.

Calculate a free-mini report for a little one you know now!

On twins and more: While all six children have basically the same chart, not all kids respond identically to the same urges, as they all have free will to make their own choices as they interact with the environment, and some people think may even have different inclinations based on past lives where they were not part of sextuplets/identical charts!

Jenna Jameson on Pre and Post Mommy Life

Former porn star Jenna Jameson talked to W Magazine about how she's put her past behind her and concentrates now on simply being a good mom. Jenna had fraternal twin boys in March of 2009: Jesse and Journey and never looked back. “The moment I decided to have children I quit," she says, even having her breast implants removed and refusing cover photo shoot opportunities (at least ones that feature her in her former role as "Queen of Porn").

Jenna is now happily settled in into mommy life, walking her twins in a double stroller daily. “I really don’t think I need to say, ‘Mommy was a porn star. I feel like they’re going to know me and think, ‘Mommy loved us so much that she quit everything and made us her jobs.’”

And according to the astrology of the twins, it's likely they'll share that sentiment. The Pisces Sun they share, including Mars, Mercury, and Uranus also in Pisces, brings with it a compassion and natural ability to empathize with others, often thinking the best of others. With Uranus close to their Sun, they are likely to want to go against the grain of "society's accepted social norms" themselves so they aren't likely to be bothered that mom did the same thing.

With Saturn in Virgo opposite their Mercury in Pisces, what they know and feel of their experience of mom (Mercury in Pisces) may come up in confrontation with the 'reality' of the social judgments that others may impose about their mom (Saturn in Virgo) about what is so-called 'appropriate' but they are likely to defend their mother quite easily since their Mars (planet of the defender in all of us) is right on top of mom's Venus.

Jameson's own mother died when she was about the age of her boys, so Mademoiselle Kiddie is certain that she will have a strong desire to be there for her own children and is not surprised about the strength of her conviction to focus only on her children from their birth. Read more about Jenna in this month's W Magazine.

Photo credit: Patrick Demarchelier

Scorpio Ruby Maguire Turns 4!

Scorpio Ruby Maguire turns 4 on November 10th. Hopefully her parents aren't attempting a surprise birthday party this year! Scorpio isn't easily fooled, and Ruby could be called an X-Treme Scorpio, with 5 planets in this sign (that's half her chart!)

Her Mercury, the planet of the mind, information, and curiosity, is one of the five in Scorpio and it's followed closely by Mars, our planet of motivation and passion. This girl could probably make a living as one sharp detective if she so desires. She knows how to find clues and pick up on things that others think they're hiding successfully. She's also passionate about finding out secrets and uncovering truths. Better hide and double wrap the presents, mom and dad!

Unless she was born earlier in the morning, she's likely to have a Leo moon, so a party where she gets a chance to shine and express herself might be very enjoyable for her, but all that Scorpio can make that Leo moon pretty shy. A party at home with close friends is a sure winner.

Happy birthday, Ruby!

Parenting with Astrology: Childhood Anxiety

Amy Herring has been a professional astrologer for 15 years and a proud mother for 5 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, Mlle. Kiddie would 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 any time to amy@heavenlytruth.com.

Jan writes:

My son is only 13 months old, but I can already sense he has considerable anxiety. What can I do to assure my little Virgo?

Well, your son certainly does have enough Virgo to worry himself! Virgos have many lovely and life-affirming qualities which we'll discuss before we're done, but on the "tough-to-be-a-Virgo" side of things, anxiety certainly does have its place. Virgos often fret about not living up to standards, doing things incorrectly or themselves (or life) getting out of control and these worries, in a 13-month-old fashion, may be infiltrating. At his young age, however, the anxiety is probably more primal than the damage-control urges and 'what-ifs' that plague the typical Virgo.

As an evolutionary astrologer, my eye is often drawn to the south node of the moon, but I find myself doubly compelled to do so with children as so often, concerns of the parent(s) tend to find answers in the child's south node. The south node reveals where our comfort zone is, how we tend to look at life and react to life on an instinctual level. The rest of the chart can almost be looked at as new tools the soul is learning to use as they strive to get a greater perspective about life beyond the south node. When a soul is young, they are almost all instinctual, so the moon and it's south node are often primary sources of understanding into their behaviors.

Your son's south node is in Cancer in the 7th house. Cancer, like all signs, has many facets, but one of its needs is to feel secure, to protect and be protected. Cancer is often called the sign of home and family because, especially for children, home and family provide the nurturing and safe environment for them to explore their world. The 7th house is the area of life where we focus most on one-to-one interactions: typically called the house of marriage or partnership. But in a baby's life, obviously the primary relationship is a parent. So babies need to feel safety with their parents, there's no surprise! But multiply the need twenty times in your son's case and you'll start to understand the intensity of that need. He may show this by being particularly clingy with one parent, for example, as a longer term issue rather than just a phase attached to a particular stage of development.

Separation anxiety, whether it shows up as literal fear to be physically separated from you or branches out into various behaviors, will be the most difficult for him to navigate, so helping him trust that he can count on you to be there while encouraging independent behaviors will be the goal over his development. He is learning to depend on himself in this lifetime, and in doing so, he'll need to learn that sometimes in order to prove to himself that he is more capable than he thinks, he'll need to do things alone.

So ultimately that is the line you'll be walking. But at his age, perhaps the best thing to focus on is just building his trust that you're there, and that even when you need to go away, you come back and that you won't abandon him. The next steps will be helping him realize that while you are his mother, you are also a person with needs and have to take care of yourself as well as him, thereby teaching him the independence that he is trying to learn himself. Sometimes he will want you have him attached at your hip when you need time for yourself for sanity, or merely when necessity pulls you away, and its during these times that careful navigation will be required so that he knows he's safe and loved, but that he will be ok while you nurture yourself. Teach him that you're a mommy and a woman and a ... (whatever other hats you wear!)

There will be time enough as he grows to help him recognize that life isn't exactly a safe proposition and sometimes facing that reality as gently but realistically as he is able can empower him! He's got Uranus, the planet of individuality, opposed his Sun, Moon, and Saturn, so his chart's tools will be pushing him to stretch his legs away from mom soon enough.

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.