Harry Potter's Dan Radcliffe: Accidental Star

Daniel Radcliffe has been a household name ever since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone hit the scene in 2001, but his interest in acting began much earlier with the prestigious role of a monkey in a school play. Although his mother was a casting agent and his father a literary agent, it wasn't his parents that pushed him into acting (in fact, they were quite reluctant about it at first), so Dan's first audition was at the prompting of a friend as a 'bit of fun', to try out for a role of a television production of David Copperfield and was quite surprised when he got it!

His next project was a small role in The Tailor of Panama, starting Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis. It was Jamie that suggested one day that it seemed Dan would be a good fit for Harry Potter and said so to Dan's mother. Although his parents were reluctant for him to audition, they eventually relented and, of course, Dan got the part, beginning a 10-year wild ride.

Dan has said that his acting career has been sort of an accident, but his chart doesn't seem to think so! With 5 planets in Leo, including his south node and Sun, there does seem to be a bit of a mark of destiny! While not every Leo longs to be an actor, there is the urge among everyone who wears the lion's mane to roar -- to express themselves, be heard and seen, to get in touch with what makes them special and share that creativity.

Leo does not always deserve the rap it gets from pop astrology as the overbearing, loud, egomaniac and show-off. Dan has been asked what qualities he shares with Harry Potter and he has listed loyalty, curiosity, standing up for himself and a propensity to land himself in trouble as the greatest similarities. All unsung Leo qualities.

Perhaps Leo can show itself as a diva when it feels too ignored, suppressed, or insecure, but the goal of Leo is not to be the star of every show, only the star of its own life; to be special, not more special than everyone else. With Dan, there is a strong soul desire to express himself creatively, often through performance, and acting certainly fits the bill. However, he also enjoys playing music, film (not necessarily his own), and has actually written and published a book of poetry under a pseudonym, befitting his Mercury (our 'voice') conjunct his Sun in Leo.

In fact, Dan has said several times that he doesn't exactly enjoy seeing himself on screen and avoids reading or watching any interviews of himself. Doesn't sound like the Leo stereotype we've been fed, does it!? Ironically, when asked Which of Harry's magical powers Dan would like to have, he replies: "Invisibility. That would be so cool just to go anywhere without people seeing you." While it's not shocking for an actor to want a little more anonymity so they can live their daily life, it's also striking that a Leo would want to be invisible. Yet, Leo, ruled by the Sun, is very much like the Sun: it shines so brightly, yet you can't look directly at it.

One of the challenges for a Leo south node (and therefore an Aquarius north node) is to learn the difference between expressing themselves in an authentic way, not just whatever gets applause or appreciation. In Dan's case, he might also be learning how to be seen for who he truly is, not just what people want him to be. His Jupiter (planet of opportunity and luck) opposite Uranus (planet of individuation) illustrates the tension he must feel between opportunities for growth in a direction that his fans or the industry and the real opportunities that come from authentic growth, even when no one's watching or understanding. Equus, a play that Dan starred in during 2008, was certainly a shocking departure from the role of lovable hero Harry Potter and could certainly be seen as an attempt toward a leap at breaking away from expectations of what people want to see vs. what he really is.

On an amusing note, his co-star in Equus has said that even with his incredible physique during the play, he loves candy. In particular, Mars bars. Gotta love that!

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

Harry Potter Actor Daniel Radcliffe Casts a Sorcerers Spell

Harry Potter's Horoscope was done in 2001 by Chicago astrologer Barbara Schermer in an amazing feat of detective work. Well actually she did two charts as we post in an earlier blog.

The actor who played him was also a Leo. Daniel Radcliffe was
born July 23, 1989 in London (time unknown) . This child star who evinced an interest in being an actor at the age of five, was chosen to be the child star that took up the wizard's wand in 2001 and grew up in the Harry Potter film franchise . Um, his Mum was a casting director. But it was a worldwide call and not an easy role to land.

The teenager has taken a Broadway role as a psychologically troubled stable boy in Equus. Radcliffe's sun is in the sign of Leo, his Moon depending on the time he was born is in either Aries or Pisces. We do not know the rising sign since we don't have a time of birth. Now 17, Radcliffe appears in the buff and buzz is that he has cast a socerer's spell over the"hard to please" New York critics. Probably that Saturn/Neptune conjunction that Jeff Jawer talks about, and OK already four planets in Leo. Radcliffe has a wide stellium starting with Sun in Leo (0 degrees 5')', including Mercury, Mars, and ending with Venus ( 28 degrees 40') conjunct the south Node and Regulus, the star of kingship. As his Kiddiegram notes:

Sun Conjunct Mercury:
Daniel enjoys and needs to communicate, and he is apt to be an avid talker from an early age. Expect a continual stream of questions, comments, and conversation on every topic. You may need to encourage him to listen more, as he tends to be the more active, vocal participant in a discussion. He appreciates a lively, mentally stimulating environment with plenty to do and think about. Puzzles, word games, and books may be his favorite play things.

Does your child have a Sun Conjunct Mercury? Check out their Gram!