The much-loved actor and philanthropist Paul Newman died at home on Friday, September 26.
Paul Newman met Joanne Woodward in 1952 when both were cast in a Broadway play. (1) “But,” as the obituary in the New York Times reports, “he was a married man, and Ms. Woodward has insisted that they spent the next several years running away from each other.” (2)
One of many remarkable features in their synastry is the position of the Vertex in each birth chart: Newman’s is at 20°45′ Leo and Woodward’s is 20°52′ Leo, a partile conjunction. Originally described by L. Edward Johndro in the 1930s, the Vertex is seen as the most fated part of the horoscope, where we have least control over events and actions.
And so, after “running away from each other,” life had other plans in store for them, and they married on January 29, 1958. When Newman married Joanne Woodward, his progressed Sun was at 9°24 Pisces, just past her natal Sun at 8°03′ Pisces. Her progressed Moon was at 2°23′ Pisces, just past his natal Moon at 1°39′ Pisces.
Famous for their long and happy marriage, their natal synastry is indeed also powerful. To mention a few connections between the natal charts:
their ascendants are conjunct, i.e., hers 12°, his, 13° Capricorn
Saturn, the ascendant rulers, are sextile one another – his Saturn 14° Scorpio; her Saturn 10° Capricorn
both have Venus sextile Saturn natally: (his Venus 14° Capricorn/ Saturn 14° Scorpio; her Venus 13° Pisces/Saturn 10° Capricorn). As a simple delineation: Each has a mature understanding of love, values loyalty, and know that love gets better with age.
their natal Venus’s are sextile each other: his Venus 14° Capricorn, her Venus 13° Pisces. Their natal Mars’s are also sextile each other: his Mars 23° Aries, her Mars 16° Aquarius.
And, perhaps most importantly, they have Sun-Moon conjunctions both ways: Newman’s Sun is 6°02′ Aquarius and Moon is 1°39′ Pisces. Woodward’s Sun is 8°03′ Pisces and her Moon at 24°52′ Aquarius.
On August 16, less than six weeks before he died, there was a lunar eclipse at 24°17′ Aquarius, the degree of Woodward’s natal Moon (ruler of the 7th). This is also within a few degrees of their mutual Vertex points, both very close to the 8th house cusps. This lunar eclipse was also square Newman’s progressed ascendant at his death – 24°06′ Taurus.
There is an upcoming solar eclipse on January 26, 2009 at 6°29′ Aquarius, conjunct Newman’s natal Sun (ruler of the 8th) at 6°02′. The following lunar eclipse – February 9, 2009 – is at 20°52′ Leo, the exact degree of Woodward’s natal Vertex is on the 8th cusp: 20°52′ Leo.
On one more note to the end of a long marriage: Juno, goddess of marriage, is at 28°20′ Sagittarius in the couple’s natal composite chart. Transiting Pluto was at 28°34′ Sagittarius at Mr. Newman’s death.
(1) Chart data:
Paul Newman: Jan. 26, 1925; 6:30 am EST; Cleveland, OH (41°N30 81°W42′). Rodden rating: AA
Joanne Woodward: Feb. 27, 1930; 4:00 am EST; Thomasville, GA (30°N50′ 83°W59′). Rodden rating: AA
(2) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/movies/28newman.html