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Heath Ledger: A Remembrance

Actor Heath Ledger was born on April 4, 1979, and he died on January 22, 2008. (1)

(no time known) Sunrise chart
April 4, 1979
Perth, Australia 31S47 115E51
Porphyry cusps, True node

The natal chart has some notable planetary placements: the Sun in Aries, Venus in Pisces, and Jupiter in Cancer are all in their signs of exaltation; they are the honored guests in someone else’s home. (2) This gives prominence to the Sun and both benefics, showing a life with a special fortune, though obviously not without complexity. The Moon was in Cancer all day, her sign of rulership. (He came from a prosperous and philanthropic family; the Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust is named after his great-grandfather.)

Mercury, Mars, and the South Node are all in Pisces. Mars, dispositor of the Aries Sun, is conjunct Mercury retrograde and in detriment in Pisces. The water planets show sensitivity and empathy; the Cancer Moon responds to life and instinctively connects with the public. Mercury and Mars show deftness with language; he was known for subtlety in expression and the range of roles he played. (3)

Along with the charisma granted by the exalted benefics, Ledger was also known for intensity — he had the natal Sun applying to an opposition to Pluto. His friend, musician Ben Harper, said:
“Heath was the most alive human, and if it wasn’t on the edge it didn’t interest him.” Ang Lee, who directed Ledger in the much-lauded Brokeback Mountain (2005), said: “Even if he was a supporting actor he would steal the whole show, that was the power of Heath Ledger.” (4)

On April 23 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, a documentary entitled I Am Heath Ledger premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. (5) Transiting Venus, in her sign of exaltation, had just turned direct while conjunct Chiron (April 15 at 27° Pisces), and the transiting Moon was between Chiron and Venus at the time of the film’s premiere. Saturn at 27° Sagittarius was square to the Pisces planets, evoking a bittersweet beauty and a sense of sorrow or loss.

film opening: April 23, 2017
5:00 p.m.
Manhattan, N.Y. (40N35 73W59)

In another testament to the timelessness of the natal chart, the planets at the recent premier were conjunct Ledger’s natal Mars at 27° Pisces, dispositor of his Aries Sun. Transiting Jupiter was opposite his natal Sun, highlighting his unique presence and bringing his story to life again.

Bi-wheel: inner: Heath Ledger natal; outer: transits for April 23, 2017; 5:00 p.m., Manhattan, N.Y. (40N35 73W59)

RIP Heath Ledger

Footnotes:

1) Biographical material and quotes from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger

2) The Sun in Aries is also at the degree of its exaltation, 13°.

3) Film critic A.O. Scott wrote about Ledger’s performance in Brokeback Mountain: “What made the performance so remarkable was that Mr. Ledger, without betraying Ennis’s dignity or his reserve, was nonetheless able to convey that truth to the audience. This kind of sensitivity — the ability to signal an inner emotional state without overtly showing it — is what distinguishes great screen acting from movie-star posing.”
New York Times

4) Quotes from the film trailer.

5) Tribeca Film Festival

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