Death Wish

Christine Pascal was a French actress, director and writer. She lived a life most people would dream of; however, privately, she was torn apart by inner turmoil and self-destructive thoughts. Christine had contemplated suicide at various times in her life and would openly tell people that she wanted to end it all. Most people never took her threat seriously, and they assumed she was just being “dramatic“. It was evident she had a fascination with dying, and in her first directed movie Felecite, the film opened with a suicide scene. Christine was asked how she would like to die; she told them " I would throw myself out of a window". It has been reported that she had stayed in a mental hospital for some time before the suicide.

Christine was born with an unaspected Sun in Sagittarius in the 5th house. In Liz Greene’s Astrology for Lovers she describes Sagittarius as a sign that is more amateur dramatics than Leo! In Christine’s chart she has a double does of fire (Sun in fire sign & house). When a planet is unaspected the lines of expression are “cut off” from the rest of the chart. If you have hard aspects to the Sun, at least you are "recognised" even if your individuality is challenged. There are a couple of ways an unaspected Sun can manifest. Firstly, it can take a long time to express her core self (Sun) and do what she wants; there is always a feeling of being “unnoticed“, and her real individual essence isn’t recognised. Or, alternatively, she is completely free to do what she wants, and in the most dramatic fashion (A fiery Sun), she follows her own direction. The Sun in Sagittarius is about discovery, adventure and purpose. The Sun in the 5th house is focused on creative expression, romance, art, and drama. The Sun trines her Leo Ascendant and Aries M.C, so her self-expression is at ease with the way she presents herself (ASC) and how she goes about realizing her aspirations (M.C).

Christine’s Moon is in Virgo in the 3rd house, which is in deep contrast to her fiery Sun. Moon in Virgo tends to analyse emotions, and they are not prone to expressing feelings spontaneously, there is strong humility and instinctive need to serve. Christine is prone to self-critical questioning, and she would never feel emotionally satisfied with her achievements. The Moon is in an exact square to Jupiter in Gemini. Her analytic emotions are in conflict with the part of her that is spontaneous, witty, expansive and socially expressive. Jupiter is placed in the 11th house showing expansion and developing the world of ideas, or being part of a group or social cause. However, her social side is conflicting with her need to always analyse her emotional responses. With the Moon in aspect to expansive Jupiter she may blow emotional issues out of proportion, and she could then critically assess her responses.

Mercury the planet of communication and intellect is in introspective and cynical Scorpio. Mercury in Scorpio has an honest and unflinching view of life. Mercury in the 4th house could indicate that she may have researched or explored psychology at home and she analyses her emotions deeply. Mercury also forms a square to Pluto (death, sex, and transformation), and this shows us that she needs to understand her inner motivations. Mercury-Pluto contacts can create mental paranoia and fixation with subjects such as death, transformation, sex and all taboo matters. This contact can crate morbid thinking. Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson share the same aspect. I have also seen this aspect in this chart of a poet, and his material was very dark, taboo and sexual (Mercury and Pluto were conjunct in poetic Pisces).

The Subterranean River

Christine has five planets in the 4th house (water) and she has been described as extraordinarily sensitive. The fourth house describes an individual’s background and is the lowest point of the chart and signifies our most private self, it is the part of us that is hidden from the world. This sector of the chart is traditionally associated with the end of life. In Liz Greene’s much acclaimed book “Saturn A New Look at an Old Devil”, she offers some powerful insights for understanding the 4th house, she says "The 4th house describes conditions before the development of the discriminating mind, any planet placed here is highly suspect because it points to something in the psyche which must be first discovered and brought up to the surface, before it can be dealt with constructively. The influence of the fourth house is like a great moving subterranean river beneath the surface of the later personality which is developed in accord to the Sun and ascendant; and this river may be powerful enough to dominate the behavior without being seen". Christine has three planets in Scorpio in the 4th house, and inwardly she longs for transformation. Saturn in the 4th house forms a square to her Leo Ascendant, and Christine's sense of direction was affected by Saturn’s emotional repression and inner difficulties.

At the time of her death transiting Pluto the planet of endings, cycles and transformation was conjunct the Sun. Transiting Uranus conjoined her Descendant (house of others) and confronts her identity in the first house. This represents a time of unpredictability in her social interaction. Transiting Uranus squares natal Saturn in Scorpio in the 4th house and often shows broken bones and accidents.