“But James, I need you!”

“So does England!”

–The Spy Who Loved Me 

Even though he returned to star in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery turned out not to be eternally bound to an eternal Bond. After Connery finally bailed, the producers, having had a single dalliance with a frustrated George Lazenby, went back to someone they had thought about hiring for several years—the great English “Saint,” Roger Moore.

Like Lazenby, Moore had started out as a model. Always a clotheshorse, he was once known as “the Big Knit.”  In 1962, he was cast as Simon Templar in the British TV show, “The Saint.” It ran for 118 episodes, and after he was cast with Tony Curtis in the early ’70s show, “The Persuaders,” Roger Moore was the highest paid TV actor in the world. Intriguingly, “The Saint” premiered on the telly one day before the first Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in theatres. Bit of a strange bond for those who played Bond.

Read Part One of The Astrology of Bond

Roger Moore turned out to be the longest-running Bond, doing more official Bond films than any other actor in the role. From 1973 to 1985, Moore was more, starring in Live and Let Die, The Man With the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and  A View to a Kill. With Moore as 007, the series took a turn for the absurd, with jokey lightness and outlandish gadgetry replacing Cold War deadliness. Any series that features a villain with steel teeth named “Jaws”—twice!—is not begging to be taken seriously. But then, the 1970s wanted to forget the 1960s anyway. So the stunts became the movies.

This also was in keeping with the times. The Uranus-Pluto conjunction, that volatile, revolutionary energy that was the true cause of the social upheaval of the Sixties, was uncoupling itself and the energetic effect was a desire to find one’s bliss. As Uranus (the impulse toward freedom) entered Libra, sign of relationships, followed at a distance by intensely transformative Pluto, the emphasis shifted toward more personal issues. Women’s liberation, gay rights and various indigenous peoples’ movements sprang up. Neptune (idealism) also entered the playful, questing sign of Sagittarius, bringing forth a flowering of yoga practice and New Age teaching. Disco replaced socially conscious rock’n’roll. The Cold War thawed a bit, and 007 seemed much less relevant in the age of détente. Nevertheless, the franchise continued.

What was it in Roger Moore’s astrological makeup that allowed him to play the role and fit the times so well? Let us look at his chart:

Moore was born under Libra (sign of elegance and artistry) with Mars (planet of willpower/conflict) sitting close to his Sun in the 3^rd House of communication. Sophistication and polish, blended with sex appeal and wit, made Moore a splendid example of someone who could pull off an iconic role and look like he wasn’t even breaking a sweat. The audience found his Bond easily digestible.

Moore’s Gemini Moon sits high in the chart in the 10^th House of status, giving him a public destiny and personal attractiveness. His image as a quick wit and smooth talker (again, Gemini Moon) was developed in his previous acting roles and elevated by the Bond producers to the point where the audience almost anticipated some drollery after a heavy action scene. Moon in Gemini is nothing if not a lover of language.

But it’s the Leo Ascendant that really made Moore so popular. Leo, after all, just loves spectacle. He was also born under the conjunction of Jupiter (blessings) and Uranus (sudden change)—called by astrologers the “Thank you, Lord!” energy. Roger Moore is just naturally lucky. Like Marilyn Monroe, Moore has Neptune (glamour/film) rising in Leo in the 1^st house, creating a charismatic image that he used well.

During his time as Bond, both Uranus (forward thinking) and Pluto (power issues/sexuality) were moving back and forth over his Libra Sun and Mars. Like Connery before him, he simply fit the zeitgeist. The movies had varying critical reception, but Moore as Bond almost became a cultural institution. But—when intense Pluto went into Scorpio in the mid-’80s and the social scene darkened amid the AIDS crisis, the producers rethought the role and gave it to a younger actor who projected a more serious image.

Here is the chart of Timothy Dalton:

As with George Lazenby, we do not have an exact time of birth for Dalton, but one look at the aspects tell us that he is a formidable individual.

Timothy Dalton was born under rough-hewn Aries, the opposite sign from Roger Moore’s polished Libra Sun, and the contrast between their interpretations of Bond could not be more different. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, Dalton had been considered for the part of James Bond as far back as Sean Connery’s departure in the early 1970s. He was deemed too young then, but just the right age when Moore was done.

Dalton made two Bond films, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. The former was praised as a return to Bond being the “blunt instrument” envisioned by Ian Fleming, while the latter finally hit theaters after a 4-year legal wrangling that drained much of the life out of the franchise; even Dalton’s portrayal was considered substandard. What accounted for such wide critical opinions and tumult in Dalton’s life?

Dalton has three planets in Aries, making him an assertive type who probably loved guns, swords and fighting anyway, and found a positive way to channel it. Mars (energy/conflict) is the ruler of Aries and sits extremely close to Saturn, planet of authority. This aspect is pretty ruthless. Dalton’s Bond is cold-eyed and dour with little of the lightheartedness of Moore’s performance. Add in Pluto, lord of the underworld, sitting in an almost exact angle to Dalton’s Mercury (intelligence) and Venus (love of beauty), and you have an actor who brings plummy speech and some realism to his role. But as Bond, he’s also been called dull. At least his Moon is in sexy Scorpio, giving him emotional intensity.

During the period that Dalton was playing 007, transiting Pluto (magnetic power) sideswiped his Moon—which in the case of an actor represents the audience. This gave him high visibility, but saddled him with proximity to power plays, which manifested as long infighting between the studio and producers. He grew discontented with the delays and direction in which the series was headed and gave his notice that two films were enough.

This time frame (late 1980s to early 1990s) had as its prime astrological signature the coming together of three planets in the restrictive sign of Capricorn, called by astrologers “the Capricorn Climax.” The expansive Saturn-and-Uranus-in-Sagittarius energy that gave Dalton good reviews when The Living Daylights came out in June, 1987, turned ultra-serious when it joined Neptune in Capricorn in 1988, and stayed that way for several years. In the U.S., there was a deep economic recession.

Capricorn is the sign of government, and when Cap’s ruling planet Saturn (business matters/traditions) moved into its own sign and hung out with Uranus (chaotic change) and Neptune (dreams/ideals), the energy was not conducive to staying with something that wasn’t working. Lest we forget, the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and much of Europe changed. After a dismal showing in his second Bond film because of poor marketing and a lethargic performance, it was felt that James Bond would need a freshening up, too.

That left the door open for an actor already playing a suave TV detective who was a close approximation of Bond.  The Broccoli family, producers of the Bond series, had wanted Pierce Brosnan even before Timothy Dalton, but NBC wouldn’t let Brosnan out of his contract for “Remington Steele.” When the series ended, the dreamily handsome Irishman was the obvious choice to play James Bond. Even the media was excited.

Here is the chart of Pierce Brosnan:

Brosnan was born a Taurus, with his Sun in the 5^th House of creativity and love affairs, giving Brosnan a natural charm in the attraction department. His Moon (emotional self/women in his life) also sits on the cusp of the 7^th House of relationships. Any planet on the horizon of a chart is doubly potent, and his Gemini Moon (remember Roger Moore’s?) showcased a witty charm that, along with his romantic looks, made women swoon. As 007, Brosnan was playing to his natural strengths.

Brosnan’s Ascendant is Sagittarius, known as the sign of the adventurer (and bachelor). Though married in real life, Brosnan projected in the Bond role the desirability of the dreamboat lover. Pluto in Leo (raw power) sitting in a hard angle to his Taurus Sun (personality) adds sexual magnetism to Brosnan’s image. Saturn (authority) and Neptune (glamour) sit together in Libra, the sign of romance, so Brosnan felt comfortable as Bond and was immediately accepted by the audience as well.

Pierce Brosnan made four Bond movies: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is not Enough and Die Another Day. He brought style and banter back to the series, the sophistication audiences had enjoyed with Sean Connery and which had gone missing since. Brosnan balanced the stunts with some acting chops, but mostly he just looked like your fantasy Bond, as if he’d been born in a tux. For audiences left unsatisfied by Moore’s clownishness and Dalton’s grimness, this was a refreshing tonic.

While Brosnan was playing Bond, Pluto (power/transformation) was transiting his chart’s 11^th House of hopes, goals and social recognition. He became a worldwide star, GoldenEye opening just as Pluto made an opposition to Jupiter (good fortune) in the 5^th house of entertainment. Transiting Jupiter also crossed his Ascendant (image) at the same time, and he was off and literally running as Bond.

It was just at that time, too (November, 1995), that Pluto entered expansive Sagittarius and the world’s troubles seemed to lighten up for awhile. The economy improved and the Internet became popular as Uranus (innovation/technology) and Neptune (creativity) transitioned into the futuristic sign of Aquarius. The tech boom went hand-in-hand with Bond’s sophisticated gadgetry, as if the world had finally caught up to him. The producers took this as a challenge: in his last film, 007 even had an invisible car!

Then the energy changed, not entirely due to Brosnan’s acting. The tragedy of 9/11 changed the tastes of audiences, and the fantasy element in spy films seemed out of place now. The Bond producers got the message. From this point on, realism would be king.

Enter the sixth and current Bond, Daniel Craig. His chart is shown below:

Craig’s birth time is unknown, but enough can be gleaned from the lines of energy in the chart to make it worth our while.

Daniel Craig was born a Pisces, a sign associated with sensitivity and imagination, not necessarily sex and violence. The Sun (self-image) does, however, sit in a wide opposition to Pluto, planet of extremes and badass behavior. This certainly confers sexual charisma, and an ability to go to the depths of one’s soul, but what Craig gives us as Bond is not what we’ve been used to feeling for the character…namely, human empathy. Yet there is something in Craig’s portrayal that makes his Bond emotionally present to us. Astrologically, this is explained by Craig being born in a Water Sign, known for emotional bonding…so to speak.

With Chiron, the dwarf planet known as the Wounded Healer, sitting in Pisces (sign of sacrifice) along with the Sun, what we have in Daniel Craig’s Bond is a man who displays his wounds to us even while trying hard not to show them. This is a long way from the buffoonery that characterized previous portrayals of Bond. What Daniel Craig gives us is real pain.

One look at Craig’s three planets in Aries, sign of the warrior, convinces us that, despite his personal sensitivity, he is definitely a man of action. His Bond movies have emphasized his physicality, and astrologically speaking, it doesn’t get more physical than Mars (willpower/energy) and Saturn (achievement) sitting together in Aries. His Moon (emotional self) and North Node (life destiny point) also are conjoined in Aries, telling us that it is his life task to convey his emotional self. Acting to Daniel Craig is a type of emotional salvation.

With Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and now Skyfall, we have been given not only spectacular action, but a more well-rounded, truly human Bond. Venus (attractions) and Mars (drive) are harmoniously aspected in Craig’s chart, and it allows us to glimpse his characters through an unexpectedly intimate lens. He looks capable of bringing more depth to Bond than any previous actor. Let us hope that the cultural zeitgeist shifts and allows for a bit more optimism. Craig’s 007 could use some lightening up.

The Bond franchise’s 50^th anniversary is actually a significant astrological milestone as well. The franchise is in the midst of its Chiron Return—and Chiron, as mentioned, deals in astrology with wounds and with healing. It goes once around the chart about every fifty years. A successful transit confers wisdom and self-integration. Right now, as Skyfall hits theaters, Chiron is in the same position as it was when Dr. No was first released. This is a back-to-basics moment for the franchise, a time for renewal.

And what do we see up on the big screen? We see how astrology actually works. Without, I’m sure, consciously knowing that this was the case, the story decided upon by director Sam Mendes and the Broccoli family fits the astrological energy pattern. A wounded hero (or anti-hero, as Daniel Craig plays him) quite literally takes a few bullets and needs emotional healing. He goes back to his childhood home to anchor himself. In the end, despite his deep loss, he pulls himself together and is ready for further action. This is an almost perfect description of the challenges of the Chiron Return. We have right now, in theaters where we all can see it, literal proof of the strange synchronicity that astrologers deal in all the time. The cycles of life continue, whether for a movie franchise or for an individual, and astrology helps us understand them.

After the Chiron Return in one’s life comes the harmonious Pluto trine Pluto aspect, a time of potential self-empowerment. For the Bond franchise, I would expect that the next movie would bring a confident, but somewhat lighter tone, where portrayal of pathos is less important than sheer enjoyment. Bond will once again be comfortable in his skin.

This is in keeping with the Uranus-square-Pluto aspect which reoccurs several times over the next three years. It’s the first time since the 1960s that these two agents of change—Uranus: fast; Pluto: slow and deep—have been together. But now they’re in a tough angle to each other and many issues that were first seeded in the Sixties are back again to be worked out. James Bond was a part of that previous cultural milieu, and the films now can play a part again, perhaps by giving Bond back his (updated) mojo.

When Daniel Craig integrates a little more glamour and wit into the character, we’ll have the best of all possible worlds. The world fell in love with what Bond originally was: a sophisticated rogue. Keep that quality while staying with the emotional depth and he will forever be our hero, the spy who loved us: Bond…James Bond.

Cue that theme song now!

Content Engine

“Do you expect me to talk?”

“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”

–from Goldfinger

The name is Bond—James Bond; the most famous superspy of them all. It’s been fifty years since Sean Connery first embodied him in Dr. No, and with the current raves for Daniel Craig’s Skyfall, we have a great opportunity to see how an iconic movie character—and the actors who’ve portrayed him—can be a real mirror of the times. The longest-running franchise in film history, the Bond movies actually embody the astrological energies at work during different decades, and the various actors’ birth charts can tell us why they succeeded, or failed, at their job. It’s quite a fascinating journey!

James Bond is, archetypally, pure Scorpio energy. He’s a spy, first of all, someone who’s secretive, prone to violence, highly sexual, and who wields a sarcastic wit. Quick-thinking and suave but suppressed emotionally, and sometimes as vengeful as his enemies, he’s a man of action and passion—a ruthless sort who faces down a lot of death. In fact, he causes death as part of his job. Power issues surround him, usually coming from some domineering enemy. He must continually prove himself, transcending limitations of danger and fear. Indomitable, courageous, he always wins in the end. Plus, he gets the girl—often a whole passel of them! All of these traits describe Scorpio in its pure, unadulterated state. The Bond character puts a face on one of the twelve zodiac signs as clearly as we can possibly hope for.

British author Ian Fleming was born under Gemini, the sign of the writer. Here is Fleming’s astrological chart:

Fleming came from a wealthy family, indicated by his having the Moon (indicating family background) in Taurus, the sign of money. As a social aristocrat, he valued personal refinement and gave Bond some of this suavity. While working as special assistant to the head of British naval intelligence during World War II, he was involved in planning secret operations…one of them called Operation Golden Eye, later used as the name of his writing retreat in Jamaica and the film, GoldenEye.

Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953, to immediate success. There followed eleven more Bond novels and two short story collections. He also wrote the children’s story, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, best known as a charming 1968 movie. The Bond stories are among the best-selling fictional books ever published, selling over 100 million copies worldwide. All of this is in keeping with Fleming’s Sun and Moon being well-situated in the 3^rd House of writing, speaking and high IQ. His mother lobbied the head of Reuters news agency to give him a job after he was dismissed from Eton College for enjoying a mildly dissipated lifestyle, and Fleming thereafter became a journalist who traveled the world… activities suited to one whose Luminaries resided in that restless 3^rd House.

During Fleming’s wartime activities, he originated many schemes to mislead German forces, dispensing misinformation and becoming intimately acquainted with secret codes and tactical uses of force. That he had talent in this area is shown by the placement of Uranus (chaos/technology) in Capricorn (sign of government) in the 12^th House of secrets. He worked closely with Col. “Wild Bill” Donovan, FDR’s special intelligence envoy to England. It’s easy to see in Donovan the inspiration for Felix Leiter, Bond’s counterpart in the CIA.

Fleming’s Rising Sign is Aquarius, famous for being future-oriented and enamored of new technology. Fleming was something of a geek, essentially Tom Clancy’s literary godfather. Fleming’s novels are Cold War morality tales featuring a character he called “a blunt instrument in the hands of the government,” and technology plays no small part in the plots. It was not his fault that it became so overblown in the films, and he probably would have laughed along with us at Maxwell Smart and Austin Powers. Yet, prophetically, technology now informs our everyday lives.

That Fleming had a creative destiny is shown by his Mercury (mentality), Mars (sexuality/drive/conflict), Neptune (imagination) and North Node (life destiny point) all residing in his chart’s 5^th House, which rules creativity and pleasures of life. Fleming lived in Jamaica, had flings with hot, wealthy women, was also married and eventually smoked and drank himself to death in 1964 at age fifty-six. One day he invented the “Vesper martini” as an alternative to going to a 5 p.m. church service called Vespers. (Ingredients: vodka, gin, Kina Lillet vermouth and a lemon peel for garnish.)

Fleming’s success with Bond is indicated by Scorpio, sign of the spy, occupying the top of his chart. Fleming’s and Bond’s careers, in other words, had much in common. He said he modeled Bond on a number of people he met during his intelligence career: among others, his brother Peter, the artist Hoagy Carmichael, and an elegant station head of MI6 in Paris. But it’s clear to biographers—and especially to an astrologer—that Fleming put much of his own personality into Bond. Curiously, the world’s most famous spy got his name from an American ornithologist, an expert on Caribbean birds. Fleming read his book and thought the author’s name, James Bond, spoke to a strong, terse Anglo-Saxon type of masculinity. (There’s the Gemini obsession with words!)

Fleming was happy to sell the movie rights to his books. But it took him a while to warm up to the actor who originated the role on screen, and who remains in many minds the definitive Bond.

Sean Connery’s chart is shown below:

Connery had been acting in local productions when he auditioned for Bond by dressing scruffy, acting macho and throwing out a devil-may-care vibe. He was hired immediately and given a little social tutoring by director Terence Young. By the time Dr. No was filmed, Connery’s sex appeal shone through and his Bond took the world by storm.

Sean Connery was born a Virgo with Neptune (glamour/imagination) sitting next to the Sun (self-image) in the 8^th House associated with sex, death and regeneration. That’s a sexy (and potentially dangerous) energy combo if there ever was one! Connery’s Moon (emotional self/appeal to women) also occupies Virgo, in the 9^th House of internationality…or perhaps we should say, “foreign affairs.” What is James Bond if not the original international man of mystery? Connery’s solar and lunar placements point to how well the role of Bond fitted his own energy.

The key to understanding Connery’s chart, though, is his tough-natured Capricorn Ascendant (projection of take-charge authority), with Capricorn’s ruling planet, Saturn (command and accomplishment), also sitting right there on the angle. Connery always projected an alpha male energy and he used it to great effect in his movie roles. Capricorn’s associated with tradition (Connery is a patriotic Scotsman) and with longevity (he acted into his 70s), so he’s had a long-lasting career of great influence.

The “love ‘em and leave ‘em” persona of Bond can also be found in Connery’s chart, in the guise of a Venus-Uranus opposition from romantic Libra to feisty Aries. When love comes to Bond, it’s usually exciting, short-lived and volatile. Connery himself has had a long, stable marriage, but the energy for Bond came from somewhere, and Sir Sean has made some controversial statements about women. Jupiter (abundance) and Pluto (power) both sit in the 7^th House of relationships in Cancer, a sign of emotional bonding. (!) Connery’s appeal to women is legendary.

Women may have wanted him, but men wanted to BE him! We find this energy depicted in the square (hard, 90-degree “I-gotta-be me” angle) that Connery’s Mars (sex/conflict/physicality) makes to both his Moon (emotions) and Mercury (intelligence/wit). This is the astrological definition of charisma. The Bond films played off Connery’s natural energy and the result was a lasting worldwide phenomenon.

What energy was afoot when Dr. No premiered, that gave the series such longevity and appeal? Here is the chart for the movie’s premiere at the London Pavilion:

October 5^th, 1962 happened to have as its signature a Libra Sun (romance/artistry) and a late Sagittarius Moon (expansiveness/exotic fun). By itself, this was fortuitous, but add in Venus in Scorpio (sex/obsessions), Mars (action/violence) in a fortunate trine to Venus, and an exact Jupiter-Uranus opposition (sudden good fortune), and the astrological picture is very encouraging. Saturn (longevity/tradition) is the most elevated planet in the chart. Mercury retrograde speaks to how many times the series has had to be rebooted, but it would be hard to pick a more fortunate astrological moment to launch such a franchise.

In Connery’s chart, Uranus (breakthroughs) was precisely conjunct Neptune (glamour/creativity), which meant that Jupiter (conveying blessings) also formed an exact opposition. The man and the character—and the franchise—became one in the public’s eyes. Connery WAS Bond.

Because the Bond franchise continued, it not only participated in the evolving astrological energies of the 1960s, it became part of the cultural revolutions of the decade as well. It has, after all, been the expressed intent of the producers to keep James Bond relevant to the moment, and this means the films mirror not only the times but the larger energies at work. Dr. No unwittingly premiered just two weeks ahead of the Cuban Missile crisis, the closest we have come to nuclear destruction. What are the Bond films mostly about? Defeating a power-mad super villain and saving the world from destruction.

As they went on, the Sixties became more liberated because of the rare transit of Uranus (youth/innovation/revolution) conjunct Pluto (sex/power/obsessions). One could argue that the sexual revolution was helped along by the Bond films and their playful, glamourized spin on sexuality. (Nude females were not yet a common sight.) The films were naughty in a delightful way and Western culture loved it. Sean Connery’s Bond was a symbol of macho confidence in matters of state (he always won), but was also something of a cultural breakthrough. Sex (and glamourized violence) was part of life now. The repression of the Fifties was gone.

After filming Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice, Connery tired of the role. Though he returned for Diamonds Are Forever and what’s considered an unofficial Bond entry, Never Say Never Again, he was replaced in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by a very unlikely prospect…who actually did rather well in the role, if only briefly.

This is the chart of George Lazenby:

We do not know Lazenby’s time of birth, and must content ourselves with looking at the astrological aspects in his chart…but these are quite revealing.

Like Connery, Lazenby was born a Virgo, with Venus (ruler of good looks) conjunct his Sun (personality). Additionally, Neptune (creativity/glamour) was still occupying Virgo as it had in Connery’s chart. That could make for a very handsome, popular man! Lazenby was born under a Grand Trine, a very fortunate, creative energy. The signs Virgo, Taurus and Capricorn are all occupied.  A Moon-Uranus conjunction (emotional electricity) in the sign of Taurus (money/sensuality), and a well-aspected Mars (sexuality/conflict) in Capricorn (business/authority) complete the picture of a confident, suave sophisticate who would probably do very well in life.

Lazenby was known not as an actor, but a model. He had done an ad for Big Fry Chocolate Creams, and with his GQ looks and debonair manner was considered a man of visible refinement. He happened to have the same barber as Bond producer Albert Broccoli, and when they met one day over haircuts, Broccoli invited him to audition for Bond. He came to the screen test dressed to the nines, accidentally punched out a stuntman and got the job due to his looks and aggressive mannerisms.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is now considered one of the better Bond films. It co-starred Diana Rigg and is the only time in the series that Bond actually gets married. Unfortunately, Lazenby had big shoes to fill and at the time of release his turn as Bond was considered to be several grades below that of Connery. Time has been kind to OHMSS, however, and Lazenby’s less witty, more assertive performance is now considered closer to Fleming’s original conception of Bond than Connery’s interpretation. It’s simply a more serious film.

But the stars—or at least the director, Peter R. Hunt—were against Lazenby continuing. For some reason, Hunt wouldn’t speak to Lazenby directly while on the set. Fed up with it all even before the film’s release, Lazenby simply walked away. Astrologically, that tumultuous Uranus-Pluto conjunction was crossing Lazenby’s Neptune (creativity/confusion/deception) during the time of shooting. It was never going to be an easy time for him. December, 1969, when OHMSS  premiered, was also the month of Altamont, when a young man was murdered at a Rolling Stones concert and the spirit of the Sixties effectively died. So, in the movie, did Bond’s wife. It was just a heavy time.

Playing James Bond, George Lazenby only lived once.

NEXT, IN PART TWO: James Bond is both shaken and stirred! The filmic times (and personal charts) of Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan & Daniel Craig.

007 lives on!

Content Engine