Comedians: Flights of Fancy, Saying the Unsayable and the Inner Savage
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| Danny Kaye had a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Capricorn. |
I read a post over at Libra Seeking Balance this week which reminded me that Uranus + Mercury = funny. Now I can vouch for this personally since I live with the funniest man I could find, and he has Merc + Uranus on the Ascendant.
I’ve also observed that Uranus’ own sign Aquarius is often strong in the charts of comedians. But I thought that it might be an idea to test both observations, and watch some comedy. So here’s a handful of comedians, or should that be a chuckle of comics.
I’ll put in the charts that are unavailable on the internet.
Chris Rock, American stand up
Sun, Mercury, Venus and Lilith in Aquarius, Mercury-Lilith is inconjunct to Uranus-Pluto in Virgo. This reminds me that Michael Wolfstar has written an excellent page about the surprising strength of Lilith, the wild one, in the charts of comedians.
Health warning: he specialises in shocking the bourgeoisie.
Beppe Grillo, who challenged Berlusconismo and won in the Italian elections
There’s definitely a flavour of Mercury-Uranus in his chart, but it’s not close enough to count as a direct hit. He has Uranus in the first house in Mercury-ruled Gemini. Mercury is 10° away in Cancer. Cancer Sun. I don’t know if he’s funny, but clearly Italians think he’s a hoot.
Ellen DeGeneres, the best dressed comedian on the planet
An Aquarian with Uranus in performing Leo inconjunct Mercury in Capricorn. Donna Cunningham has pointed out that Uranus inconjunct Mercury lends a particularly off the wall sense of humour. Ellen is a great stand up — watch this routine.
Eddie Izzard, the other best-dressed one.
Completely surreal, and like Ellen he can do it clean or dirty: it’s the mad imagination that makes him funny. Seven planets in Aquarius – including Sun and Mercury – all opposite Uranus in Leo.
Jim Carrey: teeth
Uranus and Lilith on the MC widely opposite Mercury-Jupiter in Aquarius. Capricorn Sun though and Neptune on the Ascendant, that’s a very glamourous position, good for filming. An interesting chart, no wonder he’s gone all spiritual.
Louis CK, the million dollar download
Sun-Pluto conjunction in Virgo. Mercury is separating from a Uranus conjunction but it’s still 10° apart and in a different sign, so really not that close. However, Mercury is directly opposite Lilith.
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| Birth time unknown. Set for midday. |
Victoria Wood, the grande dame of British stand ups
Sun in Taurus and no contact between Mercury and Uranus. She also only has NN in Aquarius. Mercury in Taurus is however inconjunct Saturn-Neptune in Libra — and she is famous for her funny songs.
Jennifer Saunders – AbFab creatrix and star
Saunders is always funnier as part of a double act, with Dawn French or Joanna Lumley.
Mercury-Uranus conjunction in Leo, trining Lilith in Aries. Cancer Sun, Aquarius on the MC.
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| Birth time unknown. Set for midday. |
David Mitchell and Robert Webb – stars of Peep Show, a compulsively disgusting UK comedy
Mitchell’s another Cancer Sun, but his Mercury and Uranus are not in aspect. However, his co-writer Libran Robert Webb has a Mercury-Uranus conjunction in Libra, the sign of partnership. Webb’s Sun conjuncts Mitchell’s Uranus.
Billy Connolly: Best Stand Up
Billy Connolly has Sun in Sagittarius — those long legs, that flowing mane — directly opposite Uranus in Gemini — that stream of crazy stories. Mercury conjuncts his Sun from out of sign in Scorpio. Although his stories appear to be rather random, they are sharp as tacks, no words wasted, and of course there’s the famous sweariness, which everyone has copied so it seems much less surprising these days.
Brendan O’Carroll aka Mrs Brown, the foul-mouthed Dublin granny
This is a personal favourite: shame he has no Uranus-Mercury aspects. However, he does have Pluto conjunct Jupiter in Leo sextiling Mercury, which would account for the mouth like a sewer, and the sex talk. I don’t have his birth time, but I’m sure Aquarius would be on one of the angles. Sun-Venus conjunction in Virgo.
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| Birth time unknown. Set for midday. |
Conclusion: Uranus-Mercury seems to have a particular ability to imagine bizarre, hilarious scenarios, and take an entire audience on a mind-expanding flight. But you don’t need the aspect to be funny. What I’m surprised at is the Sun signs. Out of 11, three Aquarians, three Cancers, 1 Taurus, 1 Capricorn, 2 Virgos. The real potty mouths are those tidy-minded Virgoans! But Cancer – again maybe surreal imagery.
Lilith is also playing a part here, and also Pluto. Comedy can work by making us see the world in a different way: that’s Uranus. It can also work by saying the unsayable: that’s Pluto. Chris Rock, Louis CK and Brendan O’Carroll all have strong Plutonian aspects. And finally, it can work by encountering the inner savage: that’s Lilith.
Can Uranus on 12th be considered 1st house? Earth signs are funny people, I am not surprised at all!
Stella/SG
It’s not first house but it might be angular depending on how close it is to the ASC.
Earthy humour!
Aquaurius Mercury inconjunct Uranus here. Sun, Mars and Saturn in Aquarius. I could make people laugh. If. I. wanted. to. Mwa..hahaha. I do a pretty good schtick in scaring the crap out of them too.
Interesting post. Laughing is very Cancerian really . . . .one *feels* funny . . .
Yes – I love that.
All I can say is that I have a tight mercury/saturn conjunction in aquarius with uranus in virgo mutually recepting mercury (if you count mutual receptions that is). Doesnt help having a scorpio asc the humour is dark. Like the best people to look after children are phedphiles – they really love children. Most of the time I crack sarcastic wit and quickly out of the blue it comes. With that deadpan scorpio projection most of the time its thought I am being series. Also doesnt help having pluto/moon conjunction so my emotions are hidden. Probably known for being nasty.
I didnt think that chris rock above was that shocking to the establishment. Max Keiser is much more offensive. USA will not air his shows for what he says about politicians and bankers etc…
I’m a comedy writer – currently novels, but I used to do surreal sitcoms for the BBC – Uranus (Leo, 3rd) bi-quintine Mercury in Capricorn, opposite Chiron in Aquarius on the MC. I have a lot of stuff in Capricorn and an 8th house Sun. My stuff is horribly dark. Mwahahahah. 😉
What?! Do you read this blog and really think that?
Can’t remember what it was… maybe I thought it was spam. Hard to tell sometimes when it’s anonymous.
Consistently hilarious? Well thank you. Its better than the bbc.
did you remove my comment because I insulted the bbc or something else?
🙂 heh heh to Anonymous. I was back in Blighty visiting the parentals a few weeks’ ago and it persisted down – rain, fog, drizzle, Arctic blasts of wind. Now I’m back in Aus there’s a heatwave in UK!
Yes indeed. Consistently hilarious.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Capricorn/Cancer is coming on very strong in this comedy thing.
I wouldn’t have thought so either, but there it is….!
That’s quite surprising – isn’t it? It wouldn’t have been my first thought when thinking of comedians. I have Cancer rising and 5 planets in Cap.
Ah thanks Christina, I needed that – I laughed out loud at Chris Rock and Mrs. Brown. I must admit, I own very similar cardies to hers so I feel a pang of affinity and sisterly love. Checking out your Cancer/Capricorn theme, I looked up Jo Brand’s horoscope and she is a Cancerian, born June 23rd 1955.
Love this post. I’ve recently been going through a 5th house Saturn return in which I realized that I want to write comedy, so I’ve been working on a screenplay and TV series, and gearing up to face my biggest fear of performing stand-up or improv. Cancer asc., Libra sun, Virgo moon-mars-venus conjunct.
The Pluto and Lilith patterns struck me as relevant. I have mercury conjunct pluto in Scorpio (House 5), opposite my NN which is conjunct Lilith in Taurus.
I have no real mercury-uranus aspects, although Uranus is part of a strong mutable cross in my chart. But I do have Jupiter in Aquarius in the 8th house, square my mercury-pluto and NN-lilith. What about Jupiter, joy and laughter, for comedians?
I’ve heard that Chiron also plays a role in comedians’ charts, as does the muse of comedy Thalia. Does anyone know more about the role of asteroids/Chironic influence? My Chiron in Gemini (H12) opposes Uranus in Sag (H6) and trines my sun (H5). I have Thalia right next to Venus in my Virgo triple conjunction (H4). Just curious, thanks.
Michael Wolfstar over at Neptune Cafe has written a good piece about Lilith and comedians.
Fascinating. I’d love to read it but I couldn’t find it on the blog. Do you happen to have a link?
Here you go http://www.neptunecafe.com/lilithprofiles.html