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The Breakup of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe
November 2006

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe have separated after seven years of marriage. Some of you will remember this article I wrote correlating the Seven Year Itch with the Saturn cycle and speculating about a Saturn cycle in the composite chart (the chart of the relationship between two people). Saturn takes twenty-eight years to orbit the Sun, and astrologically the 28-year cycle is made up of four seven-year phases which challenge and encourage growth. Here we seem to have more proof of this hypothesis: another marriage that ends after seven years.

This is disappointing to many Hollywood watchers, who considered Reese and Ryan to be one of the more settled couples. But behind the glossy exterior of their marriage, reinforced by public photographs of the happy couple in affectionate poses, rumors of trouble behind the scenes have been circulating for months. Evidently they have been working on the marriage, having entered counseling back in 2002, but the combination of incompatible personalities with Hollywood pressures were evidently too much for this golden couple.
Reese Witherspoon's birthchart shows an Aries Sun, ruled by Mars, and her Sun also squares Mars giving her energy, vitality and courage, and also making her a little reckless and headstrong. We call this a "double whammy," which tells us that Mars is particularly important in Reese's chart. Women with such a strong Mars/Aries influence can be perceived as overbearing, because the power of Mars isn't well suited to traditional patriarchal views of women. In Reese, though, this power comes in a perky little blonde package that sneaks up on you before her true Xena (warrior princess) nature is revealed just as with her Legally Blonde character.

The fact that Mars is square to her Sun, a challenging aspect, reveals that she may have difficulty controlling her impulses. Anger, impatience, frustration are all hallmarks of a Mars square, but when harnessed and disciplined there is enormous drive as well. Reese's Sun is opposed (180 degrees) by Pluto - a challenging aspect that adds intensity and a level of compulsion (Pluto) to her character, and forces her to continually reinvent and transform herself. Pluto also squares Mars, although it is "wide" (9 degrees apart). This shows an individual who never feels that she can really get what she wants (Mars) and relentlessly keeps working to do so. She may sometimes feel like she's on a treadmill and doesn't know how to get off.

Reese's Moon is in Capricorn, showing that her emotional security (Moon) is tightly wrapped up in her need to achieve success (Capricorn). Additionally, Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) is retrograde in her chart, telling us that the voice of self-doubt that Saturn embodies is turned within (retrograde), giving her a relentless lecture on her failings. For individuals who lack other Saturn or Capricorn in their chart, the Saturn retrograde self-talk can be uncomfortable and lead to some depression, but for this Warrior Princess it just drives her to pursue her goals that much more relentlessly. In fact, she named her production company "Type A Productions."

Reese's Venus is in Pisces, showing that although she may be the Warrior Queen in her public life, in her relationships (Venus) she is sensitive and seeks harmony and a real bonding with her partner. Her Venus makes a trine (harmonious aspect) to Uranus (innovation and autonomy) in her chart, indicating that she is capable of close relationships (Pisces) yet also is capable of independence within her relationships (Uranus). The Uranus factor also shows that her relationships will be unconventional; however, with the tenacity of her character failure is not an option in Reese Witherspoon's plan for the future and she will probably take this separation and possible divorce very hard.

Ryan Phillippe has a Virgo Sun, showing that he has a much more cautious nature than Reese. Virgo is modest and disdains the spotlight, preferring to perfect his craft than be the glamor boy. For this reason it is quite possible that Ryan at first preferred the quirky small roles that he was given in lieu of high paying starring roles and that the inequity between his career and his wife's did not disturb him at first. With Venus also in Virgo, Ryan is happy supporting and helping his partner. Virgo is the sign of service, and Virgos are most satisfied when they can be of service to others.
In addition, Ryan's Jupiter (abundance and opportunity) is in Pisces and conjuncts Reese's Venus and her Jupiter is trine his Venus, showing a strong love connection and that the relationship has the potential to expand both of them. But there are more difficult aspects between their charts than compatible ones.

Reese's strong Mars is in conflict with Ryan's Mars, a combination that can be exciting with lots of fireworks, but also creates conflict between the two. Reese is more comfortable with this kind of Marsy conflict because her own Mars is so strong, but Ryan's is not. Ryan's strong Virgo nature is more comfortable with a life that has an established routine and safety, whereas Reese is much more willing to take risks.

Ryan's chart lacks the fire element and he was probably initially attracted to Reese because she has that fire that he does not. This is not always the healthiest way to connect in relationships because when we seek in others what we lack in ourselves we often end up resenting them for the very thing that first attracted us. It's quite possible that the quality that first brought them together, his stability and her drive, is the thing that ultimately drove them apart.

There is clearly a strong and intense connection between them, and perhaps they will be able to resolve their difficulties. Ryan is going through a planetary cycle right now involving the planet Uranus conjunct Jupiter in his chart that often impels people to make significant changes in their life. This transit promotes a restless yearning for change and freedom, and perhaps it is he who instigated the separation. We can only wish them the best, and hope that they are able to resolve their differences in a way that is ultimately satisfying for everyone involved.