After seventeen
years of marriage, veteran actor and family man Harrison
Ford is separating from his wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison.
Long hailed as one of the most stable marriages in Hollywood, their
cozy relationship hit some cosmic turbulence this year, leading to a
flurry of tabloid rumors, and finally their announced separation on
November 7.
Long-Term
Romance
Ford's
star was rising fast when he first met Mathison in 1976. She was a young
assistant on the set of Apocalypse Now, and he was just
realizing that his movie career looked more promising than his life
as a carpenter. His wife at the time was his college sweetheart, Mary
Marquardt, but their twelve-year marriage was on a downward spiral.
Marquardt, a native of Wisconsin, didn't fit in with his new Hollywood
lifestyle.
According
to biographer Robert Adele, Ford found Mathison, who was raised in Los
Angeles, "very sharp, well-read, quick and witty, and lots of fun."
This description fits in perfectly with Mathison's astrological profile:
her Sun in Gemini naturally takes to intellectual pursuits and delights
in charming conversation. Eventually, Mathison (born June 3, 1950) turned
her passion for words into a screenwriting career, with her blockbuster
hit E.T. arriving in 1982, and Kundun in
1997.
Harrison Ford was born with both his Sun and Moon in Cancer (July
13, 1942, 11:41 am, Chicago), a combination that creates a compelling
nesting instinct and the desire for long-term security within a home
environment. Ford has two sons from his earlier marriage, and he and
Mathison have two children of their own. Ford's Cancer planets probably
had a lot to do with his decision to make only one movie a year so he
could retreat to his Jackson, Wyoming ranch and spend quality time as
a father and husband.
Ford also
has three planets in Gemini (Venus, Saturn and Uranus), and this makes
him compatible with Mathison. His Saturn in Gemini near her Sun is particularly
notable as a factor leading toward an enduring relationship. Her Sun
activates his authoritative side (symbolized by Saturn), and within
the traditional family bonds he becomes the disciplinarian. As he told
Redbook magazine in 1998 about raising kids, "It
doesn't matter where I draw the line—they're always over it. If they
want to go skateboarding, I have to insist they wear helmets."
His Venus
in Gemini is also near her Sun, and light-hearted, pleasure-seeking
Venus mellows out the stricter vibrations of their Sun-Saturn bond.
Venus in Gemini loves to travel, and since this planet is harmoniously
linked (sextile) to dramatic, sexy Mars in Leo, Ford has developed a
passion for flying and motorcycles. Astrologically, Mars is our inner
warrior, and in the dramatic and royal sign of Leo, Mars becomes self-confident,
spirited and full of enthusiasm. Ford's Mars describes his succession
of heroic roles in Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost
Ark and a long string of other top-grossing movies.
With strong
determination, Mars in Leo sets out to accomplish seemingly impossible
tasks, and with creativity and energy the impossible is often achieved.
However, in October 1999, Ford got caught in wind sheer while making
a landing, and was nearly killed. This incident, along with the death
of his father earlier that year, must have alerted him to the tenuousness
of life, and perhaps convinced him to make some big changes.
Personal
Crises Lead to Change
To the
astrologer, these personal crises have clear connections to the transit
of Uranus, known for rudely sparking the individual when life gets too
stagnant. Uranus can be called a troublemaker where stability and normalcy
are top concerns. Uranus is alternatively known as "the divorce
planet" and "the awakener." Whenever transiting Uranus
moves into an important degree zone, independence beckons, pushing the
individual to break free from any constraints.
Over the
past year, transiting Uranus has been opposite Harrison Ford's Mars
and trine his Venus. The opposition to Mars is the major tension leading
to separation from his wife. Transiting Uranus opposite Mars ushers
in a time of bursting energies, rebelliousness and extreme irritation
at any attempts to be controlled by others. Impulsive behavior is common
under this influence, and taking risks becomes a love of the dangerous.
This transit of Uranus is so powerfully dynamic that it has the capacity
to undermine seventeen years of marriage.
Then, transiting
Uranus trine Ford's Venus leads to experimentation with new relationships.
Just before their separation was announced, the National Enquirer
and other tabloids featured headline stories about Ford and 30-year
old Lara Flynn Boyle. The two had been seen together at a New York club,
taking a romantic carriage ride, and sharing a booth at a Vogue Fashion
Award post-party.
Melissa’s
Life Changes
Melissa
Mathison might see these changes in her partner and recognize that it's
just a passing mood. However, her own horoscope shows major life changes
now too, indicating that the separation is not temporary, but irrevocable.
Over the past year, transiting Pluto has been opposite her Sun. Pluto's
challenging transits to the Sun are rare and powerful, often leading
to an identity crisis and complete personal transformation.
In both
Mathison’s and Ford’s charts, the partnership break-up coincided with
major planetary transits. Now, the transits of Uranus and Pluto are
pushing each of them toward new, more independent roles.