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Martin Sheen,
award-winning actor of stage, screen and television, has gained as much
attention for his left-wing politics as he has for his illustrious career
spanning more than 35 years. Casting Sheen as President Josiah Bartlett,
the character he plays so brilliantly on The West Wing,
the acclaimed TV series centering on a fictitious Washington liberal administration,
matches the character to the man almost perfectly. So convincing is Sheen
in the role that earned him both an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe
award, that many wonder if this may be a stepping stone to a future in
real-world politics—something he emphatically denies.
Take
No Prisoners
 Born
Ramon Estevez (August 3, 1940, in Dayton, Ohio at 8:03 pm), one of ten
children in a devout Catholic (half Irish, half Spanish) home, Martin
Sheen has always done things his own way. Given the basics of his birth
chart, it’s little wonder. His Sun, representing self-expression, is strengthened
by its placement in individualistic, self-sufficient and dramatic Leo.
Sheen also has the Moon, representing emotions, Mars, planet of action
and Pluto, symbolizing power, in Leo. Leo is a fixed fire sign. Fixed
signs can be rigid and stubborn, and they definitely hold their ground.
As a result of having such powerful planets in this sign, Sheen is known
for his steely determination, a quality that certainly helps him succeed
in the take-no-prisoners world of Hollywood.
In addition
to this Leo stellium (three or more planets in the same sign), Sheen has
Jupiter and Saturn in Taurus, a fixed earth sign, and Aquarius (fixed
air sign) rising. This overwhelming emphasis on fixed signs gives him
the ability to continue along a chosen course long past the point when
others might call it quits. It also makes him stubborn and intractable,
with the determination to stick to his beliefs no matter what obstacles
are thrown his way. In fact, his outspoken views have involved him in
more than his share of sit-ins, protests and even overnight stays in jail.
Sheen’s
Hard Working Bundle
Sheen’s planets
are packed into an area that covers about one-third of his chart, so they
fall into a visual pattern that the late astrologer Marc Edmund Jones
called a “bundle.” Jones describes the resulting astrological type as
an individual likely to be tightly wound, inflexible and hard working.
With the bulk of these planets in Leo, and placed in the Sixth House of
health and work, we can be certain that Sheen is a workaholic, both driven
and hard on those who cannot match that drive.
But this
excessive tendency has a darker side, as shown by Sheen’s near fatal heart
attack (Leo is associated with the heart) on the set of the film Apocalypse
Now at the age of 37, brought on by heavy drinking and stressful
working conditions. Sheen’s obstinacy even drove him to ignore doctor’s
orders and complete the movie after an all-too-brief recuperation period.
Presently a recovering alcoholic, Sheen has proven to be just as firm
in his resolution to maintain sobriety, which he has now done for over
a decade.
The
Family Man
With Venus,
planet of love and marriage, in Cancer, the sign of home and family, it
is no wonder that his devotion to his wife of over 40 years and his four
children defies the usual dysfunctional Hollywood marriage. Those with
Venus in Cancer have an uncanny emotional strength, and will move heaven
and earth in order to keep the family together. This became apparent when
Sheen discovered that his son, actor Charlie Sheen, had violated his parole
on an assault and battery charge by using drugs. Familiar with the road
to substance abuse recovery, Sheen risked their relationship by turning
Charlie in to the authorities. Today they are closer than ever, ironically
playing opposite each other on Wednesday evenings; Dad on The West
Wing and Charlie (clean and sober after a stay in rehab) on Spin
City.
Sheen’s
Uranian Award
Foreshadowing
the successful premiere of The West Wing in September 1999,
the solar eclipse of August 11, 1999 placed the Sun and Moon at 18 degrees
of Leo, right on Sheen’s Descendant (the “door” of his Seventh House of
partnerships), which represents contact with the public. By the time exciting
and surprising Uranus crossed his Ascendant (door to the First House of
self) at 18 Aquarius in spring 2000, it brought him a surge of popularity
that boosted the show’s ratings and moved Josiah Bartlett, originally
a background character, to center stage.
When Sheen
accepted a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Bartlett on January
28, 2001, Uranus formed an exact opposition of 180 degrees to Mars, reiterating
the excitement of the Mars-Uranus square in Sheen’s natal chart. With
Uranus continuing to travel through socially-minded Aquarius, the sign
it is associated with and Sheen’s rising sign, the excitement and good
fortune are bound to continue. Since he does have a heart condition, I
would definitely advise him to slow down and relax a little more, but
it’s certainly not his style at all.
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