The Loyalest of Leos

Ben Affleck, star of the new movie Bounce, has a problem with his love life. Every time he tries to promote his new feature, folks can't help but ask him, "What's up with you and Gwyneth?" He was quoted in Entertainment Weekly (December 1, 2000 issue) as saying "The only woman in my life right now is my mom," but nosy reporters and fans can't help but keep asking and asking. Why doesn't the star put up a chilly façade like many a fellow actor? Well, detachment—or a lack of it—seems to be a big problem for Ben.

Like many Leos, Affleck's vanity and naiveté are endearing to many, but can cause him some problems. Leo is a sign that is associated with all things personal and subjective. That's why when a Leo loves you, you're a lucky person. They find it terribly hard to see your shortcomings, and sometimes have "blind faith" in you, based on initial bonding. But sometimes Leos can be suckers, too (no offense to lions out there, but ya know it's true!). Flattery, affection and "mirroring" a Leo's opinions—especially about himself—can often fool him into believing anything.

Since Ben Affleck also has Cancer rising, and Venus in Cancer, he is a particularly subjective Leo. You see, Cancer is the sign that represents all things familial. When a strongly Cancer-influenced person gets attached to someone, he immediately makes that person part of his family.

Take a closer look at Ben Affleck. He grew up in working class South Boston with best pal Matt Damon. The two worked for years on the script for Good Will Hunting, which eventually won them both Academy Awards for writing. While both guys were featured in the film, it was Damon who played the much flashier title role. And Affleck also got his little brother Casey a plum character role in the film, which jump-started the kid's acting career.

Thrust into the public eye, Affleck began a hot and heavy romance with lovely actress Gwyneth Paltrow at the same time that buddy Matt was dating Gwyneth's good pal Winona Ryder. After the Ben-and-Gwyneth relationship ended, with Affleck apparently in the role of dump-ee, the young actor never trashed his ex in the papers (unlike the more turbulent Matt Damon/Minnie Driver affair), nor did he stop being friends, or co-stars with her. They made Shakespeare in Love together and are now co-stars in Bounce. All this adds up to one thing: Ben Affleck is one loyal boy. If you're in his inner circle, you will symbolically feel his warm protective arms around you.

A Mystery to Himself

A possible problem for Affleck is that he may not understand his own value, and he may "disown" his darker feelings. With Venus in Cancer and Mars in Virgo, he's a settle-down kind of guy who underneath all the glamour may view himself as a little simple and boring. Mars is the sign of sexuality, but in Virgo it is overly nervous and self-deprecating. He may be a huge sex symbol, but in a way he may feel like a fake. (And with Ms. Paltrow forever rejecting him, no wonder!)

His Moon is in intense Scorpio (which seems out of place amidst all the warm, cozy Cancer and Leo planets) and the sign Scorpio is "intercepted" (repressed or hidden) in his Fifth House. The Scorpio influence may make him a true mystery to himself. His actions prove him to be a loyal ally to all he loves, and a stable consistent team player, but underneath he may sometimes feel like he's going mad. He's not, he just doesn't understand his at times black moods, and his darker impulses. As he gets older and does more work on himself, he will probably understand that his dark side is really his angry side. And Affleck looks like he has a hard time getting angry at the ones he loves. He probably turns that anger back on himself.

Scorpio Moon does have its up side, though. It makes this actor resilient, deeply compassionate and able to keep a secret. The last of these qualities will no doubt help him to survive in the shark-filled town of Hollywood.

Libra Lessons

Affleck has two important planets in Libra, the sign of art and partnership, both in the Fourth House of (guess what?) family! Pal Damon's Sun in Libra sits on Affleck's Uranus (See chart), planet of progress and change, which suggests that they can "pull" each other into the future, rather than resting on their past laurels. And Gwyneth Paltrow's Sun in Libra is close to Affleck's Pluto, the volatile planet of self-transformation. This indicates that Paltrow may unconsciously force Affleck to face his dark side, especially as it pertains to his love relationships.

Tumultuous Times Ahead for Ben

On January 9, 2001, a major eclipse in Cancer will trigger an important six-month cycle in Affleck's life. The eclipse cuts across his chart, hitting his relationship axis directly (First and Seventh Houses). During this cycle, Affleck will be forced to confront the way he "loses" himself in relationships. At the end of all this, hopefully he will achieve inner balance.

This April, Saturn moves into Gemini, where it will begin a fourteen-month journey back to the place it was at the time of Ben Affleck's birth. Yes, the famed first Saturn return occurs in June, 2002. But the Saturn return isn't just a brief transit. It's a long build-up of a cycle. For Affleck, whose Saturn sits in his intuitive/mystical Twelfth House, it's all about tapping into his inner visions and developing a solid center so that he doesn't feel "bounced" around by the people he loves so much.