By John Marchesella

Most of us live out our astrology charts in our daily lives and our emotional dramas. But the artists of the world get to live their charts through their works of art as well as in "real life".

For example, we can see Georgia O'Keefe's Scorpio Sun in the sensuality of her flower paintings. We can read in the novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald about the romantic love affairs that so vividly depict the ideals of the typical Libra person. So although we may not really know much about the personal life of an artist, an author or an actor, we can gain some insight about the way they live their charts out by looking at their work.

Let's look back at how 13-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep has illustriously and intelligently performed roles that reflect her Cancer Sun in so many of her characters. Let's list out some of the maternal roles she is noted for: a mother who must decide the fate of one child over another in Sophie's Choice; a mother on trial for the mysterious death of her infant in A Cry In the Dark; a discontent mother who abandons her child in Kramer vs. Kramer; a devoted mother who will not leave her children to follow her soul mate in Bridges of Madison County, a mother dejected by her daughter until a fatal illness brings them together in One True Thing; and, in an interesting reversal, a drug-addicted daughter living in the shadow of a controlling mother in Postcards from the Edge. Variations on the Cancer theme take place in most of her roles, such as Out of Africa, The River, Falling in Love, and on and on, even up to her most recent role in the The Hours, as a woman stopped in time at her one moment of happiness in youth.

It is also well-known that Ms. Streep identifies herself in real life, first and foremost, as a mother, fiercely protective of her family's privacy. For instance, in a recent interview, co-star Alison Janney described her as "being just a regular mom. You'd never know she was Meryl Streep!"

So, astrologically speaking, what makes for such a pronounced maternal theme? Surely, it must be more than just the Sun in the sign of Cancer. (Personally, I'm not one of those astrologers who thinks Cancer is the homebody of the zodiac. More often than not, in fact, the Cancer personality - especially in a woman - is ambitious, driven and goal-oriented, albeit in the name of security and the preservation of the self and the family). Let's see what else supports this theme in Ms. Streep's horoscope.

First of all, her Cancer Sun is right at the start of the sign. This is also known as a degree of the World Axis. It emphasizes the qualities of the sign and brings them to public light for all the world to see. The Sun's close conjunction to the planet Uranus might not dramatize the maternal qualities, but it certainly makes them more interesting, unique and charismatic, as Uranus' influence is wont to do in a chart. Since these are the rulers of her Ascendant (Leo) and Descendant (Aquarius), her public image is very similar to her private self. In other words, what the audience sees about her is what her friends get too!

The sextile from her natal Sun to Saturn makes it easy for her to express her Cancer qualities in her work. Even more so, Saturn's placement in Virgo indicates her perfectionism, discipline and a love of details on her job. These attributes show in Ms. Streep's great determination to master her craft.

A more powerful aspect from her Sun, though, is a semi-square to her Moon in Taurus in the 10th house. Why is this so important? The Moon represents the astrological mother; and because it rules the sign of the Moonchild, the maternal qualities of Cancer will shine in the placement of the Moon. And since Taurus is the sign of the Moon's exaltation, we'll see the best of what the Moon has to offer, i.e. fertility, protection, nurturing and endless possibilities in the seeds of creativity. In short, she is "Mother Earth"! Since her Moon is in the 10th house (profession and reputation), all of these heightened maternal instincts manifest, especially when it comes to the way she is perceived by her peers.

Another useful aspect for Ms. Streep is the sextile between her Moon and the planet Venus, which is also in Cancer, but in the 12th house. Here we see she derives her own comfort from playing the role of the mother - In real life as well as on the set. She values that role, will feel appreciated in it, and understands the worth of motherhood for all of humankind. To add to their importance, these two planets are in "mutual reception," meaning that they're placed in one other's signs. This makes their harmony resonate even more powerfully.

Since the 12th house (inner mental processes) and 10th house (career) are involved in this sextile, she is able to easily connect her imagination with her work, and since Venus can also symbolize money, she can be handsomely paid for it too.

Ay, here's the rub! Although Saturn in Virgo (especially when it rules the 6th house) makes for a true and diligent worker, its placement in the second house (not to mention its square to Mars) can indicate financial scarcity. Since I don't have access to Ms. Streep's personal financial records (and she's a rare celebrity who keeps her movie deals out of the trades), I suspect this problem with finances has to do with the box office success of some of her films. In other words, her film work will be probably be noted more for its artistic achievement than for its financial rewards.

With Moon and Venus offering a good set of personal values, she might not complain about her salary. But she may be befuddled how the public is so willing to pay big bucks to see action-packed movies that numb the soul, but won't pay the money to see something of integrity that enriches the human experience. "The challenge to personal and professional integrity" is a good interpretation of Saturn in the 2nd house in Virgo square to Mars in the 11th.

So does Mars offer anything worthwhile to Ms. Streep? Well, it's in Gemini, conjunct to Mercury, and that gives her an ear for accents as well as the versatility it takes to play period pieces, intense dramas and contemporary comedies. The prominence of Jupiter in her chart also adds to that flair with foreign languages, which, in fact, was her original college major.

Having so many personal planets in the 4th quadrant of her chart, and most particularly, the Sun as ruler of her Ascendant, gives her a destiny in the public eye. This is an indication of her leadership role as one of the best actresses of her generation, and her role as an example for a new generation of film actresses, which is perhaps a variation on the maternal theme once again.

There's one more connection between motherhood, Meryl Streep and her movie roles. It's the double-whammy position of the lunar nodes, the points in our charts that mark the connections we make in life. She's always in the right place at the right time to get great roles and to combine her talents with those of other very talented actors, writers and directors. (Just make a mental list of some of her collaborators!) Second, her North and South Nodes reiterate her renown as the mother figure because they hit the axis of the Midheaven (10th house - career) and the IC (4th House - family and home). This is another pattern in her chart that spells "MOM". And the fact that the Nodes aspect the World Axis adds the glue that seals her destiny as a great actress - so great an actress that she can be cited as an archetype.

Her chart, just like her masterful work, makes Meryl Streep the actress who sets the standard for all others to follow. Brava!

How do we know? Explore your child's talents, passions and creativity with a Gifted Child report... Or explore your own call to greatness - and how to answer it - with an Inner Child report!