IF YOU KNEW LEO LIKE WE KNOW LEO

The Leo I speak of in this article is Leonardo Di Caprio, not the astrological sign. As an astrologer, an observer of human character, I take exception to Betsy Sharkey’s criticism in her August 10 piece in the Los Angeles Times. She opines that DiCaprio, the 35 year old screen star, has lost his way in his career and should diversify his acting roles in order to increase his range. From her vantage point, Di Caprio falls short of greatness because he has become stuck on intense roles where his characters are so tortured that many of his leading ladies have succumbed (in their onscreen roles, that is). Sharkey suggests that DiCaprio “lighten up.” She proposes that DiCaprio model De Niro and Streep in role selection, expanding his movie genres to incorporate comedy and romance in his repertoire.


If indeed one’s natal chart reflects our “operating instructions” for this lifetime, then Leonardo DiCaprio is doing a splendid job of fulfilling his life’s mission. The sun sign represents our vitality, our essence, where we need to shine, and it symbolizes the destination of our life’s journey. DiCaprio’s sun sign is in Scorpio, a sign that explores the realms of the underworld. Leonardo’s roles embody Scorpionic energy, a drive to investigate that which needs to be brought to light. His characters delve deep into the issues that plague their psyches, whether issues are dealt with or not. Scorpios have great insight, and they can successfully navigate the realms of power (often times politics) and wealth. Scorpios can transform from one character into another. It is important for DiCaprio to master this Scorpio energy, and he has chosen cinema as the realm in which this will be done, at least in part.

Below is Leonardo Di Caprio’s natal chart.

Even without a knowledge of astrology, the reader will notice that the bottom left of Leo’s chart has more symbols than any other section of this circle. These symbols are planets, the energy reflecting different human motivations (the urge to reason and communicate, the urge for freedom and uniqueness, the emotional urge, etc). First and foremost, the concentration of so many planets in this sector (northeast) of the chart indicates that DiCaprio makes his decisions independently and based on his own preferences. Leo’s Ascendant is in Libra, the sociable air sign that incorporates the art of relationship, harmony and balance, justice and beauty. DiCaprio’s personality (Ascendant) reflects these qualities. Four planets in Libra occupy Leo’s first house of identity. Various motivations represented by these planets make up Leo’s identity including the urge to purge and transform, the emotional urge, the urge for authenticity and the communication urge. DiCaprio expresses his identity urges in a Libra way. This house is where we find the romantic Jack Dawson, who won our hearts in Titanic. Given so much planet activity in this house, one can concur with Betsy Sharkey that DiCaprio is naturally well-suited to romantic roles, and how often he receives offers for such roles is unknown to me. Perhaps he favors the “tortured soul” roles more than romantic leads, but only DiCaprio can answer that question with full accuracy.

Three planets occupy DiCaprio’s second house of personal resources. These are Mars, the planet of pursing one’s desires, the Sun, which I spoke of earlier, and Venus, the planet of attraction and resources. Clearly, Leo’s assets are his ability to shine, act, and attract in a Scorpionic way. Here we see our subject’s desire to express his talents in ways that delve deeply into his characters. Beyond acting, these positions of the planets would also explain DiCaprio’s deep involvement in environmental and social issues, where he donates large sums of money for solutions in these problem areas.

Neptune in DiCaprio’s third house of local environment and communication illustrates his need to express service and idealism. His third house urge is related to the aspirational, as reflected by the sign of Sagittarius. This sign is concerned with expansive thinking and leaping into grand journeys (think Jack Dawson), whether that involves the body, mind or spirit. Neptune’s occupancy in the third house reflects DiCaprio’s spiritual journeys. Sagittarius explores various cultures and belief systems. Here DiCaprio is philosopher and teacher. In fact, I remember reading that Al Gore was impressed by Leo’s breadth of knowledge in the realm of the environment. This sign is both madcap and diligent, and it is here that we could see Leo playing more lighthearted roles relating to adventure and sports, the realms of Sagittarius.

Leonardo DiCaprio has the ability to play characters beyond his stereotypic roles, but I doubt that there is the natural propensity to be the lighthearted comic that Betsy Sharkey may want to see. Leo’s characters may be charming (Libra), intense (Scorpio) and philosophically madcap (Sagittarius) but they will more than likely be of significant substance. There may be occasional deviations from his natural tendencies, but it is doubtful that DiCaprio will venture into slapstick or superficial romantic roles. Betsy Sharkey and I will be witnesses to Leonardo DiCaprio’s transformations.