She’s beautiful, talented, widely popular, successful in multiple forms of entertainment, award-winning, and truly loved and admired by co-workers and fans all over the world. There can be many things said of such a prosperous and adored woman. In this brief assessment the focus will remain on the two words that come to mind when I think of Julie Andrews—longevity and grace. These distinguished qualities are notable in her career and style, so it’s not surprising that they are also apparent in her natal chart.
(Julie’s Vedic birth chart is based on October 1, 1935 6:00am with a B rating from Astrodatabank/Rodden)
Most students new to astrology learn to fear Saturn as the bringer of suffering and misery. While this can be the case, and is likely to occur in one way or another, Saturn is also known for endurance, lasting effects, and longevity. If Saturn is in good condition in one’s natal chart, a long life with the ability to overcome obstacles is likely (assuming the rest of the chart supports this). Saturn is probably not the first planet you would think of when considering the lovely Julie Andrews. But we must.
Saturn is doubly strong in Julie’s birth chart. Saturn is in its own sign Aquarius where it is strong and comfortable and Saturn is retrograde, where it’s inner qualities such as discipline, perseverance, and patience come through the personality with a certain level of ease (which itself lends to being graceful! But we’ll talk about grace a little later.) From the Moon, Saturn creates a Mahapurusha Yoga called Sasha Yoga (formed when Saturn is exalted or occupies its own sign while positioned in a kendra or trikona house). To a high extent, Julie feels good when she’s working hard and keeping busy, which is a wonderfully supportive underlying factor to achieving success.
Aquarius thrives in the realm of ideas, especially ideas that lead to beneficial outcomes for all of humanity, and this innate motivation of Aquarius is active and strong in Julie’s personal experience. Saturn in Aquarius occupies her 6th House, the house of improving one’s life and daily conditions. Julie has within her the natural desire and instinct through Saturn in Aquarius in the 6th House to assist and support others through humanitarian work, charitable endeavors, and work that contributes to the betterment of society.
In addition to her well-known singing and acting, Julie has written over a dozen children’s books and her autobiography in two volumes. She has a wide platform within entertainment (Venus) where she can readily share her art and creativity with the world. This comes from her natal Venus in “show biz” Leo being in mutual aspect with Saturn, ruler of her 5th House of entertainment. Saturn and Venus are friendly towards each other, so this connection is a fairly comfortable combination for Julie. They are, however, on their toes- so to speak, by the mutual aspect that Saturn is also in with her strong Mars in its own sign Scorpio. (This aspect is not as noticeable. Mars aspects Saturn by its 4th aspect while Saturn aspects Mars by its 10th aspect.) With Mars in the equation, Julie has the energy, drive, and great stamina to bring her A-game to anything she undertakes and is someone who commits 110% to her contracts and her roles.
Multiple generations have come to know Julie Andrews as Maria in the classic The Sound of Music. Prior to the movie sensation, Julie’s career had begun on stage in 1945 as a singer, often times in solo performances, and by 1950 she included acting and voice-over work. From 1954 through 1962, she performed in various Broadway productions and television films, including My Fair Lady – which opened March 15, 1956 and the television musical Cinderella—which aired March 31, 1957. But it was the phenomenal success of Mary Poppins, released on August 27, 1964, followed by The Sound of Music, released March 2, 1965, that propelled Julie into stardom and fame.
Julie ran the major period (mahadasha) of Saturn from June 1948 to June 1967. No surprise there.
In 1956 with My Fair Lady and 1957 with Cinderella, the two most popular successes of the decade for her career, Julie was in Saturn (mahadasha)/Venus subperiod (bhukti). The mutual aspect between Saturn and Venus was lit up. It’s important to realize also that, although in typically difficult houses- the 6th and 12th, Saturn is strong and Venus gains strength occupying its own Nakshatra, the Venus-ruled lunar asterism Purva Phalguni, a nakshatra known for good luck, enjoyment, and the arts! Venus also rules Julie’s 2nd House of speech (singing, her voice), where the Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury are located (more about them later).
Mary Poppins became a great Disney success in 1964 when Julie was running Saturn dasha, Rahu bhukti with the Moon being the tertiary or sub-subperiod planet at that time. Here we have the results of hard work (Saturn) with Rahu (desires) in fiery Sagittarius aspecting the 10th House of the public and fame. Rahu also aspects 12th House Venus in Leo, while the ruler of Sagittarius (Jupiter) also aspects the 10th House while conjoined the Moon (sub-subperiod ruler) and Mercury (her voice and her Ascendant ruler).
From the 2nd House of the voice, singing, and expression, Jupiter also aspects her Saturn in Aquarius, which beautifully ties her hardworking ethics and motivation to both the house of status and fame (10th House) and the house of income (2nd House). This is the chart of someone who can clearly make a living as a singer/performer, and stabilizing this is the fact that her Sun (representing her Self and identity) is in the Ascendant ruled by Mercury (the planet of speech in the 2nd House of speech, singing, and money).
The combination of Saturn-Jupiter-Mercury combining work, status, and income/singing really lit up in 1965 when Julie was running Saturn dasha and Jupiter bhukti. Jupiter is the last sub-subperiod planet in her 19-year long Saturn mahadasha, so Julie hit it out of the park with The Sound of Music, whose lasting success created the greatest factor of longevity (Saturn) for her career and for the legacy of the beloved story of a would-be-nun-turned wife and mother of seven children. Jupiter is the karaka or indicator of opportunity and, not surprising, the karaka of children.
Aside from the longevity of her career, Julie has aged remarkably. She is, as they say, like a fine wine. The trifecta of Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury in her 2nd House creates a Sushubha Yoga, which occurs when a natural benefic occupies the 2nd House and is unaspected by a natural malefic. Julie has three there! (Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury are natural benefics and are unaspected by malefics.) This yoga gives great benefits, including success, wealth, gentle loving and wise speech, as well as a youthful appearance, particularly the face (ruled by the 2nd House).
The Moon-Jupiter conjunction creates a Gaja Kesari Yoga, formed when Moon and Jupiter are in an angle from each other. (In this case, they are in a 1-1 angle/relationship.) This gives Julie gravitas; she is energetic and noticed when she walks into the room—a wonderful power for a performer!
Lastly, it’s particularly noticeable that Julie has three benefics (Moon, Jupiter, Mercury) and her Venus flanking her Ascendant. Let me repeat—ALL natural benefics surround Ms. Andrews’ Ascendant (and the Sun therein). This provides extraordinary support to the Ascendant/1st House of vitality and identity with amazing beneficence. The benefics in the 2nd and 12th Houses also form an Adhi Yoga for the 7th House, supporting her relationships- both personal and professional. (The Adhi Yoga is formed when benefics aspect both houses on each side of one house, in this case the 7th.) Generally speaking, the gentleness of the benefics draped around her Ascendant like a pearl necklace reflects in her overall kindness, generosity, elegance, etiquette, and poise, bestowing upon her an innate gracefulness that she carries with her wherever she goes. We are blessed to have her.
Written by Renate M Bell, certified Vedic Astrologer/Jyotish Visharada with the American College of Vedic Astrology and approved teacher through the Council of Vedic Astrology 2022 © She can be reached at renatembell@aol.com.
All photographs courtesy Wikipedia; Julie Andrews’ birth chart image courtesy Shri Jyoti Star software of which the author is licensed