Leonard Bernstein: Astrological Article and Chart

Horoscope and chart of Leonard Bernstein

^* A planet less than 1° from the next House cusp is considered to be posited in the said House. 2° when the AS and the MC are involved

Astrological portrait of Leonard Bernstein (excerpt)

Disclaimer: these short excerpts of astrological charts are computer processed. They are, by no means, of a personal nature. This principle is valid for the celebrities included in our database. These texts provide the meanings of planets, or combination of planets, in signs and in houses, as well as the interpretations of planetary dominants in line with modern Western astrology rules. Moreover, since Astrotheme is not a polemic website, no negative aspect which may damage the good reputation of a celebrity is posted here, unlike in the comprehensive astrological portrait.

Introduction

Here are some character traits from Leonard Bernstein's birth chart. This description is far from being comprehensive but it can shed light on his/her personality, which is still interesting for professional astrologers or astrology lovers.

The dominant planets of Leonard Bernstein

When interpreting a natal chart, the best method is to start gradually from general features to specific ones. Thus, there is usually a plan to be followed, from the overall analysis of the chart and its structure, to the description of its different character traits.

In the first part, an overall analysis of the chart enables us to figure out the personality's main features and to emphasize several points that are confirmed or not in the detailed analysis: in any case, those general traits are taken into account. Human personality is an infinitely intricate entity and describing it is a complex task. Claiming to rapidly summarize it is illusory, although it does not mean that it is an impossible challenge. It is essential to read a natal chart several times in order to absorb all its different meanings and to grasp all this complexity. But the exercise is worthwhile.

In brief, a natal chart is composed of ten planets: two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, three fast-moving or individual planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars, two slow-moving planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and three very slow-moving planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Additional secondary elements are: the Lunar Nodes, the Dark Moon or Lilith, Chiron and other minor objects. They are all posited on the Zodiac wheel consisting of twelve signs, from Aries to Pisces, and divided into twelve astrological houses.

The first step is to evaluate the importance of each planet. This is what we call identifying the dominant planets. This process obeys rules that depend on the astrologer's sensitivity and experience but it also has precise and steady bases: thus, we can take into account the parameters of a planet's activity (the number of active aspects a planet forms, the importance of each aspect according to its nature and its exactness), angularity parameters; (proximity to the four angles, Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant and Imum Coeli or Nadir, all of them being evaluated numerically, according to the kind of angle and the planet-angle distance) and quality parameters (rulership, exaltation, exile and fall). Finally, other criteria such as the rulership of the Ascendant and the Midheaven etc. are important.

These different criteria allow a planet to be highlighted and lead to useful conclusions when interpreting the chart.

The overall chart analysis begins with the observation of three sorts of planetary distributions in the chart: Eastern or Western hemisphere, Northern or Southern hemisphere, and quadrants (North-eastern, North-western, South-eastern and South-western). These three distributions give a general tone in terms of introversion and extraversion, willpower, sociability, and behavioural predispositions.

Then, there are three additional distributions: elements (called triplicity since there are three groups of signs for each one) - Fire, Air, Earth and Water - corresponding to a character typology, modality (or quadruplicity with four groups of signs for each one) - Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable - and polarity (Yin and Yang).

There are three types of dominants: dominant planets, dominant signs and dominant houses. The novice thinks astrology means only "to be Aries" or sometimes, for example, "to be Aries Ascendant Virgo". It is actually far more complex. Although the Sun and the Ascendant alone may reveal a large part of the character - approximately a third or a half of your psychological signature, a person is neither "just the Sun" (called the sign) nor just "the first house" (the Ascendant). Thus, a particular planet's influence may be significantly increased; a particular sign or house may contain a group of planets that will bring nuances and sometimes weaken the role of the Ascendant, of the Sun sign etc.

Lastly, there are two other criteria: accentuations (angular, succedent and cadent) which are a classification of astrological houses and types of decanates that are occupied (each sign is divided into three decanates of ten degrees each). They provide some additional informations.

These general character traits must not be taken literally; they are, somehow, preparing for the chart reading. They allow to understand the second part of the analysis, which is more detailed and precise. It focuses on every area of the personality and provides a synthesis of all the above-mentioned parameters according to sound hierarchical rules.

Astrological Quadrants for Leonard Bernstein

Each quadrant is a combination of the four hemispheres of your birth chart and relates to a character typology. The Southern hemisphere – the top of your chart, around the Midheaven – is associated with extraversion, action, and public life, whereas the Northern hemisphere prompts to introversion, reflexion, and private life. The Eastern hemisphere – the left part, around the Ascendant – is linked to your ego and your willpower, whereas the Western hemisphere indicates how other people influence you, and how flexible you are when you make a decision.

Leonard Bernstein, the diurnal South-western quadrant, consisting of the 7th, 8th and 9th houses, prevails in your chart: this sector brings about a thirst for communication and sometimes a need to take risks in your dealings with others. Relations are a factor of your evolution and your transformation, which you accept serenely. Indeed, what matters to you is the movement and the energy that link you to others and that make you gain more awareness. A kind of rebellion or a desire to get away from it all is rooted in you.

Elements, Modes and House Accentuations for Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein, here are the graphs of your Elements and Modes, based on planets' position and angles in the twelve signs:

The predominance of Water signs indicates high sensitivity and elevation through feelings, Leonard Bernstein. Your heart and your emotions are your driving forces, and you can't do anything on Earth if you don't feel a strong affective charge (as a matter of fact, the word "feeling" is essential in your psychology). You need to love in order to understand, and to feel in order to take action, which causes a certain vulnerability which you should fight against.

Like the majority of Earth signs, Leonard Bernstein, you are efficient, concrete and not too emotional. What matters to you is what you see: you judge the tree by its fruits. Your ideas keep changing, words disappear, but actions and their consequences are visible and remain. Express your sensitivity, even if it means revealing your vulnerability. Emotions, energy and communication must not be neglected; concrete action is meaningless if it is not justified by your heart, your intellect or your enthusiasm.

Air is under-represented in your natal chart, with only 6.84% instead of the average 25%. Air symbolizes the values of communication, exchanges with others, but also adaptability and flexibility abilities: if you don't get out of your cocoon to talk, to show interest in others, and to socialize, you may have problems understanding others. Because of your lack of flexibility or of your refusal to adapt yourself, you may be suddenly overwhelmed by events. You should get into the habit of talking, of phoning, and of thinking in terms of "mobility, flexibility, adaptability, change" in every circumstance. It will spare you so many troubles!

The twelve zodiacal signs are split up into three groups or modes, called quadruplicities, a learned word meaning only that these three groups include four signs. The Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable modes are more or less represented in your natal chart, depending on planets' positions and importance, and on angles in the twelve signs.

The Fixed mode corresponds to a majority of elements in your chart, Leonard Bernstein, and represents the desire for security and durability: you are able to concretely appreciate a situation and its stability. You definitely prefer to play the role of a loyal, obstinate and hard-working person, rather than to try new and risky experiences - beware, however, not to confuse obstinacy with intransigence. You structure, cement, and strengthen everything you find on your way: it is your nature, although you are not especially interested in swiftness: slow and steady...

Houses are split up into three groups: angular, succedent and cadent.

The first ones are the most important ones, the most "noticeable" and energetic houses. They are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses. Their cuspides correspond to four famous angles: Ascendant for the 1st house, Imum Coeli for the 4th house, Descendant, opposite the Ascendant, for the 7th house and Midheaven for the 10th house, opposite the Imum Coeli.

Planets are evaluated according to a whole set of criteria that includes comprehensive Western astrology rules. At their turn, planets emphasize specific types of houses, signs, repartitions etc., as previously explained.

Cadent houses, namely the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th houses, are very emphasized in your chart, Leonard Bernstein. They indicate important potential for communication, adaptability and flexibility. These houses are symbolically linked to the mind and intellect. The relative weakness implied by these characteristics indicates your tendency to hesitate or to be indecisive, but also your remarkable ability to start off again, which is a nice quality, finally: you can easily get yourself out of a tight spot thanks to your mobility and casualness, in the best sense of the term. This group of houses corresponds to evolutionary characteristics of your personality. However, they are only indications and you must include them in the rest of your chart in order to see whether they are validated or not!

N.B.: this dominant is a minor one.

Dominants: Planets, Signs and Houses for Leonard Bernstein

The issue of dominant planets has existed since the mists of time in astrology: how nice it would be if a person could be described with a few words and one or several planets that would represent their character, without having to analyse such elements as rulerships, angularities, houses, etc!

The ten planets - the Sun throughout Pluto - are a bit like ten characters in a role-play, each one has its own personality, its own way of acting, its own strengths and weaknesses. They actually represent a classification into ten distinct personalities, and astrologers have always tried to associate one or several dominant planets to a natal chart as well as dominant signs and houses.

Indeed, it is quite the same situation with signs and houses. If planets symbolize characters, signs represent hues - the mental, emotional and physical structures of an individual. The sign in which a planet is posited is like a character whose features are modified according to the place where he lives. In a chart, there are usually one, two or three highlighted signs that allow to rapidly describe its owner.

Regarding astrological houses, the principle is even simpler: the twelve houses correspond to twelve fields of life, and planets tenanting any given house increase that house's importance and highlight all relevant life departments: it may be marriage, work, friendship etc.

In your natal chart, Leonard Bernstein, the ten main planets are distributed as follows:

The three most important planets in your chart are Mercury, the Sun and Pluto.

With Mercury among your dominant planets, you are certainly cerebral, nervous, swift, curious, quick-witted, and you love to communicate. Your psychological pattern is intellectual, all the more so since Mercury is important, with its whole set of assets but also of weaknesses, obviously.

Your sensitivity, emotions, and heart's impulses give precedence to thinking, which can lead people to believe that you are a playful and witty but heartless person, intellectualizing situations and juggling with words and numbers whilst ignoring human aspects of things. Of course, it is said that cats always land on their feet - this is your Mercurian strength and your trump card!

Your weakness lies in your nervousness, and you may miss your goal because of your "over-intellectualization" that may be detrimental to other kind of energies such as instinct, spontaneity, heart, sensitivity, etc.

One of the dominant planets in your natal chart is the Sun. He symbolizes will, magnetism, sense of honour and dignity. You are a Solar being, and you often display charismatic and leadership qualities. Your warmth and your persuasive power lead you far away from pettiness. You enjoy thinking big and, consequently, you move forward according to what you decide.

Your Solarian weakness may be related to the sin of pride or to excessive authority. The frontier between pride and vanity is tenuous: be careful not to overstep it and to keep the nobleness of heart that is part of your charm.

With Pluto as a dominant planet in your chart, you are a magnetic and mighty predator, like the Scorpio sign ruled by this planet, who needs to exert pressure on others in order to "test" them. You are always ready to evolve, to risk destruction for reconstruction - including your own - to live more intensely whilst imposing your secret authority on things and on people you encounter.

You may come across as wicked, cruel or too authoritarian, but actually you only follow your instinct, you sound people out, and you like to exert your domination simply because your vital energy is too powerful to remain inside. You are inclined to be passionate, with hidden motivations. You are sometimes misunderstood but one of your great Plutonian assets is to go successfully through each life ordeal with ever growing strength.

In your natal chart, the three most important signs - according to criteria mentioned above - are in decreasing order of strength Virgo, Scorpio and Leo. In general, these signs are important because your Ascendant or your Sun is located there. But this is not always the case: there may be a cluster of planets, or a planet may be near an angle other than the Midheaven or Ascendant. It may also be because two or three planets are considered to be very active because they form numerous aspects from these signs.

Thus, you display some of the three signs' characteristics, a bit like a superposition of features on the rest of your chart, and it is all the more so if the sign is emphasized.

Virgo, associated with perfectionism, numbers and reason, is among your dominant signs: you inherit its sense of responsibility and tidiness, a clear mind, an unfailing logic, as well as a need to be useful and to fulfil your task to the best of your abilities. Obviously, people may think that you are too modest or reserved, suspicious or pessimistic because of your exceedingly critical mind, but aren't logic and wisdom great qualities? Of course, they are. Moreover, you keep your feet on the ground, you never behave irrationally and you are helpful and hardworking - what more can you ask for?!

With Scorpio as a dominant sign, you are a strong and astute person, complicated and passionate, sometimes destructive and intolerant, but strong-willed, tough and daring, sometimes bordering on aggressive. So many qualities and dangers combined in one person! Obviously, this often results in a natural selection of people around you: those who stand up to you or admire you and those who can't bear you anymore! But that is precisely what you want. You are what you are and you are not going to transform yourself just to please. You are too proud and you never dread confrontations, although your way of fighting is secret, like your nature that, mysteriously enough, you are so reluctant to reveal even to your close friends who will never understand you. That said... what a hellish charm you have!

With Leo as a dominant sign, you naturally shine brightly. Your dignity, your sense of honour, and your generosity can almost turn you into a solar mythological hero, a knight or a lord from the ancient times. People may blame you for your selfishness, your pride or your somewhat loud authority, but if you are self-confident, kind-hearted and strong-willed, it surely makes up for your little flaws, as long as they remain moderate...

The 9th, 8th and 10th houses are the most prominent ones in your birth chart. From the analysis of the most tenanted houses, the astrologer identifies your most significant fields or spheres of activity. They deal with what you are experiencing - or what you will be brought to experience one day - or they deal with your inner motivations.

Your 9th house being one of your most tenanted house, or at least emphasized, travels and faraway places play a major role for you: travels may take place in a symbolic sense, namely mind speculations or conceptions about political matters, philosophy, religion or spirituality, or in the literal sense, such as real long distance travels by plane. It may also be that you spend a part of your life far from home, etc. You are driven by some kind of rebelliousness, which urges you to explore the Unknown; it may also be the call of the adventure. Besides, if the rest of your chart concurs, you may be considered as a real draught, often up hill and down dale, constantly on the lookout for exciting discoveries and new, enchanting horizons.

Your 8th house is very highlighted: it is the most complex house of the Zodiac. It symbolizes above all passion and transformation, which often go hand in hand. Indeed, you have a tendency to experience everything to the bitter end, and you overstep propriety borders because you want to understand everything, even what is... forbidden. This house relates to complex spheres such as sexuality, possessions and dispossessions that don't depend on you (inheritances, donations, sudden financial losses), death too - not yours in particular, so, don't worry! - and understanding of hidden or occult things: here are the fields that affect you generally, because you are naturally interested in them or because life gets you involved in spite of yourself.

With a prominent 10th house, your destiny's achievement may be very notable: the 10th house represents your career, your public life, and your ambitions. A good deal of your energy may thus be used to successfully implement what you have in mind. Instinctively, you are very keen to make your dreams come true. Sooner or later, you will deal with the public, and your personal achievement will go through trials and ordeals: other people and visible actions.

After this paragraph about dominant planets, of Leonard Bernstein, here are the character traits that you must read more carefully than the previous texts since they are very specific: the texts about dominant planets only give background information about the personality and remain quite general: they emphasize or, on the contrary, mitigate different particularities or facets of a personality. A human being is a complex whole and only bodies of texts can attempt to successfully figure out all the finer points.

The Moon in Aries and in House 5: his sensitivity

D'un tempérament impulsif Leonard Bernstein vous recherchez les émotions fortes à vivre dans l'instant car vous n'aimez guère attendre et vous vous lassez vite. Avec vous, il faut que cela aille vite et que cela bouge ! Votre vive imagination vous pousse à toujours plus d'enthousiasme, d'audace et d'indépendance car il vous faut entreprendre et réussir. L'échec ne vous fait pas peur et loin de vous freiner, la rivalité et le combat vous stimulent. Votre sensibilité à fleur de peau vous rend irritable et imprévisible : il est très facile de vous provoquer sans le vouloir, ce qui n'est pas pour faciliter votre vie familiale ou amicale. On peut vous trouver impatient, colérique, capricieux, instable et même agressif et l'on peut quelquefois à juste titre vous reprocher de ne pas tenir assez compte des besoins des personnes de votre entourage. Pourtant, vous pouvez être chaleureux  et prêt à aider et réconforter autrui lorsque vous arrivez à réfréner votre impulsivité. Ne soyez pas donc pas si inquiet de perdre votre identité en écoutant un peu plus les autres...

C'est dans le cadre récréatif, les loisirs et les fêtes, les aventures amoureuses, les vacances etc. que vous exprimez le mieux vos émotions, Leonard Bernstein. Vous aimez la compagnie des enfants, votre popularité est souvent bonne et vous en profitez pour multiplier les rencontres afin de constater... (excerpt)

Mercury in Virgo and in House 10: his intellect and social life

Vous avez Leonard Bernstein une grande aptitude à la logique et à l'analyse ainsi qu'une manière objective et critique de juger chaque aspect d'une situation. Appliqué, méthodique, ayant le sens du détail et doté d'une grande énergie nerveuse, vous pouvez tout à fait passer du temps à la réalisation de travaux intellectuels laborieux et minutieux. Bien que possédant une certaine facilité à vous exprimer, vous ne cherchez pas vraiment à vous mettre en avant et préférez souvent collaborer plutôt que prendre des initiatives : vous vous sentez moins anxieux quand vous savez exactement ce que l'on attend de vous et ce que vous avez à faire. Vous abordez tout avec rationalisme et éprouvez de la méfiance devant l'imagination et l'intuition. Amoureux des lettres autant que des chiffres, votre humour mordant risque parfois de déstabiliser votre entourage qui vous préférerait peut-être un peu moins exigeant et un peu plus démonstratif. Dites-vous bien que l'on ne peut pas toujours tout maîtriser...

Votre esprit vif et conciliant est au service de votre carrière, Leonard Bernstein. Grâce à votre mobilité naturelle, vous vous adaptez en permanence pour vous glisser au mieux aux postes que vous convoitez et votre réussite professionnelle est souvent due à votre capacité à comprendre que changer,... (excerpt)

Venus in Leo and in House 9, and the Sun in Virgo: his affectivity and seductiveness

Dans votre thème, le Soleil est en Vierge, Vénus en Lion. Vos Signes solaire et vénusien s'accordent autant que le feu et l'eau ! A la réserve naturelle d'un Soleil Vierge répond le caractère exalté et brûlant d'une Vénus Lion. A la pudeur de l'un s'oppose la passion de l'autre. Ce désaccord fait sans doute votre richesse, mais ne facilite pas la cohérence de vos attachements : lorsque vous aimez, lorsque vous laissez libre cours à vos désirs et affections, vous êtes Lion... caractère entier, passionnel, exigeant et jusqu'au-boutiste. Conquérant également, voire dominateur. Pourtant, votre Soleil Vierge interdit de vous sentir continuellement bien sur ce registre. Viennent alors des phases de défense, de recul, durant lesquelles la fièvre d'amour se change en retraite raisonnée, dûment contrôlée. D'où certains comportements paradoxaux : sensible aux flatteries, vous feignez l'indifférence lorsqu'elles vous sont prodiguées. Enthousiaste quand le désir est là, vous donnez cependant de vous une image plus nuancée, distante, discrète. Votre partenaire devra alors sentir le volcan qui sommeille en vous, masqué souvent par une volonté de contrôle sans laquelle vos repères s'effondreraient. L'aventure vous tente diablement, mais sans doute avez-vous quelques difficultés à jouer cette carte, à vous laisser aller à un engouement frénétique, absolu, déstabilisant. Bien intégrée, cette configuration vous permet de maîtriser différents registres, de vivre une passion dévorante... sans vous laisser dévorer !

Vous si êtes si fier et généreux, Leonard Bernstein que votre puissance d'amour contient en elle votre vulnérabilité mais c'est cela aussi qui fait votre charme et votre originalité. Vous êtes loyal et droit et avez un besoin aussi important d'être admiré que d'être aimé. Les deux sentiments chez vous sont intimement liés et le risque est réel que l'amour ne se rompe pour des malentendus d'importance insignifiante simplement parce que votre susceptibilité a été atteinte. Quoiqu'il en soit, vous êtes démonstratif, brillant et même théâtral et votre générosité est légendaire. Avec vous, tout est et doit être démesuré : les preuves d'amour que vous donnez à votre partenaire, les cadeaux que vous faites, le confort et même le luxe qui teintent l'atmosphère de vos sorties ou de vos voyages. Physiquement vous êtes un lion, en tout cas vous avez son appétit sexuel ; vous êtes voluptueux, passionné et finalement la seule chose que vous pouvez ne pas posséder est la souplesse, que ce soit dans votre façon de montrer votre amour ou bien de réagir à des évènements qui pourraient vous contrarier, même de très loin.

Leonard Bernstein, à vous de choisir : l'amour rencontré au cours de vos voyages à l'étranger ou l'amour des voyages tout court et la focalisation des sentiments dans cet idéal d'évasion vers le lointain ? Ou peut-être les deux, quoi qu'il en soit, vous avez souvent tendance... (excerpt)

The Ascendant is in Scorpio and the ruler of the Ascendant is Pluto, in Cancer: his behaviour

The ruler of the Ascendant, also referred to as the chart ruler, brings a few interesting nuances to the meanings provided by the Sun and the Ascendant. The sign in which the ruler of the Ascendant is posited fine-tunes the style of personality described by the Sun and the Ascendant. It may strengthen it if the sign is identical to either of them.

The ruler of the Ascendant, Leonard Bernstein, is Pluto. In the sign of Cancer, it enables you to grasp the surrounding ambience and impressions as if you were an emotional radar. Therefore, you may shift from enthusiasm to boredom or rejection, should you subtly sense that you are appreciated or spurned, even though your feelings are unfounded.

The Sun in Virgo and in House 9: his will and inner motivations

Leonard Bernstein, vous avez très tôt pris pour vous-même l'adage "Nul n'est prophète en son pays" et cette impression depuis tout petit que vous possédez quelque chose de différent et qui ne pourra pas être parfaitement compris par vos proches et votre environnement natal vous pousse à... (excerpt)

Mars in Scorpio and in House 12: his ability to take action

Votre volonté de fer fait partie de vos atouts, Leonard Bernstein. Elle est servie par une ingéniosité et une habileté qui peuvent faire de vous une personnalité puissante et crainte. Vous avez le flair pour trouver les faiblesses de ceux qui vous approchent et vous pouvez facilement les blesser par votre penchant naturel et inné à sonder ou tester leur force. Vous êtes extrêmement têtu et vous ne lâchez pratiquement jamais prise si vous êtes convaincu que vous avez raison. Sexuellement, vous êtes puissant et passionné. Dominateur et secret, vous êtes une personnalité magnétique avec qui il vaut mieux éviter tout conflit car vous pouvez être vraiment très agressif et rancunier et dans certains cas rares faire preuve de sadisme. Vous êtes finalement une personnalité aussi secrète qu'entière et dominatrice sur le plan de l'action et de la sexualité.

L'action pour vous, Leonard Bernstein, ne se conçoit, un peu curieusement d'ailleurs pour la plupart des gens, que d'une façon cachée ou secrète. C'est plutôt cet aspect des choses, la forme donc, qui importe par rapport à ce que vous allez accomplir effectivement. Pas de publicité sur... (excerpt)

Conclusion

This text is only an excerpt from the portrait of of Leonard Bernstein, which we hope will inspire you to deepen your knowledge of astrology.

Regarding the sources of the birth data in our possession, kindly note that the pages we publish constitute a starting point for more detailed research, even though they seem useful to us. When the sources are contradictory, which occurs rarely, after having analysed them, we choose the most reliable one. Sometimes, we publish a birth date just because it is made available, but we do not claim that is it the best one, by no means.