*Please do not message me if you have the same aspect mentioned in this article stating it does not manifest in the same manner for you. We all have varying degrees of consciousness and all of us use aspects in various ways.
This week I was looking for something to watch on TV and decided on The Capote Tapes. I didn’t know much about Truman Capote; in actuality the only thing I knew of him was his betrayal of his long time friend Babe Paley. For those that are unfamiliar Babe Paley was a socialite in NYC, she worked for Vogue in her younger years and is documented as one of the best dressed women of all time. Babe was married to CBS founder William Paley that was also a narcissistic philanderer.
Truman Capote was friends with many women in certain high society circles in New York City and basically spilled their secrets in a magazine article that was said to be an excerpt of a novel he was working on called “Answered Prayers” in it he spoke of Babe Paley’s husband (Bill Paley) having sexual relations with a woman other than Babe in great detail -you are welcome to Google this for the full story. After this article was published Capote was pretty much ousted from his social circle.
The Capote Tapes film touches on this and Feud Season 2 on FX which is still in the middle of production and due to be released is based on “Answered Prayers”, the friendships and the fallout.
When I Googled Truman Capote’s birthday I was surprised to see he was born (9/30) in the Week of the Perfectionist (The Secret Language of Relationships book) – as was Babe’s husband (9/28) and as is Naomi Watts (9/28) who is playing Babe in Feud Season 2- I always find it odd when we attract people with similar birthdays. For reference Babe Paley was a Cancer born 7/5.
In any event I did not realize Truman Capote was a novelist- I find so many wonderful writers are Librans I guess we can take that intelligence they are known for; as well as the eloquence add in a dash of that Venusian artistic talent and wa-la you have a beautiful author. Oscar Wilde, F Scott Fitzgerald, e.e Cummings, T.S Eliot and Rumi are all in fact born under the Sun sign of Libra
Capote’s most famous literary works I believe are Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood.
When watching the film they interviewed people that spoke of him and his life – I always find it fascinating how we can see the mirroring in the Natal Chart. When you are well versed in Astrology you will know what aspect a person has without looking at the chart just by observing the behavior or the characteristics they exhibit.
Sun In Libra
Truman was described in many ways throughout the film
“he used his charm to get close to those people”
“he was the most seductive man”
“he was losing his integrity and identity”
“he was someone that switched identities when he wanted to do so”
I know people are upset when I state this but some things are what they are. It takes a conscious effort to forge your own authentic sense of self when the Sun is placed in Libra in the Natal Chart. The Sun in Libra is said to be in a “Fall” position meaning it struggles. The Sun governs the self in the Natal Chart; it rules over our ego and our identity and here it is placed in the sign of other people (Libra). The Sun in Libra is easily swayed into blending in with the environment and can be geared toward people pleasing. I think it is crucial for those with personal planets in Libra to check in with themselves and ask but who am I? What do I want? What is it I truly believe?
I am not stating here that Truman Capote was someone that was totally false after all he was an openly gay man which in itself displays an act of great courage and authenticity especially in a time period when it was not encouraged to do so. I think he was a very complicated man that held many layers; too many layers to dive into in one blog post.
Mercury in Virgo
His Libra Sun for sure made him likable; charming and intelligent are two adjectives I think of when I think of Libra. He also had Mercury placed in its sign of rulership Virgo. His Mercury was squared by Jupiter and opposed by Uranus –IMO these are aspects that denote open mindedness, an innovative mind and high degrees of intellect when combined.
“his intellect made his a complete original”
“I haven’t laughed since he died”
“He was someone you looked forward to seeing”
“By the time he left the table Truman had everyone in his pocket”
I believe his Mercury in Virgo and his Jupiter in Sagittarius both being in rulership is what made him a successful and skilled writer. Mercury is the way in which we communicate and Jupiter and Sagittarius both govern publishing.
Moon in Scorpio
Not only was Truman’s Sun in Fall positioning so was his Moon in Scorpio. The Moon in Scorpio is not the easiest placement; it can be destructive, speak of childhood trauma and almost always suggest secrets in childhood as well as a complicated relationship with the Mother figure.
The Moon in Scorpio and his Sun in the 8th house lend a natural inclination toward psychology and understanding the way in which people operate. Capote himself stated: “I can see something clearly in another person all their motivations and I can do it with great objectivity”. That right there is Plutonic energy as is the desire to uncover the truth about people beneath the façade. I do believe he did just that; I just do not understand why he sold out the people who loved him most in the process. But I guess one could argue the 8th house and Scorpio planets are prone to self destruction. It is said his literary work “Answered Prayers” was like suicide.
I thought it was interesting how in the film his Mother and childhood were described in typical Scorpionic fashion; sex, mystery and intrigue
His Mother was described as “A bit of a courtesan”
“There is something so mysterious about Truman’s whole background”
“She was not like a Mother she was extremely sexual and attractive. She took pills…she drank”
Saturn conjunct Moon
The film discusses her non acceptance and abandonment of him; which is reflected in his Natal Saturn conjunct Moon (this often shows up as a Mother wound)
I also contribute his Saturn/Moon conjunction to his alcoholism.
When Saturn is on the Moon it is a depressive aspect it can suggest the person has repressed emotions, feels perpetually melancholic and may have grown up in an environment that was cold.
Astrologer Betty Lundsted wrote about Saturn conjoining the Moon: “The child picks up the emotional deprivation and brings the following characteristics into adult life; a tendency toward melancholia…”
Donna Cunningham writes about Moon/Saturn aspects: “ is sometimes found among alcoholics because drink is often the release for depression and the harsh perfectionistic demands this person places on themselves”
The combination of the 8th house Sun and his Moon in Scorpio was probably the contributing factor that lead him to write “In Cold Blood” this was a true story about the murder of an entire family in Kansas. Without getting into too much detail Capote began a personal relationship with one of the murderers while working on the novel and fell in love with him but then asked the state to execute him so he could finish his novel. You cannot make this up! How is it you love someone and also write several letters asking for his execution? Just like how did he love Babe and talk about missing her throughout his entire life but write an article speaking of her husband’s infidelities that humiliated her. His psychological complexities and self-sabotaging behaviors are more than I can currently grasp. That is sometimes the thing with people that believe themselves unworthy of love they will act in the most egregious of ways so people have no choice but to push them away.
When I went to Google the killer Perry Smiths Natal Chart I thought to myself I bet he has something in Scorpio. He sure did he had the Sun in Scorpio and it conjoined Capote’s Moon in Scorpio in a tight degree. A Sun/Moon conjunction is very common in couples generally speaking – it can suggest a harmonizing of energy or an understanding of one another. Something about each others darkness drew them close to one another that is for certain.
While watching The Capote Tapes someone stated
“The minute he (Perry Smith) appeared and Capote saw him he had something in him that matched, something that worked” (that is the Sun/Moon conjunction being activated)
Someone interviewed also said about Capote and “In Cold Blood”
“you can say till this day that nobody has done a real life murder story as well with such an amount of immediacy and clarity and attention to detail and sort of coldness –this may have been the real Truman Capote. The rest of the time was fun, lunch, dinner, self-invention, the only person who knows him would be the reader of this book”
I think this quote can be a testament to the perceived lightness of his Libra Sun vs his Scorpio Moon. Though I do believe he struggled with both in planetary placements in different ways. These placements in combination at the bare minium suggest a struggle between the desire to socialize and be seen and accepted vs. the need to be alone/private/closed off.
Scorpio Midheaven
Truman had his Midheaven in Scorpio with Jupiter inside the 10th house. The Midheaven is what you are known for -it is the highest you can achieve in this lifetime. With Jupiter placed in the 10th house he is known for his publications. “In Cold Blood” is according to Wikipedia the second best selling true crime book in history.
But that Scorpio Midheaven took him out in the end. He became known for telling everyone’s secrets.
The Capote Tapes Quotes
“He started the day talking to gossip columnists he would trade all the secrets”
“he was a fantastic gossip he knew everything –he would just spill it all out”
“this book exposed unspeakably private things about very very famous people”
