Reese Witherspoon walked away with the Best Actress trophy at the Oscars the other night, making this the perfect time to profile her. I first saw Reese in Pleasantville, where I was struck with her presence and magnetism that seemed far too great for a person of her young years. The next film where she really impressed me was Election, where her bright beam lit up the entire movie. I had a feeling that her obsessively driven character in that film wasn’t far from the real Reese Witherspoon.

Reese Witherspoon’s birthchart shows an Aries Sun, ruled by Mars, and her Sun also squares Mars giving her energy, vitality and courage, and also making her a little reckless and headstrong. We call this a “double whammy,” which tells us that Mars is particularly important in Reese’s chart. Women with such a strong Mars/Aries influence can be perceived as overbearing, because the power of Mars isn’t well suited to traditional patriarchal views of women. In Reese, though, this power comes in a perky little blonde package that sneaks up on you before her true Xena (warrior princess) nature is revealed just as with her Legally Blonde character.

The fact that Mars is square to her Sun, a challenging aspect, reveals that she may have difficulty controlling her impulses. Anger, impatience, frustration are all hallmarks of a Mars square, but when harnessed and disciplined there is enormous drive as well. Reese’s Sun is opposed (180 degrees) by Pluto – a challenging aspect that adds intensity and a level of compulsion (Pluto) to her character, and forces her to continually reinvent and transform herself. Pluto also squares Mars, although it is “wide” (9 degrees apart). This shows an individual who never feels that she can really get what she wants (Mars) and relentlessly keeps working to do so. She may sometimes feel like she’s on a treadmill and doesn’t know how to get off.

Reese’s Moon is in Capricorn, showing that her emotional security (Moon) is tightly wrapped up in her need to achieve success (Capricorn). Additionally, Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) is retrograde in her chart, telling us that the voice of self-doubt that Saturn embodies is turned within (retrograde), giving her a relentless lecture on her failings. For individuals who lack other Saturn or Capricorn in their chart, the Saturn retrograde self-talk can be uncomfortable and lead to some depression, but for this Warrior Princess it just drives her to pursue her goals that much more relentlessly. In fact, she named her production company “Type A Productions.”

Reese’s Venus is in Pisces, showing that although she may be the Warrior Queen in her public life, in her relationships (Venus) she is sensitive and seeks harmony and a real bonding with her partner. Her Venus makes a trine (harmonious aspect) to Uranus (innovation and autonomy) in her chart, indicating that she is capable of close relationships (Pisces) yet also is capable of independence within her relationships (Uranus). The Uranus factor also shows that her relationships will be unconventional. However, with the tenacity of her character she is likely to stay married for a long time. Failure is not an option in Reese Witherspoon’s plan for the future.