David Copperfield has been accused of “sexual misconduct” by an unidentified woman who was evidently a guest at Copperfields $50 million dollar Bahamian retreat, and the FBI subsequently raided his Las Vegas warehouse. Copperfield has the perfect astrological chart for an illusionist. His Sun is in Virgo, the sign of the craftsman, yet it is in the twelfth house of the mystic. The twelfth house is ruled by Neptune which is associated with illusion and deception as well as mysticism, and his Sun is opposed by Mars which is in Pisces, also ruled by Neptune. Mars describes the way our drive is expressed, and in Pisces it can be diluted and deluded under the Neptunian influence. Neptune rules that which is hidden or obscured and its strong presence in Copperfield’s chart gives him the gift of imagination and creativity as well as an understanding of the workings of the subconscious that is required for the craft of illusion.

Because Copperfield has Virgo rising (according to Astrotheme with an unsourced time of birth) , Mercury is said to rule his chart. Mercury also falls in his first house of identity and rules his Gemini midheaven illustrating the importance of Mercury in the chart. Mercury is the shapeshifter; its mercurial characteristics confer an ability to easily change in and out of roles and personas. We find Mercury prominent in the charts of actors and charlatans, and there is often a slippery quality to a strong Mercury dynamic.

Mercury in Copperfield’s chart is in the people-oriented sign of Libra, giving him a facility to understand what people want from him and provide it. Mercury trines his Aquarian Moon, giving him an additional connection into the heart of the collective experience that is the domain of Aquarius. Relationships have been problematic for Copperfield; although Venus is in Leo which is very expressive and romantic, it conjuncts Uranus which suggests a proclivity towards instant attractions and dislike of commitment.

Because Uranus rules his Aquarian Moon as well, the two points in the chart that signal personal connection (Venus and Moon) are associated with the Uranian quality of detachment and autonomy. There is also a tendency towards experimentation with the Venus/Uranus conjunction and rumors of homosexuality have dogged Copperfield throughout his life. It’s interesting that although he was romantically linked to Claudia Shiffer for six years he has had no other public relationships. The message boards are full of anecdotes reporting of Copperfield’s tendency to pick women out of his audience and invite them home after the show. The opposition of Chiron, representing the Wounded Healer, to the combination of Venus and Uranus in Copperfield’s chart hints that relationships have been painful for him. Chiron conjuncts the Moon as well which tells us that he has had more than his share of emotional pain quite possibly stemming from early family relationships. This difficulty, combined with an innate need for personal space that makes forming close bonds challenging, could easily explain the lack of close personal ties in Copperfield’s life.

Mars in Copperfield’s chart opposes Jupiter, which suggests that his desires and drive (Mars) are magnified by Jupiter’s tendency toward expansion. This combination has been transited by Uranus over the past six months or so which has created a tendency towards reckless behavior. The first phase of the cycle hitting him back in April with the second phase now. At the same time, transiting Pluto, signifying transformation and issues of power, has been transiting the angular cross in his chart (ascendant and midheaven axes) which is an enormously powerful cycle denoting a major crisis that brings about significant change in a person’s life.

The Pluto event began in January of 2006 and sat right on Copperfield’s Midheaven until the end of May of that year, coinciding with the death of his father who worked with him in his performances and quite possibly the closest person to him in his life. Transiting Chiron at the same time has been aspecting his Moon and Venus, so this has been a very painful time for him. While he has quite a few positive planetary cycles working for him, he is also being pressured to resolve his emotional issues and make radical changes in his life. However, the secretive Neptunian nature is likely to bring more mystery and illusion rather than expose new revelations.