Astrology of Brittany Murphy’s Untimely Death

Film actress Brittany Murphy, only 32, was pronounced dead at 10:20 AM on December 20, 2009 following a bout with the flu, and a history of misusing prescription drugs.

Neptune is rising at 24 degrees Aquarius which is in exact conjunction with both Jupiter and the Ascendant.  Jupiter conjunct Neptune can indicate going overboard with illegal or prescription drugs.  Neptune and Jupiter rising, opposite a brash sixth house Mars, describes a vague, confusing situation suggestive of destructive use of illicit or prescription drugs.  With Jupiter ruling the 10th of publicity this incident would receive world attention.  Neptune rising can also denote a film star or celebrity, with the opposition to Mars describing a dangerous act with harmful consequences.

There are other bad signs:  the Ascedant ruler Saturn is conjunct the 8th house cusp, in exaltation, triplicity and terms of itself.  Saturn rules 11, 12 and 1.  The twelfth house rules hospitals, secrecy, and sorrow, and is also the house of self-undoing.  This rulership describes a person whose goals and ambitions eventually led to her own early demise.  The association of Saturn and the twelfth house can be indicative of suicide, whether deliberately carried out with that purpose in mind, or self-undoing caused by confusion and disorientation.

Her ruler Saturn also squares Pluto in 11th, reinforcing the notion that  her goals and aspirations had something to do with the cause of her death.  She had had plastic surgery and had taken prescription meds for pain, also was reportedly coming down with flu like symptoms and medicating for those days before her death.  Having plastic surgery shows a desire for physical self-improvement which was her goal, to look better.  It would clearly help her achieve her ambition to jump start her film career, which had stalled after several promising movies that she made in the 1990s.  But the medication for the post-surgical pain, mixed with other meds, may have led to her demise.

Time of Death Pronouncement

The Sun is at critical 29 degrees of Sagittarius, showing an element of desperation in this chart.  Sun is about to leave Sag and enter Capricorn, where it will combust Pluto.  The planet representing the life force will come into contact the destroyer of life; a fit analogy for the situation described.   The Sun here rules the 7th house of marriage and partners and Brittany’s death is no doubt having a devastating effect on those close to her.

The afflicted Moon, ruler of 6th, approaching sextile with afflicted Saturn, ruler of 8th, is bad news.  This shows that her health was already compromised and in a weakened state before this fateful Sunday.  With Mars in the sixth she may have had an infection of some kind, which weakened her and led to her taking more drugs to combat it. The 8th ruler Venus is also in the term and face of Saturn, her ruler.    Ruler of 6th, Moon in Aquarius, is in unfortunate 12th house of self-undoing.  The worst houses of the horoscope for an illness — afflicted 6th, 8th and 12th — feature very strongly and in a negative way.  This patient was not going to survive.

Venus disposits Brittany’s Saturn:  her interest was in beauty, and that ambition led her to undergo plastic surgery and take painkillers to achieve her objective.

The ruler of the 6th approaches opposition to a newly-retrograde Mars in Leo in late sixth house applying to 7th cusp.  The Moon rules drugs and Mars rules rash behavior and when in the sixth, can rule accidents.  Leo rules the heart.  A bad drug combination may have led to a sudden cardiac arrest.  An autopsy is pending.

Brittany’s ruler Saturn is by far the most powerful planet in this horoscope, ruling three houses which relate to Brittany, her goals and ambitions, and her own self-undoing.  She was ambitious, talented and in control of her destiny, but choices and actions she took to fulfill her ambitions had dangerous and ultimately fatal consequences.

UPDATE:  This article was written in January 2010.  On February 4, 2010, the Los Angeles county coroner ruled that this was an “accidental death caused by community acquired pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia, and  multiple drug intoxication.”

Read more by Starsleuth at Cold Case Astrology and Stars 4 Tell.