Madonna turns 50 today, with a lunar eclipse on her Sun as a little gift from the Cosmos.

We don’t have an exact birth time for Madonna, so it’s hard to write about her chart with any degree of certainty. But the chart most commonly used gives her a 7:05 a.m. birth time, making her a Leo with Virgo on the Ascendant. Considering that one of her first big hits was “Like a Virgin,” this fits.

It also fits that she’d have a twelfth-house Sun, which would account for her interest in religious themes and immersion in Kabbalah studies.

Normally I don’t work with uncertain birth times, but since I’m just musing here anyway, let’s suppose this is an accurate chart. If it is, then the Material Girl turned Mom is getting hammered big time, not just by the eclipse in Leo, her sign, but by Saturn’s transit over her Ascendant. Heavy responsibilities come with this aspect, and life feels burdensome. In addition, Saturn shortly will conjoin her Moon at 11 degrees Virgo, a 29-year transit that brings a sense of loneliness and isolation.

There have been rumors in the media of a divorce from her current husband, Guy Ritchie, which both of them have denied. However, Saturn’s transit of the first house often does coincide with breakups of key relationships, as do challenging Saturn-Moon transits. And this week’s Saturn-Venus conjunction on Madonna’s Ascendant does suggest that something is up with her marriage. If it’s basically sound, however, this transit can offer an opportunity to confront the issues and get closer.

I do hope that Madonna at some point will give up the sexy rocker thing and “act her age.” She could do so much to help women over 50 address issues of body image, sexuality, relationships, parenthood, spirituality, and much more.

We all have it in us to be as vital and confident as she is, regardless of our age.

Personally, I’ve been hit hard by this eclipse, too, so I won’t wish you calm and peaceful waters. I’ll simply say that I hope you weather the storm and come out on the other side stronger, wiser, and happier.

Love and blessings,
Pat