My curiosity got the best of me, and I started imagining what it would look like in a cheating lover’s horoscope. Saddeningly, the “victims” of cheating spouses were left out of this small data set. However, these “cheaters’ horoscopes” did include a few interesting points that were worth discussing. First, it was found that dishonest people’s natal charts typically had transiting Neptune square the Sun and/or Mars at the time of the indiscretion. Psychologically, the astrologer may argue that extramarital affairs are justified because the adulterer is filled with disenchantment (Neptune) about their life and marriage. Neptune is portrayed in astrology as a shadowy fantasist who isn’t always the most moral or consistent person and who can easily be swayed by temptation.
If we tend to be dishonest and slippery, and if we have no secure boundaries to keep us safe, the Neptune within us can feel a great deal of guilt. In most cases, Neptune transits arrive just in time to wreak havoc on a situation when a boundary is about to be crossed. Under a Neptune transit, an individual may feel an overwhelming sense of loss, desire, and the impossibility of achieving an unattainable goal, and as a result, they may seek solace in the arms of a “redeemer” in the hopes that their partner will provide an outlet for their fantasies and fulfil their unfulfilled needs.
The Guilty Ones
Clark Gable
In 1935, while filming “The Call of the Wild,” Clark Gable cheated on set with Loretta Young. Young became pregnant during their time together, but she hid it from the media. Pluto was finishing its opposition to Venus when Neptune was conjunct Mars in Gable’s chart. Throughout the affair, Loretta had transiting Neptune trine the Sun and the Moon.
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart cheated on his wife, 45-year-old Kim Novak, with 19-year-old Lauran Bacall. Bogart’s loyalty was torn when he fell for the teenager and had to choose between his wife and his new love. Despite this, he divorced his patient wife and started dating Bacall. In Humphrey’s case, transiting Neptune was square the Sun and Mars. Lauren, who was likely quite nave, did not have any Neptune transits. But transiting Saturn was crossing her Sun, a traditional indicator of an attraction to a much older man. Saturn is the planetary ruler of old age and wisdom. When Saturn is in a transit, it’s time to settle down and make a promise.
Ingrid Bergman
The affair between Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini was the most scandalous at the time; it resulted in Bergman becoming pregnant and her exile from the United States. As Ingrid’s Sun and Venus were both transited by Saturn, she felt an increased burden in her partnerships. Moreover, she had to deal with the scrutiny and hostility of others on a personal level. She also started the affair with the Italian director, and transiting Uranus was conjunct Mars at the time. Experiencing an aspect between Mars and Uranus can make us feel restless and eager for adventure (Mars-Uranus). Additionally, transiting Neptune squared her natal Mars, suggesting sexual (Mars) deceit (Neptune). Neptune was trine Venus and Mars in Rosellini’s chart, and transiting Saturn was square Venus. He experienced humiliation and betrayal, and he had to deal with difficult emotional affairs because transiting Pluto was square his Sun and Moon.