Wolf-eyed method actor and unabashed weirdo Jared Leto turns 50 this month. To commemorate his half-century mark, we’re taking a look at his birth chart.
Sun in Capricorn
Born Dec. 26, 1971, Leto has his sun in Capricorn, the shrewd, well-dressed sign of BDSM and bottom lines. An earth sign, Capricorn energy is industrious and diligent, sensual and practical. Rulers of the 10th House, Caps are the hardest working zodiac sign in show or any other business — and Leto proves his place among them.
Since gaining fame as brooding, quasi-illiterate bro Jordan Catalano in “My So-Called Life,” Oscar-winner Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”) has starred in several award-lauded films, become a sought-after spokesmodel and recorded and toured with his rock outfit 30 Seconds to Mars. Band merchandise includes a pink hoodie that lists the salaries of the world’s highest-paid models — apropos for a sign that is always conscious of coinage.
Capricorns like to get paid, folks. Thus it is unsurprising — though not widely known — that Leto has invested in the likes of Nest, Uber, Reddit, Airbnb and Slack.
While our dude ain’t afraid of athletic pants as formal wear or looking like he just left an ayahuasca ceremony in Santa Fe, he also exhibits the Capricorn love of luxury and deep appreciation for free swag. We see these tendencies expressed through his alignment with fabled fashion brand Gucci; walking in runway shows, lending his velveteen image to the Guilty fragrance, and even playing designer Paulo — purple corduroy, prosthetics, questionable accent and all — in the 2021 high-camp biopic “House of Gucci.”
As a Cardinal sign, Capricorn is fearless and ambitious. Natural leaders, these people start things, be it wars, law firms or fanny pack trends. We see this modality alive and well in Leto, whose personal website once boasted a dress “Just Like Jared” shopping section. Imagining the world in his own messianic biker space alien image? Christ vibes and Cardinal flexes abound.
Enterprising and influencing started early for young Leto. He admitted to being fired from his job at a movie theater for selling drugs. Being let go for trying to get a leg up is substantial evidence of our man’s burgeoning Capricornian business acumen. Further proof can be found in this photo of Leto and his bob haircut checking his phone as then-girlfriend Scarlett Johansson kisses him. Making out while making deals = quintessential “always be closing” Cap energy.
The animal totem for Capricorn is the goat, and the animal’s steady ascent and sturdy approach in the face of peril mimic the strategic spirit of the sign itself. Leto, an accomplished rock climber and wearer of horns, takes this approach literally. Capricorns are notoriously self-punishing, always pushing themselves to be better and go further — and Leto is no exception. He described a near-death climbing experience as “a strange moment – less fear, more matter of fact, and slightly melancholy. The adrenaline came after, when I got back on the wall. But we made it through and lived to see another day. Overall it was actually quite fun. We continued climbing into the night …” Leave it to a Cap to call the razor’s edge of personal extinction “fun” — and keep on climbing.
Plutonian influence
Leto’s Sun is Square Pluto, the planet of death and transformation. This aspect is a challenging one that makes natives sensitive to criticism and predisposed to aesthetic overhauls and personal upheaval. It also keeps them tuned in to the strange, open to the unusual and drawn to the dark. Case in point, Leto’s avowed belief that ghosts are real and the fusion of humans and machines is inevitable. Or, creation of a cult-like, all-inclusive island atmosphere for fans of his band, replete with white clothing, arboreal yoga and stargazing.
While Capricorns are notoriously hard-working and ever poised to go above and beyond to get the job done, this quality is taken to extremes by the influence of Pluto. The blessing and bane of this designation is that it breeds intense dissatisfaction and tremendous drive. Governed by the belief that nothing they do is good enough, those with this placement tend to transmute that energy into productivity and the pursuit of ever loftier goals, expressed by Leto through method acting.
In terms of committing to character, Leto is in league with Christian “I’ll starve myself half to death and do my own stunts” Bale and Daniel “You will address me as President Lincoln” Day-Lewis. Leto lived for a time among the homeless population of NYC and reportedly abstained from sex to prepare for his role as an addict in 2000’s “Requiem For a Dream.” In addition, our man gave himself gout for a movie that few people saw and, according to reviews, even fewer appreciated.
Cast as the Joker in 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” Leto allegedly never broke character and gifted his castmates with questionable tokens. His method acting paid off full force when he won an Oscar in 2014 for his portrayal of Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club,” a role he prepared for by fasting and waxing his entire dermis. In his latest turn as the star of Marvel’s “Morbius,” Leto swings between the physical extremes of his character pre- and post-vampire infection. According to Leto, he “played Morbius at his most frail, and his most monstrous” — a polarity in keeping with his tradition of going far out and all in.
Sun Square Pluto also suggests a serious desire for privacy and a stalwart approach to protecting it. The need for privacy stems from the need for those with this placement to control how others perceive them. Ever discontent with themselves, they resent being “seen” for what they are or viewed in an unflattering light or through a vulnerable lens. That quality was made evident by Leto suing TMZ in 2015 for leaking “stolen” footage of him critiquing Taylor Swift’s “1989” album in his home studio. Mess with a Plutonian sea goat and get the litigant horns, folks.
Leto’s need for a low profile extends beyond professional trash talk and into romantic relationships. While he’s dated several well-known celebrities, including Cameron Diaz and Lindsay Lohan, his current status is a source of mystery and speculation, the latest reports pointing to an on-again, off-again dynamic with Russian model Valery Kaufman. A little light internet foraging reveals that Valery is a Gemini. While a stalwart earth sign like Leto and a dizzying air sign like Kaufman aren’t typically compatible, I think our boy needs the cerebral gymnastics and emotional turbulence that comes with spending time with a Gemini.
Moon in Aries spells antics and intensity
In astrology, the moon represents our emotional interiority and instinctual nature — our candy core, if you will. Having a moon in Aries, as Leto does, is akin to having a low-grade rage fever burning just beneath the skin’s surface, ever threatening to express itself as a solar flare or wrenching ballad. Perhaps Leto’s choice to cover “Stay” by Rihanna was a tender homage to their mutual moon.
The first sign in the zodiac, Aries energy is impulsive, it’s tactless, and it grins when it sets something on fire. Those with this placement are quick to engage and equally quick to disengage in conflict, relationships, professional projects and otherwise. It is utterly unsurprising that a moon-in-Aries native like Leto would claim campfire as his favorite scent and spend his time at Burning Man filming flames in slow motion.
The ruling impulses of this moon are “mine” and “now” — it ain’t pretty, but it is effective. They want what they want and they want it in a hurry. Great for making art and building businesses, terrible for interacting with wait staff. Leto shares this lunar placement with Andy Warhol, whom he’s set to portray in an upcoming biopic.
You are more likely to see an Aries moon shave off their eyebrows than utter an apology, a defiant stance exhibited by Leto, who once told a reporter, “I’m an artist at the end of the day. If I do something risky and you don’t like it, basically, you can kiss my ass.”
Those who burn under the infernal influence of this moon typically experience disruptive or unconventional childhoods and develop independence from an early age. This certainly proves true of Leto, who was born to a single mother and spent much of his early adolescence on the move and under the influence of artists in various hippie communes.
Leto’s moon is opposite Uranus, the planet of sudden change. This aspect points to instability in intimate relationships and a desire to preserve freedom and avoid monotony at all costs. We see the avoidance of monotony in Leto’s predilection for costumes: Joe Exotic, a bohemian flight attendant, himself, and hot, disco-Viking Santa Claus, to name a few. Uranus exists to disrupt, a strength of Leto, particularly when it comes to gift-giving. Past offerings reportedly include a sex toy for Skrillex, a pet rat for Margot Robbie (well, maybe not), a snake for Jimmy Fallon and allegedly a bullet bouquet and maybe some condoms for Will Smith.
Tasteful? Never. Memorable? Always.
The medicine for this somewhat extreme modality is a quieting of the mind and a conscious effort to control erratic and destructive habits. It seems our boy is well on his way, having spent the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in a silent retreat.
Leto at 50 shows no signs of stopping, mellowing or aging at all, suggesting we will continue to bear witness to his weirdness for years to come.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
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