Lilith Conjunct Venus: Susanne Collins, author of "Hunger Games"

Susanne Collins and Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss in the "Hunger Games".

Let me say that my heart just sunk when I discovered that Fairfax County Public Schools was teaching “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.  This huge money-maker about child sacrifice was a series of books that kids themselves loved to read on their own – there was no need to assign it to get them to read it.  But Collins promoted it as having literary merit – it was a retelling of the Greek classic of Theseus and the Minotaur, with a gorgeous and brave Persephone, Katniss Everdeen, in the role of a female Theseus.  Plus the echo of another great book acted as an esteemed ancestor – namely the “Big Brother is Watching You” dystopia of Orwell’s masterpiece novel, “1984”.

The book was perfectly timed to make a fortune – Pluto in Capricorn features Persephone more strongly than any other archetype.  Persephone goes back and forth between the Underworld and her own world.  She is both an ambassador of Hell, a queen in her own right, a “light-bringer” who is a harbinger of spring and new beginnings, and a courageous little “Eve” who protects her own people by making sure that the planet Earth produces enough to eat – hence the “hunger” in the title, “Hunger Games”, where the people of District 12 are coal-miners (Pluto in Capricorn referring to wealth under the earth) who live on the cusp of starvation.  Katniss Everdeen is also a “good angel” who has fallen into Hell, and the movie makes sure you don’t forget that by playing up her wings of fire as she speeds along in a chariot in the procession that welcomes the contestants to the 74^th Hunger Games.

Katniss Everdeen isn’t merely channeling Persephone, however.  Artemis bleeds into her character as well.  Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt, most often depicted with a quiver of arrows.  She has a twin brother, Apollo, who shows up as the other tribute from District 12, Peeta Mellark, in “Hunger Games”.  Artemis was associated with human sacrifice in ancient times, but was also said to be a protector of infants and children.  Go figure.

For a long time, I avoided the book completely, even though my middle school students assured me that the movie sequel, “Hunger Games:  Catching Fire” was even better than the blockbuster original film.  Pluto in Capricorn is all about demons running amok, and who wants to watch demons take over the minds of kids?  Yet the timing of the movie sequel’s release occurred just as Jupiter was conjunct Lilith, which occurs only once every 33 years.  The Lilith theme was so strong that I was going to have to swallow my scruples, and at least watch the movie.  To my surprise, I loved the first “Hunger Games” movie, and am now waiting anxiously for Netflix to release the second one.  My sick fascination with the story was no different from everyone else who was tapping the energy of Pluto in Capricorn and exalted Jupiter conjunct Lilith.  So much for scruples…

Let’s switch gears for a moment, and look at some observations.  These are mostly for the Lilith-Venus conjunction, with a tight orb.  I don’t have enough charts to be able to say with any certainty whether these are also true for hard aspects with a tight orb.

Lilith Conjunct Venus

• Either a total Eve, or an adamant Lilith, independent and strong-willed.  Or the persona is total Eve or Lilith, if an actor.  Goldie Hawn has a very tight Lilith-Venus conjunction (think Eve) and Susanne Collins often has a bitchy, take-no-shit look on her face (think Lilith).
• At least one commentator on Linda Goodman’s website (www.linda-goodman.com) mentioned that she thinks there is an ability to go back and forth between a submissive, loving woman and an aggressive, hard-ass personality.  There may be something to this, in the sense that this is a woman who potentially enjoys a sweeter, gentler relationship with one or two lucky men, even if she comes across as a bitch with everyone else.  I don’t have the natal charts to back this up, though.  It would make sense, however, if one considers that Venus is the bitch-goddess who beats the crap out of Psyche, as well as the more familiar goddess of sugar and spice.
•  Increases creativity.  Not always by a whole lot, but the native plays in a band, or does gorgeous scrapbooks, or decorates cakes for extra pocket money, or something… 
•  In particular, the conjunction makes money from things associated with Lilith – prostitution, BDSM, stripping, adultery, and abortion, but also dance school owner (Goldie Hawn), promotion of Jewish cultural enterprises, or bisexual writers whose love lives helped promote their careers (Francoise Sagan).  Rebekah Brooks, Rupert Murdoch’s gutter bitch, made her money by hounding the mothers of missing kids and the relatives of murder victims. 
• The final one is a guess on my part, but I would bet the conjunction is highly competitive.  Venus doesn’t settle for second-best very often in love or money.

Now let’s take a look at Susanne Collins, who made a total fortune off of Lilith-themed literature.  She is a Leo born on August 10, 1962 with no published birth time, but in this case we almost don’t need one.  This image I got from Pinterest below says it all.

Collins has a lucky horoscope, with Mercury and Uranus tightly conjunct the royal star, Regulus, and Venus in the sign that it rules within a one degree orb of Lilith at 1 degree Libra.  She has the red hair frequently associated with Lilith.  Also noted is her Mars tightly conjunct the fixed star Bellatrix at 21 Gemini, the “bitch” star.  Bellatrix is known for being sharp-tongued and noticeably talkative or articulate.  Collins has said that it is her goal to write a “war appropriate story for every age of kids”.  One of the ancient associations of Lilith was that she could be found "at the head of armies".

Interestingly, Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen, is another Leo with a very lucky chart.  She was born August 15, 1990, and has no less than five planets in ruling or exalted signs – Sun in Leo, Mercury in Virgo, Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Capricorn, and Pluto in Scorpio.  There is no birth time available for Lawrence either, but I do note Lilith conjunct her Part of Fortune within a two degree orb – she has made more money from her role in the “Hunger Games” trilogy than any of her other films to date.   

The director of “Catching Fire”, Francis Lawrence (no relation to Jennifer Lawrence), also has True Lilith partile conjunct Pluto, suggesting wealth and power, in a strong opposition with his Aries Sun, and likely with his Aries Moon (again, no birth time is available).  An earlier director, Gary Ross, has Mean Lilith at 7 Aquarius conjunct Chiron at 6 Aquarius, in a tight T-Square with Mercury at 5 Scorpio and Uranus at 6 Leo.  Everyone associated with this film seems to have an elevated Lilith in some way.

What Did I Miss?

Part Two:  Lilith In The Second House

What's Next?

SOURCES

Time Magazine talks to the writer-creator of the “Hunger Games” and the director of “Catching Fire”, Francis Lawrence:

http://entertainment.time.com/2013/11/19/writing-war-appropriate-stories-for-kids-a-conversation-with-suzanne-collins-and-francis-lawrence/

Café Neptune has a nice collection of pages on Lilith, with a catchy layout, which includes a profile of Goldie Hawn:

http://www.neptunecafe.com/lilith.html

Five paragraph bio of Susanne Collins, for those who want to know a little bit more:

http://www.hypable.com/the-hunger-games/suzanne-collins-biography/

Why did Gary Ross quit as director of the "Hunger Games"?  Interesting from an astrological perspective - his natal Chiron did not mesh well with the overwhelming Lilith energy of making this series, even though by all accounts, he did a great job on the original film.

 http://www.vulture.com/2012/04/gary-ross-hunger-games-who-will-direct-catching-fire.html