November 26, 1939 - May 24, 2023
Rising Sign & Chart Ruler
Chart Ruler: Sun in Sagittarius in the 5th House
Mercury: Sagittarius (Rx)
With the majority of Tina’s planets belonging to the element of Fire, she has a bold, confident and outspoken personality. She may feel like actions speak louder than words, and it’s not necessarily what you say or feel, but what you do with those thoughts and emotions. With her Water and Earth planets evenly spread, some form of balance can be reached as there are enough resources to draw from to quell and cool those impulses and hot tempers that sometimes comes with Fire placements. One planet in an Air sign indicates that Tina does not overthink things; she makes the moves that she feels are best without having to dwell too long on the outcome of those decisions. This lack of Air can potentially result in being taken advantage of/mentally manipulated, but there are enough resources elsewhere to help keep her grounded and centered when she gets off track.
Tina Turner is a natural-born performer and may feel most comfortable in the spotlight. There is a fierce loyalty that comes with Leo Rising folks; if they feel like you have their back and best interests in mind, they’ll stay with you (for better and worse in Tina’s case). Leo Rising folks are attracted to the luxury and attention that comes with fame, and may need to be mindful of cockiness or arrogance that may come through when they feel tested or challenged. I think Tina’s Leo Rising comes through most prevalently through her magnetism when she performs, as well as her hair; big, bold, and pushing the boundaries of beauty technology of the time, she pioneered and led the way in so many different avenues.
Sun in Sagittarius in the 5th House
Tina’s Sagittarius Sun is actually what set me down this journey to read her chart. In her HBO documentary, the (very brief) moment her mother was featured, she said that Tina was the type to “not need help climbing a ladder”. Which posed the question in my mind, “Sagittarius or Capricorn?” Sagittarius energy is ruled by Jupiter, ever expanding and searching for higher heights to achieve and overcome. This is evident throughout the trajectory of Tina’s career. She continued to rise through the ranks of the charts after multiple setbacks and redirections. Sagittarians are also known for their interests in higher education, religion, and philosophy, and this is evident within Tina’s life through her devout Buddhist practice. In the 5th House of Creative Expression and Release, her Sagittarius Sun is expressed through her interests and natural creative talent (she plays no instruments and was never trained to sing), as well as a great pride and joy in her children and creative work. As her Chart Ruler, her Sagittarius Sun offers a lens through which the rest of her chart is filtered through, with this desire for achievement, experience, and creative expression being at the forefront of her passions and pursuits.
Sun Conjunct Mercury Rx: Tina’s natal Sun and Mercury Rx are in a close conjunction (3* orb), highlighting her deep devotion to her religious practice. This placement is an indicator that Tina says what’s on her mind, especially when in service of overcoming any challenges set forth before her or seeking to expand her horizons. Potential challenges with this aspect may come up in the form of stubbornness or a disregard for outside opinions.
Sun Square Mars: With the Sun and Mars making a potentially tense aspect in Tina’s chart, there seems to be a recurring theme of clashes between how she expresses herself and is viewed/perceived and her motivations and approaches to conflict. This aspect may emphasize her headstrong qualities, as well as reflecting the type of conflicts and challenges she encountered in her life. Overcoming these challenges throughout her life called on her to rely on her faith in herself, rather than simply believe what she was told about herself and her talents.
Sun Trine Jupiter: This aspect denotes an ability to gain favor and attract luck through remaining authentic and open. By allowing herself to be publicly honest about her past abuse, her career was revitalized and given new life. Faith is a recurring theme throughout Tina’s story, as this Sagittarius/Jupiter energy is quite prevalent, and this faith is what has garnered her success and longevity.
Sun Trine Pluto: The Sun and Pluto making a Trine in Tina’s chart alludes to an ability to gain favor with powerful people and an inherent confidence that helps them move through life’s challenges with a regal air. There is also this ability to reinvent herself, to continue to thrive and transform throughout her creative pursuits, as we’ve seen throughout the many different iterations and eras of her career.
Grand Trine: This Sun-Jupiter-Pluto dynamic is known as a grand Trine (in this instance by Degree, not Sign). Grand Trines are concentrations of energy that can allude to powerful positions and influence throughout one’s life and career.
Moon in Gemini in the 11th House
The Moon represents our emotional energy and subconscious nature. With Tina’s natal Moon in Gemini, she may try to intellectualize or rationalize her emotions rather than allowing herself to fully immerse in her feelings. While talking through her feelings may be helpful, it’s more likely that she uses her communication skills to talk around the deeper issues at hand. In her 11th House of Friendship, Aspirations and Community, she may have felt isolated and/or estranged by her peer groups and community, even with the fame and admiration she experienced on a global scale. The challenge with this placement comes through maintaining long lasting friendships and building a strong sense of community in order to thrive.
Moon Opposite Sun: Tina was born under a Full Moon, indicating there’s some tension and uncomfortable feelings when it comes to expressing her emotions. This inability to safely be emotionally present may have caused self-conflict and resulting feelings of inadequacy. I’m specifically thinking about how in the documentary she spoke about sticking through her marriage even though she was miserable. That denial of her internal truth seems to have been a recurring struggle, even to this late point in her career.
Moon Opposite Mercury Rx: This aspect emphasizes the difficulty Tina may have had with expressing her emotions and feeling like she had the space to say what she wanted to. It seems like this potentially difficulty with expressing her emotions in a conventional sense guided her towards finding alternative avenues to release that energy (i.e. music).
Moon Square Mars: With the Moon and Mars squaring off in Tina’s chart, there’s the potential for conflict that stems from the difficulty that comes with expressing her emotions. This inner conflict may express itself through mood swings and a heightened sensitivity when it comes to aggression. Rectifying this tension may come through in the form of finding activities that help work out those emotional swings and upheavals (again, the importance of her spiritual practice coming into play).
Mercury Rx in Sagittarius in the 5th House
Mercury represents our thoughts, ideas, and methods of expression, communication, and learning. With Tina’s natal Mercury retrograde, she may have experienced difficulties learning or processing information in conventional ways. In Sagittarius, Tina’s high aspirations are not only expressed through her spirituality, but in her faith and optimism in herself. Sagittarian energy is always seeking to grow and evolve, and although there may be some resistance/struggle, Tina has shown and proven that she is able to achieve whatever she puts her mind to. In her 5th House, her natal Mercury Rx in Sagittarius may express itself through her ability to communicate effectively to the public, as well as a deep need to connect mentally to her significant others. While a natal Mercury Rx placement may create some difficulties in life when it comes to how one communicates and is heard/understood, it offers the opportunity to find one’s voice in alternative ways.
Mercury Rx Square Mars: Tina’s natal Mercury Rx squaring off with Mars in her chart indicates potentially dealing with verbal clashes or receiving aggression from others due to her ideas or what she has to say. The challenge with this aspect comes from overcoming those impulses to clam up. Speaking up and moving forward requires an extra effort from her.
Mercury Rx Trine Pluto: With Mercury Rx and Pluto making what is considered an easy aspect, there is a commanding presence that comes through when that power is harnessed productively. “Easy” aspects come with their own challenges, and with this one, the struggle may stem from a mind that changes with the wind, and potentially speaking “out of turn” to figures who may have had authority over her life.
Venus in Sagittarius in the 5th House
Venus represents how we experience love/romance, creativity, and beauty. Tina’s natal Venus in Sagittarius potentially describes an approach to romance and relationships as an adventure. As mentioned before, Sagittarian energy is highly spiritual and philosophically curious, and a strong mental and spiritual connection is important to the strength of her romantic partnerships. In her 5th House, Tina’s creative pursuits have clearly brought her admiration as well as an avenue for her to explore and live out her passions. As the 5th House also corresponds with love affairs, Tina’s natal 5H Venus in Sagittarius may also express itself through a deep devotion to her significant others and a need to feel appreciated and needed within her relationships.
Venus Square Jupiter: With the benefics making a potentially difficult aspect in Tina’s chart, difficulties may have arisen in her relationships due to over-indulgence or an inability to find balance and moderation. Finding a resolution to these issues may come through in the form of seeking out assistance or guidance from those who can restore that balance and bring some form of calm to the extremes that she had to face throughout her life.
Venus Trine Saturn: This aspect denotes a deep devotion and maturity within relationships, as well as an ability to connect with others in constructive and lucrative ways. This natal aspect also gives me “aging like fine wine” energy; as she grows older, Tina’s appreciation for the things that really matter in her life take precedence. There also seems to be an understanding and appreciation for the trials that she’s been through in life; like she may feel that she wouldn’t be where she is now if she hadn’t gone through what she had.
Venus Square Neptune: This natal aspect may emphasize the difficulties she experienced in her first marriage, as there is the potential for experiencing manipulation and disillusionment within romantic partnerships. Honoring her needs and expanding beyond the limits of Ike and the box he was trying to keep her in granted her the freedom that she needed to pursue the life that she deserved.
Mars in Pisces in the 8th House
Mars represents our physicality, sex drive, ambition, and approach to challenges, conflict, and aggression. With Tina’s natal Mars in Pisces, her “fight” does not necessarily come from a forceful or aggressive space. The approach and response to conflict with this placement is either to avoid it or to do what needs to be done to make it all go away. This not only is reflected in Tina’s dealings with her first marriage, but also her response and method of healing afterwards. In the 8th House of Death, Debt, and Legacies, this may hint at some contention or disputes over inheritances she may leave behind.
Jupiter in Pisces in the 8th House
Jupiter is the planet of luck, philosophy, expansion and growth, and in one’s chart, it explains the methods and areas of experience through which we experience life’s windfalls. In Pisces, Tina’s natal Jupiter is at home to dream big and expand through her spirituality and natural optimism and self-belief. In her 8th House, her natal Jupiter in Pisces highlights this optimistic outlook on life and death, as well as an ease in earning (and spending) money from others. This placement also highlights this ability to inspire others through her experiences, which clearly reflects her impact throughout her career and beyond.
Saturn Rx in Aries in the 9th House
Saturn represents the challenges we face throughout life, how we approach them and the energy needed to overcome them. Tina’s natal Saturn was Retrograde when she was born, placing an added emphasis on the struggles she faced. In Aries, the difficulties that Tina had to face began early on, and it may have felt like she was always facing something new. There is a certain resiliency that comes with this placement; every time she got knocked down, she was able to bounce back. In her 9th House of Higher Learning, Philosophy, and Foreign Travel, Tina may have had some difficulties in receiving an education in her early life, and expanded her own worldview through her own determination and willpower. This placement also speaks to her living her later years in Sweden, as Saturn represents maturity, time, and age.
Uranus Rx in Taurus in the 10th House
Uranus is the first of the modern planets in astrology, representing the ways through which we evolve and seek independence and freedom. It also highlights some of the nature of the upheavals and random occurrences that happen throughout life. Uranus was Retrograde at the time of Tina’s birth, which may make it more difficult to accept the upheavals she experienced. In Taurus, Tina’s natal Uranus Rx is expressed through a means to seek independence through creating stability and remaining firm in her convictions. With Uranus and Taurus, the unconventional seems conventional; if Tina’s life was marred with hardship and strife, it’s only natural that she would strive for a quiet, peaceful, stable existence. In the 10th House of Career and Reputation, Tina’s natal Uranus Rx in Taurus may be expressed through the career of being an entertainer itself; but Tina’s story is not even conventional in comparison to other artists of her time(s).
Uranus is currently in Taurus, meaning that Tina is experiencing her Uranus Return. Not many people live to see their Uranus Return, as it occurs nearly every 84 years. With Uranus back in her 10th House, it's no surprise that she is reinventing her career in a sense through the release of her documentary and a renewed interest in her life and story (the entire reason I’m doing this!).
Uranus Trine Neptune: This aspect highlights Tina’s natural charisma and talent, able to captivate audiences with her energy and voice. There is an intense electric feeling that comes with this placement as well, like lightning on water. That same energy that leaves us electrified is what keeps her going, adapting with the times and her needs.
Neptune in Virgo in the 2nd House
Neptune in a birth chart represents one’s spiritual inclinations, the imagination, and potentially where in life one may become disillusioned/misled. In Virgo, Tina was born at the end of the great depression and the midst of World War II. Virgo is not known as a particularly imaginative sign (opposite Pisces, Neptune’s modern ruler), and it feels like for this generation they dreamed of a life that they could feel in control of and able to organize, especially financially. In Tina’s 2nd House of Material Possessions and Income, there’s this push and pull between saving and spending. Her values may lie in the energetic/spiritual significance of her assets rather than the financial or material value.
Pluto in Leo in the 1st House
Pluto is the last of the planets covered in a birth chart, and is known as the “generational” planet as it stays in one sign from 14 to up to 30 years. Pluto represents power, transformations, and the many deaths and rebirths that we experience within our lifetimes. It also can represent the type of energy and influence we carry and wield throughout our lives and how it affects us in return. In Leo, Tina’s natal Pluto is expressed through an ability to achieve power and influence off the strength of her outgoing personality and charisma. In her 1st House of Self and Identity, Tina may have an intensity to her that is magnetic and polarizing; you either are gravitated toward her or repelled away. Having this type of effect on people may make it difficult to form close bonds, and thus she may have had to become comfortable with being alone.
To summarize, Tina Turner’s life is filled with success and fame, but marked with a continued struggle to be heard, undoubtedly because the people in her life refused to see and understand the power she possesses. What should have been her closest relationships were filled with abuse and neglect. However, her faith in herself and her continued spiritual practice helps keep her grounded and open to allowing space for vulnerability. Tina Turner is currently experiencing her Uranus Return and has lived one of the most unique lives in history, and her chart reflects a person that strived to be the best, no matter what circumstances life threw her way.
