(, iDIRK DIGGLER – “BOOGIE NIGHTS”

“ . . . You know my reputation. 13″ is a tough load. . . .”

Eddie Adams, aka Dirk Diggler, is a young man, who rises to fame in the porn industry of the late 1970s.

His Sun is in Libra, the Moon is in Leo, and the Ascendant is in Virgo.

The Sun in Libra is a communicative and social Air sign that feels at its best when in a relationship with another, whether personal, professional, and/or friendly. This sign is revealed in Dirk’s courteous behavior and good manners, as well as through his attentiveness to his co-stars’ feelings and consideration of their likes and dislikes. His quickly-formed relationship with Reed, which soon turns into a business partnership, is, too, an expression of the prominence of this sign in his nature. 

The Moon in Leo is attracted to glamor and stardom, as well as adds charisma to the personality. It can also be expressed in a diva-like and/or overly flamboyant behavior. This Moon position points to one who is innately confident of his creative abilities, proud of who he is and what he can do, and has a need to be recognized for those. It can also reflect an overly dramatic mother. The Moon in the 11th house adds an additional social facet to Dirk’s personality (as it is in the natural house of Aquarius, another Air sign) and points to the man’s aspiration (11th house) to be a star (Leo). The Moon’s squares to the second house planets emphasizes his urging need to creatively (Leo) express his sexual (Scorpio) talent (2nd house). And Cancer on the 11th house cusp, and its ruler, the Moon, in the 11th house (strong 11th house emphasis) stress Dirk’s attachment to his circle of friends, from whom he gains the emotional support that he lacks from his own mother: His friends are his family.

Virgo Rising is manifested in the young man’s strong work ethic as early as in his teens, working as a busboy at the Boogie Nights Club (one of his two jobs), while also exposing his exceptionally large penis to curious men for extra money on the side. By doing so, he provides a practical outlet for his talent, another expression of a prominent Virgo in the personality. Having a strong sense of organization is also a Virgoan quality, and later, when he becomes rich and starts spoiling himself with the best that money can buy, he shows his “Perfectly organized wardrobe by color, as well as designer” to Amber. The initial presentation of our character at his work, a Virgoan element, is actually the first hint of the prominence of this sign within the man’s being.

In addition, there are three standouts in this chart that must be addressed:

1. 2nd house Stellium and its Connection to the Profession
2. Angular Houses Emphasis
3. Pluto in the 10th opposite Saturn in the 4th

The 2nd house is the house of personal possessions. The focus is usually on money, the obtainment of physical objects, and one’s own resources. But the native’s personal talents, abilities, values, and self-worth are also a big part of what one possesses, and those must not be neglected when analyzing this domain. Since both Dirk’s Sun and Mercury, the ruler of his chart (two of the most important planets in a horoscope) are placed in the 2nd house, it becomes of high importance when trying to understand the man and his motives. Having the Sun here expresses that Dirk’s will to be, his ability to shine and feel most vital, as well as the area where (position of the ruler of the chart by house) and how (position of the ruler of the chart by sign) the energies in his life are manifested, are associated with his talents, personal earnings, and self-esteem: Dirk especially values himself for being sexually-blessed (“Everyone is blessed with one special thing.”) and feels that he can share this talent on a social scale, by being famous (Mercury, ruler of the chart – and MC – square Moon in Leo in the 11th). 

Since all three planets in the 2nd are in (exact) soft aspects to the MC and planets in the 10th – Sun trine MC and Neptune, Mercury-Jupiter trine Pluto – it can be concluded that these 2nd house energies can and will be rather easily applied to his profession and public life and provide a considerable financial comfort and growth throughout his lifetime. Dirk indeed recognizes his unusual sexual capabilities, values himself for them, and feels it is only natural for him to use those in the profession for all to appreciate. 

Sexuality and its use in the profession are quite highlighted in Dirk’s horoscope. The chosen field of his career – Pornography – is suggested by Pluto in the 10th in aspect to Mercury, the ruler of the MC and in Scorpio, as well as Mars, the ruler of the 8th and of sexuality in general (especially of the male organ) in square aspects to the MC and Neptune in the 10th (sex films). These, combined with Venus, the ruler of the 2nd, conjunct Mars and square the MC and Neptune in the 10th, in addition to Scorpio in the 2nd house of personal earnings, and its ruler, Pluto, in the 10th all imply that the native can make his living through any type of sexual occupation.

When some or all of the four Angular Houses – the 1st , 4th, 7th, and 10th – are occupied by planets, dynamic activities in the life are signified. These houses rule the main areas of our lives (appearance and personal approach to the world – 1st – Family life – 4th – relationships with another – 7th – and our standing in the world, reputation, and professional existence – 10th) and are considered to be the most powerful in the horoscope. So whenever they are occupied by planets, matters of these houses – including the people and/or situations they represent – are quite prominent in one’s existence and demand more attention from the native than the other houses and their planetary placements do.

Mars’ rising position and its chart rulership of the sexual 8th house (as well as its traditional co-rulership of the 8th), allow Dirk to use his sexuality in technical and skillful ways (Virgo). It adds masculine qualities to his persona and presents him as a man’s man; a well-endowed one, at that. (Mars is also exactly semi-square Jupiter, which it happens to also rule here.) The prominence of this masculine, militant, and violent planet is also the one that signifies the native’s involvement with and use of karate in his sexual films as Brock Landers. (Mars square Neptune in the 10th)

Venus conjunct Mars in the 1st house adds magnetism and charisma to the personality. Venus-Mars square Neptune in the 10th house provides glamour to both his personal (1st house) and public (10th house) images, but can also imply of delusion in relationships. (Dirk’s romantic personal relationships are not at all detailed in the movie, besides a casual one with a young lady-friend in his pre-stardom years.) However, the manifestation of deceit and/or disappointments in those partnerships (but also in business and/or with authority figures – Neptune in the 10th) can have certainly surfaced at some other period in his life. In our movie, Jack’s diverted attention to his new Star, Johnny Doe, years after Dirk’s breakthrough, seems to have caused Dirk to feel cheated and misled by his professional father-figure. (of course, his drug addiction at the time has something to do with those feelings.)  

Saturn in the 4th house is a difficult placement, especially when it is positioned in Capricorn, its own sign, which extremely highlights authority, structure, and ambition in the life of the native. However, since the 4th house is where Saturn is in its accidental detriment, the need for personal authority feels suppressed by emotionally-based circumstances. Possible responsibilities toward one’s family are also implied.

Uranus in the 7th house reflects sudden one-on-one relationships that come and go and/or unusual (culturally, or of the long-distance type) partnerships, for example. Neptune’s rulership of Uranus, in the 10th indicates the connection of those partnerships to the profession, or even to a union with an authority figure (which Dirk’s business relationship with Jack can be considered), while Jupiter’s co-rulership of Uranus in the 2nd house in Scorpio points to lucrative (Jupiter trine Pluto), sexual one-on-one associations, among other things. Uranus, the ruler of the 6th in the 7th, points to any type of union with a co-worker, including a professional one as it is the case here between Dirk and Reed.

Neptune in the 10th Can reflect a career in any field that is related to fantasies, as in the movies. On a more philosophical bent, this placement may imply of a public-standing of one, who sacrifices his own identity to act as a public servant, as Dirk considers himself of doing. (“If only people could have been doing this before, we could have saved million relationships. You know . . . I’ve saved thousands.”)

Pluto in the 10th house is an extremely prominent position, reflecting a transformation in the life on a public scale. Pluto’s house placement in a chart points to the area where one’s structure is collapsed, destroyed, and totally torn down while another emerges in life; in the 10th, this is often manifested in one’s career and in regards to his reputation. It is very possible that at one point one’s public existence will be brought to the ground, crushed, and a new one will have to emerge from that low point. (Think Nixon and Watergate). A destroyed reputation and fall from grace are quite common, but this also depends on Pluto’s natal aspects, of course. However, the transformation of oneself in relation to society, but that of society’s through one’s profession can also be reflected. Regardless, this planetary placement is manifested through intense ambition and even obsession about one’s professional calling. Pluto is also at 00° cancer in this horoscope on the World Axis (00° cardinal: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), which is known to reflect some sort of notoriety in connection to the planet and house involved. Here, it is associated with Dirk’s public sexual transformation.

More specifically and in other cases, Pluto in the 10th house can also represent a profession that entails the shadow side of life, like in prostitution/porno or criminal activities, or in professions with elements of secrecy to them (CIA), or in any career in which one goes deep, penetrates (on a physical level as in surgeries, on a mental level as in research, or on an emotional level as in psychology) .  

Pluto opposite Saturn is one of the most challenging aspects one can have in a chart, especially when both planets are in Angular Houses. But it is also tremendously transformative. The expressions of these two planets in hard aspect in real life marks harsh societal transformations, and those whose charts feature a hard aspect between these two bodies are products of those times. The friction between these two powerful planets represents, in its most basic interpretation, power struggles with authority figures and/or the father, as well as the destruction and reconstruction of one’s known reality.

Pluto, the planet of intense change in opposition to Saturn, the planet of structure and consolidation, reflects a total breakdown of one’s existing reality which is to take place in the life; here, on a domestic level and in the career. Also, having a controlling father can be another possibility, while the opposition may express a transformative separation from him. However, in our case, Jupiter is forming soft aspects with both sides of this opposition – a trine to Pluto and a sextile to Saturn – and by that, somewhat assists these two planets in the resurrection process which is to take place after the fall. Luck is on the man’s side, after all, as well as great willpower (Jupiter trine Pluto), balanced energy between his visionary outlook and the reality principle, and available assistance and support from authority figures (Jupiter sextile Saturn). This latter aspect is reflected in the film through Dirk’s bringing-up his idea of the Brock Landers character to his boss, the enthusiasm that he shares with him, and the financial support that comes with it, which eventually produces the successful movie series. Jupiter in a soft aspect to Saturn is extremely beneficial for business ventures, and the execution of these films is essentially a business transaction gone very well. Jack Horner’s welcoming of Dirk back into his life after the latter’s fall is also a manifestation of Jupiter in a favorable aspect to Saturn.

Dirk’s chart expresses personal and professional forced changes in the life seen by the harsh opposition between Saturn and Pluto, while it also points to financial and professional ease. Although the Sun is in its detrimental sign, Libra, and Saturn is poorly positioned in the 4th house of the family (though it is dignified in Capricorn), quite a few planets are angular, a chart signature that points to an especially active life, while the houses of money and career are stressed quite positively, too, making desirable easy aspects between one another. Therefore, with the right attitude, Dirk can certainly go far, personally, financially, and professionally.

It must be noted that the emphasis on health (Virgo), in addition to Dirk’s occupation, combined with the time period in which his life in the movie takes place, could have easily been reflected later, in the 80s, in his catching AIDS, another possible manifestation of the Rising point and Planets, Mars and Venus in Virgo, in square to Neptune in the 10th – sickness as a result of his career in porno. (In real life, Pluto was transiting the sign of Scorpio in the 1980s, which brought on the exposure of that virus along with its sexual connotations.)

And as a final note, it is interesting to see that the MC, which reflects one’s reputation, is at 13° in Dirk’s horoscope, and he is known for his 13” erectile penis: Yes, Astrology can be that literal sometimes. 🙂 (Interestingly, Mark Wahlberg’s Sun is at 14° Gemini, “missing” Dirk’s MC by 1°. 😉 )

Additional Points:  

Mercury in Scorpio (as well as Mercury trine Pluto) is evident in Dirk’s highly developed concentration abilities and focus (which are extremely needed traits that a male performer in the porn industry must have).

Moon quincunx Saturn reflects an innate sense of responsibility, emotional heaviness, parental issues, and domestic hardships, while always having to choose one side of the participating planets in this aspect over the other in the life. (There is no middle ground with this 150˚-aspect.) Dirk’s cold (and controlling – Saturn in the 4th opposite Pluto) mother eventually leads him to leave home and choose to follow his aspiration to become a star – Moon in Leo in the 11th. This is only but one manifestation of the man’s reaction to this energy in his life.

Jupiter square Moon is strongly evident in Dirk’s enthused emotionality, expressed in his visionary and expansive spirit (about the Brock Landers’ film series, for example), philosophical point of view (about his giving service to the public through his occupation), and the attraction of luck into his life (as when Jack Horner sees and pursues him to act in his films while the man practically does nothing to draw the attention). Jupiter’s conjunction to the ruler of the ASC and MC (Mercury), and exact trine to Pluto in the 10th effortlessly direct all these manifestations to the profession.