Earlier this year, we found out that Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis were splitsville. The reason? Apparently, Johnny was bored stiff and wanted his freedom. Other sources say he was having an affair. What do the stars say about their split?
Johnny and Vanessa had very interesting synastry. He’s a Gemini, and she’s a Capricorn. The fact that he was “bored” does not surprise me right off the bat. Geminis need to move around, communicate, and get bored at the drop of a hat. Geminis aren’t usually fond of long-term commitments for this reason. Capricorns, on the other hand, are very steady, stable people. Repetition and boredom do not bother them as much as other signs. Earth signs seek security in their relationships, while Geminis need intellectual stimulation and freedom.
Thankfully, Vanessa has tons of planets in Sagittarius, which would definitely smooth out Capricorn’s hard edges! Geminis and Sagittarians get along famously; their signs are opposite, but complementary.
So, how did this Capricorn get a freedom-loving Gemini to commit? Her Saturn is conjunct his Sun. Vanessa stabilized Johnny and stimulated his desire to settle down. She kept him grounded. At the same time, Johnny may have felt restricted by Vanessa. Perhaps he felt that she was overbearing or critical of him, which may have left him feeling discouraged and stifled. This would be especially difficult for a Gemini to handle. Regardless, Sun-Saturn connections in synastry are very common in the synastry charts of marriage partners.
Johnny’s Neptune is conjunct Vanessa’s Ascendant. To Johnny, Vanessa is his “dream girl”. He easily trusts and forgives Vanessa, and she does the same. This aspects lends itself to over-idealization of each other and glossing over each other’s faults.
Vanessa’s Sun is conjunct Johnny’s Vertex. In addition, her anti-vertex is conjunct his Vertex, and vice-versa! This indicates the union was fated. The Vertex is a calculated point, and is often referred to as the “second Descendant”. When someone’s Vertex is aspected in synastry, it indicates the two people were meant to come together for a purpose. Johnny’s Vertex is in his 5th house, so perhaps the couple was fated to have children together. Vanessa’s Vertex is in the 8th house, so she was meant to explore herself psychologically and sexually through their union.
Johnny’s Sun, Mercury and Venus are situated in Vanessa’s 7th house. This is an indicator of a strong mutual attraction between the two. Johnny is Vanessa’s idea of the perfect man, and Johnny finds Vanessa beautiful. Johnny stimulates Vanessa’s desire to settle down.
Vanessa’s Mars, Venus, Neptune, and Mercury are situated in Johnny’s 4th house. She stimulated Johnny’s desire to build a home and family together. In fact, this aspect indicates the couple spent a lot of time at home. They moved to a relatively remote area of France together, where they lived for many years. Vanessa’s Moon is located in Johnny’s 12th house, which may have been why they moved so far away to be with one another; perhaps Johnny wanted to keep her and the family “hidden”.
Johnny and Vanessa share a mutual Moon conjunct North Node aspect in synastry! Wow! They are naturally protective of one another. They each possess qualities the other needs to develop in order to grow. The bond was instant, and they both felt they were “going somewhere” with one another. North Node aspects can be tricky, though. Over time, the constant nurturing and giving in the relationship can become draining. I’ve read that when a synastry chart features North Node connections, but no South Node connections, the relationship is not meant to last. Instead, the relationship seeds are planted in this life, and the two will reunite in their next life to continue the relationship.
One of the most troubling aspects between Johnny and Vanessa involves the Planet Uranus. Johnny’s Uranus is conjunct his Mars in the first, indicating he is freedom-loving and independent, and may be prone to sudden, impulsive behaviors. This conjunction squares Vanessa’s Venus/Neptune conjunction. Vanessa probably found Johnny very exciting, eccentric, and attractive, but at the same time, unstable, unpredictable, and inconstant. This aspect does not favor stability in a relationship. Johnny may have felt his individuality and independence were stifled by Vanessa, so the relationship may have made him feel trapped. This aspect is a classic divorce indicator in a couple’s synastry chart, and can certainly indicate infidelity.
So, there’s their synastry. Very powerful synastry, indeed. But why did Johnny end things this year, after over a decade of marriage?
Rumor has it, the couple has been having problems for years. Indeed, transiting Neptune was squaring Johnny’s Venus until last year. This transit often indicates disillusionment when it comes to how one perceives his or her relationship, as well as deceit. Also, Uranus has been opposing Johnny’s progressed Mars, which is a transit that stimulates a person’s desire for freedom, and may manifest through acting out or rebelling.
Neptune was transiting Johnny’s 7th house for the majority of the time they were married, which makes sense given the strong Neptunian aspects in their synastry chart. Around the time of the divorce, transiting Neptune was opposite Johnny’s natal Uranus in the first. During this time, the desire to make a change and to do something “out of character” is stimulated. This transit often indicates misunderstandings, feelings of uncertainty, and even deceit. Since this transit affected his 1st/7th house axis, the change came in the form of breaking up his relationship with Vanessa.
Around the time of their divorce, transiting Jupiter in his 10th house was squaring his natal Uranus, which stimulated his desire for freedom even further. Jupiter “expanded” his need for freedom (Uranus), which played out in a very public way (10th house)
Moreover, transiting Saturn was squaring Johnny’s Venus all year. This is a classic break-up transit. During this transit, we take a long, hard look at our relationships and decide what’s working for us, and what is not. Johnny and Vanessa’s synastry featured plenty of Neptune, and Johnny has been experiencing Neptune in his love sector for quite some time. When Saturn came along, Johnny was shaken out of any disillusionment he was holding on to, and was forced to re-evaluate his relationship with Vanessa, and he ultimately decided to end things.
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