Peter Jackson, the New Zealand director who landed the awesome responsibility of bringing a live action version of The Rings to screen, might have seemed an unlikely choice to do justice to the Tolkien opus. Little doubted his ability to render the profane side of The Lord of the Rings, as his vivid imagination in his personal films like Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles displayed an uncanny ability to craft horrid creatures of all shapes and sizes. However, the gravity of the subject matter in The Lord of the Rings and the sheer size of the project demanded a director who was cut more from the mold of David Lean or D.W. Griffith than John Carpenter or Tod Browning. However, Jackson quelled the doubting voices of Ring fandom upon initial release of Fellowship of the Ring and received near-unanimous approval ratings from Tolkien groupies. Although not born with a significant Saturn-Pluto aspect, Jackson's progressed* Sun, Mars, and Mercury in Sagittarius formed a tight conjunction under the current Saturn-Pluto opposition. (see chart) As the progressed chart is a transcendental reflection of his inner and outer conditions, Jackson not only was in a subjective mood that was congruent with the themes and motifs of the trilogy, but the strength and determination that the archetypes Saturn and Pluto can forge no doubt correlated with the energy needed to helm one of the largest filmings in history.

The Zeppelin Connection

Deciphering the true intentions of Led Zeppelin lyrics ranks with the "Paul is Dead" controversy of the Beatles and the "Dark Side of the Rainbow" synchronicity of Pink Floyd as all-time mysteries of classic rock. Allusions to Tolkien's work are scattered throughout Led Zeppelin's oeuvre. "Over the Hills and Far Away," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Battle of Evermore," and "Ramble On" are songs that not only make direct lyrical references to Tolkien's classic works but could very well be the soundtrack that accompanies Frodo and the fellowship on their long journey. Zeppelin's lead singer, Robert Plant, was an unabashed Tolkien fan, as Tolkien synthesized Plant's love of fantasy, nature, Celtic and Norse myths, and magic into one complete package. Robert Plant was born with a Sun, Saturn, Pluto conjunction in 1948, the year that Tolkien finally finished his fantasy masterpiece. (see chart) As Plant's personal identity, symbolized by the Sun, was interconnected with the archetypal matrix of Saturn and Pluto, it is fitting that there would be a certain attraction and resonance to the themes, characters, and settings of Tolkien's landscape.