The astrology of Shia LaBoeuf’s perpetual troubles

Shia LaBoeuf has been an acclaimed actor since he won his first award at age 15.  His career as a performer began as a stand-up comedian at the age of 10.  But his long history of troubles with the law began before then when he was arrested for shoplifting at the age of 9.  He was arrested again at the age of 11 for stealing.  As an adult, despite his success in films and great respect from film credits, he continued to indicate a lack of impulse control and ability to manage his rage:

• In 2005 LaBoeuf was arrested for threatening his neighbor with a knife and driving into his car.
• In 2007 he was arrested for refusing to leave a Walgreen’s when asked by security.
• In 2008 he was involved in a car crash and arrested for drunk driving although he was later exonerated for the crash.
• In 2014 he was arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing at Studio 54 in New York City after which he began treatment for alcohol addiction.
• However, in 2015 he was arrested in Texas for public intoxication.
• In January 2017 he was arrested for misdemeanor assault at a protest rally against Donald Trump although these charges were later dismissed.
• And finally, on July 8 2017 he was arrested again for public intoxication and disorderly conduct in Savannah Georgia, threatening to kill the policeman who arrested him.

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LaBoeuf has the Sun in Gemini, the shapeshifter sign that hungers for experience and easily moves in and out of different roles in life.  His Moon is in Leo, the sign which craves attention and validation from others.  Leo is quite commonly found in the charts of people who turn to acting and other performance modes in order to satisfy the desire for acclaim and admiration.

Like many of us, Shia LaBoeuf had a troubled childhood.  His father, a Vietnam veteran, suffered from PTSD and was unable to support the family.  He reportedly was abusive and turned to alcohol and heroin to numb the pain of his trauma, with violence to the family being the sad result.   We can see the propensity for emotional pain and trauma with the fact that Chiron (wounding and healing) conjoins his Sun (Self).  This planetary dynamic suggests an individual who comes into this life already wounded, and typically our outer circumstances mirror the issues that are shown in the chart.  The challenge for the individual is to face their traumas and pain so that they can be healed and they can become better integrated and more easily able to be a mentor and guide to others.

To complicate things Uranus, planet of rebellion, is opposite both the Sun and Chiron.  The Uranus/Sun dynamic instills a fierce individuality and disdain for authority as well as suggesting a difficult relationship with the father (often symbolized by the Sun).  This is amplified by a challenging square (90 degree angle) from Jupiter to both Uranus and the Sun.  Jupiter rules expansion and confidence, and when in a challenging aspect to the Sun we often find an individual who can be overconfident and reckless, and rarely satisfied with their station in life.  This can serve as a positive drive towards success, or it can simply manifest as frustration and increase the radical tendencies towards rebellion we already see in the chart.

Other chart factors add to the difficult mix:  Mars (aggression and desire) in the chart is retrograde, making it more difficult for LaBeouf to feel that he can achieve his desires which adds to the frustration.  And Saturn (restriction and self-doubt) is retrograde which generally reveals a self-critical nature.

Proving the point that our birthchart does not doom us to failure, Rafael Nadal was born just a week prior to Shia LaBoeuf on June 3.  His Sun is even closer to Chiron, Uranus still opposes his Sun which is also squared by Jupiter.  He too had a painful childhood  and Saturn is still retrograde in his chart (although Mars is not retrograde).  And yet Nadal has emerged as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and has no police record.

The Olsen twins have an even more similar chart.  They were born just two days after LaBoeuf, on the 13th.  Their childhood was not as difficult despite the divorce of their parents, and their early success came fairly easily.

No two individuals are alike, even when the birthcharts are identical.  We are all in different stages of our soul growth and have different karmic lessons to explore. Despite the terrible pain we might experience in our youth, we are gifted with the free will to change our circumstances at any time and create a better life.

In 2014, after struggling with an “existential crisis” when transiting Chiron squared Chiron in his natal chart as well as his Sun, he said:

“I’ve been a runner my whole life, running from myself,” he explains. “Whether to movies or drinking and drugging or f—ing calamity or whatever it is, I’ve always been running. I’m a dude who loves delusion. It’s why I love being an actor – I never have to actually look at myself or be faced with my s— or take responsibility.”

At that point he said he “found God,” but sometimes its more important to find ourselves and become more responsible for our decisions and our choices.  I hope that this talented young man is able to find himself before his rage destroys him.

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