The Rat Pack

Astrology of Frank, Dean and Sammy

The "Rat Pack" evokes images of entertainment icons, at the top of their game, partying, jamming and making movies together. Which is just what Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop did from the mid-'50s through the mid-'60s. The Pack not only socialized together, but in various combinations performed together in movies, concerts and comedy acts.

Of all the Rats, Sinatra, Martin and Davis were bound by a special chemistry as friends and entertainers. Being a Gemini made Martin the opposite - and therefore the perfect complement - for Sagittarians Sinatra and Davis. When they performed in Las Vegas, hotel rooms would sell out so quickly that some fans were forced to sleep in hotel lobbies or in their cars, just to see the threesome perform together. So let's take a closer look at their charts to discover the source of their magic.

Frank Sinatra (December 12, 1915 - May 14, 1998)
With the Sun and Mercury in adventurous Sagittarius, the singer/actor had a sexy, street-smart image. Mars in Leo heightened his fiery persona and made him the idol of teenage bobby-soxers during the '40s. But his appeal didn't stop with teens. With Venus in Capricorn, the sign of maturity, "Ol' Blue Eyes" was a favorite with fans of all ages. Capricorn rules longevity, so this influence gave him a long-lived career that spanned many musical styles and film genres. Plus, Moon in Pisces, a mutable (changeable) sign like Sagittarius, strengthened his artistic versatility.

But the Capricorn influence that made him a legend was problematic for relationships (Sinatra was married four times). Venus in Capricorn is notoriously controlling for fear of being vulnerable. To make matters worse, Venus opposing Saturn doubled the control factor. Venus also opposed Pluto, which revved up the intensity, passion and jealously in his relationships. Nowhere was this more evident than in his tumultuous marriage to beauty Ava Gardner, his second wife. After they divorced, Sinatra married actor Mia Farrow, a union that lasted about two years. He was married to his fourth wife, Barbara Marx, a former Las Vegas showgirl and model, until his death from a heart attack in 1998.

Sammy Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 - May 16, 1990)
With Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius and Moon in Virgo, this multitalented singer, dancer, musician and comedian had a strong mutable-sign versatility like Sinatra. The Sag influences gave him an adventurous soul and a strong spiritual life - he converted to Judaism after a near-fatal car crash at age 28 - while Virgo gave him a talent for detail.

But the most compelling aspect about his chart was a T-cross involving Sun conjunct Mercury, Moon and Uranus. Having such a powerful Uranus, the planet of change, rebelliousness and brotherhood, made Davis a pioneer in the fight for racial integration in the entertainment world, a value he shared with Sinatra. In Las Vegas, for instance, black entertainers were often banned from staying in the hotels and gambling in the casinos where they were performing. Davis refused to perform in venues that practiced racial segregation, which led to racial integration in nightclubs throughout Las Vegas and Miami.

Venus in Uranus-ruled Aquarius heightened Davis's freedom-loving, unconventional nature, especially in relationships. In the mid-'50s he was involved with white actor Kim Novak, who was under contract with Columbia Studios. Their interracial love affair unnerved the studio, which took steps to break them apart. After the relationship ended, Davis married Loray White, a woman of color, in a reportedly arranged marriage that was supposed to appease the studio and outraged press. They divorced a year later. Then in true Uranian fashion, Davis stirred up controversy once again in 1960 when he married May Britt, a white actor from Sweden. Their marriage lasted eight years. Finally, while Davis was starring in the Broadway musical adaptation of Golden Boy, he met a black dancer named Altovise Gore. The two were married in 1970 until Davis's death from throat cancer 20 years later.

Dean Martin (June 7, 1917 - December 25, 1995)
If Sagittarius is known for its freewheeling humor, Gemini is known for its sharp wit, and Dino was no exception. With Sun and Venus in Gemini, he was an enormously popular comedian, teaming up with Jerry Lewis from 1946-1956, before becoming one of the most successful singers throughout the '50s and '60s. His film career took off after starring with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift in the war drama The Young Lions in 1957. Like a typical mutable sign, the man was versatile!

Dino is perhaps best known for his womanizing, tipsy persona onstage. Although an abundance of Earth placements, including Moon in Capricorn and Mercury, Mars and Jupiter conjunct in Taurus, made him adept at physical comedy, his boozy persona could be attributed to a booze-loving Pisces ascendant. Pisces rules alcohol, after all. This influence also gave him an emotional affinity with Sinatra, who had Moon in Pisces. They certainly shared that sign's artistry and imagination - and perhaps a love of drink as well.

Like his fellow Rats, Dino had a challenging personal life. His Venus conjunct Pluto, similar to Sinatra's Venus-Pluto opposition, complicated his love life. His first wife suffered from alcoholism. His second marriage lasted 24 years, but he and his ex remained close friends until his death. His third marriage, to a much younger woman, lasted just three years.

But undoubtedly the hardest blow was the death of his son, Dean Paul, in a jet crash in 1987, which put an end to his participation in a reunion tour with Sinatra and Davis. Dino never got over the grief of losing his son. He retired soon afterward and lived quietly until his death from acute respiratory failure on Christmas morning, 1995.

There's a magical energy that flows among performers who bring out the best in each other's talents. As friend and performer Diahann Carroll recently described them in People magazine, "They were naughty little boys, but so charming!" The members of the Rat Pack certainly had that kind of chemistry, which lives on long after they're gone.

Cortney Litwin is the co-host of the Cosmic Sutra on KarmaSolRadio, an online talk show featuring astrology and dream interpretation.