Double Libra Christoph Waltz | Too Nice To Play A Nazi?

Cast as Standartenführer Hans Landa—also known as ‘The Jew Hunter’—most astrology ‘cookbooks’ would have us expecting Christoph Waltz to be a pleasant, peaceful person that struggles with conflict. So how did the delightful double-Libra get chosen to play the most terrifyingly charming role in recent cinematic history? 

Not only does Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds rewrite the story of the Second World War in an unexpected and comedic fashion – it had me feeling (rather uncomfortably) attracted to The Jew Hunter, a character Christoph Waltz plays with effortless eloquence and dark charm; his confidence and magnetism had me riveted with every scene.

New Moon in Libra

Unfortunately, we don’t have a birth time for Waltz, though we do have a chart for his date and place of birth. Imagine my surprise on discovering he was born with both Sun and Moon in Libra. Yup – Waltz was born on a New Moon!

The Aesthetics of Balance

Venus rules Libra and her quest for balance, fairness, and harmony. Often Venus in Libra is expressed as an appreciation of art, composition, law, and equality. It is said that Adolf Hitler (a Venus-ruled Taurean) was an artist who had an appreciation for historical sites, natural beauty, and the occult. As twisted as it may seem, perhaps Tarantino was tuning into the Venusian aspect of the Nazi’s vision for the master-race? A vision which the Nazi’s perceived as the ultimate harmony? A vision which compelled them to take extreme measures to correct ‘imbalance’?

Venus–Pluto in Leo

Hans Landa revels in his fearful reputation as The Jew Hunter. Able to convey this vanity with ease, Waltz’s natal Venus which rules his Sun and Moon in Libra, resides in dramatic and spotlight-loving Leo. Venus also happens to be in conjunction with God of the Underworld and all things taboo: Pluto.

Mundane Aspects

This combination in Waltz’s chart is squared by tough task-master Saturn, creating a dichotomy between the Venusian desire to be polite, popular and cooperative, versus his natural gift as an authoritative, ruthless and calculated leader. Take into consideration his Saturn–Uranus trine, Waltz is able to convincingly play a character who actually enjoys pushing people’s buttons, imposing shocking ideologies and implementing oppressive regimes. With Neptune sextile Pluto, Hans Landa has an intensely precise intuition which he can use in order to manipulate and control others. 

Mars Retrograde in Pisces

To add to his intangible magnetism, Waltz has Mars retrograde in Pisces. This means Mars was closer to Earth when he was born, making it stronger and more pronounced in its expression through his natal chart. In mutable Pisces, Mars has an adaptability which can be witnessed in the film as Waltz’s shifting allegiances, able to transfer his focus from one point to another with fluidity. Mars is quincunx Waltz’s Sun which is like having a light switch between the two.  Either the Sun is on and in full flow, or Mars is – they don’t work together. This could be visualized as a psychological battle between the archetypal aggressor and hero, with only one allowed to appear on set at a time. Might this be the key to Waltz’s panache when playing one of the most likable bad guys in Hollywood?

Mercury in Virgo

The first scene of the film is one of the most gripping and chilling opening sequences in cinematic history as Waltz leads the opening dialogue of the film with Monsieur Le Petit, switching between French, German and English to deliver his chilling message. This seems fitting for someone whose Mercury is in mutable Virgo; intelligent and able to switch between varying trains of thought and languages with ease. In true Virgoan style, Hans Lander analyzes every situation he is in to make sense of his surroundings. Virgo is a sign connected to purity and perfection, and with Waltz’s natal Jupiter also in the same sign, he is able to express the philosophy and vision of ‘perfection’ connected to the Nazi ideology of his character’s beliefs.

Quentin Tarantino has said that Landa might be the greatest character he has ever written. He felt the movie could not be made without Landa as a character but had feared the part was “unplayable”. It would seem Christoph Waltz was not only the perfect person to play out the ideology of the role; his chart echoes the perfection he epitomizes, speaking to deeply ingrained generational patterns of taboo and collective fear in us all.

It is not enough to hate this character – we have to love to hate him.

Image: Christoph Waltz au festival de Cannes Date May 2018 Source Own work Author © Georges Biard
Artwork: Stefanie James