Frida and Diego

Stormy artistic love and fate

Although the marriage between Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera was a stormy one - filled with both passion and betrayal - their love endured for 25 years until Kahlo's death at 44 from a long illness. They were both superbly talented and fiery in temperament. Monumental clashes of wills resulted in numerous extramarital affairs (women for him, men and women for her).

Ten years into the marriage, they divorced, only to remarry a year later. So what compelled them to stay together? Their love, as they say, was written in the stars...

Born on July 6, 1907 outside of Mexico City, Kahlo was a highly emotional Cancer, with Sun, Jupiter and Neptune conjunct in that sign. The Neptune influence gave her the gift of divine inspiration for her paintings. It also made her extremely sensitive, with the ability to transcend physical challenges.

This was crucial because for most of her life, she endured excruciating pain from a bus accident she was in at age 18, which left her with serious injuries including a broken spinal column, collar bone, pelvis, leg and ribs. An iron handrail pierced her uterus and she was never able to have children because of it. However, this disaster resulted in a blessing that made her immortal in the world of art: She took up painting during the long days and months of recuperation. Her art took her mind away from the pain, which incapacitated her periodically throughout her life.

Rivera was a famous artist when Kahlo approached him to ask his advice about pursuing art as a career. He immediately recognized her talent and took her under his wing and, eventually, into his bed. They wed in 1929.

Rivera was Kahlo's opposite in many ways. He was born on December 8, 1886 in Guanajuato, Mexico, and had Sun, Venus and Mercury in Sagittarius. He was an impulsive, hot-headed Fire sign, while she was a volatile, sensitive Water sign. Their relationship resulted in some spectacular fireworks. He encouraged her art, while she evoked his deepest feelings. Additionally, their Venuses (love and art) were in opposite signs: His in Sag, hers in Gemini, both rather fickle placements. Her love nature was extreme, as shown by Venus conjunct Pluto. She was destined to experience both the highs and lows of love. Actually, her art was probably the most vivid manifestation of the Pluto influence, since her paintings often reflected the wounds of her inner life.

As for Rivera, his Sun-Venus conjunction reveals a man who was warmhearted, charismatic and artistically talented. Kahlo's Pluto opposing his Sun and Venus scorched the deepest part of their psyches, bringing out the very best (creative brilliance, respect, support) and worst (betrayal, jealousy, rage) in each other. Mainly, it resulted in a love so deep they couldn't stay apart for very long.

The couple also had much in common, astrologically. They both had Moon in sensual Taurus, which created a strong emotional and physical bond between them, and Mars in earthy Capricorn, which created some sexual sparks in the bedroom.

But what really kept them together was an unbreakable karmic tie: Rivera's Saturn, the planet of karma and longevity, was in Cancer, the same sign as Kahlo's Sun, Jupiter and Neptune. They were certainly destined to love, inspire, aggravate and ultimately transform each other. In his autobiography, Rivera said that the day Kahlo lost her life was the most tragic day of his life, and that too late, he realized his love for her was the best part of his life. Talk about a fateful end to true earthly love!

Cortney Litwin is the co-host of The Cosmic Sutra on KarmaAir.com, a call-in talk show where she shares her astrology and dream interpretation expertise with listeners and callers.