March 2, 2022 at 11:35am CT—If you enjoyed Mad Men ten years ago like I did, you probably can’t imagine anyone playing Don Draper besides Pisces native Jon Hamm. It’s as if Draper was created with Hamm in mind. Yet, when Hamm first interviewed for the part, the casting team didn’t know him. In fact, it took Jon Hamm eight auditions to finally get the part.
Hamm keenly wanted the role. He could feel Don Draper inside of him and he knew he was right for the part. Excitement and tension rose as he was called back to read, often sitting next to a famous actor also trying out for the part. Behind the scenes, there was a female executive who didn’t think Hamm was right for Don Draper. In fact, she claimed he wasn’t sexy enough. Matther Weiner, creator of the television series Mad Men, thought otherwise. As the two went round and round on Hamm as Draper, Jon Hamm kept getting called back for auditions. Finally after eight reads, he was cast in the catapulting role as Don Draper.
Pisces New Moon
Like Hamm landing the part, Wednesday’s New Moon in Pisces is a lot like being told you’ve secured your dream role in a bright new beginning. Conjunct Jupiter, it can feel as though after a rough patch of being rigorously tried, you’re about to hit Jackpot. Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces. In his own sign and 2° apart from the lunation, he augurs an auspicious time to believe in miracles… a time to seed intentions that reflect your deepest desires. Plant magical beans now. At least one will lead to a gold laying goose in six months!
Planet groupings
The lunation has three groupings in it, each signifying something different. If Jupiter conjunct the New Moon is hitting Jackpot, what about Mercury with Saturn in Aquarius and the dynamic trio of Venus, Mars and Pluto in Capricorn?
Back to Mad Men: Jon Hamm brought Don Draper alive during his auditions. He nailed the script every time. Part of landing the job was the masterful delivery of his craft.
This part reads like Mercury conjunct Saturn in Aquarius. We can dream big, but we better have the preparation, skill and knowledge to back it up. There’s a precision to this pairing, like muscle memory or the excellence that comes from 10,000 hours of practice.
Finally, the conjunction of Venus, Mars and Pluto reminds me of the butting of heads between Weiner and the executive who didn’t like Jon Hamm. There’s an art of negotiation here skirting around power dynamics and shadow politics. Our dream may be waiting in the wings, but we may have to audition for it eight times to prove ourselves worthy of it.
Luck, preparation & opportunity
To wrap it up: the New Moon in Pisces opens doors to magical new beginnings. Perhaps the quote to keep in mind given the configuration of the other planets is this one by the Roman Philosopher Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”