The Astrology of Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton's astrology birth chart tells us a whole lot about the queen of country music. She's strong-willed, compassionate and definitely NOT a "dumb blonde". All the other planets in her birth chart appear to point to her sun and Venus, indicating that love, beauty, self-respect and positivity are Dolly's magic ingredients.

 Dolly Parton's birth chart

Not your typical Capricorn

Dolly Parton is a Capricorn sun, we can see that in her ambition and stamina. She's built an incredible 60-year music career with an easy smile, but Dolly is not your typical Capricorn. Her sun is conjunct Venus, giving her a much more Venusian energy than your usual Capricorn.

Sun conjunct Venus folk tend to be very likeable indeed. They have a warmth about them and are highly compassionate, generous and sweet – sounds like Dolly's brand of country charm to me!

In fact, one of the reasons Dolly Parton has become such a superstar is that she has a whole hoard of adoring fans who love her dearly for her big heart and sentimental nature. It's hard not to like someone with Venus conjunct their sun because often all we see is beauty and kindness.

We love you Dolly Parton!

Words like honey

With Venus so close to the sun, there can be a tendency for people pleasing. Words are like honey from a sun-Venus person and they are often highly generous with the compliments! Dolly Parton is filled with positivity and never has a bad word to say about anyone.

She herself describes the desire to not take sides or stir up controversy, particularly politically. She is the queen of sitting on the fence and will evade direct questions about her political standing. She never wants to offend any of her fans who come from a broad section of society with many different beliefs.

[when asked if she is a feminist] "When they said to burn our bras, I was the first to do it. It took the fire brigade three days to put out the fire" – she doesn't answer directly, rather, deflects with humour. Everybody wins!

Sun conjunct Venus is non-confrontational, instead, seeking harmony, connection and love.

From the gospel of Dolly

But Dolly doesn't do this because she can't handle the question. She fiercely stands up for herself in other ways, particularly business, and was one of the first women in country music to sing controversial topics like in Just because I'm a woman and Dumb Blonde.

"Now a man will take a good girl
And he'll ruin her reputation
But when he wants to marry
Well, that's a different situation" - Just because I'm a Woman – Dolly Parton

Instead, Dolly believes in the heart, and in the good in people. This is one of her most likeable traits.

"I've known many men, brothers, uncles, neighbours, and most of them have been good men" – Dolly Parton

She just radiates positivity!

Queen of aesthetics

It's hard to tell whether Dolly is known more for her incredible music career, or her over the top aesthetic. Her big blonde wigs, big boobs and rhinestone fringe announce her presence long before she does, but when she does, her personality is just as big as her… well… you know!

You can attribute some of this aesthetic to her country music upbringing, having cut her teeth in the Porter Wagoner Show besides country music legends of her time, but when you look at Dolly Parton's astrological chart, you'll see what's behind the look.

Her Venus opposes Mars, creating sexual attraction as all masculine-feminine polarity does, and Dolly certainly knows how to attract the males. In addition, her Venus is trine her Midheaven, meaning that her aesthetic is positively supporting her career – not wrong there!

Dolly is Venus opposite Mars incarnate

We'll talk more about her Venus square Chiron later, but one of the themes is early wounding around her looks. In the song Coat of Many Colours, Dolly talks about how the other kids at school would tease her because she was poor and didn't have nice clothes to wear.

Dolly talks later in interviews about how these early wounds regarding her image pushed her to become glamorous in later life. A 5^th house Venus square Chiron seems to be healing itself through a desire to have what she didn't have before: a gorgeous and indulgent wardrobe to play with!

Personally, I love this about Dolly Parton and see it as both endearing and empowering. She's so much more than wigs and boobs. In fact, the wigs and boobs are in fact medicine for her soul, it's healing through aesthetics, and my Venus in Libra is in love with it.

Dolly's aesthetic is medicine for our souls

Impressive work ethic

In Dolly Parton's astrology chart, sitting opposite Venus and the sun are Mars and Saturn creating an opposition, and forming part of a T-square to Jupiter and Chiron.

Mars conjunct Saturn natives are incredibly hard-working. They probably work much later than 9-5! The dedication and seriousness of Saturn adds stamina to Mars' motivation and keeps the candle burning steadily at both ends.

The sun and Venus are a highly artistic pair, especially in the creative 5^th house. Opposing Mars and Saturn, AND being in cardinal signs (Capricorn and Cancer), Dolly is a formidable creatrix. She is known for her impressive work ethic, pouring herself into her work and never turning down an opportunity to show up and improve.

In Dolly Parton: Here I am, the Netflix documentary, it states that Dolly has written over 3,000 songs in her lifetime and that she is known for her ability to write a song in just five minutes, on a napkin or a piece of toilet tissue if that's all she has available!

Now that's a Capricorn sun-Venus opposing Mars-Saturn approach if ever I saw one.

Workin' 9 to 5 - for more than six decades!

Songs about heartbreak

The third point to the T-square that dominates Dolly Parton's birth chart is a conjunction of Jupiter and Chiron in Libra in the 2^nd house.

She sings about love, joy, heartbreak and the highs and lows of relationships. With Jupiter representing the highs and Chiron the pains, this tells us that Dolly is living out her birth chart in beautiful symmetry.

The lyrics from her most influential song, I Will Always Love You, sum up this conjunction of Jupiter and Chiron in Libra perfectly:

"And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
I love you
I will always love you" - I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton

We love you too Dolly

Dolly often sings about being the other woman, or having to address infidelity in monogamous relationships, which brings the 2^nd house themes of possession and commitment into play.

Dolly Parton's Venus in Capricorn sits opposite Mars in Cancer, as mentioned previously, so as with any Venus-Mars aspects, we get a lifetime preoccupation on the roles of masculine and feminine, or simply as in Dolly's case, men and women.

This axis of Cancer-Capricorn is highly focused on themes of emotional security. Lyrics that talk of betrayal, breakups, depression and sometimes dark topics for someone so pink and bubbly!

In her early song The Bridge, she sings about a pregnant woman who commits suicide after being abandoned by her lover. A song that was controversial when released and is still harrowing to listen to today.

Any astrologer or Dolly fan can see that she is not the shallow "dumb blonde" that she portrays in her look, but rather, someone deep, sensitive and at times even melancholy.

Public vs personal life

In her personal life, Dolly is a one man woman and has been married to her husband for 52-years – a fact that many people are usually surprised to hear as no one has really seen much of him!

But a Venus in Capricorn opposite Saturn AND square to a 2^nd house Chiron give the impression that Dolly needs stability (and privacy) in her relationships. This is her much-needed retreat from the harsh world of show business.

You would think that Dolly, with her flamboyant looks and southern charm, would be an open book in regards to her personal life, but the opposite is quite true. She remains an enigma to the public, a character or alter-ego even.

Her Virgo moon in the 12^th house gives her a deep need for privacy and her Capricorn sun, Venus and Mercury add to the desire to keep her personal life sacred.

Dolly Parton's astrology can tell us

When you look at Dolly Parton's birth chart, all aspects seem to point to her sun-Venus combo in the 5^th house, just as the big hair and sparkly outfits keep our gaze firmly locked on her – a smart business choice as well as an aesthetic one, as she says so herself in many interviews.

"You know, I look like a woman but I think like a man. And in this world of business, that has helped me a lot. Because by the time they think that I don't know what's goin' on, I then got the money, and gone." – Dolly Parton

But while her Virgo ascendant is highly self-aware and wants us to see the perfect image she's created, the moon (her inner world) in the 12^th house (a highly private placement) is square her Midheaven, meaning at times she would rather hide, finding the intrusive nature of fame to be exhausting.

But that's never stopped her! And a woman as prolific as Dolly must be celebrated. She knew what she wanted and didn't stop until she got it, and she's been having a lot of fun along the way!

In my opinion, when I look at Dolly Parton's astrology, the biggest thing about her is not her hair or boobs, but her heart.

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Ellie xoxo