Britney Spears crashed into the public’s consciousness at 16 with her hit song, ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time.’ The fresh-faced teen was a model of virginal sexuality, showing off her body as much as her voice. Born December 2, 1981 in Kentwood, Mississippi, she exudes the outgoing innocence of her Sagittarius Sun with a broad smile and easygoing attitude. Young Britney began honing her act during her childhood, first by auditioning for ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ at the tender age of 8. Britney wasn’t hired, she but quickly landed the lead in an off-Broadway show. Then, at the ripe old age of 11, she tried out again for ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ and joined a cast that included future *NSYNC stars Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez, as well as actor Ryan Gosling.

Britney’s professional precociousness is closely linked to Venus in her birth chart. The planet of art and approval is in serious Capricorn, which is a frequent indicator of children with grown-up ambitions. Individuals with Venus in this sign don’t play for the fun of it — they play to get ahead, to win and to achieve specific goals. These qualities are strongly reinforced in Britney’s chart by several other key factors. Saturn, Capricorn’s demanding ruling planet, is in a tense square — or 90-degree angle — with Venus, reinforcing the theme that she gets approval because she works for it, not just because she’s cute or nice. The Moon’s South Node, a primary indicator of karmic patterns, is right next to Britney’s Venus in Capricorn, further evidence of self-motivation and drive, perhaps even to her own detriment. This isn’t to say that she can’t have fun. Capricorn works hard and plays hard, but almost always with a specific purpose in mind. The ‘Oops I Did It Again’ girl has Mars, the action planet, in the work-oriented sign of Virgo, Capricorn’s earthy perfectionist cousin. Her Mars forms a supportive trine to Venus, signifying a harmonious balance between movement (Mars) and grace (Venus).

Britney, in spite of all her hard work and dedication, is not a completely conventional girl. She has the Moon — planet of emotions — in experimental Aquarius, revealing a quirky side to her personality. This was evident during her impromptu Vegas wedding, then during her self-videotaped reality show, and most recently with her unique approach to mothering. Her Moon may be more expressive of Aquarian coolness and detachment than brilliant originality, but Britney might just break out of her pop idol mode and show us her Aquarian inventiveness in the future.