Marvelous Meryl Streep

Whether or not Meryl Streep wins her third Oscar at Sunday night's 84th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, she's already one of the biggest winners in Hollywood history.

Streep's 17 nominations are more than any actor ever, reflecting the high esteem in which she is held by her peers. She is, by most people's reckoning, the finest actor in the English-speaking world. And, considering her incredible gifts as a mimic, she might do equally well in Mandarin, Russian or Swahili.

Meryl Streep has all the characteristics of a great actor, and she would even be dazzling in a silent movie.

Streep was born on June 22, 1949, with the Sun in sensitive Cancer, a sign that's often associated with shyness, yet she's clearly no shrinking violet. That's because Uranus, the planet of uniqueness, is close to her Sun. This electrifies her personality with intelligence and innovation and rivets our attention. She can make us feel safe and excited at the same time.

There's also a mix of comfort and complexity in Meryl's Moon. She was born with this emotional satellite in earthy Taurus, which puts her feet solidly on the ground. Yet dark Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, forms a stressful angle to maternal Meryl's Moon. This adds depth, power and a bit of mystery that allows her to dig deeply into her characters without resorting to exaggeration. Potent Pluto empowers her to move audiences with the slightest arch of an eyebrow or flutter of her fingers, yet come across as an ordinary New Jersey housewife during an interview.

Streep is richly gifted with imagination, possibly the most valuable asset in an actor's toolkit. Venus, the planet of art, beauty and love, was crossing paths with dreamy Neptune when she was born. This sublime connection infuses her work with exquisite sensitivity and nuance, enveloping the viewer in another world. We're invited to be a part of her world, whether she's happily cooking as Julia or faced with Sophie's terrible choice.

Meryl's ability to transform her voice, appearance and manner into virtually any character reflects the adaptive qualities of the sign Gemini. Mental Mercury and energetic Mars' union in this sign are a chameleon's gift of flexibility in manner and speaking, which she contributes to her extraordinary range of expression and sharpness of wit.

Ms. Streep doesn't need another Oscar to burnish her resume, stoke her ego or enlarge her fame -- but she certainly deserves it.