The Zodiac's Fairytale/Pantomime Characters

Attempting to be seasonal, Christmassy and astrologistic at the same time is tricky, and can be repetitive. During previous "Holiday" seasons I've attempted to link zodiac signs to various styles of a couple of seasonal items - Christmas cards and Christmas tree decor. What's left for that kind of treatment ? Not much. Another seasonal regular, in Britain, is the pantomime. My archived post on that tradition is HERE. General definition of pantomime: theatrical entertainment mainly, but not exclusively, for children, with music, topical jokes, satire and slapstick. Gender of actor/character is often reversed (i.e. male plays female, female plays male). Themes are from fairy tales or nursery stories. Panto productions are usually produced around Christmas-time, in both amateur and professional mode, the latter starring at least one "celeb" performer.
I haven't tried to link popular pantomime characters to zodiac types.....yet.

I realise that any passing reader in the USA will be unfamiliar with pantomime, but they'll surely recall the fairy tales upon which irreverent pantomimes are based. Let's see - for instance, who's the Cinderella of the zodiac? Or who is the zodiac's Sleeping Beauty, Jack of the Beanstalk tale, Puss in Boots, Dick Whittington, Aladdin, or Beauty, and naturally, the Beast?

Hmmmm.....

Aries - enthusiastic, impetuous, energetic, aggressive. How about Jack of Jack & the Beanstalk ? Story is HERE

 Illustration by Walter Crane 1875

Taurus - reliable, steadfast, artistic, earthy... probably not one of the lead characters in fairy tales or pantomimes, more a supporting part. In pantomime, a father, as in Baron Hardup (Cinderella's dad), or maybe Buttons, usually an audience favourite, the Baron's servant and loyal, loving friend of Cinderella.

 Illust: Margaret Tarrant

Gemini - the communicator, social butterfly, trickster. There are lots of tricksters in fairy tales and pantomimes. I like Puss in Boots for Gemini! Story is here

Cancer - caring, sensitive, sentimental, clingy, often taken for granted.....doesn't that say Cinderella?







Leo - ambitious, likes to lead, loyal, vain, pretentious... lots of these types in fairy tales and panto too, surprisingly not usually the lead character though. Snow White's vain and wicked stepmother with her magic mirror qualifies for the darker side of Leo. Peter Pan, the eternal boy, has Leo connection too, Leo holds sway over 5th house of pleasure and children.

 Sculpture by George Frampton in  Kensington Gardens London.

Virgo - conscientious, meticulous, precise, fussy...Cinderella's Prince Charming springs to mind; his meticulous search for a foot to fit the glass slipper is nothing if not Virgoan!














Libra - peaceful, indecisive, gracious, diplomatic
Scorpio - passionate, loyal, suspicious, obsessive
Tongue firmly in cheek... my first thought for Libra and Scorpio was Beauty and the Beast! I'd never been clear about the full story of B and the B - it's here:

Sagittarius - independent, adventurous, a traveller, kindly, optimistic (sometimes overly so).
Sagittarius has the makings of the hero or heroine of of any fairy tale or pantomime. Aladdin (re the flying carpet) or Dick Whittington?









Capricorn - responsible, ambitious, serious. As with Taurus, I don't see Capricorn as taking the lead in a fairy tale or pantomime, the sign's characteristics better fit supporting roles such as merchant (as in father of Belle in Beauty & the Beast), or a landowner, aristocrat, employer etc.

 Photograph from 2014 French film of  ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (La belle et la bête).
Belle played by  Léa Seydoux, her father,  the merchant, by  André Dussollier

Aquarius - inventive, stubborn, political, logical. Aquarius can share Dick Whittington with Sagittarius. Dick did become Lord Mayor of London, and that's about as political as fairy tales ever get!

Pisces - compassionate, dreamer, sensitive, imaginative...Pisces represents the fairy in fairy tale (Tinkerbell, Fairy Godmother etc). Alternatively, Sleeping Beauty? It wasn't her fault, still....she was dreaming!

AND~~ Sunday 21 December is Winter Solstice this year for us in the north, Summer Solstice for the southern hemisphere....

Boxing Day & The Panto

Someone on the radio (BBC) mentioned pantomimes and set off a string of memories. Pantos are unknown in the USA, but in Britain have always been always a part of the Christmas season. They are fun versions of famous fairy tales, with topical humour, songs and occasionally, depending on the talent of the cast, dancing. Pantomimes are presented by amateurs and professionals alike; big productions often star a well-known comedian or pop star in a leading role. When I was young my parents would take me to see a pantomime, usually on Boxing Day - the day after Christmas Day.

In panto there's gender-bending aplenty: the male becomes female and the female male. So, for instance, in "Cinderella" the ugly sisters are portly men in drag and Prince Charming is a leggy gal in tights. It's odd, though, the custom of having a "principal boy" (prince, hero, whatever) played by a good looking girl with legs up to here seems to have faded, according to clips I've found on YouTube. Maybe the guys didn't like having their best leading roles commandeered. The custom of the "pantomime Dame" endures though - guy dressed as a comically frumpy woman - the strident mother or cruel sister, etc. usually played by well-loved comedians in professional productions.

Panto is hard to describe - it's one of those shows where "you really have to be there" to catch the atmosphere, the excitement of children in the audience. It's the custom for kids to shout back to the actors and their excitement becomes infectious....for example, as the villain appears, ready to do harm, the kids all shout, as one, "He's behind you!!!".

At the civil service legal office where I used to work, one Christmas-time, late 1970s or early 1980s, someone persuaded the tribunal chairmen (respected lawyers) to act in our adapted version of a pantomime: "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" (first two photos below). A few in-jokes were included in much-modified scripts, to further engage an already enthusiastic audience of staff and visiting charimen. This has been one of my treasured Christmas memories. Unexpectedly magical, it was! The chairmen were all such good sports and spot-on - exactly in the mood with plentiful witty ad-libbing. Most have now "gone before" to the great tribunal in the sky, others are High Court Judges.

Christmas-time at the office was always fun. Some years we'd have a fancy dress party. A record of one of these survives: yours truly as Dick Whittington (last photo - under the clock).