Hailed as one of the worldā€™s sexiest women and happily married to one of the world`s most respected actors, Penelope Cruz has a life that is the envy of most women. How is it that the daughter of a hairdresser and a car mechanic from a working class background has reached such dizzying heights? Could it be that there is more to her nickname ā€˜the Spanish Enchantressā€™ than meets the eye? And what role will the stars play in her future?

Cruz was born in Alcobendas on April 28th 1974, making her an Aries in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. This explosive combination of signs offers intriguing clues about the psychic forces at work in Penelope`s life.

Lighting a fire

Penelopeā€™s interest in acting didnā€™t materialize until she was in her early teens. Until that point sheā€™d been studying ballet. However, seeing the film ā€˜Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!ā€™ lit a fire within her and she threw herself into trying to find an acting agent. It is testament to the combined power of the Tiger and the Ram that the young Cruz didnā€™t give up, even in the face of repeated rejections. Both of these signs are known for their adventurous spirits and their single mindedness, although they approach their goals in slightly different ways. The Ram uses its horns to butt its way through any obstacles that may prevent it attaining its desires, while the Tiger prefers to stalk slowly before deciding when to spring. In this case, Penelope seems to have been guided by her Western star sign. The Ramā€™s horns are protective as well as being used in attack. Criticism and the possibility of failure will have been tossed aside in favor of unwavering optimism ā€“ a trait that others might call ā€˜stubbornā€™.

Yet Penelopeā€™s Tiger will also have had its part to play. While the Ram will have given her the resilience to keep throwing herself back into the fray, the Tiger will have used its magnetic charm to influence those around her. Tigers are feared and respected creatures that demand attention on a conscious and subconscious level. Katrina Bayonas, who became Cruzā€™s agent, rejected Penelope three times because she was too young. However, the Ramā€™s resilience kept her coming through the door and the Tigerā€™s hypnotic abilities worked their magic. Katrina supports this, by saying that, ā€œthere was a presence. There was just something coming from within.ā€

The influence of the Tiger

Yet there is more to becoming an internationally acclaimed actress than tenacity and Penelope owes much of her abilities to the influence of the Tiger. Despite their fearsome reputation, Tigers are supremely sensitive to others. What are used as hunting instincts by animals translate into a supernatural ability to ā€˜readā€™ others in people. Penelope can assess what makes a person tick without any conscious effort whatsoever. Indeed, this ability works on a subconscious level. Cruz, under the guidance of the Tiger, is constantly analyzing those around her, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and storing them in her psycheā€™s data banks for future use. In others, this could manifest as a ā€˜vicious streakā€™. Because Tigers can see just how others operate, they know how to press the right buttons in an emotional situation ā€“ particularly during an argument. For Penelope, this ability has given her a subconscious library through which to trawl when approaching a character.

Taming the beast

Despite the Tigerā€™s solitary nature, Penelope has found love in her husband, Javier Bardem. But what is it in him that is able to tame a Tiger and reassure a Ram? While both these signs appear self assured, they mask a lot of insecurities. The Tiger is forever testing potential partners and the Ram can be skittish and flighty. The combination of these two signs can conspire to create a child-like and spoiled persona. As Cruz says of herself as a child, she would ā€œstart kicking and breaking thingsā€ when she didnā€™t get her way. Left unchecked, this behavior can develop into a selfish and egotistical pattern that drives other away.

Javierā€™s secret weapon is his Western star sign - Pisces. The fish are the oldest signs in the zodiac and contain elements from each of the other signs. With these in his armoury, he will be able to preempt any destructive behavior on Penelopeā€™s part and through a deep Piscean empathy, turn it into something constructive. However, Penelope is also blessed with a personal insight that will allow her to manage her own negative tendencies. These come from the Ram who, although often impetuous and blinkered, does have enough self-awareness to understand that you cannot continually toss people and problems aside.