
The smart money would have had it absolutely wrong. Instead, NBC decided to move Leno back to 11:30, after local news, for a half an hour, followed by an hour of Conan. Although the blow must have stung like a slap across the face with a wet fish, O’Brien pulled himself together and released an amusing and heartfelt statement to the press, announcing that he would pass on this “opportunity.”
For Conan O’Brien, walking away cannot have been an easy decision. This is a job he’d waited years for (many of them toiling away in NBC’s late night slot following Leno) – a job that’s been the acme of talk show hosting since Johnny Carson’s tenure – and he had been given a scant seven months to prove he could make it work.
Perhaps fittingly, tonight’s Solar Eclipse at 25 Capricorn makes a close square to O’Brien’s natal Sun at 28 Aries. I’ve often described eclipses in aspect to the natal Sun as signifying a moment when you have to step up and claim the crown to your own kingdom – and that’s exactly what Conan O’Brien has done here. By refusing to accept a tarnished crown, refusing to languish any longer in someone else’s shadow, O’Brien has truly graduated to the big leagues. He’s stepping farther into his role as the regent of his own life. It must feel scary – and exciting as hell.
For an indepth look at the astrology of the late night wars, see Lynn Hayes’ fine analysis – including birth data for Leno and O’Brien – here.