It takes a special kind of genius to create an icon.  But it takes a very shrewd and calculating mind to turn that icon into a major franchise.  Paul Reubens, the creator of Pee-wee Herman, was born on August 27, 1952.  This makes Reubens a Child of Mercury.  Mercury is the planet of the mind in Astrology and Mercury’s children are famously curious, puckish, quick on their feet, and as adept at turning a buck as they are at turning a phrase. Like the bicameral mind—with its left and right hemispheres—Children of Mercury are of two minds about everything.  This is why they often come across as having a dual personality wherein the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.  This came to a head in July 1991 when Reubens was arrested by the Florida police for indecent exposure in an adult theater.  This scandale flew in the face of the childlike Pee-wee Herman character that Reubens portrayed on the Saturday morning hit TV show.  The fact that Pee-wee’s Playhouse had always been subversive in its humor and hard to pin down with its double entendres and sleight of hand wit only seemed to make matters worse as all sorts of things got projected on to Reubens.  But little did Reubens know that he was ahead of his time and it’s this signature ability to anticipate trends before they set that’s so very Mercury.  Nowadays it’s not the headshot, but the mug shot that makes you a true celebrity.  Porn is so prevalent that adult theaters have gone the way of Blockbusters (why go out when you can order in?).  And even children’s television isn’t sacred anymore as it looks as though Big Bird will go the way of the Dodo if the United States government gets its way.  If there was ever a time for the return of Pee-Wee Herman, it’s now.  And with both Jupiter and Saturn returning this year to where they were in the sky on the day that Reubens was born, it looks like we will all be treated to the greatest adventure of all. Subscribe for more features.  Only 1.99 a month!