Monday, June 23, 2008

Cancerian Woody Guthrie

To mark our move into the zodiac sign of Cancer I've chosen a son of Oklahoma, singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, to represent this sign.

"I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work. And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you." (Woody)

Born 14 July 1912, Okemah, Oklahoma. No time of birth known - 12 noon chart below.



Sun Cancerians are ruled by the Moon, their traits are generally understood to include sensitivity, caring, nurturing, love of home, a tendency to withdraw from life, intuition, creativity, and moodiness. Cancer made up 51.5% of Woody's natal chart (Astrotheme). His time of birth is unknown, so that percentage might be even higher. We don't know the exact degree of the Moon nor which sign was ascending at the time of his birth.

Woody certainly didn't have the look traditionally associated with Cancer (round, pale face), he looks more like Gemini to me, skinny, gangling - perhaps Gemini was rising as he was born. His version of the Cancerian's love of home seems to have related to his entire country rather than to a particular place or house. Whether he matched other traits of Cancer Sun isn't clear from the brief biographies I've seen on-line - there's a good one HERE.

Sun conjunct Neptune and Venus could not be more appropriate for a singer/songwriter/musician. Neptune relates to imagination and creativity, Venus is planet of music and the arts, both within a couple of degrees of natal Sun (the true self). If the Moon were indeed to form a part of the Cancerian cluster, as it almost certainly did, that would add an emotional depth to his work - and there's no denying that depth when you read his lyrics and relate them to the era in which he lived.

Woody's dominant planet is, unsurprisingly the Moon, followed fairly closely by Uranus which lay in it's own domain of Aquarius, and trined Saturn in Gemini.

Uranus in Aquarius trining Saturn in Gemini is a rather odd link-up between the new and forward looking (Uranus) and old traditional (Saturn), yet his songs rely heavily on tradition whilst at the same time looking to the future, the righting of social wrongs, the fight against injustice. Woody had a strong and clearly identifiable Aquarian streak in him. His natal Mercury in Leo provided the fiery mental spark to ensure his writing and playing reached a wide audience.

"The local radio airwaves also provided Woody a forum from which he developed his talent for controversial social commentary and criticism. On topics ranging from corrupt politicians, lawyers, and businessmen to praising the compassionate and humanist principles of Jesus Christ, the outlaw hero Pretty Boy Floyd, and the union organizers that were fighting for the rights of migrant workers in California’s agricultural communities, Woody proved himself a hard-hitting advocate for truth, fairness, and justice." (From biography linked above)




Woody's most famous song "This Land Is Your Land" isn't always quoted nor sung in its entirety. Three verses which reflect the rebel soul and social conscience of Uranus in Aquarius are sometimes omitted:

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.




Woody Guthrie was a traveller - often on foot. He walked the highways and byways of the the USA, the land he loved so deeply, the land which was born on 4 July, under Sun sign Cancer as was he. Jupiter, unadulterated in its own domain of Sagittarius reflects his love of travel - I'd not be a bit surprised to see Sagittarius on an angle. If Gemini had been rising at his birth, as mentioned above, Sagittarius would have been near to the descendant angle.

Here he is, singing the shorter version of his famous song:


2 comments:

  1. I'm such a fan of his and his sons. The old fashioned word "troubadour" comes to mind. I also think of Pete Seeger in that light too.
    XO
    WWW

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  2. Good word for him - and Pete Seeger, WWW! They both influenced many who were to come later too - Dylan, Springsteen etc. etc.
    :-)

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