We watched the documentary film
Finding Vivian Maier on Netflix recently. Amazing story of a woman who worked as a nanny, took photographs on the street, good ones - thousands and thousands of them, but kept them hidden, sometimes not even printed. She was, or became, a compulsive hoarder. After her death her photographs and negatives were acquired by a young man who has undertaken the vast job of sorting them, and trying to discover who Vivian Maier really was. The film tells his story, and hers.
A New Yorker article on the topic is HERE, and a piece about legal problems arising from Maier's estate HERE.
Vivian Maier official website, lots of her photographs can be viewed there.
So, here was another type of eccentric personality - Arty Farty Friday has seen at least a couple of these in past weeks. In Ms Maier's case her eccentricity might have been the result of some unknown childhood problems, or perhaps even abuse - this is hinted in the film during interviews with people who knew her, but is now impossible to verify.
Vivian Maier was born in New York City on 1 February 1926. Her family came to the USA from France. Chart below is set for 12 noon, her time of birth isn't available.
A few points:
When dealing with eccentricity, first look to Uranus and Aquarius. A very clearly highlighted Aquarius is found in Ms Maier's chart! Sun plus three personal planets all in Aquarius. A good start - but not everyone with multiple personal planets in Aquarius is an eccentric (those born in February 1962 will attest to this - think Garth Brooks for instance). There has to be more.
Ms Maier's particular kind of eccentricity involved an addiction to hoarding, her urge to extreme privacy and secrecy about her undeniable talent as a street photographer - and her excessive, though secret, output.
The T-square linking an opposition from Venus (art) to Neptune(creativity, addiction) and squares from each to Saturn (restriction, rigidity) reflects discomfort of some kind involving those features.
Jupiter (excess) within her Aquarius cluster, conjunct Sun and Mercury, might relate to both her excessive output of photographs (millions of prints and negatives, all stored, unknown to the public during her lifetime) or to her possibly related habit of hoarding stuff - particularly vast piles of newspapers, the huge weight of which damaged the floor of her apartment.
I notice there's an emphasis on degrees between 21 and 25 around the chart; not sure that is of interest, except that a variety of aspects flow from it - semi-sextile, sextile, square, trine. Usually, this kind of thing indicates a well-integrated character, which Ms Maier, in her own peculiar way was, I guess.
Finding Vivian Maier on Netflix recently. Amazing story of a woman who worked as a nanny, took photographs on the street, good ones - thousands and thousands of them, but kept them hidden, sometimes not even printed. She was, or became, a compulsive hoarder. After her death her photographs and negatives were acquired by a young man who has undertaken the vast job of sorting them, and trying to discover who Vivian Maier really was. The film tells his story, and hers.
A New Yorker article on the topic is HERE, and a piece about legal problems arising from Maier's estate HERE.
Vivian Maier official website, lots of her photographs can be viewed there.
So, here was another type of eccentric personality - Arty Farty Friday has seen at least a couple of these in past weeks. In Ms Maier's case her eccentricity might have been the result of some unknown childhood problems, or perhaps even abuse - this is hinted in the film during interviews with people who knew her, but is now impossible to verify.
Vivian Maier was born in New York City on 1 February 1926. Her family came to the USA from France. Chart below is set for 12 noon, her time of birth isn't available.
A few points:
When dealing with eccentricity, first look to Uranus and Aquarius. A very clearly highlighted Aquarius is found in Ms Maier's chart! Sun plus three personal planets all in Aquarius. A good start - but not everyone with multiple personal planets in Aquarius is an eccentric (those born in February 1962 will attest to this - think Garth Brooks for instance). There has to be more.
Ms Maier's particular kind of eccentricity involved an addiction to hoarding, her urge to extreme privacy and secrecy about her undeniable talent as a street photographer - and her excessive, though secret, output.
Jupiter (excess) within her Aquarius cluster, conjunct Sun and Mercury, might relate to both her excessive output of photographs (millions of prints and negatives, all stored, unknown to the public during her lifetime) or to her possibly related habit of hoarding stuff - particularly vast piles of newspapers, the huge weight of which damaged the floor of her apartment.
I notice there's an emphasis on degrees between 21 and 25 around the chart; not sure that is of interest, except that a variety of aspects flow from it - semi-sextile, sextile, square, trine. Usually, this kind of thing indicates a well-integrated character, which Ms Maier, in her own peculiar way was, I guess.
Most astrologers allow a wide aspect orb for both the Sun and Moon. Her Moon is between 17* to 29* Virgo, which would allow another T-square: Moon, Mars, Uranus...emotionally fickle, quirky, an outsider...her actions (Mars) highly affected by her emotional needs (or lack). Rather oddly, the Venus-Saturn-Neptune T-square you discuss blends nicely with her Moon, Mars, Uranus T-square, making some positive aspects. A case of two negatives building upon the other, with a better than expected outcome...one massaging the other. Neptune rules photography and her's is trine Mars, action potential, and both are involved in a grand trine with Chiron (should one include the asteroid Chiron?), which would provide an outlet for perceived emotional wounds.
ReplyDeleteYou mention her mid third decant planets forming a number of various aspects, perhaps a sign of a well-integrated individual. I agree with that to a point, but this planetary arrangement also allows for difficult transits to her natal chart. Just the Moon's monthly movement may provide moodiness, with the many aspects, some soothing, others not, all at the same time. Potential for numerous yods, too. Positive aspects immediately offset by concomitant negative aspects.
I read about Maier, but haven't seen the Netflix yet. You said her story was amazing, so I assume you liked the documentary as much as Maier. I see that I again missed my chance to disconnect Netflix in a timely manner...my account is billable on the 17th of each month and I never remember to discontinue until about this time each month...LOL. Netflix bills for the entire month without refunding the partial month, if I discontinue prior to the 17th. I just saw that Amazon has new subscription streaming services at reasonable rates untangled from the previous Prime subscription...but that means going the Jeff Bezos route, to which I'm loath.
mike ~ thanks for your additional astrological pointers. I agree that the chain of linked 3rd decan degrees would have produced some negative results too via transits.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the documentary - the "amazing" part really wasn't Ms Maier herself, but the way the story, hidden for so long, has been uncovered with painstaking research. About the lady herself I have a few reservations, after hearing what several women who knew her had to say, when interviewed, towards the end of the film, when they decided to discuss a little of her darker side.
Do take a look at the film before you ditch Netflix - I think you'd find it interesting.
We've started watching episodes of "Foyle's War" on Netflix. A good high quality series, we've decided, and have enjoyed each 90 min. episode we've seen so far. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foyle's_War
I think it has been aired on PBS in the past, so you might have come across it.
I'm glad you watched this documentary. I thought it was fascinating.
ReplyDeleteKaleymorris ~ It was - and thank you for alerting us to the film. :-)
ReplyDelete