Monday, October 27, 2014

Dylan Thomas - born a century ago today

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was born on this day, 27 October, in the year 1914 in Swansea, Wales, UK. Astrotheme has his time of birth listed as 8.56pm.

His natal planets were a blend of Scorpio and Aquarius, in challenging square, an uneasy mix! If the birth time is accurate, ultra-sensitive Cancer would be his rising sign, the lens through which he viewed, and was viewed by, the world at large.

Pluto, his Scorpio Sun's ruler, in Cancer, is tightly conjunct Saturn, and is in harmonious trine to his Sun, and more widely to his Moon in late Aquarius - together these form a Grand Trine, a circuit of intense emotion, with a touch of the unexpected thrown in. The Grand Trine mostly reflects the poet's darkly emotional style, which often verges on the neurotic, a style difficult to describe and appreciate unless the reader has some similarity of nature. There's an undercurrent of despair, sometimes anger running through many of his poems. That anger comes courtesy of Mercury (writing and mental processes) conjunct Mars (anger, energy) in Scorpio (passionate emotion).

Neptune at 00 Leo opposite Uranus in Aquarius was an aspect between slow-moving outer planets shared by a whole age group. The dynamic pull between creativity, imagination and an avant garde style - for the times - is recognisable in many of his generation. This opposition of unruly Uranus and addictive Neptune is also in square, challenging aspect to his natal Sun, his history of alcohol abuse may connect here, also to the lack of grounding Earth planets in his natal chart.



In tribute to Dylan Thomas, a century later - his poem about his birthday:


Poem In October

It was my thirtieth year to heaven
Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour wood
And the mussel pooled and the heron
Priested shore
The morning beckon
With water praying and call of seagull and rook
And the knock of sailing boats on the net webbed wall
Myself to set foot
That second
In the still sleeping town and set forth.

My birthday began with the water-
Birds and the birds of the winged trees flying my name
Above the farms and the white horses
And I rose
In rainy autumn
And walked abroad in a shower of all my days.
High tide and the heron dived when I took the road
Over the border
And the gates
Of the town closed as the town awoke.

A springful of larks in a rolling
Cloud and the roadside bushes brimming with whistling
Blackbirds and the sun of October
Summery
On the hill's shoulder,
Here were fond climates and sweet singers suddenly
Come in the morning where I wandered and listened
To the rain wringing
Wind blow cold
In the wood faraway under me.

Pale rain over the dwindling harbour
And over the sea wet church the size of a snail
With its horns through mist and the castle
Brown as owls
But all the gardens
Of spring and summer were blooming in the tall tales
Beyond the border and under the lark full cloud.
There could I marvel
My birthday
Away but the weather turned around.

It turned away from the blithe country
And down the other air and the blue altered sky
Streamed again a wonder of summer
With apples
Pears and red currants
And I saw in the turning so clearly a child's
Forgotten mornings when he walked with his mother
Through the parables
Of sun light
And the legends of the green chapels

And the twice told fields of infancy
That his tears burned my cheeks and his heart moved in mine.
These were the woods the river and sea
Where a boy
In the listening
Summertime of the dead whispered the truth of his joy
To the trees and the stones and the fish in the tide.
And the mystery
Sang alive
Still in the water and singingbirds.

And there could I marvel my birthday
Away but the weather turned around. And the true
Joy of the long dead child sang burning
In the sun.
It was my thirtieth
Year to heaven stood there then in the summer noon
Though the town below lay leaved with October blood.
O may my heart's truth
Still be sung
On this high hill in a year's turning.

13 comments:

mike said...

A deeply troubled man with a deeply troubled life! He gained much acclaim while very young, the clarity before alcohol ruled and then ruined his life. Much of his later pieces were based on his earlier poetic concepts. It's easy to think that he could have achieved so much more had he not distorted his life through the alcoholic escape, but I imagine his earlier successes were the seeds of his destruction.

Interesting chart considering we know how it played-out. That Neptune in the 1st, with the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in the 12th was a wicked hand for him to play.

I've never been fond of his writing, as it's a little too rocky and stilted for my likes. I could never immerse myself in his works, but I do enjoy a brief encounter.

Twilight said...

mike ~ I've just looked for Astrodienst's confirmation of the time of birth used by Astrotheme. I don't know why I used Astrotheme originally, because usually I don't unless there's no alternative...anyway Astrodienst has a different t.o.b., with notes on sources.

http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Thomas,_Dylan

Neptune is still in first house - barely, though, and Saturn/Neptune in 12th.

I like one of two of his poems, but his essay "A Child's Christmas in Wales" is classic - wonderful stuff.

[o/t - Am going back to doctor at noon for advice on whether to continue with this ointment - foot very angry last night, tiny blisters forming near wound. Left ointment off overnight and it's somewhat calmer now. Hope he has some ideas!]

Anonymous said...


http://youtu.be/3XMaJanGuWI


"With water praying and call of seagull and rook"

"... These were the woods the river and the sea, Where a boy,
In the listening Summertime of the dead whispered the truth of his joy to the trees and the stones and the fish in the tide.
And the mystery sang alive,

... Still in the water and singing birds."

-D Thomas

Kidd.

Twilight said...

Anonymous ~ Beautiful - he used language as a painter uses paint.

Many thanks for the link to a YouTube narration - it's a good one too!
:-)

Sonny G said...


keep us updated about your foot please Annie.
somehow I missed you were having issues with it..
my daughter is also having a foot and now feet issues. they even did a biopsy and gave her steriod creme to apply twice a day. wednesday she gets her results.I am holding you both in a bubble of healing light..
****************
is astrotheme or astrodiensts best for a rookie to look at their chart?
I usually go to alabe.com, which tells what house and gives yoou that wheel image lol.. may a well be greek to me but its free and I do apreciate it..

poor Dylan-- I too tried alcohol for a few years- 11 years ago now,, it made me worse, and gave me no real relief.. self medicating seems to always be a mistake and yet I do understand why people turn to it. Hopefully realizing it doesnt work and stopping.
******************
I went to the astrodienst site and here is a link to what they gave me..
I know you and mike and lb know yours by heart and often speak about it.. so just sharing mine, though I have no idea what it all means.

http://www.astro.com/cgi/atxgen.cgi?btyp=apx&lang=e&nhor=1&cid=msjfileBtWkEk-u1414273780

ps- if posting this link was wrong, please feel free to delete it...

mike (again) said...

Twilight, I suppose the doctor prescribed the mupirocin as a preventative against MRSA-Staph infection. Only about 1.5% of patients exhibit your sensitivity to the medication...so, I don't think you should continue with it. I hope your doctor agrees. Iodine in the form of Povidine or Betadine is broader spectrum, cheaper, and well-tolerated by most. Not advisable for patients with thyroid concerns, but some research indicates that topical application does not interfere with that condition. Benzalkonium chloride solutions are quite effective, too, and very inexpensive. Hopefully, your doctor has corrected instructions for you. I'm certainly pleased that you are able to eat again! Can't go far without go-juice.

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ Thank you for the kind thoughts. I hope your daughter has helpful results on Weds. Pleas pass on my sympathies and best wishes to her. :-)

I much prefer Astrodienst to Astrotheme for charts. The charts at Astrotheme are in a style I find hard to take in.

Astrotheme is good for a scoot around their lists of this and that, I used to do that a lot.

Thank you for the link to your chart information. I will study it more later. Mike is more experienced than I am, he will no doubt be interested to see it too, and make observations.

Re my foot - Doc prescribed more antibiotics - to go with the ones I have already, said not to use the ointment any more, and has referred me to the Would Clinic in our local hospital for evaluation. Also I have to have an ultra-sound scan on Thurs. of my leg to check arterial flow etc.

I'm presently waiting for someone to call with an appointment to Wound Clinic.

Twilight said...

mike ~ Result of Doc visit just added to comment to Sonny, above.
I'm sure the Wound Clinic will be expert on these things. Waiting for appointment call.

Twilight said...

mike - Forgot to say - thouigh I can't use it right now, I'm grateful for your advice and kindness.

With all these pills to take every day my stomach is starting to feel yukky again! Not yet as bad as before though. :-/

mike (again) said...

Sonny - I quickly viewed your information at astro.com...alabe.com is very respectable, too.

You are and have been highly affected by the transiting Uranus-Pluto square and the recent eclipse at 15* Libra-Aries. You are and will be affected for a duration. Again, I would HIGHLY recommend a very professional astrological reading...Michael Lutin would be perfect for you, if you can afford him (I have no idea his cost for services). I hope that you inquire: http://michaellutin.com/contact.html#privatesessions

Your chart is textbook for your current dilemma based on transits alone, at least from the clues that you have provided. You have some possibly difficult natal aspects that can cause life-long issues, if you are not aware and properly learn to channel the energies. If I did not know anything about you and saw your chart, I would assume this individual to be in a highly distressed state over issues arising several years ago and continuing to now...you are actually in the cross-hairs right now. Your natal chart offers you much energy to work with and you need some good professional astrological guidance to point-out how to best utilize these aspects FOR you and not AGAINST your better interests.

You aren't going crazy, Sonny (it only feels like it...LOL)! You were dealt some interesting energy at birth and the astrology of the past several years and several more to come are challenging you. Learn to make the most of it by discussing your natal astrology with a professional. And I'd be remiss, if I didn't tell you to continue with the physical, medical professionals, too. BUT, I think you will be very surprised what is available astrologically...your current issues coincide perfectly with your astrology.

Sonny G said...

not spelling this right:(

please annie, take active bacilli- acidophilus? the refridgerated kind. it will ease what those med are doing to your tummy and add friendly flora back to your intestines.

Twilight said...

Sonny ~ Thanks for the recommendation.
I shall ask the people at the Wound Care Center before taking any, just in case they might prefer me not to. I have an appointment on Thursday there, after the ultra-scan on leg... it's in the hospital near the Doc's office. 'Til then I intend to drink lots of water (and pee a lot!) :-)

Sonny G said...


thanks so much for your insight Mike.

I am finally going to contact mr Lutin. I have always said, even in the worst of times that I was born under a lucky star, even when others would gasp and ask me HOW I could possibly say that:) it true- I know it in my soul.
off I go to Micheal's site..
I'll let ya'll know what he says.

thanks again to both of you and also to LB who has offered words of support.