Arty Farty Friday...with goosebumps

Today, 8 December is the anniversary of the day John Lennon was murdered.

Wikipedia:

At around 10:50 p.m. (EST [Eastern Standard time]) on 8 December 1980, lone gunman Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times in the archway of the Dakota as Lennon and Ono returned to their Manhattan apartment from the Record Plant. Lennon was rushed in a police cruiser to the emergency room of nearby Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:00 p.m. (EST). Earlier that evening, Lennon had autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman.

Chapman avoided going to trial when he ignored his attorney's advice and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20-years-to-life. In 2016, he was denied parole for a ninth time.

Today is also Arty Farty Friday, so focus will go onto another talent of John Lennon. He loved to draw, and did possess a certain quirky cartoon-like talent in that direction (well... anything Lennon would be quirky by default, wouldn't it?) Some of his sketches remind me of James Thurber's work.

Oh my! I've just retrieved a link to an old post of mine with a few of Thurber's sketches included, for comparison, and see that....
James Thurber was born on 8 December (in 1894) in New York City. John Lennon was killed on 8 December 1980 in New York City. That brought forth a few goosebumps!




A few examples of John Lennon's artwork:

You Might Well Arsk

 Remember Love

 Sijin (poet)

 Come Together

Borrowed Time

 A Happy Life (John, Yoko, and their son Sean)

Two to match the coming season:

See more via Google Image HERE.

Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s).

"Gimme Some Truth"

Released this day, 9 September, in 1971: John Lennon's album Imagine.

As well as the now famous song, Imagine itself, there are a couple of songs on the album which wouldn't be out of place if released today (with a few name changes here and there). We wait for "some truth" from President Obama, and for once the "power of the people" is clearly on show - if polls are anything to go by.

Clip from the lyrics:

Power to the People and Gimme Some Truth.


I'm sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
I've had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth

I'm sick to death of seeing things
From tight-lipped, condescending, mama's little chauvinists
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth now

I've had enough of watching scenes
Of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth





Power to the people
Power to the people, right on

Say you want a revolution
We better get on right away
Well you get on your feet
And out on the street

Singing power to the people
Power to the people........etc.

A million workers working for nothing
You better give 'em what they really own
We got to put you down
When we come into town

Singing power to the people
Power to the people.........etc.

I gotta ask you comrades and brothers
How do you treat you own woman back home
She got to be herself
So she can free herself

Singing power to the people



The songs say it all.

"I read the news today - oh boy!"

I read the news today oh, boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall

And now we'll soon know how many dollars it takes to acquire a signed album containing the song from which that quote comes.

A "pristine" copy of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, released in 1967, autographed by John, Paul, George and Ringo on the gatefold above their photographs is to be auctioned this Saturday, 30 March. Dallas (Texas) based Heritage Auctions have said that advance bidding for the album passed $110,000 some days ago, and could surpass $150,000 by the time bidding is closed.
(AP Photo/Heritage Auctions)

Am I the only one who sees this amount of money for such an item as kind of obscene? What would John Lennon think? I'd guess he'd be disgusted unless, of course, the money were going to some charitable cause.

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

Renaissance Man ~ Renaissance Woman: Peter Weller, Barbra Streisand

Renaissance Man: a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas.

Peter Weller, best known for his starring role in RoboCop, but has appeared in a gaggle of other sci-fi TV shows (Odyssey 5 - see yesterday's post - is one example), run of the mill movies, and some oddities such as Naked Lunch in which he played William S. Burroughs. He's recently joined the cast of Showtime's Dexter. But more than this, Weller has directed for TV, writes for travel magazines, hosted his own series, Engineering Empires, on the History Channel. He also holds a master’s degree in Italian Renaissance art history, is self taught on the history of late Republican-early Empire Ancient Rome, developed and teaches a course, ‘Hollywood and the Roman Empire’ at Syracuse University, and conducts field trips for Syracuse University in Florence. Weller, in 2007, was finishing a Ph.D. at UCLA, in the history of fifteenth-century Venetian art, with a minor in Ancient Greek and Roman art. All of that, as well as playing jazz trumpet in a bebop sextet in Los Angeles. (More here)

Renaissance man ? I guess!!

Peter Weller was born on 24 June 1947 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin at 4.47 AM (Astrodatabank).

Any indication of his multi-talented nature, draw towards sci-fi roles, art, ancient history, jazz?



Ascendant, Sun and Mercury in Cancer connect to Weller's love of history. I'm not clear exactly why Cancer connects to history. It's probably to do with roots. Cancer needs roots, home, family etc. and what is history but a deeper level of that same thing?

Futuristic Uranus in Gemini sits ten degrees from Sun in one direction and ten degrees from Venus in Gemini in the other. Ten degrees, though not representing a tight conjunction, in this case provides a kind of planetary sandwich linking a Cancerian love of history with a draw to comminication of all kinds (Gemini), art, music (Venus) and futuristic endeavours and jazz (Uranus).

Moon in Virgo indicates that he's meticulous as well as versatile - that's a fairly unusual, and valuable combination! Often versatility comes with a need to skim over a variety of interests, studies, hobbies, becoming competent enough to get by in each but without delving too deeply, just enough to satisfy a restless mind. Not so in Weller's case. His Virgo Moon will insist on going all the way in any and all endeavours. He must have felt particularly frustrated by the unplanned, sudden cut-off of showtime's Odyssey 5.



Barbra Streisand easily qualifies for the title Renaissance Woman. Singer, actress, writer, director, producer, with countless awards for her many albums and movie roles. Possibly the best known of all her film roles was Funny Girl, both the Broadway and film version for which she won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actress, the first of two Oscars. Her film hits continued with Hello Dolly, 1969, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, 1970 and The Way We Were, 1973. She starred in and produced A Star is Born in 1976. The Prince of Tides was the first motion picture directed by its female star ever to receive a Best Director nomination from the Directors Guild of America as well as seven Academy Award nominations. With Yentl, which took 14 years of development and persistence, she became the first woman ever to produce, direct, write and star in a major motion picture.

She hasn't plumbed the full depth of her talent yet though. Not content with such incredible success in multiple spheres, Ms Streisand has written and illustrated with her own photographs: My Passion for Design. In addition to her other talents she has become a connoisseur of Art Nouveau furniture and vintage clothing, and has designed and overseen the construction of a luxurious compound in Malibu. Her design notes are said to show that she brought to her design projects the same intense perfectionism that she brought to her movies, recordings and concerts. She has become an expert on the design periods that she’s passionate about, such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco. (See here.)



Barbra Streisand was born in Brooklyn, New York on 24 April 1942 at 5:08 AM (Astrodatabank).



With four planets, including Sun in Taurus - the Earth sign ruled by Venus planet of music and the arts in general, her gravitation to, and talent for, singing is no surprise. These Taurus planets also reflect a love of art... and worldly security.
A quote credited to her: "I can't stand to see red in my profit-or-loss column. I'm Taurus the bull, so I react to red. If I see it, I sell my stocks quickly."

Midheaven point in Capricorn underlines a good business head - her need for, and talent in, obtaining financial security.

Moon in Leo and Aries rising - without these placements I guarantee the world wouldn't not be nearly as aware of Barbra Streisand as it is, and has been for decades. Leo and Aries add the fire essential for pushing the self into the spotlight and, at times, into areas where others have not yet trod. Saturn conjunct Uranus in Taurus adds a touch of the unexpected and daring to her undeniable Earthy work ethic. Moon in Leo conjunct Pluto puts power into her showmanship and glorying in her place in the limelight. Moon conjunct Pluto in Leo might also be translated as "Diva" - a term often applied to Ms Streisand.

Neptune (creativity) in (perfectionist) Virgo is in harmonious trine to the Saturn/Uranus conjunction describing well Ms Streisand's legendary demand for perfection in all her endeavours.


Similarities between the two charts which might relate to Renaissance-ness:

The Pluto conjunction with a personal planet: Saturn in Peter Weller's case and Moon in Barbra Streisand's. Saturn in Streisand's chart is conjunct an outer planet (Uranus). So as we are looking for similarities in career/work styles Saturn is the planet most related, and in both cases Saturn is conjunct an outer planet, adding significance and another layer of meaning. I don't know for sure, that's my own interpretation - but if I discover more well-known Renaissance people I'll check back!

Hmmm - didn't take long! When looking for something else in my archives I noticed a post from 2008 on Shel Silverstein, who I'd called a Renaissance Man-lite; John Lennon was also mentioned there. At that point I wondered whether Fixed Star Alpheratz/Sirrah conjunct a personal planet might have something to do with Renaissance man-ness. However, looking at the chart for Silverstein I see that he had Pluto conjunct Jupiter and Mars! another Renaissance man-type with personal planet conjunct an outer planet. Lennon had a looser conjunction of Uranus/Saturn/Jupiter in Taurus at 25, 13 and 13 degrees respectively. I don't see Lennon as clearly Renaissance-ish as the others mentioned here though - but he might well have evolved that that way.

Music Monday ~ LENNON & HIS STRAWBERRY FIELDS

This post turned out as something quite different from what I originally intended. I'd decided to write about a musician with Sun in Libra. John Lennon filled the bill, being a name everybody who's likely to read this, now or in the future, would immediately recognise. But everybody and their dogs have already presented a variety of takes on Lennon and his astrology. So, delving deeper, I decided to relate some of his songs to the planetary placements in his natal chart.



This proved to be easy enough - Lennon's output was diverse and prolific. I came up with several songs which match his Sun and Mars in Libra (Give Peace a Chance, Imagine etc.) Moon in Aquarius: Revolution, Mercury in Scorpio Jealous Guy. None of this seemed terribly interesting though. It was when I got to thinking about Venus and Neptune in Virgo that I began to look closely at the lyrics of Strawberry Fields Forever, and wondered exactly what was in John's mind at the time he wrote them. This was where the post took a turn from the route originally intended.

The lyrics of Strawberry Fields had immediately whispered "Neptune"....look:

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low.
That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right, that is I think it's not too bad.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Always, no sometimes, think it's me, but you know I know and it's a dream.
I think I know I mean a 'Yes' but it's all wrong, that is I think I disagree.

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Neptune in John's chart is hooked into a harmonious "circuit" - a Grand Trine involving his natal Moon in the early degrees of Aquarius, with Uranus (the unexpected) and Neptune (the mysterious, nebulous and creative) in the late degrees of Virgo and Taurus. The Grand Trine is classed as "out of sign", I understand, because Moon (inner self) had moved past the Earthy sign of Capricorn, but was still within orb of a linking trine. A whole age-group (including me) had the Uranus/Neptune Earthy trine in their charts, but it isn't always linked to a personal planet, which is what it takes to make it "potent". In my case the trine links to Mercury in Capricorn, in John's to his Aquarius Moon, lending a definite quirk to the otherwise quite sensible and solid Earth Grand Trine. That's why nebulous Neptune plays such a big part in many of John's songs, especially Strawberry Fields.


From my husband's music-related bookshelves came Beatlesongs by William J. Dowlding (1989), I learned that the song was written when John was in Almeria, Spain in the autumn of 1966, while filming How I Won the War. The song was about Liverpool, using real place names for the images they evoked. Strawberry Field was, in fact, a Salvation Army Home, an orphanage, in the neighbourhood where John grew up. He had attended parties there as a child, so the place held pleasant memories.

The book goes on to tell how the song's well-known arrangement came about, as it developed, with George Martin's input, from a sweet nostalgic lyric to "very good heavy rock". It records that in 1970 John claimed that Strawberry Fields was one of only two songs the qualified as "honest" songs (the other being Help!). From an interview quoted in the book:

LENNON: "The awareness apparently trying to be expressed is - let's say in one way I was always hip. I was hip in kindergarten. I was different from the others. I was different all my life. The second verse goes, "No one I think is in my tree". Well, I was too shy and self-doubting. Nobody seems to be as hip as me is what I was saying. therefore I must be crazy or a genius - "I mean it must be high or low", the next line. There was something wrong with me, I thought, because I seemed to see things other people didn't see. I thought I was crazy or an egomaniac for claiming to see things other people didn't see". (Playboy 1981)

Wasn't John so clearly describing Moon in Aquarius there? Wonderful example!

At a website HERE there's a string of comments discussing what fans see as the meaning of Strawberry Fields Forever. It's fascinating to note the different perceptions. One or two clips:

I had always thought the song was about about a suicidal man that was high on something. I thought Strawberry Fields was his "happy place" that he would go while high and that there was nothing to get hung about while there. However upon reading your review I agree that there could be many meanings and that it was left ambiguous on purpose.

*******************

Strawberry Fields truly were the surreal blood-stained fields in Southeast Asia, forever. Isn't it wonderful how Beatles songs have meaning across such a diversity of lives. (Here, taking a meaning implied in the movie Across the Universe).

********************

The Across (the Universe) movie scene was very interesting but I think that, as most of the movie, it ignores the true meaning of the song as written. What most of us oldsters (age 45-56) thought at its release was, it is a comment on the working-class families in England who are so poor, that they spend their mandatory 3-4 week -long vacations in large farms picking berries for extra money, and that much of the "eyes closed" part was of ignorant acceptance or forced acceptance of their poverty and (to U.S. eyes) picking berries is not that uncomfortable. And I don't think this came from a high and mighty academic. But the personal aspect also seems to make a lot of sense as it didn't fit in as well the "let me take you" aspect, and we all know about his childhood garden and climbing across the tree to look at his neighbor's yard... I had thought of the yes and no as "know" and maybe it was about ignorance or drug-induced confusion. Anyway the modern movie, while it is extremely interesting in that scene, really misses the intended meanings of most all the Beatle songs that it uses.

***************

After seeing the movie "Across the Universe". And having discovered there is darkness in every heart. Could the interpetation (that I derived) from a scene in the movie, possibly make easy sense???? Here is what I got :
Living in the time of so much political and world tension (Eg: The US civil rights protests and killings, US involvement in Vietnam) That he was frustrated with the world he saw (Most all would agree there). But here is where I divert: that Stawberry Fields are actually the Bloodstains left on the soil of battlefields after all the violence of the generations. He wishes you to see this? Why?? Along with the fact, that once you're eyes are opened to this darkness they cannot be closed and then you must take initiative to be a part or apart from choices that lead us there. Yes for me it was easy living with eyes closed, until through a series of very diificult situations, I find my self at times confused, and frustrated, and longing for the childhood I once had, along with that innocence I once lost.

So the song has become akin to a piece of abstract art where viewers see many different meanings, often far from what was in the artist's mind. My own explanation of the song (inasmuch as I'd ever tried to understand it 'til now) is linked to childhood memories of my grandmother, mother or aunt taking me to the strawberry fields near our home, with basket in hand, to pick strawberries, which would then be weighed by the field owner, charged for, and taken home to eat with cream. We were allowed to eat as many as we liked while picking, so the pleasant memory is of having the sun on my back and being allowed to find the plumpest reddest fruits and....YUM! "Are we going down to'd strawberry fields today then?" That was a frequently heard question in those long-gone summers - maybe it still is in some areas.

John's own explanation of the lyrics is an almost exact fit for that Grand Trine in his natal chart, linking his feeling of "being different": Moon in Aquarius; Aquarius' ruler, quirky Uranus; and creative Neptune. The interpretations of the song by those who hear it and ponder upon its lyrics link directly to its nebulous Neptunian ingredient.

John Lennon & Jackson Browne

On skimming through Wikipedia's lists of people born during this week in previous years I noticed that John Lennon was born on 9 October. Everybody and their dog has chewed on Lennon's natal chart already, but interestingly, 9th October is also the birthday of Jackson Browne. Also interestingly, Jackson Browne is a political activist, in similar vein to Lennon, and an environmentalist (Wikipedia has details). He lives on a ranch in California, entirely off the power grid, his own wind turbine installed. I suspect Lennon would have been doing something along those lines too, had he lived.









I decided it'd be interesting to compare the charts of Lennon and Browne, they're nowhere near being astrological twins, of course. Browne was born 8 years later than Lennon, and in a different country, though both in Europe. Jackson Browne was born in Germany, son of an American serviceman stationed there. Lennon's time of birth, in Liverpool UK, is still being questioned in some circles; the chart I'm using is set for 6.30pm. We don't know Jackson Browne's time of birth, so comparison of exact Moon positions and ascendants won't be possible, but there's plenty more to compare.









Both Suns are at 16 Libra. Browne's Sun is conjunct Neptune, planet of imagination and creativity. In Lennon's chart Neptune is hooked into a Grand Trine circuit combining Neptune, Uranus and the Moon. So Neptune features strongly in both charts, though in different ways.

Both men have Mercury in intense Scorpio, Browne at 5*, Lennon at 8*.

Both men have Venus in Virgo at 3*.

I find it quite significant that Sun, Mercury and Venus are so closely similar sign and degree-wise, yet the charts are 8 years apart.

Lennon's Moon at 6.30pm was in Aquarius, which does seem to be a good fit for his quirky and socially aware nature. Browne's Moon, whatever his time of birth would be in Capricorn. That's a significant difference personality-wise. Whereas social awareness and activism feature in both men's stories, I'd say that Jackson Browne is a steadier type, and more business oriented, anchored by an Earthy Moon. Although, if Lennon's true time of birth were found to be before noon, his Moon would be in Capricorn too - late Capricorn. I'm convinced Lennon had Aquarius Moon though.

I read through some on-line lists of quotes of Jackson Browne, then some of Lennon's, and found it fascinating that several of Browne's quotes were on the topic of money, whereas Lennon's didn't touch on the subject at all. Capricorn Moon and Aquarius Moon - there's one explanation for the difference!

Jackson Browne's rebellious, socially aware nature links to Uranus (the rebel) at 0* Cancer trining his Mercury in early Scorpio.

Lennon's rebellious Uranus at 25 Taurus, is afflicted by the malefic Fixed Star Algol (a sinister placement, bearing in mind the tragedy which overtook him), and also is linked into the Grand Trine already mentioned.

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.
John Lennon

We have an open society. No one will come and take me away for saying what I am saying. But they don't have to, if they can control how many people hear it. And that's how they do it.
Jackson Browne

JACKSON BROWNE - "Doctor My Eyes"

JOHN LENNON - "Working Class Hero"

Neptunian Songs

Most well-known songs have lyrics with an immediately obvious, non-adaptable meaning, but there are a few oddities which act in a similar way to abstract art, leaving interpretation open to the observer/listener. It's the second kind I'm concentrating on here, calling them Neptunian songs. Neptune is traditionally accepted as planet of mist, fog, imagination, dreams and visions.

Three such songs spring to mind: "Come Together" written by John Lennon; "One" by Bono; and Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale". The lyrics of each are open to several interpretations, shrouded in Neptunian mist, with strange, seemingly out of place references, using words almost as musical notes or vessels of rhythm (which is, I guess, the secondary purpose of words in art).

John Lennon had Neptune conjunct Mars trining Moon and Uranus in his natal chart, which means that Neptune was well-harnessed within his nature; Uranus added a touch (often more than a touch) of obtuseness and intentional nonsense to his lyrics. There have been dozens of theories about the meaning of the peculiar picture painted by his lyrics in "Come Together": drug-related; Jesus-related; Paul was dead; pen- portraits of each of the Beatles; John's dream of seeing himself in a coffin as people filed by to look at him. I prefer the last of those. John said, in interview, that the song is simply "gobbledy-gook". I'm sure it was, up to a point, but I'd guess that it contains some in-jokes and reference known only to the Beatles - "toe jam football", "walrus gum boots", "mojo filter", for instance. Anyway it's a catchy tune with hypnotic rhythm, lyrics are secondary in this abstract painting of a song, "colors" are everything.

Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly
He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker he just do what he please

He wear no shoeshine he got toe-jam football
He got monkey finger he shoot coca-cola
He say "I know you, you know me"
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free
Come together right now over me

He bag production he got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard he one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his armchair you can feel his disease
Come together right now over me

He roller-coaster he got early warning
He got muddy water he one mojo filter
He say "One and one and one is three"
Got to be good-looking 'cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now over me

Bono penned the lyrics of "One". There are a few conflicting ideas about its meaning. In Bono's natal chart foggy Neptune is conjunct Moon and exactly opposite Venus (planet of music and art) and Mercury (planet of writing and communication). Again, as with Lennon, the foggy planet is harnessed to personal planets. It's not surprising that Bono managed to write an abstract painting of a song, whether intentionally or not. Theories about the song's meaning range from: it's a song about the break-up of a relationship (lovers, friends, partners, parents); a conflict between a gay person and their parent; a song about Jesus (why do all lyrics have to be about Jesus for some listeners?) Others assume it's a song about one-ness in the world - a wider view of one-ness than just a self-centered whinge about relationship breaking up. I'd go along with the latter, if it weren't for some references to the contrary.

Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame
You say...

One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it's...

Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One...
Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...life

One

"Whiter Shade of Pale" is so beyond interpretation that it's amazing anyone has even attempted to make sense of it. It is the classic Neptunian song. Unfortunately I'm not aware of its writers' astrology. Literary and historical motifs abound here, suggesting dreamy visions with no hint of logic. Truly, truly Neptunian. I've always loved it.

We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
The crowd called out for more
And the room was hummin' harder
As the ceiling flew away
And when we called outfor another drink
But the waiter brought a tray

And so it was later
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale.

You said: "There is no reason,
And the truth is plain to see."
But I wander through my playin' cards
Would not let him be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might just as well been closed

And so it was later
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale.
A whiter shade of pale
Turned a whiter shade of pale
A whiter shade of pale

By the way, there's a good example of another Neptunian song already discussed on this blog - "Human" written by Brandon Flowers of The Killers. Chat about possible meanings has continued for some time, here and elsewhere.

Man & Star ~ Shel Silverstein & Alpheratz

Here's a fun poem, astrologically suspect, but never mind! It was written by multi-talented Shel Silverstein, about whom more follows.

The Man Who Got No Sign

Well, there was Gemini Jim and Scorpio Sal,
And they were living by the Golden Gate.
Freezing their nose
And wearing leather clothes
And dealing every way but straight.
They had a Leo dog and a Capricorn cat,
And everything was going fine.
Until, into their life,
On a moonless night,
Come the man
Who got no sign.


He roared right in
Like some evil wind
And he rolled himself a righteous smoke.
And as the thunder crashed,
And the lightning flashed
He took a toke
And spoke...
He said he was born in an astrological warp,
When the stars refused to shine.
On the cusp of nowhere and nevermore:
He's the man that got no sign.

So he told a story of an endless search
To find his missing part.
But Scorpio Sal, she just smiled at him, and
Tried to do his chart.
But Pisces Ben, who was Jim's best friend,
Said, "Man...you must be blind.
You better grab your knife,
And take the life
Of that man
What got no sign."

And so, it happened...
And his blood ran...
Soaked the ground...

The arrest was made by Sheriff Slade,
An Aquarius through and through.
But the jailer was a Sagittarius
And he beat Jim black and blue,
And as they dragged him up the courthouse stairs,
They said, "Jim, how do you plead?"
Jim said, "Man, the moon's in Virgo, so
Blame no fault on me!"

Well, the jury all was Libras,
So you know they were more than fair,
But his lawyer was Aries,
And an Aries just don't care.
And the judge, he was a Cancer,
And a Cancer's got no friends.
But the hangman
Was a Taurus,
And that's where
The circle
Ends...

A couple of commenters on my post about John Lennon (7 December) used the term "Renaissance Man" to describe John, due to his varied talents (see also last paragraph of this post).

While Renaissance Men in the true sense of the word (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci) don't exist anymore, some well known individuals exhibit characterisitics of what I'll call Renaissance Man-lite. Shel Silverstein was one of that ilk. Poet, songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books (including "The Giving Tree", "A Light in the Attic", "Where the Sidewalk Ends"). I was surprised to learn that he wrote Johnny Cash's famous song "A Boy Named Sue", and many others recorded by country stars. "The Unicorn", which seems to have gathered the mistaken reputation of being an Irish song, is one of his, as is Marianne Faithfull's "Ballad of Lucy Jordan". His song "Sylvia's Mother" made Dr. Hook, and lead singer Dennis Locarriere internationally famous. There are numerous other examples. He wrote and drew cartoons regularly for Playboy Magazine, illustrated his own books, and other publications.



Shel Silverstein, born 25 September 1930 in Chicago, Illinois. Died in May 1999.



Extract from biography HERE

"A poet who crossed Ogden Nash's playfulness with Mad Magazine irreverence; a cartoonist who jacked up Dr. Seuss style fantasies with Jules Feiffer's neurotic social relevance; and a folk singer who wrote with the taboo-inducing bite of comic Lenny Bruce. Contradictory and difficult, he was a renowned children's author who was reportedly impatient with children, as well as a shy, private man whose work and image portrayed him as a bearded, shaved head attention-seeking extrovert. As a performer, the raspy, grating voice that so brilliantly underscored the nature of his spoken word pieces made him sound like an undisciplined madman when he sang. However, it was as a songwriter where he arguably made his biggest mark on pop culture. "

"Shy and private" connects to that stellium (cluster of 3 planets) in Cancer - it's a hefty dose of the tendency to shyness and need to withdraw which is often found in folks with this sign prominent in their charts. His Mercury in Virgo, one of its own signs, connects strongly to writing ability and a streak of perfectionism.

I'm not going to try to interpret the whole chart, I'm looking mainly for something special which might relate to his particular brand of versatility and Renaissance-lite.

I'm going for this: at the time he was born, Uranus lay conjunct Fixed Star Alpheratz, also known as Sirrah. This was true for anyone born between (approximately) May 1930 to March 1931. This star's ancient interpretation in general is

"Freedom, love of movement, speed, intellectual and can indicate riches and honors. Strong motivation, willfulness and the ability to take action. Well known, before the public and popularity with the masses; fame. Harmonius nature, good for relationships."

When conjunct Uranus, the inventor, technology, the rebel, the genius, change-bringer, catalyst for humour, the star's interpretation has to be blended with Uranian traits. In mid to late 1930 we can pinpoint some good examples of how the blend can manifest, when all other conditions are suitable:

Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins (Buzz Aldrin too, but born a little earlier in January)
Rebellious left-wing British author Harold Pinter
Genius financier Warren Buffet
Computer billionnaire and politician Ross Perot
Another Rennaissance-lite man, Clint Eastwood (actor, director, musician)
and our current subject, Shel Silverstein, quirky and irreverent, socially-relevant Rennaissance-lite man.
James Dean, born February 1931, a rebellious icon if ever there was one, comes into this group too.

I see Shel Silverstein's particular brand of Rennaissance-liteness rooted in the Uranus/Alpheratz conjunction. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Hey! Here's a thought - if John Lennon were to have been born a little earlier than 6.30 pm (which some say he must have been, because it was 6.30 when his aunt reported the event) birth time of 6.20pm would bring his ascendant conjunct Alpheratz at 14 Aries! Hmmm, that's.....spooky!

John Lennon

Tomorrow, 8 December, marks the 28th anniversary of the shooting of John Lennon. My husband's son-in-law, Jeff, is probably the most ardent Lennon fan I've ever met, he's also a journalist. Jeff has written a column about Lennon for two local newspapers this weekend, he is editor in chief of one of them. With his permission I'm using some brief excerpts from his column to illustrate my own, astrological, thoughts on John Lennon.

Jeff's article begins with the thought that the news of Lennon's murder is one of those

"shared dots on the timeline that make such impact we never forget where we were or what we were doing when they occur".

I know those moments well, but sadly John Lennon's death didn't etch itself on my mind in the same way that JFK's murder, or 9/11 did. I wasn't a great fan of the Beatles back then. The only memory I can dredge up, regarding the report of that tragic event, is of wondering why the heck he was in New York, anyway. "He's English - he should be here", I probably grumbled at the TV.

Numerous astrologers have already pondered John Lennon's natal chart, as well as the chart for his time of death. There's not much left for me to add, but Jeff touched on his view of Lennon's personality, and it strikes me that nobody in the past will have written about Lennon in exactly that way, nobody in the past will have commented on his chart in my own peculiar style. So.....

John was born in Liverpool (of course) on 9 October 1940 at, according to his aunt, around 6.30pm. Time of birth is a little foggy, but his aunt said he was born during an air raid, and history records an air raid on Liverpool in the evening of that date, so the alternative times of a morning birth, offered by several writers, are likely inaccurate.



Jeff:

"Lennon was not — and is not — everybody’s cup of Earl Gray. If you believe the hype surrounding The Beatles, Paul was cute, Ringo was funny and George was cerebral. John was the thinker and renegade, who was too edgy for some. He never seemed comfortable in the squeaky-clean, teen idol image Brian Epstein created to sell The Beatles in the early 1960s. There was something rebellious in Lennon’s eyes and slightly smirky grin that was more Marlon Brando and James Dean than Ricky Nelson or Bobby Vee.

John was the first of the Fab Four to break from the script and say what he really thought — and some of his thoughts didn’t sit well on the ears of the establishment of that era.

There’s no doubt Lennon was complex. That was especially true when he was a young man, who could be both gracious and witty, as well as boorish and brooding. That duality was unappealing to some, fascinating to others."

I'm looking for "edgy", "rebellious", "renegade", "complex", "duality - gracious and witty/boorish & brooding".

Edgy, rebellious and renegade: easy. Moon in rebellious Aquarius (3*), trining aggressive Mars in Libra (2*) opposed by intense Pluto in Leo (4*), quincunx a loving Venus in Virgo(3*). That's a lot of scratchiness and belligerent rebellion, hooked up in a net of uncomfortable aspects !

Taking a long view of his chart, Moon in Aquarius stands out, alone in one area the chart, and in House 11, which is Aquarius' own House - the rebellious sign is thus further emphasised.

Yes, John could be gracious too, courtesy of his charming and tactful Libra Sun, powerful for it lay on the descendant angle. Mercury, communication planet, in biting Scorpio, though, was liable to spoil his grace at any moment. His ascendant in impulsive, potentially aggressive Aries added to the public perception of him as something of a loose cannon.

John's musical talent lay in the Taurus planets (Taurus is ruled by Venus, planet of the arts). Here in Taurus, astrologers usually point out the unusual conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, something which happens only once in a decade. With Uranus in the same sign, there's a lot of emphasis here - as well there should be. An eery coincidence is that Jupiter and Saturn formed the same conjunction on the day Lennon died, 40 years later. Another spooky coincidence is that Uranus at 25 Taurus lies conjunct Fixed Star Algol, which had the reputation among ancient astrologers as being "the most malefic star in the skies".

John has the Earth trine that most War Babies (like him and I) have in our charts. His formation links Uranus and Neptune with the Moon, which though not in Earth, is within limits to form a Grand Trine. In this case there's an extra bit of Airy spice in the Earthy mix from Moon in early Aquarius. John, although a rebel, did keep his feet firmly on the ground. He concerned himself with practical matters, worried about war and injustice - this was his version of Earthiness.

"Lennon often used himself as an example of the worst in human nature. It wasn’t always pretty. Cold Turkey and Steel and Glass were raw self-ridicule. On a tune like How Do You Sleep?, a vicious slap at Paul McCartney, we realized John could be arrogant and petty."

There's a Grand Cross in John's chart: four planets 90* from each other forming square aspects, with two oppositions. This represents a character in constant state of tension and challenge. I've seen this configuration in charts of other edgy folk like Bill Maher and Keith Olbermann. In John's chart the planets involved are Moon/Mercury/Pluto and the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction.

"Still, Lennon also became firmly committed to a vision that went beyond himself and included us all, which manifested itself in Imagine. It’s an anthem that in simple, direct phrases crystallizes what I believe is the ultimate goal of the human experience.
As the ’70s faded into the ’80s, the album Watching the Wheels gave us a view of Lennon finally at ease with himself.
What I found most admirable about Lennon was that he evolved; that he grew as a husband, a father, a friend, a man, a human being. He wasn’t content to be the same John at 40 that he’d been at 20, and the world needs such people."

My own view of this is that his Aquarius Moon and Libra Sun, both strong in his chart due to their repsective positions, came to the fore in his maturity, to overcome any negative traits of his youth.
Jeff writes

"The evening of Dec. 8, 1980 became an out-of-body experience. I ended up driving to a bluff overlooking the Wabash River, a place I often went to seek solace and ponder what I couldn’t understand. With John Lennon lying dead on a New York street, I needed solace and pondering.
I stayed there until sunrise, listening to a tape of John’s music, trying to wrap my mind around the idea that this man, who represented individual growth and human goodness, was dead at age 40."

We'll never know whether John Lennon's death was fated or inevitable. I do find it spooky that his murder occurred when Jupiter and Saturn formed that once in a decade conjunction which was in the sky at his birth.

Nowadays, I fully appreciate John's worth both in music and in his dedication to the cause of peace in the world.

Here's one of John's songs I've never heard before "Crippled Inside", giving a rare(for him) nod to toe-tapping country music rhythms, but still with his trademark message.



AND

Loudon WainwrightIII sings his tribute, "NOT JOHN"

George Michael, and John Lennon's piano

"The piano on which John Lennon composed "Imagine," his famous ode to peace and healing, is on a yearlong magical mystery tour of the U.S. with a macabre twist.
The nutmeg-colored Steinway upright, believed to have been in Mr. Lennon's country home in Ascot, England, is crisscrossing the country to show up at some of the nation's most horrific sites of violence, death and destruction........British pop singer George Michael and his longtime partner, Kenny Goss, a Dallas gallery owner, are the force behind the tour."
Full article by Ann Zimmermen at Wall Street Journal on-line HERE.

I've always enjoyed George's singing. I especially like a CD of his called "Songs From the Last Century". It's been necessary to turn a blind eye to his unwise carryings-on, he has been caught in flagrante, in the glare of publicity, on more than one occasion. He hasn't harmed anybody but himself, after all, but I do feel like giving him a little slap for so injuring his reputation.

George Michael was born 25 June 1963 either in London or Bushey, Hertfordshire, UK (not far between them).

This latest news story shows George's softer, more caring side, I think. Cancer Sun and three planets in Virgo probably help to balance that other, wild side of his. Natal Moon would be in Leo, unless he was born after 11pm. Mercury and Venus conjoin in Gemini.

There are two Yods in this chart, which I suspect are quite significant, and seem be connected, complementary even.(I've drawn them in on the chart below). One has the sextile between Neptune and Mars, pointing, via inconjunct aspects to Jupiter in dynamic Aries. The other with sextile between Mercury/Venus in Gemini, and Jupiter in Aries, inconjunt the apex of the Yod at Neptune in sexy Scorpio.



Without an accurate time of birth we can't know into which house the apex of these Yods fall, but the planets and signs involved relate to communication, publication/exaggeration, energy, love, imagination, maybe some kind of addiction (Neptune). Neptune and Jupiter feature in both formations.

Astrologer Bob Marks on his website (HERE) has this to say about Yod configurations:

The “energy” of the two planets making the sextile seems directed to the house and sign containing that third planet. The effect of a Yod is said to be “fated” or show some special destiny. Oh sure, it sounds really impressive when you tell a client “Hey, you have a special destiny!” However, that’s nothing more than a “Barnum statement” and really says nothing. All that is really going on is an emphasis on one particular area of the life. Nonetheless, this focus frequently seems driven, compelling.

It seems to me that George Michael has a compulsion related to sex (Neptune in Scorpio), which has, on more than one occasion become public(Jupiter)....are these Yods the key, I wonder?