LIBRA Considered

 Libra by David Palladini

In his book, Astrology published 1964, Louis MacNeice, not an astrologer, but a poet and scholar, gathered together much of interest from a variety of sources, ancient and modern. On zodiac sign Libra, through which the Sun now travels, he wrote the paragraphs below, quoting from a variety of professional astrologers. This extract was not copied and pasted from elsewhere, but copy-typed by my own fair fingers; illustrations added by me.

NOTE: Mr MacNeice uses "he" rather than my preference, he/she, and his seeming separation of male and female Libra-types, in the last paragraph, could be seen as unnecessary these days.

Libra the Scales
A cardinal airy sign, ruled by Venus. One would not expect to find Venus as Libra's ruler (it has little in common with the other Venusian sign, Taurus) but Venus, as we saw in the last chapter, sands for harmony so can promote a proper balance not only between persons but also within an individual. So the Libra type is easy to get on with, being diplomatic, gentle and tolerant. Tucker comments that this type has "many of the traits common to the Chinese race." (This was before China went Red.) Being the other equinoctial sign, Libra is the opposite number to Aries, and we could well imagine that it might do Aries some good. But this is contrary to the opinion of most astrologers who think that any two signs 180 degrees apart must be opposed to each other in every sense, just as planets are when in "opposition." There are, however, a minority who think that such opposed signs would naturally complement each other, and certainly the signs of the spring and autumn equinoxes would seem to be a case in point.

Note that Libra is the only one of the signs that is inorganic; thus it seems quite fitting that Varley summarizes its "elementary notions" as follows: "Libra, independently of its appearing in the world's horoscope, to mediate the Zodiac horizontally, and to balance, as it were, the sign of Aries, has been found to signify straight lines and regular buildings, and the sublime uninterrupted horizon line of the sea; it represents also the blue color of the sky and the distances." We might add, thinking of this blue seascape, that Venus who rules Libra is more the Venus Anadyomene of Botticelli than the sensual goddess who prompted the Wife of Bath.

The picture that emerges of the Libra person is a sociable, cultured, and courteous person, perhaps only too pleased to sparkle in embassies. He seems to be humanist, empiricist, and eclectic, and almost entirely lacking in aggression. He would do most things for peace and finds it very difficult to say no. Perhaps his chief virtue is that he can see both sides of a question; his chief failing that he is too easily influenced. As for the Libra woman, she is extremely soigné:. Barbault includes among Libra types Erasmus, Katherine Mansfield, Gandhi the apostle of non-violence, and, as its typical painters, Boucher and Watteau. Libra could hardly frighten anyone. We now move on to a sign that has long had a sinister reputation.

Astrologers mentioned:
André Barbault
John Varley
WJ Tucker

"Libra could hardly frighten anyone"?

Louis MacNeice hadn't met my mother!

Fixed Stars in Libra (a few noticed in natal charts)

Libra is next in the series of monthly posts on Fixed Stars in each tropical zodiac sign.

Data comes from Astroweb (HERE), showing star positions in 1900 in the left-hand column and in 2000 on the right.

Astrological interpretations for most of those stars, if found to be tightly conjunct a natal personal planet, or important point, are available online. A good, all-encompassing website to investigate for this is Constellation of Words.

Chosen stars to feature further this month are three I've noted during research for past blog posts: Arcturus, Algorab and Vindemiatrix.

Arcturus came up in a post here:

SNIP:

In The Best of the Illustrated National Astrological Journal 1933-1935,... there's an article by Stuart Holmes titled Arcturus and Artists, sub-heading: Golden Star Found Consistently Recurrent in the Horoscopes of the World's Greatest Artists.......The article states that the author's research (or perhaps that of his astrologer wife?) has shown that aspects to Fixed Star Arcturus feature strongly in the natal charts of many artists. He names Michelangelo, Dore, Lord Leighton, Millet, Rops, Burne-Jones, Watts, Winslow Homer, Durer, Holbein, Ingres, Delacroix, Bouguereau, Blake, Boucher, Gauguin and Cezanne as all having strong aspects to Arcturus "but principally the ruler conjoined with it".

He goes on in more detail about various painters and sculptors and how configurations in their natal charts match their chosen styles. He ends the piece: "One of the strangest factors in these charts of great artists is the fact that Venus, the ruler of art and all beauty, is always square to some zodiacal body".

At the time the article was published, in the early 1930s, and as stated therein, Arcturus was at 23 Libra. By 2010 the Fixed Star had moved, very, very slowly to 24.22 Libra. A piece online, by Rob Tillett: Fixed Stars, allocates Arcturus the keywords:

Inspiration, riches, fame, honour, popularity, benefits through travel. Success through work. Effect: Very Fortunate. Character: Jupiter/ Mars.

Vindemiatrix and Algorab are mentioned in posts here and here

SNIPS

Salient points have been pointed out in the linked articles above, but two things stand out for me: the fact that his [Rick Perry's] Mars and south node of Moon conjoin Fixed Star Vindemiatrix.
From Skyscript:

Vindemiatrix, which Ptolemy defined as like Saturn and Mercury, and referred to as 'the bright star in the northern wing', is the third brightest star of the constellation, being less brilliant now than it was in Ptolemy's day. The name is a feminised Latin deviation of the original Greek name, Provindemiator, meaning 'the Grape Gatherer', since the heliacal rising of this star announced the time to pick the grapes.... Although symbolically associated with a time of harvest and thus, one would assume, associated with the rewards of previous efforts, it is generally accorded an unfortunate influence in keeping with its predominantly Saturnine nature. Robson claims that it gives falsity, disgrace, stealing, wanton folly.......

I'm generally wary of Fixed star interpretations, but do feel it's important to note them in cases such as this, where we might glean additional information as to their significance from watching how things unfold.

From the second link -

DANG! Another triple Libran [Lenny Bruce] who goes against the grain. Nazi horror-monger Irma Grese struck me this way too - I blogged about her here. A few more charts like these and I shall start doubting traditional interpretations of Libra as the most diplomatic, tactful, indecisive sign of the zodiac. The dark underbelly of Libra is definitely not pretty. The thought led me to a little more research and this is what I discovered:

Lenny Bruce's natal Mars at 9 Libra is conjunct Fixed Star Vindemiatrix designated unfortunate or malefic by ancient astrologers. His natal Saturn is within minutes of arc of Fixed Star South Scale in Scorpio - another malefic, very unfortunate star.

Irma Grese was born with Sun conjunct Algorab ("One who is destructive, malevolent, fiendish and lying")

Lesson learned: it's worth checking whether Fixed Stars are close to personal planets if things seem discordant with accepted astrological interpretation, especially in the case of Libra Sun people who are supposed to be, in the main, mild mannered, sweet, ruled by Venus.

Something else springs to mind too - Via Combusta, The Burning Road, spans 15 Libra to 15 Scorpio, which takes in Bruce's Sun, Mercury and Saturn. I puzzled over Via Combusta here. .......... Curiouser and curiouser.

In my own natal chart Libra is devoid of planets, so I've no personal experience to add.

Airy Ideas: Gemini etc.

By David Palladini

We're into Airy Gemini times once again. There are a few posts on Gemini stashed in the archive, accessible by clicking on "Gemini" in the label cloud in the sidebar. Apart from what's written in those posts, what more to say?

Louis MacNeice, in his book titled simply, Astrology, writes:

"All astrologers agree that the Gemini type enjoys argument; after all this comes naturally to a double man, born under a double sign.
[André] Barbault stresses this "bipolarity" and points out that Gemini rules the lungs with their double process of breathing in and breathing out. He adds that if Aries symbolizes the original fire at the source of life, and Taurus the condensation of this life in a material form (as it were, an egg) it is when the process arrives at the stage of Gemini that this egg is polarized and we meet the differentiation into the masculine and feminine principles."

Carrying the idea of a process of development through the signs, one could assess development of the zodiac's three mentally-oriented Air signs, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius in that way. Gemini could be seen as youthful Air - an impulsive, exuberant and flexible mentality. Libra, having learned a few lessons during the onward journey, matures to emerge in a more careful, deeply thoughtful state of mind. Aquarius has matured still further, to become more determined and stringently analytical and logical - in some ways mirroring its traditional ruler, Saturn.

So... the light gusty, playful winds of springtime Air, become the sweet, warm languid breezes of late summer, then finally, the more demanding chill winds of winter.

Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson, in Here and There in Astrology, wrote this:

In Air Signs, the Sun develops the individuality through logic, reason and keen insight into basic or underlying principles. It is therefore the most impersonal approach to the most personal development. In Libra, judiciously and calmly, sure of the laws and regulations he leans upon; in Gemini, with an open and inquiring mind, probing for what is factual; and in Aquarius, by depending on universal principles that he knows can ultimately be proven scientifically: an individuality at once remarkably human and godlike.

Back to Gemini!
Liz Greene, in her Mythic Astrology:

"Gemini is a fascinating sign, it presents a profound insight into life's diversity. In Gemini's world no truth is the whole truth, and nothing exists without its opposite...........For those with a strongly Geminian nature, there is often a sense of being several different people. Walt Whitman, the 19th century American poet, was born with Sun in Gemini, and wrote that he contained "multitudes".

Not Yer Textbook Libra-type!

 Libra by Erté

Yesterday's post touching on Germany and World War II, as well as an exchange with commenter LB the other day about Sun signs, Moon signs etc. and astrological recognition factors in general, reminded me of a post I wrote years ago, in October 2008 to be exact. It has gathered a nice pile of views over the years, 10,646 at last count:

A Libran Exception: Irma Grese

There are some comments there too, including rather cool (not "cool") responses to one visitor.

Maybe current, 2014, visitors or commenters might have something to add, here, on the topic, either astrologically or in general?

VENUS PEOPLE

A little astrology as a change from politics today. The Sun will remain in Venus-ruled Libra for a few more days, Venus rules art and this is Arty-Farty Friday... here's an edited version of an old post of mine:

 Venus at Cardiff Castle, Wales, with symbols of Libra

  & Taurus

People with Libra or Taurus strongly placed in their natal charts could be termed Venus people. 20th century astrologer, Carl Payne Tobey, compared such Venus people in his "Astrology Primer for the Millions". His assessments help us to see that although there are big differences between the two signs there are, sometimes, at their core, subtle similarities flowing from their traditional ruler. His words refer not only to those with Sun in Taurus or Libra, but anyone with natal Moon or several planets there, or with one of those signs on the ascendant. In my opinion, even if only Venus and/or Mercury are in Taurus or Libra in a natal chart, there will be quite a noticeable slice of the relevant sign contained in the personality. Also, if the ruler of one's Sun lies in one of these signs, some of Mr. Tobey's remarks will be likely to apply.

One thing I did find puzzling was that Mr Tobey considers that Libra lacks initiative, it's mentioned in various places in this piece. Most (or all) sources tell us that the cardinal signs (Libra is one of the four) are the initiators. I kind of understand what he's saying, but there might have been a better way to express it.

Below are some details from Carl Payne Tobey's book, with a few remarks from me.

Taurus and Libra are usually friendly and perhaps lethargic signs. They are strongly attracted to the opposite sex but are not particularly aggressive about it. They are more inclined to let things come to them. They prefer to attract people to themselves than run after them. Yet here we have some very romantic people. They react more than they initiate. (Note from me - that's odd, Libra being Cardinal sign). .......

These are not what we could call the nervous types, particularly Taurus is not. In fact it can be stoic. Neither sign is too easily aroused. They are more inclined to take things in their stride........they are much more calm than other signs. They appear more easily satisfied.

For all of this, and for all of these similarities, they are opposites in many respects.

Taurus is more material. It comes into the world to think of and deal with material things, but under certain conditions is capable of great transformations. It likes the land and likes it in big quantities.........Great wealth is often connected with this sign. These people often build up great power of one kind or another. They enjoy possessing great power, even if they never use it. Hitler was a Taurean.......we had a breakthrough of a Taurean into the metaphysical in Shakespeare. In the entertainment world Bing Crosby. (Note from me - the author is of a different era, so most of his examples are not very useful in today's world - I've omitted those which now seem obscure).

Taurean women, for the most part are inclined to be settled. They can get pretty attached to their homes and families. They can be steadying influences upon their husbands. They will enjoy entertaining at home, but they like good homes in which to entertain. (Note from me: we have to forgive Mr Tobey for his somewhat sexist outlook, he lived in a different era from ours).

Libra isn't so attached to material things above what they may need for comfort. They like nice things and appreciate quality. They would prefer to do their entertaining in a small way, with a select group of friends. They are less impressed by bigness. They don't concentrate on one thing the way a Taurean will. There is stubbornness in Taurus, but this is rare in Libra. When enthused, Taurus has a one-track mind, one object upon which it concentrates......Libra is not like that. It weighs both sides of any subject. It knows when something is off balance.

Except when the ruling planet, Venus, is in Scorpio, Libra can be a very just sign. It doesn't want to hurt anybody. There is a considerable difference in that Taurus believes in its own power even though it is a cautious sign, while Libra lacks self-confidence. You have to convince Libra how good it is. Try to tell Libra how good it is and it will appreciate it but probably won't believe it. Nevertheless the sign will feel good because you said so.

Too few Libra people develop their talents properly because of the lack of self-confidence. There is often good musical or artistic ability which is not developed. The sign likes all flattery even if it doesn't believe it.........there is an ability to understand abstract design, with the result that Libra can become a masterful mathematician, if the fear of mathematics as a subject is overcome.

It is apt to flatter Libra to be desired sexually, and the sign can be very affectionate.

While Taurus can be sluggish until it gets started or gets up its momentum, Libra is inclined to be lazy. The women enjoy sweets. (Note from me: I bet the men do too!) And if contentedly married they can become compulsive eaters. Then weight becomes a problem. Doctors investigating the subject find more Libra women afflicted with obesity than any other sign. They need a new interest of some kind to make them forget food and sweets. (Note from me:Oh, Mr Tobey - do I detect male chauvinism?)


With Libra the kidneys can be a weak spot, while with Taurus it is the throat.

Libra doesn't usually have the staying power of Taurus. ........Neither of these signs can ordinarily be called impulsive. They don't usually take the initiative (Note from me: even though Libra is a Cardinal sign?)......Yet many of the greatest military men have been born under these signs. They are not warriors. They do not want to fight, but if somebody is going to fight, they'll be likely to withdraw until they develop or assemble sufficient strength to win. U.S. Grant was a Taurean. (From me: Eisenhower was a Libran).

It is more difficult for Taurus to break away from the hereditary factor than for Libra to do so. There is basic family loyalty in Taurus, but if Libra doesn't like its relatives, it will look elsewhere for friends to take the place of relatives. It may show more interest in strangers than Taurus.....................

Neither of these signs can be considered as aggressive, nor can we call them ambitious signs. The Taureans who are ready to push themselves almost invariably have planets in Aries also (like Hitler), while Librans who will push themselves seem to have planets in Scorpio (Note from me: think Dennis Kucinich). Otherwise that push isn't there. Vitality and ambition are lacking.

These are not ordinarily to be considered signs of self-interest. They will usually step aside for others. It isn't in their nature to step on other people's toes. If they don't like a person, they will stay away from that person. They won't annoy him. When they can have harmonious associations they will be very cooperative. They are slow to anger, but don't push them too far. Particularly Taurus can be extremely violent if pushed too far.

When we come to the Mars-ruled combination of Aries and Scorpio you will see a marked difference in basic character structure. (From me: that'll be for another time!)

Venus photograph from Wikipedia.

KUCINICH - FOX ??

Dennis Kucinich's 16-year stint in Congress ended this month. I was surprised to read, last week, of his engagement as a regular contributor at Fox News.

I've been a fan of Mr Kucinich for as long as I've been in the USA. It was partly due to the despicable way he was treated by his own party the Democrats, and the media, that I decided not to register as a Democrat, but as Independent back in 2008.

20 posts featuring Kucinich dated from 2006 to 2012 are accessible via the Label Cloud in the sidebar, the most recent of them, including his natal chart, is HERE.

I wondered which way DK might go once free of congressional duties and loyalties. Fox News though? That would have been right at the bottom of my list of possibilities! Still, what would be the use of his singing to the choir, even given the chance? The Democrats, if they'd bother to listen - most wouldn't - cannot bear to hear and acknowledge the truth. They prefer to ridicule and denigrate, even the best of 'em, I'm sad to say.

There's a strong possibility Kucinich will be shouted down at every turn in every discussion, but then again it may not be as easy as the Fox gang suspect. DK is a seasoned national campaigner. He will not be content to be "token liberal" du jour, another Alan Colmes. Colmes and Kucinich are both diplomatic Libra Suns, as it happens, but, and it's a big but, Dennis Kucinich has heavy Scorpio back-up, as I mentioned in this 2006 post Scorpio's Iron Hand in Libra's Velvet Glove.

Some suspect that the Fox people will be hoping to see Kucinich attack President Obama, as they do themselves, but from the left. Ironically, this is truly what's needed - but not on Fox! The more I think about it the more screwed-up it all becomes. To keep my wayward blood pressure steady I stopped watching political talking heads on TV long ago. I'll not have the stomach to watch Fox, but will hope to read of DK's adventures there. Perhaps he might even get his own show - eventually - now that would be worth watching!

THE VENUS-RULED SIGNS ~ Libra & Taurus

Libra and Taurus, the "Venus people", were compared by 20th century astrologer, Carl Payne Tobey in his Astrology Primer for the Millions (1965). His assessments of zodiac signs with the same planetary ruler help us see that, although there are big differences between the two signs, there is some similarity at their core, flowing from their common traditional ruler.

We should bear in mind that Mr Tobey's words refer not only to those with Sun in Taurus or Libra, but anyone with natal Moon or several planets in those signs, or with Taurus or Libra rising. If the ruler of one's Sun lies in one of these signs, some of Mr. Tobey's remarks will be quite likely to apply.

One thing I find puzzling is that Mr Tobey considers Libra to be lacking in initiative, as mentioned in various places in this piece. Astrological sources always indicate that the cardinal signs, of which Libra is one, are the initiators. I kind of understand what he's getting at, but there might have been a better way to express it.

So, here are some details from Carl Payne Tobey's book, with a few remarks from me, in red.

Taurus and Libra are usually friendly and perhaps lethargic signs. They are strongly attracted to the opposite sex but are not particularly aggressive about it. They are more inclined to let things come to them. They prefer to attract people to themselves than run after them. Yet here we have some very romantic people. They react more than they initiate (note from me - that's odd, Libra being Cardinal sign). .......

These are not what we could call the nervous types, particularly Taurus is not. In fact it can be stoic. Neither sign is too easily aroused. They are more inclined to take things in their stride........they are much more calm than other signs. They appear more easily satisfied.

For all of this, and for all of these similarities, they are opposites in many respects.

Taurus is more material. It comes into the world to think of and deal with material things, but under certain conditions is capable of great transformations. It likes the land and likes it in big quantities.........Great wealth is often connected with this sign. These people often build up great power of one kind or another. They enjoy possessing great power, even if they never use it. Hitler was a Taurean.......we had a breakthrough of a Taurean into the metaphysical in Shakespeare. In the entertainment world Bing Crosby (note from me - the author is of a different era, so most of his examples are not very useful in today's world - I've omitted those which now seem obscure).

Taurean women, for the most part are inclined to be settled. They can get pretty attached to their homes and families. They can be steadying influences upon their husbands. They will enjoy entertaining at home, but they like good homes in which to entertain. (We have to forgive Mr Tobey for his somewhat sexist outlook, he lived in a different era from us).

Libra isn't so attached to material things above what they may need for comfort. They like nice things and appreciate quality. They would prefer to do their entertaining in a small way, with a select group of friends. They are less impressed by bigness. They don't concentrate on one thing the way a Taurean will. There is stubbornness in Taurus, but this is rare in Libra. When enthused, Taurus has a one-track mind, one object upon which it concentrates......Libra is not like that. It weighs both sides of any subject. It knows when something is off balance.


Except when the ruling planet, Venus, is in Scorpio, Libra can be a very just sign. It doesn't want to hurt anybody. There is a considerable difference in that Taurus believes in its own power even though it is a cautious sign, while Libra lacks self-confidence. You have to convince Libra how good it is. Try to tell Libra how good it is and it will appreciate it but probably won't believe it. Nevertheless the sign will feel good because you said so.

Too few Libra people develop their talents properly because of the lack of self-confidence. There is often good musical or artisitic ability which is not developed. The sign likes all flattery even if it doesn't believe it.........there is an ability to understand abstract design, with the result that Libra can become a masterful mathematician, if the fear of mathematics as a subject is overcome.

It is apt to flatter Libra to be desired sexually, and the sign can be very affectionate.

While Taurus can be sluggish until it gets started or gets up its momentum, Libra is inclined to be lazy. The women enjoy sweets (note from me - I bet the men do too!) and if contentedly married they can become compulsive eaters. Then weight becomes a problem. Doctors investigating the subject find more Libra women afflicted with obesity than any other sign. They need a new interest of some kind to make them forget food and sweets (Oh, Mr Tobey - do I detect male chauvinism?).

With Libra the kidneys can be a weak spot, while with Taurus it is the throat.

Libra doesn't usually have the staying power of Taurus. ........Neither of these signs can ordinarily be called impulsive. They don't usually take the initiative (- even though Libra is a Cardinal sign?)......Yet many of the greatest military men have been born under these signs. They are not warriors. They do not want to fight, but if somebody is going to fight, they'll be likely to withdraw until they develop or assemble sufficient strength to win. U.S. Grant was a Taurean. (From me: Eisenhower was a Libran).

It is more difficult for Taurus to break away from the hereditary factor than for Libra to do so. There is basic family loyaly in Taurus, but if Libra doesn't like its relatives, it will look elsewhere for friends to take the place of relatives. It may show more interest in strangers than Taurus.....................

Neither of these signs can be considered as aggressive, nor can we call them ambitious signs. The Taureans who are ready to push themselves almost invariably have planets in Aries also (like Hitler), while Librans who will push themselves seem to have planets in Scorpio. Otherwise that push isn't there. Vitality and ambition are lacking.

These are not ordinarily to be considered signs of self-interest. They will usually step aside for others. It isn't in their nature to step on other people's toes. If they don't like a person, they will stay away from that person. They won't annoy him. When they can have harmonious associations they will be very cooperative. They are slow to anger, but don't push them too far. Particularly Taurus can be extremely violent if pushed too far.

Arty Farty Friday ~ George Ault: Depressed, Obsessed, Alcoholic, Dogged by Misfortune

George Ault, a good-looking fellow, as befits Sun, Mercury and Venus in Libra - but he was an artist who could be said to have "painted his depression".

Born into privilege, on 11 October 1891. His parents were wealthy business people who moved from Cleveland, Ohio to London, England when George was young. He had the benefit of a good art education at Slade School of Art and St. John's Wood School of Art. He returned to the United States in 1911. His benign beginnings turned to tragedy, however. His mother died in a mental institution; his three brothers all killed themselves, two of them after losing the family fortune in the stock market crash. By the time his father died his family's fortunes were gone. Ault spent the last 10 years of his life broke and totally dependent on his wife in an artists’ colony in Woodstock, New York, in a tiny rented house with no electricity or indoor plumbing.

Ault seems to have been something of an obsessive, needing order in everything. In his wife's writings (see first link at end of post) she tells that:

Both studio and house needed to be perfectly clean before he could sit down at his easel. Ault would do the chores himself, Louise recalled, shining the small house each morning to its “permanent brilliance” before starting to paint. Outside, Ault “knelt with grass-shears and trimmed on either side of the path, close and neatly, cutting back the wildness to leave a park-like strip,”

When he didn’t paint, he drank, agonized over the Nazi occupation of Paris, and painstakingly arranged and rearranged his personal library. In 1948, a few days after Christmas, Ault joined his brothers. He fell into the icy waters of Woodstock Creek. His body was recovered five days later.

George Ault's depression can be felt in the darkness of many of his later paintings. Neurotic, alcoholic and reclusive, avoided by former friends, who had no doubt been put off by his alarming behaviour. He seldom included people in his paintings, though not due to lack of skill in that direction. A couple of his sketches demonstrate that he was well capable of figure drawing. I suppose, in his depression and alcoholism, having become alienated from his fellows, he had little wish to spare any space on his canvas for them.

Ault's paintings of the 1940s have a distinctive style, not quite surreal, yet not quite realistic. Flat colours, straight lines and sharp angles dominate, with some rather odd perspectives.

Will his depression and obsessions show in his natal chart, I wonder? I have my doubts. His state of mind was mainly brought about by events over which he had no control: his mother's slip into mental instability and death, World War 2, financial ruin of his family, suicide of three siblings. The guy's life was plagued by misfortune!

Let's see: born 11 October 1891 in Cleveland, Ohio. A 12 noon chart will have to suffice as I can find no birth time for him. Rising sign will not be as shown, and Moon, if he was born around or after 5pm would have been in Aquarius rather than Capricorn.



His draw to artistry is easy to find - Libra is ruled by Venus, planet of the arts, and here we have Venus in its own home sign along with his Sun (self) and Mercury (mental orientation). His obsessive need for order? I'd bet that can be laid at the astrological doorstep of Mars tightly conjunct Saturn in Virgo. Virgo is the sign of perfection, Saturn the planet of discipline, with Mars energising an urge for costant order. It's a pity his time of birth isn't known, so's to establish Moon's exact position. If around the 20s of Capricorn, Moon would be in harmonious trine with the Mars/Saturn in Virgo conjunction, strengthening those traits of perfectionism and need for order even further in his nature.

There's another tight conjunction: Pluto/Neptune in Gemini. This one is generational, shared by many well-known and iconic artists and communicators. In Ault's case an harmonious trine to Mercury in Libra gives the conjunction's powerful creativity extra significance.

I don't see any clear pointer towards his depressive state, beyond that indication of a constant reaching for order in everything. Perhaps his rising sign might offer a pointer. If Gemini were rising or in first house, for instance, then the Pluto/Neptune conjunction of potentially powerful creativity might manifest a shadow side: an obsessive addictive personality. Or, perhaps the simple answer would be that his tragic life experiences overwhelmed all - even his natal chart.


January Full Moon




Black Night at Russell's Corners (in Woodstock, close to his home there. Ault painted 5 variations of this scene, another below).



Bright Light at Russell's Corners



Sullivan Street, Abstraction


Brooklyn Heights



View From Brooklyn





Memories of the Coast of France



Old House, New Moon



Studio Interior



Anne



Untitled. Seated Female Figure.




SEE ALSO:
http://www.themagazineantiques.com/articles/george-ault-and-1940s-america/

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/40628/to-make-a-world-george-ault-and-1940s-america-reviewed)

ZODIAC SIGN LIBRA

The Sun moved into zodiac sign Libra at the weekend, and will traverse through the sign until 23 October (in other years, give or take a day at either end of the span).

Here's another relevant excerpt from UK astrologer Ingrid Lind's long out-of-print little book Astrology and Commonsense(1962).

LIBRA
Quality: Cardinal
Element: Air
Ruler: Venus

This is the second Air sign, but it by no means echoes the uncomplicated Geminian intellectuality. One has only to look at the contradictory make-up of this sign to understand why. The ruling planet is Venus, and this at once brings a feminine softness with a feeling for harmony and co-operation. In Taurus (the other Venus-ruled sign) the expression of this was primitive in man-woman relationship, but in Libra it has grown into active conceptivity. Moreover it must not be forgotten that Libra is positive, not a negative sign; thus, in following the gradual development of man through the signs, it would perhaps not be too far-fetched to suggest that whereas in Leo he had leisure to enjoy luxury and admiration, in Libra he has now learned to value refinement and intellect. Art and beauty take their place in the scheme of things not merely in nature, in the form of a lovely woman, but in things of the mind. Just as woman in Virgo has learned to be free of man through mental independence, so man in Libra finds beauty elsewhere than in physical form. This general refinement of mind develops in all forms of social graces; diplomacy is possible through the combination of Cardinality (need for action), Venus (harmony and co-operation) and Air (communication and iltellectuality). It is easy to see why Libra is the diplomat rather than Aries, in which action, fire and initiative are undiluted.

Men and women with Libra strongly placed in their chart will reflect all this in their appearance, in good looks of the Grecian type, a ready smile and suave, conciliatory manner. It is typical of Venus to look for points of agreement (Mars will find differences); and it is this active gentleness that is part of Libran charm.


Libran Qualities
Refinement of intellect
Diplomacy and tact
Artistry
Instinct for partnership
Gentleness
Affection and talent for love
Ability to see both sides.

Libran Faults
Over-nicety
Easy-going or degenerate
Liking for the pretty-pretty
Over-reliance on partner
Laziness
Languorous indolence
Inability to decide.

Other posts about Libra and Libra-types can be accessed by clicking on "Libra" in the Label Cloud in the sidebar.

Idealism & Perfectionism

Opening C.E.O. Carter's Encyclopaedia of Psychological Astrology at random, I landed on paragraphs headed "Idealistic Temperament", content includes:

"The idealistic temperament has least affinity with Saturn and the earthy element, and most with the fiery (especially Sagittarius) and with Libra and Aquarius. At the same time idealism cannot be limited to one type, nor can we say that any sign invariably produces it. ...."

Nothing to argue with there!

But this surprised me:

"Possibly Virgo and Taurus are the least idealistic and most matter-of-fact, but exceptions can undoubtedly be found even under them........"

Virgo-types, I'd have though were likely to strive for the ideal.....or is their tendency to perfectionism something different... don't perfectionists aim for THE ideal, as opposed to AN ideal?

Thinks.....

Perfectionism relates to practical matters rather than airy fairy philosophical ideas and ideals. So yes, while some Virgo-types could possibly be both perfectionists and idealists, that is not likely to be found in the majority of cases. Meticulousness, practicality and attention to detail are commonly associated with Virgo, and all are ingredients of perfectionism.



Conversely, while Sagittarius-types, Libra-types and Aquarius-types could be both idealists and perfectionists - it's not going to be the norm for them. They tend to live in their minds, or within their philosophies of life and visions of an often unrealistic, ideal, world.





As always, when investigating a particular facet of personality, the whole chart has to be taken into consideration. In the case of idealists especially, the position of Neptune merits close attention. That planet's reputation for casting illusions could contribute much to idealistic visions.

Lenny - An Un-Libran Libran

Some people born with Sun in Libra are not all that a Libra-type is cracked up to be. Here's a re-airing of a post from Fall 2008, along with highlights from comments received back then. The featured comedian seems to have had all the traits Libra-types are NOT supposed to display. This doesn't "disprove" astrology, however, actually it underlines the fact I keep nattering about each month: you cannot judge a guy or a gal by their Sun signs, you absolutely must look deeper.

LENNY BRUCE

I'm one of very few people this side of the Atlantic who doesn't think Lenny Bruce was iconic, wonderful, great, funny. Maybe it's one of those situations where "you had to be there", you had to know how it was before him, then how things changed after him. Perhaps, in context, his input to the world of comedy has some value in the history of entertainment and communication. "Saviour of the First Amendment", some call him - for the uninitiated, this relates to freedom of speech. I don't get it! The mildest of profanity, or rude word is routinely blanked out during TV shows on most channels. Someone says "fuck" and not only is the sound eliminated, but the pixels surrounding the speaker's mouth disintegrate, so the delicate sensitivities of the audience are not upset by a little lip-reading. So what did Lenny Bruce achieve?

There's a vein of prudery in America which doesn't exist in Britain to anywhere near the same extent. Perhaps that's why I see Lenny Bruce as a pain in the arse (been there, seen that, didn't want the T-shirt) while many Americans idolise him as some kind of revolutionary icon.

Here's Lenny Bruce's natal chart. Born 13 October 1925, Mineola NY, at 11.24 am.



DANG! Another triple Libran who goes against the grain (Nazi horror-monger Irma Grese struck me this way too - I blogged about her here. A few more charts like these and I shall start doubting traditional interpretations of Libra as the most diplomatic, tactful, indecisive sign of the zodiac. The dark underbelly of Libra is definitely not pretty. The thought led me to a little more research and this is what I discovered:

Lenny Bruce's natal Mars at 9 Libra is conjunct Fixed Star Vindemiatrix designated unfortunate or malefic by ancient astrologers. His natal Saturn is within minutes of arc of Fixed Star South Scale in Scorpio - another malefic, very unfortunate star.

Irma Grese was born with Sun conjunct Algorab ("One who is destructive, malevolent, fiendish and lying")

There are several websites with information on Fixed Stars, I used this one.

Lesson learned: it's worth checking whether Fixed Stars are close to personal planets if things seem discordant with accepted astrological interpretation, especially in the case of Libra Sun people who are supposed to be, in the main, mild mannered, sweet, ruled by Venus.

Something else springs to mind too - Via Combusta, The Burning Road, spans 15 Libra to 15 Scorpio, which takes in Bruce's Sun, Mercury and Saturn. I puzzled over Via Combusta here. .......... Curiouser and curiouser.

Astrologer Bob Marks points out a Funnel Pattern in Bruce's chart, with eccentric Uranus at the business end - see here.

Uranus is also at the business end of a Yod (Finger of Fate) - 2 quincinx aspects linked by a sextile. Sun/Mercury and Neptune form the sextile - so this Yod can be translated as this comedian's personal communication style(Sun/Mercury) linking to Neptune's creativity, and potential for addiction being blended and channelled through eccentric, revolutionary Uranus. It's a similar "feel" to Bob Marks' description of Uranus as the "singleton".

One more thing to point out: Pluto, Saturn and Uranus form a Grand Trine in Water signs - those 3 planets are hard-core, no warm fuzzies there! They link the emotional element (Water) in the chart, providing a kind of circuit of deadly emotional, electric shocks. Not a comfortable Grand Trine by any means.

Lenny Bruce's natal Moon in Virgo reflects a deeply critical inner self. It's a pity he hadn't turned critical focus onto his own shortcomings rather than hurling abuse at all and sundry, he might then still be among us, instead of dying of a drug overdose at age 40.

COMMENTS RECEIVED IN 2008 - I enjoyed reading through these once more, even though they are not astrological in content - perhaps newer passers-by will be interested too:

The Next President of The United States said...
I appreciate your assessment of Lenny Bruce, and agree in part. In 2008, his free speech rants seem dated. Also agree whole-heartedly with your identifying the American bent toward prudery. There's a reason Europeans chased out the Pilgrims and Puritans - they were booorrrrring, anal retentive folks!

But my take on Lenny is historic timing. He was fighting the suppression of words in 1950s and early '60s America, when June and Ward Cleavor and Ozzie and Harriet Nelson were role models, and the entire society was projecting an illusion of morality superiority. Which, of course, didn't really exist. That's why the Lennys and Sahls and Carlins and Pryors and Dick Gregorys were needed.

At least, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Twilight said...
Hello TNPOTUS (throwing yer hat into the ring for 2012 then?) ;-)
I appreciate your input, as one who lived through the period in question in the USA, as I didn't. You see see a slightly different and more accurate picture.

After you mentioned Bruce and Sahl to me a while ago I made a point of watching a DVD of "Lenny", and listening to some of Mort Sahl's recordings from the husband's LPs. I truly remained unimpressed. But Carlin and to a lesser extent, Pryor, I do "get" - or, sadly, "got".

Sahl seemed terribly boring to this ear, topical at the time, no doubt, but quite irrelevant now.

"Lenny" is probably a good representation, in a nutshell, of how Bruce came across. I took an instant dislike to him (or at least the man Dustin Hoffman so brilliantly portrayed).

There was an inbuilt unpleasantness to Lenny Bruce which, for me drowns out any message he was trying to promote,
whereas George Carlin especially had an inbuilt niceness (in spite of his rather more cranky offerings as he aged).

Another ascerbic comedian, long gone, Bill Hicks, probably took influence from Lenny Bruce. He managed to remain appealing due to a much softer side to his character which shone through always, at least I thought so.
Wish he was still around!

anyjazz said...

As you know, my preference is to Jack Benny. I find the self deprecation humor the best.
Ellen Degeneres and Tim Allen and Pete Barbutti come to mind. Though the edgy comedians are at the bottom of the list for me, they do have their place.

The slant here is not if they were funny or not, it was if they made a historical mark or not. Did they change something in the world? I suppose Lenny Bruce did that. So did Mort Sahl and some others. So Bruce “opened the way” for uncensored language and fresh ideas? So what has that done as a benefit for mankind? Has it amplified our sense of humor? Has it broadened our language, our communicative skills?

For me, the issue is not at all whether it qualified as humor or historical mark.

Whatever they accomplished for their time, the pendulum probably swings too far now. Many of the so called comedians (or rappers, for that matter) of today still think street language has humor and impact because of the shock value. It doesn’t. It’s tiresome.

One or two historically off-color and well-worn words can now be inserted as substitutes for a long list of nouns, verbs and adjectives. It is lazy. No fresh ideas there. The vocabulary of the descendants of Bruce (and others) has been reduced in size to a point where dictionaries may as well go out of print. A few hundred words with multiple meanings and uses are all we will need. And cell phone texting isn’t helping.

Language started somewhere as a few grunts and gestures. Is that where we are going?

Twilight said...
Hi Anyjazz

I know comedy is next closest to your heart, after jazz - not counting moi and family - of course. I grinned as I noted that two of your named preferences (Benny, DeGeneres) are Sun Aquarians (as am I).
See how this stuff works? ;-)

My take on this, generally, is that comedians who are happy "in their own skins" do not resort to being mean, profane or generally filthy mouthed. They simply see the gloriously funny side of this crazy world and show it to us. Those with inner angst, from whatever source, tend to want to take it all out on their audience, perhaps via what they pretend has a purpose - opening things up in Bruce's case. Things can be opened up in a far more creative and more lasting way. Lenny Bruce was born with that inner angst.

I'm not in favour of censorship in any way, I'm in favour of raising the bar, that's all, to match a new, more enlightened era we are supposed to be entering, far from Lenny Bruce's time. I know - "pie in the sky"!

The Next President of The United States said...
Here in the 21st century, Mort Sahl seems tedious to me as well and Lenny, like so many crusaders, got lost in his message and passion. Still, both had their moments and a place in the grand scheme.

Right on, to you, anyjazz, on "the pendulum swings too far." But isn't that part of being American? We always go to extremes and once in a while find our way back to the middle.

And, yes, I've already announced my candidacy for 2012 and am taking campaign contributions!!

Wisewebwoman said...
I'm with you on old potty-mouth Lenny, a very angry man, finally turning the anger inside himself. Me no like.
I'm with you on the self-deprecating type of humour, I'm an enormous fan of the late great Dave Allen, I adore John Cleese, Billy Connolly. I was turned off by Carlin at a show in Toronto having been a lifelong fan prior to then.
Stephen Colbert I find falling down funny at times. A comedic genius.
I did love Jack Benny too and Roseanne Barr before she got famous.
And Margaret Cho.
And actually Sarah Silverman before she got famous.
What is it about the fame thing? Fill up your pockets and the wit dribbles out...;^)
H'mmmmm, you always get me thinking, T.

anthonynorth said...
As a side issue to this, there's just been a flaming row over here in the UK after Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand made lewd telephone calls to Andrew Sachs during a radio show.
Insensitive and wrong, apologies should have been enough - they were just two grown ups acting as stupid kids. But it has turned into a battle between how far entertainment should go regarding language, etc.
As it stands at the moment, Brand has resigned from the BBC, Ross has been suspended for three months, and the Controller of Radio 2 has 'reluctantly' resigned.

Twilight said...
TNPOTUS ~ Glad to hear you're already planning you political future - my contribution? I'll trawl around town and pick up any defunct McCain/Palin yard signs, and refurbish them with the colors of your GEMINI PARTY. :-)

Twilight said...
WWW - I enjoy the work of those you've listed too. Loved dear Dave Allen - though towards the end of his time he did go a wee bit over the top and spoiled himself, same with George Carlin. It seemed almost as though they knew their time was coming to an end, so they got everything they could off their chests.

The fame thing sometimes gets in the way of quality, yes, it does seem that way, especially among comedians for some reason. :-)

Twilight said...
AN ~~~Hi. Yes, I've been reading about Ross and Brand. Two who fell in love with themselves at an early age and never got over it, in my opinion! Ross always irritated me, don't know Brand too well, but he appeared on Letterman's Late Show here last night. No bad language, just projecting his forced zany-ness.
I don't find much to recommend either of them.

These battles over language come up regularly. We had one here not long ago involving a radio presenter using a racial slur, probably unintentially, but it sparked a lot of controversy, and he went into radio wilderness for some time.

I suppose eventually language reaches its own level of acceptance in any era, people like Lenny Bruce push one way, and a portion of the public pushes back,
with fall-out continuing over a long period. I wonder where the next big push will