I am stepping back
I’m letting it all flow by
Embracing the change
copyright Francis Barker 2020
Daily Haiku: Stepping Back
Tag: music
Mozart – Sheer Genius – Astrology Musings
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was no mere child prodigy. In his short life he produced 41 symphonies, 17 piano sonatas, 20 operas… in fact around 600 works in total. He is, perhaps, the greatest known musical genius of all time.
He was born with Virgo rising, very useful for artists of all kinds, especially where attention to detail is paramount.
Astonishing talent, inherited genius
Astonishingly, the north node of the Moon – which along with the opposing south node, is often regarded as a karmic point in a birth chart – is virtually exactly conjunct his rising degree in Virgo and almost exactly opposite Uranus on the descendant in Pisces.
Uranus is often equated with genius, amongst other things, and being exactly conjunct the south node, it symbolises a born genius, someone who has inherited some astonishing, unusual gift. However, it is one thing to have the potential, quite another to realise it. Thankfully for all of us, his talent was spotted early.
In astrological terms, one is supposed to head more towards the north nodal position in the ‘present’ life, in Mozart’s case, right on the ascending degree, meaning that he had to push himself forward, realise his unique ability in music and composition.
The Virgo Pisces axis is particularly symbolic here, with Uranus and descendant (DC) in vast, inspirational Pisces and the ascendant (AC) in exacting, attention to detail Virgo, the perfect axis for bringing spiritual dreams into earthly reality, in his case in the form of music.
A wellspring of inspiration from the subconscious
His ruling planet, Mercury, which is also house 10 and MC ruler (career/life direction), was found in Aquarius conjunct his Sun in house 6 – opposite Neptune in house 12.
In many ways this substantiates the nodal position above on a different level. Here is the unconventional person (Aquarius), a natural workaholic too (Sun conjunct Mercury with Saturn nearby in house 6), but in contact with the spiritual numinous (Neptune) from the subconscious (house 12) in the form of music.
I find this remarkable and may attest, in astrological terms at least, to his genius and what the nature of it might be. His Venus trine Mars will also give him much creative energy and potential.
Another interesting feature of his chart, is the exact conjunction between the Moon and Pluto in Sagittarius in house 4, in good aspect to Jupiter in Libra in house 2. I think this basically represents an open, friendly manner, but probably with caustic edge at times. He would appear to have had a good sense of humour and keen on the odd bawdy joke. This aspect might also represent an interesting family and home life, plus ancestry.
copyright Francis Barker 2019
Stockhausen: Neptune, Uranus and the Nature of Genius. Astrology Musings
Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the most important composers of the 20th century, was also one its most controversial. The outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are generational in influence, but if one or more of them touch sensitive parts of our birth chart, they can put us in touch with powerful trans-personal energy.
According to his known birth data, he was born with Leo rising, with a Leo Sun exactly conjunct Neptune.
A fount of inspiration
Here is a powerful, creative individual, with a personal connection to the numinous through Neptune, with all the inspirational, spiritual qualities associated with that planet. He was certainly a major visionary in musical terms and has had a huge influence on jazz and popular music as well as classical.
As we have seen previously, Neptune is invariably prominent in some way in the birth charts of creative artists, but he was clearly no idle dreamer.
Practical application
With Mercury and Venus in Virgo in house 2, the latter trine Jupiter in Taurus in house 10, he was very keen to apply his undoubted inspiration practically, effectively, in detail, and to disseminate it, not only in way to earn a living, but in building a successful career out of it. Indeed, he was also a fine writer and communicator too, teaching his ideas successfully. Without this grounding effect, his genius may well have been lost to the world.
What is more, revolutionary Uranus was very close to the MC (midheaven) in Aries in house 9.
The shock of the new
This midheaven point is traditionally associated with the career or life direction and with Uranus in Aries activating this very personal angle of his chart, we can see the unusual, avant-garde, revolutionary and pioneering qualities he brought to bear in his career. Revolutionary literally means turning upside down: he essentially did this, being a pioneer in the sphere of electronic music.
More than once, his music has been described as ‘disruptive’ (Uranus) and unfathomable (Neptune). He also has Mars in good aspect to Uranus, bringing much supportive, instigating energy and (in Gemini) variability to his repertoire.
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
Poem: Perennial Busker
Give me your roll up
your beaten up guitar
and I’ll even feed your dog
I’ll sing you a few songs
of tragedy, of lost love
and revolution never won
I know a few chords
and I can bash out some tunes
I scream with the best of them
Just don’t think to monopolise
this tale of hard time
it comes naturally to me
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
The Brilliance of Britten: Astrology Musings, Neptune inspires again
One of England’s greatest composers, Benjamin Britten composed some of the most memorable music of the 20th century.
So let’s take a quick look at his birth chart. He has Cancer rising, with a wide Mars Neptune conjunction near the ascending degree, the latter being closely trine his Sun and a retrograde Mercury on either side of the Scorpio/Sagittarius cusp. Sounds complicated?
Inspirational Neptune
As I have noted before, Neptune is very often prominent in some way in the charts of creative artists and composers.
I suspect this is the source of much inspiration. Britten was from Lowestoft in Suffolk in the east of England, he was brought up by the sea and had a strong connection to it. One of his most famous pieces, the opera ‘Peter Grimes’ was inspired by this.
Emotional force
Neptune in Cancer in his first house symbolises this, with the added emotional force of Mars, which may have been difficult to control at times.
In my own mind, I equate that wonderful sound in music of the rolling waves releasing on the beach from the ‘Four Sea Interludes‘ of ‘Peter Grimes’, to the Neptune Mars in Cancer conjunction. It’s beautiful, imaginative, and slightly disquieting. Neptune’s supportive connection to the Sun will give him further innate sensitivity.
Retrograde Mercury thinking out of the box
I am also interested by the Sun conjunct a retrograde Mercury bestriding the Scorpio Sagittarius cusp, in houses 5 and 6.
It’s almost like a confusion of identity here, where the mental processes are turned more inwardly, unusually, and ‘out of the box’, and where the sense of self (the Sun in last minute of Scorpio) is always looking beyond but never quite getting there.
In some sense this may have been another prime reason for him becoming a composer and musician, in that the challenges of expressing thought conventionally with the retrograde Mercury, can be given over to creative, musical inspiration, expressed through ways alluded to above.
Strong attachment to roots
Mars is also ruler of houses 5 and 10, giving much energetic support and a link between his creativity and career path. And it is interesting to note that he was a fine conductor and pianist too.
His ruler, the Moon, is in Virgo in house 3 but very close to the Nadir of the chart, trine to Jupiter. He clearly has a strong emotional connection to his roots, probably his mother, and he never lost that sense of ‘belonging’ to the Suffolk coast.
However, in Virgo the Moon is quite fastidious, supported by a more circumspect Jupiter in Capricorn, a quality which will certainly help the art of putting all that inspiration from Neptune down on paper.
copyright Leofwine Tanner 2019
Ciscography 