Chopin

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin, according to the statements of the artist himself, was born on 1 March 1810. However, according to his baptismal certificate, the date was 22 February.

Looking into the two charts, there is a striking difference between Moon in Capricorn for March 1 – and Moon in Libra for February 22. Can one believe in Moon in Capricorn for the greatest and most tender melodist?

Yet, this is not enough to draw the final conclusion, and we have to look closely at other differences between two charts. The week time distance gives differences in positions of Mercury and Venus. On February 22, Mercury is retro in Aquarius, in conjunction with weird Aquarian Venus. On March 1, Venus is exalted and combust in Pisces, and Mercury is direct in Aquarius.

Chopin’s relationship with George Sand cannot be named a traditional marriage, whether it is Venus in Aquarius or Venus exalted and combust. Mercury may be more helpful, describing his writing work. George Sand wrote the following about his composing manner:

“His creation was spontaneous, miraculous. He found it without searching for it, without foreseeing it. It came to his piano suddenly, complete, sublime, or it sang in his head during a walk, and he would hasten to hear it again by, tossing it off on his instrument. But then would begin the most heartbreaking labour I have ever witnessed. It was a series of efforts, indecision, and impatience to recapture certain details of the theme he had heard: what had come to him all of a piece, he now over-analyzed in his desire to write it down, and his regret at not finding it again "neat," as he said, would throw him into a kind of despair. He would shut himself up in his room for days at a time, weeping, pacing, breaking his pens, repeating and changing a single measure a hundred times, writing it and effacing it with equal frequency, and beginning again the next day with a meticulous and desperate perseverance. He would spend six weeks on one page, only to end up writing it just as he had traced it in his first outpouring.”

Series of efforts, repeating and changing, longing for Harmony. What is that, glamorous Venus in Pisces with methodical Moon in Capricorn (March 1)? Or is it velvety Moon in Libra, full of indecisions and amplified by Rahu, and retro Mercury, writing and re-writing (February 22)?

“Individual manuscripts of his works teem with cancellations and insertions. Multiple autographs of the same composition seldom agree. The texts of editions issued "simultaneously" in different countries during his lifetime frequently diverge. Even after a work appeared in print, Chopin found ways to alter the text of it... When Chopin would make a compositional change in a later manuscript, he often would not return to the earlier sources to bring them into agreement. To complicate matters further, Chopin normally introduced further alterations when he read proofs… Chopin's urge to continue revising resulted in three first editions that frequently differed meaningfully from one another. And these differences filter their way into the performances pianists give and listeners hear by means of modern editions, which tend to choose differently among the welter of variants preserved in the original sources in establishing their texts of Chopin's works. Depending upon which edition they select as a basis for their performance, then, two pianists ostensibly playing the same work can produce very different sounding art works… Not even publication need mark the termination of composition. On some occasions, Chopin would so extensively revise a work after it was published that he would require his publisher to released new impressions of it... many editors and commentators on Chopin have interpreted this pervasiveness as a "problem." They view them as a problem because of the type of solution they seek: simply stated, they wish to find the "authentic" text, the "definitive" version for a given composition. The myriad variants therefore constitute an obstacle that must be hurdled in order for the goal to be reached… in nearly every source he touched, he continued to compose, to revise, to cut.” (Jeffrey Kallberg, see www.chopin.pl)

To me, this description confirms retro Mercury and Moon in Libra. This can also be seen in his teens letters to family, which are joyful and warm (compare with family letters of Lenin - with Moon in Capricorn - which are all about money).

For further check, let’s look at the Moon as the significator of women in Chopin’s life. He was engaged with Maria Wodzienskiej, but the engagement was broken by her parents after one year, due to his poor health and unstable life.

The relationship with George Sand lasted for nine years and ended because of conflict with Sand’s son. Who was George Sand in his chart – Moon in Libra in opposition with Mars or Moon in Capricorn? Her own chart has Sun in Cancer; as biographers say, this 6-years-older lady provided maternal care to Chopin – with her Moon in Aries and Mars on Algol.

He sought for warmth – and got separations. This corresponds rather to Moon in Libra afflicted by Mars and Rahu. Also, although I am very suspicious about trans-Saturnian planets, I cannot help watching that sextile between Neptune and Moon in Libra. This is a very musical aspect, indeed.

Still, his appearance is Saturnian, and this makes one think about Capricorn rising.

It is interesting to look at the chart of the performer who virtuously adapted to Chopin music. Sviatoslav Richer too had Sun in Pisces, and what is more interesting, Venusian Moon in sextile with Neptune.

When Richter plays Scherzo N2, it is like Chopin playing himself: try this YouTube link. "Heroic" etude is very well performed, too. And this one is just exceptional...

Antonella Ruggiero

When I was a little girl (I believe 6 or 7), an older relative of mine acquainted me with music of then popular Italian band “Matia Bazar”. Nothing nostalgic about the relative, but I will explain below. Many years later, I recalled the impression of the childhood and ordered a CD of “Matia Bazar”, a collection of hits. I listened to it and again liked the music, just as I did many years ago. In fact, our tastes do not change much, only accumulating information.

But something was wrong with the singer, I didn’t like her voice: it was not as impressive as in my childhood. Nice voice, but nothing special. I felt disappointed. I looked at musical sites and… surprise. The band changed the singer. The voice on the CD was not the right voice: I should look not for Matia Bazar, but for Antonella Ruggiero.

I got her CD. What can I say? She is incredible. My built-in sensor detected this many years ago and confirms now.

Open this YouTube link in another window and listen to her really transcendent voice. Meanwhile I will tell you the other part of the story.

I cast her chart. Yes, Moon in Libra, on royal star Spica, in conjunction with exalted Saturn, in sextile with Venus - the Moon of an Artist.

Why such a link with her singing for many years? Because this Moon trines my Venus and Moon. And why that guy in my childhood was her fan? Because her Venus and Mercury embrace his Moon in Sagittarius, and her Sun in Scorpio trines his Sun in Cancer… See how people choose favourites?

Various arts can be created by various types of people, but this kind of unblemished harmony belongs to Libras.

Veronica Lake

To keep the promise given in the “Sequel” post, I ordered a black-and-white movie of one of my favourite French film directors, Rene Clair. “I married a witch”, with Veronica Lake and Frederic March, was shot in the US in 1942, and one should be surprised to see how fresh and cinematographically modern is this movie. Clair was an innovator in cinema techniques, and this can already be seen in his early mute movie “Entr’acte” (1924), which is surprisingly entertaining.

In “I married a witch”, the story is about a couple of medieval sorcerers, father and daughter, who were burnt and buried, sending curses to the offender for the following centuries: to him and his descendants to be ever unhappily married. Some centuries later, in modern times, the tree over their grave gets burnt by a lightning, at last releasing their spirits. The plot produces some special effects, which are fun to watch even 60 years after filming. The following love story could be predictable if it was not shot by Clair! Not to mention the final scene where the drunken father’s spirit is locked in a bottle of whisky till the end of his immortal life (because of too restless behaviour).

Veronica Lake is terrific in her beauty, remarkably warm voice, and comic talent - no wonder she was a diva in the 1940s (in LA Confidential, her cult image was reproduced by Kim Basinger).

I wanted to learn more about her life – and discovered a very sad story. Her career wasted away very fast, her family life was disastrous, her health was weak, and later she became a heavy drinker. She lost her Hollywood position, had only occasional roles, and worked as a bartender. When later her TV career started developing, she broke her ankle and had to quit. She died of hepatitis at 53.

I found that there existed a controversy about her birth year. Some sources claimed 1922 and others 1919. I cast both charts:

Firstly, having taken into account her perfectly feminine appearance, manners, and voice, the Venus in Libra in 1919 chart looks believable. Then, Rahu on Algol explains those life extremes. The headless creature on the headless star - this is a black hole. If the chart is cast with those two malefic, close to each other Mars and Saturn, in 7th house, they explain her four husbands, first (John Detlie) being older than her for 12 years, and second (Andre de Toth) – with Sun on Algol in sextile with detrimented Mars in Cancer. Even the nice Venus couldn’t overcome this. The other chart, of 1922, has Venus retro peregrine on Antares, which should provide, according to V.Robson, “insincere, energetic and able but selfish” character. Unfortunately, Veronica Lake was nothing like that.

Therefore, I suggest that the correct chart is that of 1919.

The film is a jewel, real classics and pure fun. Clair’s Moon in Libra certainly knew the secrets of the art…

Mr Centaur

I see only one reason why topic ‘Moon in Libra’ appears so often in my posts: the radar of my Libra ascendent easily locating such a Moon around.

Today I saw ‘Rocky Balboa’, and this simple movie touched me. Because, as you can imagine, Sylvester Stallone has Moon in Libra, yes.

The movie is nicely Cancerian: it is about family, remembrances, and fighting to prove oneself. One moment really caught me: when he tells to his son that life always tries to put us down, and the point is not the problems but how we overcome them. Truism indeed, but very good truism. Old good truth from old good Cancer chap. Well, Sly is 60! One could not believe that seeing him fighting in the ring.

What makes this Cancer such a warrior? If you have not noticed yet, he was born the same day as President Bush, with Sun on Sirius, the great dog star. This doggy Sun (dog also appears in the movie) is sextiled by Mars, which is already a very active combination. Mars is in Virgo, and this helps not only in training but also in thinking how to apply the trained abilities. Moon on Spica with ruler of asc Jupiter is very lucky indeed. Finally, Sagittarius is rising, which means nothing but centaur. Look at his body – astrological symbolism is written in those muscles.

Well, the movie is simple but really nice. Dignified Moon helped Mr Stallone to create more or less realistic plot and screen frames pleasant for eyes (at least mine, Libra asc!).

Good to see the strength which does not want to be demolished by time. I am looking forward to the next Rocky film, in 2016!

Spirit of Sadism

Last night, when I was sitting in cinema watching Apocalypto, I only remembered that Mel Gibson is a Capricorn. The film is indeed Capricornian: it is cruel, simple, with proper amount of worms, corpses, dwarves, snakes, insects, cut heads, and dirty jokes to satisfy its creator. I was pondering where might have been his Moon to make such beautiful pictures of forest, pyramids, fights (yes, I cannot just watch movies, as ‘normal’ people do, - I analyse them astrologically). Surely, the Moon should be in Libra I thought: his movies are visually attractive and are not disgusting even in the most cruel episodes.

I came home and cast an approximate chart without knowing exact birthtime - and found Moon on the boundary between Virgo and Libra. I thought I should rectify this chart, and first step would be to move Moon to Libra, but I then suddenly found his exact birthdata. Yes, Moon is in Libra:

As Ben Walters named it, the “spirit of sadism” of this movie is quite remarkable. In the first half, I was disturbed by excess of really unnecessary visual shocks, but the film then turned into the action phase, at which Mel Gibson is good, and I started enjoying it. Yeah, all of us are still animals, and the instincts readily lead us to join a running prey or battling warriors. Personally, I always liked watching big strong guys fighting, and Raoul Trujillo (the leader of invaders) was a pleasant figure in this sense.

But what is the “solid residue” of the movie which was created by the same person who shot “The Passion of the Christ” recently (except plain moralities which sounded pretty Catholic in this pagan film)? Was it about necessity to hide in forest to escape the modern world? Or maybe it was about the right end of the cruel paganism due to arriving Spanish at the end of the film?

They say Mr Gibson suffers bipolar disorder. I am not a doctor, I am an astrologer. I look at his square Sun-Moon with negative reception, at his retro Jupiter in detriment, conjunction Saturn-Mars in Scorpio - these explain his cinematographic style. I would not dare to analyse “The Passion of the Christ”, for I do not want to intrude into religious matters. “Apocalypto” has no such taboo – and gives a good explanation of the same forces that drive Mr Gibson in his work.

Gainsborough

In this post, I attempt a ‘pararectification’, because the date of birth of great English painter Thomas Gainsborough is unknown. He was baptised on May 14, 1727, and Walter Armstrong in his book ‘Gainsborough and his place in English art’ mentions ‘early days of May’ as the birthdate.

To find the date, I took into consideration the following. Firstly, his paintings are ‘airy’ and elegant, therefore Moon in Libra is under suspicion. Secondly, his mother died on May 24, 1769, when probable Moon in Libra was under square aspect of transit Mars and Saturn in Cancer. Thirdly, he died on August 2, 1788, when transit Mars and Saturn hit axis Virgo-Pisces, which provides probable ascendant in Virgo and fixes the Moon at about 19 Libra (on Spica!) - and such a Moon in secondary progressions confirms his marriage on July 15, 1746 (Moon joins Venus on MC), his disease in 1764 (Moon hits ruler of 6th Saturn), his move to London in 1774 (Moon joins Sun in 9th) and his death (Moon in detriment in contrantiscia to Mars in 8th). Not to mentions his character, his various friends and parties, his nice and funny letters, etc.

Having said that, I present the probable chart:

My own chart has little of earth and none of water, so I generally prefer sounds and words rather than images and shapes. But Mrs Siddons by Gainsborough is my passion indeed. When I visited the National Gallery last time, it was in Austria and should be returned by October. This Saturday, I will check!