Evergreen

First, some introduction. I hope you understand why I love Baccara since I first heard this song in Leningrad music-hall in 1979. It was performed by singers Vardasheva and Nevzglyad, with some fictitious Russian text, but the music was and is evergreen.

I have found the info of composer Rolf Soja

Exalted Venus and Moon are aspected by Jupiter – what can be better for music?

And lyrics are amusing as well: ‘The devil sent you to Laredo because he knew that I was there”. Nice and sketchy, just right for pop songs. There should be Venus-Mercury connection in the chart of writer Frank Dostal, with Jupiter involved:

Both guys got Moon in Taurus, and it was a fruitful tandem indeed. If the girls didn’t start quarrelling over priority of voices, we could enjoy many more hits of theirs.

Well, it is in the past but not over!

Capricorns

In the beginning of January I met two women who I had known for quite a while. One came in a book, another on a CD. Their birthdates differ for five days – and 455 years.

Diana de Poitier was a lady of French king Henri II who was 20 year younger and loved her from childhood till his tragic death in a knight contest. This famous love story has preserved the legend about the beauty of the woman who looked young and charming even at 60.

Their love triangle with Catherine Medici made me curious about their charts. I expected to see an outstanding synastry between Diana

and Henri
whereas something less impressive with Catherine

Catherine has indications of quite a good marriage (although both she and Henri had physiological defects so that they couldn’t conceive a child for first ten years of their marriage). Yet another interesting detail is that Catherine's Part of Fortune, if calculated with classic reversed formula, falls onto the cusp of 8th house in Scorpio, being disposited (and aspected) by ruler of ascendent Mars; with non-reversed formula, it would be placed in 6th in Virgo, which would be irrelevant to her interests in magic and occultism.

In Diana’s chart, both her royal partners afflict her Sun by Saturn. Her Mars afflicts Henri’s Moon, and her stellium in Capricorn afflicts Catherine’s Moon. Not too comfortable combination to live with for twenty years.

We do not know much about their private life, but there are two episodes which shed light on this. One - when Catherine made a hole in her floor and enviously watched a love scene between Diana and Henri. Another – when in the later period of Henri’s life, Diana caught him on having a short story with English lady-in-waiting. I guess Henri’s Moon got what it deserved then.

Diana applied some natural cosmetics to preserve the beauty given by nature, but she was also known as a passionate hunter and rider (her nickname was Diana the Huntress) – these exercises were a kind of fitness that time. Her portraits confirm the legendary beauty.

Another woman who I met was Annie Lennox with her album ‘Bare’ which I had at last purchased. Was it just a coincidence that her chart is very similar to Diana’s?

Was it by chance that I bought the CD and the book about Diana, ‘The Serpent and the Moon’, at the same time, under Capricornian Sun? Is it meaningless that the author, Princess Michael of Kent, is a beautiful Capricorn lady herself? And isn’t it amazing that she got interested in the Diana’s story when mother explained her addiction to black and white cloths by links to Diana in their family tree? Two Capricorns should love black and white, especially if they are royal relatives.

What makes Lennox and Diana similar is their long-lasting beauty. Lennox is 52, and one can easily believe that such a lady could be loved by a king at her age. This holds for ladies with Moon in Capricorn as well; just look at Judie Dench or Cher.

I do not claim that all Capricorns are beautiful, nor is their beauty exceptional; for example, Pisces are much more attractive and softer in character. But if a Capricorn has got beauty, it will last as long as possible, with all the necessary treatments. If lavender and balms do not help, plastic surgery is yet another option! Saturn, who governs these people, is the best preserver.

Listen to one of Lennox’s tracks, ‘Loneliness’. This is a Capricorn singing!

The Giant

Listening to a live chamber orchestra in a mediaeval church – this is exciting. Today, I was in a baroque concert, where several Bach masterpieces for oboe and violin were presented with quite a good skill, on the background of stained glass windows and church aroma. For you, I post even a better piece, with Sir Yehudi Menuhin’s violin.

The concert carried me back to two experiences – and yes, made me think about astrology.

Dear oboe is one of my most favourite instruments in orchestra, since unforgettable concerto by Frantisek Kramar-Krommer. Only today, in the church, I understood why - listening to its sound, devoid of rough strength of a horn. Of course, it is signified by Aquarius, where Saturn is most dignified and Sun is detrimented. It is the sound of detachment, the most Aquarian among aerophones.

Another remembrance was about visiting Leipzig in 2005, the Thomas Kirche and Bach house there. I was so much impressed that even wrote a poem about this giant. His chart is a rare combination of strength and sweetness, which manifests in the sweetest and most universal art.


Look at the Moon with Jupiter on Spica and at the exalted Venus. If Mercury was stronger, he could be a Poet as well. Thanks God, he devoted himself to music - all his time and efforts, all his precious years, till the final blindness and decline. Thinking how hard and obscure was his life in poverty with a big family (nothing similar to prosperity of Handel), I feel pain. Think about rap stars of the present. Compare.

P.S. I just realised that I mentioned Krommer in the post which was written on his birthdate, November 27!

Peggy Lee

Having spent my [past] youth in a provincial city in the Soviet Russia, I learnt about many western artists quite recently. Of course, I have known about Ella Fitzgerald and Louise Armstrong for ages, but Peggy Lee became my discovery just a few years ago. I do not know how popular is she in the States now - perhaps in the age of Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake, there is no need for a jazz virtuoso.

When I had bought first CD of her songs, I was not impressed at listening: the music seemed too minimalistic and low, modern ears spoilt by noise and cacophony needed time to adjust to this unhurried intimacy.

Norma Dolores Egstrom was born on May 26, 1920, in Jamestown, North Dakota. The life of this beautiful woman was permanent pain and trouble - no surprise, with classical square Sun-Saturn. Severe falls, four divorces (Venus on Algol!), courts, multiple diseases - that's the price of the talent and fame:

Frankly, Ella, who was my favourite for many years, now sounds a bit simple compared with this voice, which is neither especially strong nor wide. Listen how nicely she could swing. The melancholic elegance of her singing, her accurate phrasing and fine dramatic nuances have caught me. She is indeed my Jazz Lady Number One.

There'll be no new romance for me,
It's foolish to start,
When that old, old feeling
Is still in my heart...

Anna German

This post is devoted to the most important artist in my life, since the first mum’s LPs that I had been listening to when I was three years old.

As an introduction, let me present one of her most famous songs which was a kind of “blockbuster” in Russia in the ‘70s (just do not be confused by the old-fashioned arrangement): 'Nadezhda' ('Hope')

In my country, Anna German was a cult singer, no doubt. Due to many reasons, the major of them being her poor health after a road accident in Italy in 1967, she didn’t tour as much as she should, with her incredible talent. Apparently, although every Russian knows her and her songs, not many people of the West have heard her name.

Anna German was born in Urgench, USSR (41n35, 60e41) on February 14, 1936 and died on August 25, 1982 in Warsaw, Poland. She was of Russian, Polish, German and Dutch ancestry (her ancestors came to Russia in XVII century). She spent her early years in Russia and later moved with family to Poland, still speaking perfect Russian and being very Russian in character. She loved the country and visited regularly for touring and recording.

The birth time was not known to me, so I attempted to rectify it, bearing in mind her appearance (she was tall, 190cm), her university degree in geology, her late marriage, her terrible injuries in August of 1967, when she was paralised and couldn’t sing for three years thereafter, her son’s late birth in 1975, her talent, her fame, and her death of cancer.

She was clearly a Jupiterian person, yet very feminine and sensitive, so I would suspect Pisces rising. Since she was so famous, that perfect Jupiter in Sagittarius would look sensible close to MC (note that Jupiter is in antiscia with Rahu – this is the only case when the headless creature might be helpful without harm). Since she was very modest and discreet, Sun in 12th and Saturn near the ascendent would fit. Therefore, my final choice was Pisces ascendent. Then, keeping in mind her injuries abroad, her painful life and death, I rotated the chart a bit to get cusp of 8th in Scorpio with Moon in 8th. Note that ruler of 8th Mars falls into 1st house, and this looks correct: she had been suffering for 15 years, till the last days of her life. This configuration also gives cusp of 2nd in Taurus, Venus being in reception with Mars and Saturn in 1st – here is her heavenly voice, with steady work towards the perfect technique. Therefore, I cast the chart with local time 8.50am (+5) with ascendent at about 15 Pisces:


Let’s look at firdaria. The Moon period starts in 1967 – Moon is in 8th and badly afflicted. It means that the sect was determined correctly. The car accident happened to Anna at her 30, and the position of the Moon in this area of the chart properly corresponds to her age then. About that time, ruler of 8th Mars came by direction to trine the ruler of ascendant. It was a dreadful event, but not the end.

In the revolution chart for the year of the car accident, ruler of descendent Mars falls right on the cusp of Anna’s 8th house. Indeed, that was the fault of her driver who fell asleep on a dangerous road at night. The ruler of the solar return ascendant is in 6th, with the ruler of 6th dominating the chart in 10th, retro and strong, and Venus is in conjunction with return ruler of 12th as a significator of hospitalization – all together showing great danger and disease:


The birth of her son in 1975 is signified by ruler of 5th coming by direction to conjunction with ruler of ascendent Jupiter. Her natal Moon in Scoprio rules 5th, and the guy was born in November! Also, the solar return chart is eloquent. The Moon, which is a natural significator of a baby (and ruler of natal 5th), falls right into natal 1st house. The revolution 5th ruler falls into natal 5th, retro and in detriment: indeed, doctors forbade her to get pregnant, with her body being completely broken… Opposition Mars-Saturn on axis 5-11 tells lots about her sufferings during the pregnancy. What a character… And yes, that cluster of benefics in Pisces in the revolution chart, falling into her natal 1st, does signify the Divine protection and her late happiness:


And now we will look at the saddest chart, the solar return when she died. When I had cast the revolution chart for 1982, I was afraid to see heavily damaged 6th and 8th. Clearly, ruler of natal ascendant Jupiter is in Scorpio here, which is on the cusp of natal 8th house – this was her yearly transit. Rulers of natal 8th and 8th of revolution joint together near the Moon in revolution. Ruler of natal 6th Sun is culminating in the revolution – dreadful disease. Ketu in the revolution is in 8th – the life has been taken away:


Surprisingly, I found the ruler of revolution ascendant Mercury in 9th, and after some search on the web I realised that she became very religious at the end of her life and even made several home records of psalms. This is how astrology brought me to knowing something new about my favourite singer.

That was the end, yes… With Venus in 8th and exalted ruler of 8th in the revolution chart, I know she passed peacefully. Those two revolution malefics falling into her natal 7th and into 5th of the revolution – that’s the grief of her family…

You wouldn’t believe what her death meant to me. I was 13, and it was my first personal loss… I lost the soul who was like my own one – even now I miss her alive. Yes, her Sun on my Moon is our astroconnection.

When I had finished analysing the western chart, I decided to check the rectification in the Vedic system. I just shifted the birth time for three minutes forward, towards 8.53am, mainly because of the lagna in navamsa which thus changed sign. This hasn’t actually influenced the western chart (less then half a minute shift of Sun longitude, without changes in revolutions) – maybe only the cusp of natal 9th has shifted into Sagittarius. Maybe this was her ‘foreign land’ Russia which gave her the nation-wide fame. Maybe…


In the rasi chart, I would point at the strong ruler of 1st and 12th in lagna and reception of rulers of 2nd and 10th, with Jupiter in 10th: this is the profession and fame related to voice. In navamsa, 6th is afflicted by detrimented Sun, and look how badly is afflicted 3rd house. This is the road accident which damaged 10th of the navamsa. These were the reasons to add three minutes to the time of birth. In dasamsa, such nice AK-AmK & DK-PK yogas – these are in 2nd and 10th from the Moon, again an indication for professional singing. 2nd from Moon in dasamsa looks really sweet, with double aspect of benefics (though Venus is much weaker than Jupiter). Indeed, there is no sweeter voice than hers.

I do not know exact date of the car accident in August of 1967, but having looked at pratyanardasas of Shashtihayani dasa, I think it happened in the first half of the month, under sub-period of Mars which is heavily afflicted in navamsa and afflicts 6th in drekkana (this sector was under grand double transit aspect in August of 1967). In Vimsottari, it was a broader in time sub-period Saturn-Venus-Rahu: in drekkana, Venus rules lagna, which is under Rahu-Ketu axis, and is afflicted by Saturn.

I think the above analysis demonstrates that the rectification was correct.

Finally, here is the most beautiful song, the masterpiece addressed by the perfect singer to the perfect composer: 'Letter to Chopin'. For those who prefer Italian: 'Let Me Dream'.

If you are impressed with her heavenly voice, her records are available at
'Polish Music'.

In socialistic times, this great singer couldn’t earn much. Her family (husband who has never married again, son and very old mother) stays at moderate income from disk sales: one is aware of the multitude of CD pirates in Eastern Europe…

For those who are interested to learn more about Anna, there are two main fan-sites: international and Russian.

She cannot be forgotten, no...

P.S. When I was working on the post, the day was very rainy, for many hours, and I thought I should skip my usual one hour of biking and rather come home, because there was a heavy cloud front covering the whole sky. I went out and realised that by chance a window in clouds appeared, just over the town - not large, but good enough that the rain stopped for some time. I decided to ride a short loop, until the rain would start again. I was riding under the cloud window with wounderful blue patch of clear sky, and no rain, and saw that it moves with wind in the same directions as me... well, weather is changable, I thought, just some good luck today.

I took my mp3-player and turned it on. I didn't fill it completely, only 62 tracks of various performers (rock, pop, folk - for any mood), and 9 of them were by Anna German. 9 out of 62 is about one seventh part, right? I always listen in random shuffled mode, so there is no order, just choice by chance. I switched it on, first song was by Anna German. Nice, I thought, just after the work on the blog post. Then second song - Anna German again. Then third... I was biking under that moving patch of clear sky and got, one after another, 6 (six) songs by Anna German - with random shuffle settings.

I had done my complete biking around the town, one hour without rain, and when I approached home, 100 metres before the house, the rain started again...

I think she is an angel, no jokes. This was a clear omen. Perhaps she was... glad? :)

P.P.S. I found several clips on the YouTube; "Sunny Boy" is a rare record. "When Gardens Bloom" is yet another blockbuster. "Suffering"... And famous "Lullaby"...