Fleetwood Mac – A Soul Group – Part 4:  Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham

Twists and Turns

More arrivals and departures were to take place before the establishment of the group’s renaissance due to the energy of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.  First Jeremy Spencer got involved with a brainwashing cult “Children of God” and virtually disappeared while they were on tour.  The breakaway planet of Uranus was squaring his Sun, and the brainwashing planet Pluto was squaring his Mercury (brain).  So they lost one of their Cancerians.

He was replaced in 1971 by Leonine Bob Welch, from California.  Mick Fleetwood recalls: “Bob brought vocal harmonies to the band and he wrote with Chris, designing songs around their shared tunefulness”.  He played rhythm guitar.

Next Danny Kirwan left, in the middle of a U.S. tour in 1972.  He had always been emotionally fragile, and as well as finding the touring a great strain he also argued with Bob Welch.  His last album with Fleetwood Mac was “Bare Trees”, for which he contributed 5 songs.  He died in June this year (2018), and in the Guardian Obituary by Adam Sweeting, his role in the band’s history was described thus: “Kirwan can thus be seen as the missing link between the original Fleetwood Mac, planted squarely in the British blues boom, and the band’s megastar LA-based incarnation featuring Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham”.  Danny was a Taurean.

Bob Weston temporarily replaced Danny Kirwan from 1972 to 1973.   He was a Scorpio, like Peter Green.  Some of his Leo planets were antagonistic to his Scorpio planets.  He took the role of co-lead on guitar, together with Bob Welch. Weston did not feel his contribution was recognized.  He also began a secret affair with Mick Fleetwood’s wife Jenny (they were astrological twins, born on the same day of the same year according to Mick Fleetwood, but I have charts a week apart).  In October  1973 he was dropped from the band.

When Bob Welch left the band in December 1974 (as his marriage was on the rocks), Neptune was trine exactly his natal Mercury/Pluto conjunction (time for a change).  There was again a void to fill, and so began the era of Buckingham Nicks.

Meeting of Nicks and Buckingham

Two more Californians, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham had attended the same school, and Buckingham played in a band called Fritz founded by Javier Pacheco.  When that band needed a female vocalist, Buckingham recommended Stevie who had sung with him.  They later became romantically involved (by 1971). Later on in their relationship, he had fallen ill with mononucleosis, was bedridden for 9 months, and she supported him financially.  They obtained a recording contract under the name of Buckingham Nicks, but struggled financially until they caught the ear of Mick Fleetwood at a crucial moment in time.  They were both prolific and enthusiastic songwriters, and would contribute much in that way in the new line up of Fleetwood Mac.  Starting from a predominently Cancerian line up, they now accommodated two Air signs.

Stevie Nicks birth chart

Stevie’s Cancerian credentials were Venus conjunct the I.C. in that sign, in the 3rd House of Songwriting.  Her Sun is in early Gemini closely square to Mars.  Her mental planets Mercury and Uranus form a sparky conjunction in Gemini, also in her 3rd House of Songwriting.  She has energy in spades, with Mars trine Jupiter  She is most associated with the song “Rhiannon”, the name of a Celtic Goddess, and her Moon (Goddess) is at the top of her chart, conjunct her Midheaven (Careerpoint and Persona) in her 9th House of Religion/Philosophy.  She has a very karmic exact square between her Pluto and the Nodal Axis.

Lindsey Buckingham birth chart

What immediately strikes you about Lindsey Buckingham’s chart is his hugely energetic but possibly destructive Mars/Pluto conjunction on his performing Leo Ascendant.  That he spent months of exhaustion after contracting mononucleosis may have been partly due to adrenal burnout from this demanding conjunction.  Neptune is on his South Node in Libra, sapping away at him psychologically if not physically.  So that high energy conjunction is paradoxically difficult to balance.  Aside from Leo, the other focus in his chart are his Sun/Mercury and Neptune/South Node in Libra.  The North Node provides support in being exactly trine his Mars/Pluto.  His relationship with Stevie was rocked by joining Fleetwood Mac, but their careers took an upward trajectory.

Their Synastry

The intricacies of their relationship were depicted by Lindsey’s Sun/Mercury conjunct exactly Stevie’s Neptune (very much a “can’t live with you, can’t live without you” connection).  Stevie’s aura of glamour and illusion was brought out by this liaison.  Lindsey’s Venus was exactly conjunct Stevie’s Chiron, one of interconnecting wounding and healing.  His Mars/Pluto was exactly conjunct her Saturn, so that would frustrate his energies and reveal his blocks.  His Neptune squared her Moon, so brought up her own emotional intricacies, including her own relationship with the Goddess energy.  What bound them together was their exactly trined Ascendants in fire signs (Stevie’s was in Aries).

with the group

Though the band had by now gone through many transformations, it is worth looking at their synastry with the original chart of the band.  Stevie’s North Node (karma) was exactly trine the band’s Venus (musicality).  Her South Node (past life karma) was exactly conjunct with its Mars (energy).  So, that was a very karmic connection.  Lindsey had positive energetic connections with the band’s chart, such as his Saturn sextile the band’s Mars, his Mars conjunct the band’s Jupiter, his North Node trine the band’s Jupiter, plus his Jupiter trine the band’s Uranus – his was a real infusion of successful new energy.

with Mick Fleetwood

Stevie later became romantically involved with Mick Fleetwood, and he describes her in his autobiography as a soul mate, drawn by a mutual love of the mystical and a shared taste for drama.  His Venus was exactly sextile her Pluto, a deep relationship indeed.  Mick described his respect for Lindsey as a musician, in his autobiography: “Lindsey…can play any instrument I’ve ever seen put in front of him…We think the same about music but feel it differently”.

with Christine McVie

Stevie and Christine became lifelong friends.  Christine’s Moon was probably trine Stevie’s Venus (though we do not know her birth time), balancing out Stevie’s own natal Venus-Moon opposition.  Their Marses were exactly trine, too.  In her autobiography of Stevie Nicks Zoe Howe describes them together: “Stevie was as wide eyed and adventurous as Christine was assured and down to earth.” As their relationships fell apart (John McVie drank heavily), they sought refuge in each other’s company.

First Album

Stevie and Lindsey joined Fleetwood Mac after Bob Welch left at the end of  December 1974.  Jupiter was sextile Stevie’s North Node (a karmic opportunity), Jupiter was opposite Lindsey’s Saturn, easing his path, and the North Node was sextile Mick Fleetwood’s Neptune (a serendipitous hiring for him).

Their first gig was at El Paso, Texas, on 15th May 1975, where they played “Rhiannon”.

  Mars was square Stevie’s Uranus (a happening time), Jupiter trine her Pluto (new power to her elbow), Neptune sextile her Neptune (she was coming into her stride spiritually).  Lindsey was having a rough ride astrologically, for Saturn squared his Neptune (at sea).  On the plus side, Uranus trined his Moon (changes), Neptune sextiled his Mercury (inspiration) and Pluto sextiled his Chiron (healing allied with power).

Howe writes:

“for Fleetwood, those early rehearsals with Stevie and Lindsay reminded him of the energy of the Peter Green/ Jeremy Spencer days”

Their first album together as a group was entitled “Fleetwood Mac” (released July 1975), which proved a resounding success.  But the extra pressures on their private lives racheted up their consumption of cocaine and alcohol, which would have repercussions on all their lives.

Zoe Howe provides their fashion styles in this period: (For Stevie:) “Black chiffon, handkerchief skirts, shawls and a top hat… a Witchy rock goddess”.  (For Lindsey:) “silk kimonos, velvet jackets and Byronic white shirts”. (For Christine:) “fashionable gypsy-Raquel threads, head-scarves and boots”. (For Mick:) “theatrical Victorian style with billowing sleeves, waistcoats, pocket watches and knickerbockers”.  And for John: “looks like he’s going to the beach” (an observation by Stevie Nicks).

By the final date of their 1975 tour (22nd December), they were all in meltdown.  Stevie had frequent throat problems, Mick’s marriage to Jenny was breaking up, and so was the McVie’s marriage.  Most of the group had a transformative transit of Neptune trine their Plutos, common to their peer group.

Part 5 of this series will tell the tale of their piece de resistance, the album “Rumours”.

Bibliography:

“Stevie Nicks” by Zoe Howe

“Play On” by Mick Fleetwood

 

Aspects

Sunday’s main events, began with a Full Moon in Pisces.  This is the most emotional of the Full Moons of the year, but also the most spiritual, in that we come to the end of a spiritual cycle.  It is also the most compassionate, and ecological disasters are still evoking are emotions.  The Pisces Full Moon reminds us that we are all One.

Also on Sunday, Venus was be square Pluto, a difficult aspect psychologically and emotionally.  Soul-searching, letting go and forgiveness work under this challenge.  Heart to hearts also work.  In relationships, you may have tackled difficult issues, or waited for a more suitable time to tackle difficult issues.  Just as we are all One, so are relationships Eternal.

Today, Monday (27th) sees Mars stationary, prior to going direct, at 28 degrees Capricorn if you can place this within your chart Houses.  If you have felt you were swimming against the tide, this direct turn can release some energy and sense of purpose.  We still have to wait for a few more retrograde planets to turn direct, but you may benefit from this one, especially if born under Aries, or if Mars is strongly accentuated in your natal chart.  This could be a physical renewal.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 28th) brings a dynamic square between Mercury and Jupiter.  That is a full on aspect, liable to overstretching, but sometimes pleasantly so.  There is a great deal of exchange of information, people to see and things to do, not to mention places to visit.  It is the last aspect of the week, so even if you do experience “too much information”, you can parcel it up, divide it into sections, and study it throughout the week.  It could keep you occupied and entertained all that time.

The week in bullet points:

  • Sunday – emotions at full flood, psychological soul-searching
  • Monday – full steam ahead
  • Tuesday – educational and communicative