John Lennon’s 80th Birthday

“You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one…”

~ John Lennon

The life of John Lennon was celebrated this week, to commemorate what would have been his 80th birthday on Friday.  A member of the groundbreaking band The Beatles, and half of what is often hailed as the greatest songwriting duo with Paul McCartney, a talented writer and artist, and solo musician in his own right, he is without question a legend.

Birth Chart

His birthchart is satisfyingly descriptive of his life and character, though he was complex and went through psychological metamorphoses as well as musical phases.  With 6 out of his 10 planets in the Fixed signs, he was quite wilful from an early age.  His Sun in Libra in the 6th House of Working Conditions saw him searching for peace, as well as being industrious in his work.  But with his Ascendant in Aries, he could also be argumentative, continually upsetting his own apple cart.  The Sun was conjunct the South Node in Aries in his 12th House, giving him a powerful interior world.  The Sun was otherwise unaspected: the sign of a real one-off individual free spirit!  His Moon in Aquarius in 10th House implied futuristic vision, and a desire to improve society, plus an interest in working in a group (which he did for many years).  The Sun in Libra likes to work in a one-to-one collaboration (which he did with Paul McCartney for several years).  His Moon was exactly opposite Pluto; this shows volcanic emotions; it also describes the whole switch from Cynthia to Yoko, a deeper need in his life, to go along with a different line of psychological growth.  The opposition of Chiron to his Moon indicates wounds on the mother line (difficulties with his mother led to him living with his aunt Mimi for much of his childhood).  Jupiter exactly conjunct Saturn in Taurus in 1st House often presented him with dilemmas.  Allegedly, he was forced to choose whether to live with his mother or his father at the age of five.  With Venus in  Virgo in 5th House, he was very particular about his creativity.  At the same time, Venus loosely square Uranus meant he was always looking for  the unusual in relationship, with Venus as ruler of his 7th House of relationship as well as being his Sun ruler.  He found this quality in Yoko Ono (a Uranian ruled Aquarian).  His Venus was also trine with his Midheaven, a feature often found in the charts of musicians.  Warrior Mars, his Ascendant ruler, was in the Libra sign of peace, genuinely passionate about wanting peace, both personal and global.  The Peace Activist Archetype is shown particularly in Mars conjunct his North Node in Libra, and was prominently at work in his creativity and activity with Yoko Ono, such as the famous “bed-in”.   Mars closely sextile Pluto gave him a powerhouse of energy, and the ability to use it constructively.  Pluto conjunct Chiron in  Leo showed a shadow side, which occurring in his 4th House of Home and Family depicts the well-documented difficulties of his early family life.

Paul McCartney

In early liaisons, he met both Paul McCartney and Cynthia Lennon in 1957, around the age of 17.  John’s mother Julia had bought him his first guitar, in 1956, though his aunt Mimi disapproved of his musical ambitions and wanted him to concentrate on Art School. Julia subsequently died in a road traffic accident in 1958.

The date of meeting Paul is documented as 6th July 1957.  John had formed a band named The Quarrymen (with Jupiter from Virgo in his natal 5th House trine his natal Jupiter/Saturn in Taurus in his 1st House, following his Joy).  Paul attended their second performance, and  John asked him to join them on that date.

The chart for that date shows Venus exactly conjunct Uranus in Leo (sudden fortuitous creative meetings), and in their transits Jupiter was trine John’s Uranus, and Jupiter was on Paul’s Ascendant (an opportunity for both of them).

His synastry with Paul includes: their Marses exactly sextile, working well together (for a considerable time and intensity); Paul’s Uranus trine John Mars (Paul bringing excitement and electricity to John’s energy).  But Paul’s Pluto was exactly opposite John’s Moon, activating and emphasizing John’s own exact natal opposition between the Moon and Pluto: hence volcanic emotions eventually erupted between them and took over.

Beatles

The band was re-named The Beatles in 1960, after they had played in Hamburg, and George Harrison (a friend of McCartney) had joined the band, and last to join was drummer Ringo Starr.  The rest is history.

Their first hit single was “Love Me Do” in October 1962, a simple catchy melody which represented their early genre of “boy meets girl”.  For John, Uranus was on his Venus, an exciting time for him musically.  They recorded their first album “Please Please Me” on 11th February 1963, with Uranus still transiting John’s Venus.  By February 1964, they were wowing audiences in America, and appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Cynthia and Julian Lennon

John and Cynthia had met as fellow art students at college.  Their relationship (and the subsequent birth of their son Julian in April 1963) was hushed up by their manager Brian Epstein, who wanted to keep  all the Beatles looking eligible for their fans.  John’s relationship with Cynthia was reasonably dynamic (e.g. Her Mars forming a Grand Trine with his Uranus and Neptune; her Pluto sextile his Mars), but he moved on.  As a child, Julian lost out to his father’s early success with the Beatles; later he lost out when his father met Yoko Ono; then John lived in New York and due to residency problems in relation to his drug taking was unable to visit England.  Finally, Julian lost his father to an early death.  Cynthia was hit hard by John moving on to Yoko, but it is hard to contemplate the poignancy of Julian’s own loss.  Nevertheless, he grew up to become a musician in his own right.  Julian has Venus conjunct Chiron (relationship wounds) in Pisces in his chart, and one factor in the distance with his father may have been their opposed Suns, at 16 degrees Libra (John’s) and 17 degrees Aries (Julian’s).  Cynthia herself ascribes the change in John towards her from the time he first took L.S.D. (circa 1965), but undoubtedly it was a deep shock to her when she found Yoko in their home when she returned from a trip to Greece.

Changing Influences

The changes in the Beatles’ music reflected the changes in their lifestyles, preoccupations and consciousness.  The use of L.S.D. gave rise to the distinctive sounds of the album “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” of 1967.  While they were coming under the influence of the Maharishi Mahesh Yoga, transcendental meditation, and Eastern teachings, Brian Epstein (who had looked after them since 1962) bowed out of their lives, through suicide.  Relationships were changing too: Cynthia gave way to Yoko, Paul’s girlfriend Jane Asher to Linda Eastman, and George Harrison’s relationship with Patti Boyd was breaking down.  John quietly left the Beatles in 1969 with Jupiter on his North Node (karmic freedom), Uranus sextile his natal Pluto (Big Change) and Pluto trine his natal Uranus (another signal for Big Change).  His relationship with Paul had become a power struggle.

Yoko Ono

The first meeting of John and Yoko has the astrological wow factor.  They met on 9th November 1966 at an exhibition of her conceptual art.  Jupiter was transiting John’s Pluto in Leo in his 4th House, and Pluto was transiting Yoko’s Jupiter in Virgo in her 12th House.  That represented quite an impact, for both of them.  Their Suns were very compatible (trine, in Air).  Her Moon was trine his Chiron (the relationship was an emotional healing for her), and her Mercury was on his South Node (a teacher for him, certainly taking him in a different direction).  His work became more analytical and political (notably “Give Peace a Chance”).  Together they formed the Plastic Ono band, and she wrote, produced and performed with him.  In 1970, he and Yoko underwent “Primal Therapy” with Arthur Janov, a type of rebirthing and reliving of early trauma.  Some of his feelings and insights were used in later musical work.  Many feel that the pinnacle of his solo work is represented by the image of him playing the iconic words of  “Imagine” in a white room at a white piano in 1971.

Sean Lennon

With Uranus transiting his North Node (a complete karmic change), John and Yoko moved to New York in August 1971. His relationship with Yoko had its ups and downs, but in 1975, when their son Sean was born, he gave up musicianship to become a full time househusband and raise Sean.  Astrologically, Sean was a true son, with his Sun exactly conjunct John’s Sun, and his Venus exactly conjunct with John’s Venus.

Back to Music

After this unusual retreat and quiet period, John produced a new album “Double Fantasy” in 1980, proclaiming a new start with the song “Starting Over”.  The transits of his comeback show Saturn trine his natal Moon in Aquarius in 10th House (the fulfilment of a domestic phase), and Neptune trine his Ascendant (new inspiration).

Mark David Chapman

Three weeks after he released the new album, on 8th December 1980, he was shot by Mark David Chapman outside his home in New York, and was pronounced dead on his arrival at hospital.

In their synastry, the most destructive interaspect was Mark Chapman’s Pluto squaring John’s Uranus.  When he was shot, Chiron was transiting John’s Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in his 1st House in Taurus, and the Nodal Axis (karma) was squaring that conjunction.  Uranus closely opposed his natal Uranus.  These transits give an impression of the end of a cycle.

Mark Chapman’s state of mind at the time is revealed through his transits: Pluto was square his natal Jupiter, which can give rise to a feeling of megalomania; Pluto was square his natal Uranus, which can be extremely destructive, too; and Pluto sextile his natal Pluto, which could have given rise to a feeling of self-empowerment (which if in a psychotic delusion would be turned to a negative).

Though it is possible from a spiritual point of view that a soul contract may have been made between them, one wonders what future works were lost to the world.  John Lennon left behind a huge body of music, and two sons who became musicians.

“John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him”

~ Yoko Ono

Aspects

The Sun was square Jupiter today, giving rise to grandiose thoughts and gargantuan exploits. This aspect exaggerates everything it comes into contact with.  There is also a joyful, humorous side of Sun square Jupiter, so try some laughter-yoga, or looking at the positives of these interesting times.  Last night, the winner of the final Britain’s Got Talent, sitting at a piano, tried to encapsulate, with humour, the year of 2020 so far, in a style reminiscent of Victoria Wood.

Jupiter is again prominent tomorrow (Monday 12th), in its sextile with Neptune, an aspect we saw in February.  This allows religion and spirituality to work together well.  Higher solutions can be found to even practical problems, filtering down into consciousness from the causal planes.  We do need to raise our consciousness now, as we did in February when we were beginning to see the effects of the pandemic.  We have to find higher ways of looking at things, and that includes practical solutions (Jupiter-Neptune are not practically minded, but can inspire us to new practices).  It’s a heavyweight aspect in terms of importance, so make the most of it.

Another sextile adds more grace to the day, for the congeniality of Mercury sextile Venus is always welcome.  Interestingly, the star of the “Miss Congeniality” films, Sandra Bullock, has Mercury sextile Venus in her birth chart! If you have some socially distanced socializing planned, that should be most harmonious.  Conversation will flow, and with much agreement between kindred spirits.

Mars opposes the Sun on Tuesday (13th), so not so much of the congeniality but it’s more about dodging conflict, unless you are a seasoned Warrior and can take the heat.  Energy will be high, so it is a good time to arrange activities which channel this energy constructively.

On Wednesday (14th) Mercury is Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde.  Seems a long time since we grappled with this, haven’t you missed it?  It’s always good to practise your Mercury Retrograde moves: checking fine print, upgrading technology  being more mindful generally, etc.  Mercury will be retrograde until 3rd November (the day of the U.S. Presidential election), so be alert for fake news.

Also on Wednesday the Sun in Libra will be trine the North Node in Gemini, and that may help you to stay on the right track.  Clarity emerging can throw up creative avenues and karmic insights.  This influence may to an extent offset the onset of Mercury Retrograde.

You’ll need all the lessons of the week to deal with Thursday’s (15th) square between the Sun and Pluto, although I consider last week’s Mars/Pluto square more difficult, so if you survived that you may have the tools for this aspect.  This one is a deep soul searching aspect.  There is no whitewashing or kicking the can down the road, as if you try to gloss over something you could meet it in another guise.

A fresh start is available on Friday (16th) with a New Moon at 23 degrees Libra. Artistic, musical and relationship issues may receive a boost, so any seeds sown in those areas may bear fruit.  Balance and harmony can emerge from your efforts.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – exaggeration
  • Tomorrow – religion and spirituality harmonize; words and pictures combine well
  • Tuesday – conflict
  • Wednesday – communications awry; but karmic adjustments good
  • Thursday – the need to dig deep
  • Friday – new beginning
Date: Oct 11th, 2020 · Comments RSS · Tags: Celebrities · Icons