Aspects for the week beginning 10 January 2021

Gerry Marsden (1942 – 2021)

“We went over [to Hamburg] with the Beatles and had a good laugh.  All they had over there were oompah bands…we took over this music, and they loved it.”

~ Gerry Marsden

Singer Gerry Marsden, frontman for Gerry and the Pacemakers, died last week.  He and his band were a fundamental part of the Merseybeat scene in the early 1960s, and his version of “You’ll never walk alone” was the soundtrack to many a Liverpool football match.

Birth Chart

Gerry had the Sun in the first degree of Libra, a singer’s sign.  He was born on a Full Moon (the Moon opposing the Sun), with the Moon either in Pisces or Aries.  With the Sun trine team-minded Uranus, he flourished in a band.  There’s a dreamlike quality about his chart, with Neptune winding its way through various features: his Sun is closely conjunct Neptune, his Moon may be in Pisces and opposes Neptune, and Mars is also conjunct Neptune.  We do not have his birth time, so we cannot see Neptune’s position in the context of the whole chart, but I think the dreamy Neptunian quality gives atmosphere to his iconic version of “You’ll never walk alone”, and the portrayal of “Ferry Cross the Mersey”.  The Moon is probably trine Jupiter in his chart, which would make him emotionally upbeat.  His vitality shows  up well, in respect of a strong Mars which is conjunct his Sun, trine Saturn and Uranus, and sextile Pluto.

Life and Career

Gerry, together with his older brother Freddie who was one of the Pacemakers, was born in Toxteth, Liverpool.  Freddie’s Sun in Sagittarius was exactly sextile Gerry’s Sun at the beginning of Libra, making for an excellent musical partnership.  Gerry joined a skiffle group at the age of 14, together with Freddie.  They went from being called the Red Mountain Boys to the Mars Bars (a short lived name).  In 1959 they were renamed The Pacemakers.  Having first signed up The Beatles, Brian Epstein signed up The Pacemakers in June 1962 – the Mersey sound was under way!  Then in December 1962 George Martin signed them up to the Columbia label.

Their first hit was “How do you do it?” In his memoir “All You Need is Ears”, George Martin writes about this reording debut:

“The next group he [Brian Epstein] brought me was Gerry and the Pacemakers.  For them, I dipped into my song-bag and once more produced ‘How Do You Do It?”, the song that t he Beatles hadn’t wanted to issue.  Gerry recorded it, and it went to number one… that was a little personal vindication of my faith in the song…”  

Hits that followed over the next few years were:-

I like it

You’ll never walk alone

Don’t let the sun catch  you crying

Ferry cross the Mersey

A film entitled “Ferry Cross the Mersey” was produced in 1965.

In 1966, the Pacemakers disbanded. Marsden subsequently appeared in musical theatre and television, occasionally re-recording collaborative versions of “You’ll never Walk Alone” and “Ferry Cross the Mersey” for charity.

In 1993, Marsden published his autobiography, also entitled “You’ll never Walk Alone”.

He was married, with two daughters.

The Football Song

“You’ll never Walk Alone” is a song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein film musical Carousel of 1945.  In the musical, it accompanies a poignant storyline about a widow.

The song is particularly associated with Liverpool Football Club, but is played at football matches all over the world, inspired by Gerry’s recording.

George Martin continues:

“…a more interesting recording Gerry made was of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the old American standard.  He always got a great reaction from audiences when he performed it, and it was Brian’s idea to record it.  For the first time, I backed Gerry with a large string orchestra, which was a great departure for him.  He had been a very jolly rock-and-roll star, doing little two-beat songs, and suddenly here was this big ballad with which his voice could hardly cope.  All the same, I think it was largely that record which was responsible for the song becoming the universal football-crowd song it is today.”

The song proved to be an enduring thread in Gerry’s life, and even in 2020 he released a version of it in tribute to the NHS.

The Beatles, together with Gerry and the Pacemakers, were the musical accompaniment to my early teens.  It is hard to convey to the current musical consumers, listening to Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and groups I have never heard of, how exciting it was to hear those simple love songs in the early 1960s.  The Beatles themselves moved on from that genre, and a lot has happened since in the music world!

Aspects

In the early hours of this morning Mercury conjoined Saturn at 2 degrees Aquarius, so you can forgive yourself a few gloomy thoughts (e.g. about the proliferation of the pandemic, or the violence at the Capitol in Washington last week), as the combination of Mercury and Saturn pins us down to reality.  Mercury conjunct Saturn brings communications of a serious nature.  You may have found yourself trying to come to terms with recent events or news.  The important thing about this conjunction is what conclusions you come to, and what constructive action you might decide to take, even if it is taking up the ever present demand of decluttering.

Tomorrow (Monday 11th), there could be better news, with Mercury conjunct Jupiter.  As Jupiter and Saturn are still conjunct, there may be a bittersweet edge to the news, but there should be some good news in there!  This conjunction takes place at 5 degrees Aquarius.  I had to re-check that: Mercury moving 3 degrees in a day?  But allowing for the fact that Sunday’s conjunction was very early in the morning, and Monday’s is late afternoon, and Mercury just is sometimes extra speedy, yes 5 degrees Aquarius is the position.  You can take special note if this is an important degree in  your chart.  This conjunction favours learning and education, communication and good news, sales and transport.  Education, business and transport have all taken a battering in these covid times, so maybe any glimmer of hope will be welcomed and grasped.

Mercury is also blessed with a sextile from Chiron the same day, so Geminis and Virgos may be especially happy.  This bodes well for health related issues, and problem-solving.  It is helpful for developing your Inner Healer, whatever your sign.

A more weighty benefit comes also that day from a sextile between Jupiter and Chiron.  That brings the possibility of some real healing, or more good news about health.  I do hope that this sextile can get past through the incompetent of governments, and the scale of the pandemic.  The U.K. hospitals are currently at their limit, so it would be good to hear that the figures are decreasing a little.  That would be my wish, but you can bring out your own wishes for Jupiter sextile Chiron on any issue in your life.  It is a really positive force.

Make the most of Monday!

Tuesday (12th) brings the spanner-in-the-works aspect of Uranus square Mercury.  Back up your computer files, and consider I.T. loopholes, as this is a time when you may experience glitches in this area.  Your Intuition is your guide to your way through these anomalies.  Set your antennae to a higher frequency!  On the covid scene, there may be more shocks recorded, and in Washington more headaches for Joe Biden as he prepares to take the reins of government.

Another square which could make Tuesday difficult is that of Chiron to Venus.  Self-nursing and relationship issues are highlighted by this square.  Healthwise, sore throats could be prevalent – leading to the question of whether or not to take a test or self-isolate.  But this is a fast-moving aspect, so the question would be resolved quickly.  If there is an emotional crisis, then healing could be nearby.

A New Moon arrives at 23 degrees Capricorn on Wednesday (13th) early in the morning, so you may wake refreshed, full of good new intentions. Plan a constructive month ahead.  New beginnings are possible in relation to the structures and organization of your life, relations with authority and the institutions of society.  Politicians may announce good new intentions.  It is a good time for Joe Biden to lay out new ideas and policies, and for Matt Hancock to take us through his latest strategies for dealing with the pandemic.

Work quickly, because things get more complicated around 11 a.m. when Saturn squares Mars.  I think of this aspect as a square peg in a round hole, and a square peg which  you shouldn’t try to push through the round hole.  Energies clash.  You may feel tired and a little discouraged, and unproductive.  Ride it out gently.  And observe others carefully, who may not be astrologically mindful.

Good news returns (you had good news earlier in the week, right?) on Thursday (14th) with a trine between Venus and Uranus.  This occurs in the first hour of the day, so may begin the previous night, or may take place during a bright dream.  The aspect may set you up with insights for the following week, or bring encounters of the illuminating kind.  In the field of the Arts, it can bring originality and surprise, e.g. to a performance of music.  Ideas for assisting the problems in our society may also crop up, such as community based solutions.

At  8.36 a.m.  Uranus Stations prior to turning Direct.  Intuition will flow better, and future vision come into view.  It will become easier to align with the new energies of Aquarius.

In the early afternoon, the Sun conjoins with Pluto, and that will be a profound wake-up call, both personally and collectively.  Practicing meditation and calming techniques would be a good way to proceed on the day as the deeper issues of life come up for assessment.  Any creativity will have depth to it, and you won’t be able to skim the surface of things. But you will emerge the richer for it.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – serious communications
• Tomorrow – better news; healing ways; a breakthrough
• Tuesday – spanner in the works; nursing
• Wednesday – new beginning; clumsiness
• Thursday – electrifying encounters; intuition flowing; a profound wake-up call