Aspects for the week beginning 29 August 2021

Don Everly (1937 – 2021)

“That´s the price of love, the price of love
The debt you pay with tears and pain
The price of love, the price of love
Costs you more when you´re to blame”

~ lyrics by Don and Phil Everly

Singer Don Everly, one half of the melodic duo with his brother Phil, died on 21st August.  I have fond memories of the Everly Brothers, as my school friend and I used to try and emulate their harmonies!  As a partnership, they were very successful musically, but had their ups and downs personally.  Don’s brother Phil died in 2014.

Don’s Birth Chart

Don had no Fire planets in his chart, so may have relied on the 3 Fire planets in Phil’s chart to provide the fuel at times, though Don was  a Sun Sign Aquarian (closely square Mars) and Phil a New Mooner in Capricorn, so Don may have overall been a more dynamic driver of their work.  There is no doubt that they were pulling in different directions at times, but apparently were always in sync when it came to singing in harmony: something else took over.

Don’s close conjunction in Pisces of Saturn/Part of Fortune/Midheaven in 9th House closely sextiles Mercury (brother) in Capricorn in 7th House (close relationships) – also displaying their connection in his life’s work.

They both had Jupiter early in the 7th House of Close Relationship, which seems to have signified the success of their partnership in each chart.  Often, when events occurred which concerned them both, their 7th House Jupiters would be triggered by transit.  In Don’s case, Jupiter was conjunct Mercury too, indicating commercial success.

Don’s downfall may have been drugs (which included Ritalin), and that is shown by Saturn opposite Neptune, whereas Phil specifically had chest weakness (Mercury being his Ascendant ruler) through smoking, and eventually died of lung disease.

The nadir of a chart, the I.C, describes the foundation and roots of life, and for Don Neptune conjoined this point in Virgo in 3rd House of Brotherhood, a sensitive foundation.  For Phil, Mars was at the I.C. in Scorpio in the 3rd House of Brotherhood, showing the importance of the male sibling.

Synastry

Of course you would expect something very special in the way of harmony cropping up in their compatibility, and there is a “double whammy” of Phil’s Sun sextile Don’s Venus and Don’s Sun sextile Phil’s Venus, Venus being the planet of harmony.  Phil is reported to have stated: “it’s almost like we could read each other’s minds when we sang.” Phil’s Saturn sextiled Don’s Sun, and Phil’s Uranus was exactly trine Don’s Jupiter, a mark of entrepreneurial partnership, success, and opportunities.

The seeds of their discontent and the great rift between them are also shown: their Moons are exactly square, Don’s being in Libra and Phil’s in Capricorn.  The other striking factor causing disharmony in their personalities is Phil’s Uranus exactly opposite Don’s Mars, depicting sparks flying and anger issues.

Musical Career

Don and Phil’s parents were singers, and the boys first appeared on radio with their parents at a young age.  Their first hit was “Bye Bye Love” in 1957, which was written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.  “Wake Up Little Suzie” and “All I Have to Do is Dream” followed in 1958.  The Bryants themselves are another fascinating story, but looking at the factors which brought them to achieve success for the Everly Brothers, Felice’s Jupiter was exactly conjunct Don’s Jupiter.  Her Jupiter was therefore also trine Phil’s Uranus, keying into Don and Phil’s own trine, and enhancing the success of their enterprises.

Around this period (1957/8) they toured with Buddy Holly.  There is a definite affinity with him musically.  Buddy and Don had their Saturns exactly conjunct in Pisces.  The brothers were devastated by his death in February 1959: Don found he could not attend the funeral, and was reported to say: ” I couldn’t go anywhere. I just took to my bed.”  Both brothers had difficult Uranian transits registering shock at the time: Uranus was square Don’s Mars, and Uranus was square to Phil’s Uranus and his Nodal Axis.  That same year they released “Let It Be Me”.

They had been writing songs for a few years, and recorded one of their own, “Cathy’s Clown” in 1960 on a new label, Warner Bros. Records. “Til I Kissed You” came the same year.  “Walk Right Back” was released in 1961, followed by “When Will I Be Loved”.

In October 1961 they joined the Marine Corps Reserve – Don in particular had a heavy water presence in his chart: Midheaven/Part of Fortune/Saturn and Venus in Pisces, and Ascendant in Cancer. During their Marine service they performed “Jezebel” and “Crying in the Rain” on the Ed Sullivan show.  At this point in time, their success began to wane: the Beatles were on the rise, and they were emulating the Everly harmonies.

1965 saw the success of “The Price of Love”, but the brothers were struggling.  Eventually, they announced a final performance, to take place on 14 July 1973.  But in the middle of the performance, Phil walked off, leaving Don to complete it alone.  Both had challenging transits to their natal Jupiters in 7th House (which represented their partnership in each chart): for Don Mars squared his natal Jupiter (a trigger), and for Phil Neptune was square his natal Jupiter (spiritual confusion).  They were separated for over ten years.

They reunited at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 23 September 1983.  At the time, Don had some harmonious transits involving Venus.  For Phil Mars was square his Midheaven (careerpoint) in Taurus (music) in 9th House (foreign lands). A revival was shown by Pluto squaring Phil’s natal Sun in Capricorn in his 5th House.

Final Years

Their relationship was tense in later years.  Don was reported to have said they had different views on life and politics.  Phil died in 2014, and Don was shocked because as the elder brother he always believed he would go first.  At the time, for Phil, Pluto was transiting his natal Mercury (which represents the lungs, which had been a long term site of weakness).

A possible factor in Don’s departure this week is that the current Eris/Pluto square is at the degree of his Moon, with Eris opposing his Moon and Pluto squaring it.

For me, their songs will always be the epitome of musical harmony.

“Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful. The Everlys were there at the crossroads of country and R & B. They witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll.”

~ Paul Simon

Aspects

The Nodal Axis (from Gemini and Sagittarius) squares the Sun in Virgo today, urging us to be adaptable in creating our lives.  We may consider we have to “roll with the punches” for instance, because other people, and bigger principles, and groups, are involved.  This may bring about power play.  However, the guiding principle, come what may, has to be individual authenticity.  The positioning of the Nodal Axis will ensure karmic justice within the structure of projects and power balances, though there may be a few personality clashes (you can’t always please everyone).

Tomorrow (Monday, 30th) Mercury enters Libra, which brings a new mental focus on cultural themes, which could bring more pure enjoyment: art and music being fundamental areas for Libra, and decision-making. Mercury in Libra is slightly more relaxed than Mercury in Virgo, and it’s a long stay (until 5th November) because Mercury will have a retrograde period during the intervening time.

Thursday (2nd) may be tricky, because Neptune opposes Mars that day.  There are elements of war and peace, and smoke and mirrors, about this opposition, so don’t try and be too clever, just try and stay away from unsavoury entanglements.  With it being an opposition between clean and tidy Virgo and its opposite number Pisces, domestic strife could erupt over who is going to do the dishes, and who is making more mess in the home!  In the office, there may be a dispute about procedures and filing systems!  There can also be a sense of illusion (Neptune) with this opposition: a few years ago when this aspect occurred, the news reported “Four climbers had to be rescued from England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, when they got stranded after taking cannabis.”  A scenario not to be repeated…

The last aspect of the week comes on Friday (3rd), when Mercury will be trine the North Node.  This can help ensure that information and communication are accurate and karmically relevant.  You should be able to experience that on a mental or spiritual level.  It will contribute to progress generally, especially when finalizing your week’s work and in preparing for the weekend or communicative ventures.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – be adaptable but authentic
• Tomorrow – new mental focus on cultural themes
• Thursday – trouble and strife plus illusion
• Friday – karmic information and communication