{"id":6648,"date":"2021-11-28T14:35:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T14:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=6648"},"modified":"2021-11-28T14:51:04","modified_gmt":"2021-11-28T14:51:04","slug":"aspects-for-the-week-beginning-28-november-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=6648","title":{"rendered":"Aspects for the week beginning 28 November 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephen Sondheim (1930 – 2021)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Isn’t it rich?
\nAre we a pair?
\nMe here at last on the ground
\nYou in mid-air
\nSend in the clowns”<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

~<\/em> Stephen Sondheim<\/p>\n

Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, winner of several Tony awards, died this week, at the age of 91.\u00a0 He played a crucial role in the development of the musical, and West Side Story, for which he wrote the lyrics, is often hailed as the best musical of all time.\u00a0 The iconic songs from that musical, such as Maria, Somewhere, and Tonight, are etched in the collective musical mind.\u00a0 He also helped to create Gypsy, A Little Night Music (from which notably Send in the Clowns was born), and Sweeney Todd, and he even had a hand in the more recent Hamilton through his mentee Lin-Manuel Miranda.<\/p>\n

Birth Chart<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sondheim had the Sun in Aries in his 5th House of Creativity.\u00a0 The Sun was unaspected, which can indicate a free spirit.\u00a0 His parents separated when he was ten years old, and he lived with his mother.\u00a0 The Moon in his chart was exactly square his natal Venus – he didn’t get on with his mother.\u00a0 His Moon was also exactly conjunct Saturn – I call this the “Ivory Tower” – in 3rd House, he had no siblings, and by all accounts led a lonely and isolated childhood.\u00a0 The Moon closely square Uranus and opposing Pluto added even more to his isolation.\u00a0 These aspects produced a double square of Moon\/Saturn to Venus\/Uranus.\u00a0 His North Node (karmic mission) was conjunct Chiron in Taurus, the sign of Music.\u00a0 Mercury was trine Pluto in his chart, producing a deep thinker.\u00a0 Venus was sextile Jupiter – for all his emotional isolation, he loved people.\u00a0 Otherwise, his relationship problems showed up as Venus closely square Saturn (which can mean disappointment in love), Venus conjunct Uranus (unusual attractions, but also social magnetism), and Venus square Pluto (turbulent relationships).\u00a0 Venus exactly trine his Midheaven\u00a0 in Leo pointed to an outstanding musical contribution in his career.\u00a0 He had Mars square Jupiter – great enthusiasm allied with energy, and Jupiter exactly sextile Uranus in 6th House (the Entrepreneur Archetype).<\/p>\n

Life and Career<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Isn’t it bliss?
\nDon’t you approve?
\nOne who keeps tearing around
\nOne who can’t move
\nWhere are the clowns?
\nSend in the clowns<\/em><\/p>\n

Sondheim was born in New York, New York.\u00a0 His mother was a dress designer and his father manufactured the dresses.\u00a0 It was a shock to Stephen when his father left his mother for another woman, and he found his mother psychologically abusive, taking out her anger on him. Around the time his parents separated, he became friends with the son of Oscar Hammerstein.\u00a0 The latter became a substitute father figure, and a musical mentor.\u00a0 He put him through his paces in writing musicals, though critical of the results but showing him where he went wrong. Sondheim then took theatre studies at college in Massachussetts.<\/p>\n

His big break occurred when he was invited to work on West Side Story as a lyricist with Leonard Bernstein.\u00a0 This show was of course based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. As a musical, it was groundbreaking in its drama and passion.\u00a0 The show opened on 26th September 1957, with Jupiter trine his natal Jupiter (a great success), Jupiter opposite his natal Uranus (a surprise), Uranus sextile his natal Jupiter (a surprise success) and Uranus trine his natal Uranus (the power of surprise, and sudden success).\u00a0 Thus was his natal Entrepreneur (Jupiter sextile Uranus) well and truly activated!\u00a0 This magical union of Bernstein and Sondheim was shown in their birthcharts through Bernstein’s Sun conjunct Sondheim Neptune (mutual inspiration), their Marses exactly trine (often a good sign of working together in synastry) and Bernstein’s Mars on Sondheim’s Ascendant\/South Node, Bernstein being a great motivator for Sondheim, but also showing a karmic imperative.<\/p>\n

His next opportunity was an invitation to write the lyrics for Gypsy, based on Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoirs. Sondheim was hesitant as he did not want to be known just as a lyricist, but Hammerstein advised him to take the opportunity.\u00a0 Sadly, his mentor Hammerstein died shortly after, in 1960.\u00a0 This was a traumatic moment for Sondheim, as they had such a strong bond.<\/p>\n

Relationship with Oscar Hammerstein<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Just when I stopped
\nOpening doors
\nFinally knowing the one that I wanted was yours
\nMaking my entrance again with my usual flair<\/em><\/p>\n

Astrologically, Stephen and his mentor were close: Hammerstein’s Ascendant was exactly conjunct Sondheim’s Pluto, so they made a huge impact on each other.\u00a0 Hammerstein’s Mercury and Venus conjunction (the Songwriter) was exactly trine Sondheim’s North Node, a karmic handing down of musical writing tradition.\u00a0 Oscar’s death was marked by Sondheim’s Saturn Return (a coming of age), with Saturn square Sondheim’s Venus (the loss of a loved one) and Neptune on Sondheim’s Ascendant (confusion over identity).<\/p>\n

Further work and collaboration<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Don’t you love a farce?
\nMy fault, I fear
\nI thought that you’d want what I want
\nSorry my dear
\nBut where are the clowns?
\nSend in the clowns<\/em><\/p>\n

The creation of musicals had its ups and downs, not all succeeded.\u00a0 But with Hal Prince, in 1973, came another highlight in his career: A Little Night Music, which opened on 25th February of that year.\u00a0 It received the best reception.\u00a0 With Saturn sextile his natal Midheaven (career point) in his 10th House, his reputation was stabilized.\u00a0 The song “Send in the Clowns” became iconic: in recent days I have seen it sung by Judy Dench, Millicent Martin and even Elizabeth Taylor.\u00a0 But Judy Collins’ version in 1975 was my favourite, really bringing out its beauty.\u00a0 It was originally written for the part played by Glynis Johns, with her husky, breathy voice, evoking the poignancy of the piece.<\/p>\n

Later collaborators were James Lapine (notably, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (on a Spanish version of West Side Story, and on developing the hit show Hamilton).<\/p>\n

Relationships<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Send in the clowns
\nDon’t bother
\nThey’re here<\/em><\/p>\n

Sondheim did not come out as gay until the age of 40, at his Uranus Opposition (the mid-life crisis and rebellion).\u00a0 He had had relationships with the actress Lee Remick, the actor Anthony Perkins, and a dramatist Peter Jones.\u00a0 He more latterly found love with Jeffrey Scott Romley, whom he married in 2017.<\/p>\n

I was aged 11 when the film of “West Side Story” came out.\u00a0 It seemed radical and new.\u00a0 For many of us, Sondheim’s vast body of music has been a soundtrack to our lives.<\/p>\n

“Isn’t it rich?
\nIsn’t it queer?
\nLosing my timing this late
\nIn my career
\nWhere are the clowns?
\nThere ought to be clowns
\nWell, maybe next year”<\/em><\/p>\n

~ Stephen Sondheim<\/p>\n

Aspects<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the Sun conjoins Mercury at 6 degrees Sagittarius.\u00a0 It is a good day generally to apply your mind with clarity,\u00a0concentrate and focus,\u00a0 and make important statements.\u00a0 The focus may be on your own growth and potential and physical wellbeing.\u00a0 Mentally you may see things clearly, if egocentrically.\u00a0 Creatively, this is a very helpful conjunction: If you are writing a play, for instance, the perfect line could come to you.\u00a0 It also supports global vision and interests.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow (Monday 29th) Mars will be trine Neptune, under which the spiritual warrior flourishes.\u00a0 You can combine your passions with your spiritual path.\u00a0 Meditation with movement is favoured, e.g. yoga, tai chi and qijong.\u00a0 Peaceful demonstrations also chime well with this aspect.\u00a0 I myself have a chiropody\/podiatry appointment, which is perfect, as Neptune rules the feet.\u00a0 Why not treat yourself to a foot treatment or pampering of some sort, even if home made, with a bowl of warm water and some foot lotion to hand!<\/p>\n

The self-care theme continues the same day with a trine between Mercury and Chiron, so the day has real healing potential.\u00a0 This aspect is all about finding solutions, especially in health matters.\u00a0 Mercury trine Chiron describes healing on a mental level (positive thinking, writing and affirmations), and helps to combine conventional and alternative or complementary healing approaches.<\/p>\n

With a sextile of Saturn to Mercury on Tuesday (30th) there is a chance that Geminis and Virgos may experience this as a better week altogether, aspects to their ruler Mercury being fairly congenial.\u00a0 Thoughts and feelings can be channelled and harnessed into constructive plans and ideas.\u00a0 Mental foundations can be laid.\u00a0 The aspect favours documentation and knuckling down to form-filling etc.<\/p>\n

The theme of healing returns with the Sun trine Chiron.\u00a0 Healing is illuminated by clarity, and solutions may appear to conundrums which have been recently aired.\u00a0 There is a sense of wholeness about this aspect.\u00a0 Creativity and healing have a symbiotic relationship under this aspect.<\/p>\n

Two more positive sextiles then follow, on the same day.\u00a0 First, Venus sextiles Neptune, to soothing waves of serenity and heightened inspiration, which hopefully you may experience.\u00a0 People may come more into tune with each other.\u00a0 New artistic avenues may flourish, having found ingenious ways for people to share art, music and performance (though some restrictions may now be about to return, with the discovery of the Omicron variant of covid).<\/p>\n

Lastly, on Tuesday, the Sun sextiles Saturn which could ground some of the inspiration and bring it into reality.\u00a0 Practical initiatives are supported by this aspect.\u00a0 It is a good aspect for setting up solid foundations, for instance.<\/p>\n

So, you see, Tuesday is a day real progress can be made.<\/p>\n

The gift from Neptune, on the first day of December (Wednesday1st), is its Direct motion.\u00a0 If you have felt confused of late, there is a chance for more clarity, certainty, inspiration and spirituality. \u00a0If\u00a0 you felt your feet were treading water, then your \u00a0path could be on surer ground.\u00a0 It is an opportunity to fine tune relationships, art, or spiritual practices.\u00a0 After the turnaround has been achieved you may detect greater flow and movement.\u00a0 Interactions may be subtle, but subtlety can be powerful.<\/p>\n

We end the week with a New Moon and Eclipse (a Solar Eclipse) at 12 degrees Sagittarius on Saturday (4th).\u00a0 New Moons tend to be upbeat, and Sagittarian New Moons more upbeat than most, focussing on expansion, the planning of holidays, deep study and learning, global issues, and matters of faith.\u00a0 Re-play your affirmations, with more confidence.\u00a0 You can have powerful inner conversations under this New Moon.\u00a0 Eclipses can be dramatic, and contain the seeds of events for the forthcoming 6 months, which often makes them turning points.<\/p>\n

The week in bullet points:<\/p>\n