We usually think of History as a boring list of kings, queens, nations, dynasties, administrations and battles. These are important to study, but nations come and go. Dynasties come and go. Leaders come and go.
There are other forms of History: Art history, the history of Religion, the history of Science. The history of food and cooking. The history of Literature. The history of home decoration and furniture design. The history of Medicine. These have a more enduring influence.
What would life be like without the wheel ? the paint brush ? the alphabet ? Who invented bread ? Who invented three-part harmony ? These inventions make life worth living.
One of the most important histories is the History of Music.
In astrology, we can explore the underlying energies which influence musicians and the music they compose and perform.
The Air element relates to novelty and inventiveness, the clever and the catchy. Airy music is often light and cheerful. It appeals to the mind. It changes quickly. Air becomes prominent when there are many planets in the air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius), when Mercury and Uranus are emphasized. Much of modern Jazz and experimental music is airy. Click on this link to hear Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie as they played in 1945.
When Earth is prominent, we get music that is percussive: the beat, the rhythm are most important. There are many notes of short duration. Earthy music is beautifully structured, composed and arranged. It has been said that architecture is frozen music: Earth music is moving architecture. See Meanderings 10 for a discussion of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. When the native has a strong Saturn or an emphasis in Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn, Earth gets the emphasis.
Fire music is glorious, expressive, bombastic. When fire is emphasized, volume and dynamic range are explored to the maximum. We find it when Mars, the Sun and the Fifth House figure prominently, when there are many planets in Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Music for youth is often Fire-oriented: it makes us want to get up and dance. It's all about the joy of being.
An emphasis in Water gives deep feeling, sweeping melodies, lyrical expression which capture and uplift the heart. Water is key to musical sentiment. Without it, music could merely be composed by machines. We find a strong Water emphasis if the Moon or Neptune are prominent in the chart, or when there are many planets in the Water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
According to Wikipedia "Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. He was widely noted for his soft, baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres and which he used to become a major force in popular music for three decades, producing many hit songs."
Cole was one of the first African Americans to host a national television variety show, The Nat King Cole Show, and has maintained worldwide popularity since his death from lung cancer in February 1965.
In Nat King Cole's horoscope we find the influence of Water: inspiration, sentiment, aspiration, elegance. It's polished, smooth, refined. Never harsh, never crude: always beautiful. Listen to Unforgettable. Click on this link to listen to When I Fall In Love. Click and listen to The Very Best of Nat King Cole, a compilation of many recordings.
In this horoscope we find Sun in Pisces and artistic planet Venus exalted in Pisces - prime indicators of a musical and aesthetic disposition. Mercury in Pisces: poetic imagination and romance. All these planets in the 3rd house, the house of communication. It is also the house which corresponds to the arms and hands: important for a pianist. We find Jupiter in Gemini: more of same. The Moon in this chart is in Virgo, ruled by... Mercury ! More of same again.
The auspicious Full Moon further contributes to the high level of Water in the chart. Looking deeper, we find the Moon in the 9th house, the most fortunate house, the house of higher opportunity, abundance, optimism, travel... a natural teacher or inspirational leader. His musical career started in the church: his father was a Baptist minister and his mother was the church organist ! From the 9th house, the Moon casts is benefic rays onto the 3rd house and its planets, further promoting the communication abilities of the native.
A heavy smoker, Nat King Cole died of lung cancer just before his 46th birthday. By modern standards, this is considered shortened longevity. The birth time has been rectified to 2:50 AM, ten minutes before the published hour of 3:00 AM, in light of this issue.
The rising sign in this chart it Capricorn, and its ruler is Saturn, which is retrograde and placed in a weak late degree, or "old age". When the 1st house and its ruler are strong, it bodes well for long life. When weak, longevity is curtailed. The 6th house of health and disease (and its ruler) is another indicator. The same is true of the 8th house and its lord. When these symbols are weak, life span is curtailed unless mitigating factors are present.
In this horoscope, Saturn is retrograde, in detriment in Cancer and at the end of its sign, in a late degree: 29 degrees 55 minutes. That makes it a very weak symbol. Saturn is a major malefic by nature. Looking at the birth chart on the day he was born, any competent astrologer would have expressed concern over health and longevity. Whenever such a planet rises to prominence - by transit, progression, direction, eclipse or Dasha - we can expect problems and major health issues.
In traditional astrology, the Sun is classified as a minor malefic (First comes Saturn, then Mars, then the Sun). In this chart, the Sun functions as the lord of the 8th House: it picks up additional malefic force as a result. The position of the 8th Lord gives us a big clue about cause of death. Where is the Sun in the chart ? In the third house, the house which relates to the arms, hands and the lungs.
Mercury is fallen in Pisces. It's a superb symbol for a poet, a painter, a singer, a musician, but as lord of the house of health and disease, it is unfavorable for longevity.
In the 6th house of health and disease, we find Jupiter (where it is "in detriment" in Gemini) conjunct Pluto, a death symbol. The lord of the 6th house Gemini is Mercury, fallen in Pisces and quite close to malefic Mars. Although there is an exchange of signs between Mercury and Jupiter (Mercury in Pisces and Jupiter in Gemini) it does not rescue the chart because of the awkward sign placement.
Nat King Cole was born on a Pluto station point, with Pluto moving retrograde at 3% of its normal motion. Pluto's strength comes at the expense of Jupiter, which rules the 3rd house. Thus the 3rd house and Mercury, while very powerful, are harmed several times over.
The 3rd house relates to the arms and hands, as well as the lungs. Gemini is the 3rd sign, and relates to the same regions of the body. When there is a preponderance of malefic influences to these symbols, we can expect health issues which correspond. Such is the nature of astrological reasoning. The same symbols which presided over his musical talent and success, figured in his early demise.
Wherever we find Mars, we find a certain measure of struggle, accidents, cuts and scrapes. The same is true with Pluto. In the weeks before his death, Nat King Cole had a lung removed by surgery.
Using the simple method of Symbolic Direction by 1 degree per year, we add 46 degrees to all the planets. Look at Saturn: it has reached an exact opposition to Mars in the 3rd house. This is a full aspect between the two malefic planets. The negative implications of Mars in the 3rd house are expressed in full. Saturn also triggers the natal Mars/Pluto square. This is all quite malefic.
Adding the same 46 degrees to malefic Pluto and Jupiter, they conjoin natal Saturn in the 8th house, at the late degree. This combination triggers the negative implications of the first lord in the 8th house, very difficult for health and longevity. This aspect alone could have caused accidents, death, or other heavy transformations.
Both of these are 46 degree aspects in the natal chart. The 46-degree aspect is not a standard aspect such as trine, square, etc. but it gets activated in this horoscope at the age 46 years. The natal chart contains the pattern which unfolds over time. Space becomes time: for a similar example, see the chart of Grace Kelly, whose marriage and death are discussed in Meanderings 14.
The final 46-degree aspect which reaches exactitude at this time is between the Nodes and the ASC-DSC axis. Note that directed Rahu (North Node) is on the Ascendant, while directed Ketu conjoins the Descendant. The nodes, when directed to sensitive points, often spell trouble to the native. When major symbols are directed reach the Ascendant/Descendant line, issues of health and partnership come to the foreground. Before his death, Nat King Cole broke off an extramarital affair he was having with a younger woman and reconciled with his wife of many years. As the first house relates to health and wellness, this malefic symbolic direction appeared as yet a third compelling influence, sealing the fate of the native.
A few days after this article was published, Nat King Cole's daughter Natalie died of complications due to pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare lung disease which eventually led to heart failure. Like her father, she was a gifted musician and singer. Like her father, the same basic symbols which gave her talent and a career in music, figured prominently in her departure from this world.
According to Wikipedia, she was "an American singer, songwriter, and performer. The daughter of Nat King Cole, Natalie rose to musical success in the mid–1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be", "Inseparable", and "Our Love". After a period of failing sales and performances due to a heavy drug addiction, Cole re-emerged as a pop artist with the 1987 album Everlasting and her cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac". In the 1990s, she re-recorded standards by her father, resulting in her biggest success, Unforgettable... with Love, which sold over seven million copies and also won Cole numerous Grammy Awards. She sold over 30 million records worldwide."
With a Leo rising chart, we look to the Sun which rules Leo. It's in the 6th house, with Jupiter and Venus, the two benefic planets which help give the native good looks, recognition and comfort in the spotlight. (See Robert Redford in Meanderings 5 for further discussion). It also gives creativity and the ability to help others though inspiration and entertainment. Opposed by Pluto, this pattern shows that life was not easy: a Pluto opposition shows a built-in karmic force of challenge. Individuals with this pattern have to overcome powerful obstacles whenever it is activated.
Natalie's Sun is first lord and also a doubly primary symbol of her identity. It is conjunct the 9th lord, Jupiter. The 9th house symbolizes father. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that she followed in her father's footsteps in so many ways: same name, same career, same pathway.
At the time of her death, there were several influential cycles at play - such as progressions and symbolic direction - but perhaps the most compelling were the transits.
At that time there was a long-lasting square between Pluto in Sagittarius and Uranus in Virgo, around 21 degrees. This pattern had been in place for years ! See Meandering 16 for discussion of the Uranus/Pluto square back in 2012.
For anyone with important or weak symbols in the 21st degree of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), this was a turbulent time. The weaker the natal symbols, the more dangerous and unstable the influences.
In Natalie Cole's horoscope, the combination of Ketu, Moon, Mars and Neptune is found at that degree, with Neptune closest. As lord of the 8th house in this chart, Neptune is a symbol of death and heavy transformation. Uranus and Pluto persisted in their opposition and square to this cluster of symbols over several years. Transiting Rahu was also in Virgo during that time. Their combined influence degraded her vital force over a long period. She died when the transiting Moon passed through Virgo, activating the chart pattern.
According to Buddhist teachings, there are three unalterable truths, the Trilakshana or "Three Marks" of existence. These are Anitya impermanence, Anatma the lack of separation and Dukha the overall stressfulness inherent in living.
We live in a world that we habitually imagine to be permanent, composed of separate and unchanging objects. The world isn't really like that but we proceed as though it were.
Because reality isn't how we conceive it to be, we find it disturbing. To the degree that we cling to our false imagination (Avidya "ignorance", "delusion"), we experience Dukha: stress or suffering. To the degree that we learn to accommodate the more fluid nature of life, we experience Sukha or joy.
George Harrison (yet another singer/songwriter who died of smoking-induced Lung Cancer) stated this beautifully in his song "All Things Must Pass". Here's a lovely performance of this song, a duet between Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton during the 2002 Concert for George on the first anniversary of George Harrison's death.
Reflecting on the transience of life in general - and political leaders in particular - the 19th century English poet Percy B Shelly said it this way, in his poem "Ozymandias":