Astrology chart Igor Stravinsky

The astrological pattern of artistic talent consists of:
Venus, Neptune, the Moon and the signs that belong to them (Taurus, Libra, Pisces and Cancer) in aspect with each other and the Midheaven...The quintile and biquintile have the meaning of 'creative connection' and the quindecile (165 degrees, but also 75 and 105 degrees) shows a strong focus. You will notice that all of the charts of artists (writers, composers and actors) on this blog have such a pattern. So has Igor Stravinsky. It is his birthday today and google.com features a Google doodle to honor him. Art&Astrology honours him with the reading of his chart today:).

PATTERN OF THE ARTIST
Composer Igor Sravinsky was born June 17, 1882 in Oranienbaum at 8:29 GMT with the Moon and Venus in Cancer. This position increases sense of arts and feeling 'what the people need'. Venus was conjunct the midpoint ASC/MC, the cross point of horizon and meridian (Midheaven). That means that style, beauty and entertainment was crucial for the person born at this hour and place. Venus is in aspect with Neptune, a 167.5 degree aspect (sesquisquare + half semi square). And then of course Neptune is also in aspect with ASC/MC (a 67.5 degree aspect, a sesqui semi square). Finally, Neptune is half semi square Moon, the final dispositor of Midheaven.

SUCCESSES
In the 45-degree range these are the seven indications for success in the midpoint combinations:

Sun conjunct Mercury/Jupiter (successful communications)
Moon semi square Jupiter/Neptune (popular, having fans, devotion)
Venus semi square Jupier/MC
Jupiter conjunct Sun/Pluto
Northern Node opposition Jupiter/Neptune
Midheaven conjunct Jupiter/Pluto
Midheaven semi square Mars/Jupiter

There are nine more in the 22.5 degree range, a total of 16 indications that could not be missed! Complete this with Jupiter and Pluto on either side of Midheaven and the picture is clear.


INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTOR
When you look at the picture of the chart, you see that Jupiter is on top (square Ascendant), rising before the Sun and half semi square Sun/Moon. Jupiter is the symbol of successes, travelling and 'the international', but also of 'guiding'. Stravinsky was, apart from a composer, also a conductor. He was born in Russia, he has been French and he died as an American: he was an international, too.

To conduct an orchestra you need to have leading and guiding qualities. Stravinsky had them. He had a prominent Jupiter and the Sun is 112.5 degrees (square+ half semi square) ASC/MC. To be in the middle of attention was of crucial importance. So was success. But the combination of being famous and being an international also had it's less pleasant sides. His self confidence was sometimes disproportionate. He could be rather arrogant.

ARROGANCE?
In the natal chart the Sun is inconjunct Jupiter, so this aspect 'perfected'. The inconjunction is the aspect of the 'but...'. Sun-Jupiter refers to self confidence (if not arrogance) and to the will to travel, succeed and grow. Perhaps it was not easy for him to deal with his success and that explains his attitude towards servants. Success perhaps got him out of balance**).
Another indication for arrogance (in the eyes of others) is Uranus conjunct Ascendant, symbolizing a presentation that might irritate others. The usual interpretation of the angular Uranus is 'being friendly to everyone regardless status, race ...' but I don't think that that is true. Uranus is not 'friendly', Venus is nice. Uranus'influence makes rather distant, independent, an individualist, different from the rest, not a 'follower'. Other people might feel uneasy when they meet a person with Uranus on the horizon. They are so 'different' and 'strange'. Stravinsky, of course, was a stranger in NY. He was 58 when he became an American. In whatever he did, he would be 'different'.

OBSESSIONAL REPEAT AND RETURN
The work of Stravinsky used to be considered as 'revolutionary'. Look at the drawing: Uranus and Pluto are on the angles. Together they symbolize dramatic change (revolution). The combination of Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto as most prominently placed planets might be 'read' as: sudden, unexpected great success or revolutionary success. There is a 105 degree aspect between Uranus and Pluto. Wikipedia quotes Paul Griffiths regarding Stravinsky's works using the words 'obsessional need to repeat and return'. One of the characteristics of Pluto is the 'come back' (reverse) and of Uranus: repeating (a signal). The products of an artist strongly relate to the personality of the artist.
With Uranus and Pluto angular you are bound to be influencial and original. With Sun/Moon in aspect with Saturn classical music is not far away. Uranus conjunct Ascendant adds rhythm and something new. The semi square between Sun and Uranus tells us that he always wanted to be different from the rest (and was controversial in a way).

ARREST
No one can have a prominent Uranus and Pluto (and in aspect with each other) without being controversial or without being arrested. On April 15, 1940 Stravinsky was arrested in Boston because of reharmonization of the National Antheme. That was with transit Uranus square Progressed Sun (for the upheavel and for being in the news), activating the existing natal semi square between Sun and Uranus.

MARRIAGE
I like to point at Venus in Cancer. Often this position of Venus leads to marrying a person that you knew from childhood, someone to remember. Also Ceres (symbol of the roots and genes) is in the seventh house of marriage.
Igor Stravinsky married a family member in 1906. His wife Katarina Nossenko. She died in 1938 after a long period of illness (Tuberculosis) when progressed Midheaven was conjunct his natal Venus. The midpoint Saturn/Neptune is related to disease. Venus is sesqui-semi-square this midpoint. The conjunction of the Midheaven with Venus reveals that a new period in his love life started.

In 1921 he met Vera de Bosset, a dancer who divorced her husband for him and married him in 1940, after the death of his wife. It is not unusual for an artist to have affairs. The combination of artistic talent (Venus-Neptune) is also one of the indications for a divorce in the charts of males.*) Pisces is a 'double sign' and Pisces is on the cusp of the seventh house of marriage. Another indication is Uranus on the Ascendant (opposition Descendant) for an unusual relationship. The fact that he did not divorce could be attributed to the position of the ruler of Pisces (Neptune) in the fixed sign Taurus.

There is so much more to say about the life and chart of Igor Stravinsky. Blogs have to be short, however. The life of Stravinsky was very long. He died April 4, 1971 with transit Saturn conjunct Saturn, the aspect that shows us the disadvantages of age and time...

*)
The aspects for no or more than 1 marriage in a woman's chart are:
- Sun afflicting or conjunct Mars or Uranus,
- Venus afflicting or conjunct Uranus and/or
- Mars afflicting or conjunct Saturn
- and/or afflictions between the 1st and 7th house
When there 3 or more of such indications, the woman might prefer to remain single.

In a male's chart the indications are:
- Moon in conflict with Saturn
- Moon in conflict with Neptune
- Venus in conflict with Neptune
- Mars in conflict with Uranus
- and/or afflictions between the 1st and 7th house

**)Find out more about the effect of the inconjunction. Read the article on Astropost..