angstoic.com Astrologer, Ang Stoic
Jimbo would have turned 80 on this day.
“People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that’s bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they’re afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up.”
A Sagittarian born on December 8, 1943, Jimbo became his generation’s embodiment of the eye-widening high priest of extraordinary experiences that characterises his sign. Aquarius rising, his rebellious, visionary persona would see him embark on a lifelong quest for universal truths, channelling his Sagittarian curiosity and wildly-spirited intensity into his art and performances. Morrison’s astrological chart, featuring a Moon in Taurus square Pluto conjunct the North Node in Leo, painted him as a figure deeply engaged with the themes of transformation and exploration of the shadow self, a journey he would take many others along, even long after his untimely death at 27. This Pluto/Node placement portends a powerful, transformative energy in his life, driving him towards creative and spiritual exploration but also, squaring his Taurus Moon, towards self-destructive behaviours.
Morrison’s performances were more than just entertainment; they were shamanistic rituals, initiation ceremonies through which he transcended the ordinary and mundane, entering trance states to provide catharsis not only for himself but for his audience. This characteristic was deeply aligned with his Sagittarian nature, as he acted as a bridge between the mundane and the mystical, constantly testing the thresholds of reality. His psychedelic journey was marked by the heavy influence of Pluto, Lord of Darkness and visits to the underworld, pushing him to confront the darker aspects of existence at a time when few might dare, at least publicly. Morrison’s use of drugs and alcohol was both a quest for spiritual enlightenment and a battle with his inner demons, a reflection of his ongoing communion with other dimensions and a testament to the tumultuous energy of his astrological placements.
Morrison’s short life was a broad, illustrious and still enduring tapestry of the Sagittarian quest for meaning, punctuated by frequent Plutonian plummets into skin-shedding, soul resurrections and increments of self-destruction. His legacy, as a musician, poet, and icon, remains a potent, sexy, but also toxic symbol of the struggle between the quest for higher understanding and the hypnotic allure of the abyss. Morrison’s story remains as a reminder of the profound forces at play in the human psyche, as fascinating as intriguing as the stars under which he was born.
I could go on and on about this chart, but I will spare my energy. If you wish to “break on through” and peak into the profound magic of YOUR astrological chart, please arrange a private session with me through my office via the following link:
Also, on this day, somewhere in NYC…
His death had a devastatingly painful effect on me, I still cry when we talk about him. John Lennon’s life and artistic expression were deeply influenced by his challenging early life experiences, not merely indicated by his Libra Sun/North Node, but perhaps most encapsulated in the astrological aspect of his Moon in Aquarius opposing Pluto in Leo, an aspect that symbolises the intense emotional traumas that stemmed from his childhood, particularly his relationship with his mother, Julia, and his Aunt Mimi.
Lennon’s birth during a bombing raid and his mother’s prolonged labour are reflective of the tumultuous nature of Moon-Pluto types. His early life was marked by abandonment and fear, as his mother, the embodiment of the immature Persephone archetype, frequently left him alone to pursue her own interests. This abandonment led to a lifelong fear of the dark and an overarching sense of alienation (“Help, I need somebody…”). His Moon-Pluto opposition was further emphasised by the dynamics with his Aunt Mimi, who played the role of the cold, controlling matriarch, contrasting with his mother’s more aloof yet emotionally distant attitude.
Lennon’s chart features a powerful Moon/Pluto/Venus configuration, indicative of his deep emotional complexities and his intense relationships with women. His artistic expression, often raw and rageful, served as a release for his intense emotions. His regenerative themes in love are engendered in many of the songs we know and love (“I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved. Man, I was mean but I’m changing my scene and I’m doing the best that I can”) This is also evident in his later music, where, after undergoing primal scream therapy, he channelled his feelings of abandonment and rage, in songs like “Mother” and “My Mummy’s Dead.”
Artistically, his most pivotal relationship was with Paul McCartney, who had also lost his mother at a young age. This mutual experience of maternal loss forged a deep bond between Lennon and McCartney, fueling their creative synergy and forming the foundation of their songwriting partnership in The Beatles. Their mutual understanding of loss and emotional complexity added a deeply chthonic level of emotional intensity and nuance to their songwriting and collaboration, contributing significantly to their groundbreaking music and enduring legacy.
His relationship with Yoko Ono further highlights the Moon-Pluto themes in his life. Ono represented the controlling mother figure he both craved and feared, mysteriously to the outside world but, most intimately for John, evident in their complicated, karmic relationship. His otherwise inexplicable e emotional dependence on her was a continuation of his earlier life patterns, with their relationship marked by both conflict and an intense connection.
These overarching themes of abandonment, personal devastation and the strong primal yearning for maternal connection are what imbue Lennon’s voice with an inimitable sense of emotional hunger and pain. It is perhaps the magic of why he appealed to so many, who subconsciously yearn to reconnect to the primordial matrix that, at some point, severs its umbilical tie. His early experiences and relationships shaped not only his personal life but also his creative output, making him one of the most influential and complex figures in recorded music history. His loss is what makes this part of the year so painful for me, who was a fervently aspiring musician when he was tragically torn from us.
Just …… W…. O….. W!