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On Culture

Art, music, books, poetry, fashion, dance, television… the products of our imaginations and the people who make them. The Oxford Astrologer’s blogs on astrology and culture.

In the Key of Pisces: Chris Martin

“I definitely believe in God. How can you look at anything and not be overwhelmed by the miraculousness of it?” said Pisces singer-songwriter and Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin. There you have it. The sound of Coldplay has woven its way into the fabric of the past decade and a half — [...]

In the Key of Pisces: Bedrich Smetana

This first fortnight of March is composers’ week. Yesterday was Chopin’s birthday; today the “father of Czech music”, Bedrich Smetana, was born in 1824. Smetana was a Czech patriot and one of the generation that rose up against the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Revolutions of 1848. The [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Chopin

Beauty, mystery, melancholy, passion, melody: let Chopin’s music take you into a wordless place. There is some dispute about his birthday, but I am sure it is today, March 1. Of course, his work endures for all time and all cultures — Neptune conjunct Saturn. His music makes private emotion [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Johnny Cash and Erykah Badu

Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash. Pisces Rising, Pisces Sun-Mercury-Mars opposite Neptune in Virgo. It was all about the music. The drink nearly killed him. Love saved him. He hurt. Oh and that black shirt? Moon in Scorpio — so deep and yet so simple. Born February 26, [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Abida Parveen

So far, we’ve been looking at a musician (or two) for the correct day of the Pisces, but today we’ll digress a little. Yesterday’s musician, George Harrison, is credited with popularising Indian music in the West. One of his most beautiful compositions My Sweet Lord, is a [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: George Harrison

Today’s musician: George Harrison, the most sensitive Beatle, the one who found God and made a garden — for more on his astrology, click here. He was born either on February 24 or 25, give or take half an hour. But the 24th gives him a Rising Moon. Harrison’s only planet in [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Handel

Imagine a time when the Thames was the busiest highway in London, and the king’s barge a most glorious water-borne rolls-royce of golden curlicues. What could be a lovelier accompaniment to a balmy summer evening bobbing along the river than music wafting across the water. King George I [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: James Blunt

English singer-songwriter James Blunt must have been eating Neptune crackers when he made this unbelievably Piscean video for his huge hit You’re Beautiful. He’s soaking wet for most of the performance, his shoes seem to play a central role and it ends with a dip in the ocean. He [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Nina Simone, Gifted and Black

Nina Simone — singer, composer and activist — was born on February 21, 1933 in North Carolina. She has Moon in Capricorn — a singer’s placement (read more on this here), Sun, North Node, Mercury and the Part of Fortune in Pisces in the first house of self and cusp of [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Kurt Cobain and Randy California

Kurt Cobain, lead singer and songwriter for the group Nirvana, probably doesn’t need much introduction. He died at 27 from a heroin overdose after making some of the most angst ridden, crazy, intense music of the late 20th century. How many Pisces things in that paragraph? Nirvana, crazy [...]

In The Key Of Pisces: Seal

Pisces, ruled as it is by Neptune, the planet of pure music, is a sign stuffed full of singers, composers, songwriters and probably maraca players and backing singers too. Starting today, I’ll try and find a Pisces for each day of this sign this year and see if we can hear a silvery [...]

“If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.” Mercury and Sun in Aquarius It’s Toni Morrison‘s birthday today. She’ll be 85. The Nobel Prize-winning author (Mercury in Aquarius conjunct MC) and teacher (Saturn-Venus in the 9th) has Aquarius Sun, Pisces Moon, [...]

Music To Set The Mood For Love

Love songs for Valentine’s Day — these have passed the test of time. The singers are chosen by sun sign, naturally. Happy Valentine’s Day. Aries Sarah Vaughn: Aries Taurus Ella Fitzgerald: Taurus Gemini Brian Wilson, Gemini Cancer The Wannadies’ lead singer Par [...]

RIP — Thornton Dial

Wonderful, maverick, true artist Thornton Dial passed a couple of days ago at the age of 87. He had Sun in Virgo — the sign of detail and craft — Venus in Libra (artistic) conjunct Mercury. The titles of his works were important, and the works speak. Saturn was one degree [...]

Venus in Scorpio: Gracile Strength And Pure Power

If you’ve been following these “Venus In…” posts for a while, you will know that your Venus sign does not necessarily describe what you look like — that is more for the Ascendant or ruling planet — but how you are attractive. Over the year, quite a few [...]

Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll

How appropriate in a week when we are playing Bowie back to back with Motorhead. The Oxford Astrology Group is hosting another set of lectures at Trinity College, Oxford on February 13. The subject looks fun: sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Neptune’s going to come into that, I [...]

Bowie Turns To Face The Strange

David Bowie must have known he was dying when he recorded ★ (Blackstar), his final album, released on his to birthday three days ago. It’s a privilege to hear from this liminal place, the place between this world and the next, from such a great artist and poetic visionary. The title song [...]

January Horoscopes 2016

Happy New Year! What an interesting month awaits us. It could be rather a sticky start to the year, with both Jupiter and Mercury turning retrograde while Uranus, the planet of electricity is surging ahead. One aspect that is especially interesting kicks off right at the start of the month and [...]

An Astrologer’s Christmas Stocking

I’ve been scouring the internet for some interesting, beautiful or at least audacious gifts for the astrologer in your life — or the astrologically inclined. Karl Stockhausen, the German composer of rather intellectual modern music, created 12 music boxes — one for each sign [...]

2016 Astrodiaries: Xmas Gift

Here is a must-have Christmas present for the astro-enthusiastic young women in your life: The Essential Life Guide 2016. Along with a host of quality astrologers — Jo Tracey, Sally Kirkman, Kelly Surtees, Sam Reynolds, Joanne Madeline Moore, Gary P Caton and more — I contributed [...]

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