One thing that might be fun, as we all navigate this Venus retrograde in Gemini that leads up to some big events, is to look at the charts for some famous people who have Venus retrograde in Gemini. The software I use has given me a bunch of names. So far, I don’t see a clear connection between them all, but I’m working on them one at a time. Here’s the first one – and I’m sure you’ve heard of him: Johannes Brahms.
Brahms was born May 7, 1833 (Sun close to the midspring cross-quarter) in Hamburg, Germany, but spent most of his professional life in Vienna, Austria. (You can see his natal chart here.) A master composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, he was both a traditionalist and an innovator — a master of counterpoint and development who used highly structured forms to move forward new approaches to harmony and melody that have been characterized as ‘bold’. He began playing as a boy in taverns, dance halls and brothels.
Interestingly, Brahms’ retrograde Venus in Gemini makes one major aspect — a strange, out-of-sign trine to Neptune in late Capricorn. This is an image of his extremely complex melodies and use of harmonics, as if he is trying to work out the tension of the out-of-sign trine through his compositions. It’s as if they must pass through a filter in order to be in harmony — but they get there sure enough.
It may also indicate why he was not married, though through history there have always been people who have opted out of householding and marital bonds. Other aspects indicate that his energy was being focused in other ways. For example, his Mars — the other planetary half to sexual/romantic relations – is conjunct his North Node in mid-Cancer. His drive and libido are already married – to his mission of artistic expression, in the emotionally moving realm of the Romantic orchestral movement. However, it’s important to remember how little we really know about the private life of anyone, much less someone born nearly two centuries ago.
Meanwhile, his Moon is just past a conjunction to Pholus in late Sagittarius: his inner, emotional landscape is tuned more to the Galactic Center than anything else (which seems to support his Mars-North Node conjunction in Cancer). Brahms is expressing the music of something much larger than himself.
Over in his Aries ascendant, Mercury conjoining Jupiter ensures that this creative expression of his soul will be big, clearly broadcast, and expand far beyond himself. Pluto on the ascendant in the 12th house adds some evolutionary push, although it seemed to come from a corner of his psyche he may not have been fully conscious of.
Speaking of the 12th: there we find a triple conjunction of Uranus in between Eris and Black Moon Lilith in Aquarius. It would seem that his more shadowy feminine side was a bit fractured, detached, tucked in beyond the normal reach of consciousness, and rather unpredictable thanks to that Uranus. He could tap into the cosmic chaos. And his early life reflected some of that as well:
Owing to the family’s poverty, as a boy Brahms played in dance halls and brothels – some of the seediest places in Hamburg – surrounded by drunken sailors and prostitutes that often fondled the boy as he played. Early biographers found this shocking and played down this portion of his life. Modern writers have pointed to this as a reason for Brahms’s later inability to have a successful relationship for marriage, etc., his view of women being warped by his experiences. Recently, Brahms scholars Styra Avins and Kurt Hoffman have suggested that this legend is false. Since Brahms himself clearly originated the story, however, some have questioned Hoffman’s theory.
Which theory would you say is better supported by the astrology?
In any case, Brahms’ Taurus Sun takes care of aesthetic refinement, as well as contributing to his appreciation of past musical forms — even as his Pluto pushed him to evolve them. It may even contribute to what has been described as his preference for writing “absolute music that does not refer to an explicit scene or narrative.” He wanted a certain purity of sensory experience. That is one expression of Venus in his chart.
The other, of course, is his retrograde Venus in Gemini. That Venus indicates a tendency toward the short, the folksy, even the supposedly ‘shallow’. And sure enough, despite the reputation Brahms built on large, complex works, he was best known for (and most commercially successful with) his shorter works of more ‘popular’ music. Among the most well known are his Hungarian Dances.
That said, I think Venus retrograde in Gemini also gives us his inner dialogue expressed as music in his use of counterpoint, harmony and melody. It’s his innate balance between old and new modes of communicating through beauty. That Taurus Sun just made sure he built his art to last.
I *thoroughly* enjoyed reading this lovely post, Amanda. It took me on a trip down memory lane (Venus Rx I’m thinking….!) as I played one of Brahms Intermezzi for my Arts degree in 1981. I haven’t played the piano in ages upon ages but prompted by your writing and others lovely comments and links, I sieved through my collection of manuscripts and unearthed the music.
I happily tinkled the ivories just minutes ago in honour of a wonderful musician, and in honour of your captivating prose! Here is that Intermezzo in E flat, Opp. 117, No.1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjZy4bymvvk
thanks be! i’m really loving what you & everyone have brought to this one — the links are really great.
Amanda. . understood. Hope to see future astro quickies here.\be
be (and email commenter) —
thanks for the additions! by design, these brief profiles can’t contain *all* the cool stuff going on in the chart, when there’s so much there. i like to call them “astro-quickies.” 🙂 i’m so glad we have readers who can carry forward the conversation!
Lullaby, and good night, with pink roses bedight,
With lilies o’er spread, is my baby’s sweet head.
Lay thee down now, and rest, may thy slumber be blessed!
Lay thee down now, and rest, may thy slumber be blessed!
Lullaby, and good night, your mother’s delight,
Shining angels beside my darling abide.
Soft and warm is your bed, close your eyes and rest your head.
Soft and warm is your bed, close your eyes and rest your head.
Sleepyhead, close your eyes. mother’s right here beside you.
I’ll protect you from harm, you will wake in my arms.
Guardian angels are near, so sleep on, with no fear.
Guardian angels are near, so sleep on, with no fear.
Thanks for this very resonant article (no pun intended). I love the analysis you’ve made.
For those who want to listen, here are two beautiful works. This is from a text by Friedrich von Schiller:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVPEbH_Exyc
and this one is perhaps my favourite mov’t of his. 10 min of amazing melodic development. How he builds tension by his use of doubling up the time, modulation, and then resolution continues to fascinate me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdZsiMbl5o
enjoy…
HS
Well that certainly would be a mark of distinction.
It’s also the external manifestation of whatever his inner condition was. I have often found that in Gemini we are talking about two of something, a double life, two expressions, and that could work a number of ways to fit that scenario.
Thanks for the comment.
Hi Eric,
Enjoyed the Brahms article:
http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/astro-daily/from-the-venus-rx-in-gemini-files-johannes
Just one thing (a common knowledge) about why he did not marry. Brahms was in love with Clara Schumann, a notable pianist at that time and also a wife of Robert Schumann. He dedicated to this unrequited love. After Clara died, he dedicated to their daughter, another unrequited love.
There is no mention of this in the article, but this is the most FAMOUS LOVE TRIANGLE in the history of Classical Music — Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.
(Robert was a kind of teacher figure to Johannes, by the way.)
Ahhhh, my fellow May 7 baby (born in the year of the founding of my alma mater) and composer of one of my favorite pieces of music ever – Ein Deutsches Requiem.
That piece of music will tell you a lot about him. Give it a listen and you’ll hear the complicated layering & counterpoint, beautiful melodies, and expansive expression. The middle movement (4th of 7) was sung at the memorial in NYC shortly after September 11th.
What’s remarkable about this requiem is that it was written not for the deceased but for those left behind. It begins with “blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted”. And it never mentions Jesus Christ. Brahms pulled together the libretto himself and it’s in German, not Latin. It’s very comforting to me in a way that other requiems are not. I would say that his feminine side really shines here.
One last point: Brahms understood the ranges of the human voice. All of the vocal parts are reasonable — I have a very average (not very wide) alto vocal range and have sung the alto part. The voices in community choruses can perform this work, though it does require discipline to do it well.
I think I’ll go listen to it now.
Well, here’s why I think he wasn’t married. The man had his Sun conjunct Nessus (!) opposite Juno in Scorpio in the 7th house for starters. He probably thought the women (if there were any) who wanted to be married to him were too possessive and since he had Aries rising AND Jupiter on the ascendant he most likely had a sense of entitlement, and no wonder! He had a grand trine in earth . . his Sun (conjunct Nessus!) trine Vesta in Cap (totally invested in his career) and trine Saturn in Virgo (probably a bit of a perfectionist to boot) in the 6th house. That Saturn was square his Sagittarius Moon so he probably felt most comfortable with the kind of women who didn’t want to be restricted and who rejected his Saturnian rules. That left his retro Gemini Venus trine retro Neptune in the last degree of Cap. . probably representing a variety of older women whom he thought of as “friends” and who allowed him to escape reality, probably in his music, or whatever.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Something was going on behind the scenes, what with Black Moon Lilith AND Eris conjunct Uranus, AND in Aquarius AND in the 12th house. We will probably never know what Johannes was up to behind closed doors, but with three major planets in his first house he had a sense of purpose and the world is better because of his creativity.
The fact that his Chiron was also conjunct his Sun AND trine Saturn makes me think he really preferred his solitude (his Chiron cave). The fact that his Moon-ruled 4th house was where Mars was conjunct the north node says he probably sought a type of family home life; probably with those marriagable ladies (Mars trine Juno in the 7th) who wanted to control him. Alas, it was not meant to be and he, like so many other artists expressed his feelings through his creations who were his children and his soul. At least that’s the way it looks to me.
be
yes — doesn’t he? and len — eric gave a hand with that out-of-sign trine (i’d misread it at first) — but thank you for your kind words on the rest!
looking at his face — he seems like a truly decent guy.
A very thoughtful piece, Amanda – thank you. Liked especially your interpretation of the out-of-sign aspect and your take on his 12th house Pluto rising. Yes, quite the composer and musician.