| Eastern Pespective 3 |
| The Velvet Undeground and Nico |
| Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young |
| Simon and Garfunkel |
| Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band |
| The 13th Floor Elevators |
| The Velvet Underground and Nico |
water year/horse year/rabbit month water/fire/wood |
water year/horse year/rabbit month water/fire/wood |
water year/horse year/rooster month water/fire/metal |
Nico vocals/tambourine 16/10/38 libra sun / cancer moon earth year/tiger year/dog month earth/wood/metal |
| Three water horses with John and Lou also rabbit months.Their unknown hours of birth would be their distinguishing factors but for the purposes here,they must be considered as having the same elements.If we were able to do their full eastern charts,important differences would be ascertained as in their western charts.Sterling adds the metal ingredient to the band by way of his rooster month.This would add focus and order which metal does but also Sterling would act as a catalyst through this metal and he did this within the band, bringing things together effectively.Metal can be relied upon to stand firm.His fire has the capacity to weaken that metal resolve because the animal year element is stronger than the animal month element.However the element of 1942 is water and that over-rides the others.Therefore his water would keep the fire in check and allow the metal to fulfil its functions of focusing and directing his water and fire.His intellect and emotions as well as his enthusiasm and impulsion should be well-served by his virgo-like metal qualities. |
| Lou and John with the water/fire/wood cycle of interaction would be less about order and precision but more about intellect and emotion,backed up by adventure and expansion. Where Sterling has metal,they have wood,so exploration would be of more concern than rigidity or focus.Wood's ever-expanding horizons fuel fire's imagination and sense of adventure but it is water,as the element of the year which would be most influential here.It can cool the fire,even put it out but then it can nourish the wood and define exactly how and where John and Lou wish to express themselves.In their cases,clearly in intellectual and artistic fields.So within these three band members we see water expressing itself strongly,in the creative fields as one would expect with fire adding its inspiration and dynamics but never getting out of control despite wood's encouragement and grand enterprise.Mo Tucker is either a water sheep or wood monkey,fitting in with these general tendencies.Enter Nico and Andy Warhol bringing with them the earth year element. |
| Earth as an element is most significant in the context of a band with water dominant because earth clogs and slows down the flow and propulsion of water.Ultimately,as was the case, the two are not going to work in harmony.Nico's tiger is excellent for the horse aspect of the band, with wood feeding fire but the clash of the primary elements,the year ones, was at best difficult for them all.Earth is the diplomat of the 5 elements which in the case of Andy is easy to see.Nico was herself more diplomatic than she was often given credit for.She put up with more than a little aggravation from some of the others who considered her as an unneeded extra to the band.Both she and Andy were functional and useful to the band in their different ways.Earth likes to be of service to others but might be seen as uncreative artistically. Andy and Nico,in this sense were unproductive in terms of the Velvet Underground as a creative entity.Andy wasn't in the band, of course,but he was credited with having done more for the band than he actually did.Nico's personal creativity came after her time with VU. Neither had water or fire amongst their three major elements, each having the earth/wood/metal cycle. At times,they each would have felt wood's[tiger and dragon] need for action and expansion but ultimately the slower,responsible earth side of them would have prevailed.Earth gets somewhat worn out by wood which controls it but here the earth has the power of the year sign, as well as,to a lesser extent,metal which limits wood's ambitions and re-focuses it. Metal and earth together keep wood in hand.But Lou and John might have seen Andy and Nico as lacking in inspiration,given there own impulses and drives. |
| No narcissus connections but harmony between Nico's tiger and the others' horses.Andy's dragon is less compatable with the others but shares the outgoing,positive yang nature of them and they would have some things in common such as a zest for life and adventure. |
| Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young |
metal yr/snake yr/monkey mnth/metal hour metal / fire / metal / metal |
wood yr/monkey yr/ox month/metal hour wood / metal / water /metal |
metal yr/snake yr/tiger mnth/pig hour metal/fire/wood/water |
wood yr/rooster yr/pig mnth/ wood/metal/water/fire or metal |
| A good mixture of elements throughout the band with metal predominating at 50%. This is in some way due to David's 3 metals.He and Graham,the harmony section and stable influence within the band,have metal as their year signs.Just as they link in their western charts,so do they here with metal's attributes of resolve,precision and focus evident in their contributions to CSNY.The more expansive,exploratory nature of wood is seen in the other half of the band, Stephen and Neil.They also have the artistic, literate and emotional qualities of water which David doesn't have,though Graham does have as part of his full set of elements.Like Mick Jagger and Ringo Starr,he has all 4 elements and therefore also has earth as a central acquisition.Where David is very much fixed in what he does,Graham would be more flexible and varied in his personality,though metal would be his strongest influence too. |
| Metal has a controlling influence over wood in that it limits its expansion and focuses it on the task in hand.Wood might see this as frustrating with metal symbolising the axe.Metal would see this as responsible and in wood's best interests.For metal read David and Graham, for wood read Stephen and Neil.Certainly,Neil wasn't one to accept restrictions and Stephen too was very much his own man.The wood side of them had to express itself outside the sphere of the band.But within themselves,they also had this process in operation,except that wood,as the year force,would be more able to resist the power of metal. Also their respective water elements would be supportive of wood's ambitions and aspirations,helping to give it form and propulsion. |
| David had fire interacting with his metal and occasionally it would have caused him a loss of focus with impulsiveness and enthusiasm getting the better of his otherwise solid metal qualities.When it comes to ups and downs, metal snake has cornered the market.However one would expect him to be the flagship of the band,supplying its base and purpose.It was no accident that this determined character had his name at the front of CSNY. Snakes know what they want and usually achieve it.Especially metal snakes.Graham too had many of the strengths of metal snake with the additional attributes of the other elements which ought to make the trials that metal snake faces less arduous. |
| Stephen's monkey is outside of the triangle of affinity which Graham and David's snakes and Neil's rooster are part of.Monkey and rooster,though both metal element,don't see eye to eye and would need to compromise in order to work harmoniously.Their wood characteristics however would help them to co-operate and be generous and benevolent.Each would be ambitious and set high goals for themselves.Similarly,Stephen would find the two snakes difficult to come to terms with and they would be likely to challenge each other.Stephen might feel their metal element putting him under pressure and limiting wood's aims and plans.Neil's rooster would find the snakes easier to work with during the times he rejoined the band but he too would have found their metal restrictive to his ambitions. |
| An interesting connection is Stephen's monkey with Dave's leo which would bring about a narcissus attraction.Each would see and admire a certain nobilty and strength in the other. |
| Simon and Garfunkel |
metal yr/snake yr/dog mth/rat hour metal/ fire/ metal/ water |
metal yr/snake yr/pig mth /water hour metal/ fire/ water / water |
| In western astrology same sunsigns are regarded as compatable to a certain extent but not ideal because interactions can become stagnant with variety lacking.Also each would be competing in the same space and each may tread on the others toes.This would also be true in the eastern system but generally speaking, it's considered more beneficial and harmonious for shared signs by the easterns.Paul and Art are also of the metal year element which gives them the metal/fire cycle of interaction.Within each the metal would be subject to the attack of fire which controls metal and weakens its focus and purpose.But it can also be seen as fire putting the adventure into the more rigid and unbending nature of metal,causing it to be more flexible at times.With metal the higher weighted element as the year sign,this would be more likely to benefit each because metal is slightly heated rather than melted or destroyed. |
| For Paul,the 3rd factor in this cycle would be his metal month which would support his metal year,were fire to over-exert itself.One would therefore expect him to be the more resolute and determined of the two,sticking to his goals.His 4th element,water,gave him that sensitivity and intellectuality that we see in his work.It would also curb the fire element to some extent and work in harness with his metal. |
| Art has water as his 3rd and 4th elements which would give him a particularly sensitive side,as well as an extra intellectual input.Water would help to control the fire,as and when it threatened to melt metals resolve or focus.Metal itself can take water to new heights,helping it to express itself.Art's intellectual and emotional pursuits would benefit from metal's support.One thinks of his incredible walking journeys across america and other countries.His metal provided the framework for his ideas to flourish. |
| As metal snakes,they would both know much about life's trials and reversals[see also Dave Crosby and Graham Nash] They might possess certain psychic qualities and would likely have a mysterious side to them that searches deep into the subconscious for truths that few other signs would penetrate.Many snakes are tuned into the very rythm of the universe and this is very true of Paul and Art.It is sometimes said that what dragon starts, snake ends. When you're dealing with a snake you are dealing with an innate wisdom that spans the ages of time itself. |
| Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band |
metal year/dragon year/ox month elements----> metal/wood/water/metal John French drums 29/9/48 libra sun/ leo moon earth year/rat year/dog month elements----> earth/water/metal Jeff Cotton guitar 31/5/40 gemini sun/ aries moon metal year/dragon year/horse month elements---> metal/wood/fire Jerry Handley bass 9/2/46 aqurs sun/tau or gem moon fire year/dog year/tiger month elements-----> fire/metal/wood Alex St Clair Snouffer guitar 14/9/41 virgo sun/ gem or can mn metal year/snake year/dog month elements-----> metal/fire/metal |
| Metal is the constant factor in the above line-up with Captain Beefheart himself , Alex St Clair Snouffler and Jeff Cotton having it as their principal elements.Both the captain and Alex were indeed strong,determined characters who were unflinching in their resolves.John French's earth year would make him diplomatic and consistent in what he does and the kind of person whom metal-types can rely upon and respond to.Jerry Handley's fire,whilst compatable with Jeff ,would be at odds with the other three's metal.Fire controls metal with the tendency for its enthusiasm and impulsiveness to burn away at metal's precision and focus.Metal dislikes dis-order and fire's thirst for adventure can prove too much for metal.Jerry had metal as his secondary influence and his own fire would have caused friction enough within himself, let alone within the band.Alex,founder member of the band along with Jerry, had the same fire and metal cycle but with his metal the stronger factor.Beefheart and Jeff had the metal/wood cycle and as such would have been subject to frustrations and setbacks that this combination often brings.Its interesting that the fire/metal types,Alex and Jerry should part from the metal/wood personalities.In the middle stood John French with his earth element occupying its usual central position with water alongside. |
| John's earth and water,as a combination, tends to steer clear of the fire/metal conflict that would have tested the other four band members.Water as his secondary element would have added sensitivity and intellectuality to the functional but sometimes unimaginative earth nature.These two elements are in conflict because earth absorbs water,restricting its flow meaning that John's mental and creative flow would be challenged by earth's pragmatism.However water in turn clogs earth and causes it to function less efficiently as creative or sensitive energies come into play.As a conflicting cycle this is the least damaging or stressful. |
| The Magic Band had some powerful animal signs within this line-up.None more so than Beefheart and Jeff Cotton's dragons on the one hand and Alex's snake.If theres one animal which will resist dragon's power,it's the snake.With each having metal year's inflexibility,it was inevitable that Alex would part company if Beefheart's dragon became too insistent....as indeed it did.Jerry too had an animal sign of the most determined type, the no-nonsense dog. Such a believer in justice and fair-play,with the added impulse of fire, would certainly not tolerate any member of the band exerting the kind of power that Beefheart eventually did. Their polarity with dragon and dog opposite sides of the zodiac would guarantee ultimate dischord with Jerry seeking pastures new. Four very strong-minded signs for harmony to exist on a long-term basis.Once again John provides the contrast, with his rat an altogether easier person to get on with.Naturally at ease with Beefheart and Jeff due to rat being part of the triangle of affinity which includes dragon and monkey.Consequently he spent longer in the band than did Alex and Jerry.His rat would share snake's possessive traits but more than likely a degree of harmony would exist between them with Alex finding something endearing in John's rat's devotion to duty.A degree of compatability with Jerry's dog too. |
| The narcissus factor also unites them with John's libra connecting strongly with Jerry's dog. Both believing in fairplay and loyalty with a focus on relationships.Metal's catalystic qualities coming through in both.Drummer and bass guitarist relating well,although in many narcissus relationship,there are also the seeds of ultimate parting.However in this case we also have the extra harmony of earth and fire with fire's ashes providing goodness for earth's renewal. |
| Captain Beefheart and the magic band had more changes than most bands,much of this down to the captain's personal idiosyncrasies but the above line-up more than most was unlikely to last for long.In fact it lasted longer than one might have expected. |
| The Thirteenth Floor Elevators |
Fire Year/Pig Year/Sheep month fire/water/fire Tommy Hall electric jug 21/9/43 Virgo sun/gem or canc moon Water Year/Sheep Year/ rooster mnth water/fire/metal |
| Although we only have birth details for the above members,they were the main components of a very distinguished group of musicians.In due course it is hoped to have details for Stacey Sutherland who as well as being an outstanding guitarist,wrote important material."Bull of the Woods" was very much down to his creativity.However Tommy Hall was responsible for the ethos of the band and the lyrics on the first two albums.Roky himself was equally inspirational and the focal point of the band.The relationship between the two of them was what made the band,in the eyes of many,the quintessential acid band of the 60s. |
| There is a narcissus factor here between them with roky's cancer relating to Tommy's sheep. Like Jim Morrison,Tommy was a water sheep and the sheer intellectuality and fire that this combination brings made them the colossal figures that they were.Truly rock poets who inspired those around them.Roky's cancer would have found emotional inspiration in Tommy's sheep and vice-versa.We see the cancer-sheep afinity too,between Courtney Love's cancer and Kurt Cobain's sheep.There is also a harmonious bond between Tommy's sheep and Roky's pig which are part of the same triangle of affinity.Much warmth and co-operation between these two with Tommy's sheep nurturing Roky and appreciating his genuine,open affection.As a fire pig,Roky would be potentially a utopian idealist with similar nurturing tendencies to the sheep.A sign of great trust in his fellow men,no matter what setbacks he receives,the fire pig is open to exploitation.Even to this day,Roky remains the same pure-of-heart soul he always was.Tommy's water sheep would have shared many of these qualities with his remarkable intuition the outstanding feature.Red-neck Texas was not ready for souls such as Roky and Tommy. |
| Roky has a fire year while Tommy is a water year.Water is the controller of fire which is interesting because it was considered by many that Tommy did indeed exert a svengali-like influence over Roky.Rather than dampen fire's enthusiasm and spirit of adventure,here it could be said that Tommy's ideas and philosophy tempered Roky's youthful impetuosity,chanelling it into more creative and spiritual pursuits.More importantly,Roky's secondary element was water and Tommy's secondary one was fire! Therefore the relationship between them also mirrored their own internal cycles.Water/fire all the way,each raising themselves and each other to new heights of discovery.No ordinary mortals with the exploration of drugs and consciousness high on the agenda.Fire is about change and Roky had fire as an extra element for his month.Tommy had metal as his 3rd element,providing a degree of discipline to his water/fire energies.His western chart shows more of a balance compared to Roky's which lacked the stabilising force of earth.It was no wonder that Roky should lose control and burn out ,while Tommy remained in focus.Though,Roky revived his career in the 70s and 80s with some remarkably good music. |
| Two remarkably gifted young men surrounded by musicians of the highest calibre and it is recommended you go to ....... and see just how true to the above comments their music was, or at least their lyrics were. |
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