Make your own free website on Tripod.com

The Thirteenth Floor Elevators

Tommy Roky Stacy

Roky Erickson        vocals                 15/7/47                     Cancer sun/ gemini moon
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
Stacy Sutherland    guitar               28/5/46                      Gemini sun/ taurus moon
Fire Year/Dog Year/horse month                                        fire/metal/fire
Danny Galindo        bass                  29/6/45                      Cancer sun/ aq or pisc moon
Wood Year/rooster Year/Sheep mnth                               wood/metal/fire
Danny Thomas         drums [2nd]       N/A
John Ike Walton      drums [1st]         N/A

The Thirteenth Floor Elevators were the first band to explicitly call themselves "Psychedelic"
Their first album was entitled"The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators" and
psychedelic it most certainly was with mind expansion through the taking of drugs at its
very heart and soul.Much of their philosophy was down to Tommy Hall, the lyricist and electric
jug player who was a fine poet in his own right.It was his wife,Clementine who gave the band
their name and wrote the lyrics for some of their songs.Stacey Sutherland provided the searing guitar work and all were very competent musicians.Wild they may have seemed to some but basically they were an eloquent,literate band dedicated to the principles they believed in Unfortunately they were short-lived but their influence was seminal.I only have birth details for Tommy Hall, Roky Erickson and Stacey Sutherland but that in itself is a starter to a remarkable
band and encapsulates the very heart of the elevators.Hopefully information on the others will be ascertained in due course.

Roky Erickson is very much a cancer with his mercury and venus there as well as his sun.
He has no planets in earth signs,though his north node is in taurus .Not having any earth in his chart suggests that Roky doesnt care much for the more mundane,systematic things in life.In fact it could be said that he had his head in the clouds rather than his feet on the ground Materialism and the practicalities of life are unlikely to fearure high on Roky's agenda.However with a taurus north node,one of the objectives his chart asks of him is to gradually become more aware of the earth and land itself,as something to be touched and felt.To become more grounded.
It also asks him to develop a sense of values and belief in himself.Taurus stands for stability
patience and permanence amongst other characteristics such as stubborness and opulence.Roky would seem to have been closer to those traits associated with his scorpio south node such as intensity,passion and mysterious ways.The elevators,almost by definition, were about transformation and altered states rather than simply enjoying the taurean luxuries of life.
Having his 3 of his personal planets in cancer is particularly interesting because cancer is a yin
nurturing sign and men with these energies sometimes find it hard to reconcile the feminine characteristics of this emotional,hyper-sensitive sign with being a male.Tom Cruise is a wonderful example of the male cancer at its most positive and caring.Ringo Starr is another who embodies many of cancer's virtues but this is not the easiest of signs for some to contend with.
In the case of Roky,he has mercury[thinking] and venus[desires and values] also in cancer, as well as his sun itself.Ringo has his mercury and venus in different signs,helping him to balance the energies.Similarly Tom Cruise.But for Roky theres no respite from cancer's emotional demands.
His sun and mercury are particularly close,less than 2 degrees in orb.This would produce alot of mental energy which although sound in some ways, can also lead to considerable stress, especially in cancer where stability is constantly challenged by nervous tension.Roky might find it hard to be objective about himself, given the closeness of these 2 planets.However creativity and the ability to learn would be strong in him.Personal feelings would be extremely powerful.
Venus being in cancer too[like myself too]can cause expressions of affection to be a little claustrophobic.Strong feelings for family and home are also likely and Roky would have a need to be loved and to have a safe and stable domestic base.With this placement,Roky might be vulnerable in romantic situations and easily hurt.This is a very sensitive position for venus.
Unfortunately his neptune is discordant with venus here and disappointment is likely to occur in romantic relationships.Ideals would be high and possibly unrealistic with fantasy and make-believe present.Neptune can confuse venus's desires and close relationships are difficult to develop.Roky may have found himself putting up certain defense mechanisms which blocked true intimacy.Nevertheless at heart a very loving,warm-hearted romantic.
His other 2 personal planets,moon and mars are both in gemini.In terms of intellect and the performing arts,gemini is a wonderful energy but in one's personal life,it can be one of the more traumatic signs.With a gemini moon,Roky would have had a feel for intellectual pre-occupations such as writing,particularly adept at verbalising thoughts and observations.Ideal in song-writing and in lively interactions with fellow band members.A sophisticated sense of humour and fun to be around.A great student of life.Changeable,restless and high in nervous tension,this is in keeping with some aspects of his cancer personality.But the dispassionate side of gemini,the freedom-loving,not wishing to be attached nature of this easy-going sign is a marked contrast to cancer's need to make close emotional contact and to eastablish roots.Roky had this conflict within him.Cancer loves the home.Gemini doesn't want to be tied down or lose its wings.

With his mars also in gemini,the dilemna is heightened.In gemini,mars finds it hard to see things through, with energies rather scattered.Intellectual drive and assertive but mentally rather than physical.Ultimately there can be a mental burn-out.Roky may well have inspired those around him with his verbal eloquence and ability in discussions and debate.But at what expense.There are several aspects being made by mars.The sextile with saturn gives him the propensity for hard work and the pioneering spirit and to some extent can help control and focus gemini's excesses.
It can also help make Roky a survivor which to some extent he was.His re-emergence from his post-Elevators traumas was nothing short of remarkable.The pluto connection too would assist him in this.Willpower is strong when pluto helps mars in its pursuits,getting to the heart of things. Temporarily,Roky solved some of his 60's problems.But the contact with saturn,produces problems for pluto as seen when we examine his leo saturn.
The trine that neptune brings to mars encourages mystical pursuits with mars' force and neptune's spirituality.The blend of the physical and the psychic giving Roky no ordinary stage presence.Inspirational and magentic to those who met him.His powers of perception very acute.He would tune in empathetically to other's feelings, particularly those unfortunate in life but also he'd detect dishonesty or insincerity.
With these mars aspects we are looking at Roky's gemini intellectual capabilities allied to the intuitive and determined energies of leo as well as his libra qualities by way of neptune there.One might almost say an intellectual spirituality with fire and air featuring as elements.But we mustn't forget that underpinning it all,are his strong cancer energies with the susceptibility to mood changes and emotion ruling rather than the mind.A heady cocktail indeed.One moment yang,the next,yin with constant inter-change.A question of balancing the two and that is the human challenge.

In his jupiter and chiron placements we see his year sign--the pig--reflected.Pig is the purest of all year signs and relates to the energies of scorpio.Being a fire year adds drive and combustion to the usually peaceful pig,giving it more of a scorpio edge.Jupiter in scorpio gives Roky an intense desire for life and a capacity for deep,deep emotions.As a planet, jupiter likes to expand into whatever area it finds itself in.Scorpio would bring out a strong sense of the mysteries of life and the uncovering of truths.Roky would have a lifelong interest in the occult and mystic realms
He would be uncompromising in his beliefs and the meaning of life.Again mental stress[as with gemini earlier] is likely to arise because jupiter likes to have space to expand into but scorpio's realm is an inner one.An inner search.His jupiter is in harmony with his cancer mercury and way of thinking but more so, it is in harmony with his sun.This is a fortunate aspect and endows Roky with generosity of spirit and optimism despite the other situations in his chart.
With chiron also in scorpio, the question of control was probably an issue.To control his own life and destiny would have been particularly important to him here.He felt a power and energy which he tuned into along with other contemporaries.Scorpio studies relationships at the deepest level and needs to be in control of them.Chiron,where we find our wounds and healing potentials makes it difficult for the scorpio energy here to fulfil itself and relationships can break down.Roky felt the transformational urge to discard the old and build the new but given his sensitivities,it was never going to be straightforward.
Such personal frustrations are again highlighted by his saturn in leo.Leo wants to express it's creativity joyously,to be recognised and as a rock singer there was such an opportunity.However it's saturn here in leo,not the sun and as a planet,saturn restricts and frustrates.Roky's self-esteem and ability to fully express himself as he would wish is likely to suffer.Too-high expectations,a tendency to focus too much on oneself and personal issues and as we saw earlier,a need to be in control would have made life difficult for Roky.The close conjunction with pluto doesn't help matters because pluto in leo has the power to transform self and saturn will make this difficult.Certainly a great intensity comes with this and personal goals are clear.The question is how to bring them to fruition before they become obsessional.
Behaviour can be rather unpredictable and there can be a dramatic change in one's views of life in due course.Roky's work post Elevators shows this clearly.Many if not most would simply put it down to drugs but astrologically it does look to be inevitable with or without drugs.
It must be re-iterated that without access to Roky's time of birth,other astrological explanations cannot be looked at but clearly a pattern has already emerged here in the study of Roky's chart that we can make.The aspects are challenging as are the planet placements.

Tommy Hall has Roky's missing element--earth by way of sun,venus and chiron in the discriminating and systematic sign of virgo.His sheep year matches Roky's cancer[see eastern section] and he may or may not have moon in cancer,depending on his time of birth.Otherwise he doesn't have Roky's propensities of planets in the emotional signs of water.His forte is air which brings communication and thinking skills to the subject.Jupiter and pluto in leo provide the fire and creativity as well as leadership qualities.His sun conjunct neptune helps make him the gifted lyricist and poet that he is.
The sun in virgo gives meticulousness and the ability to see life in the smallest detail.Tommy's lyrics are remarkable in that they are both mystical but also painstakingly formulated. Neptune the planet of spirituality and the transcendental is conjuncting his virgo sun.This contact with the not-usually "psychedelic" virgo,softens and refines his personality, helping to give him his psychic,mystical edge.His flair for the metaphysical and intuitiveness is all part of this aspect Tommy is at his best in creative endeavours rather than being accountable in the usual virgo way. It's worth noting here that this sun/neptune conjunction may cause some people to misinterpret his motives and view him as something of a strange character.His relationship with the impressionable Roky,four years his junior,led some to accuse him of manipulation.The problem with neptune is that it clouds reality and when it contacts the very essence of you,the sun, one is never sure of what effect it might have.Is it true inspiration or subconscious desires that is at work.Self-deception is more likely than any ulterior motives.
Mercury's conjunction with neptune is even closer in orb and the above inclinations would be intensified with Tommy well able to tune into the psyche's of others, including Roky.In fact,it can also be the case that with such an aspect, Tommy,himself,was vulnerable and influenced by Roky being so in tune with others' emotions.

But no psychedlic ramblings here as regards Tommy's lyrics.Mercury the planet concerned with the thinking process rules virgo, though Tommy's own mercury is in libra.This would mean that people themselves are at the heart of his thinking and how they relate to themselves and others.He would be fair-minded in his assessment of situations and prefer to study matters carefully before coming to conclusions.This is also in keeping with the virgo side of him.It's interesting that his venus[desires and values] is also in virgo,so with mercury in libra,here is a case of mutual reception.His venus being in mercury's sign of virgo and his mercury in venus' sign of libra.This indicates that each planet can help each other but not without some difficulties along the way.

However, his mercury is retrograde and his venus is not comfortable in the sign of virgo,where the romantic side of his nature can appear cool and unemotional.Love for Tommy may be a subtle expression with Tommy having high ideals and tending to analyse love.Having looked at it in a considered,intellectual way,he is likely to see it as a commitment and would expect the same from others.Minute fault-finding in a partner can seriously undermine a relationship.A virgo lover is unlikely to let you down but is also unable to give full expression to venus' range of possibilities However it can give a fine sense of business and finance.
Mercury when retrograde, can cause an introspection in the thinking and things are thought over many times before actions are taken.Again in line with what Tommy's virgo-side is showing.Often those with mercury retrograde,use particular mediums to express themselves, which is very much so in Tommy's case.Not just as a lyricist but as the instigator of the Elevator's distinctive jug-sound.Whatever some may think of this,it is an integral part of the Elevators and even more so of Tommy as a person and contributor to the band.Tommy is "heard" not just through his remarkable lyrics but by way of this throbbing,heartbeat.Approximately one in six people have mercury retrograde but few expressed it in the way that Tommy did.
He also has venus in retrograde which can add to the discomfort venus already feels in virgo.He might have relationship issues to overcome.Although lines of communication should be good given his air preponderance in chart,Tommy might find closer relationships present frustrations.Certain inhibitions could cause him to withdraw from those he loves and bring about feelings of loneliness.

By contrast his jupiter in leo, would give him an optimistic, self-confident side to him.This would give Tommy excellent leadership qualities and dignity which others would respond to.He would have the capacity to inspire those around him in philosophical and higher fields with boundless energy.But he'd expect appreciation for his generous,positive overtures in true leo fashion.
His north node is also in leo which also brings into play the south node in aquarius.The latter is what one would be expecting him to be moving from towards the inner strength and self-discipline of the leo node which cam involve a certain emotional isolation[a remnant of the aquarius south node] before expressing the true warmth of leo.The detached feelings of aquarius would need to be left behind though his originality and voyage into unique and unusual experiences suggests the south node has a strong pull too.
Like Roky, he has mars and uranus in gemini.Mars here aids the writing skills but there is also the mental burn-out possibility too.In Tommy's case, we can't be sure of his moon sign but if it's not in the nurturing,emotionally sign of cancer,then it's a gemini moon like Roky's Tommy also has saturn in gemini, so the intellectual but restless energies of gemini are an important part of his psyche.None of these planets are close enough to form a blending of the energies but his saturn and his virgo sun challenge each other in close degree.The personal relationship issues seen earlier in his retrograde venus in virgo are here highlighted in this difficult aspect.With saturn in gemini,Tommy would be a profound thinker and teachers often have this aspect ! Good logic and an ability to see through the detail to get to the facts.But in fact certain learning blocks can occur here, as they do with retrograde mercury too.The need to communicate his mystical ideas clearly to his associates would be an imperative for Tommy.His saturn squaring his sun would lead to some sort of limitations placed on his self-expression.He would be ambitious but self-consciousness and pessimism might cause setbacks and disappointments in his life.A rather heavy sense of responsibilities could seem like a cross to bear.It must be borne in mind that his sun is carrying a conjunction with neptune with it into this aspect[see earlier] this conjunction has it's own frailties and inhibitions too.And we mustn't forget his mercury's contact with neptune.What creativity and imagination!
A final note on Tommy's individual chart in relation to his other virgo energy,Chiron. It's also at the core of the Elevators' philosophy.Here I take a direct quote from the chiron connoisseur himself, Zane Stein "One thing that irks these people more than anything else is to find that something has again gone wrong, once it has been corrected. There is a deep belief that no one should control another, no one should own another, and no one should keep anyone from being himself, and discovering his skills and abilities." Tommy wanted Roky to determine things for himself and was there to guide not manipulate him. :)

Stacey Sutherland, like Roky and Tommy, has a strong gemini presence in his chart.In his case the sun itself is there as well as mercury.Unlike the others,he doesn't have his mars there but in the more purposeful,direct sign of leo.They all have uranus in gemini and this generation[1940s] produced some of the most original thinkers and writers in rock music.They galvanised the rock revolution in the 60s and were in marked contrast to their uranus in taurus fore-runners.Uranus can work its magic well in the fluid changeable sign of gemini.
Gemini is concerned with ideas and interaction with others.With sun and mercury conjunct here,Stacey will be well focused in these areas.A quick,subjective mind and strong-willed.His flowing guitar reflecting gemini's fluid energy.He will be as curious as Tommy and Roky to explore those mystical subjects but gemini energies prefer breadth to depth.Energies are scattered wide. Where Roky has his strong cancer sensitivities and Tommy has his virgo practicalities,Stacey has elements of both.His taurus moon gives him a calmness and relief from the gemini whirlwind energies and makes him a dependable friend where passivity rather than aggression rules. Possessiveness or at least a taste for life's pleasures should show too.He might prefer the physical realities of love and life rather than the metaphysical.His emotional responses slower and steadier than Roky's.It would also give Stacey the flair for music that he obviously had. Because of the throat problems one can have here, it favours lead guitar as opposed to lead vocals.
But like Roky,he too has a cancer representation with venus and saturn there.Venus in cancer,as we saw with Roky, can lead to feelings being easily hurt.Consequently Stacey might be more cautious in love than a taurus moon usually would be.There is a need to protect oneself and Stacey would tend to be true to one lover rather than many. A need to become closely attached which goes against the gemini grain but is more in keeping with his taurus moon's love of a stable home life.
Saturn in cancer can produce emotional frustrations and bring about a melancholy in Stacey. There is a focus on home-life but things don't seem to run smoothly.Much as he would have loved his family,it might have been difficult for him to show his feelings.Inner thoughts often hidden with this placement.Saturn rules capricorn and is in fall in the opposite sign of cancer.The burdon that all this may have brought to Stacey would have weighed heavily on him.

His mars in leo would have given him enthusiasm and ambition.He would have come across as confident and charismatic with a flair for the dramatic.His guitar-playing particularly would have been energetic and assertive.An ideal placement for lead guitar with centre-stage coming naturally to him.Similarly other aspects of his life would have been affected by this mars fire but as we've seen he had other influences too in his personal planetery make-up.Whereas Roky was very much water and air by way of cancer and gemini,Stacey had all 4 elements within his 5 personal planets.Consequently he would have exhibited and felt a variety of urges and forces. Each interacting with the other but to achieve the balance between them is not so easy.His mars makes positive aspects with jupiter and uranus and the contact with jupiter would help him take up challenges and initiatives,especially under pressure.The retrograde nature of his libran jupiter might add caution however,remembering past pitfalls.The uranus contact brings much originality and adventure into his actions.He would have been inspired by the Elevators' exciting innovations

His neptune trine to his sun mirrors Tommy's own neptunian contact to his sun/mercury and moon.Roky too has a strong neptune contact to his personal planets[venus and mars] With Stacey's trine from neptune, spirituality and altered states of consciousness are bestowed.He is yet another visionary within the band.Certainly his guitar style was a feature of the band with its range and flow.Many since have acknowledged his contribution to the genre of rock guitar.He was one of Texas' greats.With gemini as his sun and mercury,he might be more head in the clouds than Tommy who has the virgo sun and be more fluctuating and unpredictable.
However both virgo and gemini have the benefit of mercury's intellect.His mercury itself is also trined by neptune, strengthening his spiritual and creative abilities.His perceptve skills are highly developed.
Neptune also contacts his cancerian venus but in this case its squaring[see also Roky].The orb is very close and the issue here is usually concerned with love and how to express it.This tendency towards shyness and fantasising the ideal love can lead to secrecy,even deception. Not an ideal situation in a marriage or close relationship.He is the only one of the elevators with neptune in retrograde which is notorious for drug escapism.Tommy believed in the more "elevated" drugs such as peyote and marijuana.Stacy unfortunately took heroin.
Stacey's true node is in gemini, so his path in life was heading in the right direction while he interacted with the Elevators' audience on stage.There might be the saggitarius pull to more spiritual pastures,away from life as a rockster but communicating with and responding to the fans is gemini node's ask of him. Also to lighten such loads as his cancerian saturn places upon him but that wouldn't be so easy.
Finally we see his chiron in libra and here there is a definite challenge to Stacey to try to heal some of those cancerian relationship issues discussed.Chiron highlights areas where wounds or scars may exist and a libra placement asks Stacey to understand others' viewpoints and needs by re-thinking and re-structuring his own.As with many of us, he had a few walls to knock down.

I've looked at each Elevator in some depth in terms of planets and aspects but cannot open the doors to life areas and houses without times of birth.However some of the main aspects interacting between them can be examined from the information that is known.But it is only part of the aspect picture and is here as a guide only.
The relationship between Tommy and Roky was strong with some believing Tommy to be too much of a svengali figure in the early days.Tommy himself went on record as saying that the elevators were a means for him to express his personal philosophy and he spent many an hour exposing its virtues.His virgo sun,by sign,forms a natural sextile with Roky's cancer and in fact by degree, this is very much so.This means that mutual growth occurs between the two people who understand where each is coming from. One would,therefore, expect Roky to accept and take on board therefore Tommy's philosophy.
Tommy's jupiter sextile's Roky's moon which can be a powerful draw between them.Tommy here is well-placed to stimulate Roky's imagination and instill self-confidence.Given Tommy's spiritual leanings, Roky would have benefited from this aspect of their relationship.Whatever differences were to occur between them, Tommy would have remained positive towards Roky.

His uranus conjuncts Roky's mars and this would have caused friction between them that would have been on-going.Neither would feel completely sure of the other and irritations on both sides would arise.Tommy wanted Roky to be more mature at times.Roky,it has been said,wanted to be the young spirit seeing Tommy as the father figure.In gemini,Roky's drive and energy would be somewhat scattered and not as constant to projects that Tommy wanted developed or completed.Uranus is a force of change but Roky would have had his own initiatives to follow too.

Roky's own uranus squares Tommy's sun and here again,Roky is likely to have been the rebel and at times, resented Tommy's virgoan authority and any over-critical tendencies.Tommy might have considered Roky unpredictable and on both sides, patience may have been lacking.Roky's uranus urging the free spirit in him and rebelling against Tommy's influence.
Tommy's pluto conjuncts Roky's saturn[an aspect Roky has in his own chart] and again it is Tommy in the role of a reformer or transformer to Roky[rather than vice-versa]Pluto in leo is a powerful force and here it is challenging Roky's responsibilities in life.Saturn in leo needs to learn how to truly enjoy life and to open up.Perhaps Tommy saw this achilles heel in Roky and tried to change his outlook.At best this would have tested their relationship, at worst resentment could have set in.
Tommy's own saturn conjuncts Roky's uranus.This is a more amicable aspect and can be mutually benificial.Here Roky's own visions and ideas can stimulate Tommy,perhaps teach him to be more flexible in certain areas whilst Tommy can provide a framework for Roky's virtuosity.
Their jupiters square to each other suggest some differences in ideals and aspirations.Roky's scorpio jupiter would make him intense in his pursuit of ideals and somewhat uncompromising, Tommy's leo jupiter would make him generous and affectionate but expect some kind of response or appreciation of his endeavours.He would enjoy open expression and display whereas Roky would prefer to keep things under closer wraps.
Finally
In conclusion, their relationship would be an up and down one with positive and negative points. In fact rather like many human beings working together.

Tommy and Stacy are 3 years apart in age,so as with Roky, Tommy is the senior partner.Once again, their planets interact closely together in one half of their charts, due to the fact that the signs gemini through to libra are the main positions of their planets.This is a feature of all 3 charts, that the earlier signs of the zodiac are the ones focused upon.The more advanced signs of saggitarius,capricorn,aquarius and pisces do not feature at all.Scorpio also only shows in Roky's jupiter and chiron placements.The 2 "babes" of the zodiac,aries and taurus are also absent,apart from Stacy's moon.
Stacy's gemini sun makes several aspects to Tommy's planets.It conjuncts his uranus in gemini. As with Roky, Tommy,through his uranus[the planet of change but also unconventional and unpredictable] may have had an awakening effect upon Stacy.There were the Lingsmen with Stacy fronting the band and there were the Spades with Roky fronting.Tommy drew them together,having first played a part in the latterdays of the Lingsmen.Stacy probably felt intrigued and stimulated by Tommy and at first found his talents blossoming within the Elevators.But at times, the uranus effect can confuse and disorientate.Not to mention Tommy's philosophy of drugs which encouraged the more elevating variety but tabooed the likes of speed and heroin.

Tommy's pluto sextiles Stacy's sun[which carries a mercury conjunction with it] which can produce a powerful effect.PlutoStacy would definetly feel his presence and perhaps feel inspired to take on the world both spiritually and musically.With mercury contacted too, Stacy's thinking itself would be under pluto's microscope and his viewpoints would be broadened here.
The trine from mercury to Stacy's sun brings them further together with Stacy stimulating and encouraging Tommy's ideas.Tommy,for his part, would feel he understands Stacy and where he's coming from.Differences of opinion would be discussed and rationalised in an intellectual way.
The square between Tommy's venus and Stacy's sun/mercury is not usually a harmful one in a relationship.There might at worst be some cultural or social differences between them.Tommy's venus in virgo might be somewhat of a critic towards any body who doesn't share his high ideals. He might see gemini sun as lacking constancy and as being too changeable.Stacy's own venus is also square Tommy's mercury which although not a serious disharmony might cause Stacy to feel that Tommy wasn't as sympathetic and considerate of his emotional needs as he might be.
As we know venus is very sensitive in cancer and a libran mercury may avoid situations where emotions run high and back away.Libra is about balance,not cancer's forte.

The conjunction between Stacy's mars and Tommy's jupiter in leo, is mutually stimulating and each can propel the other forward.This is an excellent aspect for two influential members of a rock band.Some of Stacy's dynamic,flowing guitar is truly inspiring and I've no doubt Tommy was uplifted by this.Equally Stacey must have felt the inspirational qualities of Tommy's spirituality. Together they would have felt the urge for expansion and to really go for it.Two highly gifted artists working in harness throigh this aspect and providing a force as powerful as Roky's.

Stacy's neptune conjuncts Tommy's mercury[as does Roky's neptune] and would be one of the telepathic links that Tommy believed the elevators shared.His mercury could have helped give form and expression for Stacy's own imaginative or mystical ideas.Once his drug problems materialised,Tommy,through this aspect may have tried to balance things but neptune[here retrograde] can be an evasive, confusing energy.Tommy's own neptune trines Stacy's sun/mercury confirming the spirituality ties and empathy that existed between them and within the band in general.We will see this aspect existing between Stacy and Roky too.
The most difficult aspect between them,of the ones known, would be Stacy's uranus conjuncting Tommy's mars.In the previous synastry, it was Tommy's uranus and Roky's mars.Similar effect. However there are enough harmonious aspects between Stacy and Tommy to offset such aspects as this.Of course we remain hindered by not knowing any of their moon aspects.
But from what we have here, it can be considered that Stacey and Tommy had less areas of contention than Roky and Tommy.Of course there's always that cancer/sheep link between the latter but that one can wane after the initial magnetic attraction.

Roky and Stacy shared guitar duties in the Elevators as well as songwriting ones.It was Stacy who was ultimately responsible for "Bull Of The Woods" seeing the light of day.One aspect between them stands out above the rest.The conjunction between Roky's sun/mercury and Stacy's saturn in cancer and a very close one at that.This will bond them together for sure but whether for better or for worse depends on how their overall synastry is working.With this aspect,Stacy might try to remind Roky of his responsibilities either to himself or to the band and attempt some form of constructive criticism.In cancer, saturn is keen to see tasks concluded but can be very inhibited emotionally and be pessimistic.Stacy might look to Roky for inspiration and positivity.How Roky responed to this well-meant advice would shape their relationship.He might consider this input of Stacy's negative,feeling that it is restricting and dampening his enthusiasm but there would be a certain loyalty between them.But with Stacy's own sun sextiling Roky's saturn which suggests a reasonable working relationship, it is likely that Stacy would encourage Roky un many ways and inspire confidence in him.
Stacy's own sun conjuncts Roky's mars in gemini.The sign of gemini once again featuring strongly in the Elevators' charts.This would add a dynamic quality to their work onstage as well as a competitive edge,even rivalry.To Stacy,Roky here would come across as intense and at times aggressive but a real stimulation and motivating force to achieve goals and ambitions.
Roky's mars would have a galvanising force on Stacy but in gemini,mars can be all over the place and one thinks back to the concerns of Stacy's saturn....to keep Roky in check and on task.
The effect of Stacy's pluto sextiling Roky's mars is positive and encourages mutual interests on a grand-scale with each strengthening the other's will-power.

Stacy's sun is also trined by Roky's neptune.Any neptunian contact catches the eye when looking at the Elevators because of the mystical nature of their music.Spiritual ties, empathy and sensitivity towards each other comes with this aspect.Stacy can raise Roky's self-confidence and stimulate his creativity.Roky's neptune brings a spiritual quality which might include occult influences.Their music together confirms this aspect's power.It will be recalled that Tommy's neptune also trines Stacy's sun too and also his mercury.There are neptune contacts between Roky and Tommy too.In all 3 synastries we don't know what neptunian aspects are made to the moon or ascendent.One suspects there would be some key ones.

Stacy's pluto conjuncts Roky's saturn, as did Tommy's. So Stacy too is trying to reform Roky in some way and this would work as a slight dischord between them.But Roky knows the score with pluto already because his own pluto also conjuncts saturn! He is not being told anything new that he hasnt already considered or by-passed.

Stacey's leo mars is squared by Roky's scorpio jupiter which would mar co-operation and disrupt some of the positive interactions looked at so far.Stacy may see Roky as being self-indulgent or self-righteous,even hypocritical whereas Roky might consider this side of Stacey to be impulsive and over-assertive.Mars in leo can be quick-tempered and melodramatic but ultimately sociable and never petty.Roky's jupiterian ethics will be coloured by scorpio's emotional edge.Some rivalry would exist with this aspect with each demanding much of the other.But provided shortcomings are accepted on each side, they should still be able to work well as a team. Stacy's own jupiter squares Roky's sun. In this case, Roky might see Stacey as promising more than he could actually deliver, but this could be because he expected too much in the first place.Stacy's jupiter is retrograde and he may be reluctant to let others know his deeper views on life due to negative past experiences.Cancer sun likes to get close emotionally but perhaps Stacy held back, uneasy about certain things in Roky.Not a discordant aspect as such however and the orb is rather wide too.
Summing up,lots of stimulating aspects between them that would benefit their working together.
in a dynamic way.

Danny Galindo,though not one of the original or "big-three" Elevators, came into the band, together with Danny Thomas in July 1967.As bass player on Easter Everywhere, his place is cemented in Elevator history and his heart was in the right place.Plus we have his date of birth.
He is very much a water/earth person with only pluto in fire[leo] and uranus and neptune in the air signs of gemini and libra respectively.His moon is either aquarius or pisces,so possibly another air sign.But in terms of personal planets, it's a cancer/taurus picture and another elevator with planets in the early signs of the zodiac.Earth/water types are usually survivors and hard-workers with a certain seriousness and a value of resources whether material or emotional.
Danny has both sun and mercury in cancer, like Roky, but unlike his colleague he has earth for support.In Danny's case, there are 15 degrees between his sun and mercury,so he is likely to be more objective in his feelings than Roky but nonetheless still sensitive and subject to cancer's stresses and moods.Venus being in taurus,its ruling sign,will add stability and its sextile to mercury will give him a nice,easygoing manner,tactful in his relationships with the other elevators.Its trine to jupiter making him an optimistic,cheerful sort to have around.Danny would have poise and sincerity and in the short time he spent with the band, he would have been a positive influence.Venus in taurus makes for a loyal friend.His cancer understanding of others' emotions would have made him empathetic to his colleagues,though any kind of vulgarity or anti-social behaviour would have been a real turn-off for him.
His taurean mars is less well-placed than his venus with drive subdued compared with aries or gemini mars.However,Danny would be high on patience and endurance.Dependable and solid and a mars position ideal for the role of a supporting bass player than a lead guitarist.Its sextile with saturn in cancer adds to his dependability.Good,sound common sense with the potential to take charge if all around him was confused.Danny would be the kind to take responsibility if necessary.A saturnal cancer sees things through to conclusion,even if melancholy at times is evident.The conjunction with his sun would make him no stranger to responsibilities and often of the heaviest kind.This can produce in people loner traits.

Lelan Tommy Roky Danny T Stacy Danny Gal
He is the only Elevator to have no retrograde planets so whilst cancer can be introspective, Danny, on the whole moves forward without the hesitant distractions of retrograde issues.He has the Elevators obligatory neptune contact with sun square neptune, giving him somewhat of an inferiority complex as far as reality is concerned.His vice was speed, not Tommy Hall's favourite drug and linking this to his cancer traits,particularly saturn there, there would have been an emotionally vulnerability underneath the postive virtues we've looked at.We know that he was particularly sensitive and outspoken about the way that his colleagues were treated by I.A records and the Texas authorities.Others' suffering would be close to Danny's heart.
Returning to his cancer sun, it conjuncts his cancer node closely which is an indicator of good fortune.He was in the right place at the right time when the Elevators needed a bass player.But more so, his karmic path in life ties in with his sunsign.The fulfillment of one's sunsign is seen by some to be a path of its own and when it co-incides with the true nodal path, realization of one's destiny is more likely.It's significant that each Elevator had a different nodal path and ultimately they did each go their seperate ways,despite Tommy's message that they would "come again". In the musical sense,however, they have returned.
Danny shares Tommy's chiron in virgo, so one would expect self-determination to be strong in him.His sun / saturn conjunction,for one, would indicate this too.In fact his chiron conjuncts Tommy's sun very closely and this is a strong indicator of a working together relationship with some sort of a karmic tie, perhaps where each can help the other in their life goals.A healing energy is likely to exist between them.This is further enhanced by Tommy's own chiron sextiling Danny's sun in an exact orb! A very interesting situation indeed and a pity we don't have access to moon and ascendent aspects to further explore the relationship.
What we can say,in addition,however, is that a strong neptunian contact is made with Danny's conjuncting Tommy's sun/mercury/neptune stellium.Like the chiron contact, this one suggests a spiritual affinity and although their time together in the Elevators was short,Danny is sure to have had an effect on Tommy.Intuition,even telepathic communication is likely to have existed between them and Tommy might have felt intellectually stimulated and uplifted.But given the nature of neptune and the cloudiness it can create, Tommy may also have found Danny vague or difficult to fathom.With such a sharp mind as his[IQ 180 !] Tommy needed to know where he stood with people.As he said of John Ike once "You can't hip everyone".
Danny's uranus conjuncting Tommy's mars would have added to any uncertainties between them
and ponted to a short-lived relationship.Stimulating like the neptunian contact and bringing them together but also causing friction.In its gemini setting,this aspect,whilst great intellectually, would cause nerves to be frayed with Tommy seeing Danny as too changeable and erratic.Danny in turn may see Tommy as argumentative or too demanding.
Danny's cancer sun squaring Tommy's mercury could lead each questioning the other's judgement as well as misunderstandings.Danny might find Tommy's ideas as difficult to take in.It would be hard to co-operate in the way they would need to as band members.Compromises or parting of the ways.Though Tommy's venus in sextile with Danny's sun is harmonious and shows a caring for each other with many mutual interests,there seem to be too many dischords as shown above.
However we must never forget that chiron contact that helped bring them together and I would think that each in retrospect, felt the other had benefited their lives.After all Tommy's virgo and Danny's rooster could hardly help but be drawn to each other.

Danny and Roky share the cancer sun,though with a 15 degree orb,there is no conjunction between them.However, Danny's mercury does conjunct Roky's sun at less than one degree and mercury at just over 2 degrees. Roky would have influenced Danny's thinking and had a stimulating effect upon him,whilst being impressed by Danny's own ideas. Danny would have understood where Roky was coming from and they should have forged a good understanding of each other.An excellent combination of energies and an important part of their synastry together.
Danny's jupiter sextiling Roky's sun further enhances this mutual understanding.They would enjoy an enthusiatic,at times inspirational rapport with each tolerant and supportive of the other. Roky,particularly should benefit from Danny's benevolence towards him and a mutual protectiveness would be present.We know just how much Danny considered the Elevators were victims of the authorities and poor Roky in particular he felt.
Their sun/venus contact is very strong indeed with Roky's sun enjoying a 3rd harmonious contact
this time from Danny's venus sextiling very closely.This particularly brings their social interests
together with mutual encouragement and admiration strong and loyalty too.Danny's venus is in its ruling sign of taurus and is perfectly placed to lend support to Roky's cancer sun.A genuine affection here.Remember too,Danny's own sun is cancer,so he knows the emotional feelings of cancer well.This aspect is often seen in long-term friendships. Roky's own cancerian venus conjuncts Danny's sun and their harmony is further enhanced.These two Elevators are in fine synch!
Just two negatives [of the aspects known] to cause concern.Roky's neptune squaring Danny's sun[as it does his own natal sun].There are positives too with this aspect such as the spiritual,psychic connection, even a deja vu from previous existences but Roky might also be an enigma to Danny,as neptune contacts often are[and this is a very close contact] But the fascination and pull of Roky might outweigh the frustrations caused and Danny ultimately accepting Roky as a source of light rather than confusion.The drug factor may have exassperated the situation at times.Neptune escapes reality in many ways.
Their mars square pluto aspect is less difficult than it might be,given the excellent harmony running through their synastry.Inevitable confrontations and intense at that, with some power struggles and clashes of ego,consciously and subconsciously.However a taurean mars is slow to act and tends to stick persistently to a course of action.I doubt if Danny allowed any psychological problems with Roky's pluto-side to off-set the positive things in their relationship.

Danny also has his sun conjunct Stacy's venus as their main aspect,so the Elevator's lead guitarist is well in tune with Danny's bass.Stacy's neptune also squares Danny's sun[as with Roky's] so a similar situation here.The sextile from Danny's pluto to Stacy's gemini sun is helpful in their exchange of ideas with each having something to learn from the other.Stacy may have found Danny to be a dynamic,impressive individual and enjoyed working with him during their short time together.The trine from Danny's neptune further develops this with Danny providing a creative,sensitive input.He probably had an empathetic understanding of Stacy as a person,as he did of Roky, and a spiritual,emotional bonding between them should have existed.Stacy's mercury will also be trined in this aspect by way of its natal conjunction with sun and he would find Danny at times a soothing,uplifting influence.Mutual mental understanding and perhaps some telepathy present.His venus is also contacted by Danny's neptune,this time a square aspect.This might undo some of the above positive benefits from their relationship with Stacy not sure of Danny ultimately,finding inconsistencies in him.After an initial attraction,Stacy may regard Danny as a little unreliable.Danny's own venus is sextiled by Stacy's saturn which is an altogether more harmonious bond between them.Danny can raise Stacy's confidence and in return receive loyalty and support.It augurs well for a good friendship built on strong foundations.
There do seem to plenty of good vibes between Danny and his two guitar colleagues,although there are some flaws in both relationships,as in most human ones.One can certainly see how Danny came to join the Elevators and why he should still feel so warm towards the band today.

PROGRESSED ELEVATORS

Roky was seven when his cancer progressed to leo with mercury following a little later.Happening early in his life,the leo warmth and vitality helped give him the charisma that he had in those early days.The young Roky on stage was a sight to behold and leo would have made his cancer more outgoing and confident.His venus didn't progress to leo until he was 17, ,just before he formed the Spades and it's likely helped provide the initiative to launch his career.The interesting progression was his cancer sun's progression to virgo in october 1986.By the summer of 89, both mercury and venus had joined it there.This was a difficult period for Roky which saw his 80's revival finally end.1986 had seen his wife Holly leave with their daughter Cynde and CBS records terminating his contract with them.His mother,Evelyn and friends continued loving support but the 1989 incident of his neighbours' mail[a misunderstanding as it turned out] signalled the end of his 80s renaissance.Obviously in Roky's case,there are many more factors to be considered than just astrology but virgo is capable of building psychological barriers which can take a person out of the spotlight and find a new way of working behind the scenes.Any leo who has studied their virgo progression will know this and it can work the same way for cancers who are nothing if not emotional and sensitive.Apart from all the other factors affecting poor Roky,I fear the intake of the virgo energies was very traumatic and de-stabilising to his strong cancer energies.The progressed leo energies had helped Roky to resurrect his life after Ruskin and to produce some remarkable music.Some glorious music!
His saturn return[when we re-evaluate our lives] took place in august 1976.A year earlier he had recorded "Two-headed Dog" and "Starry Eyes",his first recordings since his Elevator days. Perhaps his oncoming saturn return did spark a new determination within him to re-activate his musical vocation which would bear fruit a few years later.His progressed moon return too,in 1975, may have worked in harness with this.Gemini being both a "literate" moon and a restless one.

Tommy Hall's virgo sun progressed to libra when he was just two and libra is interested in relationships of every kind..In Tommy's case these relationships took in the metaphysical and his philosophy of life bears the hallmarks of a virgo much influenced by the libran perspective.His mercury was already in libra at birth and paved the way in his thinking.In april 1976 he entered his current progression of scorpio where relationships and the meaning of existence comes under intense scrutiny.By that time, he had made his home in san francisco away from the prejudices the elevators had met in texas and away from the rock scene in general.Tommy had other matters to attend to in a more conducive environment.His saturn return had taken place in february 1973, when he would have taken stock of his life so far.His progressed moon return circa 1971.He would leave his elevators days behind him.There were those who even presumed him dead which in the scorpio transformational sense,he was.
August 2002 will see his second saturn return which differs from the first in that we start to think about our time left here and what it was all about.Tommy is likely then to re-appraise that seminal part of his life spent in the elevators and what was accomplished.He has sun square saturn in his natal chart which is a heavy weight of responsibility to carry through life and he would have felt this strongly.With his second saturn return this is taken to a higher level,particularly spiritually. Tommy might become more realistic about what it is possible for him to achieve and which burdons he should no longer carry.Most of all, he would lay foundations for the decade ahead and apply the lessons learned.I would definetly expect a renewal of interest from Tommy in his elevators work,which was,in my opinion, a major contribution in the history of rock music.He would only need to visit websites/newsgroups pertaining to the band to realise how today's generation revere the music and philosophy he helped to put into place.
1967 was a fire-sheep year and therefore a year of great significance for Tommy as a water sheep.Water is heated[turned-on!] by fire which it also controls.In two words..Easter Everywhere. His finest hour but also his last major achievement with the band.A year of change indeed.Of course western astrologers would see 1967 as Tommy's jupiter return..september being the month itself.A time of great creativity for one with jupiter in leo And we mustn't forget his true node is in leo too.
2003 is his next sheep year...return of his water sheep.Following his saturn return of 2002,it is a crucial period for Tommy as it is for most people entering their 60th year.

Stacey Sutherland's gemini sun progressed to cancer when he was 23.He already had his natal venus in cancer and saturn there too.But his progressed sun's contact with this most emotional and sensitive of signs during september 1970 would have been a huge landmark in his life.1970 was also a dog year, though ,in his case, his jupiter return came the previous october.Stacey would hardly have known what was hitting him.This was indeed a testing time for him.The elevators had recorded tracks for what was to have been their 3rd studio album "Beauty And The Beast".However with Tommy on his way to california and Roky's health problems, it was Stacy who was responsible for most of the album which was retitled "Bull Of The Woods".It was finally completed in the fall of 68 but it was to be Stacy's swansong too.Like Roky he was busted for marijuana, though in Stacy's case,it wasn't the State Mental Hospital but the State Prison.Such was the environment for his jupiter and dog year returns and leading up to his sun progression into cancer.Home,roots and the inner self come under scrutiny in cancer.He entered Huntsville with a heroin problem and left there seriously addicted and embittered..What might have been going through his mind by the time his Saturn return arrived on the 10th of july 1975,no-one knows.Little had happened for him musically since Huntsville.His last public performance with any of the ex-elevators took place on the 28/4/77.A year later on 24/8/78 he was shot dead by his wife Bunny,herself a heroin addict.In terms of progressed aspects,Stacy had sun square neptune which in his natal chart is trined.Bearing in mind neptune is retrograde, natally, this developing square with sun thru the 70s, may well have added to the drug problems he was already having. His tombstone in Kerrville is a fitting tribute to a seminal texas guitarist.

Danny Galindo's cancer sun progressed to leo in november 1968.Like Stacy, this was close to his time spent in the band.He had left earlier that year.Leo makes cancer sun more confident and out-going as befits contact with the sun's ruling sign.A few weeks later,his taurus mars progressed to gemini, another yin to yang move.Speed of action and intellectual drive would interact with his solid,taurean persistance.Combined with his leo sun progression, a period of energy surge.September 68 had seen his jupiter return when the need to push on and expand potentials would be strong and 1969 would see his rooster year return when seeds are sown for the future.So his post-Elevator year was a time of expansion and change for Danny.He had much to pursue beyond the Elevators.
His sun progression to virgo took place in march 2000 which would see his cancerian sensitivity express itself more behind the scene rather than in the open leo manner.Introspection and attention to the finer details replacing leo's creative flair and show.More conducive to cancer's nature and to some extent his rooster's too.Cancer progressed to virgo can start to evaluate its emotional feelings in greater detail and his cancer nodal path can be fully realised.