Catching the Trane: The Musical Genius of John and Alice Coltrane

John Coltrane was born with Mercury opposition the Mars/Jupiter midpint and sesquiquadrate to both planets. Extraordinarily, the angle of Mercury to Mars and to Jupiter is almost exactly 134.4 degrees, a 28/75 aspect as well as a 3/8 aspect, which confers focused creativity that is capable of extraordinary accomplishments. From this configuration, I determined that Coltrane must simply be a genius who was given a saxophone. A quick read of his biography at wikipedia.com confirms this; the man studied Plato and Aristotle. A don’t think most black kids born in Hamlet, NC in 1926 read very much of Plato. His creative genius led him to an interest in Pythagorean thought, he studied harmony and music theory to a very sophisticated level; he did not just concoct these melodies without technical training and understanding.

Recently I’ve been listening to Alice Coltrane and jokingly thinking to myself that she might be a bigger genius than her husband. But that is a bit like comparing Einstein, Neils Bohr, Kepler, and Newton; take your pick. Not having a birth time, I just entered 12 noon and looked at Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, thinking that they might be in a 5th harmonic or 25th harmonic pattern but a birth time would be need to confirm a 25th harmonic. My reasoning is that they might have truly been made for each other. Alice periodically performed late in her life using her married name of Alice Coltrane. That tells me how deep her love and appreciation of her husband was; a lady of that level of intelligence and sensitivity is not likely to do anything without some deep thought and consideration, in addition to the minor fact that they were married.

Alice’s Mercury is quintile Mars, tridecile Jupiter, and Mercury at 12 noon is tightly square the Mars/Jupiter midpoint. The configuration was in effect for that day. This configuration is one that I have mentioned in lectures many times. It is a special configuration but it won’t necessarily make an Alice Coltrane. It is almost guaranteed to give superlative creative intelligence, however. Alice did grow up in a family that provided her the tools to grow and develop. Of course, without a birth time we are unable to analyze planetary configurations at the time of Alice’s birth in any detail.

I read that the Coltranes are bured in Pinelawn cemetery in Farmingdale, New York. In the unlikely event that I am ever in the area, I’ll put a flower on both graves and wish them well. Namaste my brilliant friends. Many thanks for the music and the inspiration.

Finally, note that the above analysis is based on sophisticated mathematical models that I have developed for astrological analysis. The form of astrological analysis that I employ is almost unique, and unlike most astrologers, I remain skeptical of all astrological models including my own because they are yet to be confirmed through research and if correct, the models, in m opinion, can be validated. Most astrologers, however, have a very different philosophical and epistemological perspective on how astrology can be known and improved.

Attunement to the Cosmos

Surrounded always in a vast expanse of bliss, preoccupied by minutiae we may see it not until perchance the heartbeat and breath are still or carried by a simultaneously ancient and new eternal pulse, whence we feel what previously only dimly was perceived – streaming beattitudes and the joyous intelligent presence patiently awaiting our awakening from a deep sleep and rejoicing in the long awaited arrival home.

Why the Harmonic Properties of Arabic Parts are Important

Excellent astrologers like Moses Siregar and Steven Forrest have encouraged astrologers to be open-minded and to welcome the increasing diversity within our field. With the expanding understanding of ancient western methods, the increasing popularity of Vedic astrology in the west, and continued enthusiasm for psychological astrology and other approaches to astrology, we now encounter a much wider spectrum of ideas, concepts, and theoretical models within the field of astrology than perhaps ever before in history.

 

I applaud the insights of Moses and Steven, and I would like to extend our acceptance of diversity one step further: we can look for relationships between seemingly disparate approaches to astrology. In doing this, we may help turn the upside-down pyramid of astrology right side up. By “upside-down pyramid” I mean that astrological theory consists of an ocean of anecdotal evidence, different paradigms and conceptual models, and there is no consistent agreed upon theoretical fabric to weave together different astrological concepts into a coherent whole. Rather than having, as physicists do, a few fundamental principles upon which diversity is explained, there are a great number of astrological concepts that we synthesize together to draw conclusions. Physicists postulate that there are 4 fundamental forces which are the basis for all physical behavior in the universe. Chemists claim that all material things, despite the variety of colors, textures, etc., are essentially the same thing simply arranged with different numbers of identical components. In modern science there is a kind of vision of oneness underlying apparent diversity, and this strikes me as a rather spiritual and universal vision. Modern science is designed and “promoted” primarily for its utilitarian benefits and rational basis, but nevertheless the implications of the theories are inspiring and uplifting. Astrology, on the other hand, typically strives to achieve synthesis as an end result of analyzing specific data. Astrology sees the world of diversity and extracts conclusions from analyzing the complexity of aspects, rulers, house placements, etc. Modern scientists, on the other hand, analyze behavior as variations of a handful of underlying principles. Scientists have a pyramid, with a point at the top; from oneness diversity descends. Astrologers have a pyramid with the base at the top; from diversity one gradually distills specific conclusions.

 

Can, for example, a Uranian astrologer who relies on symmetry as a theoretical underpinning find a mutual point of agreement and synthesis with a traditional astrologer who uses the fundamental “twelveness” and its constituent triplicities and quadruplicities as a fundamental paradigm? As we continue to expand our horizons and incorporate more astrological ideas, we may occasionally discover a point of agreement and synthesis. These points of synthesis are rare but are important.

 

One of the most profound examples of unanimity stretching across very diverse astrological systems is the agreement in classical astrology and cosmic cybernetics that arabic parts (or lots as some classical astrologers prefer to call them) are extremely important. Arabic parts are, in fact, so important that they are one of the most fundamental principles in both of these systems of astrology. Also striking is that arabic parts have little obvious or intuitive appeal. The formula upon which the arabic part is based seems superficially to be rather arbitrary. Perhaps for this reason arabic parts have fallen out of favor in modern psychological astrology. That two very different astrological systems come to the same conclusion is rather striking. Arabic parts have very powerful harmonic properties that from the viewpoint of cosmic cybernetics are extraordinarily profound and powerful. That some of the most ancient systems of astrology relied on a formula that produces powerful harmonic resonances is intriguing. There is no extant evidence that the ancients developed arabic parts based on a theory of resonance, and we may never know how the idea originated. We do know that classical astrology and cosmic cybernetics agree that arabic parts are fundamental and critically important.

 

For more information on the harmonic properties of arabic parts the article at http://astrosoftware.com/ArabicParts.htm is helpful. The article posted at http://astrosoftware.com/Symmetries.htm provides information on other astrological concepts that are fundamentally the same as arabic parts.

 

If we keep an open mind as Moses and Steven suggested, and if we research astrological ideas carefully, we sometimes discover that precisely the same concept is being conveyed in very different historical and cultural contexts. I find these occasional discoveries one of the most exhilarating and exciting experiences in the study of astrology.

 

 

 

Calendar and Time Changes in Ancient and Modern Times

Many of us are familiar with the Old Style (Julian) and New Style (Gregorian) calendars. Birth dates are often given in one of the two calendars, and this may give the impression that unless a person is born in an exotic place or in a particularly strong ethnic environment, we can assume that one of these two calendars are used. Furthermore, we may have the impression that there is a particular date when the New Style calendar is adopted.

Unfortunately, however, the situation is immensely more complex than this, and the consequence of this complexity is that sometimes astrological charts can be incorrect. There are several variations of the Old Style calendar that were used and the New Style calendar was adopted at different times in different countries. In addition to the problem of determining which calendar is in use is the problem of determining if local time is used or if there is a time zone and if daylight saving time is used. Every year at least a dozen countries change their laws regarding observance of daylight saving time. If you use astrology software that does not have the daylight saving time tables updated yearly, then there is an increased risk that charts you calculate of current events and babies can be incorrect. If the astrology software you use does have tables updated regularly, you should install an update at least once a year to ensure that your daylight saving time tables are accurate.

The New Style calendar was adopted in the year 1582 in many parts of western and central Europe, in 1752 in Great Britain and its possessions, in 1753 in Sweden, in the 1800′s in Japan, Egypt, and Alaska, and in the early 1900′s in several Eastern European countries and the USSR. Turkey began using the New Style calendar in 1926. For example, someone born in Istanbul in the early 1900′s most likely has the birth time recorded in the Old Style calendar.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that birth dates are recorded with the same calendar that is commonly used. We can assume that most people in Turkey in the early 1900′s, for example, knew that their calendar was different from that used in most countries, and there is the possibility that government, church, or other official records were sometimes recorded with the New Style calendar. This is reminiscent of the well-known problem of daylight saving time in the USA paticularly in parts of Illinois and Pennsylvania around the 1950′s; in some hospitals birth times were recorded in standard time even though daylight saving time was observed. Some hospitals even had two clocks in the delivery room, one with the actual time and the other with the time one hour different which was used to record the birth time.

Adding even more complexity to the problem of determining accurate dates is that through the Middle Ages the year did not necessarily begin on January 1. A common date for the beginning of the year was in the Spring but January 1 was also often used. One authority states that if a Roman document referes to month X, it could possibly refer to 7 different possible time periods! Sometimes two or more systems were used simultaneously, and calendar dates were sometimes distinguished, for example, by being historical, liturgical, or civil. One example of variations of the Old Style calendar is descrbied by Lois Rodden: “From the 9^th to 15^th centuries, in some cases as early as the year 1338, various locations of Europe began the first day of the year on 1 May, on 12 August, on 1 November, on 25 December and on 25 March. The most commonly used New Year’s Day was Easter and this calendar was known as the Annunciation Calendar. Rheims (Reims), France used 25 March as the first day of the year until 1390, after which it named Easter as the New Year day. France, in part, began to use 1 January as New Year day in 1563 by the edict of Charles IX and entirely after 1567.” (http://cura.free.fr/xv/14rodden.html). Rodden cites the book “Book of Calendars” which is edited by Frank Parise.

There are also other calendars such as the Islamic, Jewish, Roman Republican, and Ancient Greek calendar, etc.

If a source gives a date as being in the Old Style calendar, one could ask “which old style calendar?” as there were variations.

Another confusion for dates before the year 1 is the difference between astronomical dates and calendar dates. In our calendar dates there is no year zero. The year preceding 1 AD is 1 BC. In astronomy, however, the year 1 BC is the year zero. For example, the year 100 BC is the astronomical year -99. When looking at ancient dates it is important to be aware of this distinction.

To summarize, there are many variations of calendars, and sometimes uncertainty as to what calendar was used for recording birth times or even what calendar was in use in a particular place at a particular time. A simple designation of “Old Style calendar” is ambiguous because there are variations of the Old Style calendar that were used. A reasonable way to resolve some of this confusion is to always use New Style calendar dates and in notes regarding the birth data include information about what the calendar in use was at the time and how the date was recorded. The fact that people born in the early 20th century are born with the Old Style calendar in use and that many countries, or parts of countries, change the dates when daylight saving time is observed every year are additional issues that astrologers need to be aware of. A difference in one hour will change the rising sign about half the time so this is an important issue.

Proud to be a Fringe Theorist

Ask an astrologer what transiting Mars square natal Uranus and transiting Uranus square natal Mars in Aries exact on the same day means. Unless the astrologer practices Vedic or classical astrology, we can be almost certain that the astrologer will mention accident proneness or sudden changes. Even if astrology is fundamentally divinatory or psychological in nature, astrologers do make statements of an objective nature that are measurable and amenable to scientific research. I do not think there is any way to skirt around this fact. Even if the research studies must be large and elaborate in order to test astrological claims, the studies can be conducted. Despite the many reasons that astrologers give for the failure of astrology to be validated through research, the research could in theory be conducted. This fact combined with the fact that there is no solid scientific support for astrological ideas nor is there a solid theoretical basis for astrology are reasons why astrology is deservedly considered at best a fringe theory by academics. If astrologers accepted the fringe status of astrology and that there are many different views of astrology even among astrologers, then astrology would make a big step towards maturing and developing as a serious study.

Fringe theory is a term that is sometimes used in a derogatory manner, but it need not be. Many things in nature have a Gaussian distribution and a Gaussian distribution is not quite normal without 1% out on in the tails. A critical analysis of fringe theories is needed for several reasons: (1) Fringe theory may address anomalies or inconsistencies in current theory, (2) Fringe theory may introduce new insights, (3) Fringe theory may breed wild conspiracy theories, foolish ideas that are taken seriously by many people, with consequent negative social consequences. A critical analysis of fringe theories helps prevent these negative developments.

Kepler described the potential of fringe theory, specifically astrology,  in an extraordinarily eloquent way:

“It should not be considered unbelievable that one can retrieve useful knowledge and sacred relics from astrological folly and godlessness. From this filthy mud one can glean even an occasional escargot, oysters or an eel for one’s nutrition; in this enormous heap of worm-castings there are silk-worms to be found; and, finally, out of this foul-smelling dung-heap a diligent hen can scratch up an occasional grain-seed — indeed, even a pearl or a gold nugget.” Johnnes Kepler, Tertius Interveniens

Amazingly, 400 years after Kepler made these statements, his wisdom is still not fully appreciated or understood. If we keep digging, the pearls and nuggets will surface. I believe that we are now well on our way to making what we can subjectively perceive demonstrable, and the pearls and gold are glorious indeed. We can be proud to be fringe theorists.

The Value of Case Studies in Astrology

The word “research” may bring up thoughts of experimental designs, statistical analysis, or people peering through microscopes. However, in a field like astrology where nothing has yet to be consistently and definitively verified, it is often a good idea to work gradually from gathering anecdotal evidence step-by-step rather than jumping full-blown into a more rigorous research study. Rigorous research studies are important too and I have conducted them myself, but most research is closer to gathering anecdotal evidence and this is appropriate. However, there are better and worse ways to gather anecdotal evidence.

I often study a chart and make notes of what I expect a person to be like and then upon meeting the person or getting to know the person better, I compare my notes with the reality. It is easy for astrologers to be defensive and “always right”. Even when we are wrong, we can have quick and ready reasons, such as this Aquarian is not progressive because Aquarius is also a fixed sign and ruled by Saturn and Saturn in this chart is peregrine or conjunct Algol, etc. This is all well and good as long as we are then willing to commit ourselves to these rules, clearly identify the rules, and try to refine the rules to be more precise over time.

In the 1970′s it quickly become evident to me that a simple interpretation of astrological infuences does not work. People with Leo stelliums and Leo rising are not necessarily dramatic, self-centered, etc., etc. If there is truth to many of these ideas, the dynamics are more subtle and perhaps more psychological. In short, we need to look clearly, honestly, humbly, and non-defensively at the charts and strive to sort out what is really happening. All of us in the field sometimes fall into the trap of being defensive and finding “excuses” so to speak. We need to be aware of this tendency, and to slowly work through the extraordinary complexity of ideas that different astrologers believe in to ascertain what is valid and what is not, or in what way an idea may be valid.

Recently I have spent time looking at the charts of extreme people. What astrological factors made Van Gogh a mad genius, why did John Coltrane not play the saxophone like everyone else, and how did Joe DiMaggio play baseball with such grace and hit with so much consistency. An extreme person is a kind of pure type, the person who is beyond the 99th percentile. These people fascinate and interest us. Extreme or pure types are excellent candidates for research. I think it is a bit bland to describe Van Gogh as having this in Aries or that in Pisces; there must be something in the astrology chart that identifies his unique qualities. When I first studied astrology I thought these extreme people would have more squares in their charts, but I do not need to do a statistical analysis to see that this is generally not true, and at best an enormous sample size would be needed to confirm this. We can avoid many wasted research ventures if we gather information honestly and clearly every time we analyze a chart, and particularly when we know a person very well or the person has extreme traits.

A case study is a detailed study of a few people rather than a quantitative analysis of a group of people. There are books that have been written on conducting case studies. I am using the term to simply emphasize that careful study of a few cases can be very valuable, and this is exactly the kind of research that many astrologers are already engaged in. I have made most of my discoveries in astrology through identifying things that do NOT work in the astrology chart. There is no doubt that sometimes I am defenesive and resistant to seeing the truth as well, but by consciously striving to be objective as well as intuitive and sensitive to fine nuances, the inability of astrological theories to work has been the key to finding ideas that appear to work consistently and can even possibly be verified in rigorous research in the future.

At some point I hope to find time to write up my analysis of key astrological infuences in the charts of Van Gogh, Coltrane, diMaggio, and many others, but this will have to wait until I have time to do this. A few hints though: look at the 13th harmonic chart and direct midpoint structures in Van Gogh’s chart. In Coltrane’s chart the magical 134.4 degree aspect shows up precisely in a powerful direct midpoint strucure. The angle of 134.4 degrees is a sesquiquadarate and a trine in the 25th harmonic chart. DiMaggio’s 63rd harmonic chart is important. The harmonics formed by multiplying 5, 7, and 9 together (25, 35, 45, 49, and 63, for example) are very important. At some point I hope to give the detailed analysis of these charts and many others.

Astrologers: “Soul Preservationists”

Outstretched between mountains lies the battlefield where valiant astrologers defend the sacred, protect the fragile, and withstand the fierce winds that threaten to drown the dreams, visions, and ancient stories of old in a world of logic and numbers and efficient machinery. Like liberal Amish people who move in a world of automobiles, airplanes, and computers, and even enjoy their benefits, we cling tightly to the ancient, the immeasurable, and the qualities of the soul. We aspire to where even Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell would tread only a short way. We dive deeper and speak in parables like the master of the Piscean age. The hero on his journey and the other epic tales are not just children’s stories, the relics that only primitive peoples cling to, or psychological dynamics elucidated by those educated with books and the rigid constraints of educational institutions built in the modern industrial complex. These myths are “writ in the stars”. The symbol is not an afterthought or shadow of some quantum reality so artfully and ingeniously constructed by great brains fed on the foods of corporate America. Amidst the ketchup, french fries, and the fast-food hamburger lies the discoveries of our sciences which solve all human problems with a pill promoted between episodes of a TV show. We have found the old spinster, the regal king, and the searfaring philosopher writ in the stars; they are vast and cosmic and we are a part of them and not the reverse. Like strong fathers and mothers we protect the precious gift that we have been given. We have identified the myths and stories inscribed in our souls from the vast reaches of space, and we have delineated the stories in a way that even the mayans, babylonians, and greeks have not done. Our stories were fashioned by modern astrologers from the clues given by the thousands who have gone before us. We may argue about the true source of truth and whether the trickster is Uranus, Mercury, or Ketu, and whether Aquarius is fixed and Saturnian or the home or Uranus, but protectors all are we. With defiance we face a world that has placed the stories inscribed by the cosmos as secondary or illusionary and dive into the heart of what makes us truly human and say our grace in a universal language beyond the confines of man’s religions. We are wary of the astrologer who introduces too many numbers, too many calculations, and too many “scientific” ideas into a world that is sacred and gentle, mysterious and eloquent, far more eloquent than the mechanical processes of modern science. But could we be ourselves yet a bit blinded by the simple melodies and harmonies of our youth and yet a more perfect and celestial design woven in the fine tapestries of Handel and Mozart been muddied by the pounding beat of the Rolling Stones, and has even the poetry of Yeats and Dylan (both Bob and Thomas) and the stories of the masters of East and West placed a perimeter for our vision which is vast, though not vast enough to see that we are protecting our precious gift a bit too much, and the alchemical marriage awaits our own liberation from the cultural limitations of our times, and awaiting us is the liberation into the intricate and elegant intelligence and beauty that all of us are capable of entering, that each and every one of us is not limited neither in music, nor art, nor intution, nor communion with the devas, nor number, nor logic. We can receive all of these and more and in so doing be blessed in a communion both whole and of all, and the alchemical marriage joining all-in-one be found at last, and then yes, we can say that we have overcome and peace reigns in our kingdom. Thus lies the path of cosmic cybernetics where all gifts and visions are born, and none of God’s gifts are left as second-class citizens, and science and art are one and none are blasphemed for being incapable, limited, or unworthy of highest praise and placement on the altar of illumination. We have protected our child too carefully and kept the child from entering a universe more grand than the one we know. We must not place our self-defined limitations on the universe, but accept that in our mortal embodiments we can not traverse all the mysteries and yet together surrendered to the spirit that moves us at last have joined altogether in oneness. Accept all of these and unto you all shall be given.