Tuesday 14 February 2012

Whitney


Whitney Houston’s slow slide into oblivion was hardly a shock despite the media hype surrounding her death. The actress/singer had been a known hard drug user for over a decade and her gaunt, spaced-out appearance regularly made the evening news.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston

Whitney began her brilliant career at around the time transit Jupiter crossed over her ascendant at the age of 11 when she sang in her local gospel choir with her mother Cissy. Her first solo performance was entitled “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” a suitable choice for Jupiter in Pisces. Whitney’s mother, like her cousin Dianne Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin, had already made her name in the Music industry. Whitney was pure music pedigree and it wasn’t long before her crystal clear voice attracted attention.

Towards the end of 1976, transit Saturn made a series of three contacts by conjunction to her natal Sun in Leo in the 6th house. Saturn demands hard work and this contact heralded Whitney’s first taste of the discipline required in the music industry. Her skills as a back-up singer eventually led to an offer of a recording contract. At 14, Cissy felt her daughter should finish her education and declined the offer. A year later, at 15, Whitney was backing up the well established Chaka Khan on the track, “I’m Every Woman,” a song she would make her own in 1992 a half Saturn cycle later.


Between 1978 and 1983, Whitney worked as a fashion model and became the first Black woman to appear on the front cover of Seventeen magazine. In 1983, she was signed to Arista records and released her debut album, Whitney Houston, in February 1985 just before Jupiter transited her natal Sun by conjunction. Although other singles from the album were released before it, the track “How Will I know?” shattered the MTV video scene and catapulted Whitney into what had been an all white market. In January 1986, transit Jupiter was conjunct her natal Saturn. After a slow start, Whitney’s debut album had secured its place in music history. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart and stayed at the top for 14 weeks. “The Greatest Love of All” was the final tracked released. As they say, the best is kept for last. This track made her the first female to have 3 number 1 hits. The video was released in April 1986 and featured Whitney’s mother Cissy a complete Jupiter return after Whitney’s solo debut, “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” again a fitting tribute to Jupiter in Pisces transiting her ascendant. Later that year, she won her first Grammy for “Saving All My Love For You,” which she performed at the awards show. She would eventually win 7 American Music Awards.

From the beginning of 1987, transiting Saturn made a series of three conjunctions to Whitney’s MC. It is often difficult to replicate such high success and indeed Whitney’s follow up album endured criticism for being too much like her debut. Still, she won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and several other awards.

In the late 1980s, Whitney was involved with several charitable campaigns and joined with other celebrities to wish Nelson Mandela a happy 70th birthday. But the support from the Black community that had helped her reach the top of her game had started to wane. In April 1989, as Jupiter squared her ascendant, then later Mercury, Pluto and Chiron, she was jeered at an awards show for “selling out” as a Black performer. We can hear the echo of Saturn’s influences when she said: “If you're gonna have a long career, there's a certain way to do it, and I did it that way. I'm not ashamed of it.” This show was also where she met fellow singer, Bobby Brown, the bad boy of the pop world who had been kicked out of his band “New Edition” for poor behaviour.

Whitney’s 3rd album was released in November 1990, just after Saturn had made a series of three conjunctions to her South Node in Capricorn. The album was credited for having a more urban feel though this was equally criticised for being superficial. Later this year, as Jupiter was in the middle of a series of 3 hits to her natal Venus and as her romance with Bobby Brown was heating up, she sang the Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl XXV. Whitney became the first person in history to turn a patriotic anthem into a pop hit.

Whitney’s descendant is in Virgo with Uranus, Mercury and Pluto in conjunction to it. As she recited her marriage vows with Bobby on 18 July 1992, Jupiter had made its final conjunction to her descendant and the planets conjunct to it. Although it is unfair to blame Bobby for Whitney’s downfall, the astrological significance of the opportunism associated with Jupiter’s transits is hard to look at. Bobby’s Saturn is conjunct Whitney’s Jupiter/Moon in Aries. For the rest of her life, his short comings would taint her successes.

Transit Saturn was also in the middle of 3 oppositions to her natal Sun. Arguably, this was the biggest year of her life. In November 1992, a Jupiter was conjunct her Mars in Libra, the film, The Bodyguard, was released to much commercial success. Whilst Whitney was singing “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah” in 1974, Dolly Parton had released “I Will Always Love You” in the country/western scene. Dolly’s Neptune in Libra is conjunct Whitney’s Mars in Libra and so with Jupiter transiting this point, it is no surprise Whitney’s rendition of the song put both women into the spotlight.

In 2000, as Jupiter and Saturn were both in conjunction in Taurus, the two planets made a series of squares to Whitney’s natal Saturn. During this time, she and Bobby were caught with cannabis in their luggage and shortly after, Whitney was fired from her performance spot at the Academy Awards. Her erratic behaviour was a sad giveaway of her addiction and not even her protests that “Crack is whack” could persuade her fans that all was well.

Data

Whitney Houston: 9 August 1963, 20:55, Newark NK

Death: 11 February 2012, 15:55, LA

Bobby Brown: 5 Feb 1969, 5:21, Boston, Mass

Dolly Parton: 19 Jan 1946, 20:25, Locust Ridge, KT