Fun with aspect patterns; a look at Prince’s natal chart
One of the (many) fun things about teaching astrology is finding just the “right” chart to illustrate the subject you are teaching. I’ve taught several classes on aspect patterns during this last term and also gave a seminar on them, which meant lots of research to find interesting example charts. One of my favourite charts I found was Prince’s natal chart - you can see his chart below. The lines in the middle of the chart show the aspects, the connections between the planets and Prince has a lot - more than most folk. He also has several aspect patterns - a specific formation of aspects - most people only have one or two such patterns, in fact, many people don’t have any at all. Straight away this shows us that for Prince, everything in his life and within himself was deeply interconnected. This is not the chart of someone who is able to compartmentalise his life, to keep work and relationships and creativity and home separate. For Prince, they were all deeply intertwined. The chart also shows at a glance his prolific work output, that vast and seemingly endless creativity and movement and search for self expression. Mars in Aries in the 5th house, for a start. Pluto in Leo on the MC - there’s the dramatic and flamboyant stage performer. The Sun and Venus in Gemini in the 7th bring an urge to connect, a desire for a meeting of minds, many meetings of minds, a multiplicity of selves, and of relationships with others. The Moon in Pisces in the 4th is open and sensitive and imaginative - and vulnerable.
Prince - natal chart
But it’s the aspect patterns that really fascinate me in this chart. In total there are two t squares, two yods, a finger of the world, a grand trine that forms part of a kite and even a rosetta. Tempting as it is to look at every single one of them in detail, for now I think the less common patterns deserve some attention.
So, a Finger of the World - that means two planets in square aspect to each other, each in sesquiquadrate aspect to a third planet, forming a triangle in the chart, like this;
Finger of the World in Prince’s chart
As you can see these are all red lines, denoting aspects of tension and dynamic energy. There is friction here, an ongoing struggle or maybe some frustration, funneled out through the third or apex planet. That third planet, the point where the two sesquiquadrates meet, is key to interpreting the Finger of the World. It’s the catalyst for resolving the tension, the focus for the dynamic energy. In Prince’s chart, that planet is Saturn in Sagittarius in the 2nd house, in sesquiquadrate to Venus in Taurus in the 6th and Uranus in Leo in the 9th. Here is the creativity of fire and the discipline of earth. Here we might find issues around self worth and work, the daily discipline of making something of a natural talent. That Uranus in Leo in the 9th is high in the chart, visible, and of course, this is someone who was expressing something for his generation. Uranus in Leo seeks a unique identity, refuses to conform. Prince famously spent several years refusing to use his name at all because of a legal dispute (9th house) and referring to himself by a symbol instead. A name needs to be meaningful. Then the square to Venus - hard work, deep inner resources, so much willpower, and endurance. His stage persona, that Uranus and Pluto in Leo drama, was backed up by so much hard work, the day to day discipline of refining skills, practising musical instruments, writing songs. And what of the sesquiquadrates to Saturn? A sesquiquadrate is considered a minor aspect, less compelling than the square. There’s a physical manifestation here - Prince suffered later in life with injuries to his joints (Saturn), sometimes walking with a stick, the price he paid for all those dramatic Leo stage performances. Not to mention the Saturn Venus discipline which made him a trained ballet dancer. One of the t squares (two planets in opposition both square a third planet, so a different shape of triangle) also ties into the Finger of the World. Uranus is also square Neptune in the 12th house, which is opposite Venus in the 6th. So in come the relationship dynamics, a sense of merging deeply with someone else (Neptune) and then detaching from them (Uranus). Venus sesquiquadrate Saturn also plays a part here - issues around boundaries maybe issues around self worth.
There’s so much more in this chart but I don’t want to make this the longest blog post ever, or at least, I know no one will read it if I do! But there’s more to follow, definitely…