The Prince

I'm old so I remember Prince. I remember when Prince changed his name to, well, to nothing. He became a symbol that had no pronunciation, a combination of a Venus Sign and a Mars Sign to indicate that he is a, well, he is a Gemini, sign of the Hermaphrodite. I remember at the time it appeared to be a overblown publicity stunt. Instead, according to his entry on Wikipedia, it was an Abdication from Power due to squelching and controlling behaviors on the part of his Record Company. He gradually disappeared from sight.

Prince Rogers Nelson
b. June 7, 1958 6:17 pm Minneapolis, Minn.

Sun 17 Gemini; ASC 17 Scorpio; Moon 2 Pisces; MC 30 Leo

You'd expect a Gemini to have a bunch of names. He plays a bunch of instruments and performs in a bunch of different styles. Noel Tyl says that names are ruled by the Ascendant, though. They represent how you come across in the World. Prince has Scorpio Rising and there is a very strong blend of Gemini and Scorpio ruling his Sun, Rising and MC so this is very interesting the whole thing about his name, and the changing of his name, and the changing back to his old name from his non-name.

The First House is ruled by Aries and Aries is ruled by Mars and Mars in Prince's chart is extremely strong as it's in its own sign of Aries right on the Aries Point. Record Company bugs him, he bugs Record Company back, simple. What's really interesting is that his actual Ascendant has no Ptolomaic aspects in his chart. It inconjuncts the Gemini Sun from the 8th house cusp. This is really weird to say because his dress is so flamboyant and he's a Rock Star but maybe his Image isn't all that important to him. Obviously, compromising isn't important to him.

On the other hand, his MC, what he's known for, is very strongly aspected. Pluto conjuncts Regulus and MC, how appropriate for a guy named "Prince" -- doubly compounded by a Scorpio Rising that deals with Power Control Issues and a Sun that is placed on the 8th house cusp. Pluto, ruler of Prince's ascendant opposes his Chiron in H3 and his Moon in H4. Deep currents of feelings, the opposition shows a projection, maybe drawing others into the current.

"Prince" is his real name, given to him by his Mother; I would have assumed it was a Stage Name. Seem to remember that the artist Basquiat used to paint Crowns in his paintings because his mother had told him he was King. Mommies with their little boys, tsk, tsk. Women, don't you know that someday some girl is going to have to do damage control on what you've created?

Anyway I'm scattering, how Gemini.

In 1993 when Prince changed his name to (that symbol), "the Artist Formerly Known as Prince" "TAFKAP" "The Artist", whatever it was, what-ev-errrrrrrr, Pluto and the North Node would have been traveling through his First House. Chiron and Saturn were straddling his MC and IC axis. His whole public vs. private persona was in crisis. He sort of had to "kill himself off" and start over. His progressed ASC was within 3 degrees of his 2d house cusp and his Value System was also under seige. He was not in the mood to be merchandised (2d house) so he took control (Pluto-NN in Scorpio, first house) and withdrew his name from the World Stage.

Interesting that when he changed his name back to "Prince" on May 16, 2000, Jupiter and Saturn were conjunct his Descendant. This shows a change in a business relationship. He changed record labels, signed a new contract. His progressed Sun was exactly conjunct the transiting North Node in his 9th house in Cancer so he maybe felt both liberated and emotionally released. It looks as if his value system would have been in deep crisis over the next year, however, as Pluto and Chiron were conjunct on his 2d house cusp, then later on the Pluto-Saturn opposition would have occurred on his Sun-Saturn opposition in Houses 2 and 8. He stuck to his guns, followed his own set of values.

The world almost forgot about him until last week's Superbowl Game. He's going through several very important transits and progressions that look a little lighter and more in line with being an Artist. Progressed Mercury (ruler of Sun Sign) c. n.MC-Pluto (ruler of Chart); prog. Sun squaring n.Neptune-NN opposite n. Venus (His Art comes forth); prog. Moon and Transiting Jupiter conjunct 2d house cusp opposite his Natal Sun.

Natally, he has a trine between Saturn (h2) and Pluto (h10). Saturn-Pluto trines can bring intense waiting periods due to willfulness and also from a deep need to maintain a strong ethical value.