Alexander Calder

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Virgo seems like such a sweet, quiet little combination. Seems to describe your friendly little neighborhood bank teller who doesn't want too much out of life, born to serve in some humble way. Well, surprise, surprise. The Dalai Llama and Jean Cocteau; both Sun in Cancer, Moon in Virgo. As spiritually evolved as these two are, I actually don't know if I would feel comfortable letting either of them count out my cash for me.

The one whose chart I'm looking at right now is Alexander Calder's.

Alexander Calder
b. July 22, 1898 Lawnton, PA

Sun 30 Cancer; Moon in Virgo; NN 18 Capricorn

I've always remembered Calder's Moon as being in Aquarius, the Virgo just doesn't stick for some reason. Obviously I still don't have a grasp of that energy.

Calder was raised by artists; his mother was a portrait painter and his father was a sculptor. He was born into the profession, and according to Wikipedia, his parents didn't want him to follow that line of work. It looks as if he tried to avoid it as well as he could as he studied Mechanical Engineering in College and joined the military, worked on boats and as a logger. Then he made his way up to the Washington coast, saw the beauty and had to capture it. (1922) . Notable transit for that time: Jupiter Return in Libra that year with t.Saturn, t.NN and prog. Venus all conjunct Jupiter at the same time. Guidance from the stars leading him both in career (Saturn) and life path (NN), maybe even offering extra Luck (Jupiter) in art (Libra, Venus).

Calder's chart is a bowl shape bounded by Mars in Gemini opposite Saturn in Sagittarius conjunct Uranus in Scorpio. Bowl shape people are looking outside of themselves for their other half (read Bob Marks description on his website www.bobmarksastrologer.com). In this case, Calder was consistently surrounded by Artists. First his Family. Then his buds in Paris, Joan Miro, Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, and Mondrian. He had no reason to become anything but an artist in his life if you look at what the other half was about.

I suppose you can use your Mars-Saturn-Uranus to work in an office building constructing Gemini-Sagittarius type whirligigs like bridges or buildings, or you can use to invent a whole new art form. Calder would have had the training to build his moving scultures, toys and sculptures. Most artists would not. And although he worked in most mediums, he is most known for his Sculptures and Mobiles, very Mars-Saturn types of Works.

He turned to abstract art after being "shocked" into it when viewing Piet Mondrian's work in 1930. (Had to look for Uranus aspects after seeing that word, of course). At this point there was a transiting t-square of Saturn in Capricorn opposite Jupiter-Pluto in Cancer that was placed right over Calder's Nodes. This was squared by Uranus in Aries (shock). Calder's progressed Venus (Art) just happened to fill out the empty leg of this t-square. Again, an interesting guidance from the stars. Calder's progressed Sun changed signs into Virgo, marking a major turnaround in his expression. It did this at the same time that transiting Neptune (Art) passed over. This p.Sun-t.Neptune squared his natal Mars opposite Saturn-Uranus aspect. (Since we have a similar t-square transit coming up (without Jupiter I think), it's nice to see how wonderfully this energy can manifest.)

As a child, Calder had been impressed by some Horses (Jupiter) he saw at the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena which led to his obsession with circus imagery. This influenced his first works of art, a miniature circus made out of wire that could spin and play. In France he would put on performances just as if it were a real circus. This led to his development of kinetic (or moving) sculptures. He made his first true mobile, called "Feathers" in 1931. The Tournament Of Roses was on Jan. 1, 1907. There was a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Capricorn opposite Jupiter-Neptune in Cancer that day squaring his Jupiter. (The Sun-Uranus was just barely within wide orb of conjunction with his North Node).

Venus and Saturn was aspecting each other (t.Venus c. n.Saturn-Uranus and t.Saturn opposing n.Venus). One can see this influence in his work later on as Venus-Saturn aspects are very strong on linework in art and bold, flat, graphics. No subtle shading, no sentiment or humanitarian expression. Just playful, bold, and very attuned to shape and movement.