Pablo Casals

I admire this guy so much I can't even begin to try to think of fluffing up some stupid introductory remark. You want to see a great Master in action watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP5OUxyEOhk. Casals is teaching a student. The student plays, completely clueless how the music should sound and then Casals shows her how it's done...

Pablo Casals
b. Dec. 29, 1876 8pm Vendrell, Spain

Sun 9 Capricorn; ASC 20 Leo; Moon 24 Gemini; MC12 Taurus; NN 15 Pisces Rx

Casals was one of the greatest Musicians who ever lived. This is reflected by his Taurus Midheaven and Pisces North Node, and also his 5th House Sun trine Neptune.

Casals was born in Spain to musician parents. His Father had taught him to play piano, violin and flute by the time he was 4 years old. At Age 11 Casals decided he would play Cello. This would have happened right before Casals' first Jupiter Return in Sagittarius right on his 5th house cusp (music, performance). Jupiter is opposite Casals Moon which is way out-of-bounds at Declination 28 14' 36" N and a singleton in Air. At this time there was right around the time of the big conjunction of Neptune to Pluto in Taurus in the sky. This would have happened in Casals' 10th house and opposed his Mars in Scorpio.

Casals gave his first performance at Age 14 (Saturn opposition in Pisces including the Nodal axis) on Feb. 23, 1891. It's interesting that his progressed Sun was conjunct n.Mercury to the degree in the 5th house of performance. But, N.Mercury was apex of a Yod figure, inconjunct on either side to a sextile of Moon in Gemini & Uranus in Leo. I've heard stories about Casals' terrible stage fright, once his bow slipped out of his hand and into the audience because he was shaking so badly. I wonder if Yods can have something to do with this. There may have been some sort of fear of success related to not wanting to eclipse his Father in career matters. The Father is shown through Capricorn emphasis, Family tradition problems shown through the Yod and the Moon, and nervousness shown through Mercury, Leo, Gemini, and Moon. Certainly with the Capricorn there would have been fear of failure. Once he hurt his hand and had to stop playing for 6 months. He said it was one of the happiest times of his life. Fortunately he probably couldn't do anything else and had to go back to it. He was also an incredible Conductor who gathered together the greatest players of the time every year at his home for the Internationally famous Marlboro Festival.

Casals' major relationships show the Capricorn streak true to form. He was cautious and didn't marry his first partner who was his student. Then he married an American Socialite. Then at Age 80, at a very advanced age, he married another student. This marriage actually lasted until he died at age 96 and was his longest!!

Casals' greatest achievement is his contribution to music, but he is also known for his strong political stance against Franco's regime after the Spanish Civil War struck. Casals refused to perform in Spain until Democracy was reinstated in the country. He never got his wish and lived in exile for the rest of his life. He died in his Mother's birth country of Puerto Rico but he was buried in Spain. This tension is shown very clearly by a t-square aspect in his chart which is due for a repeat transit in a couple of years. Uranus (rebellion) was conjunct Casals' Leo Ascendant and it was apex of a t-square to Pluto (power, resistance) in the 10th House (Government) opposite Mars (discord) in the 4th(homeland). His t-square was in Fixed Signs whereas the transit coming up will be in the Cardinal signs which gives a much different flavor but Casals' planets are placed prominently in angular in his chart. The Uranus-Pluto square was furthered agitated by 135 degree aspects to his Sun in a Thor's Hammer aspect. This is again the Thor's Hammer which I looked at in Hillary Clinton's and John Edward's chart. It shows a strong need to fight for political rights apparently. Saturn in this chart is not in aspect to the t-square but is in the 7th house, also on an angle.