Elevator Music

Okay, this is another blog inspired by an NPR Moment. Not a driveway moment; almost crashed into oncoming while trying to write this stuff down, if you know what I mean, but today we had a light topic. Actually, I can't remember the topic. I just remember that a caller called in and told a story about how Elevator music was born:

The Story of How Elevator Music was Born, According to an NPR Caller

Way back when. Long before Elevator Music was called Elevator Music it was called Furniture Music. The year was 1917. That's how long ago it was in that dark bordello in Paris, France where music composer Eric Satie was tinkering away on his piano while the French were doing what they say Americans are too prudish to do.

Eric Satie realized that nobody was really listening to his brilliant compositions. They just wanted ambience for their French past-times.

So Eric Satie wrote "The Gymnopedies." These are very simple pieces that you sort of play over and over again. And nobody wants you to .... stop. These songs are very slow and harmonic and relaxing in sort of minor key kind of way and they songs ended up being a major influence on the 20th Century New Music movement, especially in California where nobody has enough talent or discipline to play anything more complicated. I think that "Gymnopedies" is a Greek word for Funeral Dance, so you can see what a fine wit Eric Satie was. I used to perform them at weddings along with "Feelings" and the theme song from "The Godfather."

So, there you have it. 1917. Pluto in Cancer at 4 degrees pretty much opposite the spot where it is now. I've been hoping and praying that Pluto in Capricorn will bring back music. Cancer just wants to return to the womb, but Capricorn wants to play music, n'est-ce pas? I don't think many of us in the Pluto in Virgo generation really knows what music is, pop, elevator or, you know, the boring stuff.

Eric Satie's chart is all music-y. He was a Taurus Sun with Cancer Moon and Leo Rising.

Unfortunately, Satie had Saturn in the 4th House of Home which opposes Pluto in Taurus. That's kind of a dark aspect. Possessions are ruled by Taurus, and that's where Satie's Sun (Ego) already is. Now he's got restrictive Saturn in his 4th House almost ensuring that he doesn't have any furniture of his own. Especially when it's opposite Pluto in the sign of Furniture.

What's a Shiny Leo Riser to do with these aspects? Squeezes the Lemons and Makes the Lemonade. Starts a whole new page in musical history both intellectually and anti-intellectually. (Progressed Mercury was conjunct his Ascendant at the time).

Satie's chart has this incredible conjunction of Mars conjunct Neptune on Aries Midheaven which is conjunct his South Node (What you're known for). Mars-Neptune is squaring a conjunction of Moon-Uranus in Cancer. If it weren't for the imaginative Moon and Neptune on top of the Technological Mars and Uranus he could have been a rocket scientist instead.

Anybody for the 5th Floor? I'm feeling a tune comin on.

Outer planets in 1917 were: Jupiter in Taurus (Possessions), Saturn in Cancer (Depression), Uranus in Aquarius (Elevators), Neptune in Leo (pop music), Chiron Pisces/Aquarius (major woundings through said rulerships), NN Capricorn (climbing, insecurities about being seen?).

Eric Satie
b. May 17, 1866 9 am Honfleur, France

Sun 27 Taurus; ASC 3 Leo; Moon 5 Cancer; NN 10 Libra; MC 11 Aries