Arts Roundup

WRITING

In June I took a look at George Orwell's natal chart. This week I was interested to note from a link at Citizen Wells blog, that there is a new blogging project afoot:
The Orwell Prize - "The Orwell Diaries" .

"From 9th August 2008, you will be able to gather your own impression of Orwell’s face from reading his most strongly individual piece of writing: his diaries. The Orwell Prize is delighted to announce that, to mark the 70th anniversary of the diaries, each diary entry will be published on this blog exactly seventy years after it was written, allowing you to follow Orwell’s recuperation in Morocco, his return to the UK, and his opinions on the descent of Europe into war in real time. The diaries end in 1942, three years into the conflict.
What impression of Orwell will emerge? "

A website worth regular visits, methinks.

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PAINTING

To please any passing reader who might harbour a vision of a President Obama (I try to be even handed, even when it pains me) I pass on a link from Joseph Cannon's blog Cannonfire. The link leads to the website of American artist Ron Keas, whose current offering is a set of portraits of Barack Obama. The portraits are a mix of realism and surrealism - just right for a politician as shrouded in Neptunian fog as Senator Obama.

I'd love to take a look at Ron Keas's natal chart but so far I've discovered only his year of birth, 1943, which tells me nothing at all.


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POETRY

This poem, "Applied Astronomy", by Esther B. Tiffany, raised a smile. I wonder whether it would still work if slightly adapted and titled "Applied Astrology"? As I've never, in all my life to date, met a guy with even a passing interest in astrology, even less had a date with such a mortal, I wouldn't know.

APPLIED ASTRONOMY

He took me out to see the stars,
That astronomic bore;
He said there was two moons near Mars,
While Jupiter had four.

I thought of course he'd whisper soon
What four fold bliss 'twould be
To stroll beneath that fourfold moon
On Jupiter with me.

And when he spoke of Saturn's ring,
I was convinced he'd say
That was the very kind of thing
To offer me some day.

But in a tangent off he went
To double stars. Now that
Was most suggestive, so content
And quite absorbed I sat.

But no, he talked a dreary mess,
Of which the only fraction
That caught my fancy, I confess,
Was "mutual attraction".

I said I thought it very queer
And stupid altogether,
For stars to keep so very near
And yet not come together.

At that he smiled, and turned his head;
I thought he'd caught the notion;
He merely bowed good-night and said,
Their safety lay in motion.

(by Esther B. Tiffany.)


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MUSIC



Recently, my husband's son-in-law kindly pointed me in the direction of this song by Randy Newman : "A Few Words In Defense of Our Country". Text only lyrics can be read here.

The USA, over the years has been, and still is, much maligned both by a section of its own citizens and by many of other countries, mainly on the basis of its administration and/or president. The population at large is often included in the rancour, unfairly so in my opinion. Randy Newman's song isn't one of those schmaltzy flag-wavers, those don't impress me at all. Newman's song is fair, honest, and I suspect straight from the heart.



Randy Newman was born 28 November 1943 in Los Angeles, California at, Astrotheme tells us, 8.02pm. I'll add his natal chart here and point out just a couple of things, so as to prevent this post from stretching beyond reasonable length.



Randy has Sun, Mercury and Moon at 6, 16 and 25 degrees Sagittarius, opposing Uranus, Mars and Saturn in Gemini at 6, 15 and 24 degrees. This is interesting, the degrees are so closely matched! What does it mean? I'm not sure, exactly, but there's a very strong dynamic there between Gemini the sign of the communicator, and Sagittarius, the philosopher's sign. The words of the song featured above do fit that dynamic. Venus, the music planet is in Libra, one of its domiciles, so in good shape for a musician. Cancer rising represents a sensitive, thoughtful nature, though at times can seem somewhat withdrawn.