‘It’s not important to me to make other people at ease. I am difficult, but that’s ’cause I don’t really give a fuck.’ Amy Winehouse
A new biopic of Amy Winehouse and the Jupiter Uranus conjunction of last week made me check out Winehouse’s astrology. And indeed, she had a Jupiter Uranus conjunction in Sagittarius quite close, Jupiter at 4’19 and Uranus at 5’29, both opposite Chiron at 2’55 Gemini in the 12th house.
Her chart has lots of pairings, Mars Venus conjunction in Leo, Sun Mercury conjunction in Virgo, Pluto Saturn conjunction at 28′ Libra and 2′ Scorpio, Moon Neptune conjunction at 26′ Sagittarius and 00′ Capricorn. Moon Neptune aspects are seen in creative people, and also addicts. Sun Mercury aspects are often seen in writers and performers, Venus Mars aspects especially in showy Leo can indicate performers.
Pluto Saturn is more problematic, Saturn wants to hold on tight, Pluto wants to blow things up, this is a difficult combination. Although, they form a mutual reception, Saturn in Pluto’s sign (Scorpio) and Pluto in Saturn’s sign of exaltation (Libra), so they are not without dignity. They are both in her 6th house of work and health, both of which figured strongly in her life. She was bulimic (I think this is Pluto bingeing and purging) and arguably worked very hard (Saturn in the 6th), especially towards the end when she was very frail.
What of Jupiter Uranus then? Jupiter is powerful in her own sign of Sagittarius. The rulerships of Uranus are up for debate, but, in my experience Uranus likes fire signs, so I take this to be a strong Uranus. Certainly, Uranus is the rebel, as the quote above shows, they make their own rules and can be free from the crippling need for approval. Uranus rules her MC so her career shows her innovation and eccentricity. Uranus is in her 6th house, so her career may impact on her health.
Jupiter rules her 7th house of relationships and open enemies and the 11th house of groups. Jupiter rules Sagittarius so that bold, creative, funny, sociable and thoughtful energy of Sagittarius is powerful, but Uranus undermines, cuts off and challenges in a way Sagittarius and Jupiter wouldn’t, they are all about the schmooze and charm. Jupiter Uranus are in the 6th house of sickness, which is ruled by that flashy Venus in Leo. Pluto Saturn are also in the 6th. Sickness, then, as well as work and employees will be an important issue in her life.
‘My destructive side has grown a mile wide
and I question myself again: what is it about men?’
What It Is About Men
This line sums up her Jupiter, ruler of the 7th and Uranus conjunction, giving both growth (Jupiter) and destruction (Uranus). Jupiter ruling partners shows how they are part of her destructive nature (Uranus) as well as introducing her or encouraging her in partying (Jupiter in Sagittarius).
So what about her work, what do her transits show us? Her first album, Frank was released on the 20th of October 2003, she had been signed to a record label the previous year. Pluto was at 17′ 57 Sagittarius exactly conjunct her Descendant (at 17’42). Pluto conjunct the Descendant can bring great power (Sagittarius) coming from helpful partnerships (her record company and management) but also a loss of power and abuse. The album went platinum, but Winehouse said, she was ‘only 80% behind the album’ because Island Records had overruled her preferences for the songs and mixes.
The second aspect was Neptune at 10’24 Aquarius conjunct her MC (12’10). Neptune was retrograding away from her MC, it had been conjunct in March 2003 and would hit it again in January 2004. Neptune shows music, allure, glamour and, in Aquarius an individualistic expression of the arts. Amy was unusual, she sang jazzy, bluesy songs most of which she wrote herself and dressed like the 50’s girl bands like the Ronnetts, all of which was groundbreaking in 2003.
Her second album, Back to Black was a mega-success. It was released on the 30th of October 2006. It went straight to number one in the UK charts and was the best selling album of that year. The first single released from the album was Rehab which brought her international fame. Writer Josh Tyrangiel praised Winehouse for her confidence, saying, “What she is is mouthy, funny, sultry, and quite possibly crazy” and “It’s impossible not to be seduced by her originality.”
Again, Pluto and Neptune are shown by transit as well as Saturn. Pluto was conjunct Neptune (music again) at 24’51 Sagittarius. Neptune was applying to a conjunction of that showy Mars Venus in Leo, it is exact the following year, shining a light on her performances. Finally, Saturn at 23’49 Leo is exactly conjunct her Venus at 23’13. Saturn Venus aspects are pretty depressing usually, although in the context of a musical career, it may show authority and success (Saturn) in showbiz (Leo). Saturn is co-ruler of her MC, so this would fit. Or, alternatively it can describe a crushing authoritarianism, her vision squashed by more powerful men.
Things did not go well. In 2007, she appeared on stage drunk on numerous occasions, forgot the words to songs and generally things became chaotic as her alcohol addiction developed. I remember one story of her being too afraid to go on stage and being manhandled by her crew who physically pushed her onto the stage (Pluto Saturn in the 6th, her employees). I’m guessing she was having panic attacks, Moon Neptune has a panicky haunted energy to it. Moon in Capricorn is super self-critical often to the point of paralysis, the self-hater on wheels, as these lyrics illustrate.
‘I cheated myself, like I knew I would
I told you I was trouble, yeah you know that I’m no good’.
You know I’m no good.
On February 10th 2008, she won five Grammys for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best female Pop vocal performance for the single “Rehab”, Best Pop vocal album and Best New Artist. These were the most Grammy Awards ever won by a British Female Artist. Pluto again, was showing its influence by transit, it was at 00’26 Capricorn exactly conjunct her Moon at 00’26. Pluto Moon transits often show emotional devastation, death, loss, powerlessness and abandonment. Her natal Moon has only one major aspect, a sextile to Saturn. Moon Saturn aspects can be chilly, self critical and lonely, her emotional life was constricted and repressed and, in Capricorn expressed through relationships which are hard and cold and can be transactional (for what they can get out of each other).
Amy had no water in her chart except for Saturn in Scorpio which is peregrine, without dignity. There is a lot of passion, the planets in fire signs (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus) provide this, and a critical, detail orientated Sun Mercury in Virgo, but the flow and compassion of water is absent.
The other transit was Neptune at 21’41 Aquarius opposing her Mars at 20’33 Leo, which may describe the allure of fame (Leo) causing her addictions to escalate (Neptune). Leo also shows dignity, Mars, battles and wars.
‘I’ll battle this bitter finale,
Just me, my dignity and this guitar case.’ Some Unholy War
Winehouse died on the 23rd of July 2011, alone, from alcoholic poisoning which was exacerbated by her frailty from her bulimia. Mars had passed over her Ascendant two days before, Mars over the Ascendant can show fights with oneself, or arguments which have a devastating effect on our self esteem. Neptune had just moved into Pisces (0’19) and was closely sextile her Moon at 0’26 Capricorn. Neptune, bringer of dreams and escapism, oblivion and addiction perhaps offered a way to mute the pain.
Chiron was at 5’15 Pisces almost exactly square her Uranus at 5’30 Sagittarius suggesting the pain (Chiron) caused her to self-harm (Uranus). More devastating was that the Moon was around 27′ Libra at midday conjunct her natal Pluto, Lord of Hades. She had been suffering transiting Pluto conjunct her Moon for the past three years, it was out of orb at 5′ Capricorn, but the transiting Moon to natal Pluto must have been the trigger which lead her to her breaking point. Although it is unclear if this was death by suicide, her behaviour certainly suggested a suicidal trajectory. There are many ways to kill ourselves, addiction can be one long, drawn out method.
Chiron was the only other planet aspecting her natal Moon, by quincunx (150′). This aspect often shows pain and incompatibility between the two planets, they just don’t understand each other. In this case, a 12th house Gemini Chiron, both chatty (Gemini) and with a tremendous need for solitude (12th house) and a 7th house Moon (partnerships are important) in Capricorn (workaholic and very ambitious). This is a hard aspect to negotiate and can give low self esteem and a sense of failure as neither planet can be satisfied.
Winehouse joined the 27 Club of musicians1 who died at that age: Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones among others. Many of them had become trapped in the image/nightmare of stardom and were sick of their careers but saw no way out.
So what of her Uranus Jupiter? These planets didn’t show in her transits for the major events of her career, however I do feel they illustrate the nature of her work. Its massive appeal, strong individuality and larger than life image together with the ultimately self-destructive, exhausting nature of fame.
Elisabeth Brooke 