Bjork, the
nymph-like alternative rock singer from Iceland, has always been hard
to categorize. She was way ahead of the electronica trend in modern music,
and could slip easily between pop ditties and videos (like 1993s "Human
Behavior") to much more experimental fare. This fall seems to be the season
of Bjork, as the unpredictable and brilliant musician appears in her first
acting role in Lars Von Trier's acclaimed film Dancer in the Dark.
The musical officially opened at the New York Film Festival on September
23. It has already nabbed the Palme d’Or award at Cannes and best female
performance award for Bjork herself.
In
looking at Bjork's astrological chart, what stands out is that this is
a woman of extremes. She's a double Scorpio (Sun and Moon if she was born
before 9:00 pm), which makes her intense to begin with, but her Sun (who
she is in the world) is also in the 29th degree of the mysterious sign
of the scorpion. In addition, her Jupiter (planet of growth, good fortune
and expansion) is in the 29th degree of Gemini.
In a person's
chart, "29" is the highest degree a planet can reach in a given sign.
If he or she is born a little later, the planet goes into the next sign
at "0" degrees. Astrologically, the 29th degree has a special meaning.
It suggests a feeling of excessive enthusiasm and insatiability.
In Bjork's
case the "high level" of Scorpio and Gemini planets indicate an intense
curiosity about inner motivations and the world of ideas. Scorpio is the
sign of "the dark side," and the desire to understand the most primal
parts of human existence—sex and death. Gemini is much lighter (being
an air sign) but it’s just as hungry for knowledge—of a cerebral nature.
This combination makes Bjork highly passionate and intelligent, but, in
a way, never satisfied. She will probably always need to push herself
into situations that allow her to explore the highest "life of the mind"
and the darkest parts of her own psyche.
Control
as a Theme
There is
a conflict in Bjork's chart, though, relating to the above issues. For
such a wildly curious woman, the Icelandic artist has a strong need to
be in control, which could create inner turmoil for her every time she
tries something new and different (which is bound to be often, given the
"29th degree" issues). Although she received great accolades for Dancer
in the Dark, she has also said that she will never act again.
It was a successful and fulfilling experiment, but seemed to take a lot
out of her, too. Bjork's Venus and Mars (her relationship planets) are
both in Capricorn, a cautious earth sign that is most at home when it
is steering the ship and running the show—something that an actress can
forget about it!
New
Musical Chimes: Melancholy Themes of Her Chart
The themes
of her new movie musical do resonate strongly in Bjork's chart, though,
so it's no wonder she couldn't resist taking on this project, challenging
as it may have been for her. She has Saturn, the heavy planet of tough
lessons, in soulful, empathic Pisces, while her Moon (representing her
deepest emotions) is in Scorpio (sex and death). These two planets make
what's called a "trine" to each other, suggesting they blend together
in a gentle "bonding" kind of way.
The aspect
between these planets is reflective of some of the plot of Dancer
in the Dark. The movie is about an impending death row execution,
but to "escape" the horrors of death and prison, it transforms itself
into a musical—sort of the way Steve Martin's Pennies from Heaven
"escaped" the great depression by breaking out into musical numbers. Lars
Von Trier's film is very unique and probably couldn't have worked without
someone like Bjork, who can instinctively empathize with the issues the
movie explores.
What's
Next for Bjork?
Bjork will
experience a "Jupiter return," a fateful astrological cycle that only
occurs about once every twelve years, in July 2001. At that time, lucky
Jupiter will return to the place it was at the time of Bjork's birth—29
degrees Gemini. With Gemini being so idea and language-oriented it wouldn't
be surprising if Bjork focused on a bold new writing project—perhaps a
novel, screenplay or (a la Jewel) a book of poetry. Whatever this iconic
star does though, it's bound to be clever, bold and surprising.
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