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Fiona Apple
broke her way into the music business at the age of seventeen, when her
self-made demo tape found its way into the hands of a record company exec
at a cocktail party. She made her stage debut at a music business function
in Paris. Her first album, Tidal, was released on July 23,
1996, and launched her to stardom.
Despite her
lack of experience, the maturity in her voice and compositions echoed
the wisdom of age. Most of the songs on Tidal were tough-spoken
poetic confessionals, delivered with clever insights and harsh conclusions.
Her music recalled the sophisticated pop styling of Carole King, her lyrics
the brave honesty of Maya Angelou.
Pale
September, I wore the time like a dress that year
The
autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on my skin
But
as the embers of the summer lost their breath and disappeared
My heart
went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded from within
But
then he rose, brilliant as the moon in full
And sank
in the burrows of my keep
“Pale September”
 Apple’s
Sun, Mercury and most likely her Moon are in the sign of Virgo, though
the Moon would be in Libra if she was born between 10:00 pm and midnight.
Virgo is associated with humble qualities like hard work and service.
Ruled by
Mercury, Virgo characterizes various mental abilities and behavior, including
analytical and critical thinking, curiosity and nervousness. A creative
and intellectual prodigy, Apple’s precocious interests are common to the
Mercury-ruled signs (the other being Gemini) during youth.
The
Devil Wants to Know
Apple was
born as Mercury was slowing down to an apparent stop, called a “station.”
Mercury is stronger when it travels this slowly. It has more impact in
its relationship with the other planets, for better or worse. This is
especially true for her since Mercury rules her Sun and most likely her
Moon.
I’ve
acquired quite a taste
For
a well-made mistake
“A Mistake”
The planet’s
classical astrological function is to destabilize or suspend matters,
or to contest and challenge.* Mercury can represent questions, answers,
suggestions, discussions, arguments or exchanges.
Its arbitrary
and somewhat duplicitous nature can be as ambiguous as language itself.
This reflects Mercury’s association with thought and communication, areas
of life that are driven by curiosity, rewarded by knowledge and often
caught in confusion.
Just
Because She Can
Apple’s lyrics
have occasionally included warnings of her chronic one-upmanship, describing
a distinctly powerful natal Mercury.
A girl
will break a boy
Just
because she can
“Criminal”
Mercury’s
strength in her chart magnifies certain qualities associated with Virgo.
For instance, Virgo is known for its conscientious character, always concerned
with doing a good job. Apple has publicly apologized twice to her fans
for her “unprofessional behavior.”
The first
time was for cutting short a European tour after personal pressures mounted
too high. The second was on February 29, 2000, when she walked offstage
during a show in New York City, frustrated with technical sound problems.
Thanks,
But No Thanks
Always purposeful,
Virgo doesn’t approve of anything purely gratuitous. In 1997, Apple blasted
the MTV Awards during her acceptance speech (“this is bulls***”) for the
Best New Artist award.
Bold counter-stances
like this exemplify the notorious “critical” Virgo trait, and its familiar
contempt for crude public displays of self-congratulation. Virgo prefers
to award its own capacity to rise above that sort of thing.
Apple’s outspokenness
has received some negative backlash, as she has been forced to contend
with manipulative elements in the media (Mercury again). Interviewers
have portrayed her as a neurotic, self-pitying harpy. Record company sanctioned
videos have cast her as a cynical, Lolita-type degenerate (“Criminal”).
Now all the wiser, Apple has applied more caution and control in terms
of how she presents herself to the public.
Tidal
"My
album is called Tidal partly because all this has hit me
like a tidal wave but also because 'tidal' refers to ebbing and flowing,
and that's really what life is, a constant ebb and flow."
Though we
can’t be certain of Apple’s Moon sign, lunar themes are very present in
her work. Her sensitivity to natural rhythm (the Moon) is supported by
the planets Mars and Jupiter being in the sign of Cancer, the Moon-ruled
domain.
It's
calm under the waves
In the
blue of my oblivion
“Sullen
Girl”
Two or more
planets occupying a sign (conjunction) are said to have their “energies”
blended, and their influences qualified by the interests of their sign’s
ruling planet. In her case, the dissociating, “male” force of Mars is
merged with the enduring, spiritual joy found in Jupiter. Together they
operate in service of nurturing and protection conditions set by the Moon
through its rulership of Cancer.
A
Good Defense
This combination of Mars and Jupiter
is in a harmonious connection with Mercury, in what is called a
sextile aspect, reinforcing their critical function in her chart. They maximize
Mercury’s “challenge and defend” exchange found everywhere in her work.
Mars-Jupiter
describes “fighting conviction,” such as Apple’s refusal to be beaten
by adversity, her readiness to show strength and defend herself. This
has proven to be a common theme not only in her songs, but also in her
career so far.
Grammy
For When the Pawn…?
Mars-Jupiter
can also account for having 90-word long, self-asserting album titles,
such as Apple’s latest, commonly known as When the Pawn…
Released on November 9, 1999, it has been nominated for two Grammy Awards
this year, in the Best Alternative Album and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
categories, and Mercury could be poised to usher her to success. If so,
we can expect another interesting acceptance speech, or at least one that
refers to past exploits.
The inter-relationships
of Apple’s dominant planets favor consistent creativity as she grows over
the years. With the knowledge of Mercury and the confidence and direction
of Mars-Jupiter, she will maneuver her way through her life and music
like a master. The Virgo master she has always been.
Notes
*Classical
definition of Mercury quoted from Robert Schmidt, Whether and Whence,
Cassette Two, an introduction to his translations of Hellenistic Astrological
texts for Project
Hindsight.
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