Weekend Entertainment Guide 11/22/24

Handel's Messiah vs. Jesus Christ Superstar; Sagittarius Season; Rising Sign Wills

I was recently listening to the album Jesus Christ Superstar. My mom attended a Lutheran high school in the early 1970s and commented that the album was a big topic of discussion there when it came out. One of the teachers was very upset that the musical’s narrative ends with the crucifixion of Jesus — it does not go on to include the resurrection of Jesus, a key part of the story.

Any work of art, no matter what the subject, excludes as well as includes content. It is not necessarily the job of any given piece of artwork to cover every possible angle to its subject. Of course, many other artists over the centuries have covered the story of Jesus in a way that does include the resurrection.

Any work of art, no matter what it is, is released into the world at a particular astrological moment. Is there an astrological reason why Jesus Christ Superstar didn’t include the resurrection and Handel’s Messiah did?

Wikipedia reports that George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, which covers the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection, “was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later.”

The chart for Messiah is heavy on fire signs. If you count the South Node in Sagittarius, it’s got a Grand Trine in the first decan of the Fire signs. Fire energy is optimistic — of course it would include the resurrection!

Mars, Venus, and the Sun all in Aries, the sign symbolized by the ram, make a lot of sense for Messiah’s prominent use of sheep imagery, as in the potent “Worthy is the Lamb” that leads into the triumphant final “Amen.”

“All We Like Sheep” earlier on counts toward this theme as well.

Messiah was also made during a Pluto in Scorpio transit, so the planet of transformation and rebirth was in the sign of transformation and rebirth. (Messiah is one Pluto cycle older than today’s millennials; people born during the Pluto in Scorpio transit when Messiah was created grew up to become active participants in the American and French Revolutions.)

Handel himself, according to Astro-Databank, had a birth chart that was more Water than Fire. Natally, he had the Sun and Moon in Pisces trine Pluto in Cancer. When Messiah came out, transiting Neptune in Cancer and transiting Pluto in Scorpio were moving into a dramatic Grand Trine with those natal placements.

On the other hand, Jesus Christ Superstar carries a vibe more similar to the present moment. Until a few days ago, we had Pluto at the very end of an Earth sign and Neptune at the very end of a Water sign. That’s what Jesus Christ Superstar had too, but in that case, it was Pluto in Virgo and Neptune in Scorpio instead of Pluto in Capricorn and Neptune in Pisces.

 

The compelling thing about the Jesus Christ Superstar chart is that Mars is conjunct Pluto, its higher octave, and Venus is conjunct Neptune, its higher octave. The brutality of the crucifixion and the beauty of surrender are both heightened.

As astrologers, we know intellectually that a transiting planet at 29° of whatever sign eventually moves on to 0° of the next sign. We live through this regularly with the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, and the faster-moving planets. For planets like Pluto and Neptune with longer cycles, though, we typically don’t have personal experience of what Pluto or Neptune does when it gets to the next sign. We can look ahead to transits that appear good (or bad) and speculate, and we can review historical reports of what happened during previous cycles prior to our own lifetimes, but in the end we have to step forward without really knowing for sure how things will play out.

I think Jesus Christ Superstar is about this vibe. With outer planets at 28° and 29° of their signs, the rebirth just isn’t there yet. All you can see from your vantage is what is ending. Jesus Christ Superstar is therefore an accurate representation of its moment in time in 1970.

Astro-Databank has fifteen potential birth charts for Jesus, representing eight of the twelve possible Sun signs. What they all have in common, however, is Pluto in Virgo and Neptune in Scorpio — the same Pluto and Neptune placements of the 1960s that were on their way out at the time of Jesus Christ Superstar. (I wrote about this more in Impossible Dreams: Hopes, Fears, and Expectations for Saturn in Pisces.)

As of November 19, 2024, Pluto has now moved into Air sign Aquarius for good this time around. That part of the equation is no longer unsettled. However, Neptune and Uranus will still be hanging out at the final degrees of Water and Earth signs until 2026. The resurrection isn’t quite here yet.

Meanwhile, Messiah has Mercury 29° Pisces, Mars at 2° Aries, and Venus at 5° Aries — all in the area that transiting Saturn and Neptune will be passing over during the next few years. It will be interesting to see whether there are significant performances or new recordings of the work during this time.

Hot on Substack

Kaitlyn Ramsay

, The Shadow of the "Opposition" Lives Within You and Me

Ramsay revisits issues related to the 2020 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction and COVID-19 in light of the current Jupiter-Saturn square.

Drew Levanti

, The Drama Triangle of Mars in Leo and Mars in Leo: 5 Reminders for Personal Growth This Retrograde

Levanti covers the Karpman Drama Triangle as well as its antidote, David Emerald’s Empowerment Dynamic. Compare these pieces to Bryan Winchell’s comments below on Pluto moving from Cancer Rising’s 7th house to Leo Rising’s 7th house.

Caroline Lindon

, Pluto in Aquarius: The Wrecking Ball That Will Shatter the Collective Future

Lindon, who has Capricorn Rising, reflects on intense personal experiences during Pluto’s recently concluded transit through Capricorn.

Steph

, How to ride a boat during the Saturn-Neptune convergence (and not drown)

Lady Cazimi comments on Neptune and Saturn both making multiple passes over fixed star Scheat at 29° Pisces through 2025.

At 29 degrees of Pisces, where Neptune spent all summer loitering, sits the fixed star Scheat. Among other things, Scheat is associated with danger at sea and shipwrecks, with drowning and floods, with tragedy and a loss of direction. The last degree of the zodiac is where you get wrecked and swallowed, the annihilation necessary for birth to emerge again.

Diotima Mantineia

, Q&A Friday: Reading the Charts of Twins

This post goes into the dwads, 2.5° increments of zodiac signs that can be relevant when interpreting the charts of twins born minutes apart.

Posts about the Sun entering Sagittarius Nov. 21

Rowan Oliver via

Astrologers' Co-Op

, Sagittarius I: The Passing of the Flame

Oliver comments on the 8 of Wands, the tarot card associated with the first decan of Sagittarius, and provides a case study of musician Laura Les.

Theresa Touhey

, Sagittarius Energy: The Enthusiastic Quest for Truth and Adventure

Touhey breaks down the good and the bad of Sagittarius energy.

Heart Astrology

, Grace

Dorje Kirsten explores the root of the word “grace” — the Greek “charis,” which is related to many qualities associated with the sign of Sagittarius and its ruling planet Jupiter.

Alison Dale

via

Astrum Opus

, Sun in Sagittarius

Dale continues her series on the physical side of the zodiac signs: “The liver’s role in detoxifying the body also relates to the Sagittarian tendency to filter out negativity and keep an optimistic perspective. Sagittarians are known for their boundless optimism, resilience, and ability to bounce back from setbacks, similar to how the liver helps cleanse the body and promote healing.”

A word from our sponsors

Hey Earthling, want to bring meaningful enchantments to life in 2025? The beloved Dreamfruit Lunar Tales are back – and this time with a companion guided journal and course offerings! Pre-order now to secure your pocket-sized portal into thirteen moonlit adventures. Each month unfolds with dreamlike stories, astrological insights from the Sabian symbols, and journaling prompts that sync your inner and outer journeys. Join our growing community of visionaries weaving a regenerative future through moon magic and ecospiritual wisdom. Reserve your 2025 collection at www.Dreamfruit.world.

--

Unlock the wisdom of your birth chart! Discover your true potential with a personalized astrology reading from Theresa Touhey, founder of GrandTrineAstrology.com. Whether it’s uncovering life’s purpose, navigating relationships, or planning for the future, Theresa’s intuitive insights will guide you toward clarity and empowerment. Book now and transform the way you see your life’s journey.

Visit GrandTrineAstrology.com to schedule your session today!

--

Plan your year with We’Moon 2025, the trusted moon phase planner and astrological calendar. Perfect for both beginners and seasoned astrologers, it offers daily lunar insights, key astrological events, and more. Enjoy easy-to-read data, inspiring poetry, and artwork by women worldwide. The week-at-a-glance format helps organize your schedule, while the full-color, 240-page layout makes it a joy to use. Get yours today for $22.95 at www.wemoon.ws—use code Eva15 for 15% off! 

--

I want to keep Weekend Entertainment Guide free to readers in order to get astrology discussed as widely as possible. However, I am open to sharing my readership with paid sponsors. I charge $20 to run your text-based ad of 85 words or less in four consecutive Friday editions of Weekend Entertainment Guide. Feel free to include hyperlinks and promo codes for your product or service. Email astrologybooks@proton.me to inquire!

Rising sign wills

Some schools do “senior wills,” where the graduating class “wills” various things to the class behind them, like a favorite desk or whatever. Now that Pluto has changed sign, everyone’s going to have Pluto in a new whole sign house for the next 20 years. I put out a request on Substack Notes for people to identify what they want to will to the Rising sign behind them — for example, Virgo Risings, what do you will to Libra Risings who are going to have Pluto in their 5th house now that Pluto is done with your 5th house? Replies are shown below. Feel free to continue this discussion in the comments!

Bryan Winchell

: Cancer Rising here so I will to Leo Risings the will to both re-examine your relationships and how you do your relating so that you can break any chains of co-dependency and re-enforce (or build new) bonds of trust.

Also, if you want another one that became VERY clear to me in the final years of Pluto in the 7th House, consider the Karpman Drama triangle (bully-victim-savior) and when you’re playing that lose-lose game. (It’s one of the more common co-dependency games and it’s tragically ironic in that it can feel empowering for all involved but the truth is it’s disempowering.) If you want to find a version of the game that’s win-win look up TED (The Empowerment Dynamic), which replaces Bully with Challenger, Victim with Co-Creator and Savior with Coach.

This insight has been golden and transformative for me and I will it to Leo Risings so they can begin working with it at the start of Pluto’s journey through their 7th House rather than near the end as it was for me! Best of luck!

Laura Tennyson

: This Leo rising wills to Virgo risings the voice to articulate your inner knowing about your diet. Not just what you put in your mouth but what you expose your psyche to. You have the right to use your discernment and ignore propaganda spewed by “experts” on any topic. You have inner wisdom about what fuels you, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Pluto in Capricorn had me completely check out of and walk away from others’ beliefs and opinions about how to best live a life. You do not have to consume social media. At all. You do not have to eat a “balanced diet”. You do not have to follow politics or watch the news or vote or even maintain a home. You can choose what you want to invite into your lived experience. Enjoy the freedom!

Eva Sylwester

: I, a Libra Rising, will to Scorpio Risings the acceptance that sometimes there are no good answers. During Pluto’s transit through Capricorn, my 4th House of Home and Family, I had a complicated family situation that had no really good answer no matter how much anyone wanted there to be one. Of course, some onlookers responded to this with the sentiment that all I needed was more feedback on how I was Doing It Wrong. The Rising sign wills assignment came about when I gleefully realized that one person who was particularly vocal in this way has Scorpio Rising — and Pluto heading for her 4th house next! I get it; I had Pluto moving through my 3rd house, Sagittarius, during my teenage years, and I said some pretty intrusive and inappropriate stuff to my peers at that time. Pluto’s transit through my 4th house was at least good for making me grow up. Interestingly, Libra Rising and Scorpio Rising both have Saturn-ruled 4th houses, setting a baseline of potential for restrictions or limitations involving home and family life that transiting Pluto can then bring out. Accepting the limitations, however unfair they may seem, can bring stability in unconventional ways.