[:en]Whitney Houston and her relationships[:]

[:en]Reading through Whitney’s biography, I was fascinated by that strong, but at the mean time, so negative relationship with Bobby Brown and I decided to look at this in depth. In this article, I will be analyzing the triplicity rulers of the  lord of the 7th house, Venus (the natural ruler of relationships), that planet which Valens calls the “marriage bringer” and specific lots.

Whitney Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. After affairs with Eddy, Murphy, Michael Jackson and Randall Cunningham, she met R&B singer Bobby Brown at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. The two were married on July 18, 1992. On March 4, 1993, Houston gave birth to their daughter Bobbi Kristina, the couple’s only child. Brown would go on to have several run-ins with the law, including some jail time. Though Houston was seen as a “good girl” with a perfect image in the 1980s and early 1990s, by the late 1990s, her behavior changed. She was often hours late for interviews, photo shoots and rehearsals, and canceling concerts and talk-show appearances. With the missed performances and weight loss, she was suspected of drug consum with her husband. In an interview, she said that before her film The Bodyguard her drug use was light, but after the film’s success and the birth of her daughter it got heavier, and by 1996 “[doing drugs] was an everyday thing… On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in the bath tube of her hotel room in Beverly Hills. Official coroner’s report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.[1]

Here is Whitney’s chart:

Venus

While Valens says that the marriage place is the 7th house, he especially analyses the position of Venus in a natal chart, both for men and women, in order to describe their relationships.[2] He seems to give far more importance to the natural ruler of relationships rather than to the house ruler.

So let’s check the aspects, which Venus makes or receives in this chart.

  • Venus is combust

Since Venus is invisible, there is a dark side in her relationship, something which stays hidden at least until Venus does not arise. That hidden side happens in the 6th house of illness. Interestingly, the ill-side of her relationship is hidden by her glamour or prominence (Sun).

Whitney Houston was bisexual and had a  relationship with Robin Crawford since 1979, of which her husband knew. Nevertheless, that relationship was kept secret for decades, since Robin appeared as Whintey’s assistant and never as her partner.

  • Opposition to Saturn

In all cases Saturn in superior aspect, in opposition or in conjunction with Venus or as Venus’ house ruler, chills, or contaminates marriages, especially if Mercury is in aspect. Saturn in an angle or just following causes shamelessness, degrading, rebellious marriages, those involving the low-born or slaves (…). If Jupiter is in aspect, most of the marriage irregularities will be hidden and not have many children.[3]

If Saturn is in aspect and Venus itself is configured with Jupiter and Mars, the native will achieve success with the help of children or females [Gender bias?] and will see prosperity, but he will fail utterly in the end, unless the stars happen to be operative in their own houses or exaltations.[4]

  • Sextile to Mars in the 8th house with reception
  • Trine to Moon/Jupiter

The native lies with prominent young men[5]

Bobby Brown was several years younger than Whitney.

As a last point here I would like to mention Venus’ position, as she is close to her heliacal setting and her superior conjunction.

Those who have Venus rising as a morning star, can command women, those who have Venus under the rays of the Sun are commanded by women. The reverse is true for women. [6]

Whitney’s Sun is setting into the Sun, so she is commanded.

As we have seen, the analysis of Venus as the general significator of relationships, gives negative indications about Whitney’s success in marriage.

 

The 7th house, its lord and triplicity rulers

Whitney’s 7th whole sign house is in Virgo and Mercury is in its own sign. At a first glance, a good constellation. Both malefics are in aversion to the 7th house, leaving that house apparently free from affliction.[7] Since we know that her marriage was a major issue for Whitney, we have to search elsewhere, in order to get a clearer picture. One of the major techniques of Hellenistic Astrology is the analysis of the triplicity rulers. While Valens did use triplicity rulers mainly for the sect light, Dorotheus used the triplicity lords extensively throughout his book and says:

I tell you that everything which is decided or indicated is from the lords of the triplicities as for everything of afflictions and distress which reaches the people of the world and the totality of men, the lords of the triplicity rulers decide it.[8]

Since Mercury is the ruler of the 7th house, his triplicity rulers will show the general conditions of Whitney’s relationships.

Since this is a nighttime chart, the triplicity rulers of Mercury are[9]

  • The Moon
  • Venus
  • Assisting planet is Mars, which is the malefic in sect.

The Moon is conjunct Jupiter, who is in his own triplicity and rules both Whitney’s AC and the 10th place of success. A huge description of fortunate relationships linked to her success. We know that she was related to Eddy Murphy, Michael Jackson as well as Football Profi Randall Cunningham, but only the latter appears to have been a serious engagement (2 years). Nevertheless, the Moon/Jupiter conjunction is overcome by Saturn, the malefic out of sect who is also opposed by Mars in the 8th house. Saturn in the 12th points to hidden enemies or friends with secrets (Saturn L11 in 12th). Saturn makes a close square to Neptune, I wonder if this relates to her drug consume.

Anyway, this Moon is bonified by Jupiter, the negative consequences of these difficult friendships are smoothed or protected. My impression is, that these consequences might just not come out or be visible. If she was already taking drugs, then it was not yet an obsession and stayed private.

The second triplicity Lord is Venus. She is in a cadent sign, peregrine and combust. Both malefics are in aspect: Saturn opposes her, Mars sextiles. There is a bonification through the sextile with Jupiter, but since he is out of sect and overcome by Saturn, who also opposes Venus, this bonification does not appear to be strong or helpful. She is in the 6th house, which links her relationship with illness or, bad habits or ill related persons, the more so as he is combust in the Sun which rules the 6th house. So Whitney’s relationship(s) are destructive. [10]

As we know, Hellenistic astrologers assigned the 1st triplicity ruler to the first part of the life, in this case the part of life which regards relationships, and the 2nd triplicity ruler to the second part of life, while the assisting planet was contributing in both parts.[11]

Since Whitney Houston died at age 48 and 6 months, we can split her life in two parts of 24 years and 3 months each:  August 9th, 1963- 9th November 1987 and 10th November 1987- death February 11th 2012.

This means, that until the 9th of November 1987, the Moon was her primary triplicity lord. The first 24 years went relatively well, due to the protective shield of Jupiter. The second part was the difficult one. She met Bobby Brown on April 13th, 1989 when she was 25 years old. The second triplicity ruler had already “taken over”.

The problem with this “general concept” is, that we need to know in advance, how much time a native will live, in order to see, when the takeover between triplicity rulers occurs. This makes the technique unsuitable for client work.

But there is a far more interesting technique in Valens, which gives a more specific time frame for each triplicity lord and the moment, each one takes over.

That technique relates to planetary periods which are mostly derived from synodic or other recurrence cycles.

Coming back to Whitney, we see that her first triplicity ruler Moon was active for 25 years. On her 25th birthday, on August 9th, 1988, the second triplicity ruler took over. And that date would have been predictable without knowing how long she would live.[12]

Bobby Brown has been accused to had her started on drugs, which he denied. In his book on Whitney he writes that he “first saw her doing drugs on the wedding day”.[13] I would indeed suspect that it was not him to initiate her, but even though, it surely got worse after their marriage: Venus is the activated triplicity lady of her relationships and she is only at a distance from the Sun, which makes me think that Whitney’s relationship got really destructive at that point of time. That combustion takes place in the 6th house and is opposed to Saturn’s secrets in the 12th. By 1997, five years after their wedding (1992), press is full of canceled concerts and writing about her and Bobby on drugs together.

In 1997 Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown aroused press speculation after she returned from a holiday with him in Capri with cuts on her face; few were convinced by her claims that she had cut her face on a rock. In the years that followed, Brown was arrested on a variety of charges, including drink driving and urinating in a police patrol car.

Whitney Houston’s career appeared to suffer during this period. In 1998 she produced My Love is Your Love, her first serious album in eight years, which she was reported to have recorded in only six weeks. It entered the American charts at No 13. Her behavior during a concert tour in 1999, which included performances at Wembley Stadium in London and at the Birmingham NEC, was met with bemusement by critics. [14]

Whitney said in an interview, that they always did everything together, drugs included. This implies a partner dependency. I noticed that both Venus and the Moon are closely “coupled”, one planet is known for its exaggeration (negative side of Jupiter), the other for burning and hiding (Sun). Both planetary pairs are connected by a trine. What is worse, is that Bobby Brown revealed, that when they were on drugs, their daughter was with them. Since their daughter is described by the 5th house ruler Moon, this seems to be true.

 

The marriage bringer

 The marriage bringer for men is Venus, for women Mars, generally speaking.[15]

In this case, we see Mars in the 8th house. He also rules Daimon, at 8°48’ of Scorpio.

Mars represents adrenaline, aggressions, sexual energy which is linked to the 8th house of death and free choices (Daimon).

 If the Moon rules the Lot of Fortune and Mars the marriage bringer and if they are in aspect with each other, the marriage will be by forced, by kidnapping or by war and captivity. [16]

While we know that in their relationship there was no “kidnapping” involved, we also know that there has been indeed a “war” based on drugs (also consider the trine between Mars and Saturn both in bad houses). We might also consider a forced relationship based on mutual dependency. Valens is not entirely clear about the marriage bringer. Sometimes he seems to refer to the Lot of marriage (which in Whitney’s case is in Leo), sometimes  to the general marriage bringer for women, which is Mars. In any case, we can assume, than the opposition of the rulers of Daimon and Spirit (and both configured with the lot of marriage), is difficult.

 

The lot of marriage, Fortune and Daimon

Whitney’s Lot of marriage (ASC + Venus- Saturn)  [17] is at 29° Leo, which means that it is combust. No surprise, that this sign is the most elevated during her wedding (chart shown below).

Let’s now see how Fortune and Spirit are configured in relation to the lot of marriage (LOM). I am not sure whether the lot itself is more important or its ruler. My take on this is that the lot is the important point and the rulers describe how a native “translates” its message. Hard aspects represent a direct confrontation, while smooth aspects might show that the person “knows how to handle” a situation:

  • Fortune is in aversion

Her physical condition and what we call fate are “turned away” from her marriage. This seems to be a hindrance of luck, rather than a help.

  • Fortune’s ruler Moon is in trine aspect to the LOM

The Moon is conjunct Jupiter: something like feeling “high”, an exaggeration and not? Love’s blindness? We have to remember that Jupiter is overcome by Satunr and Daimon itself is in aversion, so there might be a promise (trine) which is not being kept (aversion).

  • Spirit is in square aspect

Her choice about marriage and how she lives it will see hindrances

  • Spirit’s ruler Mars sextiles the LOM

Mars (sexual energy, adrenaline) help to come along with problems. Since this is only a sextile and thus a weak aspect, it might not be enough to counterbalance Spirit’s square.

Let’s now have a look at the wedding chart:[18]

We see the angles  are fixed: their marriage was not eternal, but quiet long with 14 years. Main points:

  • Venus is in the sign of the lot of marriage
  • Scorpio rising, Mars in opposition
  • Pluto-Mars opposition
  • Saturn /Venus-Mercury opposition
  • Moon/Jupiter Opposition
  • Saturn-Mars square
  • Moon –Mars sextile
  • Fortune in the 8th house

All hints to a very difficult relationship. This is not exactly that kind of chart, a client would ask an astrologer to calculate as an election for a wedding.

As we see, Whitney marries shortly before her Saturn return: Saturn describes serious commitments.

  • The transit MC is conjunct Venus. This must have been a very happy day for Whitney, but as we have seen Venus is also the activated triplicity ruler of her 7th house and rules Whitneys 8th
  • Transit Venus is close to Whintey’s Sun, which repeats the theme of her natal combustion.
  • The marriage MC falls into her 6th house, which links the success/failure of her marriage to illness
  • The Moon transits her 1st house, opposed by the AC ruler Jupiter, which also rules her 10th There is much show business in this wedding: emotions and glamour are live on stage.[19] Her career is in its detriment within that partnership (Jupiter in the 7th house).
  • The malefic out of sect is quiet close to the 4th house

 

As we know, the marriage was difficult and Whitney filed for divorce on Sept 8, 2006:

  • We immediatly see the Saturn –Saturn opposition (dissolution of a commitment)
  • Saturn is Whitney’s malefic out of sect: he is exactly conjunct Mercury, Withney’s 7th house ruler.
  • Saturn is in the place of the lot of marriage
  • Venus is in her fall and going into combustion

 

Zodiacal Releasing

Now let’s switch to the ZR from spirit first for the year of her marriage and then for the year of the divorce.

Since her Lot of Fortune is in Cancer, the cardinal signs do represent peak periods for Whitney. Major peaks will occur in Cancer ad Aries (10th from Fortune).

Her wedding took place on July 18th , 1992.

  • She is in a major Capricorn period. Capricorn is the 7th house from Fortune and rules her 11th house of friends and connections.
  • On level 2 Aquarius is activated, which rules her natal 12th house and is the 11th house from Fortune.
  • On Level 3 it’s also Aquarius being activated and on the day of the wedding, it’s Capricorn.

Since only two signs are included, we can say that the focus is on the 11th and 12th house issues (Capricorn and Aquarius). This is problematic because Saturn is in Aquarius and Mars is squaring Capricorn, so both malefics are activated on various levels.

When Whitney filed the divorce, she was in a level II Sagittarius period, which is followed by a loosing of the bonds in which it switches to Cancer on level 2.  

Since Sagittarius rules her 6th house from Fortune, this divorce seems to end a time focussed on ill being in which her career (10th natal) had suffered. By July the next year, since Fortune is in Cancer, Whitney has a major peak period.

The time after her divorce had apparently the potential for a come back

If she only had  believed it.[20]

 

[1] All bioghraphical information is from wikipedia.

[2] Vettius Valens, Anthology, Riley translation, p. 50

[3] Valens, p. 52

[4] Valens, p. 52

[5] Valens, p. 50, adapted to women.

[6] Valens, p. 52

[7] While Hellenistic astrologer did not consider the outer planets, I do look at them, especially if they are in angles. Nevertheless, I never use them as house or sign rulers or as main significators. In this case, I think their positions confirm what I will show in detail later. Pluto and Uranus are in conjunction with the 7th place ruler, a first hint that something about relationships might be difficult.

[8] Dorotheus, Carmen Astrologicum, Pingree translation, p. 162

[9] Vettius Valens, Anthology (Book II), Riley translation, p. 25

[10] As a a sidemark, I would like to underline, as I alsways do with clients, that I don’t think, this constellation was “meant” to be just negative. There was also much potential of renovation and healing in it.

[11] Later Medieval astrology divided life into three equal parts.

[12] There is some discussion about the exact numbers: some astrologers think, that 25 refers to the 24th birthday, when the person has accomplished 24 years and enter in his/her 25th year. Chris Brennan for example proposes to look both at the 24th and the 25th birtday.

[13] http://people.com/celebrity/bobby-brown-first-saw-whitney-houston-doing-coke-on-their-wedding-day/

[14] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/9077348/Whitney-Houston.html

[15] Valens, p. 52

[16] Valens, p. 52

[17] Following the discussion on lots, I partially choose Paulus’ approach, who used Venus (relationships)and Saturn (legal committment) in order to derive the lot of marriage from. Nevertheless, Paulus advises to use ASC +Venus-Saturn for men and reverse it for women. So while men start a relationsship with love, sexual attraction or financial interests (Venus) and end up with a committment (Saturn), for women, Paulus’ lot seems to point to arranged marriages (Saturn) which might contain the seed of love and affection (Venus) in a later moment, after the marriage has been arragend. Whintey’s marriage has not been arranges, so I choose not to reverse the formula. See Paolo d’Alessandria, Introduzione all’astrologia, Mimesis, p. 89 and read http://skyscript.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9024&sid=d35637763599081e4144b0e6832bfca9

[18]  The time is aproximative. Source:https://books.google.it/books?id=18wDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA124&dq=Whitney+houston+bobby+brown+wedding&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Whitney%20houston%20bobby%20brown%20wedding&f=false

[19] There was even an unsuccessful “big brother”-like show on the couple, called Being Bobby Brown.

[20] “When you believe” was one of Whitney’s major successes. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaXY4IdZ40

Salva

Salva[:]

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