Wolfgang Mozart

Genius is an overused word, but surely it’s appropriate in the case of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It describes someone of exceptional intellectual or creative ability but also it requires the ability to operate beyond the boundaries that limit the rest of us.

Mozart has the Sun in Aquarius in the fifth house. Aquarius is often regarded as the most intelligent of the signs. Aquarians have a cool, logical way of approaching things and are also able to think intuitively not being bound by conventional attitudes and beliefs. The fifth house is traditionally the house of artistic creativity. The Moon is always important in an artist’s chart because it rules the instinctive processes and one’s feel for things. Mozart’s Moon is in Sagittarius, a sign always looking to push boundaries and to do things in a big way. Virgo rising gives him a perfectionism and an ability to work hard to achieve his goals.

In any chart of a genius you would expect a strong showing from the higher octave planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. For thousands of years the solar system was assumed to end at Saturn and this planet has always been associated with limits and boundaries. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were all discovered at times of great change for humanity and have become associated with principles and energies that break through and go beyond previously accepted boundaries. Mozart has all three planets very powerfully placed in his chart. The original and inventive Uranus is closely opposite his Ascendant. Neptune is perhaps the most important planet for musicians giving an inspirational, creative gift. Neptune is the planet of the invisible, spiritual realm and people who have Neptune strongly connected to their Sun seem to be able to tap into a kind of divine assistance in their work. Mozart has Neptune closely opposite his Sun.

Pluto is exactly conjunct Mozart’s Moon. The Moon rules youth and childhood and it’s often the case that a Moon / Pluto conjunction can propel someone into a career in childhood as in the case of Melissa Anderson or can create events in childhood that contribute strongly to later career expression as with Madonna. In Mozart’s case this connection is even more profound as the Moon and Pluto is in the fourth house which rules home, roots and upbringing. The conjunction is as close as it is possible to be with only two minutes of arc separating the two planets. The Moon / Pluto conjunction is also powerfully strengthened by the fact that it is a T-square apex point from the opposition between the Ascendant and Uranus. This combination of factors shows the exceptionally gifted creative genius who was composing his own pieces from the age of five.

Mozarts’ chart is also very interesting in that it so clearly shows the powers of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto but perhaps even more so when you consider he was born before any of these three planets were discovered. These three planets did not affect everyone before they were discovered but they do seem to have had an impact on some people like Henry V111. It may be that the real impact of these planets is only truly recognised after the person is dead and even possibly only once those planets had actually been discovered. Its certainly the case that Mozart was not widely recognised for his genius during his lifetime.

Even a genius has a Saturn, however. Saturn is the planet that imposes restrictions and obligations on us. It holds us within clearly defined limits not allowing us the free rein that we would like. Mozart’s Saturn is closely conjunct his Sun, an aspect that would indicate serious pressure and restraint imposed by his father. Leopold Mozart was a very responsible, serious and highly regarded violin teacher and Wolfgang was intimidated by his father’s austerity.

Mozart’s creative output as a composer was prolific despite the fact that he died at the age of 35. His early death may also be symbolised by the Sun’s conjunction to Saturn.

There was time in his brief life for Pluto to make one major aspect, the conjunction to the Sun between 1781 and 83. In January 1781, Mozart’s opera, Idomeneo premiered with “considerable success” in Munich. In March, Mozart was summoned to Vienna by his employer, Archbishop Colloredo. Colloredo treated him as a servant and forbade him to perform for the Emperor. Mozart attempted to resign and was eventually dismissed so he decided to settle in Vienna as a freelance performer and composer. Solomon characterizes Mozart’s resignation as a “revolutionary step”, which greatly altered the course of his life. Mozart’s new career in Vienna began well. He performed in front of the Emperor in December 1781 and he soon had established himself as “the finest keyboard player in Vienna”. His opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail premiered in July 1782 and achieved huge success and fully established Mozart’s reputation as a composer.

It was also whilst living in Vienna that he met Constanza who he married in August 1782, so Pluto’s conjunction to his Sun was his watershed moment in more ways than one. As Pluto was also conjunct Saturn, Leopold was strongly against both the marriage and the move to Vienna.

Mozart’s particular combination of Sun, Moon and Ascendant with their aspects to the three higher octave planets created someone who deserved the title genius.