Phil Spector

The Murder of Lana Clarkson

Phil Spector is an American Songwriter and producer; he was in the music business from 1953 and worked with artists such as the Beatles and the Ramones. His personality was sometimes described as reclusive and withdrawn. After a particularly violent car crash in 1974, he suffered serious head injuries, and needed over 300 stitches to his face and over 400 to the back of his head. Spector reporter that his mental health was not stable and that he had bipolar and considered himself relatively insane. In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead and killed by gun in Spector’s home. Yet, the music producer claimed that it was an “accidental suicide” and that she kissed the gun. The trial began in 2007, (4 years after the actress’s death) and the judge allowed the trial to be televised. At the start of the trial the defence was accused of hiding crucial evidence and the judge declared a mistrial because the jury was hung.

His father committed suicide when Phil was still only a child. Ben Spector, parked his car a few blocks away from the family home and poisoned himself with carbon monoxide, after his death the family moved away. Scientists have conducted various studies to understand if depression is inherited and some conclude that it does indeed run in families, whilst others firmly believe there is no connection. According to the astrology, Phil, has inherited his father’s depression and is predisposed to introspective brooding and a serious nature. 

Dynamics of the Unconscious by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas, is an excellent book detailing depression. In Part Two, astrologer Liz Greene looks at the astrological significations that may lean towards depression in the natal chart.

I will now make a sweeping generalisation, but sweeping though it is, I think it is valid. There are two astrological signs which are inherently prone to depression - Scorpio and Capricorn. These signs tend to express their problems through a symbol of depression because depression in a strange way serves their purposes. Capricorn favours depression over other expressions of inner conflict because depression serve’s Capricorn’s inherent sense of guilt. It is a good vindication of what a miserable lot it is to be alive anyway, and what a wretched place the world is, and what a thoroughly appalling person one is oneself. Scorpio favours depression because it is an excellent and effective form of expressing vindictive anger while remaining blameless in the eyes of others; and also depression keeps others out. One can nurse one’s wounds in privacy.

Phil Spector’s Sun (father) is in Scorpio’s house (8th) which is also known as the house of “death” and is placed in the sign of Capricorn. The Sun is in a dark place in this sector of the chart and it shows an ambitious, hard working nature, early hardship and self-sufficiency (Capricorn). The 8th house Sun reveals a resourceful, powerful and secretive self. Capricorn tends to mistrust life and the sign is prone to isolation, loneliness and depression. Saturn and Pluto the rulers of the aforementioned sign/house are in square to one another. Phil Spector is a suspicious and mistrustful character and the contact often carries a feeling of persecution, there are lessons in survival and resourcefulness, but it can sometimes show anxiety, fears and phobias and an attempt to control the environment.

The Sun in the 8th house rules the inheritance from the father, suggesting that he has “inherited” his father’s depression and is fighting the same demons that tormented him until his death. Astrologer Sue Tompkins describes this placement as having a strong “psychic” tie with the father. The Sun is also square to a 5th house Neptune, showing a creative and artistic nature, the adoption of his children (5th) and the longing to be somebody special/famous. It also describes escapist tendencies and seeing his father (Sun) as a victim in life (Neptune). Gases and poisons are ruled by Neptune and describes his father’s death. Although not all charts are always this descriptive. The Sun is also square to Jupiter in Aries, symbolising confidence and potency but it tends to inflate his personality and he can also deflate. Growth and opportunity to expand (Jupiter) his contacts (11th) and an enterprising leader that sets trends in his field, is also reflected in this placement.

Spector was born with Gemini rising (media, communication, and writing) with chart ruler Mercury in detriment in Sagittarius in the 7th house (expansive, travel, LOTS of contacts). Mercury is square to Mars in Pisces (mutable) and astrologer Charles Carter says that mutable signs around the 22nd degree and hard Mercury-Mars contacts are often linked to mental illness. The Moon is in its own sign of Cancer describing a protective nature. The Moon is in the 2nd house of possessions, ownership and inner resources. The need to feel secure is a powerful feature in this natal chart. The Moon and Cancer represent emotional connections and feelings that make an individual feel secure and the 2nd house relates to physical objects for a sense of safety.The combination can signify deep feelings of insecurity. Venus is in tight, fixed opposition to Pluto showing challenges in love regarding possessions, resources, power and control. Spector has unhealthy relating patterns, and is extremely jealous and possessive of his mates.

Major Life Events

Phil Spectors car accident happened during Pluto’s transit in Libra in his 5th house square to his Sun in Capricorn in the 8th house. Apparently he was close to death and his heart beat was extremely faint. Pluto transits are common at the time of trauma and life changing events. The event would have been particularly haunting in retrospect to his father’s death (Sun in 8th) and may have brought up some painful memories and possibly triggered the descent into depression.

At the time of Lara Clarkson's murder on the 3rd of February 2003, transiting Saturn was square to Mars:

“Because he uses excessive force to try to overcome his unsuccessful efforts, he may antagonize others and start fights and arguments. Worse than this, he may cause accidents and mishaps. The person should be very careful with machinery, appliances, tools, automobiles, and other mechanical devices. It is an especially dangerous time to handle guns, weapons or any form of artillery." By James Braha

Astrologically Mars-Saturn is considered to be a violent combination or simply a time when one’s actions meet with resistance and blockages and therefore it can be an extremely frustrating time. Transiting Pluto which was opposite Saturn also squared natal Mars:

“This difficult transit can bring arguments, accidents and violence. The person takes risks without thinking and does not realize he is in danger. He should avoid criminals and hostile person’s during the several years of this period. He reacts with anger, rage, or fierce competitiveness. The person’s sex drive increases tremendously. He must, however beware of forcing attention on uninterested or unwilling partners. It is an especially poor time for love relationships. The person or his mate acts wilful, harsh, or cruel.” By James Braha

I have observed a lot of meltdowns during a Mars-Pluto transit, suppressed anger explodes with an episode of sudden violence or self-destructiveness. The transits at the time Spector was finally convicted of murdering Lana shows transiting Saturn conjunct his I.C and squaring ALL of his angles. Usually Saturn transits mark a time when our karmic bill is due and we have to meet the consequences of our past actions. It rules time, limitation and frustration. Transiting Saturn also formed a square his chart ruler Mercury in Sagittarius/7th house. His legal affairs (7th) didn’t go well and perhaps it predicts he would be disappointed with the outcome. Transiting Uranus was also conjunct his natal Mars in the 11th house - and he is literally fighting (Mars) for his freedom (Uranus). Transiting Pluto was conjunct his Sun in Capricorn in the 8th house and reflects another drastic change in fortune and  he is entrenched in very deep and troubled water (Pluto in 8th house) and the events are out of his control. Phil Spector’s inner conflicts were unresolved and he is now left to suffer in his own personal hell. 

Touted as a creative genius in his heyday, Spector's notorious inner demons gradually got the better of him. Creativity and evil live in close quarters in artists like Spector. In his case, evil eventually won out. On Monday, the jury convicted Phil Spector of second degree murder. Based on my limited knowledge of the evidence, I believe that Lana Clarkson's death was probably accidental. It seems likely, given his reported reckless behavioural history, that when Clarkson rejected his sexual advances and tried to leave, Spector angrily and characteristically drew his pistol in a dramatic, machismo effort to have her stay, sticking it right in her face. Only this time, the gun went off. And the so-called mad genius of rock music may spend the remainder of his colourful life behind bars, in some ways a tragic victim of his demons: childhood inferiority feelings, narcissistic rage, compensatory grandiosity, bitterness, alcohol abuse, drivenness, and his dangerous daimonic genius--the roots of which he never really consciously confronted, accepted, comprehended or came to terms with. By Stephen Diamond