Bob Dylan - Questioning the Status Qua

Bob Dylan is a good example of somebody who questions society, and it's "norms". Bob Dylan has marched on protest rallies and is part of the civil rights movement. Lyrically his songs incorporated political, social, and philosophical as well as literary influences. Dylan was apparently a reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of his songs became anthems for both civil rights and anti-war movements.

By Wikipedia - In May 1963, Dylan's political profile was raised when he walked out of The Ed Sullivan Show. During rehearsals, Dylan had been informed by CBS Television's "head of program practices" that the song he was planning to perform, "Talkin' John Birch Society Blues", was potentially libelous to the John Birch Society. Rather than comply with the censorship, Dylan refused to appear on the program.

Dylan said of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "This was definitely a song with a purpose. I wanted to write a big song, some kind of theme song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and the folk music movement were pretty close and allied together at that time."

By this time, Dylan and Baez were both prominent in the civil rights movement, singing together at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.Dylan's third album, The Times They Are a-Changin', reflected a more politicized and cynical Dylan. The songs often took as their subject matter contemporary, real life stories, with "Only A Pawn In Their Game" addressing the murder of civil rights worker Medgar Evers; and the Brechtian "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" the death of black hotel barmaid Hattie Carroll, at the hands of young white socialite William Zantzinger. On a more general theme, "Ballad of Hollis Brown" and "North Country Blues" address the despair engendered by the breakdown of farming and mining communities. This political material was accompanied by two personal love songs, "Boots of Spanish Leather" and "One Too Many Mornings".

By the end of 1963, Dylan felt both manipulated and constrained by the folk and protest movements. These tensions were publicly displayed when, accepting the "Tom Paine Award" from the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, an intoxicated Dylan brashly questioned the role of the committee, characterized the members as old and balding, and claimed to see something of himself (and of every man) in Kennedy's alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.


Bob Dylan's Natal Chart

In Dylan's chart we have Jupiter-Saturn and Uranus all conjunct in his 5th house, these are social elements and form a part of his self expression (5th). The traditional side of Saturn understands convention, and works within society's bounds. The conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn describes a man who is pulled apart in different directions - between optimism and pessimism, idealism and depression. Ethical and moral convictions can become a vitally important part of his psyche. Jupiter (knowledge) is also conjunct Uranus, therefore his higher mind is connected to the principles of truth and freedom, and personal growth is down a progressive path. This can be a restless and rebellious combination at times, because Jupiter enlarges the Uranian ideals. There is a tendency to argue and the fixity of Uranus tends to fix itself to Jupiter's world view. Sometimes a willful and tactless element is present in the personality. I do believe these individuals can be very bright, and two other celebs who share the same aspect and anti-social attitude are singer Pink and Marilyn Manson. These people are inspired by new orders, truth, and change.

Dylan also has Saturn conjunct Uranus, again the themes of rebelliousness, independence and a strong willed nature show through powerfully. Bob Dylan can be regarded as a genius (Uranus) of his time (Saturn), and we can see the archetypal battle of Saturn-Uranus in myth prominent in his psyche, and here the innate struggle between security and freedom, stability and independence is obvious. This combination does not always like authority and will often rebel (depending on the overall horoscope). Dylan's Sun is conjunct Jupiter and Uranus, he needs freedom and space, for his progressive personality. In addition, his Moon (innate response) is conjunct Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus, and the same themes are expressed in his home life/emotional nature. The planet Mars is heavily squared and this adds to his willfulness, aggressiveness and need to assert himself. It is a complicated horoscope.You know in my next post a law abiding citizen is coming up, he is more conventional but has an element of Uranus too.