Overnight it was announced that singer and songwriter Bobby Womack had passed away. This news touched my heart, as very briefly a couple of years ago I had the honor of meeting the great man himself - yes he was a true gentleman and a lovely man to talk to. Bobby as you may know grew up alongside such prominent artists as Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and Jimi Hendrix, and he wrote songs for many great artists including Janis Joplin and for the Rolling Stones.
He was born a Sun Pisces (4/3/44 @ 08.10 hrs, Cleveland, Ohio) with his Moon in family orientated Cancer in the 4th house of family trine to his Sun. No wonder he worked alongside his brothers Cecil, Curtis, Harry and Friendly Jr. so closely over the years making and recording music, inspired naturally by that Pisces Sun and a Capricorn Midheaven that a lot of musicians have (Capricorn is associated with structure and rhythm).
His life was a turbulent one filled with hurt and sudden tragedies with two of his sons suddenly dying and he had to endure the pain of his brother Harry being murdered. Obviously, with Pluto in his 5th house of children conjunct to his North Node, here is an indication that all would not be well in this area of his life and his destiny was tied to dealing with transformation, death and with mortality. This also probably shown with his Sun being conjunct two stars and also being opposed to the wounded healer, Chiron which brings pain that we have to deal with and heal from. The first of these two stars is Achernar, the turbulent star in the constellation of Eridanus the river showing a life of ups and downs and forcing one to adapt and react to crisis after crisis. His Sun was also connected to Ankaa, the star in Phoenix, a constellation also connected to life and death, beginnings and endings and rising again from the ashes of despair. I would imagine that being a Pisces, his Neptune (ruling Pisces) being trine to Uranus also brought unexpected events spinning into his life every so often.
There was an individual focus to his chart too as well with Saturn and Mars closely conjunct in Gemini his 3rd house of communication, therefore it was a natural progression to do more solo work and to write for other people, which he did for much of his musical career. That conjunction made a trine to Venus in his 11th house of groups and friends and it is notable that he wrote music for many of his friends and compatriots in the music industry throughout his life. He would have been a popular guy without doubt and a lot of fun too with Jupiter opposed to Venus.
He would have always sought out fame and notoriety with Jupiter and Pluto in his 5th house and with Pluto conjunct his North Node in that 5th house (ruling his 8th) I can imagine he would have had wanted to feel intense creative experiences and was not afraid of taking risks. This combined with that free, easy and experimental Neptune trine to Uranus as well as a sharp and clever Mercury square to Uranus lead him down a path of sex, constant drug use and rock and roll. Yes, he lived his life to the very full, he would have had a good sense of humor and I dare say that he was a highly intelligent and quick witted man.
He passes away aged 70 having left us a legacy of great music and having helped many other artists along their own route to stardom. May you rest in peace, Bobby...
