Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan
May 24, 1941
Duluth, Minnesota

Perhaps it was just a simple twist of fate that turned this triple Gemini into the voice of a whole generation -- for two whole generations.

'Those not busy being born are busy dying.'

Bob Dylan's Tarot Reading

'I don't really have a herd of astrologers telling me what's going to happen. I just make one move after the other, this leads to that.' Thus begins a September, 2006 Rolling Stone cover story about Bob Dylan. Robert Allen Zimmerman was born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1941. His family moved to 'the coldest place on Earth,' Hibbing, Minnesota, several years later. In high school he figured out how to play a piano and a guitar and put together a few rock and roll bands. Back then you could call him Zimmy. Now there's a restaurant in Hibbing called Zimmy's. In 1959 he began attending the University of Minnesota and was soon performing in nightclubs as Bob Dylan. That led him, in 1960, to New York City's Greenwich Village, to folk hero Woody Guthrie's hospital bedside, and 'A Song for Woody.'

'Hey, hey Woody Guthrie, I wrote you a song
'Bout a funny ol' world that's a-comin' along.
Seems sick an' it's hungry, it's tired an' it's torn,
It looks like it's a-dyin' an' it's hardly been born.'

In 1961 he got a record deal with Columbia Records. Out of that came his first album, Bob Dylan, which included 'A Song for Woody' and one other original, followed in 1963 by The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Then came a virtual deluge of mind-blowing music and another thirty albums or so. His latest, Modern Times was described by Jonathan Lethem in Rolling Stone not as any kind of comeback album but as the third in yet another series of masterpieces that 'seems to survey a broken world through the prism of a heart that's worn and worldly, yet decidedly unbroken itself.'

With his Sun in Gemini Dylan is, in many ways, an eternal child. His mind is bright, alert, curious, flexible, playful and always eager for new experiences -- with an attention span that is often quite brief. He grasps ideas quickly and once his initial curiosity has been satisfied, he's ready to move on. He craves frequent change, variety, new situations and people. His curiosity and restlessness propel him to try anything at least once.

Dylan lives in his head a great deal -- reading, observing, thinking and spinning ideas around. He needs mental stimulation every bit as much as he needs food and drink. In fact, if he had to choose between a good book and a good lunch, he would very likely choose the former. He has a creative mind and often lives by his wits. He is also a very social creature, with a strong need to communicate and to interact with people. He enjoys playing with words and has a real flair for getting his ideas across in a clever way. He also has a rather light and mischievous sense of humor, and often does not take anything too seriously. Asked what his songs were about, he once answered, 'Oh, some are about four minutes; some are about five, and some, believe it or not, are about eleven or twelve.' Though he craves emotional involvement, it is hard for him to achieve it, for he is often unwilling to commit himself to anything or to limit his personal freedom and mobility. In other words, he is freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

His happiness lies in using his creativity and his language skills to communicate something meaningful and to inspire. 'Art is the perpetual motion of illusion,' he has said. 'The highest purpose of art is to inspire. What else can you do? What else can you do for anyone but to inspire them?'

With his Sun square Mars, Dylan is direct, energetic, sometimes aggressive and combative. He often feels that he needs to fight to get what he wants and he tends to have a 'me-first' attitude, which can anger or irritate others. 'I wasn't very cute to him, was I?' he admits in the song, 'I Want You.' He is hasty, restless, impatient and sometimes reckless, 'doing ninety miles an hour down a one-way street.'

Sun conjunct Uranus ensures that he is original and unorthodox. He identifies with the role of rebel. He insists upon a great deal of personal freedom and does not easily adapt himself to others' needs and wishes. He needs a lifestyle that allows him to be spontaneous. Often he feels that he is somehow different from other people and outside the mainstream of society.

Sun sextile Pluto means that he undergoes deep, transformative changes in his life with relative ease and a minimum of conscious resistance. For instance, he nonchalantly shook many of his fans out of their comfort zone when he 'went electric' in 1965, creating a whole new genre of music called folk-rock. Because he doesn't avoid the depths, he has access to a great deal of personal power and strength. Without realizing it or seeking it, he's apt to have quite a potent effect on the people he comes into contact with, even superficially. Others sense that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Sun conjunct Moon/Mercury indicates that his mind is very active and his judgment is usually sound. Although his thinking is influenced by his feelings, he is inclined to think in realistic and practical terms. He is in control of his feelings and is able to express them rationally.

Mercury in Gemini gives Dylan an extremely active, lively and versatile mind with a multitude of interests and an inexhaustible curiosity about life. He likes a little taste of everything. Mentally restless, he may change jobs or locations -- or musical genres -- frequently, or do work that involves travel -- like touring. Says he, 'A lot of people can't stand touring but to me it's like breathing. I do it because I'm driven to do it.'

He has a flair for language and wordplay. About being a poet he has said this: 'A poem is a naked person .... Some people say that I am a poet.' And he has said this: 'I think a poet is anybody who wouldn't call himself a poet.' And finally, this: 'You don't necessarily have to write to be a poet. Some people work in gas stations and they're poets. I don't call myself a poet because I don't like the word. I'm a trapeze artist.'

Mercury square Neptune states the obvious: Bob Dylan's mind is highly imaginative and creative and he possesses dramatic, artistic or musical abilities. As a child, he very likely enjoyed daydreaming and probably lived in 'his own little world' much of the time. He perceives things which are not obvious to other people and has an uncanny ability to 'read' people and situations without being told anything about them. 'You know something is happening, but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?' he sneers in 'Ballad of a Thin Man.' However, he may not discriminate between true psychic perception and imagination, and he may also purposefully mystify others. Clearly in tune with the planets, Dylan has said, 'When you feel in your gut what you are and then dynamically pursue it -- don't back down and don't give up -- then you're going to mystify a lot of folks.'

Venus in Gemini reveals that in love, he is more interested in a person's sense of humor and intelligence than in their looks. He likes a partner who is mentally alive and who keeps him guessing. 'You can't be wise and in love at the same time,' he confesses. He becomes restless and bored with someone who never asks questions, never changes or surprises him. Talking, sharing ideas, going places and learning new things together are very important to his happiness. He needs a lot of social stimulation, is something of a flirt and likes to have many friends of both sexes. A possessive, jealous partner is very stifling for him. Naturally, he put these feelings into a song.

'You say you're looking for someone
Who'll pick you up each time you fall,
To gather flowers constantly
An' to come each time you call,
A lover for your life an' nothing more,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.'

Venus conjunct Sun/Mercury means he is strongly attracted to the opposite sex and his relationships tend to be harmonious. He probably will marry for love and his mate will be a friend to him as well as a lover. This is one area where the man might argue with the stars, having said, 'I wasn't a good husband .... I don't even know what a good husband is.' But the stars don't give up that easily, reiterating that the atmosphere in his family life is affectionate and protective. Venus conjunct Mercury/Jupiter gives him a merry disposition and a strong desire for pleasure and amusement. Interested in art, he has a strong sense of beauty, but also can be somewhat extravagant. His outgoing personality puts others at ease and he tends to discuss love and beauty with them.

Mars in Pisces suggests that he can be non-confrontational and a bit of a pacifist. He may give something up rather than fight for it. He is gentle and impressionable and is motivated by less mundane and less tangible things than most other people. He has many dreams, high ideals and a strong mystical or religious impulse, as evidenced by numerous songs referencing various religions, from ancient Greek to modern day Judaism and Christianity. If it weren't already obvious, the stars actually come out and say, again, that Bob Dylan has a creative imagination and can successfully apply himself to art or music.

Saturn trine Neptune suggests that he is very sensitive to the inner qualities of honesty, integrity and good will. He notices these qualities (or the lack of them) more quickly than others and brings them up frequently in song. Take the opening lines of 'Positively Fourth Street,' for instance:

'You got a lotta nerve

To say you are my friend

When I was down

You just stood there grinning.'

Pluto conjunct Sun/N. Node warns that he is inclined to dominate or manipulate others for his own ends. He has a strong need to be in control and to exercise influence over others. He also has a desire to achieve record performances in groups he may be involved with. He is probably right when he says, 'People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around -- the music and the ideas.'

Pluto conjunct Venus/Neptune means he is inclined to wish that others would spoil or seduce him. His longing for love is very strong and he tends to imagine himself in beautiful romantic situations, but he never attain fulfillment ... 'Heart burning, still yearning.'

Jupiter in Taurus reveals that material comfort, security and well-being are important to him. His strengths are practicality, a love of the earth, and the ability to take great delight in the sensual pleasures of the natural world. Also, when he feels secure financially, he is likely to be very generous and hospitable. With Jupiter conjunct Uranus, he is very enthusiastic and high-spirited. He injects a positive note into any endeavor, and others enjoy his fun-loving and enterprising attitude. In fact, San Francisco Chronicle senior pop music critic, Joel Selvin said in a review of his Modern Times tour, 'It looks like it's never been more fun to be Bob Dylan.'

Jupiter sextile Pluto means that his willingness -- even eagerness -- to embrace change and to undergo deep, transformative experiences for growth and self-improvement is one of his finest attributes. He is also likely to be an instrument for positive change in the world. He coordinates well with other people when they share a mission or higher purpose. Jupiter conjunct Sun/Uranus gives him a very good intellectual grasp and he is interested in anything new and progressive. He also may join a cause or movement, such as the civil rights and peace movements, and could be successful carrying out reforms.

Jupiter conjunct Venus/Saturn means he is likely to keep more to himself and seems to be happier by himself than with other people. He prefers a simple way of life and could get married to someone with a considerable difference in age.

Saturn conjunct Uranus tells us he is serious about his interests, does not accept superficial answers and is not easily placated. He becomes impatient with others for being hesitant to implement new ideas and take action, but his occasional outbreaks of brusque, insensitive behavior may do more harm than good. Saturn conjunct Mars/Pluto means that he is not afraid of hard work and leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of his objectives. He has a strong desire to overcome any difficulties or obstacles in his way and will do this at all costs, even if it means having to use force. He refers to that aspect of himself, of course, in a song:

She was married when we first met

Soon to be divorced

I helped her out of a jam, I guess,

But I used a little too much force.

We drove that car as far as we could

Abandoned it out West

Split up on a dark sad night

Both agreeing it was best.

She turned around to look at me

As I was walkin' away

I heard her say over my shoulder,

'We'll meet again someday on the avenue,'

Tangled up in blue.

Dylan is part of a 20 year group of people with Pluto in Leo who have a deeply felt sense that each person has an equal right and opportunity to fully develop his or her inner potential. 'I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom,' says The Bard. This group tends to see the individual as more important than the group. They also defy authority and feel that no one has the right to tell them what to do. The movement to refuse military draft is one example of this group's sense of individual rights and freedom. So is 'I won't work on Maggie's farm no more.'

This group's interest in personal development also sometimes manifests as a fascination with particular individuals and a great deal of hero worship. Every generation has idols, but this generation is particularly inclined to need a specific individual to represent and embody an idea or feeling. Says Dylan, 'I'm speaking for all of us. I'm the spokesman for a generation.' As a member of this generation, he has icons of his own, some of whom he salutes in 'A Song for Woody'.

'Here's to Cisco an' Sonny an' Leadbelly too,

An' to all the good people that traveled with you.

Here's to the hearts and the hands of the men

That come with the dust and are gone with the wind.'